Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

BICYCLING-RELATED ADVOCACY, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH VISION ZERO: IN 2022 WE HOSTED MONTHLY BICYCLE SAFETY CLASSES FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN FLORENCE-FIRESTONE TO SUPPORT THE COUNTY'S VISION ZERO PROGRAM, FUNDED BY THE OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY (OTS). THROUGH A COMBINATION OF IN-CLASS AND ON-BIKE EXERCISES, WE ARE EQUIPPING LOCAL CYCLISTS WITH THE TOOLS TO RIDE SAFELY IN LOS ANGELES, WITH A FOCUS ON QUARTERS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE HIGH-INJURY NETWORK (HIN)PROGRAM AND SERVICESLA BIKE FEST (FALL ANNUALLY) - FUNDRAISING PARTY TO CELEBRATE VARIOUS BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THROUGHOUT LA COUNTY. THE EVENT IS MANAGED BY LACBC STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AND TOOK PLACE THE ARTS DISTRICT IN DTLA. OPERATION FIREFLY (NOVEMBER TO EARLY MARCH, ANNUALLY) - EDUCATION AND AWARENESS EVENTS CONDUCTED WEEKLY TO RAISE AWARENESS AMONG BICYCLISTS OF THE NEED FOR LIGHTS TO RIDE AT NIGHT, RAISE AWARENESS AMONG DRIVERS THAT THERE ARE OFTEN CYCLISTS RIDING AT NIGHT, AND TO GATHER DATA REGARDING RIDER KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, AND USAGE OF BICYCLES DURING THE EXTENDED EVENING HOURS OF STANDARD TIME. LOCATIONS ARE SELECTED BASED ON NEED AND SPONSORSHIP AND ALL EVENTS ARE STAFFED BY LACBC STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. BIKE EDUCATION AND SAFETY TRAININGS (ONGOING) - TRAINED LEAGUE CYCLING INSTRUCTORS (LCIS) PROVIDE INSTRUCTION TO CYCLISTS NEW AND OLD ABOUT SAFETY, BASIC MAINTENANCE, AND RULES OF THE ROAD IN ORDER TO INSTILL STUDENTS WITH GREATER CONFIDENCE TO INCORPORATE CYCLING INTO THEIR DAILY LIVES AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND RECREATION. CLASSES ARE OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND ARE FACILITATED BY LACBC STAFF, BUT TAUGHT BY INSTRUCTORS TRAINED BY THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN CYCLISTS. WE ALSO PROVIDE PRIVATE BICYCLE EDUCATION CLASSES FOR CORPORATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANT TO ENCOURAGE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION USE AS A PART OF THEIR CULTURE. MIDDLE SCHOOL BICYCLE ENCOURAGEMENT ACTIVITIES (ONGOING) - IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAUSD, PE TEACHERS ARE INSTRUCTED IN HOW TO FACILITATE A CURRICULUM THAT HELPS TEACH MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS HOW TO RIDE A BIKE SAFELY AND DEVELOP SKILLS TO IMPROVE BIKE HANDLING. ADDITIONALLY, WE WORK WITH SCHOOLS TO HELP FACILITATE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF STUDENT CLUBS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON BICYCLING ACTIVITIES TO ENCOURAGE GREATER HEALTH AND WELL-BEING WHILE FOSTERING COMMUNITY AMONG STUDENTS. THE PROGRAM IS BEING DEPLOYED AT SELECT SCHOOLS ACROSS LAUSD AND IS BEING FACILITATED BY LACBC STAFF AND SUBCONTRACTORS. #LACOUNTYBIKEMATCH (ONGOING) - AS A PART OF A NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT, LACBC ESTABLISHED THE #LACOUNTYBIKEMATCH AS A WAY TO GET UNUSED BIKES INTO THE HANDS OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO FACILITATE TRANSPORTATION AND FAMILY RECREATION. THE PROGRAM RECEIVED A BOOST IN THE FORM OF A LARGE DONATION OF UNASSEMBLED BICYCLES THAT WE ARE SEEKING OUT FUNDING FOR IN ORDER TO BUILD UP AND DISTRIBUTE THROUGH OUR NETWORK OF LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.