My holiday season is certainly getting off to a great start with this Bottom Line profile in the Press Telegram by business writer Karen Robes. The piece illustrates beautifully how Yellow 108's Lauren Lilly (featured in the video above) and other bike related businesses are taking advantage of the bike-friendly culture in Long Beach to grow their own bike-related businesses. There's a season of optimism blooming in Long Beach around the bike culture. I hope you'll visit us soon to check it out, or better yet, come to Pro Bike in September 2012!

Ever since the Long Beach City Council embraced the vision of becoming a great bike-friendly city four years ago the question has come up from critics and curious citizens alike, “Are bikes really good for Long Beach?”  I would like to set aside all of the excellent and usual arguments in favor of people using bicycles, i.e. health, economics, and environmental, and focus instead on how the business culture in Long Beach is being positively affected by our bike-friendly attitude and infrastructure.

The emerging bike culture in Long Beach is diverse, dynamic and developing momentum. From three to 103 years old, slow amblers to fast fixie riders, beat up vintage cruisers to expensive European town bikes, the bike culture in Long Beach is blooming largely due to the bike campaign started by the city council four years ago.  Savvy City staff won an impressive number of bike grants, built progressive demonstration projects, invited a robust community conversation, and catalyzed a fresh new look at how the bike can serve the city’s neighborhoods and retail districts with the nation’s first “Bicycle Friendly Business Disctricts” program. 

As I write this bike sales are up in local stores, and new bike shops are popping up all over the city to serve the growing number of people finding the bike a smart urban transit tool for Long Beach.

New entrepreneurs and current business owners alike noticed the trend and have moved into Long Beach or expanded to take advantage of the new momentum. Sixteen businesses have started or have significantly expanded in some part due to the bike culture nurtured by the city. Three state and national conferences have picked Long Beach because of the city’s leadership and two large charity fundraising rides have started or significantly increased their riders because of the bike campaign.

Let's get specific. Eight new bike shops have opened, and two more significantly expanded in Long Beach in the last two years.  This includes seasoned bike retailers such as La Habra Cyclery's new Long Beach Cyclery  and the new Performance shop in Long Beach, as well as entrepreneurs like The Bike Stand trying out their own new bike vision. On the bicycle amenities side of things Cali Bike Tours, the Pedaler Society pedi-cabs, and Yellow 108 designers of bike-minded fashion have all opened in Long Beach in the past year.

Most of our downtown hotels now have bikes as amenities for their guests. The popular new Berlin Coffee House and Fingerprints music store combination chose their downtown location in part due to the separated bike lanes on Broadway and 3^rd Street. This same kind of testimony is reported from owners of the new Greenhouse Café on Broadway and Linden as well.

The Mayor’s Annual Tour of Long Beach is a product of the bike campaign and is a very successful fundraiser for Millers Children’s Hospital. The word is getting out.Thousands of cyclists from around the Southland ride to Long Beach and spend money at our shops and restaurants.   In September of 2012 The Congress for New Urbanism Conference, The National Alliance for Bicycling and Walking, and the Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference will be hosted in Long Beach and will bring approximately two million to our local economy.

Realtors now report homeowners along the Vista Street advertise their Bike Blvd. as an amenity when selling their homes.

Lastly, architects and local urban planners are reporting a happy new phenomenon. Living and working in Long Beach has become a competitive advantage when competing for projects in Southern California.  One wordsmith reflected on the term realtor’s use, “Beverly Hills Adjacent”, for real estate that is close to but not right in Beverly Hills. He said it is now profitable to be “Long Beach Adjacent.”

So are bikes good for Long Beach?  Our experience says yes.

The news is out! Long Beach has been chosen as the location for the prestigious professional walking/biking/placemaking conference - the biennial "Pro Walk/Pro Bike." Yours truly is chair of the local host committee and I'm delighted to share that last week our local host team had a very successful and inspiring meeting with Conference Director Mark Plotz, Gary Toth of PPS and a special surprise guest my good friend Andy Clarke the President of the League of American Bicyclists who was here as a keynote for the very first L.A. Bike Summit last Friday.

Above is a photo of a handful of our talented host committee members plus Mark, Gary, Andy and myself in front of the beautiful new Bikestation facility at the transit mall in downtown Long Beach. After this photo was taken Mark, Gary, Andy, Melissa and I had the opportunity to discuss the importance of creating more balanced and equitable streets for all modes of transportation and why this conference is so important to the bike-friendly movement here in Long Beach with local media. The first of these pieces is Kris Hanson's piece in the Press Telegram from last Friday. You can read it here.

