Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Reyes, bicyclists in fast lane for first bikeway in downtown L.A.


(Photo: Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Monica Valencia
September 7, 2011 (213) 473-7001
Monica.Valencia@lacity.org

Reyes, Bicyclists in Fast Lane for First Bikeway in Downtown L.A.

WHAT: Councilmember Ed P. Reyes, joined by bicyclists pedaling into MacArthur Park, will celebrate the first commuter bike lanes in downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation will paint the final bicycle marking to complete the first phase of bike lanes on 7th Street. The 2.2-mile bike lanes are striped from Catalina Avenue to Figueroa Street through Downtown, Koreatown and Westlake—three of the City’s most densely-populated neighborhoods.
WHEN: Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 9 a.m.
WHERE: MacArthur Park(at 7th and Alvarado Street)
WHO: Councilmember Ed P. Reyes
Jennifer Klausner, Executive Director, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
Kang Hu, Senior Transportation Engineer, Department of Transportation
José Veliz, day labor organizer, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

DETAILS: The 7th Street bike lanes are part of the City's Bicycle Master Plan, spearheaded by Councilmember Reyes. The next phase involves extending the 7th Street bike lanes an additional 2.9 miles through Downtown to Soto Street in Boyle Heights. 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. 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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