Southern California - SFV Busway Bike Path

I took a long ride this morning along the bike path that runs next to the Busway. I love the path. It's smooth and it's one of the few places that I can ride without having to overcome my phobia of riding next to cars (the result of an accident several years ago that has kept me off a bike until recently). But I have one gripe -- the placement of the buttons you have to push to get a green light are in the wrong place. Although I realize that it is necessary to have stoplights at every intersection, I am riding against the majority of traffic, and having to stop frequently is part of the tradeoff, why is it that every light requires me to push a button to get a green walk signal? Moreover, why is it that the push buttons are on the left side of the path (the opposite side from where most people ride) and on a rise above the curb. To get a green light, I have to come to a complete stop at the edge of the curb (or stop before that and walk to the button), push the button, and then push the bike backwards to position myself so I don't ride off the curb. Didn't anyone designing the bike path think of the mechanics of operating a bicycle when they put the path there?

Nope, no one really thought much about that.

I would also suggest that you spend some time on the LA River path that runs roughly parallel to Griffith Park. You can drive over to the soccer fields (John Ferraro Athletic fields) and access the bike path there. The path runs just over 4 miles with no cars, no intersections and no lights.

http://www.ci.la.ca.us/RAP/dos/parks/griffithPK/soccer.htm

i ride the orange line all the time...my trick these days is to never clip out and and either hold onto the pole or to the gate/fence dealies that are right there. i agree that the lights can blow, but after years of riding across the valley to work, the lights arent to bad compared to dealing with AM commuters on burbank blvd!!! just give yerself a bit of an angle when you come up to the pole and you should be able to roll over to the ramp on the curb with no sweat!!!


sorry that was a bit rambly and all over the place!!

that orange line is worthless. Lots of kids and lots of inexprienced riders travel its path.

Ontop of that, the lights are constantly red and unless your overweight or mentally disabled, its just plain ANNOYING.

Its funny when I ride on Victory(on the street) along the path and not go on it. Then drivers will have to change lanes because I take a good part of the lane and yell at me to get on the bike path...hahah

Bike path = for 12 year olds, inexperienced riders, family riders, joggers. Not for anyone with any common sense imo.

simply not willing to risk my life on victory during my AM commute....people are nutso on the stretch near the park. plus, at that hour im usually the only one there! as for the weekends or summer evenings...im totally with you, its too nuts on the bikepath....too many close calls on victory and burbank in the mornings, i dont mind scooting down the bikepath for those couple of miles i have to....

i agree with you about the buttons, they are totally f'ed up. you should try it on a tandem it you think it's bad on a single bike. i use the path occasionally on my commute from north hollywood to van nuys but only when i'm not in a hurry or after dark and i dont have my bike with lights.

i used to commute on my bike from north hollywood to santa monica and back. it would take 10 to 15 minute longer to take the bike path from sepulveda to the noho station than taking magnolia, chandler and/or burbank mostly because of the lights and also because it was a little longer. at the top of sepulveda there is a button to light up a flashing light to let motorists know that there is a cyclist in the tunnel. the button is really hard to hit while riding. i spoke to a friend who also sometimes commutes that way who happens to be a building inspector for the city of l.a. i asked him why don't they put it where we can reach it? he dsaid that the city has to put it to certain dimensions and locations according to a certain code (a national highway code perhaps?). i'm sure the same is true for the bike path buttons. perhaps we can persuade the city to additional buttons where they would make sense for actual, serious riders. i would like to see a button at maybe 50 yards before the signal that you could tap as you went by so that you could get a green light as you reached the intersection, but i know that will never, ever happen

that orange line is worthless. Lots of kids and lots of inexprienced riders travel its path.

Ontop of that, the lights are constantly red and unless your overweight or mentally disabled, its just plain ANNOYING.

