According to CalTrans, 329.8 billion miles are traveled per year in California alone: 73% of these miles are traveled by car; only 4.8% of them are traveled via bicycle or by foot. This trend can be explained by urban sprawl, low transportation fuel, and cheap land, and the culture of personal car ownership in California. The small percentage of those who traveled by bicycle could also be explained by the lack of safe bike infrastructure in Los Angeles. This all might be changing due to local bicycle interest groups and coalitions, as well as new investments coming from our local government and government agencies.

Despite being the capital of cars, Los Angeles is making headway in the area of bicycle infrastructure. In February 2011, Assembly Bill 819 was introduced by Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski. The bill was slated to amend current law to improve the safety and efficiency of bicycle lane traffic across the state, and to promote the use of bicycles as a preferred alternative to other modes of transportation. The bill was approved, but without the imperative language that would allow planners to use guidelines outside of those established by Caltrans – like the popular NACTO Bikeway Design Guide. While the bill’s approval may not be the catalyst needed for radical improvement in bike infrastructure in Los Angeles, it still requires Caltrans to create an experimentation process through which engineers will be able to establish their own standards.

The newly painted bike lane on Spring St. in Downtown LA

Other than AB 819, making Los Angeles more bike-friendly is on the agendas of LADOT and the LACBC, who recently partnered up with a Dutch bicycle expert (Amsterdam residents make more bike trips than car trips) to determine what kind of improvements could be made to existing bike infrastructure.  This partnership was facilitated by ThinkBike LA, a local bicycle promotion and design workshop.

Bicycle Parking in The Netherlands: A surreal scene for Angelenos

An example of a local city that is implementing bicycle infrastructure, such as the ideas discussed at ThinkBike LA, is Santa Monica, where local government is aiming to promote livability and walkability. Santa Monica now boasts the largest bike parking structure in the US. The City of Santa Monica has also started work on a facelift for Ocean Park Boulevard, first envisioned in 2008 and slated for completion in 2013. The “green street” will include light poles, wide sidewalks, painted bike lanes, bike racks, street furniture, and trash and recycling cans. This new approach will lessen the dangers to both bicyclers and motorists, by building protected bike lanes, and avoiding “vehicular cycling,” in which cyclists share the road as if they were automobiles. Perhaps Los Angeles will see more bike infrastructure like we’re seeing in Santa Monica, and we’ll update you on any developments in that area.

Santa Monica Bike Center

Beyond local government, and with the main goal of sustainability in mind, how could or how does bicycling fit into your life? Have you considered it, but worry about the dangers? If you are a seasoned bicycler in Los Angeles, do you have any tips – pros or cons - that you feel are relevant? Take a look at our continued reading list for more information on bicycling.

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Knowing where to find the right information that can make you a more confident bicycler is half the battle. The following websites are great resources:

The cost of car versus bike ownership: www.bikesatwork.com/carfree/cost-of-car-ownership.html.

Tips for safe cycling: www.calbike.org/bicycling-in-california

Free city biking lessons and gear: www.sustainablestreets.org/education/ccc/

Bike tourism opportunities: www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/los-angeles/travel-tips-and-articles/76963

Community bicycling events: www.ciclavia.org/about/

Safe walking and cycling routes to school: www.saferoutesinfo.org/

At this time, a subway system does not exist that serves the Westside area directly. Since Antonio Villaraigosa was elected Mayor of Los Angeles in 2005, the Westside Subway Extension has been one of his administration’s priorities, thus becoming one of Metro’s priority projects. The extension builds onto what is already the Purple Line, which was formerly the Wilshire Branch of the Red Line.  Villaraigosa has also referred to this Extension as a “Subway to the Sea,” although whether or not it will end at the Santa Monica pier is still in question. This phrase, that once generated buzz, has been largely abandoned in favor of the “Westside Subway Extension”.

