Business

Voices from local business supporting bike lanes:

1) In the Westwood Village:

"Bike lanes are very beneficial. It is less pollution than driving and bike lanes make it safer for our employees and for our customers. It is easier to park a bicycle. Also, five or six of our employees commute by bike - and they are always on time."

Michael Long, Manager, 800 Degrees Pizza, 10889 Lindbrook Dr 

"I think it would be a good thing because a lot of students ride their bikes and it would insure their safety going through traffic."

Arron James, Manager, Nekter Juice Bar, 10912 Lindbrook Dr

"I don't like to see Westwood Blvd narrowed, but I do like the idea of bike lanes."

Michael Newman, Dixon, Howell, Westmoreland & Newman, 924 Westwood Blvd

"It would be nice if we had bike lanes."

Jay, Chilly Ribbons, 1135 Westwood Blvd

"It would be much safer if there was a bike lane"

Rick Hartman, Owner, Westwood Sporting Goods, 1065 Gayley Ave

"Of course, we need more bike lanes, especially on the major boulevards, so people don't have to ride on the sidewalk. They also need to return all these bike-racks. All the trees and parking meters have bikes."

Paysa Fong, Designer, Gene Fong Associates, 1130 Westwood Blvd

Ferri Fathi, Executive Director of 

"I, personally, and Vintage Westwood and its parent company, Vintage Senior Living strongly believe in healthy and safe living alternatives.  Adding bike lanes on Westwood Blvd. would give everyone a safe alternative to driving a car and makes the side walks safer for pedestrians. Many of the seniors living at Vintage Westwood enjoy having the freedom to walk around the village and be able to run errands, go to doctors’ appointments, restaurants, and theaters and museums without having to depend on someone to drive them.  Safe side walks on Westwood Blvd. will make their walks around the village much safer and stress free." 

Vintage Westwood Retirement Community,  947 Tiverton Ave

"I am very supportive of bike lanes. They are a proven health benefit. Physical activity on a daily basis is very important to stay healthy and avoid metabolic disease like diabetes."

Prof David Heber, Director, Nutritional Medicine and Obesity, founding director Risk Factor Obesity Weight-Loss Program, Weyburn Place

"I would like to endorse the marking and creating of bicycle lanes to and from this university town to help alleviate traffic and parking and to make our roads safer for all."
Gizelle Strohkendl, Muriel Chastanet Jewelers, 1111 Glendon Ave

Matt Canale, Manager of Helen's Cycles Westwood, writes:

1. We deal with multiple car-bike related accidents every week.

2. Sales and repairs at our store are up significantly over the past two years. 

3. We work with Whole Foods employees and help them purchase and maintain their bikes. We also work with California Pizza Kitchen, the Sushi place at Gayley and Le Conte, Hotel Palomar to name a few. 

4. Helen's Cycles Westwood supports bike lanes on both Westwood and Gayley. 

"At the Hammer, we support healthy and alternative modes of transportation that make the museum even more accessible to local audiences. Many of our visitors and employees bike to the museum regularly, and we are interested in making this option both safe and appealing to those that want to pursue it."

Kathleen Shiroma, Associate Director, Hammer Museum

"I think bike lanes are always good to have. I don't see why there should be an issue."

Ben Keith, Manager, Urban Outfitters, Westwood Blvd

"We shall be very glad to have bike lanes everywhere."

Shoba Basabanag,  Manager, Ahhs, Westwood Blvd

"I think bike lanes in Westwood and in the city are a good idea. We have a new bike parking corral on Broxton and we encourage cycling."

Emmanuel Bautista, on site manager, Westwood Village Farmers Market

"I don't see why not."

Michelle Rhine, Managing Partner, California Pizza Kitchen. (CPK operates a bicycle delivery service in the village)

"We need bike lanes, yes, but I don't think Westwood Blvd is the best street for it. I think bike lanes are better on Gayley."

Fred Silver, Manager, Bel Air Camera

"A great idea."

Linda Goss, UCLA Blood & Platelet Center, Gayley Ave

"I just wish there was a bike lane."

