A few years ago, we went to L.A. to visit a friend. The traffic, compared to anything we'd seen in Texas, was shocking. It's a real car culture, and we wouldn't have dreamed of biking around. But now, it seems as though the bicycle scene is booming — good news for folks who like to commute or ride around their community on two wheels instead of four...
For a city to be bike-able, it needs a few things. Bicycles don't need much infrastructure, but the infrastructure they do need is critical for safety: bike lanes or at the very least a discernible route through the city on streets with gentler vehicular traffic.
We find the same problem in our hometown: it's pretty bike-friendly once you get inside a circle created by three freeways. But we happen to live outside of that circle. And have you ever tried biking on a street that's not bike-friendly? Whoosh! We're not fans of that feeling that a car is just a few feet too close.
So hearing that a big city like L.A. is opening the door for more cyclists is encouraging. In any case, it sounds like L.A. is listening to the pleas for more bike-friendly options--so if you live in the city, get ready. Maybe one of our dream bikes is in your future?
For more on L.A.'s exploding bike scene, read up here.
(Image: StockXchg member mn-que, licensed for public use.)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
I wouldn't call Houston ped friendly either.
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As a pedestrian in L.A. - yes, I walk wherever I can - I've definitely noticed more bicyclists. The downside? Generally speaking, they're just about as considerate as the stereotypical L.A. driver. The true pedestrian, who supposedly has the right of way, has just been pushed down another notch in the mean streets of L.A. pecking order!
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