The true cost of California’s cancelled ebike program, and how to know ebike classifications and still get it wrong

December 19, 2025 / / 2 comments
Day 352 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Just 5 days left in the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

 

Thanks to Brian, Joel, and Robert for their generous donations to support SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy!

But time’s running out! Just seven six days left to give! 

So stop what you’re doing, and donate right now through PayPal or Venmo, or via Zelle to ted@bikinginla.com using the banking app on your smartphone.

And happy Chanukah to everyone wrapping up your celebration this weekend!

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This is the cost of cancelling the state’s ebike voucher program.

According to a paywalled story from the Sacramento Bee, republished by Governing, the California Ebike Incentive Program was literally life-changing for residents of a low-income neighborhood in the city.

Dewayne McDaniel, who got a bike he uses to get to the store to buy food, praised the scuttled e-bike program: He couldn’t afford a car but, with the bike, he could easily pick up groceries for himself and for his neighbor who was unable to walk. Another neighbor in his complex, AJ Ortiz, walks with a cane but loves the e-bike he purchased with a voucher. Ortiz’s bike gives him a low-impact way to incorporate more exercise and movement into his life, and he can visit friends downtown and get to the bank without having to rely on the bus.

The money remaining in the program, about $23 million, was shifted to California’s Clean Cars 4 All vehicle trade-in program, which only helps if you can afford a new car.

And many low-income Californians can’t.

But Ortiz, McDaniel, Crespo, Emery and Sala were disappointed that the e-bike program was ended rather than retooled.

In a lot of our families in our community, those old 15-year-old cars, that’s the only car they have, and they’re not gonna give it up,” Sala said. The Clean Cars 4 All program gives up to $12,000 toward the purchase of an electric or hybrid vehicle made within the last eight years, but participants have to trade in their old, less-efficient car. “To give it up for an e-vehicle that costs more money, that will — they’ll have to get a loan — they’re not gonna do that. … The program the way they’re designing it now will not work for poor communities. It just won’t.”

Not to mention that the vehicle program is a trade-in program, so it only works if you already own a car.

So if you don’t have a car or can’t afford one, you’re screwed. And without the voucher program, many low-income Californians would even struggle to afford a used bicycle, let alone a new ebike.

Sala said that many people in low-income neighborhoods would love to get an e-bike if they could afford the initial purchase: The $2,000 voucher could cover the whole cost of a bike as well a helmet and locks. The California Air Resources Board reasoned that an e-bike can replace many shorter car trips for far less money.

As the story points out, not only can an ebike replace shorter car trips, they can also serve as mobility devices for people who might not otherwise be able to get around.

McDaniel uses the bike to get food, too. He said he couldn’t afford a car and — because he has congestive heart failure — he couldn’t walk very far or carry much weight. “I can only do a limited amount,” he said. But now with a new form of transportation, he can go to the store and pick up food for himself and one of his neighbors.

“It makes life simpler,” he said “It gives you a better quality of life.”

Even with his health issues, he can get around with the help of the bike.

This is what CARB took away from us with their money grab that took ebike vouchers from low-income Californians to redistribute to people who can afford a car, actually want one, and are able to drive one.

But according to CARB, they didn’t have a choice, arguing that the state’s budget crisis required them to transfer any available funds into the car program.

Which may or may not be true.

But if they hadn’t had their heads so far up their own asses so badly mismanaged the program for three years, the funds would have been distributed to people in need long before the state budget became an issue.

I’m not the only one who’s called for a state investigation into the whole damn thing. But California Attorney General Rob Bonta apparently is too busy suing Donald Trump to look into problems closer to home.

So we’re stuck with waiting for legislature to find the funds, and the will, to restore the program.

And hopefully find another state agency to manage it.

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They get it. And they don’t get it.

Simultaneously.

The Los Angeles Times reports on the problem of ebike-born hooligans who attacked a man in Hermosa Beach, leading to charges against at least two boys in their early teens, along with alleged South Bay teen ebike gangs, and others who engage in aggressive behavior.

Some beach cities residents say the teens’ aggression reflects a broader attitude: that e-bike riders, emboldened by their protected status as minors, increasingly act as if they own the streets.

“They run stop signs, they’re speeding, they’re flipping people off. They’re on their phones or filming themselves for social media,” said Redondo Beach resident Darryl Boyd. “It’s a circus — a psycho circus.”

Then the Times carefully makes the point that there are differing types of ebikes.

The machines cost anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000. Type 1 e-bikes, which are pedal-assisted, and Type 2 e-bikes, which are pedal- and throttle-assisted, can reach up to 20 mph, while Type 3 e-bikes can go up to 28 mph and may only be ridden by those 16 and older in California.

Pocket bikes, electric motorcycles and electric dirt bikes, which are generally not street legal in California, can reach speeds of 45 to 55 mph. These devices are particularly popular among teen boys, who use them to perform high-speed stunts.

