Cyclists show their support for a more bike-friendly city on the streets of Los Angeles. (Photo courtesy of the L.A. Times)

The Los Angeles City Council is expected to pass an ambitious master bike plan today.

The plan hopes to add 1,680 miles of interconnected bikeways to the city.  Its goal is to build 200 new miles of bicycle routes every five years.

The plan urges major roads like Figueroa Street, Santa Monica Boulevard, and Wilshire Boulevard to add bike lanes.

This freeway-like plan, known as the “backbone network,” was suggested by cycling activist Stephen Box, who is running for office against Councilman Tom LaBonge.

Box says focusing on Los Angeles’ major roads will slowly improve biking safety on smaller, residential streets.

The city has put more focus on the bike plan since last summer when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa crashed his bike on Venice Boulevard.

Bike racks were even recently put up outside City Hall.

The L.A. Bicycle Plan website says the plan is a part of the “City’s commitment to transform Los Angeles from an auto-centric City to a City with a multi-modal transportation system.”

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