At under a mile, L.A.'s first official "bike-friendly street" isn't going to transform the commuting habits of many Angelenos. Nevertheless, as an example of the city's new attitude to bicycling, recent improvements to Yucca Street are worth noting.
The LA Weekly's resident critic of all transportation non-automotive, Alissa Walker, reviews the changes that have transformed Yucca Street, as it runs through Hollywood, from "a good street for biking into a great one."
While not a part of city's ambitious 2010 Bicycle Plan, Yucca Street already boasted traffic diverting elements to keep motorists from using it as a shortcut, thus making it the ideal "low-hanging fruit" for creating the city's first official "bike-friendly street."
So while the $200,000 in improvements (including street repairs) didn't transform the street, they're certainly welcome upgrades for cyclists. "In addition to
"sharrows" (those painted bike icons on the asphalt), the curbs at each
diverter (the median-like strips sticking into the intersection to
divert cars) had been cut into paths just wide enough for a bike," explains Walker. "A sign
above each diverter amends the 'Right Turn Only' message to autos with
an 'Except Bicycles' disclaimer."
"This detail might not be obvious to a driver, so new signage
signals to everyone that Yucca is different. Small green bike icons
have been affixed to the top of each Yucca street sign, a massive
aesthetic improvement over the 'Bike Route' signs you see on most
streets, which are usually tacked like an afterthought in places that
are easy for drivers (and bikers) to miss."
"It's a tiny gesture, yes," says Walker, "but it's the equivalent of the red carpet to a
cyclist in L.A., where we have so little 'bikes only' real estate."
FULL STORY: L.A.'s First Official Bike-Friendly Street: Our Review

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie