The Los Angeles City Council approved a new bike master plan that would potentially make the city much more bike-friendly. The plan calls for 1,680 miles of interconnected bike paths (compared to 378 miles right now), with about 200 new miles being created every five years for 35 years, and it also includes a safety campaigns to educate drivers about sharing the streets with cyclists.
"It's a cultural shift toward different types of transportation," said Councilman Ed Reyes, one of the plan's major proponents. The challenge now, he and other lawmakers said, will be in implementing it.The City Council agreed last year to put 10% of the city's share of money from Measure R, the 2008 sales tax to support transportation projects countywide, toward initiatives for cyclists and pedestrians.
I wish the plan was being implemented a bit faster, but it does take time to change a whole city, especially one that is so dependent on cars. But who knows, if things go well and if external factors keep applying pressure (oil prices, global warming, environmental awareness), maybe things will happen faster.
All the details can be found on the LA Bike Plan website, including maps of the existing and proposed new bike lanes.