LOS ANGELES—The City’s Master Bicycle Plan aims to make Los Angeles a bike-friendly city by offering an improved 1,680 miles of bikeway.
“Los Angeles is on the path to becoming a world-class city for bicycling,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in a statement.
On March 2, Mayor Villaraigosa announced the adoption of the bicycle plan as an initiative to support a healthier Los Angeles as well as promote a safer environment for bicyclists. According to labikeplan.org, the project intends to increase the number of bicyclists who ride their bike, make every street a safe place to ride and set up a bicycle-friendly community.
“It’s a cultural shift on how we view transportation, and opens up more opportunities for bicyclists, of all levels of ability and comfort, to ride in an urban environment,” said Council Member Ed P. Reyes in a press release.
Three main networks will provide structure to the plan, according to the City of Los Angeles website. The Backbone Network is proposed as 707 miles of bicycle lanes near employment centers, transit stations and educational resources. The Neighborhood Network will supply 834 miles of streets with low traffic volume leading to specific neighborhood facilities like schools, libraries and parks. The Green Network will allow 139 miles of bicycle paths connecting to the city’s green open spaces.
The bicycle design, which builds on ideas from prior initiatives back in 1977 and 1996, will also merge with bicycle lanes already established in Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Burbank, among others.
“The Bicycle Master Plan is a critical step towards making cycling a safe, accessible, healthy alternative to the automobile,” said Council Member Bill Rosendahl in a press release.
Funding for the Master Bicycle Plan comes from Measure R, the Transportation Development Act, MTA’s Call for Projects, the State’s Bicycle Transportation Account and Federal and State Safe Routes to Schools.
