"Pot the Spot-Holes" Survey of Santa Monica Ride March 16th

[moondance]

Pot the Spot-Holes
Survey of Santa Monica bike lanes

Do you think bike riding in Santa Monica sucks? Are you frustrated with the few and abruptly-ending bike lanes? Are you tired of messing up your sweet wheels in stree pot holes? Are you interested in the safety and visibility of cyclists on the road?
Then this is the ride for you.
Come join us in having the most fun doing something effective. We will be conducting a general survey of the bike-ability of the Santa Monica area to present to the Santa Monica City Council on March 25th, 2008. Let your voice be heard! Help affect positive change in the bike friendliness of Santa Monica.
We will be looking at:
-bike lanes- their effectiveness, where they begin/end, areas that could benefit from bike lanes
-potholes, other road hazards for cyclists- what streets are they on, can they be easily fixed
-bike racks- what areas could benefit from one/more
-anything else that can be improved upon in terms of cycling in Santa Monica

March 16th, 2008
Meet at 2pm, ride out at 2:30pm
Meet at Bikerowave

Possible follow up ride during the day on March 22nd, 2008

Questions? email:
jonluskin@gmail.com

[JonLuskin]

Heya Brothers & Sisters,

Here is an opportunity to improve cycling in the city of Santa Monica and have a little fun   We'll be stopping periodically during the ride to chill and discuss what see as possible ways to make the cycling infrastructure better.

See you all next Sunday at the ride (and tonight @ BikeRoWave and Friday @ Mass)

Peace & Love,
Jon

[buttrumpus]

Pot the Spot-Holes
Survey of Santa Monica bike lanes

Do you think bike riding in Santa Monica sucks? Are you frustrated with the few and abruptly-ending bike lanes? Are you tired of messing up your sweet wheels in street pot holes? Are you interested in the safety and visibility of cyclists on the road?
Then go ride in Hollywood and maybe you'll stop you're bitchin'.

Just kidding around, j/k... j/k everybody. this sounds like a good time. i'll be out of town, but i hope it's productive. yesterday i was thinking of making a list of all of the ones i remember from back when i lived on that side of town, but they all escape me right now. if nothing else, tell them to fill in the grooves between lanes on the beach bike path, those things took me down countless times.

[JonLuskin]

You'll be missed on the 16th.  Fear not, however, we've got our ride to the City Council on the 25th.

Peace & Love,
Jon Luskin

[david_f]

Hey! is there a form we will be using? 

[mihai]

You mean a form to write on?  I was thinking of taking voice notes on my cheap digital video camera (can record up to 30 minutes of footage). 

A standardized form would be nice, but that means more stops to jot things down.  Time to look into how other bike surveys are conducted...

I posted the ride to MR
http://www.midnightridazz.com/viewStory.php?storyId=1093

[david_f]

Well I think mostly low tech.  Camera seems very useful, goood  idea.  Camera not substitute for written words though. 
Mebey can scribe later what camera sees. 
df

[moondance]

Posted for Jon Luskin:

Sunday, March 16, 2008

For those of you unfamiliar with today’s ride, the premise is to conduct an informal survey of Santa Monica’s bikeways.  Observations from today will be taken to the Santa Monica City Council meeting next week.  The ride is entitled “Pot the Spot-Holes.”  I’ll let you sit with that for a while.

The first-ever-in-the-history-of-the-world “Pot the Spot Holes” ride was an amazing success.  Mihai and Brigitte created a route for us, with Brigitte leading the way and taking copious notes.  Alex was on hand to take photos.  (I’m looking forward to seeing those!)  Barbara even showed us a closed-off walkway that, if properly utilized, would be perfect for cyclists.  Other participants chimed in with thoughts while some simply came along for the ride.   

What made this event so special was the diversity of participants – we had it all!  We had young hipsters on their track-style bicycles as well as the tried-and-true cyclists that have been cycling before I was born.  And while the riders may have differed in their approach, or style, the goal is the same: to create a better city to cycle in.  Such union was truly an incredible sight to behold.

This ride was another step in turning Santa Monica from a city of incomplete bike lanes and poor cycling amenities into a cyclist’s paradise: with ample bike lanes and bicycle racks for all.  With your participation, we can have this cyclist’s paradise.

Join us on Tuesday, March 25th, as Mihai will be spear-heading us to the Santa Monica City Council meeting to request, in-person, upgrades in Santa Monica’s current cycling amenities.  Meet at the BikeRoWave (1816A Berkeley Str, Santa Monica) at 9:00 P.M. or at City Hall at 10:00 P.M.   

A big thank you goes out to everyone who got involved today.  It is from your participation that change is possible.

Peace & Love,

Jon Luskin