Auto, Bike, Bus Race to the Office

The three combatants meet at the designated location in La Crescenta at exactly 8:15 a.m. One straddles a bicycle. Another clutches a bus schedule, and a third grips the keys to a Saab turbo.

They synchronize their watches, wish each other good luck and begin The Race.

To commemorate National Bike to Work Day, three reporters launched an admittedly unscientific contest Thursday to see how a bicycle measures up against the two most popular modes of transportation in Southern California.

The race started at the height of rush hour at the bicyclist’s La Crescenta home. It ended when all three commuters walked into The Times building in downtown Los Angeles, 14.3 miles away.

Such a challenge might sound laughable in any other city, but in a region that suffers from the nation’s most congested freeways, a bicyclist stands a chance.

Bicycling has yet to catch on big in Los Angeles County. Only 2.4% of all trips are made on a bike.

Commuters still prefer cars, as demonstrated by recent census figures that show about 70% of commuters in the county drive alone to work.

But enthusiasts hope bicycling will gain appeal as congestion grows and driving times increase. Since 1990, the average commute times jumped three minutes, to 28 minutes, one way.

“Do you realize how many cars we would eliminate from the roads and how much cleaner the air would be if more people rode bikes?” asked Alex Baum, chairman of the Los Angeles city bicycle advisory committee.

The following are the comments, kept on tape recorders and note pads, of our three challengers:

8:15 a.m. The bicyclist is already in trouble.

Some jerk in a gray Volvo is about to make a U-turn across my path. I let out a shrill whistle. He stops. I zip past. Not a good omen. I pick up speed. I’m doing 36 mph, officially breaking the residential speed limit.

The motorist is also cruising along.

There were six lights to get to the Glendale Freeway and I made five of them. Traffic along Foothill Boulevard is running at about 40 mph--no stopping, no brake lights, no problems. So far, this is a holiday.

The bus rider is still walking to the bus stop.

I can’t remember the last time I rode a bus to work. But I remember that it did not fill me with awe and admiration for the local public transit system.

8:24 a.m.

The Glendale Beeline 3 bus picks up the bus rider.

The bus was two minutes behind schedule. Not bad. The fare: 75 cents with a transfer.

The bicyclist begins to make good time--for a while.

I check my bicycle computer at Wabasso Avenue. I’m doing 28 mph with a 158 heart rate, on flat to mildly descending terrain. Verdugo Road merges with La Canada Boulevard by Glendale Community College. It’s madness--a solid mass of cars. I cross to the right shoulder, then contemplate crossing left once again. The driver of a maroon van sees me signal and actually lets me change lanes.

The motorist hits traffic.

Just past Mountain Avenue, I get my first glimpse of dreaded brake lights, where the Ventura Freeway intersects the Foothill Freeway. Traffic is gearing down fast; all I can see for about three-fourths of a mile ahead is red brake lights.

8:34 a.m.

The bus rider gets off for his first transfer.

The Beeline got me to Ocean View and Honolulu Avenue, one minute behind schedule. I wonder if I have enough time to run to the bakery across the street for a muffin. Too late. My connection, Metro bus 91, arrives at 8:43 a.m., right on time.

The motorist wonders if he should get off the freeway.

Oh-oh. I may have made a wrong choice here as I see a yellow, blinking Caltrans light on the right up ahead. Why does Caltrans deploy these things at the height of rush hour? This is not the first time I’ve had that thought.

8:45 a.m. The bicyclist faces more trouble.

Downtown in sight. North of Chinatown, though, a blue Honda cuts in front of me. No signal. He turns left on Bishops Road. No signal again. In mid-Chinatown, a black Thunderbird moves into my lane to avoid a parked car. My right thigh and his left rear quarter panel nearly touch. He beeps. I give him The Look.

8:47 a.m. The motorist spots the enemy.

I stop for the offramp light at Broadway and notice my first bicyclist. A block farther--at Spring Street--I see 25 or more cyclists celebrating the day. They’re happier than I am, but not by much.

The bus rider is annoyed by the number of stops on his route.

The bell that passengers ring to request a stop begins to sound like a fire alarm. I counted 26 stops in less than 14 miles. I imagine that my bus is in the movie “Speed” and Sandra Bullock has to keep the bus above 50 mph or we will all die. Step on the gas, Sandy!

8:52 a.m. The bicyclist is heading for the home stretch.

Losing time now. It’s taken me five minutes to go through Chinatown. Down Broadway, I cheat and use the turn lane to make the light at First Street. I turn right on Spring Street and onto the sidewalk to The Times building.

I check the stopwatch: 37 minutes, 39 seconds. Average speed: 22.5 mph.

The bicyclist wins.

At the same time, the motorist pulls into The Times garage.

I turn off the engine at my parking stall. Another minute and I’m in the building--arrived!--at 8:53 a.m. That’s 38 minutes door-to-door. Not bad at prime time.

The bus rider is somewhere in Glassell Park.

Despite the incessant stops, the ride is tolerable. The bus is clean. Everyone has a seat, and I detect no unbearable odors or noises.

9:40 a.m. The bus rider gets to The Times building.

The trip took one hour and 25 minutes. Average speed: 10 mph. Sandra Bullock would have made it in 15 minutes.

*

Editors note: Getting to work was the easy part. The biggest challenge came at 6 p.m. when the cyclist again donned his riding outfit and prepared to make the return trip--all uphill.