This horrific building sits across the freeway from a pre-shredded catholic church. Both reflect the anitpathy the architects who designed these buildings had for people, and the priority they placed on making us all bow down before their "vision". The opposite side of this building features 13 foot tall metal gates and a staircase fit for a Mayan beheading.
Ramon C. Cortines School Of Visual And Performing Arts (formerly known as Central Los Angeles Area New High School #9) is a $232 million high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is located on the site of the old Fort Moore at the corner of Grand Avenue and Cesar E. Chavez Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, adjacent to Chinatown
The 238,000 square foot (22,110 m2), $171.9 million facility was designed by the project team of Architect-of-Record HMC Architects and Designer-of-Record Austrian firm Coop Himmelbau. The campus has seven buildings.
Look! It's the Jawa trash collector from Star Wars - but it's pink now, and instead of selling droids the Jawas are interested in "green" claddings for your ugly modernist building.
Look! It's the Jawa trash collector from Star Wars - but it's pink now, and instead of selling droids the Jawas are interested in "green" claddings for your ugly modernist building.
Look! It's the Jawa trash collector from Star Wars - but it's pink now, and instead of selling droids the Jawas are interested in "green" claddings for your ugly modernist building.
This is one of the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians in all of Manhattan, in my opinion. This is at Clinton Street, just as vehicles are coming off the Williamsburg Bridge at very high speeds...and there are at least 4 lanes of traffic each way. There have been multiple pedestrian fatalities in this area just over the past year or two. In fact, just today a teenage girl was fatally struck by a car at this very intersection...
Delancey Street, just off the Williamsburg Bridge in the Lower East Side
Formerly Bombardier, now Prinoth, I think. Tracks made by Camoplast?
Photo by the Chicago Department of Transportation. Originally posted on their Facebook page.
It's a cool vehicle - it'd be fun to test drive a tracked vehicle.
Tracked vehicle, SW-4S, being used to plow the LaSalle Street bridge sidewalk
Formerly Bombardier, now Prinoth, I think. Tracks made by Camoplast?
Photo by the Chicago Department of Transportation. Originally posted on their Facebook page.
It's a cool vehicle - it'd be fun to test drive a tracked vehicle.
Tracked vehicle being used to plow the Kinzie Street bike lane
I saw from a Chicago traffic reporter that there was a collision involving a person riding a bike this morning at Ashland/Cortland (January 10, 2012). I fired up the Chicago Crash Browser on my localhost to see what else has happened here.
The Chicago Crash Browser would be online if I had a web server/host that could run it.
The most appropriate way to lock a bike to this kind of rack (the way it was designed for) is not appropriate at all. Notice not a single person locked their bike in that way (which is good, because the "appropriate" way is dangerous for the safety of your bike).
This photo was taken on February 10, 2011, at least three days after the last snowfall (on February 7, 2011, according to Almanac.com).
No one has shoveled
After a brief hiatus at the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012, the Venice Boulevard bike lane adjacent CIM Group's Mid-city Crossing project makes a glorious return.
Venice Boulevard bike lane returns thanks in part to LA’s patron saint of bicycling (artist’s rendering).
They park anywhere where it's physically possible. This is at the corner of Grand Street & Washington Avenue in Brooklyn. There is a police building directly to the right of this photo.
After a brief hiatus at the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012, the Venice Boulevard bike lane adjacent CIM Group's Mid-city Crossing project makes a glorious return.
Venice Boulevard bike lane returns (artist's rendering).
Three photos of circumstantial evidence of a taxi having run off the road, jumped an entire pedestrian island AND the nearby curb, and destroyed a bike rack on the sidewalk. But those bicyclists are a menace! There are two other photos of the same subject in this Set.
Taxi runs off road, jumps curb and pedestrian island, destroys bike rack
Three photos of circumstantial evidence of a taxi having run off the road, jumped an entire pedestrian island AND the nearby curb, and destroyed a bike rack on the sidewalk. But those bicyclists are a menace! There are two other photos of the same subject in this Set.
