Buckley Blog: My Bike Ride to KTLA
11:03 AM August 1, 2008
I rode my bike to work today as part of KTLA's Commuter Week on the Morning News. It was a blast--except for the part where I flew over my handlebar and hit the pavement!
That was just embarrassing (fortunately, I turned the camera phone off as it was happening so there's no video evidence). I was fiddling with the phone with one hand while following my riding companions who suddenly braked. I then braked with my only available hand which happened to be on the front brake side. I squeezed the brake and then found myself airborne. As I might say in a news story: "Fortunately, no one was seriously injured."
The bike ride was otherwise a great experience. I rode with Henry Hsieh and Ron Durgin of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition from my Studio City neighborhood to the Universal City Metro station. It took nine minutes. There, we boarded the Metro Red Line for a quick six minute train ride to the Hollywood and Vine station with our bikes by our side. In Hollywood, we were joined by Russ Roca, a self-described Eco-Friendly Bicycling Photographer, who uses his bike to get himself to his assignments. He says he's been "without power" as he put it, for eight years and it hasn't hurt his business. We all made the short ride together to KTLA at Sunset and Van Ness.
My drive to work usually takes 10 to 15 minutes (I know, I'm a lucky dude). The bike-train-bike trip took us about an hour but that's because we stopped a couple of times to do live shots for our viewers. If I'd done the trip without the TV thing, we could have easily done it less than half an hour. The cost: $2.50 for the Red Line portion of the journey.
When I'm in cities like New York or London, I use public transportation almost exclusively. I'll be in London in a week or so (my wife is from London and we visit every summer) and we will ride in the Underground, we'll take buses (the double-deckers are a real treat), we'll use taxis and we'll walk. We will not rent a car because we won't need one.
I love public transportation when it's as generally convenient and reliable as it is in London. Yes, it can be a pain at times as we wait for a bus or train. And we'll spend more time on foot walking (frequently in the London rain) which can be tiring. But for the most part, it's a wonderful feeling to know we don't have to have a car to get around. We're not spewing harmful gases into the atmosphere from our car and we're not buying crazy expensive gas.
We're not quite there yet in LA but we certainly have more options than ever. I found a clean, convenient and seemingly safe Red Line when I was aboard. I was surprised at how easy it was to get on the train with my bike. Veteran riders told me they've never had a problem and they enjoy using the system. I do think the Trip Planner portion of the Metro website metro.net needs a little work. When I punched in my address, it suggested I take buses from Studio City to Los Feliz to Hollywood (a 60-80 minute trip) instead of suggesting a quick walk or bike ride to the Red Line and a walk/bike ride from Hollywood and Vine to KTLA.
But again, what I learned today is that it's doable. And I intend to do it again in the future. How about you? Is public transportation something you use or you would consider using? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Posted by Frank Buckley | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
Previous Entry
Planes, trains, buses...blah blah blah, how about, Frank YOU LOOK HOT in your bike clothes! Ahhh, always nice to ogle a good looking man (like they have women forever :). Seriously, LOVE what you have to say every day, you are a GREAT part of KTLA in the morning....
Posted by: nancy | August 01, 2008 at 02:08 PM
Old man Frank, you looked well fit out of your suit and seemed to enjoy the experience. The health benefits alone should encourage more people to do so. But I think TIME is the biggest problem for most people. Next time I expect to see you with a fanny pack to put your phone in. Haven't you seen the news lately about texting while walking or driving with a cellphone? (Ha! Ha!) It's the attention equation. I'm really sorry you had to be reminded the hard way.
Posted by: George the Rat | August 01, 2008 at 03:52 PM
Frank,
I really enjoyed your blog and video. Good for you,getting that info. out to people. Enjoy your family trip to London!
Posted by: Raquel | August 01, 2008 at 05:17 PM
The bike ride seemed to exhilarate you, Frank. Took off 10 years. Keep riding that bike to work and we'll be calling you Young Sprout Buckley. LOL.
Loved the commuter segments. Nice to see you all out of the studio interacting with your public and bringing us useful information.
We've taken the train from Fullerton (quaint station, lots of parking) to San Diego. Much slower than driving but a pleasurable, scenic ride. Once in San Diego we used the trolley or bus to get around town. They do a nice job getting folks from the train station to Old Town, Balboa Park and other tourist haunts. Very affordable, too.
We've also taken the train from Fullerton to San Juan Capistrano. Train stops right next to the mission. We spent a day of shopping, high tea and a turn around the mission. All within walking distance. A nice mini getaway. Once we ran into a fun-loving chapter of Red Hat Society ladies (about 40 women) traveling from Anaheim Stadium (unlimited parking) to Del Mar on an afternoon excursion to the race track.
Los Angeles may not have pervasive mass transit but as the years go by hopefully we'll be able to get out of those one-person-per-car, long distance commutes. It's dream . . .
Posted by: jozielee | August 01, 2008 at 08:08 PM
Kudos to the producers - these segments getting the anchors out of the studio are fun! Great job Frank and Jessica.
Posted by: Norm | August 02, 2008 at 12:43 AM
Frank,
Way to go dude! Thanks for educating the public that there alternatives to firing up the Escalade, and for reminding bicyclists of the need for courtesy on the trains. I've been commuting from Sherman Oaks to USC for the past six months - after you discover the best route, and get the correct equipment to make your commute easier its a lot easier (and less stressful) than driving. Try to ride in the LA Bike Tour before the Marathon in March - thats really a blast. See you on the Red Line!!!
Posted by: Big Daddy | August 03, 2008 at 09:34 PM
Loved my visit in London ages ago - tube, trains (to Scottish border), buses, taxis; wonderful transport!
Posted by: Idaho | August 03, 2008 at 09:44 PM
Congrats on riding your bike to work! It's tough to be without a car in Southern California! My dad (in Northern California) has been riding his bike to work (he's a doctor) for at about 28 years! It is 16 miles roundtrip and he loves it! He only uses his car when he will be at work past 8pm. In fact, his car was bought in 1991, and it only has 47,000 miles on it! I wish that I could do the same, but it really is not an option for me. So I bought a hybrid last month. Hopefully people will be inspired by you and will start biking. I know that my dad has been preaching the idea to other doctors for years!
Posted by: Jen | August 05, 2008 at 05:37 PM
Hi Frank, so I'm proud to say that yesterday I rode my bike to work. My experience was positive. It was actually quite liberating and helped decrease my stress level! I would have never thought about trading in my car for my bike if it wasn't for you segment, so thanks!
Posted by: Erika | August 28, 2008 at 08:54 PM