This post’s by Damien Newton of Streetsblog LA, who catches you up on the latest local de-car-ing news:

Transit Friendliness: Over at Streetsblog I’m running a contest for people to say why their community is the most transit-friendly and easy to live in for the car-free.  So far we have submissions for Mid-Wilshire, Downtown L.A. and Claremont.  Yes, Claremont.

Crashes: Back in April there a crash occurred between a cyclist and a hummer.  While details of the crash may be up to debate (not to me, but to someone), cyclists were shocked to hear that they only charges that may be brought in the case would be because of damage to the hummer.  Streetsblog, WestSide BikeSIDE and LAist all take a look at the hearing and LAPD’s statements.

Racks, Lockers and Sharrows: New bike facilities are popping up all over town.  The City of L.A. is converting parking meters made obsolete by “meterless pay parking” into bike racks and  Metro is installing new lockers along the Orange Line.  But the prize for best new facilities has to go to Long Beach, who painted a travel lane green and covered it with sharrows to make clear…this lane is for everyone.

Federal Spending:  We’ve got a classic good news/bad news item out of Washington D.C.  The good news is that the first draft of legislation that would reform federal transportation spending has been released in the House of Representatives.  Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN), Chair of the House Transportation Committee, is leading a bi-partisan effort to get the bill done quickly.  The bad news?  His Senate counterpart, Barbara Boxer, is parroting the Obama administration and wants to put the reforms on hold for eighteen months.

Opposite of de-car-ing: Our “friends” at Pioneer have released a three minute advertisement celebrating noise pollution and thuggery.  Watch the ad.  I’m not exaggerating.

For all the L.A. de-car-ing news that’s fit to blog, visit Damien at Streetsblog LA.

Photo: Russ Roca Photography

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This post’s by Damien Newton of Streetsblog LA, who catches you up on the latest local de-car-ing news:

Federal Government: A fight is breaking out in Washington, D.C. over the future of the federal transportation trust fund.  Ray LaHood, the Secretary of Transportation, wants to put off changing the law that governs how the feds. give out transportation dollars believing they can get a better bill with more time.  Jim Oberstar, Chair of the House Transportation Committee, thinks that there’s no time like the present and is outlining his own principals for reathorization.  Barbara Boxer, Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, seems to want to sit this argument out.

Bikes: For the third time in six weeks, an organized army of cyclists descended on a City Council meeting, although this time there was bicycle related stuff all over the agenda of the City Council Transportation Committee.  The Council Members present weren’t happy with city staff after cyclist after cyclist slammed the outreach efforts on the Bike Master Plan.  The meeting was covered by a lot of outlets, Steetsblog, LAist, City Watch and even the Daily News.

Taxis: The City of Los Angeles is expanding its pilot program for Hail-A-Cab from Downtown into Hollywood.  For at least the next six and a half months, Angelenos will be able to step off the curb and get a cab in either area, just like residents of the other great cities in the world.

Pedicabs: The LADOT recently went in front of the Transportation Commission with a series of regulations purporting to bring pedicabs back to Los Angeles.  However, the wording of the regulations has many thinking the rules are really to keep pedicabs out, or at least off streets where people might actually ride them.  Are you afraid of Hawaiian shirts?  The LADOT is.

Bonus: In all the coverage that the Lakers’ victory parade garnered around the country, few noticed that the 250k people lining the streets of Los Angeles were part of L.A.’s largest car-free vent in the modern era.  Regardless of your feelings of the Purple and Gold, and I am not a fan, it was awesome to be along the parade route, partying with that many people on L.A. streets.  Note to the city: We need more car-free parties!

For all the L.A. de-car-ing news that’s fit to blog, visit Damien at Streetsblog LA.

Photo by Ingrid Peterson/Flickr

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This post’s by Damien Newton of Streetsblog LA, who catches you up on the latest local de-car-ing news:

Biking and Walking: Last year Mayor Villaraigosa promised that part of the city’s “Local Return” from Measure R would be set-aside for cyclists and pedestrians.  This week, the City Council took a step towards making that a reality by telling the LADOT the importance of biking and walking before they put together their Measure R funding plan.

