Southern California - Sweet La Tuna Canyon.

Is this not a blessed thing. Someone gone and repaved a good portion of the lower part before the climb. Nice.

Now, if we could get Mt. Hollywood repaved and still kept closed ... actually I like the technical aspect of the descent. But ...

Sure. Take two full traffic lanes out so vehicle traffic has to travel single file, create bike lanes wide enough for a Mack truck in both directions, and a median section so that the three local residents can make left turns into their drive ways. No wonder gov. treasuries are depleted.

I don't understand. What's wrong with La Tuna now that it's paved? I haven't been there in months. Do they really have bike lanes now? Why is that a bad thing?

LaTuna needs to be repaved all the way to Sunland Blvd., not just a 1/2 mile section from the flood control dam to the upper residential section. Morning and early evening commuter traffic has increased dramatically over the past 10 years due to development in the Verdugo Mts. and San Gabriel Valley, including a planned 250 home development on the south facing slope along La Tuna west of the Verdugo Golf Course, and a proposed condominium development of the golf course itself. La Tuna Cyn. has, for the most part, been 4 lanes for well over 30 years. Reducing the traffic handling capacity to accomodate a lane wide median, and lane wide bike lanes in both direction for the very few cyclists, compared to the large number of motorists, that use the corridor, when the labor and material expense could have been used to improve the road surface for everyones safety, is not good economic practice IMO. If you can't deal with the traffic, don't ride the road.

Oh, I see. Do you think the bike lanes are a response to the cyclist's death on La Tuna? The times I rode La Tuna, there was a lot of traffic with 2 lanes. It will be interesting to see how the traffic moves now. Maybe it will be a lot slower. That's a good thing to me.

JustMe,
that's faulty logic but you are certainly in your right to express it.

I'm glad they made the changes on La Tuna Cyn. LA is moving forward, in the right direction

Grrlyrida, if bike lanes are created for every single death of a cyclist on a street or road at the expense of road surface acquired for the primary purpose of conveying people and goods, the primary purpose of accomodating vehicle traffic as the majority conveyor is subjugated to the lesser recreational purpose of a minority. La Tuna is predominantly a 4 lane thorough fare which is narrowed in certain areas to 2 lanes due to spawls from the adjacent hill sides that create hazardous debris on the road surface.

Racer, thanks for the acknowledgement of my right to express an opinion. Since you don't appear to have any facts to present in support of your "faulty logic" comment, your impression that L.A. is moving forward in the right direction has little, if any, significance or substance.

The bike lane is normal width . They have also designated a zone for resident parking. So they have two parking zones, two bike lanes, two automotive lanes and a center turn lane. A simple straight forward design addressing commuter, resident, and recreational users. I don't see anything to critisize.

Take your beef with the bicycle lanes to the car forum. This is a bike forum.

Kudos to the road makers for creating a nice smooth and wide lane for me to cruise.

Bless you all, layers of asphalt. Nice, smooth asphalt.

Everyone, please take some time to ride this wide smooth place.

Grrlyrida, if bike lanes are created for every single death of a cyclist on a street or road at the expense of road surface acquired for the primary purpose of conveying people and goods, the primary purpose of accomodating vehicle traffic as the majority conveyor is subjugated to the lesser recreational purpose of a minority. La Tuna is predominantly a 4 lane thorough fare which is narrowed in certain areas to 2 lanes due to spawls from the adjacent hill sides that create hazardous debris on the road surface.

Racer, thanks for the acknowledgement of my right to express an opinion. Since you don't appear to have any facts to present in support of your "faulty logic" comment, your impression that L.A. is moving forward in the right direction has little, if any, significance or substance.

Take it easy, Francis.

La Tuna is predominantly a 4 lane thorough fare which is narrowed in certain areas to 2 lanes due to spawls from the adjacent hill sides that create hazardous debris on the road surface.

You just reminded me why I stopped riding La Tuna, I kept flatting out went I went up there. Not with one tire, but both. Since there's 2 lanes in certain areas, are there bike lanes in those certain areas only? Or throughout the length of the canyon? If that's the case, that wouldn't make much sense.

Is this not a blessed thing. Someone gone and repaved a good portion of the lower part before the climb. Nice.

Now, if we could get Mt. Hollywood repaved and still kept closed ... actually I like the technical aspect of the descent. But ...

If only. They'll never repave that since they will never allow cars from the public up there. A ranger told me they closed it cuz it was used as a dump zone for bodies:eek:--remote, yet right in the city.

LaTuna needs to be repaved all the way to Sunland Blvd., not just a 1/2 mile section from the flood control dam to the upper residential section. Morning and early evening commuter traffic has increased ...


Are you a resident there? It looks like plans to repave all the way to Sunland are in the works...this weekend in fact.