According to Metro’s website:

The Westside Subway Extension would provide a high-capacity, high-speed, dependable alternative for those traveling to key destinations such as Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, Century City and Westwood, including the UCLA campus. Over 300,000 people travel into the Westside every day for work from areas throughout the County and beyond.

As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman, Villaraigosa will be highly involved with the final decision regarding just where the subway will travel along the Westside. He has given public reassurances that the project is highly valuable to the future of Los Angeles. One of the major decisions that the public has not yet agreed upon is whether or not construction to further the line should go beneath Beverly Hills High School and local homes to deposit at the intersection of Constellation/Avenue of the Stars or should be built to deposit from beneath the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard/Avenue of the Stars, thus avoiding drilling beneath BHHS and local Beverly Hills homes.

While the benefits of this extension could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of Californians, the MTA’s current and most highly publicized discord exists between the MTA and the citizens of Beverly Hills,  namely the Principal of Beverly Hills High School (BHHS) and BHUSD and the Mayor of Beverly Hills.

As long as a resolution is not reached between MTA and their constituents, such as the Beverly Hills community, the project will be delayed, and one could speculate that these legal grievances may postpone the construction of the subway long enough that Villaraigosa will no longer be Mayor, or MTA Chairman for that matter, by the time a resolution is reached – and the project could fall into limbo.

In order to move the project forward, Metro staff is now working to complete preliminary engineering and a Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR), which is the final study required before construction can begin. As part of this preparatory effort, Metro released findings from independent geologists in October, which strongly recommended that the Century City Stop should tunnel beneath BHHS, to avoid the active fault line that lies beneath Santa Monica Boulevard.

An aerial view of the area that would be affected in Century City, with Beverly Hills High School on the right-hand side.

This recommendation has inspired much discourse between Beverly Hills and the MTA. BHHS has paid thousands of dollars to a lobbying firm to dissuade Metro from their current plans. In this same vein, they have highlighted worries about how tunneling could make the campus vulnerable to collapse, and possibly hinder the school’s future modernization, made possible with funds from Measure E.

It is important to make the distinction that Beverly Hills is not against the actual subway; they are against the building of it under BHHS, citing the aforementioned concerns. In order to address the argument that a fault line would make a Santa Monica Blvd. stop dangerous, BHHS has recently decided to invest in double-checking Metro’s findings with their own drilling.

Which intersection do you feel would benefit the area the most? Do you support Beverly Hills, thus the Santa Monica Boulevard/Avenue of the Stars stop? Do you feel that BHHS is validated in their fears of the subway’s effect on their school? Are you reassured by the expert scientific findings that support a Constellation/Avenue of the Stars stop? We’ll keep you posted as new developments arise.  

Opinion:  The Beverly Hills website makes its position clear; the Century City Chamber of Commerce voices its opinion here on its own website supporting a Constellation/AOS stop.

As we near the completion of many of these planned projects, World Trade Center Developer Larry Silverstein of Silverstein Properties has released a stunning video showcasing what the site will look like when finished.

Enjoy!

Read On:

Six Questions on Rebuilding the World Trade Center

Cloud Computing: Google Maps, Street View Show Recovery Progress at 9/11 Ground Zero Site

9/11 anniversary: A tour around the new World Trade Center tower

Powering the World Trade Center Site

Is this the world’s greenest neighborhood? Kaid Benfield, Director of Sustainable Communities for the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC), posed that question in an article for The Atlantic magazine in which he detailed his visit to Dockside Green.  The 15-acre community nestled in Victoria, British Columbia gets its name from its geographic location along Victoria’s Harbour.  The site, formerly used for light industrial purposes, is being redeveloped into a mixed-used community capable of housing 2,500 residents.  

The ongoing project, which broke ground in 2008, will require 12 phases of construction, forming three distinct neighborhoods, and will eventually reach completion in 2018.