Joe, Westwood Wireless

"One of our employees comes to work with a bike. He would be much safer with bike lanes."

Luis Benites, Radio Shack, Westwood Blvd

"I see the buses and the cars here and I have to say Westwood Blvd is not an ideal street for cyclists. It sees quite a bit of traffic. The side-roads are probably safer. But the cyclists are not going away, so we better make some bike lanes to make it safer for them"

Andrew Olson, Mayhem Smoke Shop, Westwood Blvd

"We would love any kind of help in Westwood. If it was safer to go down Westwood Blvd with a bike we would also profit from it."

Veronica Clarke, Owner, Capelli Lounge, Gayley Ave

2) Between Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvd

Cars and bikes need to learn much better how to share the road. I have seen some cars that are passing other cars in the bike lane. We need to be human. We need to be patient and safe. If we all shared the road perfectly, there would be no need for a bike lanes.
Otto Aquilar 7-11

If you have a petition for bike lanes, I will sign it.
Sam Beykzadeh, Pars Books, 1434 Westwood Blvd

I am not a bike rider myself, but for a person who rides a bike, it would be good to have one
Coieta, Manager, FedEx

I do like bike lanes. Nobody is against it. Especialy for all the UCLA students. And it is very good for the safety.
Todd Khodadadi, Manager, Tochal Market, 1418 Westwood Blvd

I used to bike myself. But most of the time I would have to ride on the sidewalk, and on the sidewalk you get into trouble all the time.
Danny Cups, Ancient Adornments, 1559 Westwood Blvd

I am absolutely ecstatic that people are actually taking their bike to ride to work and do their errands today. I think it is just fantastic. We have become too much a sedentary society. It is good for people to keep fit.
Angelo Peloni, Manager, La Bruscetta Ristorante, 1621 Westwood Blvd

Its a good idea. I used to bike myself. But drivers these days are not like 20 years ago. They just don't care.
Jamie Aryeh, Manager, ABC Printing Graphics, 1557 Westwood Blvd 

I don't have a problem with bike lanes. People have to ride their bikes. If you have a lane, everybody sees you and knows where you are going. And it is safer.
George Takla, Manager, Sunnin Bakery, 1779 Westwood Blvd

"I like bike lanes. I just think we need to make it easier for people who want to use alternative forms of transportation. Yes, we also deliver by bicycle."

Lara Kemper, Manager, Fundamental Restaurant, 1303 Westwood Blvd

"I do bike. Who would not like bike lanes? I do bike from Koreatown once a week. It sucks without bike lanes."
Diego Heranadez, Manager, Copy to Go, 1311 Westwood Blvd 

"There should be more bike lanes. A lot of people get hurt here. They need to have their own lanes. Two months ago two cyclists were hit by a car, both together, a right hook, right in front of my shop. It was about 5pm, I helped one of them to wrap up their arm."

Reza Mendez, Manager, Pro Boxing Supplies, 1351 Westwood Blvd

"Bikelanes, that's pretty good, we need that. A lot of UCLA students are passing by here on their bikes."
Danny Centeno, Ada's Italian Taylor, 1379 Westwood Blvd

"It's a good idea. There is a lot of traffic. That creates a dangerous situation. There are so many cars pulling out and reversing into parking. Every day I see fifty or sixty cyclists. A few months ago someone got run over. The ambulance had to come and take him away. It should be made safer."
Fred Papen, Manager, Saffron & Rose Ice Cream, 1387 Westwood Blvd

"It is dangerous. But they should have something, the cyclists."
Sandra Maldonado, Manager, Westwood Eye Center, 1213 Westwood Blvd

"I think they are a good idea. We have a couple of customers from UCLA here who bike. If you have bike lanes then you have pedestrians on the sidewalk, the bikes in the bike lane, and cars in their lanes, and this is how it should be divided. I am all for it." 
Adrian Soriano, Manager, Sterling Fine Cleaning, 1600 Westwood Blvd

3) South of Santa Monica Blvd

It is better for pedestrians if the bikes are in the lane and not on the sidewalk, if the city can do it somehow
Brittany, Westwood Psychic,