In the photo from left I'm very pleased to share:

Filmmaker Michael Bauch - PBPW Host Committee, Bikestation founder John Case - PBPW Host Committee, Bikestation & Mobis Transportation Alternatives CEO & President Andrea White-Kjoss - PWPB Host Committee, Bike Long Beach Bicyle Friendly Business District Project Coordinator April Economides - PWPB Host Committee, Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference Director Mark Plotz, President of the League of American Bicyclists Andy Clarke, Project for Public Spaces Senior Director for Transportation Initiatives Gary Toth, Calibiketours Principal Elizabeth Williams - PWPB Host Committee, Bikeable Communities Board Member Luciano Gonzales - PWPB Host Committee, Livable Communities Communications & Media Melissa Balmer - Facilitator PWPB Host Committee, Livable Communities President & LB City Mobility Adviser Charlie Gandy - Host Chair for PWPB Host Committee.

Just click on the image below and you'll go directly to the survey. Please share with your friends, the more people in Long Beach who fill out the survey the better our understanding of where people are really at.

Octavio has now been photographed by a Reuters photographer and his story shared on Yahoo News and the New York Daily News, I have seen blogs from Brazil, France and last Saturday a paper from the U.K. called "The Independent" posted their thoughts. This all from a terrific story in the L.A. Times on March 14, 2011 by Esme Bermudez that I had the pleasure of being a part of. I am delighted to be in a position to help get this story out and celebrate not only Octavio as one of the wonderful characters we have here in Long Beach, but also the fact that he champions choosing to get off the couch and that living an active healthy lifestyle can literally add years to your life.

So Bravo Octavio, let's keep sharing your story with the world, and special thanks to my friend Allan Crawford for shooting the video of Octavio that is the other way Octavio is traveling the world. If you haven't seen it, please check it out here!

This week the wonderful news of my friend and neighbor Octavio Orduño's birthday and being celebrated far and wide (Los Angeles Times, Treehugger, and rumor has it even Regis weighed in) as the oldest cyclist in the world has been somewhat overshadowed by the terrible news that my friend and fellow bike advocate Mark Bixby died in a plane crash on Tuesday.

Mark was only 44. He was an invaluable leader, innovator, and motivator for all things bike, and so passionate about and dedicated to his hometown of Long Beach. He was also a visionary thinker, always planning ahead, and spear headed the movement to insure pedestrian and bike lanes would be installed on the future replacement for the Gerald Desmond bridge. I am honored to have known him, to have worked closely together on several projects, and to know that he will get his wish with the future bridge.

Above is my photo from the Gerald Desmond Bridge last Tuesday at sunset. May Mark rest in peace knowing that we will work diligently to carry his vision forward.

Repost of my Novemeber front page blog on my friend and inspiration Octavio Orduno. Octavio will turn 103 on March 14, 2011.

Meet my newest best friend Octavio Orduno of Long Beach, California.  Among the things that make Octavio a very interesting man is that he is the "Oldest Living Cyclist in the World"*. In October he was featured in the Gazettes.com in an article about centenarians and positive attitudes.

Octavio is 102 years old and plans to live another 15 years or so.  He lives literally around the corner from me, half a block from the beach. He goes on daily bike rides and walks around the neighborhood.  On Fridays he goes about a mile away to the farmers market where he buys a bag of oranges, secures them in his basket and rides back home alone.  His young wife Alicia, 81 years old, awaits his return with a smile and soup for lunch.

Other days Octavio hops on his bike and heads to Bixby Park to watch skateboarders and fixie riders perfecting their skills on various obstacles. Speaking of skills, Octavio rode a two wheeler until he was 100.  Then they took away his drivers license and gave him another wheel for a little more stability in the corners. His trike cruises the bike lanes just fine.  And don't dawdle or he will leave you behind.

Octavio is a native southern Californian and can remember when fields and prairies spread far as the eye could see and automobiles were rare.  He worked as a aircraft mechanic before retiring.  He use to drink and smoke but now he is content to live a healthy vegetarian life and considers his diet to be a key to his longevity.

His breakfasts are eaten kid style.  He has cheerios with nuts and raisins. But instead of a spoon Octavio uses a banana.  "I peel the banana, dip it into the cereal, then eat whatever sticks!"

Lunch is soup and his favorite vegetable, broccoli. Dinner is rice, beans and fresh vegetables, not overcooked because they lose their flavor, he councils.

Octavio's other pleasure is people watching on the beach bike path.  He flashes a vivacious grin when describing his days at the beach watching young people playing and strolling ahead of him.  At 102 years old he enjoys pleasures that many of those half his age have forgotten.  And in his face one can see strength, health and vitality. 

Needless to say Octavio inspires me.  When I was a kid I had a bout with Rheumatic Fever and didn't expect to live beyond age 30.  That milestone came and went 22 years ago and now I am healthier than ever.  Until meeting Octavio I considered living to 82 to be a worthy stretch goal.  Now I am not so sure.  Maybe it makes sense to look farther down the road and set up a different expectation.  Instead of seeing another 30 years of life ahead, why not another 50?  If I could find myself like Octavio at 102 years old, comfortable, healthy, surrounded by a loving family and friends, why not? 

