Although their proximity to car-dominated Los Angeles can't be
denied, southern neighbor Long
Beach has put the money and effort behind making cycling an
attractive and safe mode, and it's already paying dividends.
Bicycling
Magazine's 2010 rankings for bike-friendly cities ranked Long
Beach a respectable 23rd, but
that doesn't satisfy them. In fact, their goal is to ultimately
make Long Beach
"The Most Bicycle Friendly City in America," a bold statement that adorns
the art at City Hall (photo by Greg Page/Page One Studio).
With a bike-friendly mayor and big support from the city council,
their plans are ambitious. But most importantly they are think big and
thinking fast. A couplet of physically protected cycletracks, sharrows
with unique green striping, Southern California's first bicycle
boulevard, and hundreds of additional bike racks are just a few of the
items already in the ground or coming very shortly.
This video doesn't even touch upon their comprehensive education
program in place for students, police, and transit operators. Ahhhh,
well -- I guess we'll just have to go back and cover that on another trip
(and then go sit on the beach.)
