Calling all cyclists:Â This is an opportunity for bicyclists to ask staff bicycle integration questions:Â (you can also raise other issues)
Design Update Meeting on Expo Phase 2:
Date: Â Â Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Time: Â Â 6:30pm
Where: Â Santa Monica Civic, East Wing
        1855 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401.
        Special Event free parking
Planned Agenda for Community Meetings
The Exposition Construction Authority invites you to a construction and design update community meeting for Phase 2 of the Expo Line project. Stakeholders will receive information on upcoming construction activities and design progress. Progress renderings will be available at the meeting.
This is an important meeting for cyclists to attend, since full bicycle integration into Expo is at risk. Â You can directly question the Expo Construction Authority staff about how they will provide for the needs of cyclists in Expo Phase 2:Â Rick Thorpe, Samantha Bricker, and Monica Borne. These are the most important people to question. Â How will cyclists be able to safely and conveniently cross the road and tracks at Centinela, Westwood, Venice Blvd., 20th Street and others? Â Will there be bike channels on all the stairways? Will there be adequate bike parking?
Important note: Expo has not scheduled a meeting for the Expo Bicycle Advisory Committee (which was appointed to address these issues) in more than two months. Nonetheless, design work on the rail line and bikeway is going ahead full speed. Bicycle Integration is clearly at risk, as we’ve seen recently with construction starting at the Centinela crossing, with no good plan in place for how the the bikeway will cross there.
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I went. It looks like this is going to be a huge missed opportunity to build a great bikeway. Since it is being designed after the light rail line, instead of along with it, there is really no chance at full integration. And since it’s being designed around the light rail line, the design options are much more limited. It is going to be squeezed in as simply and cheaply as possible. I also noticed some built in hazards. One example is where the ROW crosses Centinela. The light rail will be grade separated by a bridge over Centinela. The bikeway stops at the intersection of Centinela and Pico, and bike are expected to use the crosswalk. Since its illegal to ride in a crosswalk, bicyclists are expected to walk their bike across the street, or risk getting a ticket. It’s pretty easy to see how a lot of cyclists will choose to ride across. If they don’t get a ticket, in it’s present configuration this intersection will lead to cyclists getting t-boned by cars. Someone is going to die.
There must be a better way to do this. I have not ridden the bike way along the Orange Line. Does anyone know how traffic is controlled to accommodate cyclists there? Is it something that would work on the Expo line?