A non-scientific investigation by Streetsblog LA finds that Wilmington—that pollution-choked neighborhood sandwiched between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—has the most extensive bike lane network in Southern California, and possibly the state. The numbers don't lie: the area's 9.1 square miles have 21.6 miles of bike lanes on 20 different streets. On top of that, many streets have been placed on road diets and now have fewer lanes for cars and more rooms for bikes. Many of the improvements were made in the last two years, with the LADOT taking advantage of Wilmington's wide, and often quiet, streets to fill promised quotas. (LADOT "searched the city to find ... low-hanging fruit — places where bike lanes could be added without impacting car traffic.")
While the low-income community could certainly use car alternatives, anecdotal evidence seems to show that Wilmington's transit-dependent residents are not necessarily flocking to the bike lanes, possibly because they're still viewed as dangerous (no buffers from cars) and because residents fear both gang activity and the LAPD. (One resident "tells stories about the LAPD stopping her on her own street to tell her she shouldn't be biking at night.") Regardless, some locals report the lanes are leading to at least a few more bikes on the road.
· Wilmington's New Bike Lane Network, and What It Does and Doesn't Do [Streetsblog LA]
· Here Are The 40 Miles Of Bike Lanes LA Is Getting This Year [Curbed LA]
Loading comments...