Bicycles are regarded as a very important piece of the puzzle in the sustainable development of urban areas such as Downtown Long Beach. Those who help create our community’s bike friendliness have an understanding of what makes a bicycle so good on the pocketbook, the environment, and the rider’s wellbeing! Meet three committed and passionate Downtown cyclists who are spreading the joy of cycling while helping shape the future of Long Beach’s bike infrastructure.
Kerry Beth Larick poses with her bike near the Promenade in DTLB
KERRY BETH LARICK
Car-Lite Long Beach is a community group that advocates for safe streets and alternative transportation. Kerry Beth Larick, who helps lead Car-Lite, became passionate about those issues after being hit by a van while walking to a Long Beach bus stop early one morning in 2018.
“It definitely changed me into being an advocate,” Larick explained. “I thought I was going to die.” Her foot was bleeding and swollen, but she had no broken bones, and the van driver stayed on the scene. In the aftermath, Larick’s mind was on safe streets and cycling. Since that incident, she has ridden thousands of miles throughout Southern California; Just last week, she celebrated Bike To Work Day by riding with a small group to her job near Union Station in L.A.! She’s actually done this route many times.
Larick, who goes by “KB,” grew up in the South Bay and graduated from Narbonne High in Harbor City. She has lived in Long Beach for 14 years, and has seen the evolution of Long Beach’s bike-friendliness enabled by the City’s Safe Streets Master Plan and the Bicycle Master Plan.
“I think our bike infrastructure is really good — and there’s plenty of room for improvement,” she said. “I’m hoping our Ocean Boulevard can mimic Santa Monica’s Ocean [Avenue], which has protected bike lanes going both directions on one side of the street.” She mentioned Long Beach having a much better bike infrastructure than many other cities, noting that “many people in LB don’t realize how good we have it.”
Pointing out the grassroots nature of Car-Lite, Larick encouraged folks to participate. “Anyone can join! Do you care about safe streets? Do you want to make this city better? We’re open to anyone who wants to help in whatever way they can.”
Morris Mills poses while balancing on his bike near the Waterfront & Shoreline
MORRIS MILLS
Mills, affectionately known as Mo, was the Research and Public Policy Analyst for the Downtown Long Beach Alliance from 2018 to early 2023. These days he’s working in Downtown once again, for the transportation planning consultant firm Fehr & Peers. Mills has worked with the firm on complete street design, bike lanes, and various safety work throughout Long Beach.
Mills, originally from St. Louis, is a serious cyclist, competing in criteriums and road races throughout the region. He thinks nothing of bike-commuting from his Long Beach home to his grad school classes at UC Irvine “if it’s a nice morning.” His longest ride was a 230-mile loop from Downtown L.A. to Santa Barbara and back — in one day!
He has seen good progress in Downtown’s bike infrastructure since he moved to Long Beach after graduating from Occidental College in 2018. As an example, he mentioned a new residential development at Long Beach Boulevard and Broadway, which honored its obligation to create an updated bike lane as part of its development agreement. “The new bike lane near that property is at sidewalk level for greater visibility, and has a bigger curb build-out,” Mills explained.
“Long Beach and other California cities have received funding for sustainability-related projects, so there are some good plans in the works,” Mills added.
Mills’ current favorite local ride is a quick jaunt over the Queensway Bridge to Pier J on the separated bike path with brand new pavement. “You get great views of Downtown, and some of the Port’s operations. It’s kind of a hidden gem,” he said.
Justin Harris poses in the DTLB Pedal Movement Bike Hub
JUSTIN HARRIS
Located at 1st and Promenade, the City’s GoActive Hub operated by Pedal Movement is the very essence of urban bike-friendliness. “We have bikes for sale and every accessory you could possibly need,” said Justin Harris, the Hub’s Vice-President of Culture and Engagement. “Downstairs is dedicated to walk-ins; We can take care of everything from a tube change to a gear adjustment to a safety check. We also have our more in-depth area upstairs, which is equipped with a parts washer and everything else needed to do a deluxe tune-up.”
Born and raised in Greenville, Illinois, Harris loved to ride his bike, though places to ride were few. “I was out in the country, riding off-road, rolling through the front yard, ticking my parents off,” he recalled.
Harris came out to Long Beach in 2013 to help a cousin for a couple of weeks — but ended up staying. “I’d never been a part of a community that has such great infrastructure for cycling,” he said. “That sparked my love of really getting involved with the cycling community that was already here and willing to take me in.”
Pedal Movement does lots of donations with cycling gear, such as the big stack of kid-size bike helmets. “Lots of Pedal Movement’s events are family-friendly, and we often see that kids don’t have proper helmets,” said Harris. He had a friend who worked in a warehouse where the kid-size helmets were being stored. “They were going to end up donating them anyway so I told them ‘I know some people who could use those.’ We always follow through and make sure the gear fits the individual recipient.”
Pedal Movement does pop-up repairs, organizes local group rides, and dispenses bike-related information given to them by the City. “We try to boost the signal of the Long Beach bike community any way we can,” said Harris. “You don’t have to rely on complicated technology with a bicycle. It’s your body and mind that get you there. Among many other benefits, cycling really connects you with your self-reliance.”