Taxi runs off road, jumps curb and pedestrian island, destroys bike rack
Three photos of circumstantial evidence of a taxi having run off the road, jumped an entire pedestrian island AND the nearby curb, and destroyed a bike rack on the sidewalk. But those bicyclists are a menace! There are two other photos of the same subject in this Set.
Taxi runs off road, jumps curb and pedestrian island, destroys bike rack
At 6pm, I swung by the scene of a 12:30 fatal truck-ped crash. Not much to see but this, and some police tape. In the few minutes I was there, I saw two cars blow through already-red lights.
EMTs' gloves from scene of fatal truck-pedestrian crash
This image is a screen capture of a Google Street View image. It show the road striping for a bike lane on the westbound side of Venice Boulevard at San Vicente - this striping has been removed, as evidenced by the image I took on January 2, 2012.
Disappearing Venice Blvd. Bike Lane at San Vicente
This image was taken on January 2, 2012 looking East at the intersection of Venice Boulevard and San Vicente. A large, stucco, big-box, development is in the final stages of construction on the left side of the frame. This portion of road has a Class 2 bike lane on the other side of the road - the Venice Boulevard bike lane starts (or used to start) at Crenshaw and continues west to the beach.
Disappearing Venice Blvd. Bike Lane at San Vicente
Raoul (right), Edgar (middle) and Pablo (left) are three of the members of a classic Schwinn club in the Bronx. The club has two garages filled with Schwinns and other historical bikes, some dating back to 30's.
These three bikes are from the early 50's, the original advertising flyers are hanging on the clubhouse walls. I myself am partial to the 70s Sting Rays, but thats what I grew up with.
More NY Bikes here: NYC Bikes
Across the street from Jesus and his pigeons was a Latino bike club. Similar to the clubs in Brooklyn, most of the bikes where refurbished classic Schwinns. James had one of the flasher bikes, fuzzy dice taken to its logical conclusion. A motorcycle accident left James with two bum knees and turned his attention to bicycles.
I was in a rush, but hopefully will get more photos of the club. In particular there was a Sears Dragstripper from the 70s, inspired by Batman, that caught my eye. Pigeons and Schwinns. Got to love New York
More NY Bikes here: NYC Bikes
A member of the Classic Riders of Bushwick. I love the Classic Schwinn bike culture in Brooklyn and Bronx.
Here is the whole crew: Classic Riders
More NY Bikes here: NYC Bikes
Robert, homeless for the last four years, decorates his bike with buttons, dolls, beads, flowers, and other thing he finds while wandering the city.
He ran away from his abusive parents when he was fourteen, ending up in the Lower East Side. "I had to raise myself. It was a tough time. I fought when I had to, did drugs, and ended up in jail for twenty years."
"See that's why I got my bike, I always wanted one" he said, smiling to me. "I spent all my time when I was a kid trying to be an adult that now I guess I want to be a kid."
More NY Bikes here: NYC Bikes
I've got a new video up on Vimeo!
The first-ever Fort Worth Open Streets event - a Ciclovia-style car-free street festival promoting walking, bicycling, local business, and health - was held on Sunday, October 23rd, in the Near Southside (just south of downtown) on Magnolia Avenue, 5th Avenue, and Allen Avenue.
In this Fort Worthology video, we take a look at the happenings during Open Streets, and talk to Mike Brennan of Fort Worth South, Inc. and Robbie Werner of Stir Crazy Baked Goods about the event.
Watch this video on Vimeo. Video created by Kevin Buchanan.
Fort Worth Open Streets - Magnolia Avenue, Near Southside on Vimeo by Kevin Buchanan
The Classic Riders are a Bushwick based Schwinn bike club. These guys (and one kid!) can be found cycling down the local streets on their refurbished classic schwinn sting rays, bikes and members all decked out and colorful.
I love the New York Latino bike culture; tradition, craftsmanship, fashion, and very little pretense. More real than dropping 3k on a fixed gear cycle.
More NY Bikes here: More NYC bikes here: NYC Bikes
The four guys are the Classic Riders, a club devoted to the old Schwinn Sting Ray bikes. They are the fourth Puerto Rican Schwinn bike club I have found in Bushwick. All four of the bikes are gems, beautifully restored. You can see these guys cruising down the streets of Bushwick on weekend afternoons.