I'll let you know how the banana spoon works out. More coming soon on my inspiring conversation with Octavio.

*Guinness World Records does not monitor this type of record so I googled "oldest cyclist".  Only one reference of an older person than Octavio, but that reference is about 4 years old and not verifiable.  So I am betting $50 on this claim.

It could not have been a more gorgeous day for friends and neighbors to celebrate the traffic calming measures the city has put into play on Vista. Over the summer and fall a series of roundabouts were installed as elements of a bike blvd., (completely paid for by grants won from the MTA), to improve safety and mobility for cyclists and pedestrians.

I want to give a shout out to our Long Beach Bicycle Ambassador Tony Cruz and local bike champion Allan Crawford, residents of this area (Tony lives on one end near Temple, Allan on the other end near Park), who worked tirelessly with other residents such as Dianne Sundstrom, president of the Belmont Heights Neighborhood Association, to put together such a wonderful party to celebrate the new street configuration.

I also want to thank both Council member and Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal and Council member Gary DeLong (whose two districts Vista runs through) for their leadership, support and political will to keep moving Long Beach forward as a bicycle friendly (and frankly pedestrian friendly) city. Andrea White-Kjoss of Bikestation was kind enough to serve as escort Dave Snyder the brand new director of the California Bicycle Coalition. I don't think we could have picked a better day to illustrate how well So Cal + bicycling go together.

Kelly Puente of The Press Telegram did a terrific job of telling the full story which you can read here, I hope you'll take the time to read it!

Hats off as well to local musician and songwriter Gregg Young and his band for rocking the street with great rhythms and blues, including his original song "Vista Street" that captured the very essence of what both the street and the neighborhood are all about. Gregg promises and MP3 of the song very very soon!

And big gold stars to the local children who answered correctly all of Santa's questions about road safety signs correctly (with the help of the Safe Routes to School players and their terrific costumes).

Are we in Long Beach against motorists? Not at all. I love my jeep. But Vista is a very residential street. It's also a street that runs extremely close to four local schools. We have both an obesity and a diabetes epidemic challenging our society, including today's youth. It is one of the great tragedies and financial burdens of our time. Yet many parents are afraid to let their children either walk or bike to school (as the majority of us over 35 did as children) because of speeding traffic and motorists who just aren't paying attention.

Childhood is the time when we teach children how to grow up and be successful adults. Childhood is when lessons learned can stick and become consistent behaviors - such as safe cycling, the understanding for the need for safe and slow driving through residential areas, and regular daily exercise to maintain and healthy and fit life. Why yes, I am on my soapbox. It's one of my favorite places to be! :)

This Thanksgiving week I need to give a shout out about a great project going on right now and share a great new video by my friend Drew Reed. Through Sat. Dec. 4 The HUB Community Bike Center is pleased to announce the “Long Beach Bicycle Roundup” to aid The HUB Community Bike Center for their ongoing bicycle rebuilding, repair and resale projects and upcoming “Earn-A-Bike” programs.  Three local non-profits will be in charge of collecting and delivering the bikes to The HUB: The local Long Beach chapter of Meals on Wheels, Long Beach Boy Scout Troop 29, and Long Beach based Food Finders food bank. All bikes for recycling must be donated via one of these three charities.

Bikes of salvageable condition (rolling bikes, with two wheels, straight frame) will earn the non-profits $20.00 each for up to 150 bikes total. The grant for this bicycle roundup will be awarded by Keep California Beautiful via Waste Management and the City of Long Beach. Those interested in donating bikes please note the following contact and drop off information:

Long Beach Boy Scout Troop 29 : Tel. (310) 283-7011 Attn: Philip Smith Email: robin.philip@verizon.net

Food Finders: Tel. (562) 598-3003 Attn: Lisa Hoffmaster Email: lisah@foodfinders.org

Location: 3434 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach CA 90807. Bikes can be brought to the back – call for hours.

Meals on Wheels: Tel. (562)438-6215 Attn: Bill Cruikshank or Email: mowopd@gmail.com

Locations:  Belmont Heights United Methodist Church 317 Termino Ave. Long Beach, Ca 90814, St. Luke's Lutheran Church 5633 Wardlow Rd. Long Beach, Ca 90808, and North Long Beach Christian Church 1115 East Market St. Long Beach, CA 90805. Bikes can be dropped off Mon – Fri 8am to 1pm.

About The HUB

The HUB location at 1730 Long Beach Blvd. (at Esther) conveniently across from the Pacific Coast Highway transit station has been generously donated by Hancock University. The HUB operates under the local Catalyst Community non-profit umbrella http://www.gocatalyst.org.  The HUB is open Friday – Sunday noon to 5pm, Mondays 2-7pm for DIY bicycle repairs offering tools, assistance and cheap used parts. For more information on The HUB and its upcoming programs please contact Evan Kelly at (562) 822-6071 or via email: epkvision@gmail.com.