Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Making Transportation Safer for “Invisible Cyclists”

Earlier this year we wrote about the Ciudad des Luces/City of Lights program in Los Angeles -- a project of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition "to increase working-class Latino immigrant bicyclists’ safety and empower them to educate and spread bicycle safety information and advocacy to their communities." The outreach is especially important because low-income Latino cyclists in L.A. are at higher risk of injury and death.

false

Now a study by students at UCLA's urban planning department offers new insights into the added danger facing bike riders with few resources who operate outside mainstream cycling networks. In a summary of the study, Jonna McKone at Network blog The City Fix describes the obstacles and gives an update on Ciudad des Luces/City of Lights:

Poorer sections of cities are notorious for having more dangerous intersections and this is true of Los Angeles. Beyond faster moving traffic in residential areas of immigrant commutes, unsafe sidewalks, higher rates of violence in low-income areas, higher rates of diet-related disease along race and socio-economic lines and fewer opportunities for physical activity, under-served populations also face persistent barriers to cycling. These barriers are especially pertinent given that immigrants are more likely to cycle than native born Americans...

These cyclists – many without other transportation options – face disproportionate challenges to biking including:

Limited knowledge of cyclists’ rights due to language barriers, lack of involvement in bicycling issues, distrust of non-profits and government;

Sub-standard bicycles and safety equipment;

Limited transportation options due to price and/or proximity;

Dangerous streets with fewer provisions for safe bicycling;

Increased likelihood of bicycle theft and robbery in neighborhoods with limited infrastructure for bikes, including lack of bicycle parking; and

Lack of health insurance.

The study's authors highlight the efforts of Ciudad des Luces/City of Lights, and McKone reports that the group is empowering Latino cyclists in Los Angeles by working to create community bike repair spaces where cyclists can congregate.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Greater City Providence argues in favor of monorail over streetcars for the city of Providence, Rhode Island. I Bike T.O. reports that the province of Ontario is considering paving the shoulders of rural roads, a potential boon for cyclists. World Changing reports on Japan's efforts to establish 13 "Eco-Model" cities, including the city of Toyota, home to the automaker which is its namesake, which is making an effort to reduce driving.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Anti-Miracle On 34th Street: Adams Administration Pauses Work On 34th Street Busway

The highly-anticipated 34th Street busway may not happen under Mayor Adams after all, sources said.

July 3, 2025

Manhattan DA Says Alleged Central Park Hit-and-Run Cyclist Didn’t Flee, Drops Charges

Prosecutors said the 30-year-old cyclist "remained on the scene for about 45 minutes after the crash and waited for paramedics to arrive to treat the injured person."

Sean Duffy’s ‘Great America Road Trip’ Wants You to Drive to Central Park

Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" encourages Americans to drive to sites in the most transit-rich and car-choked parts of the country.

July 3, 2025

Ex-DOT Official Warns NYC’s ‘Counterproductive’ E-bike Speed Limit Will Curb Biking, Safety

The mayor is working overtime to undo the decade of gains for cycling in the Big Apple, a former de Blasio administration official told Streetsblog.

July 3, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

Things are slowing down for summer, but not entirely. Here's the news.

July 3, 2025

DOT Boss Defends Adams’s ‘Vision Zero’ Record As Agency Fights A Bike Lane in Court

Traffic fatalities are down and the DOT is taking a victory lap — even as it argues against a protected bike lane in court.

July 2, 2025
See all posts