Action Alert: Stand Up for Protected Bike Lanes on Orange Ave!
Prepared by: Matt Wehner
Long Beach will be holding a special Mobility, Ports, and Infrastructure Meeting on November 19 to go over Public Works’ decision to move forward with unprotected bike lanes on Orange Ave instead of the protected bike lanes previously recommended by Public Works. Please attend in person or submit a written public comment to show your support for protected bike infrastructure in Long Beach!
Original Plans for Orange Between Bixby and Wardlow (two-way bike lane is protected from traffic with a low concrete barrier)
Final Approved Plans (No Protection from cars)
These plans changed because California Heights businesses and homeowners complained about losing street parking, even though most homes have garages and driveways for parking and existing street parking is underutilized.
Painted bike lanes are not safe on a street like Orange where traffic moves fast. Please help us send the message that Long Beach needs Safe and Protected bike lanes, not just paint!
Meeting Information:
Mobility, Ports, & Infrastructure Committee Meeting will be on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at 5pm in the City Hall Chambers.
Background:
In Long Beach’s 2015 Bicycle Master Plan, Orange Ave was planned as one of two “Backbone Projects” that would connect the city with one major north-south protected bike lane and one major east-west protected bike lane. Both would be designed as “8 to 80” facilities where cyclists as young as 8 years old or as old as 80 would feel safe riding a bike there.
Over the years, Long Beach has gradually built out protected bike lanes on Orange Ave, but there are still some major gaps. To fix this, Long Beach applied for state funding to repave part of Orange Ave and add protected bike lanes, shown in the project map below.
In early 2025, Long Beach Public Works did public outreach with the California Heights community and presented 3 options for bike lanes between Bixby and Wardlow, pictured below:
Public Works presented Alternative 3 as the recommended option because it was the safest for cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians.
Unfortunately, homeowners and business interest along Orange spoke out against this safe streets project because it would reduce the amount of street parking, despite Orange having low street parking utilization and most homes having ample garage and driveway parking.
As a result, Councilmember Megan Kerr (who represents District 5 in Long Beach) made the decision to shift to project Alternative 2, since it would still meet the grant requirements for state funding while preserving as much street parking as possible. This is incredibly disappointing because Councilmember Kerr has been a supporter of safe streets projects in the past.
Before project Alternative 2 goes out to bid, there is one last opportunity for public engagement – the Mobility, Ports, and Infrastructure meeting on November 19.
Talking Points:
- Unprotected bike lanes are not safe. To be safe for all road users, bike lanes must have protection between fast traffic and cyclists. The city should have selected Alternative 1 or Alternative 3 to keep cyclists safe.
- Long Beach committed to the “Orange Ave Backbone” in their 2015 bike master plan. The goal was a safe, protected bikeway from the ocean to North Long Beach to connect other bikeway projects. By refusing to protect the bike lanes on a key segment, the city is giving up on this vision.
- Orange Ave street parking utilization between Wardlow and Bixby is low, as almost all residents along that portion have driveways and garages for parking. By prioritizing street parking over safety, cyclists and other road users will have a harder time accessing destinations along Orange.
Leave a Reply