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L.A. Is Now A Bicycle Friendly Community!
Photo by howard-f via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Congratulations, Los Angeles: We are now designated as a Bicycle Friendly City for the first time thanks to the League of American Bicyclists. But before we let this get to our heads, we aren't exactly tops of the bicycle heap in the nation. The League awards come at five levels, and, alas, L.A.'s honor is at the last level.
"Thanks to significant progress over the past five years, the nation's second largest city -- Los Angeles -- has now attained Bronze BFC status," explains the League.
It's our strong--and growing--bicycle culture that got us on the list, and that growth can be in part attributed to "countless individual cyclists and advocacy organizations like the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, the Bicycle Kitchen, and Multicultural Communities for Mobility." The award comes with a nod to L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for being a supporter of the bicycling community and bike progress in L.A. (And he's been known to hop on two wheels himself...and take a spill.)
Events like CicLAvia, which recently took over the streets of the city again, are also likely a part of what it making our bicycling culture more robust, as are soaring gas prices, which have many Angelenos exploring transit alternatives.
Sponsored message
Said Villaraigosa of the Bronze-level honor:
"Los Angeles is honored to be recognized by the League of American Bicyclists for our work making LA a more bike-friendly city. From building 1,600 miles of bikeways over the next 30 years to increasing the number of bike racks in the city by 80 percent, we're making it simpler and safer for Angelenos to get around on two wheels."
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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