Meet Tess Lotta

I am a visual artist, writer, musician, activist, and small business owner armed with a road bike and an addiction to screen printing. I value my time with friends and family and understand the worth of living life in the present. I am fortunate to be part of the local independent businesses movement and enjoy helping people build a strong foundation for their small businesses and nonprofits in my work as a bookkeeper.

A dedicated bike geek, I am a first-hand beneficiary of the universal benefits of active transportation, and I am eager to help people discover safe biking and walking, especially girls and women. I deeply appreciate my garden and the delicious lemons my tree delivers each year.

I co-founded the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition (WeHoBC) and serve as Facilitating Chair. I am member of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, of which the WeHoBC is a regional chapter.

I am filled with glee that my nerdish love of cycling has brought together my social justice background and bike politics. I am a plus-sized female cyclist – this alone counters body/gender marginalization with every ride. I’ve been lucky to learn the bike from my husband, a cyclist with over twenty years of experience. During the past five years commuting by bike, I have brought a few of my women friends to cycling, helping them pick out appropriate bikes, demonstrating basic maintenance, and spontaneously serving as a riding mentor as they got their legs in traffic. I would be thrilled to do more of this as an LCI.

I grew up in a tough, working-class part of the L.A. Harbor area in a racially diverse family. During the 1990s while living in Seattle, I became involved with feminist and social justice activism. My pursuits included co-founding a nonprofit called Hero Sisters, writing as an independent journalist, and raising funds for other social justice nonprofits, including Books to Prisoners and Home Alive. Back in LA, my writing/English degrees enabled me to work as a creative writing instructor with high school-aged kids serving sentences in a juvenile facility, as well as at a high school in downtown L.A.

When serving on the West Hollywood Bicycle Task Force (BTF) from Jan – Dec 2011, I was not surprised that I became politicized around city transportation politics and the community it serves, especially on issues of inclusivity. Demographically, the BTF consisted primarily of white middle- to privileged-class males. I was one of the few women on the task force, and the only female commuter cyclist.

As a regional bicycle advocate, I understand that this race and class demographic reflects that of West Hollywood, and the race and gender dynamic mirrors that of cycling, in general. However, as an activist, I understand that not all our stakeholders reflect these demographics and have learned that the power of social change starts with galvanizing the voices and experiences of all toward a common goal.

The LCI training is key to WeHoBC’s program goals, including offering bike safety and repair education workshops to a commuter workforce that relies on biking and walking as affordable transportation and implementing programs targeted to bring women and girls to cycling. LCI certification also increases my professional credentials with city staff and city council, offering juice for our campaigns that urge the city to establish and/or fund similar programs. Further, I am excited that LCI certification would give me another skill set to offer fellow transportation advocacy groups and other community organizations, including the WeHoBC’s sister chapters in the LACBC regional partners program.

I come from a large family. My parents involved us in their volunteerism at our school parish. At home and in the community, they taught us the equitable sharing of space and resources. This is the meaning of community I grew up learning and what I would bring to my efforts as an LCI.

hair. I am member of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, of which the WeHoBC is a regional chapter.