Bike Corral video and what to do about Ave 41/ER Blvd's awful crosswalk

[Ramon Martinez]

Everyone should give this streetfilm (stretfilms is a video blog that
films all the great stuff happening around the world in the Streets
Movement) about the Portland Bike Corrals. http://www.streetfilms.org/portland-bike-parking/.
I really love the part about the Bike Oasis, a covered bike parking
area built on a "bump out" of the sidewalk! Portland is sooo far ahead
on this stuff. And dig the guy from their DOT! He looks like he works
at the video store around the corner!

On a sadder note, as Joe and I bike to ER every week or so, we pass
this crosswalk at Ave41 and ER blvd http://tr.im/OIqH Recently Joe
told me about how a few people have lost their lives in that crosswalk
and how the VW autoshop owner (I think that's the one, right Joe?) has
made attempts to help the crosswalk. Then, just last week, the
EastsiderLA blog wrote about a young girl who was hit in that
intersection. http://tr.im/OIrk

As our campaign develops, we need to look at things beyond just bikes
and start thinking about how our streets are designed, in many ways,
to kill. I know of many other people who have lost their lives right
in our backyards, on Colorado Blvd, on Figueroa, all from the insane
speeds that the even crazier road designs in the NE allow for. Anyway,
I'm probably preaching to the choir.

But I'd like to brainstorm some things we can make an ask for at this
crosswalk; increased signage, sidewalk bump outs to make the crossing
shorter and slow traffic, something substantial but affordable/doable
from the city's perspective...what do you guys think?

[Joe Linton]

Good points, Ramon -

 

The streetfilm is excellent - it's what I link to to explain bike corrals.

 

CICLE was given a petition that Tony, the owner of Tony's Auto Care, has been circulating regarding the Avenue 41 crosswalk being unsafe. Let's definitely talk about this at the next meeting - which will be March 9th at Cafe de Leche. I want to hear others' ideas, but think it might be good to work with Tony's and to do some sort of guerilla improvements - ie: create some sort of sign/installation on that median island, maybe? As well as working for longer term improvements...

 

Joe

[David Matsu]

Former CICLENELA members,

 

Does anyone still have access to the street measurements we did? Especially of Figueroa St. Josef at Flying Pigeon is working on a new project to redesign this corridor and the street data might be helpful.

 

Thanks!

 

Dave Matsu