So between now and Saturday’s Tour de Ballona, you’re probably thinking there’s absolutely no way to hang out with people interested in alternative transportation in Los Angeles. Actually, you’re probably not, but I couldn’t think of a better way to lead into a plug for the Hammer Museum’s Forum tomorrow night. I mention it here because the program is titled: “Reinventing Los Angeles: Easing Sprawl, Growth, and Gridlock”. As the description reads:
Aside from palm trees and movie stars, Los Angeles also has a reputation for epic traffic congestion, endless suburbs, and smog. Is there a utopian antidote to this dystopian reality? What are the root problems, and how can design address them? Two experts help us envision the path to a livable, sustainable Los Angeles. Stefanos Polyzoides’s career covers the theory and practice of architecture and urban design. He is especially interested in new urbanism, transit-oriented development, mixed use development, and sustainability. He is a partner in the firm Moule & Polyzoides. Kenneth Small is a professor of economics at UC Irvine, and specializes in urban, transportation, an environmental economics. Recent research topics include urban highway congestion and the effects of fuel-efficiency standards, public-transit pricing, and fuel taxes. He served as an editor of the journals Transportation Research and Urban Studies.
It all goes down Tuesday night at 7 p.m. I’d say that I’d see you there, but I’ll be in class until 8 and probably won’t be able to roll down after that. But for anyone who’s able to make it out to the Hammer, I’m curious to hear how the program goes.
los angeles rides 
When I first saw the title of your post, I thought you were referring to this book:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0262572435/
It may be worth a glance for you, and anyone else interested in a sustainable urban environment.
I have that book. It’s got some good material, but it’s also a bit of a boring read.
I’ve got the book at home and have made it through parts – I haven’t looked at it seriously enough to echo Gary’s comments, but it wouldn’t exactly surprise me. The section I have read – on his experience on the board of the MWD – verges on self-centered. I have yet to read his section on biking and sustainable transportation.