Its funny when I ride on Victory(on the street) along the path and not go on it. Then drivers will have to change lanes because I take a good part of the lane and yell at me to get on the bike path...hahah

Bike path = for 12 year olds, inexperienced riders, family riders, joggers. Not for anyone with any common sense imo.
+1 the buttons suck, the lights take forever, and it's got plenty of ignorant people and dogs on 10' leashes (if leashed at all). I use 1/2 mile of it to get back home and that's it.

dang....i ride the section between hayvenhurst and hazeltine every moning i ride into work! it really isnt that bad! maybe i just hit it before the knuckleheads come out....the lights do blow, i totally agree with that, but anything not to ride from sepulveda and burbank up to hazeltine and burbank during rush hour! call me "inexperienced" or whatever, but i dont miss getting buzzed by suvs and semis!!

Try the "Traffic Signal Hack" (http://www.fugly.com/videos/7076/traffic-signal-hack.html)

Check out the video...lol

3 short clicks, 2 long clicks, 1 short click , 2 long clicks , and 3 short clicks

Ontop of that, the lights are constantly red and unless your overweight or mentally disabled, its just plain ANNOYING.

.

Why must you be such an ass and so offensive, Ovoidiot? With a loved one who is mentally disabled, that's just plain cruel and unnecessary. Isn't it enough to say that there are frequent red lights that cyclists have to stop at and deal with to get your point across without picking on those less fortunate? You are now going on my ignore list, something I've resisted because I've actually found a few of your posts funny. Not this one. :mad:

The placement of the buttons stinks, but I'd live with it if there weren't so darn many of them. Pretty much given up on the Orange Line path, except every now and then I use the portion between Woodley and Sepulveda and between Oxnard and Chandler, just because those parts don't have lights and they beat the alternatives.

Why must you be such an ass and so offensive, Ovoidiot? With a loved one who is mentally disabled, that's just plain cruel and unnecessary. Isn't it enough to say that there are frequent red lights that cyclists have to stop at and deal with to get your point across without picking on those less fortunate? You are now going on my ignore list, something I've resisted because I've actually found a few of your posts funny. Not this one. :mad:

Offensive? Nothing of tha twas even remotely offensive. If you go back and reread what I wrote you will clearly understand this.

Im not here to censor myself. Sorry if about your loved one but the fact that they are mentally disabled cannot be blamed on me. Picking on those less fortunate? Are you serious?---Go back and re-read while not under any medication, I dont see any picking there.

Bike path = for 12 year olds, inexperienced riders, family riders, joggers. Not for anyone with any common sense imo.
What an arrogant post. Several years ago, I was nearly killed when someone pulled into my path from a parking space as I was coming down a hill at full speed. I spent two weeks in a hospital, had several surgeries and months of rehab. I never really had much intention of ever getting back on a bike, but someone gave me a nice bike and I thought I would try riding again. That said, I'm still struggling with riding in traffic. It's probably more mental than anything else, but I think I have a pretty good reason for not wanting to avoid cars as much as possible.

Try the "Traffic Signal Hack" (http://www.fugly.com/videos/7076/traffic-signal-hack.html)

Check out the video...lol

3 short clicks, 2 long clicks, 1 short click , 2 long clicks , and 3 short clicks
I call BS. I wonder how many times they had to try filming that to get it to turn out right. Reminds me of when someone told me a left turn signal would go green if you pull short of the line, waites 5 seconds, then pulled onto the line. I have a friend who works for LA traffic and lighting, and such lore is a myth. Most signals don't even have that strobe thing for emergency vehicles people talk about.

What an arrogant post. Several years ago, I was nearly killed when someone pulled into my path from a parking space as I was coming down a hill at full speed. I spent two weeks in a hospital, had several surgeries and months of rehab. I never really had much intention of ever getting back on a bike, but someone gave me a nice bike and I thought I would try riding again. That said, I'm still struggling with riding in traffic. It's probably more mental than anything else, but I think I have a pretty good reason for not wanting to avoid cars as much as possible.

You should do a bit more research on the subject.

Arrogant? No...I am actually telling you a way to be safer, sorry if you cant take a statement bluntly. Riding on the road is much safer than riding on the bike path...Especially the one that goes along the orange line.

Sorry but unlike some people here who ride the path at 3am and for 10meters, I've actually riden the full length of the path a dozen of times and I have to say its 20 times more dangerous than riding on the road.

Riding on the road is much safer...you'll realize this eventually.

