This morning, after the 12th atmospheric river had largely cleared out, I went for a bike ride for transportation purposes rather than pleasure, my first since selling off my car several weeks back. I left at 9:30am and rode a block over to my gym. Locked up the bike against a railing, went in, did a quick workout. Back outside, I mounted my steed and decided to take a circuitous route to Del Amo Fashion Center, which is approximately 2 miles from my home. I figured I'd be better off avoiding busy Hawthorne Boulevard and the possibility of becoming roadkill by using side streets instead. To my surprise, there were no bike lanes, anywhere, on my entire ride there and back, taking different streets. Not on Del Amo Boulevard or Madrona Avenue, not on Fashion Way or around the massive mall itself. This forced me at times to resort to riding on the sidewalk, which is supposedly illegal in the city of Torrance.
Riding in the cold, blustery breeze, I dodged pedestrians and potholes and impatient drivers waiting to make their turn. People stared, called out, even honked. I made stops along the way at Macy's and the Habit Grill, neither of which had bike racks anywhere near their entrances, forcing me to improvise.
I just want to get from Point A to Point B relatively unscathed. I didn't want to become an advocate. I really don't need more projects right now. But it's hard not to be appalled by how my city neglects cyclists. I've never loved Torrance - I'm here out of necessity, it's just a way station. I thought that going car-free might give me a new perspective and appreciation for Torrance. I see now that my problem with Torrance isn't with cars or traffic or even its anti-bike attitude. My problem with Torrance is its lack of progressivism, its bassackwards values, especially shocking for a coastal California city. You can point the finger at Torrance's relative conservatism and car-centric streets straight at the oil refinery
And as long as the refinery reigns in this town, I fear cyclists will almost certainly continue to be shunned. Not a good look, Torrance.