Long Beach installs 130 miles of bike trails established protected bike lanes installed 1,200 racks

With help from state and federal grants and pressure from local cycling enthusiasts, Long Beach government has installed 130 miles of bike trails, established protected bike lanes (that is, lanes separated from vehicular traffic by physical barriers) on major commuter thoroughfares, created bike boulevards that enable kids and parents to bike or walk safely to and from school, and installed 1,200 new bike racks. Perhaps most innovative has been the city’s effort to establish bike-friendly shopping districts—the first in the country, officials say—engaging local merchants by showing them how, contrary to common belief, biking can actually bring more customers and vitality to shopping districts. And someone who shifts from owning a car to a bicycle tends to have more discretionary income, because, for a commuter, the typical cost of a bicycle is $300 a year, compared to $7,000 a year for a car.”

"Up to Speed: Two Months, One Page," Sierra Magazine 98, no. 6 (2013), 19.