Hi,
One thing to also consider about commuting in Long Beach is that it should only get better soon. Tony Cruz is the Long Beach Bicycle Ambassador and Charles Gandy has been hired by the city to spend about $10 million to improve the bicycle infrastructure. The sharrows on 2nd Street are an example of what Tony and Charles are doing to try to make things better for cycling in Long Beach.
The stated vision "...is to be the most bicycle friendly urban city in the nation."
Find out more at
http://www.bikelongbeach.org/