A big congratulations to Councilwoman Abbe Land on her new position as CEO of The Trevor Project! Abbe has been a steadfast supporter of better bike infrastructure, due in large part to her background in expanding healthcare access, particularly for under-served communities.

At the WeHo Bike Coalition, we recognize that public health, economic justice, and bicycling go hand-in-hand! (And hand-on-handlebar.)

For example, a recent study by the University of Wisconsin showed that if people did half of their short errands by bike, the upper midwest would save 1,100 lives and $7 billion in healthcare.

Between 1966 and 2009, the number of children who bicycled or walked to school fell 75%, while the percentage of obese children rose 276%.

In Copenhagen, every mile of cycling yields $1.30 in health benefits; and closer to home, CycLAvia’s health benefits have been shown to outweigh program costs. And of course, it’s no surprise that SoCal studies show that children living near freeways have underdeveloped lungs, leading to respiratory disease for the rest of their lives.

WeHo owes a big debt of gratitude to Abbe Land for pressing for the formation of the Bike Task force, and The Trevor Project could not have asked for a more committed, caring leader. Three cheers!

The mayor of LA wants your input on his budgeting process! Go take the survey now, and tell him why complete streets are such a great investment. Here’s some reading to inspire you:

• Fort Worth installed 80 new bike staples and restriped lanes for bikes; got a 200% increase in restaurant business
• Melbourne study: space used by bikes generates 3.6 times more expenditure than cars
• Long Beach merchants confirm: bike parking brings visibility, more customers
• Bike tourism contributes $1.5 billion to WI economy
• Toronto study: People who bike/walk spend more money at local businesses
• Bicycling and walking projects create 11-14 jobs per $1 million spent, compared to just 7 jobs created per $1 million spent on highway projects.
• Up to $11.80 in benefits can be gained for every $1 invested in bicycling and walking.
• Car crashes cost $230 billion in 2000
• Car crashes in 2009: nearly 34,000 deaths, 2.217 million injuries
• A bike rack for parking bikes averages $660; parking space for a car is $15,000
• For every dollar spent on bike infrastructure in Portland, $5 is saved in fuel costs, health care, and mortality:
• Highways cost $8 million per mile in MI and $1 billion per mile in Boston, bike lanes are $5,000 to $60,000 per mile
• For the $75 million spent repaving three miles of urban interstate, California could have installed 1,250 miles of bike lanes

Here you will find a thoroughly delightful list of activities that ought be avoided by the discerning velocipedestrienne, according to an 1895 columnist.

Some highlights:

Don’t be a fright.
Don’t faint on the road.
Don’t criticize people’s “legs.”
Don’t cultivate a “bicycle face.”
Don’t wear laced boots. They are tiresome.
Don’t imagine everybody is looking at you.
Don’t go to church in your bicycle costume.
Don’t wear a garden party hat with bloomers.
Don’t ask, “What do you think of my bloomers?”
Don’t scream if you meet a cow. If she sees you first, she will run.

I personally would very much like to see “a garden party hat with bloomers.”