Finding a guide to cycling in Long Beach; one man’s journey to map the bikeways
2010-02-12 · By Peter Dopulos
If you have been cycling through our fair city, you may have noticed a number of new signs popping up along some of our thoroughfares. They look a bit like interstate highway signs, such as those found near the 405 or 5 freeways, but these are Long Beach Bikeway signs.
Colorful, bright, and in most cases, printed with a number indicating which route you are traveling. The Bikeway signs are a huge improvement over the generic green and white markers usually found along paths that suddenly just end or disappear, leaving the average cyclist to guess which way the bike path went.
Marking the Long Beach Bikeways is one of many steps outlined in the Long Beach Bike Master Plan. The ultimate goal is to map the many routes and make them accessible through the city’s website, www.bikelongbeach.org. There is a map already available on the site that shows class I, II and II bicycle routes as well as a handfull of proposed route, but it doesn’t seem to have all the Bikeways marked.
Well, that got me thinking. Being the impatient sort, as well as a do-it-yourselfer, I figured I’d go ahead and start mapping these routes. The plan is not just to find all the routes, but to actually ride them and then offer a review that will include a map, distance, route connections, bike friendliness, family friendliness and destinations near or along the route.
The first route I chose simply because it’s one I ride often. If you have a bikeway you’d like to see reviewed drop an email to lovebikes@everythinglongbeach.com. And now, on to Long Beach Bikeways …
About Peter Dopulos
Peter Dopulos is an avid cyclist and can often be seen riding the Long Beach Bikeways. He is the co-host of the Long Beach radio talkshow Swoop's World and a co-founder of GreenWorld365.com.
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Your effort is very appreciated – please advise on future plans AND if you/organization has any advocacy or general labor/volunteer needs.
Where can I find a map of Long Beach that shows all of the Bike Routes? With all of the numbered signs going up, there must be an overall map/plan that shows all of the routes.