I was able to get them in the shade for a quick shot, hopefully I will get a much better photo later.
More NYC bikes here: NYC Bikes
I hate the Buck Rogers Gestpo Complex for the 21st Century, but the reflections it provides during CicLAvia have made me come around to the building (only a little).
BikeSideLA talk cycling rights in front of LAPD HQ during CicLAvia
Friends of the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop Al. and Brantlea helped us lay out our store and showed us the way to better handlebars, accessories, helmets, and a general sense of style that got us past the growing pains in the early part of 2009. They also ride in style - lipstick matches the shoe laces (check it out!).
Al. and Brantlea looking hawt during CicLAvia on October 9, 2011
The Occupy Los Angeles protestors got along well with the crowd at CicLAvia on October 9, 2011 - bell rings and shouts of support instead of car horns and exhaust tend to bring out the best in all of us.
Occupy Los Angeles protesers hold up signs on the South Lawn during CicLAvia
The super wide sidewalk in front of LAPD HQ provided ample room for booths from the BikeRoWave to do free bike repair and for groups like Sustainable Streets to let others know about their free cyclist training courses for adults.
Ron Durgin and Sustainable Streets at CicLAvia on October 9, 2011
This woman stopped to have her picture taken on the corner of Main St and 1st in Downtown LA during the CicLAvia on October 9, 2011. She was riding a cool Dutch bike from the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop.
BART's decision to shut off cell phone service to prevent an expected demonstration could set a dangerous precedent for government agencies restricting free speech.
A once-promising "transit-first" bill for California's coastal areas had the transit-first language removed and is now being narrowed to only include one project.
Travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles using only local public transit agencies. Thanks to two new routes along the Central Coast it is now possible.
A bill that cleared the State Assembly’s Committee on Transportation Monday seeks to undo an obscure law that primarily restricts the power of one Southern California city from negotiating with the California Department of Transportation.
A new bill in the California State Assembly cuts off funding for high-speed rail until a new ridership study can be completed, which will throw federal funding-and the entire project-into jeopardy.
Parking In Motion, however, veers off the streets and into a different arena: parking lots. The free app (currently available for iPhone only) maintains a map of garages and lots near you, offers handy info on rates, and even compares those rates with other facilities in the area. In some cities, you can even reserve a parking space via your phone. According to the company's website, future updates will include:* Real-time parking availability (for both street parking and garages)* Street parking rules, restrictions, and meter locations* Pay your meter from your mobile phone!!!!* Save money with our mobile parking coupons
There are dozens of products and apps that can route you from one place to another by car. Many of these apps will even take real-time traffic into account and adapt directions to avoid congestion. What none of them can do is tell you where you're most likely to actually find a parking place once you're at your destination. That's what Parking In Motion is for.
The international conference Towards Carfree Cities is the flagship event of the World Carfree Network (WCN), a network of organisations and individuals dedicated to promoting radical transformations in cities in the quest towards urban sustainability. The conference focuses on alternatives to car dependence and to the urban planning and management policies and practices which reinforce that dependence. The reduction of human impacts on the environment and the improvement of quality of life are the main objectives.
In this article, Sara Zewde breaks down the disconnects between the discourse of bike advocacy and communities of color. The article is part of a new project on identity and urbanism called 'Plurale Tantum.'
Planners in San Francisco want to reconnect a neighborhood by building a deck over the 280 Freeway and redesigning the neighborhood for pedestrians, but progress is frustratingly slow.
The current operators of a nearly 150-year-old railway between San Francisco and San Jose are considering a number of measures to bridge a budget gap, and all of them are terrible. They will harm the livability of the Peninsula cities and leave a massive hole in the Bay Area's transportation network.
L.A.'s last diesel bus went out of service this week. We also have the scoop on a new rapid bus service and more criticism for California's HSR project.
Voters in two midwest states elected anti-HSR governors - as a result, California will get more than $600 million in federal money originally allocated to them.
This is Part Two of Livable Bay's coverage of the 2010 elections. This part provides information on local and statewide propositions affecting transit and city-life issues.
