Reyes Paves Way for a Bike-Friendly L.A.

Photo by George Magallanes, Office of Councilmember Ed P. Reyes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Monica Valencia, monica.valencia@lacity.org
March 1, 2011 (213)473-7001


WHAT: Councilmember Ed P. Reyes will join City leaders and bicyclists to celebrate the City's Bicycle Master Plan, adopted by the City Council today by a unanimous(12-0) vote. The Plan lays out 1,680 miles of interconnected bikeways and calls for more than 200 miles of new bicycle routes every five years Citywide, including along the Los Angeles River. There are currently about 375 miles of segmented bikeways Citywide.

”We've always given the automobile the priority, and the bicycles were secondary," said Councilmember Ed P. Reyes, one of the Plan's leading advocates. “But now we're changing and we're having a cultural shift toward different types of transportation. We're even looking at certain corridors where we can eliminate a lane for a car, and add a lane for a bicycle.''

WHEN: Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: South steps of Los Angeles City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
WHO: Councilmember Ed P. Reyes
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Councilmember Bill Rosendahl
Jay Slater, Chairman, Bicycle Advisory Committee
Jennifer Klausner, Executive Director, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

Details: The Bicycle Master Plan was developed by the City's Transportation and Planning departments in collaboration with the City's bicycle groups. The Plan will be implemented in part using funds from Measure R, a half-cent sales tax increase approved by voters in 2008 to fund transportation projects. The Plan was developed to encourage alternative transportation options and promote safe and healthy living, especially in Los Angeles' urban neighborhoods.

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