Redondo Council Supports Aviation Bike Lanes

The Redondo Beach City Council voted Tuesday to continue its support of a proposed bicycle lane along Aviation Boulevard in North Redondo Beach.

Katie McClure of the Blue Zones Project—an initiative formerly known as Healthways-Blue Zones Vitality City that encourages residents of the three Beach Cities to be healthier and improve their longevity—presented the results of a preliminary engineering study on the feasibility of bicycle lanes on the major artery. Bike lanes on Aviation Boulevard from Hermosa Beach through Manhattan Beach are part of the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan, which the councils of seven South Bay cities passed last year.

"There are some very real issues that need additional study, and we believe those issues are solvable," McClure told the council.

A second, more detailed engineering study would be necessary to solve potential problems related to safety and parking, among others, she said. To pay for the study, the Blue Zones Project would seek out additional grant funding and money from private sources.

"We are not assessing the value of the bike lane today," said McClure. "We are simply recommending that we do the additional study to make that decision."

Councilman Matt Kilroy, who represents District No. 5 in North Redondo Beach, said he applauded the efforts toward implementing the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan. "You've got quite a challenge in front of you, and I trust that you're up to it," Kilroy said. "My concerns, obviously, are we don't want to interrupt the traffic flow."

Members of the public also spoke in favor of the proposed bicycle lanes.

"I fully support this great initiative—if there's any place to put bike lanes, it's on Aviation," said avid cyclist Dean Francois. "This is a win-win for everyone … It will only encourage bike riding on Aviation."

Jim Hannon, a board member of the South Bay Bicycle Coalition and the chairman of the Blue Zones Project Walk-Bike Committee, presented the council with a petition with nearly 1,200 signatures in support of a bicycle lane on Aviation Boulevard.

"I have 24 letters from businesses either on Aviation Boulevard or very close to Aviation Boulevard that support adding bike lanes," Hannon said. "They think it is good for business."

Nevertheless, a couple of business owners expressed concerns over the safety of the proposed lanes. Both cited speeding as a major concern.

William Chaney, of Chaney Electronic, told the council that cyclists travel "way too fast" past his business.

"I have people going down Aviation in front of my shop, and it's very, very dangerous," he said. "I'm really against the whole thing."

The Redondo council's decision to pursue the project comes a week after the city of Hermosa Beach not to dedicate any more resources to it. The Hermosa Beach City Council said they had an obligation to fix roads and fill potholes before working on the Aviation Boulevard bike lanes.