Transit: The Metro Board (LACMTA) met in special session to discuss the 2008 2009 2010 Long Range Transportation Plan.  Given that the amendments were only available the night before the meeting and that they didn’t include all of the funding categories (non-motorized transportation anyone?) the Board decided to do more public outreach and not pass the LRTP until their July Board Meeting.

Congestion Pricing: On Monday, Metro released more details on the “Congestion Pricing” plan that will go into effect on the I-110 and I-10 in December of 2010.  Personally, I’m not a big fan, so rather than just link to my rant at Streetsblog, I’ll also provide a link to the L.A. Times’ reporting.

For all the L.A. de-car-ing news that’s fit to blog, visit Damien at Streetsblog LA.

Image of proposed congestion pricing areas via Metro.net/expresslanes

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>> REI’s Bike Your Drive iPhone app gets reviewed by Will Campbell. He seems to like it, though I can’t quite figure out how to interpret what I’m looking at in his screenshot (I also don’t have an iPhone).

>> Fix a flat tire clinic happens at Santa Monica’s Bikerowave this Sat., June 13, from 11 am - 1 pm. Get a bike tube, tire levers, and a patch kit — plus both hands on and written instructions — for just $20. Earlier: Green weekender: River BBQ, vegan cookie sale, recycled billboard drop.

>> American entrepreneurs can get Kiva loans too now. Fellow Blogher contributing editor Britt Bravo’s already helping out a woman in Queens. Earlier: Rethinking my Kiva loan.

>> And local food producers can get loans from Whole Foods. So maybe now’s a good time to become the neighborhood organic cookie-maker you’ve wanted to be (please send samples for review).

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This post’s by Damien Newton of Streetsblog LA, who catches you up on the latest local de-car-ing news:

Buses: As a result of the massive cuts in state transit funding, agencies around L.A. County and beyond are all trying to figure out the fairest way to cut services.  This week, cuts in Culver City, Orange County and even the Los Angeles Unified School District were all in the news.

Trains: In Washington, D.C., Vice President Joe Biden (who, just in case you hadn’t heard, really loves trains!) met with governors from around the country to discuss federal funding of High Speed Rail.  The bad news?  Nobody from our state was there.  The good news?  It looks like CA is in line for some stimulus funds for HSR anyways.

Bikes: Last week saw a lot of reaction to the recently released maps that will provide the engineering framework for the city’s 2010 Bike Master Plan.  Most of the reaction was either negative or cautiously optimistic.  You can read comments by Bike Adivsory Committee Member Kent Strumpell, Bicycling Magazine writer Dan Koeppel (Siel’s note: and author of Banana!) LACBC founder Joe Linton and a series of comments from advocates around the city at Streetsblog.

Bikes: Yesterday was the 9th Annual L.A. River Ride.  Literally thousands of cyclists came out to show their support of the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition and safer, more accomodating streets in L.A. County.

For all the L.A. de-car-ing news that’s fit to blog, visit Damien at Streetsblog LA.

Photo by Damien Newton

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Bike fashions aren’t new, with two-wheeling fashionistas throwing Cycle Style Shows and high-end designers showing off the bike-friendliness of their designs. None of those cute outfits, however, were actually made with bicycling in mind; cyclists just found the clothes to be bike-worthy post-design.

Students at the Fashion Institute of Technology are changing that fashion-first, functionality-second approach. Thanks to the Bike in Style challenge by LVMH, students merged bike-functionality and safety with fashion at the very beginning of the design process, making the two work symbiotically to create their designs.

The challenge: “to create stylish, practical and affordable bike clothing and gear in support of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s bicycling promotion initiatives.” Each challenger designed a poncho, a jacket, and a travel bag for both men and women.

