(images from Google Maps)
Green is just another color, but when placed within the urban fabric it can change people’s understanding of how a space is supposed to be used.
The streetscape is normally covered by a sea of lines that might be hard to decipher even when driving at just normal speeds, so the addition of green paint can help one easily distinguish space reserved for cyclists.
Thanks to the wonder of Google Maps, we’re able to take a look back at before and after visuals to see how Green Bike Lanes can transform streets into a more navigable area that everyone can use.
Here are some other examples of how just a little bit of paint can make a world of difference.
LONG BEACH: ARTESIA BLVD.
Artesia Boulevard experienced a big makeover last year from Atlantic Ave. to Orange Ave. This street not only received a treatment of green paint but also buffered and protected lanes using both bollards and armadillos. These improvements have helped calm traffic and provide a safe space for cyclists to ride.
Artesia Blvd. / Orange Ave. – March 2015
Artesia Blvd. / Orange Ave. – October 2016
Artesia Blvd. / Lime Ave. – May 2016
Artesia Blvd. / Lime Ave. – August 2016
STUDIO CITY: VINELAND AVE.
Vineland Ave. connects Studio City with North Hollywood. One of the many problems for cyclists is the high volume of traffic trying to cut across the street. By just adding a few green segments of paint inside the lane, it clearly identifies the path cyclists will take as drivers merge over to make a right turn.
Vineland Ave. / Bloomfield St. – March 2015
Vineland Ave. / Bloomfield St. – June 2016
SANTA MONICA: OCEAN PARK
Linking Ocean Park Blvd. to the beach is important for those traveling from the Santa Monica Airport area, but cycling over the hill just west of Lincoln Ave. has always been a challenge. Climbing the incline can slow cyclists down, meaning motorists are more likely to approach at higher relative speeds. The green lanes on Ocean Park now delineate space in such a manner that everyone can understand how to use the roadway.
Ocean Park Blvd. / Lincoln Blvd. – June 2011
Ocean Park Blvd. / Lincoln Blvd. – May 2015
WESTWOOD: STRATHMORE
Biking to the heart of UCLA’s Campus has always been difficult with all the vehicular traffic trying to get in. Strathmore is the most central path, but it parallels one of the university’s largest parking structures. To better alert drivers to share the roadway with cyclists, the new green striping brings more clarity to this busy stretch.
Strathmore Pl./ Charles E. Young Drive – August 2012
Strathmore Pl./ Charles E. Young Drive – January 2015
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES: SPRING STREET
As a one-way street, the addition of bright green to Spring Street in 2011 was a simple solution to bring order to the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. Stretching 1.5 miles from Caesar Chavez down to where Spring Street merges with Main Street at 9th, these lanes provide smooth access from Chinatown through the Historic Core. Unfortunately after pressure from the film industry, the area of paint was cut down over 80% while the remaining paint was replaced with a far darker shade of green.
Spring St. / 4th St. – May 2011
Spring St. / 4th St. – August 2012
Spring St. / 4th St. – October 2016
Check out our series of Green on the Ground content on the LACBC blog and sign the pledge to support green bike lanes and other innovative infrastructure.