Yesterday’s News-Press feature on the Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets tree-planting project suggests the city is advancing quickly onto the path of bicycling/pedestrian-friendly status. The weekend tree-planting follows local March events focused on giving a larger share of roads and byways to bicyclists and pedestrians, and precedes a very busy May of Bike Month activities in Glendale.
In March, Oxy Alum Janette Sadik-Khan (’82), currently New York City’s Transportation Commissioner, spoke at her alma mater March 18 on changing urban streetscapes. Sadik-Khan answered questions about Manhattan’s success with bicycling and pedestrian street improvements. Sadik-Khan also spoke on KPCC’s “Air Talk” and addressed the 2010 LA Street Summit. Huffington Post featured the NYC Commissioner’s Southern California visit prominently in a column about real signs of change in the car-centered orientation of Southern California.
Local blogs also featured Sadik-Khan’s visit as an indication of building momentum for bicycling and pedestrian initiatives:
Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets preview of Occidental College lecture and LA Street Summit – March 5, 2010.
New York has the edge in learning to share the road (but Southern California is ready to get some cars out of busy lanes as well) – Culture Monster, LA Times blogs, March 25, 2010.
Carless Streets and Creative Thinking: What LA Can Learn from NYC – Curbed LA, March 19.
NYC Commissioner Says L.A. Should Quickly Move on Transportation Pilot Programs – LAist, March 19.
Sadik-Khan Packs the House, Then Brings it Down – LA Streetsblog, March 19.