Bike Long Beach has teamed up with the Long Beach Police Department to spread awareness about “Walk It or Lock It,” the initiative to keep bicyclists off sidewalks in Long Beach’s business district.
City officials want to encourage cyclists to walk their bikes while on sidewalks or to lock them up at one of Long Beach’s 1,300 public bike racks.
The city created this program last year after several accidents with cyclists on sidewalks occurred — most prominently a case involving a 90-year-old woman who broke her hip after being struck by a bicycle on the sidewalk in front of her nursing home.
As of now, the program is being enforced in Downtown Long Beach, the East Village Arts District, Retro Row on Fourth Street, Belmont Shore, Bixby Knolls and Cambodia Town.
Cyclists who fail to walk or lock their bicycles on sidewalks may be ticketed, but the LBPD is also working to educate the public, according to Allan Crawford, bicycle coordinator for the City of Long Beach. Police officers are passing out fliers and informational cards to instruct both motorists and bicyclists on biking safety. Crawford said they have also added new signs and ground stenciling to make the public more aware of proper bicycle use while on city streets.
“We want people to be comfortable on our sidewalks and our streets,” Crawford said. “In places with a lot of people, safety is vital.”
Since 2008, the number of cyclists riding on the streets in Long Beach has increased by 70 percent, according to Crawford. However, in the year and a half that “Walk It or Lock It” has been in effect, Crawford said the amount of cyclists on sidewalks near Third Street and Broadway has been cut in half.
Another goal of “Walk It or Lock It” was to cut down the number of bike riders going the wrong direction on city streets, which has also decreased by 50 percent in the past year and a half, according to Crawford.
“I think it’s a fair compromise to not ride on sidewalks,” senior Marc Mejia said. “A big problem is how we [cyclists] are viewed. Bike riders must be considerate to pedestrians. But it’s up to the city to provide safe alternatives.”
Long Beach, which has more than 120 miles of bike paths in the city, was named the 19th most bike-friendly city by Bicycling magazine this year. ‘Sharrows’, or painted arrows on the road to alert motorists of shared lanes and show cyclists where to ride safely on the street, can be found in Belmont Shore, Retro Row and in Downtown Long Beach.
Also, the Vista Street Bike Boulevard provides a low-traffic street for students, commuters and recreational users to safely travel around the city. According to the Bike Long Beach website, three more bike boulevards are currently being designed, and there are also banners and signs alerting motorists to share the road with cyclists.
Senior photography major Jonathan Castillo said the bike lanes are necessary for everyone’s safety.
“Riding on a sidewalk can be dangerous to other people,” he said. “There are bike lanes everywhere in Long Beach – people should use them.”
The city has enacted a five-year bike plan, which will include another 30 miles of new bike paths and bicycle education for motorists, cyclists, and children, according to the Bike Long Beach website. It also aims to promote local businesses by encouraging residents to bike and shop in Long Beach.
The city plans to launch a bike share program next year, which will make 2,500 bicycles available to rent, according to the Bike Long Beach website.
