Don't you wish this was ordinary?

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Takashi_Kawashima.jpgTo create this image and the others in his “Ordinary View in the City of Angeles” series, Takashi Kawashima combined 405 photos of the 405 freeway into a single, carefully crafted image. This one, “2 Wheel Drive” depicts an ordinary amount of bike traffic separated into an extraordinarily homogenous flow. I wonder how many fewer accidents there’d be on the most heavily trafficked freeway in the US if all the traffic was two-wheeled?

Takahashi Kawashima

  • Duge

    I was just thinking about this today…I feel that there would be more crashes, but WAY less deaths…

  • woody

    Have you ever been in a bicycle, or motorcycle traffic jam? It is somehow worse than being in a car. Most likely because all the bikers take up all the room, and cars leave a much bigger margin around them.

  • robotribe

    I wonder how many fewer accidents there’d be on the most heavily trafficked freeway in the US if all the traffic was two-wheeled?

    That depends on how many in that image are CHP.

  • http://www.tripleclamp.net Sasha Pave

    The 405 has never looked so good!

  • Pinkyracer

    that’s hawt.

    my dream is to make motorcycles, scooters & bicycles as ubiquitous in LA as they are in Barcelona, etc.

    • robotribe

      I had that dream once. Then I realized gas would need to be at least $5/gallon in California for that to ever happen. Most Americans assume that cheap gasoline is baked into the Bill of Rights somewhere.

      I eat, drink and breath motorcycles, scooters and bicycles. Hell, I even take the bus and train when I can. Even so, I’m as cynical as ever to folks choosing two wheels over four.

      We are the United States of Comfort and Convenience. Bikes are toys for most Americans, methinks, not actual “transportation”.

      • Bonner

        Motorcycles dont get great MPG (at least not the type that are loved on these pages) so I dont know if $5 gasoline would result in more motorcycles. Maybe more scooters and mopeds but not more sportbikes.

        The average sport bike is about as economical as a Honda Civic (as far fuel costs) and less so than a Prius.

        Did you even think before writing?

        • Grive

          Right. Because traffic along the 405 is full of ferraris and maseratis.

          So, you’re basically conceding the point that $5/gal for gas would increase the number of motorbikes on the road?

          From where did you get that anyone was talking about (or would want) traffic to be comprised exclusively of Aprilia RSV4 and BMW S 1100 RRs?

          So yes, the average sportbike is as economical as a civic. Good. Now compare it to the average ferrari or BMW M3, and compare the civic to it’s actual equivalent, a 250. What makes you think the composition of bikes on this theoretical street would be considerably different than the composition of cars, as far as relative performance goes?

          Wait, did you even think before writing?

  • Mitch

    Reminds me a little of Bike Week in Daytona Beach. The mostly bikes landscape was pretty cool, despite it being squid and poker run central.

    I wish there were more photo composites in this series – I could be in one! (I commute the 405 on my RR from time to time)

  • http://www.thisblueheaven.com Mark D.

    Funny, during my commute this morning, I thought to myself, “I’ve seen a total of one other motorcycle, and two scooters in 8 miles of urban traffic.” Now, granted, its Boston, one of the least motorcycle friendly cities around, but still! It was sunny and 70 degrees out this morning! If you own a bike/scooter and AREN’T riding it to work on a day like this, why do you even own it?

    Its frustrating, but uniquely American, I suppose. Even in Cambridge, supposively one of the most green and forward-looking cities in the country, I can count the number of two-wheeled vehicles on two hands.

  • Tom

    I’m a biker and commute to work often on my bike. I’m sorry, but that photo misses one obvious point. Just because people would decide to all ride to work on bikes, doesn’t mean that everything would be flowers and milk. Most people are still assholes and they’d be buzzing around dicing it in between other bikers and generally acting like children except with 2 wheels instead of 4. The real problem is the hyper-aggressive nature of people in the States, much more than the problem of congestion. Remove all speed limits and make it a $5,000 fine to pass on the right or to park it in the left lane.

    • JR

      I agree with Tom. Plus, the DMV driving/riding tests are WAAAY too easy. I was always taught that driving (especially riding) is a privilege, not a right. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a bike or in a car; if you have no respect for the people around you then there’s going to be trouble.

      Imagine combining all levels at a trackday into one big group and let me know how that works out.

    • robotribe

      Jawol, Herr Tom. Jawol. USA Autobahn now!

      Add to that $3,000 fine for lane changes without turn signal usage and you’ve got my vote in the next election.

      • Tom

        Dankeshoen ;)

  • http://greatjoballweek.blogspot.com/ Case

    I drive or ride this freeway almost every day. I drove to work this morning b/c I have some dental work scheduled for this afternoon, but in my 20 mile commute I saw two motorcycles. TWO. I envied them both.

    A California with more riders (and fewer FUVs) would be a better place. Until gas prices go up, conspicuous consumption will trump common sense.

  • Dale

    Oh my god look at the congestion
    Peak hour speed limit 100mph
    But how am I going to do my make up and text my friends?

  • Matt: not a "real" biker

    But splitting lanes is half the fun of riding a motorcycle in LA…

    If there were no cars on the roads here, I’d sell my XR650 go back to bicycle and bus only.

  • akamikeg

    that would be dreadful. there’s a reason bikers are unique – i hope it stays that way

  • erik

    Tolls for cars, none for bikes its that simple, you take up more space, you pay for it, when I’m in my car I would gladly accept