By Kent Strumpell Board member, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Santa Monica
Thank you for bringing attention to the challenges cyclists in Santa Monica face (SMDP July 18, page 1). Like all cities, Santa Monica needs to be doing more if we hope to attract people to cycling so they can leave their cars at home more often.
Having said that, I want to express my opinion as a regular cyclist that riding a bike in Santa Monica is not as dangerous as the author and Mayor Holbrook imply. Yes, few of the roads classified as arterials in Santa Monica have bike lanes. To clarify a common terminology error in the article, none of Santa Monica’s roads have bike “paths.” That term only applies to separated bikeways like the beach bike path. Striped, on-road bikeways are called bike “lanes.” Nonetheless, Santa Monica does have over 14 miles of bike lanes on several important roads which help cyclists get around. Do we need more? Absolutely. But the lack of arterial bike lanes did not keep over 200 cyclists from riding their bikes to last Sunday’s Farmers Market on Main Street. And the 540 cyclists who rode to REI during that store’s opening weekend apparently don’t see cycling here as a death wish. I know these numbers because our organization, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, valet parked hundreds of bikes at these events.
Cyclists in Santa Monica certainly have unmet needs. We need more secure bike parking downtown and at other key destinations. Fear of losing a nice bike is another barrier that discourages people from cycling for transportation. We need accommodations to bridge difficult barriers, like accessing the Civic Center from the south and east, getting around the airport, SMC and Santa Monica High School, and reaching the beach. Sometimes that might require a new bike lane, but it could also be bike-friendly intersection design. The city needs a bicycle coordinator on staff to assure that our ongoing transportation and planning projects include accommodation for cyclists at the earliest design stage. Another critical need frequently overlooked is education for cyclists and motorists. A lack of understanding about the rules of the road and traffic cycling skills probably keeps more people from riding than a lack of arterial bike lanes.
Fortunately, our city is in the process of updating its land use plan and circulation element. This gives us an opportunity to provide input and expertise that will help make Santa Monica a bike-friendly community for more people. I hope the SMDP will keep its readers informed of upcoming meetings on this process so cyclists can attend and make their voices heard.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 26, 2006. Read the original PDF.