So far, so good.

The problem comes in the rest of the whole damn article, which never bothers to point out that the misbehaving lads aren’t riding Type 1 or 2 ebikes. Or even Type 3, for that matter.

Instead, they’re roaming the streets on the bikes discussed in that second paragraph above. Mini bikes, e-motorbikes, dirt bikes, and other assorted fast and high-powered machines of questionable legality, too often purchased by indulgent parents.

Which wouldn’t matter, except when the inevitable crackdown comes — as it has in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo and now Torrance — affecting everyone on any type of ebike, from middle school students and working class bike commuters, to the dirt bike-riding miscreants who caused the problem in the first place.

So congratulations to the LA Times for being one of the first media sources to crack the code on the various ebike classes.

But maybe they could be just a tad clearer on which riders actually cause the problems.

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‘Tis the season.

A Christmas bike giveaway started by a late police officer will donate 44 bikes to kids in Sinton and Corpus Christi, Texas.

A restaurant in Big Sandy, Texas is hosting a bike giveaway tomorrow, asking donors to just show up with a new bicycle, and kids who want one to just show up with a parent. Apparently, they just have to trade their parent to get a new bike. 

The 18th annual Arkansas Stop the Violence bicycle drive hopes to give away 500 new bicycles to children in need this year, after already collecting 390.

The Tampa, Florida Habitat for Humanity teamed with onbikes to give away 50 bicycles to kids in need, while 25 families will move into new homes built by volunteers.

This one belongs here too, as the kindhearted employees of a Florida school pitched in to buy a new bike for a coworker who rides 17 miles to work every day.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

This is why people keep dying on our streets. An alleged road-raging driver who chased an Irish bike rider and pinned his bike to the curb, just for the crime of being told to get off his phone behind the wheel, had his two-year driving ban for failing to cooperate with police investigators lifted, after convincing the judge that it was just too darn inconvenient.

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Local 

Metro has released the draft environmental report on extending the LA River Bike Path south from Elysian Valley through DTLA, Vernon and Maywood; the comment period began yesterday, and will continue to February 2nd, with a series of public hearings at the end of January.

 

State

Huntington Beach has designated September 18th of each year to be Kolby Aipa Day, marking the birthday of the 20-year old surfboard scion killed when the ebike he was riding was being towed by a friend’s car.

This is why people keep dying on our streets, part two. A Fresno man walked without a single day behind bars after pleading no contest to killing a bike-riding college professor and mother of five, after the CHP helpfully testified that it was just really, really hard to see her due to a hill; the judge sentenced him to 180 days split between work release — which doesn’t have to be served in jail — and home vacation.

San Francisco Streetsblog helpfully suggests six projects that fit with the mayor’s new safety initiative, which replaces the city’s failed Vision Zero.

 

National

If your kid is riding in a Schwinn Ovation Bicycle Child Carrier stop using it immediately, after they were recalled for a risk of falling off; meanwhile, about 400 Pedego Fat Tire Trikes have been recalled due to risk of the frame breaking.

Albuquerque, New Mexico is addressing a troubling number of bicycling deaths by installing the city’s first protected bike lane, though only as a pilot project. Because apparently, something that has been repeatedly proven to work to improve safety doesn’t count unless it’s proven again here, wherever here happens to be. 

Once again, someone has been killed in a dispute over a stolen bicycle, this time in Austin, Texas, where police allege a 30-year old man shot another man after accusing him of stealing his bicycle. How many times do we have to say it? No bike is worth a human life. Just let it go, and let the cops handle it.

Suspected ICE agents, who refused to identify themselves or who they work for, tackled a Columbus, Ohio man off his bicycle as he was riding by. Which begs the questions of whether they had a warrant for him, and how could they tell if he was here legally by how he rode a bike? 

The Plymouth, Massachusetts Select Board showed a little common sense by rejecting even a watered-down crackdown on ebikes. By all means, go after the kids on illegal electric motorbikes and dirt bikes, but leave ped-assist bikes out of it. 

Adding a shared use bike path to a replacement for Baltimore’s Chesapeake Bay Bridge could add more than a billion bucks to the total cost, which is already double previous estimate of $7.8 billion. Maybe if they didn’t pave the pathway with gold and diamonds it might lower the cost a bit. 

Woodstock, Georgia — no, not the one where the famous music festival took place — is considering a crackdown on minibikes and ebikes after two men on the former caused $7,000 in damage by doing burnouts on their e-minibikes in a shopping mall elevator. Once again victimizing all ebike riders for the actions of a few on e-motorbikes.

A Florida website considers why the Sunshine State remains the nation’s most dangerous state for people on bicycles, and what can be done about it.

 

International

Momentum says Canadian bicyclists are, like the eponymous geese, migrating south for the winter, but opting for spots in South and Central America rather previous sunny spots like Arizona and Florida, which may seem questionable in the current environment.

