Archive for March, 2012

Too Many Banks, Too Few Bike Racks

Posted March 29, 2012 By Frank

I’m the newly appointed executor for my mother’s estate; it’s keeping me quite busy. I’m also Treasurer of my neighborhood HOA, so I make many short trips to the bank and the Post Office as I deal with probate in NH and FL and depositing annual dues from the residents. All this tedium has raised my awareness of quick errands.


Bank of America doesn’t offer online banking for Estate accounts, so that means lots of trips for simple tasks. Yesterday I combined a trip to B of A at Marguerite & Coast Hwy, with a stop at Wells Fargo at 3600 E. Coast Hwy; I’m in and out in minutes, but neither has a bike rack available. I’m reminded of how we can all so easily secure a car by simply locking the doors.

You probably saw, earlier this week, when Union Bank said, “No hats, no sunglasses, no hoodies,” so you can imagine the freak-out when I rolled my bike into B of A yesterday. I come in attired in a florescent yellow jacket, helmet, weird rear-view mirrored glasses, and gloves – a space alien on a bike. Nonetheless, I’m greeted by an available teller and step right up to the counter. I need a statement printed and I thought I’d memorized my mother’s new account number, but when I quickly turn away from the teller to retrieve my iPhone from the bike bag, I could feel everyone in the bank tense up, not knowing what was coming out of the bag. They wish there were bike racks outside…

So as I think of quick errands in CdM, these spots come to mind:
Banks: BofA, (2) Wells Fargo’s, Farmers, Citi, Union and others
Post Office
Ace Hardware
Rite Aid

If these spots had bike racks, would more people be inclined to ride?

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Pro Walk/Pro Bike, Here I Come

Posted March 26, 2012 By Frank

I registered early to save a little dough

After meeting Fred Kent, President of the Partnership for Public Spaces and sponsor of the upcoming Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference in Long Beach I jumped on the early-bird registration.

Join me and many other Southern California bike advocates, September 10-13, 2012. Register today.

Filed in City planning, Safe Routes to School | Tagged: , ,

Saturday at Fashion Island

Posted March 25, 2012 By Frank

“There’s some over there, but people leave their bikes overnight, so the company has been removing them at all their properties,” said the security guy in response to my questions about bike racks.

That was an ominous beginning as I went looking for bike racks at Fashion Island today. It’s about 2.1 miles from my house, so after a great week riding the bike I thought I’d walk. The route takes me over the Goldenrod bridge then into Corona del Mar Plaza where I stopped to inquire about bike racks there.

Better than nothing, but as I walked through CdM Plaza I noticed the employee parking lot — no bike racks for employees, so this little bike rack is one of two. I made a mental note to check the other one on the way home as I continued up the hill.

I know there are only two bike racks in all of Fashion Island, too, but I only know where one is, so that’s my primary objective. I approach from the south and see these bikes locked up outside Macy’s:

If these weren’t gorgeous ‘fashion’ bikes I’m guessing security would be out there with the bolt cutters. But what’s the bike rider to do? Fashion Island is under-served when it comes to bike racks.

I’m hoping I’ll spot the new trolley the Irvine Company has added to the experience; it doesn’t take long.

For those that don't want any exercise, there's the trolley

This idea of mine has been germinating for about a week — I rode over to CdMHS earlier in the week and on the return trip I stopped in for a little bite of breakfast. As a security guard walked by I asked him about bikes, “Bikes aren’t allowed on the property, but we do have two bike racks.” Wow, two bike racks, I smart alec’d to myself.

“You can stop by the Concierge Desk and make a request for more bike racks,” he suggested as we parted. That’s a constructive idea and I don’t remember this advice until today when, coincidentally, I’m standing at the directory just steps away from the Concierge Desk. A nice concierge lady comes right over to ask what I’m looking for and I know I surprise her with my inquiry, but she’s not flustered for a second, “Would you like to fill in one of our Comment Forms? It’s a good way to let the company know.” That’s when I remember, so I take her up on her offer and spend a moment filling in the form. My favorite question is the last one:

If there was one element that would have made your visit more enjoyable, what would it be?

“Arriving without a car and feeling welcome,” I write without a moment’s thought. As I hand her the form, “Can I have a copy?” Everyone aims to please at the Concierge Desk and as I walk away I feel like I’ve made new friends.

You can buy a car at Fashion Island, but it's hard to park your bike

Bikes are a fashion statement, but don't try to ride yours to Fashion Island

Here's one of the two bike racks. How do you keep the bike from falling over and damaging a wheel?

The other bike rack is underground, outside of Nordstrom's
Cyclists want to park their bikes close to their destination, not hidden in a garage. This out-of-the-way location is more suitable for bike theft.

Because there aren't enough bike racks, just like everywhere else in Newport Beach, people get creative like this bootleg bike rack

Back at CdM Plaza, people come for cupcakes by bike.
Notice how the bikes are close to their riders; that's what people want, not bike racks hidden underground

Bike racks can be fun

It seems obvious that shoppers are expected to come by Bentley, not by bike. Yet people are coming by bike and feeling more or less the way I do, under-served. My bike isn’t flashy, hopefully it doesn’t scream ‘steal me’, but I prefer to park it where I can see it or at least where it won’t get damaged or stolen. The Irvine Company has a winning formula for everything else they do, especially at Fashion Island; here’s hoping they’ll read my Comment Form and consider adding more bike racks. At Corona del Mar Plaza where parking at peak times is so precious, plus its proximity to the Flower Streets, a little more prominent bike parking might have an even bigger impact. As bike advocates always say, “If you build it, they will come.”

See the comment stream at Newport Beach Patch.