#BIKESMEANBUSINESS (ONGOING) - IT STARTED AS A COLLABORATION WITH SUNSET4ALL, A GROUP THAT GREW OUT OF THE CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD BIKE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES ALONG SUNSET BLVD. HOWEVER, THE IDEA IS NOW GROWING INTO A PROGRAM TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES ALL ALONG BIKEABLE CORRIDORS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO ENCOURAGE THE BICYCLING COMMUNITY TO BRING EXTRA BUSINESS INTO STORES ALONG CORRIDORS THAT ARE TARGETED FOR NEW BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, PARTLY AS A WAY TO FIGHT PUSHBACK FROM LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS ABOUT THE INCORRECT NARRATIVE OF HOW BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE WILL REDUCE PARKING AND THUS IMPACT THE EARRING POTENTIAL OF THE BUSINESSES, BUT ALSO PARTLY TO SHOW SOLIDARITY BETWEEN THE BIKE COMMUNITY AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. OUR CHAPTERS WILL BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BUSINESSES IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND WE ASSIST WITH AMPLIFICATION OF THE MESSAGE TO HELP DRIVE SUCCESS. CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT (ONGOING) - LACBC HELPS TO ESTABLISH, FOSTER, AND GROW A NETWORK OF CHAPTERS THROUGHOUT THE CITIES IN THE COUNTY IN ORDER TO ASSIST ADVOCATES THROUGHOUT THE REGION DEVELOP THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO LEAD ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS TO IMPROVE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOP A REGIONAL NETWORK OF ACCESSIBLE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS THE LA REGION. CURRENTLY THERE ARE 13 CHAPTERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY PLUS SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOOD BIKE AMBASSADOR GROUPS. THE CHAPTERS AND BIKE AMBASSADOR GROUPS ARE RUN BY VOLUNTEERS WITH ASSISTANCE FROM LACBC STAFF FOR RESOURCING AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING. LACBC SERVES AS FISCAL SPONSOR TO THESE GROUPS TO ALLOW THEM TO ACCESS RESOURCES AND FUNDING AVAILABLE TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE AUDIT RIDES: IN 2022 BIKELA TOOK ELECTED OFFICIALS OUT FOR CURATED INFRASTRUCTURE AUDIT RIDES TO GIVE THE OFFICIALS AND THEIR STAFF ON-THE-GROUND EXPERIENCE OF WHAT ITS LIKE TO BIKE IN THEIR DISTRICT. WE PROPOSE POLICY SOLUTIONS TO CHALLENGES AND DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE ROADS FOR ALL USERS. WITH HELP FROM A FLEET OF BICYCLES GENEROUSLY DONATED TO BIKELA BY BROMPTON, BIKELA CAN ACCOMMODATE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEIR STAFF, EVEN IF THEY DONT TYPICALLY BIKE OR HAVE A BIKE.PROGRAM EVALUATIONLACBC HAS NOT HAD A STRONG HISTORY OF EVALUATING PROGRAMS USING OBJECTIVE AND MEANINGFUL METRICS. MANY PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED ONLY BECAUSE THEY WERE HISTORICALLY A PART OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WORK PLAN, BUT UP UNTIL THIS YEAR, THERE HAS BEEN NO REAL EFFORT TO EVALUATE AND RECONSIDER HOW THOSE PROGRAMS FUNCTION AND THE OVERALL VALUE THAT THEY BRING TO THE COMMUNITY.

BICYCLE SAFETY CLASSES WITH METRO BIKE HUB: IN 2022 BIKELA HOSTED BICYCLE SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE CLASSES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH METRO BIKE HUB AT METRO STATIONS TO HELP PROMOTE THE PRACTICE OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION.

LACBC ORGANIZED CAMPAIGNS FOR A MORE LIVABLE LOS ANGELES THROUGH BIKING. THE ORGANIZATION IS INVOLVED IN POLICY WORK IN VARIOUS REGIONAL CITIES THROUGH OUR CHAPTER SYSTEM AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BIKE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.