Bike Lanes a Pain

In another example of how disconnected Los Angeles is from San Pedro, new bike lanes have been added to Capital and Westmont streets. Not only are these streets not the ones that bikers actually use when they ride around the peninsula, they are on steep hills riders would not go up. And with all the conversation against skateboard bombing, these new bike lanes make it easier and better for skateboarders to bomb San Pedro streets. At some point someone will realize that these bike lanes are a waste. At some point someone will realize that a single lane up Westmont causes more traffic and more air pollution as cars spend more time in traffic. Los Angeles is a far cry from San Pedro. It would be good if the traffic folks actually understood the town's traffic patterns before adding bike lanes to roads that are too steep to ride up. The good news is that the government is good at wasting money so they may have no problem putting the roads back.

Rail Yards are Good for Pedro

As I drive along our waterfront near the LAPD building in San Pedro I continually see lines for trucks producing smog. To help improve our air the Port of Los Angeles has proposed using more rail lines to transport goods. I appreciate that the truck drivers' jobs will be at risk. However, this change will help make our port more competitive and keep overall jobs here. With the advent of a wider Panama Canal we need to be proactive to save jobs here. And, as a life long Pedran, having cleaner air only helps. One day I will have less soot piling up on my car. One day we will have even cleaner air. But to make this happen tell one of those protesters against rail yards to take a look at the big picture. ILWU jobs and clean air go a long way to make our community better in the long run then just saving a few jobs (less truckers).

110 Toll Road - 40% Are Rich

The March 23 "Daily Breeze" confirms an earlier declaration that the 110 Toll Road is for the rich. The paper indicated that 40% of the Toll drivers were single drivers. This means that 40% of the drivers do not qualify for the high occupancy discount. This means that 40% of the users can afford to pay sometimes $15 dollars one way to save time into Los Angeles. When you consider that not everyone has a car, not everyone has a computer (or smart phone), and not everyone can afford the extra money to use the Toll road, the demographics lead to a strongly rich population of Toll users. What the paper failed to ask is whether the Toll road is being used more than before. And where is this money going when our councilman want to propose a bond to fix our roads. And how does a Toll road help to bring all Los Angelenos together when not everyone has access to the road. If Los Angeles cared about the poor they would speak up.

Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council Has Lost Its Mind

It is amazing that someone can buy a home or rent an apartment next to a power plant or refinery and then ask the power plant or refinery to move. In Redondo Beach it is the power plant that has been there for years. In San Pedro it is the storage tanks that has been there for years on North Gaffey. Worse is that the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council seems to miss/avoid the refinery right next to the tank!! Do people just have too much time on their hands to protest? Or maybe they are too greedy and self centered? I mean the power plant provides energy and jobs to the region. And the storage tanks provides a necessary service as well as jobs. I mean, if you were too stupid to buy a home in what could be a blast zone, are you really smart enough to tell someone to move? Pedro Guy says: If you don't like the risk, move!!!

Pedro Parks Are the Best

I just finished reading how the Palos Verdes Skate Park effort was set back due to soil issues at one of their few parks. Too bad they don't have a freeway to build the skate park under. I am just kidding. But it does highlight a difference between the folks on the "hill" and San Pedrans. Whereas San Pedran's tend to find a way, laws be damned or skirted. The folks on the hill just tuck in line like sheep. Whereas San Pedran's put a priority on parks and actually look for more space and ways to make what they have better. The folks on the hill live on big lots with little open space. This is why they come to Pedro Parks to play basketball to swim and hang out with their children during the day. This is why we love San Pedro and wear "Pedro" shirts. This is why the folks on the hill where "Pedro" shirts. Pedro rocks. Have a good day.

No Shopping in San Pedro

Thank goodness that Target and Home Depot came to town, otherwise shopping in Pedro would be almost nil. Other than Urban Outfitters and a couple of other stores downtown there is no good shopping. I don't know what comes first, people or the good shops. But at this point someone needs to gamble on Pedro. Unlike the mall you can't just cruise downtown Pedro looking for gifts. I mean, if you want to buy stuff from thrift shops I guess that works, but most of us are looking for something a little higher end. Besides half the stores are closed when you go down town. The lack of coordination in store hours downtown is frustrating. There is something to be said for the San Pedro independent spirit, but not even coordinating with fellow store owners for a core set of business hours is ridiculous. Wouldn't it be good if the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce actually took a lead on coordinating store hours, marketing those core hours, and working to find some more parking to make it easier for people to stay and cruise the shops. Just a crazy thought that the Chamber of COMMERCE would actually focus on commerce and deal with the issue at hand instead of just hopes and dreams of a revitalized waterfront and Ports of Call. There are things that can be done now. Unfortunately our leaders avoid the hard calls to focus on the easy hope and dreams of a better future with no effort expended today to make things brighter.

22nd Street Park - Great Idea

As I drive through San Pedro there are a number of properties with nothing more than a chain link fence surrounding them. When I was growing up these vacant lots were play yards. Places to ride your bike, play catch and dig in the dirt. Now, property owners surround these lots with fences. Times have changed. But maybe we should reverse this trend. Take a look at the HUGE vacant lot next to "The Spot" on 22nd and Pacific. This lot use to be a hotel years ago before it burned down. Now it sits there with a fence around it. Maybe the Neighborhood council and Joe Busciano and the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce look to make this a park. It seems like the city should be able to post some signs up indicating that the owner is not liable for injuries on the property and help avoid the legal issues that caused the fence to go up. Maybe the city could give the property owner a break for lending its property to the neighborhood for a park. Maybe the Neighborhood Council could adopt this property and find neighbors in the area that will work to keep the property clean. Maybe the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce could work with the neighborhood to put up some walls or huge rocks to reduce the chance for dumping on the property and to reduce the chance that the lot will be used for parking. Maybe if the whole community works together San Pedro can have a 22nd Street Park on Pacific. This would give all the apartments dwellers in the area a close place to have their children play, provide a nice place to hang out while doing laundry across the street, and make San Pedro better looking. Now, if we could get everyone to work together we could have a 22nd Street Park on Pacific near the homes and apartments that surround it.