The League of American Bicyclists has awarded Santa Monica the Bronze medal as a Bicycle Friendly Community, with a special distinction in the category “Encouragement“. Well done, Santa Monica! After Claremont, this is the second city in LA County singled out for this award. And it is a great basis for improvements.
There are heros, and there a villains in this piece. One hero, undoubtedly, is Luis “Lumo” Morris from the Transportation Demand Management department, who has created a bicycle valet parking program here that brings a smile to every cyclists face. His dedication, inventiveness, seriousness and enthusiasm is a pure platinum, as far as I can tell. The villain would be the SMPD, which has thought fit to engage in a disproportionate enforcement campaign agains the critical mass rides. Out of touch with the joy of cycling, they pursued a hard line of car-friendly bike enforcement, which has brought tears to many eyes, and almost a thousand members to the critcal mass mailing list. A Police Department quite out of touch with the green aims of the city. Anyone who has seen a ticket being issued for sidewalk cycling on Lincoln Blvd will never forget it. Where was this poor cyclists supposed to ride? On the broken up pavement in the midst of high speed traffic?
The Bronze Award is a wonderful opportunity to remind the administration and agencies where gold and silver lie. Perhaps at the end of a difficult road called Bicycle Boulevard.