We hop in the car to get groceries or drop kids at school. But while the car is convenient, these short trips add up in terms of emissions, pollution and petrol cost.
I didn’t think biking was viable in the US, but for fun I bought an ebike. Turns out it was able to replace the vast majority of my car trips here in Austin.
If LA put in express walking/biking ways every few avenues, it would be a game changer. The climate there is perfect for riding year round. The Strand is pretty nice on the shore. Are there other good spots?
There’s fair number of decent bike paths through dense portions of the city. But the LA River and flood channel system is the sleeping giant.
LA Metro is designing/ planning to close the 8- mile gap in the LA River Bike Path, which cuts through downtown. That could be the backbone of the region’s active transportation system.
Sadly though, No one is really taking the reins. The state and Feds are focused on EVs. Metro is transit-centric. And cities, with a few exceptions, clutch their pearls at mere mention of protected bike infrastructure at the cost of a parking space or car lane.
It’s funny how quickly people are to dismiss biking as “too dangerous,” regardless of the reality in the area. Without a doubt there are locales where it’s truly an invitation to get yourself killed, but I live in a small “Gold” bike friendly city and used to commute 14mi to an adjacent city that’s rated “Bronze.” Other than a single narrow bridge I had constant access to 6-10ft of shoulder, yet most people I talked to mentioned that it’s crazy. With an ebike that commute wasn’t much slower vs if I was driving, and I basically recouped the cost of my bike within the first 6-9mo of riding depending on how you considered depreciation if I was driving that route instead.
Yeah anything within a mile or two is actually quicker for me to get to on my escooter than driving. Was in a rush to pick up eggs from a local grocery store a mile down the road after realizing we forgot to buy them for a recipie. Normally I’d scooter but I hopped into he the car to “save time”.
Between the traffic, needing to do two u turns round trip thanks to medians, and needing to find parking, it ended up taking me 5 minutes longer to get there than if I just put the safety gear on and hopped on my scooter.
The other big advantage is you can just nimble your way around anything. Go through parking lots without needing to slowly inch around everywhere, go along a side walk a bit if the two way bike lane ends on your side of the road and there’s no way to quickly cross the street thanks to medians, ability to avoid intersections at times thanks to the above, etc. You’re never not moving except when you need to cross a busy street and your only option is that intersection.
I found out it’s actually quicker shopping by bike because I’m loading the bike in the store like a cart and when i walk out, I’m instantly off and riding. No walking to the end of a massive parking lot and loading the car.
I wish we had the same legislation on max speed in Europe. 25km/h just cuts off on flats. Even with a heavy mountain bike you do more than 25km/h. 32km/h (20mph) would be a dream.
Yes, 25 km/h (15.5) mph is ridiculous. I can cruise way faster on a normal bike. And the assist to hit 15.5 mph likely cuts out a couple mph earlier, making the real cruise speed lower.
Cars barely have any computer controlled limits for speed or acceleration.
Same in the Boston metro. I rode it 28 miles each way to my office in Boston the other day when it was in the high 30s (F). Having a good route planned, especially rail trails and protected bike lanes helps immensely. Also good gear. This time of year, I’ll still ride but dress like I’m going skiing. I actually over dressed and was sweating after 10 miles. You warm up pretty quickly with layer and biking, much faster than walking.
It’s not always easy, but fuck is it fun. I find it’s a great way to get ready for work in the office and on the way home. Biggest issue is riding next to car traffic. Some people just suck at driving.
I didn’t think biking was viable in the US, but for fun I bought an ebike. Turns out it was able to replace the vast majority of my car trips here in Austin.
Same here in LA. My wife calls it the ultimate cheat code, cuz it’s often the fastest method too
Oh man, most of my trips are basically unaffected by traffic. We now frequent areas that were too annoying to drive to.
If LA put in express walking/biking ways every few avenues, it would be a game changer. The climate there is perfect for riding year round. The Strand is pretty nice on the shore. Are there other good spots?
There’s fair number of decent bike paths through dense portions of the city. But the LA River and flood channel system is the sleeping giant.
LA Metro is designing/ planning to close the 8- mile gap in the LA River Bike Path, which cuts through downtown. That could be the backbone of the region’s active transportation system.
Sadly though, No one is really taking the reins. The state and Feds are focused on EVs. Metro is transit-centric. And cities, with a few exceptions, clutch their pearls at mere mention of protected bike infrastructure at the cost of a parking space or car lane.
You might like John Zimmerman https://youtu.be/NyD6yFMRbHg?si=f8_M_fcQua_lfj4u
Thanks! Yep, I know his channel. Great content.
It’s funny how quickly people are to dismiss biking as “too dangerous,” regardless of the reality in the area. Without a doubt there are locales where it’s truly an invitation to get yourself killed, but I live in a small “Gold” bike friendly city and used to commute 14mi to an adjacent city that’s rated “Bronze.” Other than a single narrow bridge I had constant access to 6-10ft of shoulder, yet most people I talked to mentioned that it’s crazy. With an ebike that commute wasn’t much slower vs if I was driving, and I basically recouped the cost of my bike within the first 6-9mo of riding depending on how you considered depreciation if I was driving that route instead.
Yeah anything within a mile or two is actually quicker for me to get to on my escooter than driving. Was in a rush to pick up eggs from a local grocery store a mile down the road after realizing we forgot to buy them for a recipie. Normally I’d scooter but I hopped into he the car to “save time”.
Between the traffic, needing to do two u turns round trip thanks to medians, and needing to find parking, it ended up taking me 5 minutes longer to get there than if I just put the safety gear on and hopped on my scooter.
The other big advantage is you can just nimble your way around anything. Go through parking lots without needing to slowly inch around everywhere, go along a side walk a bit if the two way bike lane ends on your side of the road and there’s no way to quickly cross the street thanks to medians, ability to avoid intersections at times thanks to the above, etc. You’re never not moving except when you need to cross a busy street and your only option is that intersection.
I found out it’s actually quicker shopping by bike because I’m loading the bike in the store like a cart and when i walk out, I’m instantly off and riding. No walking to the end of a massive parking lot and loading the car.
My grocery store won’t let me bring my ebike indoors :(
I wish we had the same legislation on max speed in Europe. 25km/h just cuts off on flats. Even with a heavy mountain bike you do more than 25km/h. 32km/h (20mph) would be a dream.
Yes, 25 km/h (15.5) mph is ridiculous. I can cruise way faster on a normal bike. And the assist to hit 15.5 mph likely cuts out a couple mph earlier, making the real cruise speed lower.
Cars barely have any computer controlled limits for speed or acceleration.
Same in the Boston metro. I rode it 28 miles each way to my office in Boston the other day when it was in the high 30s (F). Having a good route planned, especially rail trails and protected bike lanes helps immensely. Also good gear. This time of year, I’ll still ride but dress like I’m going skiing. I actually over dressed and was sweating after 10 miles. You warm up pretty quickly with layer and biking, much faster than walking.
It’s not always easy, but fuck is it fun. I find it’s a great way to get ready for work in the office and on the way home. Biggest issue is riding next to car traffic. Some people just suck at driving.