LACBC 4th st. Bike Boulevard Walk and Ride

LOS ANGELES COUNTY BICYCLE COALITION WALK AND RIDE THE 4thSTREET BICYCLE BOULEVARD

Contact: Dorothy Kieu Le

o) 213-629-2142

c) 424 212 9327

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 19, 2010 – To showcase the benefits of bringing a bicycle boulevard to 4th Street, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) will hold an outdoor community event Saturday July 24th. “Walk and Ride for a Safer 4th Street,” encourages community members to walk or ride down 4th Street that morning and gather at Shatto Park. There, riders and walkers will participate in an open discussion on how making 4th Street a bicycle boulevard will lead to a quieter, safer and more attractive street for residents, visitors, and business owners alike.

“Positively 4th Street! That is our mission, to improve this street as a bicycle boulevard and to encourage others to use cycling as a form of transportation,” said Tom LaBonge, Los Angeles City Councilmember, Council District 4. LaBonge will be on hand at the event along with members of local business groups and neighborhood residents.

The 4th Street Bicycle Boulevard Campaign is intended to transform the portion of 4th Street from Hoover Street to Cochran Avenue into a shared roadway to provide an attractive, convenient and comfortable environment equally welcoming to cyclists and pedestrians of all ages and physical skill levels.

This specific street was chosen because it is a low-traffic street that runs parallel to major thoroughfares, and passes through both residential neighborhoods and commercial districts.

Local business and community supporters include the Rampart Village Neighborhood Council, Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, Mid-City West Neighborhood Council, American Institute of Architects- Los Angeles, and the Wilshire Center Business Improvement District whose Operations Director, Mike Russell, will also attend the event.

Any proposed 4th Street Bicycle Boulevard would remain open to traffic but would divert some vehicles so more drivers would be neighbors from the area. By decreasing traffic flow, residents, children, the elderly and the physically disabled would enjoy a safer street.

“By calming automobile traffic and stimulating bicycle and pedestrian activity, the boulevard will invigorate the neighborhood, improve the environment and enhance public safety by putting more “eyes” on the street,” emphasized Jeff Jacobberger, Chair of the Mid-City West Neighborhood Council, who will also attend.

These elements appeal to long-time resident and children’s book author Megan Hirsch. “I love to bike and walk around my neighborhood with my kids and I support the idea of smarter streets in residential neighborhoods that are safe for people of all ages to use for fun, exercise and transportation,” explained Hirsch.

More than just road markings, bicycle boulevards present opportunities to install more trees, permeable pavement, traffic circles, mini-parks, bicycle and pedestrian specific signaling and other amenities. The concept isn’t entirely new to 4th Street, which was recently painted with Sharrows markings as part of the Sharrows Pilot Project.

Walk and Ride for a Safer 4th Street will build support to continue these improvements by directing engaging visitors in a fun, informative manner.

Cyclists will meet at 9:45am at Pan Pacific Park while walkers will gather at 10:15am at 4th and Normandie. Both will arrive at 11:00 am at Shatto Park. There, they will enjoy refreshments and interact with the speakers until 1 p.m. Shatto Park is located at 3191 W. 4th Street, Los Angeles, 90020.

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Founded in 1998, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) is a nonprofit membership-supported working to create a more bicycle-friendly Los Angeles County. The mission of LACBC is to improve the bicycling environment and as a result has expanded to include issues relating to pedestrian-friendly streets, all modes of alternative transportation, and urban planning policy in and around Los Angeles County. Through advocacy, education and outreach, LACBC brings together the diverse bicycling community in a united mission to make the entire L.A. region a safe and enjoyable place to ride.

For more information go to www.la-bike.org, or call 213-629-2142.

KPFK