Friday, October 30, 2015

Laguna Beach Tour De Coop 2015

Third Annual Tour de Coop

Know what this is?

Think of a treasure hunt to find Laguna's egg-laying chickens.  Bring the family, get a treasure map, follow the community bicycle ride to find our girls.

UPDATE: Join us Sunday November 8 9:00am check-in at 487 Shadow Lane (Mountain and Carmelita), departure at 10:00am (map detail here).
Meet our hosts and get ride details at Seeds Arts and Education. 
 
Ready to pedal?  Register at Facebook page here.


Event history at Independent and Coastline Pilot.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

SoCal Active Transportation Forum UCI

October 16 2015 The Active Transportation Forum is sponsored by the UCI Program in Public Health and the Orange County Transportation Alliance. This year's keynote speakers were Mark Fenton, engineer, community design and public health expert, and Leah Shahum, founder and director of Vision Zero Network. Altogether 22 invited guest speakers spoke on the state of active transportation particularly in Southern California and the consequences if a vibrant network is not adopted.

These are highlights from speaker's presentations.

  • The cost for treatment of Diabetes and Obesity is $245 billion and $475 billion nationally. 
  • The obesity rates of OC adults is 60% children 30%, the rate in disadvantaged neighborhoods is 72%. Obesity leads to type II Diabetes and the health costs are borne by the public sector.
  • We bear the health costs of dual epidemics, physical inactivity and poor nutrition, both are a result of our mobility system and lifestyle.
  • Fearing constant danger we coddle kids instead of raising old-fashioned free-range kids
  • We foster the first younger generation whose life expectancy will be shorter than our own.
  • Laguna and UCI share the same mobility crisis, over 30,000 enrolled students want to visit the beach with no alternatives to driving a car, and a destination beach town with no-place to park them. 
  • Across districts school staff are being used for traffic and parking management not teaching.
  • Funding grants 2014-15: OC-PITCH $50M, CAPOC $4M, Measure M. We do more than pot-holes. 
  • OC growth: expect 425,000 more people by 2035
  • Major European cities have adopted a Vision Zero policy to make traffic accidents intolerable, the major impediment to adoption is POLITICS.  
UPDATE: OC Register posts December article here.
Three residents of Laguna Beach attended the all-day health forum, no representative from the city of Laguna Beach attended.      -LS


Sunday, October 4, 2015

Bike Route Safety Conditions on LCR


The Transport Injury Mapping System  shows there were 26 collisons with bicycles for the ten-year period 1/2004 thru 12/2013. The map shows where the collisions occured on Laguna Canyon Road North and South of the 73. Notice the reduction in collisions North of the 73 outside the city boundary versus inside.  Let's look at the road segments on either side of the 73 Laguna city boundary. 


North of the city boundary frequent road signs alert motorists of a "Bike Route" alternating with "Emergency Parking Only". Traveling outbound there are 18 and 11 respectively, inbound there are 21 and 18. South of the city boundary there are 3 and 0.


These photos show the provision for bicycle riders  inside and outside of the city boundary, check-out that 'speed-limit' and a storm-drain grate in the middle of the 'bike-lane'.


LCR Outside City Boundary

LCR Inside City Boundary

Despite the difference in provision for bicycle riders the OCTA Regional Bikeways Map declares a bike route is complete from the 405 to PCH. The on-street provisions and safety record would suggest otherwise.  -LS