Bike Corral in front of Stumptown Coffee, Portland (Photo ©R. Risemberg 2010)

When you think about it, it’s kinda silly that we ride in the streets but park on the sidewalks, isn’t it? I mean, there isn’t that much room on LA sidewalks to start with; add in all the pornographic newspapers, fake-job tabloids, and real-estate rags in the clutter of unlicensed news boxes, and even the occasional pedestrian, there isn’t much room left for bike racks even when LADOT manages to slip some in here and there (fewer than 4,000 for all Los Angeles!). Sure, there are parking meters, but it’s technically illegal to Kryptonite your steed to a meter, so if LA’s finest decided to go all NYPD-goonsquad-frothy on us, they could cart bikes away by skiploaderfull all day long….

Fortunately, something wise and good actually happened last week at Bureaucracy Central: the City Council approved a community request to put up a bike corral outside Café de Leche in Highland Park!

Yeah, just like the one in the picture, shot in Portland last week. Take away a car space, make room for twelve bikes. Up to twelve times as many customers for businesses! Less pressure to pave over the 30% of LA that isn’t already capped in asphalt for cars! More healthy happy people! WTF….

Unfortunately LADOT (which is far from unified on bike issues) is “voicing concerns” about the project, but if we keep making noise, we’ll get it.

Then it’ll be Portland: 20; LA: 1. But we’re still at bat!