An Outsider’s Perspective On Bicycling In Los Angeles

Stephen Corwin describes a Vancouverite’s experience cycling throughout Los Angeles.

2 minute read

October 30, 2014, 6:00 AM PDT

By Maayan Dembo @DJ_Mayjahn


In a recent post on Medium, hard-core cyclist Stephen Corwin rides with his girlfriend, a recent newcomer to Los Angeles, from downtown to Koreatown. Along the ride, Corwin shares they "had a near-miss with a driver pulling out of a curbside parking space before checking for cyclists, and shortly after we were aggressively honked at by a young woman in a sedan who was simultaneously sharing an apparently hilarious story with her passenger."

After the stressful ride, Corwin asked his girlfriend to recount her first experience cycling. She remembered it quite clearly, sharing that "the biggest shock was when she rolled out onto the street and realized she had no idea where she was supposed to ride. Coming from a place like Vancouver, where bike lanes are clearly marked and are available on almost every road, that’s not surprising. She spent the entire journey teetering on the edge of the road, trying hard to find a balance between interfering with the rapid flow of traffic and scraping her bike wheels on the curb."

Corwin states how her stressful experience cycling through Los Angeles points to the failure of the cycling infrastructure, even the beautifully green-painted Spring Street bike lane. Currently, casual cyclists still feel unsafe riding through the city, alluding to a failure on behalf of the city to create safe infrastructure that makes cycling attractive.

Sunday, October 26, 2014 in Medium

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

15 minutes ago - Streetsblog USA

Aerial view of flooding during Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

‘Quality Work, Fast’: NC Gears up for Homebuilding After Helene, Trying to Avoid Past Pitfalls

The state will field bids to demolish, repair and rebuild homes in the mountains. After struggles in eastern NC, officials aim to chart a different course.

1 hour ago - NC Newsline

Washington

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing

A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

May 1 - Streetsblog USA

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.