I think it's a good thing, myself, but you know...

I'm going to have to check this out some time soon, since it's part of my commute (but I'm on Summer break right now). I never had a real problem with traffic there in the first place. There was the occasional car passing too close for comfort, but that happens all over.

I'm having a hard time imagining exactly which 2 lane portion they worked on, so I'm going to hold my opinion until I see it. Since I drive to work Mon/Wed/Fri and ride Tue/Thur, I think I may have some interesting opinions.

I'm going to have to check this out some time soon, since it's part of my commute (but I'm on Summer break right now). I never had a real problem with traffic there in the first place. There was the occasional car passing too close for comfort, but that happens all over.

I'm having a hard time imagining exactly which 2 lane portion they worked on, so I'm going to hold my opinion until I see it. Since I drive to work Mon/Wed/Fri and ride Tue/Thur, I think I may have some interesting opinions.

Oh...you will be surprised!! Its way different!

Take your beef with the bicycle lanes to the car forum. This is a bike forum.
. . . .
The issue is safety and economics, not pavement. La Tuna Cyn has been in need of resurfacing for years. Surface irregularities caused by tree roots undermining the roadbed, surface water runoff, and heavy vehicle traffic have created conditions requiring cyclists to ride in the #2 traffic lane to avoid getting a wheel caught in linear cracks, potholes, or being bounced out of control over bumps, potentially causing a rider to be thrown, or fall while being followed by vehicle traffic. You may want to review some of the research regarding safety studies, some of which is summerized as follows:

"Road surface is more important for bicycles than other modes of transportation for both comfort and safety. The type and placement of storm drains, manholes, surface markings (paint), and the general road surface quality should all be taken into account by a bicycle transportation engineer."

Take it easy, Francis.
Yes mother!


You just reminded me why I stopped riding La Tuna, I kept flatting out went I went up there. Not with one tire, but both. Since there's 2 lanes in certain areas, are there bike lanes in those certain areas only? Or throughout the length of the canyon? If that's the case, that wouldn't make much sense.
The portion above the flood control basin has not been repaved, nor does it appear that there is a plan for bike lanes which would be along the sides of the road where the scree from the adjacent hills falls, and where the posted speed limit is 50MPH.


Are you a resident there? It looks like plans to repave all the way to Sunland are in the works...this weekend in fact.

I think it's a good thing, myself, but you know...
Like I said in my initial post, La Tuna Cyn. needs to be repaved all the way to Sunland, and beyond actually. But as girrly brings to light, the absence of bike lanes on that portion above the flood control basin where the posted speed limit is highest, and road debris more prevalent, would seem to be at odds with what is promoted as safety.

Like I said in my initial post, La Tuna Cyn. needs to be repaved all the way to Sunland, and beyond actually. But as girrly brings to light, the absence of bike lanes on that portion above the flood control basin where the posted speed limit is highest, and road debris more prevalent, would seem to be at odds with what is promoted as safety.
Absolutely! My commute now takes me down La Tuna to where it becomes Tuxford and then where it becomes Roscoe. The bottom of La Tuna only looks bad until I hit Tuxford, which is so torn up from the trucks coming out of the rock facilities and other industries that even cars refuse to use the righthand lane.

Major construction this morning on the portion near Sunland Blvd.

I drove by it today. I agree with the need for a bike lane going UP the canyon because of the huge speed differential (5-10 mph vs. 50+) but rarely had a problem coming down as I am going close to the speed limit and the cars have plenty of time to plan accordingly.

As ironic as it was, I got stuck behind a somewhat slow (really, just a couple mph under the speed limit) van right before the section that is now 1 lane instead of 2, and noticed a rather long line behind us by the time we reached Sunland.

According to this webpage (http://www.latunacanyon.com/) there are plans to add a bike lane in each direction? But not until the repaving is finished.

Hmmmm...

note: A phone number to voice your concerns

Ahhhh; the neighborhood council tells us how great they are, and what a great job they've done. What they call the "top of the canyon" is the bottom 3rd through the residential area where the posted speed limit drops to 35 MPH, except for the school zone which is 25 MPH.

The page/map I was trying to highlight is already gone...:(

You mean this one that shows the section of La Tuna Cyn below the flood control basin where the resurfacing was done??
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w177/imspec/street_resurfacing_large.jpg

yes, that's the map I was looking at. Doesn't it indicate repaving all the way to Sunland Blvd?

It's done. Just needs the yellow lines.

Well, that's a start. When are they going to continue the resurfacing on Tuxford and Roscoe, up Glenoaks through the salvage yards and dump, then maybe Wheatland, and several other streets in the area??

Wehn we start writing to the city expressing our concern that someone might get seriously injured and sue the city for dangerous roads.