The winner, 21-year-old Jessica Velasquez, got $5,000. Three of her designs (see images) will be developed into prototypes by DKNY, to be unveiled this summer. No news, as of yet, on whether or not the pieces will be made out of eco-friendly materials….

Watch the New York Times’ narrated slideshow of the Bike in Style challenge to learn more about Jessica’s concepts and inspirations, as well as the runner-ups’ designs. LVMH’s been in the green news a lot lately; last month, the fashion giant bought a big stake in eco-ethical fashion company Edun.

Images via Fashion Institute of Technology

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>> Got a bike stolen? The LAPD busted a bike thief in the Venice area — and found a bunch of bikes. Westside Bikeside has the deets on how to find out if one of them’s yours. Earlier: A Theft-repellent bike and Grade your bike locking job.

>> Need more closet space? Give away the shoes you never wear by walking over to Venice’s First Fridays on Abbot Kinney. Just drop off your gently worn shoes on June 5, 6 pm - 10 pm, at the stations on the corner of San Juan and Abbot Kinney, or California and Abbot Kinney. You can also drop them off at your nearest Finish Line store anytime before Sept. 7 — for a $5 coupon off a new pair of shoes. Earlier: One good reason to visit Nike.

>> What to do about overnight sleeping in cars in Venice? Lots of unofficial Venice residents are sleeping in their cars — and many of them are otherwise homeless. The debate about what to do about this technically-already-illegal practice continues.

Image via abbotkinney1stfridays.com

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>> Green Drinks and Bloblive have teamed up! A green mix-and-mingle plus open mic night for eco-entrepreneurs happens at this Thurs., June 4 from 6 pm - 10 pm at the V Lounge, 2020 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. I’ll be there, especially since that bar’s in walking distance from me.

The teamup means freebies: First 40 people get a stainless steel water bottle and 4 DVDs of eco-docus.  Inside, you’ll get appetizers from V Lounge and Whole Foods, Coconut Bliss ice cream, and organic non-alkie drinks. For the harder stuff, you’ll need to pay — but there’ll be $5 organic wine and beer available. Aside from the 8 pm - 9 pm hour when the open mic happens, you’ll be free to mingle and / or zone out to the Lakers’ game. Cost: $5.

>> A free screening of Food, Inc. — followed by a panel discussion about strengthening SoCal’s local food system — also happens Thurs., June 4, at 7 pm at Whittier Village Cinemas, 7038 Greenleaf Ave, Whittier. RSVPs are required to 323.341.5091.

>> Westside bicycling enthusiasts — or even eastsiders with lots of pedal power — are invited to BikeroPARTY 2.0, featuring FREE stand time to fix your bike, games (Barrio Kart, bike karaoke rides, jump rope, four square, tube exploding contest), and a raffle (52CM single speed bike and Toms Shoes. The party happens Sat., June 6 from 1 pm - 11:55 pm at Bikerowave, 1816 A Berkeley Ave., Santa Monica.

>> Don’t miss the free  screening of The End of the Line – as there’ll be free drinks and hors d’oeuvres! Just make sure you RSVP to events@ioe.ucla.edu for the June 8 event, happening from 6 pm - 9 pm at UCLA (Bridges Theater in Melnitz Hall). If you can’t make it to a screening, The End of the Line opens at Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills June 19.

>> The California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities is putting on Green Jobs, Healthy Communities: Building a Green-Collar Economy. Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO of Green for All, will lead a discussion “to find out if we can create pathways out of poverty through a green-collar economy.” (I’m guessing the answer here will be yes, we can) Stay around after the event for a coffee and dessert networking reception. That happens Tues., June 9 at 6 pm at Yosemite Hall, 1000 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles. Free admission and parking. RSVP online.

>> Get your eco family on TV. Rockhopper TV’s producing films on climate change for BBC — and wants to film an L.A. nuclear family with green aspirations over a week in early August “in order to see how one’s day to day life works alongside being green.” Email mike@rockhopper.tv if you think your family’d be a good fit.

