If you've ever sputtered out while two-wheeling around the city -- whether that means a flat, a funky spoke, or a seat that's mysteriously gone kerplooey -- then you know that finding a storefront that can get you what you need is a rather uphill ride.
But the proverbial hill is evening out in terms of businesses helping cyclists, at least 'round Eagle Rock. The LA Dot Bike Blog recently announced that Eagle Rock will be the first Bike Friendly Business District, a push that's part of the city's Bike Program.
What does such a district mean? Look for a deal that will "foster a broad and engaging range of bicycle friendly features in business districts and corridors." So that means parking and bikeways, you bet, but also repair stations and signs for cyclists. It isn't merely about the pedaler making his or her way around a car-oriented neighborhood that can accommodate bikes but rather an area that welcomes, and supports, transport involving both motors and people-produced power.
In concrete -- and asphalt -- terms, what does this mean for Eagle Rock and part of Highland Park?
The bike blog says a "bike corral" is headed for York Boulevard and bike lanes will be completed along Eagle Rock Boulevard. Colorado Boulevard will get buffered bike lanes plus some "pedestrian safety enhancements," always a positive thing.
And a repair station that's along the way is mind-easing.
More areas of the city'll get such programs in the next few years, says Laist. That's a happy given, given the increasing popularity of mega bike events like CicLAvia.
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Neighborhoods are forever evolving -- look no further than photos of our city from a century ago -- and how Eagle Rock's streets evolve in the years to come may be a looking glass into Southern California's bike-nicer future.
