Count on the County

Well, well, what a surprise a few weeks ago when I returned to the Marina del Rey area after an absence of a few weeks. What did I find there but…a paint-buffered cycle track on Fiji Way!

Right where for years the only accommodation forf cyclists was a sign saying (contrary to state law) “Cyclists ride single file.”

Now, there’s plenty of room for convivial side-by-side riding, or for faster riders to pass slower ones, or for kids and less-experienced riders to wobble around a bit as they get used to being on two wheels.

And motor traffic, which used to reach freeway speeds along here often enough, is slowed down a bit. Good thing, considering how heavily used Fiji Way is—it’s a segment of the Marvin Braude beachside bike path and the Pacific Coast bike route, and it connects to the Ballona Creek bike path.

Considering how timid the City of Los Angeles is about trying actually effective cycling infrastructure that has been thoroughly proven elsewhere but that hasn’t been tried here before, i was rather baffled…till I remembered: Marina del Rey is in unincorporated county territory. Even has a county library, which I used to go to when I lived nearby long ago.

You may have heard that the County has its own bike plan, which you can peruse here. Whether the rest of it includes facilities as nice as the lane pictured here, I don’t know. But at least we have a sign of hope.

Maybe it will be an inspiration to the County’s biggest city, too…we can dream, can’t we?

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