The Case for Active Transportation Infrastructure in the San Gabriel Valley

GUEST OPINION

Jeff and his kids returning from an outing in the San Gabriel Mission (Photo courtesy of the author)

The San Gabriel Valley could be perfect for active transportation infrastructure.

By Jeffrey Santner

The weather in the San Gabriel Valley is wonderful; the population density is high; the region is flat; and roads are relatively wide with low speed limits. We live close to our schools, jobs, restaurants, groceries, hospitals, parks, and other services. As an example, I’ll analyze the city where I live – San Gabriel. We don’t have large hills, and Google maps shows that you can bike the length of our city round trip, from I-10 to Longden Dr and back along Del Mar, in 30 minutes. But, even where we have bike lanes, they are not protected from cars. Would you trust a 10-year-old to safely bike in the painted bike lane on Del Mar, next to 35 mph traffic, to get from McKinley Elementary school to the library? Paint isn’t good enough – most people, especially kids, can’t bike unless they have a protected lane.

Census data for the entire San Gabriel Valley (from Pasadena and Alhambra all the way to Claremont), shows that only 3% commute via public transportation, 2% walk, and 1% cycle. But, 20% of us commute less than 15 minutes. If cycling were safe, nearly all of these 15-minute-commutes could be replaced by cycling, and we would all reap the benefits, such as:

• Less pollution. Transportation is the largest source of US greenhouse gas emissions, and most of this comes from passenger vehicles. Tire wear is the 2^nd largest source of microplastics.
• Less noise pollution, which is bad for our physical and mental health, and will continue to be a problem with EVs since rolling noise becomes louder than engine noise above 19 mph.
• Improved local economy. Many studies show that bike lanes create increased local tax revenue, and a livelier local economy.
• Improved personal economy. If you had a safe transportation method and could live without your car, you’d have an extra $12,000 per year.
• Improved community. Car-centric designs have contributed to loneliness and a poor sense of community, and cause children to be isolated and dependent on their parents for transportation. The space that is used for roads and parking could be better used for housing, businesses, and public enjoyment.
• Public Safety – car crashes kill over 40,000 Americans per year. Preventable injury is the third-highest cause of death in the US, behind heart disease and cancer, and it’s the leading cause of death under 45. These preventable injuries are largely caused by opioids, falls (for people over 69), and motor vehicles. So, if you’re under 45 and don’t use opioids, the largest danger to your life is a car. Reducing speeds, the number of cars, and distance travelled is a clear way to prevent injuries and fatalities.
• Less traffic. Replacing car trips with any other form of transportation will reduce traffic.

Positive Examples

More than half of Americans want to bike more, and they would use that option if they had bicycle lanes physically separated from car travel. Signs and paint do not prevent cars from hitting bicyclists – we need physical barriers. This infrastructure must be accessible to people of all ages and abilities, including children and novice cyclists. Some of our local governments are working on this.

• The San Gabriel Council of Governments (SGCOG) is planning several regional projects to reduce car dependence. These include a Bus Rapid Transit system for some cities, various improvements in the eastern SGV, and projects funded by Measure M.
• Many of our cities are creating safe routes for children to get to school.
• Cities are working together to create bicycle and pedestrian paths in our washes and waterways.
• In 2014, five of our cities worked together on a bicycle master plan, but implementation has been extremely slow, and limited mostly to unprotected bike lanes.
• Pasadena is leading the way with several street improvements, including 12 miles of bike lanes and a two-way protected bike lane on Union street.
• Alhambra’s city council has approved 58 miles of new bike facilities, but construction has not been funded.
• There have been several projects in South El Monte, Temple City, South Pasadena, and Baldwin Park, but these piecemeal bicycle lanes do not yet create a network allowing people to safely get to their daily destinations. Many are painted lanes along busy high-speed roads (e.g. Huntington Drive and Sierra Madre Blvd.), unprotected from fast cars or opening doors of parked vehicles. These painted lanes are only suitable for recreational athletic cyclists, not regular people trying to get around.

Call to Action

• If you feel safe doing so, try to get around without using a car for some of your normal errands.
• Attend your local city council and planning commission meetings (with your friends and neighbors!).
• Tell the council that you want safe alternatives to driving.
• Ask them why they aren’t implementing a bicycle safety plan, or at the very least adding painted bike lanes when they repave streets.
• If they aren’t supportive, run for office or join your planning commission.
• Support local organizations like ActiveSGV and the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition and attend their events.
• Follow the links in this article to go down this rabbit hole and learn more about the costs that our society is paying for car dependence.

There is a wealth of information available showing the benefits of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.  These investments will save lives and improve our quality of life.

Jeffrey Santner is a resident of San Gabriel. He rides his bike for errands and commuting, and in his spare time, he goes on family camping/hiking/climbing trips (using a car).