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College Educated Bike Racks

Posted March 23, 2012 By Frank

Brenda Miller invited me to join her at UC Irvine for an end-of-quarter presentation by students in the UCI Graduate Planning Studio. I didn’t know what I was in for, but it was a good excuse for an early morning ride.

Of course, riding to the university means locking up the bike, something I seldom do, so I was packing my big lock. When I arrive the first challenge is to find the bike rack — there isn’t one in front of the building I want to enter, so I must go searching.

The first rack I find is almost full, then I notice the nice person in a golf cart who tells me that this rack is being replaced this morning and I must continue my search. I have to roll past two more about-to-be-replaced bike racks before I find one that’s already been converted. As I’m locking up I can see the workers just across the walkway preparing to install the new ring racks.

New ring racks being installed at UC Irvine this morning.

“They have 50% more capacity compared to the ribbon racks,” he proudly announces. Plus, people like these racks better — the bike stays upright and is less prone to damage.

“How many will you install?”

“Oh, we’ve got hundreds.”

People like these better
After my meeting the new racks are installed and put to immediate use.

In Newport Beach we have a lot to learn about bike racks. For example, there’s not a single ring rack in the city; mostly we have ribbon racks.

Former Public Works Director and former Mayor Don Webb famously described his preference for the ribbon-style, “They’re easier to install.” I’ll grant him that, but in every other regard, they’re inferior.

A crap bike in a crap rack, at the Newport pier.
Wanna park your bike next to this? We deserve better.

Filed in Photos | Tagged: ,

Rethinking the Automobile

Posted March 19, 2012 By Frank

StreetFilms just published a new film by Mark Gorton: Rethinking the Automobile. I’ve watched it several times over the past few days; it’s loaded with great commentary.

I especially like the quotes from Enrique Penalosa, a former mayor of Bogota. It was Long Beach Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal who first quoted Penalosa, so to hear this in the video caused me to pay very close attention:

You can have a city that’s friendly to cars, or friendly to people; you cannot have both.

That got me thinking… What else has Penalosa been saying? A quick search of Wikipedia yields this:

We cannot continue to deceive ourselves thinking that to paint a little line on a road is a bike way. A bicycle way that is not safe for an 8-year old is not a bicycle way.

It’s great food for thought as I prepare for the next meeting of the Newport Beach Bike Safety Committee on April 2nd.

Filed in Audio-Video, City planning | Tagged: , ,

Off-Road Ride to Sunset Beach

Posted March 18, 2012 By Frank

Mark Knaeps and Dan Murphy at the Huntington Beach pier

Mark Knaeps has a son in Boy Scouts, too; that’s how we met. We teamed up to get a bunch of the boys through Cycling merit badge. He emailed last week looking for a pedaling partner for a lunch time ride, with one condition.

Not everyone wants to ride in traffic and most days that’s my choice, too, so when Mark set these guidelines for our lunchtime ride I knew just where to go. We’d meet at the Newport pier then pedal the bike lane on Seashore to the boardwalk in Huntington Beach, all the way to Fish Camp in Sunset Beach.

Just before I left for the pier I got an email from Dan; he saw a rainy weekend ahead, so how about a ride? The three of us met at the pier for this leisurely ride along the beach.

Care to join us next Thursday at 11am?

Filed in Rides | Tagged: , ,

Drive-By Conversations

Posted March 6, 2012 By Frank

the Yves Gomez, I ordered this light touring bike with a mixte frame

I didn’t have time to tell him that I’d just bought a girl’s bike myself; our conversation came to a sudden end as he pedaled left and I kept straight along the beach boardwalk on Sunday.

Although I live in CdM I always want to bike to the Newport pier — yes, it’s a gorgeous destination, but I love the sea of humanity. I’m a people-watcher.

I like the way cyclists dress on the peninsula, too. In CdM I see bicycle battalions slicing along Coast Hwy in their lycra/spandex racing shirts. Don’t get me wrong — I have the same outfits, but it’s kinda silly at my age and at my level of physical fitness. I’m riding for my health, but I’m no former athlete trying to reclaim my youth — as one friend describes himself: I’m a fat-lete — and I’m cool with that. So anyway, when I ride on the peninsula I see Everyman on a bike, dressed every which way, and on all kinds of bikes, from rusted out crap to shiny beach cruisers. I can relate to this community — they’re just folks out for a ride, like this recent bike rider I pedaled up next to and started a conversation…

I’d seen this rusted hulk of a bicycle before — it would win any contest for ‘Least Likely to Get Stolen’, but I sensed there was more to this story.

“That’s some bike you’ve got there;” I could tell he was used to passing comments.

“Been riding this since Kennedy was President.” And no one would doubt it — surely he’d put new tires on it since then, but few other improvements were evident.

“Pardon my sense of humor, but you probably don’t worry about theft?”

“No, there are people out to steal old bikes, too.” And I remembered reading that vintage bikes attract their own sub-class of criminals. “But few people are interested in the girl frame.”

And that’s when a whole new paragraph of chit-chat came flooding into my head. I just ordered a semi-custom steel frame mixte bike last week, a girl’s frame. Why? Well, I have a small wheel fold-up bike and the ultra-low clearance makes getting on & off so easy that as I started shopping for a new touring bike — or more like, as I finished making up my mind — the mixte low-clearance frame suddenly made a lot of sense.

But all these stimulating remarks must go here in print because my riding companion of the moment wished me a good day and promptly turned off the boardwalk. My last comment I would share with my wife as I sped up to her, “You’d think those wheel rims would’ve collapsed in 60 years.” And maybe they will soon, but in the meantime, be on the lookout for this rustic, rusting vintage two-wheel wonder on your next ride.

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