Manhattan Beach Residents: Help make our streets safer!

Support sharrows (shared roadway bicycle markings) on Pacific Avenue! On May 7, the City Council will consider installing the first sharrows in Manhattan Beach.

Why sharrows are good:

Sharrows make our roads safer for both bicyclists and motorists by:

• Increasing motorist awareness to the presence of bicycles
• Improving driver behavior and decreasing tailgating and other aggressive actions (honking and/or shouting)
• Improving bicyclist safety by increasing the space that drivers give to bicyclists when passing
• Reducing the chances of bicyclists being hit by car doors opening when there is on-street parking

Hermosa Beach has had great success with their sharrows along Hermosa Ave., and a LA Department of Transportation study further demonstrates their positive effects.

How you can help:

1) Show your support by signing your name here. It only takes a second to help support safer bicycling in the Beach Cities!

2) Attend the May 7th City Council meeting. Even if you don’t want to speak, your presence is powerful. The meeting is at 6PM at 1400 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach, 90266.

3) Send a letter of support to the Council. We made it easy for you by providing a template below. Simply pick an option that you like the best from each of the parts, copy the text into a letter, and email it to nmadrid@citymb.info. If you can also attend the Council meeting, please read your letter then. 

Part 1 – Opening:                                                            

Dear City Council,

I am writing to support putting  sharrows on Pacific Avenue.

Part 2 – Pick one:

• I’m a frequent user of Pacific Ave, and I know first-hand that the proposed improvements would make the street easier to use. Instead of changing the function or engineering of the street, these changes would simply clarify how drivers and bikes can safely and legally co-exist.
• I make a deliberate choice to avoid Pacific Ave because its current configuration is simply too confusing and dangerous. Confusion over how drivers and bicyclists should share the road leads to unpredictable and hazardous condition. These upgrades would clarify how drivers and bikes can safely and legally co-exist.
• Although Pacific Ave is a convenient through-way for commuters, it’s currently very difficult for bikes and pedestrians to use this street. I strongly believe that our streets should accommodate all users fairly.

Part 3 – Pick one:

• I own both a car and a bike, but I rely on the car as my primary mode of transportation. If Manhattan Beach could offer safer, more comfortable bike infrastructure, I would be far more likely to bike to my destination instead of driving, thereby reducing congestion on the road and in parking spaces.
• I own both a car and a bike, and I rely on the bike as my primary mode of transportation. If Manhattan Beach could offer safer, more comfortable bike infrastructure, I would be far more likely to bike to my destination instead of driving, thereby reducing congestion on the road and in parking spaces.
• My sole mode of transportation is my car, but I would very much like to be able to use a bike to get around my neighborhood. If Manhattan Beach could offer safer, more comfortable bike infrastructure, I would be far more likely to bike to my destination instead of driving, thereby reducing congestion on the road and in parking spaces.
• My sole mode of transportation is my bike, so it’s very important to me that Manhattan Beach offer safe, comfortable bike infrastructure so that I’m able to get to destinations around town.

Part 4 – Pick one:

• For me, supporting bicycling in Manhattan Beach is a matter of public health. Because we rely so heavily on cars, Los Angeles ranks #1 in the nation for daily emissions of Nitrogen Oxides and Volatile Organic Compounds that are correlated with health problems. But it doesn’t have to be this way. A study by the University of Wisconsin showed that if residents did half of their short errands by bike, the region would save 1,100 lives and $7 billion in healthcare.
• For me, supporting bicycling in Manhattan Beach is a matter of reducing congestion. With the growing number of people living in, working in, or visiting Manhattan Beach, we need to encourage non-motorized transportation to reduce congestion. Increasing bicycle infrastructure will make people feel safer riding their bike and less likely to drive everywhere. 
• For me, supporting bicycling in Manhattan Beach is a matter of good business. A Portland, Oregon study shows that bicyclists spend more money per month, and visit businesses more often, than customers on any other mode of transit.
• For me, supporting bicycling in Manhattan Beach is a matter of supporting strong neighborhoods. 78% of real estate agents report that their clients are looking for neighborhoods that reduce the amount they have to spend on gas. And in one study, homes sold for 11% more when they were close to bicycle infrastructure.
• For me, supporting bicycling in Manhattan Beach is a matter of economics. Caltrans reported half a million car crashes in California in 2008, costing an estimated $528 billion in lost lives, property, and productivity. Bike infrastructure is highly cost-effective. In 2009, a repaving project on the 710 cost $25 million per mile, but bike lanes cost as little as $5,000 per mile.
• For me, supporting bicycling in Manhattan Beach is a matter of keeping pace with surrounding municipalities. Hermosa Beach streets already feature sharrows. The City of LA has a bike plan calling for 1,680 new miles of bikeways. There are 130 new miles of bike paths in Long Beach. Glendale just approved a plan for 40 new miles of bike lanes. I want to live in a City that also supports safer facilities for bicyclists.
• For me, supporting bicycling in Manhattan Beach is a matter of meeting demand. Cycling in Los Angeles increased 32% from 2009 to 2011. Biking to work increased 43% from 2001 to 2009.  With rising gas prices and greater interest in alternative transportation, an increasing number of Manhattan Beach residents will want to be able to bike instead of drive around town. In order to do this safely, the City needs to improve its bicycle infrastructure.   
• For me, supporting bicycling in Manhattan Beach is a matter of safety. 14% of traffic fatalities are bicyclists or pedestrians, and 64% of bicyclist deaths occur at non-intersections. The elderly are particularly at risk. The rate of pedestrian deaths is 61% higher for people 70 and older. About 15% of senior citizens have started biking more to save money on gas, but an AARP survey shows that just 40% of respondents felt their neighborhood has enough bike accommodations. It doesn’t have to be this way. When Austin, Texas installed sharrows and bike boxes, the rate of drivers yielding to bikes doubled. When streets are made “complete” for all modes of transit, there’s a 34% reduction in crashes and a 68% reduction in injuries.

Part 5 – Fill in the blanks below:

I’ve [lived in/worked in/visited] Manhattan Beach for [number] years. I’m very excited to see that the city is committed to clarifying how drivers and bicyclists should co-exist on Pacific Avenue, and I look forward to many other such projects in the future.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[The street & city where you live]