WHY L.A. traffic sucks: OPEN DISCUSSION #4: "I only ride my bike in LA"/The Italian Solution

On 4/28/06, Bill German wrote:

Bill German has left a new comment on your post " "WHY" L.A. traffic sucks: OPEN DISCUSSION #1":

I only ride my bike in LA. (i get great gas mileage and my heart thanks me)

Posted by Bill German to L.A. traffic sucks: Let's fix it! at 4/28/2006 10:27:51 AM

italianesco replies:

Thanks for your comment, Bill.

I lived in Austin, TX for quite awhile (4 years) before moving to L.A. I used to ride a bike, too, and walk. I'd take my bike on the bus (Austin buses have the same bike racks as L.A. buses) and then bike on. I believe in biking. L.A. can be a bit extreme to bike, though. Because of the kind of work I was doing, sometimes I'd need to get from one extreme of the city (Hollywood and Vine) to another (Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica) in a very short time. I doubt I would have made it on a bike.

You've reminded me of motorcycles and how they zoom around traffic in L.A. For motorcycles, there's no gridlock. They zig-zag around cars and move ahead. It looks a bit dangerous but with the great weather it might be a solution to the traffic problem: the ITALIAN SOLUTION. Rome is full of Vespas (scooters). I noticed a lot more Vespas in L.A., especially around Westwood. It might be the way of the future for metropolitan areas: no parking problem, no traffic problem... (perhaps there might be a motorcycle accident problem, though).

For some reason you've also reminded me of one of the reasons I used to love riding the bus in L.A.: I got a LOT of reading done! A lot of reading I would have never done otherwise. There's a very good side to public transportation. It just happens to be a pain in L.A.

Thanks again
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The L.A. Times online had a special report on biking to work:
SPECIAL REPORT / THE CYCLING COMMUTE: Shifting Gears. Been there, done that in two other American cities. In L.A., it depends on the distance. And hopefully, there's a shower at each end of your ride or expect a very sweaty, sticky day at work...
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Photo of Vespa courtesy of www.piersantelli.it

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