LA Bikeways Are Improving, but Progress Has Slowed

Cyclists in Los Angeles are benefiting from some recent bikeway improvements — although the pace of such improvements still lags considerably when compared to recent years, according to new research by Streetsblog.

According to Streetsblog, the following improvements were made in the last year:

• 6.3 miles of new bike lanes on Avalon Boulevard in South L.A. – mostly buffered, with some protected stretches
• New protected bike lanes (alongside new bus-only lanes) on 5th and 6th Streets in downtown L.A.
• New protection added to existing bike lanes on Olive Street, Grand Avenue, and Figueroa Street in downtown L.A.
• Two key blocks of new bike lanes on Figueroa Street in Chinatown
• New bike lanes on 7th Street in Koreatown

While such upgrades are undoubtedly helpful, they fall considerably short of the goals outlined by former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who mandated 40 miles of new bikeways to be created annually (a goal that was not quite reached). Overall bikeway progress has declined under the new administration, according to Streetsblog.

Other new bikeway improvements reported by Streetsblog include 1.5 miles of protected bike lanes on Foothill Boulevard, newly protected lanes near LAX on Manchester Avenue and conventional bike lanes upgraded to protected lanes along Winnetka Avenue in the Northeast Valley and new buffers along Martin Luther King Boulevard.

What to Do if You Are in a Cycling Collision

While these bikeway improvements are a step in the right direction, more needs to be done to protect LA cyclists. In the meantime, the legal system is here to help if you are injured as the result of someone’s negligence. The right attorney can help guide you through a sometimes difficult process, whether that means dealing with an insurance company or taking an injury case to trial. It’s important, however, to work with an attorney who specializes in bike accident litigation.

Finding the Right Bicycle Accident Attorney

Gary Brustin is a lifelong cyclist and a specialist in bicycle accident law. In fact, these are the only types of cases he accepts. If you’ve been injured in a collision, we urge you to contact Gary for a complimentary consultation.