LADOT Bicycle Program staff recently met with the Planning Subcommittee of the BAC (Bicycle Advisory Committee) to discuss a range of on-going bicycle projects in the City. A copy of the agenda can be found here.

Bikeways, MyFigueroa, & Expo Bike Path

During the past fiscal year the LADOT Bike Program has continued to implement the 2010 Bicycle Plan with a total of 125.5 miles of bikeways installed. This number includes 1.5 miles of bike paths, 101 miles of bike lanes, 22.4 miles of sharrows, and .6 miles of bicycle friendly street treatments. During the Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting, the BAC passed a formal motion to “amend the 2010 bike plan to include high school students in the education component in addition to elementary and middle school students”. This motion will advise City planning officials as they continue to work on the Mobility Element update which re-examines portions of the 2010 Bicycle Plan among other things.

As work on the Exposition bike path moves forward, LADOT staff continue to review the Expo Authority’s design and engineering plans for the bike path that parallels most of the light rail line. This review process is expected to be complete in late October, with plans to begin construction of the bike path this July.

Progress is also being made on the MyFigueroa project which will construct 1.2 miles of cycletrack along Figueroa Street from 7th Street to Martin Luther King Jr. (L.A.’s first cycletrack project). Currently LADOT Bicycle Program staff are reviewing engineering plans for Figueroa Street. Initial construction is planned for early 2014.

Bikeshare Permitting Process established

LADOT in conjunction with the Bureau of Engineering completed the permitting process application for installing a bikeshare system in the public right-of-way. The council files containing the permit and relevant materials can be found here and here. At this point, interested Bike Share companies may begin the permitting process by outlining how their system would operate and proposing where the first initial fixed locations for bike share kiosks will be located.

Seeking 3 new appointees for the Bicycle Advisory Committee

The Bicycle Advisory Committee was established in 1974 to advise the City Council and Mayor on all bicycle-related issues. It consists of 19 members, 1 appointed by each Councilmember and 4 appointed by the mayor. The committee meets on the first Tuesday of every other month, usually at the LAPD Hollywood Division Community Room. Meetings are open to the public and noted on the LADOT Bike Program website under “news and events” beforehand. The BAC also has three subcommittees–Planning, Bikeways, and Advocacy/Education–which meet during alternate months.

Last but not least, the BAC has 3 vacant positions due to resignations: a mayoral appointee, Council District 6, and Council District 14. Interested applicants should contact those offices and indicate their interest.