“If the city is looking to make money, this is a cash cow”

…that is the closing line to a recent article out of New York, in reference to double-parked cars in bike lanes.

Ride a bicycle Westbound on 2nd or Eastbound on 1st anytime between 4-7pm, and you will have a heck of a time staying in the bike lane.

In an area where there are far more cars than parking spaces, motorists are claiming “emergencies” with their yellow flashers and double-parking in the bike lane – causing cyclists to risk their lives by leaving the bike lane and ending up in front of drivers that are not expecting a bicycle on the other side of the 6″ white stripe.

Michael Moule of Livable Streets, Inc was asked to visit Long Beach back in June and take a look at the city’s current infrastructure and make recommendations for the future. During his presentation at Utopia to a group of more than 50 members of the cycling community, Moule mentioned the gratuitous stripping of single lane one-way streets.

For those that need a refresher:

California Vehicle Code 21209
(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle in a bicycle lane established on a roadway pursuant to Section 21207 except as follows:

(1) To park where parking is permitted.

(2) To enter or leave the roadway.

(3) To prepare for a turn within a distance of 200 feet from the intersection.

(b) This section does not prohibit the use of a motorized bicycle in a bicycle lane, pursuant to Section 21207.5, at a speed no greater than is reasonable or prudent, having due regard for visibility, traffic conditions, and the condition of the roadway surface of the bicycle lane, and in a manner which does not endanger the safety of bicyclists.

Amended Ch. 262, Stats. 1988. Effective January 1, 1989.

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ddougherty, July 28th 2009 | Tags:
Posted in Education, advocacy

Licenses, loopholes and legality

When I was 14 and working on my Cycling merit badge, one of the requirements was that the bicycle meet all legal requirements. Being in Boy Scout Troop 212 of Long Beach, that meant getting my bike licensed. I remember the Saturday morning that my father gave me a dollar and sent me down to the local fire station to get my license. I paid my dollar, filled out a form and signed a yellow piece of paper. I was legal. The end.

Since then I can count no-less-than 23 bicycles that I have had licensed. I currently have 4 bicycles, all of which are licensed pursuant LBMC 10.50.020 – within the past 2 years.

Or so I thought.

I’ve made some calls recently trying to get to the bottom of this bicycle license program. Major cities across the country are disbanding their programs, and I have personally witnessed the racial/class profiling that Long Beach’s license program is used for. I can’t get any straight answers as to what the real purpose of the program is supposed to be.


Myth #1 – for cyclists to pay their way.

  • According to the Federal Highway Administration (FWHA), 92% of the funds for local roads–the ones most often used by cyclists–come from property, income, and sales taxes. Bicyclists pay these taxes just like everyone else does.
  • FWHA calculates that 92% of federal highway funds come from user fees. But 8% come the general fund, so even a bicyclist who owns no car contributes to federal highway funds, too.
  • Many services associated with the roadways are paid out of general tax funds. Examples: police, fire and ambulance services, traffic court, subsidized parking. A typical household pays a few hundred dollars per year towards such services. Bicyclists pay for a share of these services just like everyone else does.
  • Bicycles have a very low impact on the roadway. One study found that bicycles impose about 0.2 cents per mile in roadway costs. Bicyclist pay no user fees so the entire 0.2 cents/mile comes from the general tax fund.
    Myth #2 – to stop theft
    When you take your bicycle to a Fire Station on Saturday between 9am-Noon, the firefighter does not check the serial number of the bike against the database. According to April Tomecko at LBFD, the firefighters that do the licensing do not even have access to the database.  

    The form is filled out and at some point sent to headquarters, who then sends it to the Police Department, who are then supposed to enter the information in to a database for State and local agencies to access. Not until the final step would a theft be noticed – and then it is up to a detective to take up the case and track down the bike and individual.

    When I spoke to Dorothy Nulk at the Long Beach Police Department – Child Protective Services (the department within the PD that handles bike licensing administration), I had to talk her through the process of getting a bicycle licensed. She said that she had access to the database and offered to run my name. Sounds fun, lets do it.

    No record found.

    How can that be? I have four bikes that are current, and they don’t pop up. Not only are the bikes missing, but so is any record of my name. Not one bike I have ever licensed has gotten in to the database. I have my yellow copies of the 4-sheet carbon transfer registration slip – I have them laminated – they don’t expire until December 31, 2009 – they don’t exist in the system.

    California Vehicle Code 39005.
    Cities and counties having a bicycle licensing ordinance or resolution shall maintain records of each bicycle registered. Such records shall include, but not be limited to, the license number, the serial number of the bicycle, the make and type, of the bicycle, and the name and address of the licensee.
    Records shall be maintained by the licensing agency during the period of validity of the license or until notification that the bicycle is no longer to be operated.
    Amended Ch. 947, Stats. 1973. Effective January 1, 1974.

    Long Beach does not HAVE TO require bikes to be licensed, but since they do, the State requires them to keep a record of the above mentioned information. In my case, the City is not keeping up its end of the bargain. Can I write the City a ticket?

    Thanks to Dr. Brent Hugh at StLRBF for tax data.

    • 5 Comments

    ddougherty, July 27th 2009 | Tags: , , , , ,
    Posted in advocacy

    Sweep the Bike Lane

    Could somebody please sweep the bike lane on PCH between 2nd and Loynes?
    There has been a lot of broken glass for a long time.
    Thanks.

    Know of some more bike lane maintenance that needs to be done?
    Send us an email!

    lbcyclists@gmail.com

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    ddougherty, July 27th 2009 | Tags: , ,
    Posted in advocacy

    Cycling safely in Laguna Beach

    In April of 2009, the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot reported that the city council would set up a task force to study bicycle safety on Laguna Beach streets.

    1 Comment

    LBCyclists, July 25th 2009 | Tags:
    Posted in Past News

    Farmers Market Sundays

    Farmers Market Rides take place Sunday mornings.  

    Many people from many neighborhoods cycle on their own to the farmers market near the marina each Sunday. The Long Beach Cyclists ride starts at the Bikestation downtown. We cycle east, stopping at Portfolio Café and then at Jone’s Bike Shop in Belmont Shore, and then east through Naples to the market. You are welcome to join us, or you may wish to cycle to the market on your own. See you there?

    We leave at Bike Station (On Braodway near Pine) at about 9:10, first cycling to Portfolio Coffee house (Corner of 4th and Junipero) At about 9:25 we cycle to Jones’ Bike SHOP (2nd St and Pomona). At about 9:45 we depart from Jones’ to the Farmers Market.

    Our ride will continue until the end of September!!!

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    LBCyclists, July 7th 2009 | Tags:
    Posted in Past News