>> Other upcoming eco opportunities not to miss: Green Living Workshops and LA River Tour.

Image via LA Green Drinks

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>> Get paid to get rid of your water-thirsty L.A. lawn. L.A. Department of Water and Power will now pay you “$1 for each square foot of turf removed and replaced with drought tolerant plants, mulching and water-permeable hardscapes.” The program’s like Santa Monica’s eco-lawn grants, except L.A.’s comes a few years late and offers a lot less money. Still, drought-tolerant gardens are a gift that keeps giving, especially now with the new water rules and tiered fee structure.

>> Is it greener to wash your own car, or to take it to the neighborhood car wash? The answer: Get rid of your grassy lawn:

If you’re really worried about your water footprint, though, look past your driveway. As the Lantern noted in a past column, the average American lawn guzzles 21,600 gallons of water annually—at that rate, you could give your car a 10-minute hose bath every other day.

>> Santa Monica Farmers’ Market’s already entered into the America’s Favorite Farmers Market contest — so all you have to do is go over and vote for it! The winning market will get reusable tote bags to give its customers. (via mnn)

>> Volunteer to be a Santa Monica bicycle advocate. I’m wondering who put up the Craigslist ad. Bikerowave? Santa Monica Spoke? Whoever wrote this needs to highlight why someone would actually want to do this, instead of just listing the “obligations.” Volunteering should be fun –

>> Five winners of the Green Effect will win $20,000 to make their neighborhoods greener! Just write a short essay (100 - 250 words) about your eco-idea, then send that in — along with optional photos and video — by June 8.

Photo by ~Florian

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Too scared to bike? It’s true — Bicycling infrastructure in most U.S. cities are rather inadequate, with roads made for cars and cyclists considered as an afterthought, if at all.

But do you know what, besides waiting for long-term infrastructure changes, can make roads safer for bicyclists? That would be more bicyclists! More cyclists means fewer accidents, reports Wired: “According to a study by researchers at the University of New South Wales, the number of collisions decreases as the number of bicycles in traffic increases. It sounds like a paradox, they say, but motorists are more likely to drive carefully and respectfully when there are more cyclists on the road.”

So get yourself and your friends on a bike! Bicycles are by far the most popular transportation vehicle in the world — and while we should all be pushing for better local bike infrastructure in our ‘hoods, you don’t have to wait for your town to turn into a biketopia to take advantage of the convenience and fun — plus the health, financial, and environmental benefits — of biking.

To put your fears at ease, educate yourself on bike safety. Start with these 10 Tips on How to Not Get Hit by Cars at BicycleSafe.com. Even if you’re a relatively experience bicyclist, the tips are really worth a read — because I see bicyclists NOT following these simple tips all the time.

Perhaps the most counterintutive tip is that you should ride CLOSER to the lane of moving cars to your left than to the parked cars on your right. You’re much more likely to get injured by getting doored by someone getting out of the car than by a car hitting you from behind.

The whole article a rather funny read — if you share my sense of humor. Many of the statements are so obvious as to seem unnecessary — i.e. “helmets might help … but your #1 goal should be to avoid getting hit in the first place” — but are in fact necessary because of the complete lack of bicycle safety education in most parts of the U.S.

After that, if you still feel shaky, consider taking a bicycle safety class. Check the calendars of the LA County Bicycle Coalition and C.I.C.L.E. to find a safety class happening near you. (If you’re not in LA, The League of American Cyclists keeps a calendar of upcoming bike safety classes around the U.S.) I took one of the 2-day LACBC safety classes a while back — though I was too hung over to make it to the 2nd day of on-the-road training….

And for practical, local, girly bicycling advice from girls who live and ride in L.A., read through the Car Free Mondays series, a series of interviews with car-free women living in Los Angeles, with lots of great tips on getting respect on the road while moving on two wheels.

Earlier: 9 Steps for bicycle happiness

Photo by M J M

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