Bicycling to Work Popular in Los Angeles

Elizabeth Lee
January 31,2014

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles is known for its car culture. The city is spread out and public transportation is either slow or limited.

As a result, people drive everywhere, causing congestion almost any time of day. In response, a small but growing group of bicycle enthusiasts is trying to change the city's car culture with what's called L.A. Bike Trains.

Los Angeles is notorious for traffic jams and aggressive drivers. Devon Fitzgerald, a cyclist, is familiar with both.

“A lot of L.A. folks are in a rush, and it’s very easy for them to prioritize their speed over your safety,” he said.

But even with an intimidating commute, Fitzgerald would still ride his bicycle to work.

“I like the fact that it simplifies a lot of the aspects of travel. For instance, I don’t have to worry about parking, ever,” he said.

Not everyone is excited about more cyclists using the roads. Roger Rosas, who drives, said bicycles are dangerous for the cyclist and the driver.

“You always have to make sure you look to the other side because you’re going to dodge this guy because you don’t want to do a hit and run. You can also get in a car crash as a result of that,” he said.

To make cycling safer, some bicyclists in Los Angeles are commuting together in what's called a “bike train.” They live and work near each other.

Nona Varnado, co-founder of L.A. Bike Trains, thinks there is safety in numbers.

“You’re a big enough group that cars don’t have the same behaviors as if you are just one person," she said. "And you’re also with an experienced cyclist.”

L.A. Bike Trains was launched in May 2013. The number of participants and the number of routes around the city have been growing, and organizers keep safety in mind.

“We specifically design each route so we avoid problem intersections,” Varnado said.

The routes range from seven to almost 32 kilometers long. That makes L.A. Bike Trains unique compared to other cities, said Herbie Huff, a transportation expert at University of California Los Angeles. She said that in recent years, urban planners in Los Angeles have been considering more bike lanes.

“The city has added more bike lanes in the last two fiscal years than in the previous 30 fiscal years combined,” said Huff.

Huff also pointed out that bike lanes provide the flexibility a bike train doesn't have.

“With anything that runs on a fixed schedule whether it’s a bike train or a train, there are only so many people that can make that schedule,” she said.

However, some cyclists feel that a bike lane is insufficient.

“I think that we should have far greater infrastructure than a few little paint lines on the street,” said Varnado.

Varnado would prefer separated or elevated bike lanes, but pointed out that bike trains have certain advantages over any bike lane.

“We want people to develop that mental sense of security and confidence by riding together in a group,” she said.

Her aim: to make L.A. Bike Trains an ingrained part of Los Angeles, so people can hop on and off, just as they would from a bus.