I call BS. I wonder how many times they had to try filming that to get it to turn out right. Reminds me of when someone told me a left turn signal would go green if you pull short of the line, waites 5 seconds, then pulled onto the line. I have a friend who works for LA traffic and lighting, and such lore is a myth. Most signals don't even have that strobe thing for emergency vehicles people talk about.

I call BS on that vid too...it took them a whole month to probably film that to match

Ovo I think you're an ok guy, but I gotta disagree with you on the bike path thing. You're probably right that an accident is more likely and that there are more frequent brushes, but I would venture to say an accident with a car usually causes more injury and damage than with a dog or person.

It depends on the road, of course, but I feel much safer on that bike path (sometimes worth the 2 minute lights every 1/2 mile if I'm only going a mile or 2) than I do on Ventura or Victory with cars knicking my elbows.

Ovo I think you're an ok guy, but I gotta disagree with you on the bike path thing. You're probably right that an accident is more likely and that there are more frequent brushes, but I would venture to say an accident with a car usually causes more injury and damage than with a dog or person.

It depends on the road, of course, but I feel much safer on that bike path (sometimes worth the 2 minute lights every 1/2 mile if I'm only going a mile or 2) than I do on Ventura or Victory with cars knicking my elbows.

I ride Ventura very often and I've never had such close calls. The key is to take most of the lane, there are usually 3 wide lanes on Ventura with minimal traffic, taking one lane usually does not bother anyone and makes for a safer situation for you.

Bike path, people don't expect you coming up behind them, dogs will react differently, kids ride wildly all over the path, inexperienced people looking down with their headphones weaving all over the place.

I dont know man, I've seen some wild stuff on the bike path...

I ride Ventura very often and I've never had such close calls. The key is to take most of the lane, there are usually 3 wide lanes on Ventura with minimal traffic, taking one lane usually does not bother anyone and makes for a safer situation for you.

Bike path, people don't expect you coming up behind them, dogs will react differently, kids ride wildly all over the path, inexperienced people looking down with their headphones weaving all over the place.

I dont know man, I've seen some wild stuff on the bike path...

Stop pretending that you ride. Ovo doesn't like the bike path cause he crashed in to a girl on skates and it was clearly his fault so he just makes up his gay lame excuses to satisfy his desperate need for constant attention.

That is true, I get buzzed more frequently on Lindley with only 2 lanes than I do on Ventura. At least people on Ventura don't like the right lane because it has parked cars on it (even during the anti grid lock time) so they're just happy you're a moving vehicle. On Lindley, no matter how much lane I take, someone makes sure to pass me with only inches to spare. I think the larger danger on Ventura is the cars coming out of all those busy shopping centers when they can't see around the SUVs. You almost have to ride to the left to make sure they see you in time.

I'd still rather take my chances with a dog than a car, though.

I ride Ventura very often and I've never had such close calls. The key is to take most of the lane, there are usually 3 wide lanes on Ventura with minimal traffic, taking one lane usually does not bother anyone and makes for a safer situation for you.

Bike path, people don't expect you coming up behind them, dogs will react differently, kids ride wildly all over the path, inexperienced people looking down with their headphones weaving all over the place.

I dont know man, I've seen some wild stuff on the bike path...
Ventura is three lanes, but for much of the stretch (at least in Sherman Oaks), the right lane has parked cars and a 1/2-foot high ridge that runs along the road. If I try to ride in that lane, I have to swerve around parked cars and run the risk of sideswiping the ridge. Riding in the second lane, which I did as part of my Sunday morning ride, resulted in me getting buzzed by and honked at by numerous cars. By contrast, the bike path on Sunday morning (at 10 am) was nearly empty. No kids, only a few pedestrians, about 5 or 6 bikes at all, and one dog -- who paid less attention to me than the dog whose owner was putting him into a car from the driver's side at Hazeltine and Ventura.