Photo: docksidegreen.com

Much of the chatter regarding this project surrounds its commitment to extremely high standards of environmental stewardship and green design.  The development aims to adhere to New Urbanism principles by taking into account the environment and impacts by those in the community.

Dockside Green has been lauded in its effort to obtain LEED Platinum certification, the highest such rating under the program.  Additionally, the development will utilize renewable energy alternatives like solar panels and windmills and will host a biomass gasification plant (converts waste wood into gas that is burned to provide heat).  This will enable the project to achieve carbon neutrality.  Waste water will also be reclaimed and used for irrigation needs.  A host of smart meters will allow property owners to regulate resource consumption, as well.

While the precedent it sets for future projects remains unknown, many folks will surely maintain a close eye on this model.  Is this the greenest neighborhood in the world?  Is it the greenest you’ve heard of?

Read On:

About Dockside Green

Dockside Green: The World’s First LEED Platinum Community

Dockside amenities funding escalating with the times

According to Jennifer Emert of WTOC, Georgia’s jaywalking laws are tough and the penalties, if there is an accident, constitute jail time, as in the case of Raquel Nelson.

Nelson was convicted for second-degree vehicular homicide, reckless conduct, and failure to use a crosswalk; she faced three years in jail.

Site of Raquel Nelson's bus stop crossing. Photo courtesy of Transportation For America.

Instead of traveling to the nearest crosswalk, three-tenths of a mile away, Nelson and her three young children jaywalked on a busy roadway from the bus stop across from their apartment. Nelson’s four-year old son was struck and killed by an impaired hit-and-run driver, who served six-months of a five-year prison sentence.

Although a judge spared Nelson jail time last Tuesday, many believe that she should not have been brought to trial.

David Goldberg of Transportation for America questioned whether the highway designers, traffic engineers, transit planners, and land use regulators should be held accountable.

Some considered transit agencies liable for the dangerous conditions found when riders accessed the bus stop.

So who is accountable for this accident? Raquel Nelson, who jaywalked in order to avoid a three-tenths of a mile walk to the traffic signal? The impaired driver, who has a history of hit-and-runs? Or the transportation authority, who should have anticipated and planned with pedestrians in mind? Share your thoughts.

Read on:

Suburban Sprawl to Smart Growth – Shifting the American Dream

In Defense of Jaywalking

LA Times – in the news: jaywalking

Dangerous by Design 2011

Supervisor Ridley-Thomas, Richard Katz and Mayor Villaraigosa pose for pictures during a recent HOT lane groundbreaking ceremony. Photo:L.A. Weekly

According to Metro, on I-10:

The budget will cover the toll technology, toll infrastructure and operational improvements required to complete the conversion. This project will also provide additional ExpressLanes capacity on the El Monte Busway between I-710 and I-605 through re-striping and buffer changes. No general purpose lanes are taken away to create the second ExpressLane between I-710 and I-605.

And over on I-110:

This project will convert existing HOV lanes from 182nd Street/Artesia Transit Center to Adams Boulevard into ExpressLanes (38 lane miles). The budget will cover the toll technology, toll infrastructure and operational improvements required to complete the conversion.

Along with a projected easing of traffic congestion, Metro expects to see a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in these areas.  Other benefits include travel time savings and trip reliability.

Just how will pricing work?  Well, dynamic pricing will be in effect.  That means:

Tolls are continually adjusted according to traffic conditions to maintain a free-flowing level of traffic on the HOT lanes. (General purpose lanes are not tolled.) Prices increase when the HOT lanes get relatively full and decrease when the HOT lanes get less full.

In order to collect tolls smoothly and efficiently, this new system will utilize electronic toll collection methods via a transponder in your vehicle which communicates with the roadway in order to figure your toll and link to an online account.  There will be no toll booths associated with the HOT lanes.

However, not everyone is excited about HOT lanes making their way to Southern California.  Detractors argue that the new system creates an unfair playing field of “haves and have-nots.”  This school of thought maintains that our freeways are a  taxpayer-financed public resource and should be left open and available to everyone in full.  In short, lanes are not for sale.

