LEDbicyclelight

Parts two and three of your questionnaire with Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky focused mainly on what I’m referring to as “People Powered Transportation” (the Alliance for Walking and Bicycling’s chosen term for traveling without a car and not by transit) and a separate section with two tongue-and-cheek questions.  Sadly, he didn’t take my bait and announce his candidacy for Mayor.

Photo of Zev Yaroslavsky by Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

There’s some interesting news in this section.  First, he announces a motion for Metro to pilot a Bike Share Program at the next Metro Board meeting.  I’m not sure how I missed that in the committee agendas.  Second, he discusses the need to fix and connect the pedestrian trail that runs next to the Marvin Braude bike trail.  Third, he discusses the need to create bike connections between the Westside and Valley.

But perhaps most impressively, Yaroslavsky becomes the first person to jump off the scripted questions and adds a couple of paragraphs on people powered transportation.  However, since he mentioned his passion for running, it gives us the excuse to use this picture again.

A big Streetsblog “Thank You” to the Supervisor for giving us such well thought-out answers.  Readers, stay tuned for our next questionnaire with Deputy Mayor for Transportation Borja Leon.

“People Powered Transportation”

First, a few words on “people powered transportation.”

I admit that I’m not a big bike rider. But, as a lifelong runner, I know our streets can be unfriendly (or worse) for those of us who use them for fitness and, in the case of cyclists, for transportation as well. So before diving into your questions, let me say for the record that I welcome Los Angeles’ growing bicycle movement.

I applaud the popular CicLAvia events that have tapped into our pent-up cravings to enjoy our neighborhoods in ways far more personal than speeding through them in cars. Indeed, we need more of these kinds of civic experiences, which bring us closer to each other, no matter what our ages, sizes or colors. On a policy level, as you’ll see below, I’m committed to incorporating the infrastructure needs of cyclists and pedestrians into transit projects, community developments and onto the streets themselves. Whether we’re talking about measurable benefits to our health or carbon footprint, we all gain from actions that encourage alternatives to driving and ease our communal stress levels, as Carmageddon weekend so thoroughly demonstrated. As we increasingly share the road, however, we must also become smarter about the law and our responsibilities to each other. Let’s all be safe.