As of September 1, 2011, ALL 1,875 retail establishments are prohibited from providing light-weight, single-use plastic carryout bags to customers at the point of sale. MORE

By Jason Islas
Lookout Staff

First of two parts

November 2, 2011 -- Have you ever been stuck in Downtown traffic and watched enviously as a bicyclist streams by? Have you considered bicycling to work but worry about having an accident or finding a safe place to leave your bike?

In an effort to address those concerns, the City has formulated a Bike Action Plan that will make it easier to bicycle across Santa Monica, and much of the focus is on Downtown, a destination for many of the city’s bicyclists.

The nearly 300-page draft plan—which will soon go to the City Council for final approval--lays out a comprehensive outline of educational and infrastructure improvements, including new bike lanes, bicycle parking facilities and programs to encourage employees to pedal to work.

Those worried about finding a secure place to lock up their bikes while they spend hours at work or play will soon have access to indoor, attended bike parking. Newly marked bike paths on major thoroughfares like Broadway and Ocean Avenue, as well as bike safety workshops (for drivers and bikers alike) will be geared to making bikers feel safer riding on the streets, since riding on the sidewalks is illegal in Santa Monica.

The bike plan—a key component toward reaching the City’s goal of generating “no new net (automobile) trips”—also encourages Downtown businesses to offer employees incentives to use the new infrastructure and get out of their cars and onto bikes.

Riding bikes is “very Santa Monica... and all of Santa Monica is within a ten minute bike ride from Downtown,” said Kathleen Rawson, CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., which has been working with the City on the bicycle plan. But while the sunshine and laid-back atmosphere are perfect for cycling, she added, “there is a very serious lack of bicycle infrastructure.”

All that could soon change. “We've doubled the amount of bike parking Downtown,” Rawson noted, referring to new bike racks According to the Bike Action Plan, there are now 920 bike parking spaces throughout the city at 50 different locations. The plan, however, does not state how many of those locations are Downtown.

The available bike parking Downtown doesn't include a brand new bike center slated to open this fall. The center, which will be divided between the two parking structures at Santa Monica Place, will add more than 350 new spaces to park bikes. In addition, the spaces will be more secure than any of the other parking options currently available to bicyclists.

Attended parking, a self-service repair area, showers and lockers will be available at the corner of Second Street and Colorado Avenue. Access to showers and lockers will be offered to those who become members, while bike parking at that location will be open to the public.

The City hasn't determined the price for membership yet, but it may cost around $25 a month, with discounts for annual passes, said Annette Colfax, the City’s Transportation Demand Manager.

There could also be an informal bike-share program for Downtown employees at a cost of about $35 for six months, Colfax said. “We want this to be a community hub for bicycling,” she said.

Cyclists will be able to find “secure, access-controlled” parking and lockers at Fourth Street and Broadway. While this part of the center won't have an attendant, access will require a membership pass to help prevent thefts.

The center will be managed by Bike and Park, LLC, which will partner with Perry's Cafe to offer guided bike tours and rentals from the bike center. Bike and Park, LLC also will work with the non-profit Sustainable Streets to offer regular classes on bike safety and repair to the community.

The hope is that all of these offerings will encourage people to give cycling a try by making it a reliable and comfortable alternative to driving, said Lucy Dyke, the City’s Deputy Director of Special Projects and one of the chief architects of the Bicycle Action Plan.

“Some people need a locker, some need a shower, [and] a lot of people just need to try it,” said Dyke.

Along with possible bike corrals and permanent bike valets, secure bike parking Downtown should increase over the next five years with three more bike centers added under the plan. One will be located at the Santa Monica Public Library Main Branch on Sixth Street and Santa Monica Boulevard, while the other two will be in parking structures on Second Street between Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway.

Once Downtown, bicyclists should find it easy to find not only secure bike parking, but also a bike. Making bicycles available is another strategy outlined in the plan to encourage more people to pedal Downtown.

“One of the things we'd like the bike center to offer is a bike share program for Downtown Santa Monica employees,” Dyke said.

Part II: The new bicycle plan provides a cutting-edge infrastructure, but how will it encourage motorists to step out of their cars?