So, where do you fall on the continuum?  Will this pilot program work?  Will we be seeing more HOT lanes on our freeways in the future?  Weigh in below in the comments section.

Additional reading:

Metro ExpressLanes

Toll Lanes Coming To 10 And 110 Freeways In Los Angeles County

Metro Experiments With Toll Lanes On 110 And 10 Freeways

Both Sides Of Congressional Aisle Hate Metro Congestion Pricing Plan

Photo: Downtown Los Angeles: What Was, What Is, What is to Come

An incredible work of art surfaced on the World Wide Web recently.  The aesthetically pleasing film created by three Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students in conjunction with mega Architecture firm Gensler, showcases the past, present, and future of Downtown Los Angeles through a carefully crafted stream of data and imagery.

The project, Downtown Los Angeles: What Was, What Is, What is to Come, takes a look at population growth and transportation demand, among other interesting tidbits.  The film dissects the arrangement of downtown infrastructure, culminating with various suggestions for transforming the area in the years ahead.

Early on, the video takes a crack at the whopping 36% of land used for parking and parking infrastructure.  The proposed solution:  move all parking to the perimeter.  Doing this would compact 36% of land currently used, down to just 1%.  Among  other ideas depicted: the incorporation of locally grown food, reorganization of districts, and the revival of the Alameda Corridor.

So who’s with them? Can you envision such changes in downtown? Watch the video and comment below.

Read On:

Downtown Los Angeles: What Was, What Is, What is to Come

Ban Cars In L.A.’s Downtown? An Idea That Just Might Work

 A recent study making the rounds reveals that in the wake of the recession, millions of Americans are facing an uphill battle when it comes to paying their rent.  Vacancies are down, supply is dwindling, and the cost of renting, along with utility expenditures, continues to rise.  The report, America’s Rental Housing: Meeting Challenges, Building on Opportunities, identifies an affordability crisis at hand.  Those who rent are applying a greater share of income towards rent, leaving less money for other necessities - at times forcing them to make a decision between shelter or food.

A common standard of affordability is that rent and utility costs together require less than 30 percent of household income. Above that limit, renter cost burdens are defined as moderate (between 30 and 50 percent of income) or severe (more than 50 percent of income). In 1960, 24 percent of renters were at least moderately burdened, including 12 percent that were severely burdened. By 2000, these shares had reached 38 percent and 20 percent.  And by 2009, the share of at least moderately cost-burdened renters soared to 49 percent while the share of severely burdened renters jumped to 26 percent.

The report cites weak gains in income and rising housing costs as contributing factors to the statistics.  Additionally, the report highlights the fact that housing affordability pressures have begun to creep up into higher earning brackets.  The findings consider this a long-term issue that will continue to grow,

What does seem certain is that—absent a dramatic expansion of federal assistance to help defray the costs of renting, or a shift in state and local land use and building regulations to allow expansion of modest, high-density rental developments— affordability problems will remain at staggeringly high levels, if not worsen.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan responded to the findings in an interview with CNBC.

How has your rent been affected? Your lifestyle and spending habits?

Read On:

Affordable rental housing scarce in U.S., study finds

Soaring Costs Force Some Renters To Choose Between Shelter And Food

Report: America’s Rental Housing: Meeting Challenges, Building on Opportunities

Editorial: Affordable housing At last, let construction begin

HUD’s Shaun Donovan aims for a more balanced market

There’s still a raging debate over whether art has more intrinsic or instrumental value.  Intrinsic value relates to the aesthetic value of any work of art, its own value as a piece of individual expression. Instrumental value relates to the ability of art to educate, create jobs, increase real estate value, build citizens, increase tourism, and provide other benefits. (Dirt Blog)

Below are a few examples of some controversial art projects.  What’s your take on their intrinsic and instrumental value?

