Living Car Free - Pasadena CA Moves Forward With It's Own Bicycle Heaven Interpretation

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_14405166

Now the city of Pasadena, CA (a city similar in size and population to Long Beach, CA) is getting on the bicycle bandwagon. While all the attention is rather nice compared to even a few years ago when cyclists were a non-issue and a invisible part of the road (or even roadkill). I still wonder if this push by their city counsel is simply geared toward recreational riding as opposed to actually using the bike as a real viable replacement for car use or even public transportation. Time will tell.

I've been to Pasadena a couple of times. The main strip was a beautifully kept area. That was the first time I experienced parking meters being in use twenty-four hours a day. Isn't that one of the few cities that use those special meters that have different rates depending on the time of day? When I was there in 2002 such meters weren't on the side streets where I parked my rented truck.

Cool, but my prediction is after all the money is spent these cities will pass ordinances telling you where and where not you are allowed to ride your bike. It's an initial strategy to benefit, and a longer term strategy to control. Kinda like skateboard parks.

Cool, but my prediction is after all the money is spent these cities will pass ordinances telling you where and where not you are allowed to ride your bike. It's an initial strategy to benefit, and a longer term strategy to control. Kinda like skateboard parks.

Why do you think this would happen? Do you have evidence or is it really just the paranoia so common in the cycling community?

Well, Eaton Wash would definitely be recreational. But Pasadena does have a lot of "side" streets that are pretty roomy and go through for long distances, so it sounds like a mix of recreational and utility work.

The mayor in my town has initiated plans to put in bike lanes here, in three higher-traffic areas. The one that would affect me most has a pretty generous amount of bike space. So even if some yutz came along and tried to pass mandatory lane usage, no biggie; three areas of town, and all the rest are free and ready to use. I would personally ride right by the house of said yutz, and deliberately laugh my fool @$$ off.

Any town that even tries to be bike-friendly should get props for effort; just because stupid idiots later on may try to subvert it, the thought and effort is there.

I will appreciate any official entity who takes me and my lifestyle under consideration.

Why do you think this would happen? Do you have evidence or is it really just the paranoia so common in the cycling community?

I don't know anything about the paranoia in the cycling community, so I can't comment. I have no evidence, but I am not careful observer of any history of cycling regulation. However, I have seen many such examples in sports recreation, matters of personal choice and "safety" regulation - the catch-all for government rule making. For those invested in the "cycling community" I think it would pure naivety to believe there isn't going to be a backlash for the critical masses and street brawl arguments I've seen between bikers and motorists in SF. Frankly, I plan on being dead before this all goes full circle, so ... not my problem. My son and daughters can argue to the city councils that they shouldn't be required to bike within lanes and paths only.