By Ted AYALA

On any given morning in Montrose and especially on the weekends, you’re likely to see them. Whether they’re  relaxing along Honolulu Avenue or pedaling up Verdugo, Montrose has become a very popular center for local bicyclists.

So when the city of Glendale passed its revision of the city bicycle master-plan on Dec. 7, many in the community asked if Montrose would see “bicycle-friendly” changes.

“Montrose is already a hub for recreational bicycle use and has been identified as such in studies,” explained Glendale city councilman John Drayman. “It has also become a bicycle rest stop on training routes and for casual day trips.” Councilman Drayman added that encouraging more bicyclists to come to Montrose was also good for the local economy. “The number of cyclists will continue to grow and with that growth comes increased spending in the business district.”

Drayman also explained some of the additions Montrose residents can expect to see.

“Honolulu Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard are already welcoming settings for bicycle traffic. Recent measures to make the business district more convenient and safer [for bicyclists] are already moving forward, such as the installation of bike racks and posts on both Ocean View and Honolulu as well as new all-way stops at Rosemont and Wickham to provide a greater level of traffic calming,” the councilman said.

Dale Dawson, executive director of the Montrose Shopping Park Association (MSPA), offered some further information about the impact the bicycle master-plan will have on Montrose.

“We’ve given [the Glendale Community Services and Parks Department] six suggestions for where very simple bike posts could be placed,” said Dawson. “[The MSPA and the city of Glendale will] get together after the holidays to discuss the matter further.” He added that he would be “surprised” if any bicycle lanes were added in Montrose, though.

However, some in the community feel that more needs to be done and that creating bicycle lanes are a necessary step in that direction. John Livsay of Montrose Bike Shop praised the city for adding bike racks, but he said that Glendale needs to push further to ensure the safety of the local bicycling community.

“Anything that makes it even a tiny bit safer helps. For a lot of [bicyclists] what would really be needed would be the addition of bicycle lanes. They need somewhere safe to ride on where it can help them avoid trash cans, buses, or motorists texting on their phones. People get discouraged from [riding their bicycles] when it’s not safe.”

  Bicycle plan, montrose