RIDE WITH US!
With a new $500 grant from The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, our organization is embarking on a new initiative, the LA Bike Map Initiative. This project aims to create an online community bike map for Angelinos to view, contribute/add to (crowdsourcing). Los Angeles is known for its warm Mediterranean climate (perfect for cycling) and is undergoing efforts to improve cycling infrastructure to make biking easier and safer for all.
What are we doing?
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Organizing a bike community team
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Creating an online map with cycling (and other related) layers (ex: bike lanes, bike share stations, etc.)
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Gaining project feedback from project members and the community
What's on the map?
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Protected bike lane infrastructure
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Bike lanes
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Future bike infrastructure
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Bike Share Stations (Metro)
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Metro stations
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Biking guides
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And give us MORE IDEAS!
Have feedback? Want to be part of this initiative? LA needs you! With just one click, you can learn more, share your comments, and ultimately!
How will this help?
Bikes are great — they’re cheap, fast, and rideable. They also improve public transit rides as you can put your bike aboard Metro buses and trains. Heck, you can even rent a bike right from a tap on your phone. But not everyone feels safe riding, especially newcomers or simply your child first learning how to pedal a couple of feet. We need a bike map (updated in real-time) that can easily show where those "safe" places are.
1. Current data is confusing and outdated
Pasadena's Bike Map (above)
The map does not show the recently completed protected bike lanes added on Union Street, one of the most safety according to Streetsblog and serves key downtown destinations (below)
Purple Lines (drawn by me) show protected bike lane faclities that are missing from the Pasadena's official bike map
You might wonder why we are doing this when Google Maps already provides information about various bike lanes. However, using Google Maps while riding can be a different experience altogether. The maps are constantly outdated and often show incorrect cycling infrastructure information; just look at the map on the left. Even bike maps from official city websites can be unreliable. For instance, Pasadena's bike map is missing a lot of crucial information, including newly built protected bike lanes in the center of town along Union Street.
2. We will define what "safe" actually is!
We know "safe" is a subjective word. However, we think a ride is safe based on this simple question: would you recommend the route to your friend? That's why our team will work together to find the most essential items to highlight on the map and go out to verify our surrounding area. We aim to showcase the best, safest places to ride in our county (ex: protected bike lanes) in bright, distinct colors to show Angelinos the real safe places to bolt through! We know that painted lanes do not automatically mean that the road is safe for all users.
3. Allow the community to use our map info
Our MAP!
vs.
Our team wants to showcase our info not just to the public but also to cities and agencies, such as Los Angeles Metro who run essential transport services including Bike Hub storage locations at select rail stations. We will also make sure to contact local cities such as Pasadena to ensure we are all on the same page. If successful, this initiative will create a much easier biking experience for everyone, as it will modernize existing outdated platforms. YAHHH!
Partners
We have the privilege of partnering with several organizations throughout this project. The project proprietors, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, graciously granted us $500 for work on this project. The East Meets West Parent Education Club supplied us with excellent volunteers who assisted us with the project.
