Letters to the Editor: We should be building out bikeway networks as quickly as possible

Sept. 30, 2026 6:30 AM PT

To the editor: Kudos to Long Beach for its commitment to expanding its bikeway network (“Long Beach as the new Amsterdam? Bike lane boom sparks cheers, debate in the city,” Sept. 25). Amsterdam, referenced in the article as a model cycling city, only brought bicycle transportation into the mainstream after years of bikeway buildout.

As our local cities make widespread progress on providing safe, convenient and complete bikeway networks, will we see substantial numbers of people shifting their trips from cars to bikes. And the best way to do that is to make it happen as quickly as possible, to avoid the drawn-out pain and controversy of slow, incremental bikeway implementation.

Kent Strumpell, Los Angeles