Photo: BBC News

Back in 2010, an illuminated river art project got the boot in part because many thought it was silly.  When artwork goes public it invades people’s space and challenges their thoughts.  Jonathan Jones of the Guardian said last year that those who campaign against public artworks, as in Wales recently, promote a mindless, cultureless vision of Britain.  Just recently the Governor of Maine ordered the removal of a mural depicting the state’s labor history.  Governor LePage argued that the mural was one-sided and out of line.  Opponents said the mural held historical value.

Photo: San Francisco Chronicle

Just a couple weeks ago, the City of Los Angeles ruled that a mural painted on the property of a homeowner was considered advertising and needed to be removed.  The project was originally commissioned to high school students as way to support young artists.

Photo: NoHoartsdistrict.com

Then finally there is Banksy.  His existence is shrouded in secrecy with his artwork generating tremendous buzz.

While the lines are often blurred between intrinsic and instrumental values, perhaps a distinction also needs to be drawn between street art and public art?  Is there a difference?  I tend to think of public art as murals depicting a place, season, or iconic image related to a location.  So what is it? Is street art vandalism, graffiti, or public art?  Additionally, why does public art evoke so much angst, or is it overblown because of  a few case examples?

Read On:

The Many Benefits of Public Art

Public art? Not in my back yard

Maine governor attacks public art as “one-sided”

Commissioned Mural Painted Over After City Claims the Art is Advertising

Banksy Street Art

The NRDC’s Kaid Benfield tackles this move in an exposé calling the decision downright “horrible.”  By comparing satellite imagery, Benfield argues that moving the facility will not only take away 600 jobs key to Kansas City’s revitalization and stabilization, but it will lead to three times as many pollutants emitted as a result of changes in employee transportation habits.

Data in the comparison was obtained through publicly accessible sites, walk score, (a service allowing people to identify walkable neighborhoods and their benefits) and Abogo (a tool evaluating how transportation impacts an area).  The findings are below.

Current Location (downtown Kansas City, Kansas)

Photo: Kaid Benfield via Google Maps

Walkscore = 62 out of 100, “somewhat walkable” > 81% of Kansas City

Abogo = Average household cost – $674/mo < regional average – $874/mo; Transportation CO2 impact – 0.39 metric tons/month < regional average – 0.74 metric tons/month.

New location (suburbs of Lenexa, Kansas)

Photo: Kaid Benfield via Google Maps

Walkscore = 28 out of 100, “car dependent” < 86% of Lenexa residents

Abogo = Average household cost – $958/mo > regional average – $874/mo; Transportation CO2 impact – 1.08 metric tons/mo > regional average – 0.74 metric tons/mo.

Benfield also took a look at the core livability principles that arose from the partnership for sustainable communities between the EPA, Department of Transportation, and Department of Housing and Urban Development.  In short, he wonders how this decision to move  supports the community.  He does however look at the other side, elaborating on the new loaction’s LEED certification and related cost savings advantages in connection with the move.

Regardless, Benfield is adamant in his views:

In today’s rancorous political climate, conservatives charge that the federal government’s interest in sustainability is basically a statist plot to force Americans into a lifestyle that they don’t want.

Amazingly, in this case it is by ignoring sustainability that the government may be forcing its employees into a lifestyle and increased costs that they likely do not want.  The much-heralded government interest in sustainability not only is not forcing ordinary Americans to do anything:  it isn’t even having an effect on the government’s own practices.

Where do you stand in regards to the government’s interest in sustainability? Is it born out of a desire to force people into a lifestyle they don’t want?  Or does it work the other way, by ignoring sustainability, people are then forced into other lifestyles they don’t want?  Do we have a choice?  

Read On:

EPA Region 7: “We were just kidding about that sustainability stuff”

Loss of EPA headquarters will affect community

EPA moving regional HQ, but staying in Kansas

HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities

Is Sustainability a Scam