Marissa Christiansen

About this Talk

Marissa Christiansen provided an overview of why and how the use of bikes can be promoted in the South Bay.

Existing Bike Infra-Structure. Using a Los Angeles Metro map she highlighted the present system of bike paths in the South Bay. The map does not show all the bike paths in the South Bay.

Bike paths are classified into three types:

Class I Bike Path (blue lines) – Completely separate from traffic.
Class II Bike Lane (red lines) – A lane set aside in city streets exclusively for bikes. California traffic laws state that cars may only pull into a path when within 200 feet of making a right turn. The most common cause of injuries in these lanes is from automobiles making a right turn in front of a cyclist after passing the cyclist. This is due to motorists not being accustomed to watching for traffic on their right when they are in the “slow lane”.
Class III Bike Route (green lines) – Purportedly safe city streets connected into a means of getting from one place to another on a bike.

The full Los Angeles Metro is available here.

The Strand bike path in the South Bay is an example of a popular Type I bike path.

Justification For Increasing Bike Usage. The case for encouraging the use of bikes rests in part on three factors:

Fitness and Fun. Riding a bike is a low impact way of staying fit and having fun. A factor that has contributed to the increase in childhood obesity is the drop in the number of children that cycle to school.

Reducing Road Congestion. An existing road has the ability to carry a much larger number of people if they are riding a bike rather than driving a car.

Sustainability, Pollution and Cost. Riding a bike is a sustainable way to travel that has a minimal impact on the environment.

Illustration of Congestion

The following three pictures show the same number of people in cars, sitting on chairs and walking or biking.

Examples of Some of the Tools Available to Urban Planners.

Bike Parking. Around 15 bikes can be parked in a standard car parking space.

In areas where theft is an issue double level indoor bike storage is an option.

Another option is bike boxes (these are located at the Redondo Beach Green Line Station and are available for rental).

Road Markings. A shared-lane marking or sharrow is painted on a road to indicate when a travel lanes shared by bicyclists and other vehicles. The name “sharrow” was coined by Oliver Gajda, of the City and County of San Francisco Bicycle Program, as a combination of shared lane and arrow.

A marked cycle path on which all road users expect to see cyclists.

A bike box is a colored area at a signalized intersection that allows bicyclists to pull in front of waiting traffic. Designed to be used only at red lights, the box is intended to reduce car-bike conflicts, increase cyclist visibility and provide bicyclists with a head start when the light turns green.

A bicycle boulevard is a shared roadway which has been optimized for bicycle traffic. In contrast with other shared roadways, bicycle boulevards discourage cut-through motor vehicle traffic, but typically allow local motor vehicle traffic. They are designed to give priority to cyclists as through-going traffic.

About Marissa Christiansen

Marissa Christiansen is responsible for the coordination of the South Bay Bike Master Plan.

The South Bay Bicycle Master Plan is a collaboration between Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, South Bay Bicycle Coalition and the City of Redondo Beach. The initiative is funded by a Department of Public Health grant and will be used to create a regional bike master plan that will be completed within next two years.

On March 19 a $240,000 federal stimulus grant was awarded to fund the creation of a Master Bicycle Plan for participating cities in the South Bay. The grant money is federal money awarded through the Center of Disease Control (CDC) from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the grant is administered and awarded through the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

South Bay Bicycle Coalition is currently working with El Segundo, Gardena, Hermosa Beach, Lawndale, Manhattan Beach and Torrance to formally adopt a resolution committing staff time and City support to the South Bay Bike Master Plan initiative. The resolutions committing City support are expected to be on the City Council agendas in each City during September and October 2010.

For more information about the South Bay Bicycle Coalition you can join their Facebook group and join their mailing list.