tpgdb9

Hi all,

I live in the USC area, and I've taken up cycling this summer while away from school and in the Rocky Mountains. I'm mostly wondering if anyone has experience riding in the area around USC as far as safety goes - I don't usually feel unsafe around there, but I could definitely see safety on the bike as a concern in that area. I do have a car, so I could ride elsewhere in the LA area, but I'd prefer not to if it's safe enough to ride around there. Please let me know if anyone has experience with this.

Thanks
TG

Elvo

I've only ridden there during a Ciclavia but I would not ride in that area for fitness.

trailangel

^^ +1

JSMaxwell

Try this...

USC Cycling Web Page

tpgdb9

Thanks all for the feedback. I had a feeling that would be the case. JS, I've seen that page before, I just don't think it's been updated since 1996 (take a look at the dates on this: USC Cycling Web Page). What I did gather from that page, though, looking at it this last time was that even the USC cycling club doesn't plan rides in their neighborhood...

TrojanHorse

Why would you? The roads are horrible, traffic is dicey... blech.

Hop on the light rail and go somewhere more interesting.

Garfield Cat

Just don't ride at night near USC. Latest news is about that Chinese grad student who died from an attack. Maybe not a good idea to ride that Pinarello even during the daytime near USC.

Let's see how the media covers this story. Do you think the coverage would be different had the parents been locals?

TJKnight

A lot of USC students ride beach cruiser type bicycles near USC, but as someone said, traffic is terrible there, so I would not recommend it for rides longer than to class or to the (currently under construction) University Village for espresso. You could create a good route leaving early on Sat or Sun morning to get to AC or 39 and do some climbing. I'd be very careful on the return route after the bike lane ends, though.

f4rrest

I rode by the USC tri team training on the bikes in the foothills. Apparently, they wouldn't ride near campus either.

TrojanHorse

Yikes, is there another chinese student dead or is this the one from a year ago or so?

Astrozombie

No disrespect, i'm sure it's a good school, and two of my family members graduated from there, but i don't understand why anyone would go there once you find out what neighborhood it's in.....compared to UCLA it's a whole different world.

^ Grad student's slaying especially hard on USC's Chinese community - LA Times

TrojanHorse

Says the guy living in East LA?

Pamestique 

It's easier to get into USC (which is a private school) then any public CA university and the school especially welcomes foreign money which is why so many Chinese students are there... the school is good, but was built in a time when the area was nice. I was born and grew up not far from the school (in Exposition Park), but by the time my family left the area, in the mid-60's, it started to go down hill.

It's not safe and I would not ride there unless going to classes, travelling a short distance and travelling during the day... and frankly the riding around the area is just not fun with heavy traffic, too many lights, poor road maintenance etc.

Get yourself to the West side to do rides or even up in the Los Feliz or San Gabriels or around Griffith Park (although that's gone downhill as well). There is also the San Ganriel and LA River trails you can connect to that is fairly safe to ride, during the day... never at night.

TrojanHorse

I'm a bit of a homer (perhaps you can tell by my screen name) but your statement could not possibly be any more wrong. The ONLY state school in CA that is harder to get into is Cal. Some of the state schools accept 50-80% and at 18%, 20% and 22%, Cal, USC and UCLA respectively are fairly comparable in terms of admission selectivity. Undergraduate foreigners are becoming an issue at the UCs as well - they pay full fare while California kids pay a reduced rate but if we're paying taxes to support the state school system, why is it harder for our kids to get in? It doesn't matter at USC, everybody gets bent over the hitching rail when it comes to tuition.

Pamestique 

I don't disagree with your statement... I was just responding to a question without providing a thesis... all CA schools are hard to get into, even private ones, without resources and funding and generally grades... I get your beef... especially about bringing in foreign students over local... but we could get into a whole political argument which I was attempting to avoid...

rooftest

I'd go with Vermont to get north of campus. To get to the west, there's a cool shortcut that goes through Baldwin Hills. A map will help out with this stuff. For starters, I'd aim for the area of Echo Park/Chavez Ravine. There are plenty of people in that area who ride, and you're not far away.

Living in Los Angeles, one can't hold out for wide streets with bike lanes and MUPs - you'll never get any riding done.