Ventura is three lanes, but for much of the stretch (at least in Sherman Oaks), the right lane has parked cars and a 1/2-foot high ridge that runs along the road. If I try to ride in that lane, I have to swerve around parked cars and run the risk of sideswiping the ridge. Riding in the second lane, which I did as part of my Sunday morning ride, resulted in me getting buzzed by and honked at by numerous cars.
The ONLY time I've ridden on Ventura that I felt the least bit safe (in terms of not being taken out by a mad driver or a door being opened) is at 5:00am on a Saturday morning. It was empty. Even still, there are huge breaks in the pavement (humps) from where too heavy trucks have driven down it and tons of manholes and deep grooves in the pavement. I live right off of that street and I'd rather jump on Hazeltine up to Chandler/Burbank/Moorpark - anything other than that road! I'm always amazed when I see riders on it with traffic. They're braver than I am!

Wow you guys exaggerate Ventura. I travel it very often and i've never heard of such issues. I rather ride on Ventura than on Victory or Magnolia. I do switch to Chandler though as soon as I reach Van Nuys, much nicer scenery.

just out of curiosity person currently playing ovoleg...if you hate it so much why have you ridden it dozens of times???

That is true, I get buzzed more frequently on Lindley with only 2 lanes than I do on Ventura. At least people on Ventura don't like the right lane because it has parked cars on it (even during the anti grid lock time) so they're just happy you're a moving vehicle. On Lindley, no matter how much lane I take, someone makes sure to pass me with only inches to spare. I think the larger danger on Ventura is the cars coming out of all those busy shopping centers when they can't see around the SUVs. You almost have to ride to the left to make sure they see you in time.

I'd still rather take my chances with a dog than a car, though.

Yea I also dislike Lindley...so packed!

just out of curiosity person currently playing ovoleg...if you hate it so much why have you ridden it dozens of times???

Theres a certain amount of hate I generate before I stop doing such an action

Stop pretending that you ride. Ovo doesn't like the bike path cause he crashed in to a girl on skates and it was clearly his fault so he just makes up his gay lame excuses to satisfy his desperate need for constant attention.

It was on the road NEAR THE BIKE PATH...yes ever since then I havent ridden near that area of the path(thats actually near Balboa on that long stretch.

Socal lets go riding together, I have been asking you for the past 2 years, wtf you wont honor me one ride?

I'm always amazed when I see riders on it with traffic. They're braver than I am!
or dumber

Moorpark forever!! Long live Moorpark!!

or dumber

lol we rode on ventura together that one sfvbc ride. No one seemed to object... :rolleyes:

lol we rode on ventura together that one sfvbc ride. No one seemed to object... :rolleyes:
Ask my wife what she thinks abot my willingness to "take stupid risks" and she'll tell you that anyone who rides with me is crazy as well.

Ask my wife what she thinks abot my willingness to "take stupid risks" and she'll tell you that anyone who rides with me is crazy as well.

hahah, I dont remember you as someone crazy...Now that George guy, hes just crazy. You should ride with him, he stands on the saddle and does front flips over the front of the bike

It was on the road NEAR THE BIKE PATH...yes ever since then I havent ridden near that area of the path(thats actually near Balboa on that long stretch.

Socal lets go riding together, I have been asking you for the past 2 years, wtf you wont honor me one ride?

Frak, dude stop with the BS already. OK, I'm in Europe right now but if you want to ride with me then fine lets get it over with , I WILL RIDE WITH YOU, if nothing but for the comic relief. I'll be back in the states for next week so pick your day but none of this Balboa, Ventura Blvd BS. How 'bout a ride to Santa Barbara?

Frak, dude stop with the BS already. OK, I'm in Europe right now but if you want to ride with me then fine lets get it over with , I WILL RIDE WITH YOU, if nothing but for the comic relief. I'll be back in the states for next week so pick your day but none of this Balboa, Ventura Blvd BS. How 'bout a ride to Santa Barbara?

I'll give it a shot, train back?

train is the idea. pick the day. leave at 8:00 to make the 2:00 train. has to be a weekday

train is the idea. pick the day. leave at 8:00 to make the 2:00 train. has to be a weekday

cool, when are you coming back?

This should be good. What happens when polar opposites meet? Angels and Demons says they obliterate each other. We shall see firsthand when Ovoleg and Socalcycling meet.

And yeah, I'm not that crazy, but my wife isn't too impressed when I whined about the wrong cassette coming to my door saying "I can blow out my knee on this ride if I don't have the right gearing" then doing the ride on my old cassette anyway. I learned.