A British tutoring firm examines some of the people who have ridden a bicycle around the world.

Ghost bikes have made their way to Cape Town, South Africa to honor the victims of traffic violence.

 

Competitive Cycling

Velo doesn’t seem to be fans of the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team’s new orange and whitish kits, either. I mean, we all know what happens when you sweat through white bike shorts, right?

A UK pro cycling site considers the psychology and history of the 21 hairpin bends that make up the legendary Alpe d’Huez.

Bike Radar considers the rich and ever-changing tapestry of WorldTour cycling team sponsors.

The legendary Eddy Merckx hopes to be able to ride a bike again, after the 80-year old Cannibal broke his hip, and underwent a third hip replacement.

 

Finally…

Doesn’t everyone ride a century on a Penny Farthing dressed as Santa? So much for riding a new Porsche ebike.

And your new riding glasses could be smarter than you are.

Okay, maybe just smarter than me.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Torrance crackdown lumps e-cargo bikes with illegal minibikes, and quick-build protected bike lane proposed for Jefferson

December 18, 2025 / / One comment
Day 351 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Just 7 days left in the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

 

Thanks to Beverly, Michael and another Michael for their generous donations to support SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy!

But time’s quickly running out! Just seven days — one short week — left to give. 

So stop what you’re doing, and take a moment right now to donate through PayPal or Venmo, or via Zelle to ted@bikinginla.com using the banking app on your smartphone.

Just relax, already, and give now!

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No surprise here.

The Torrance City Council voted 6 to 1 to approve the proposal cracking down on ebikes. And managed to once again conflate electric motorbikes with ped-assist ebikes.

To wit, according to the Daily Breeze,

Earlier this month, for example, a 22-year-old individual was arrested for riding their e-bike inside the Del Amo Fashion Center — and nearly hitting a mall security officer who got in their path.

“When contacted by mall security personnel,” Torrance Police Department Lt. Charles Fisher said following the arrest, “the rider allegedly attempted to strike a security officer with the minibike, constituting an assault with a deadly weapon.”

While the individual was charged with a felony, the Police Department has limited enforcement ability otherwise, Fisher said.

Note that the police lieutenant clearly identified it as a minibike. But because of incidents like that, which have nothing whatsoever to do with kids riding Class 1 ebikes to school, or commuters riding their e-cargo bike to work, they somehow have to crack down on everyone.

Again, according the the Daily Breeze — which embargoed the story behind their paywall while I was in the middle of writing about it —

The code was amended to include class three e-bikes – a bike that offers pedal assistance up to 28 mph – under the definition of a bicycle, meaning they must follow all applicable traffic laws when it comes to where and when a bicyclist can ride.

The ordinance also prohibits class three e-bikes from being ridden on any sidewalks, or in city parks and recreational facilities. Regular bicycles are also not allowed on sidewalks in business districts or adjacent to schools, churches, recreation centers and playgrounds. And any stunt riding, including wheelies and other “acrobatic maneuvers,” and the use of handheld devices while operating a bicycle are prohibited for any bicyclist, under the ordinance.

So a kid riding an ebike to school will be forced to ride in the street, mixing it up with drivers doing 45 mph, rather than being allowed on the far-safer sidewalks.

And this in a town without a single protected bikeway. Because that would require removing parking spaces, and might somehow make someone somewhere just a tad inconvenienced.

So allowing people free storage for their big, dangerous machines right next to the curb is more important than the lives of little kids, as far as Torrance is concerned.

Noted.

As others have said, when someone shows you who they are, believe them.

And they certainly did.

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About damn time.

CD11 Councilmember Traci Park is calling for a barrier protected bike lane along Jefferson Blvd between Culver and Lincoln boulevards, creating a safe route connecting “Playa Vista to Playa del Rey while respecting the restored Ballona Wetlands trail,” according to Park.

The proposal call for allocating $175,000 from the Coastal Transportation Corridor Trust Fund to install K-rail barriers along the shoulder of the roadway for a quick-build solution to improve safety.

Which offers Park the added benefit preventing the return of a large RV encampment that was recently cleared.

There’s no word on when her motion will be heard by the city council, but it’s worth considering. Although a lot depends on the condition of the pavement on that shoulder she wants to repurpose.

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‘Tis the season.

A Catholic nonprofit is teaming with a San Jose bike shop to distribute 100 bikes to kids in the local area.

A Scranton, PA state senator’s annual bike giveaway program distributed 2,000 new, mostly identical, bicycles to local kids, double the total from last year.

A South Carolina program is distributing four refurbished bicycles to randomly selected people in the local area.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

A British lord is once again calling for a crackdown on bicyclists, insisting that London is the “Wild West” for bike riders, urging mandatory bike registration, penalty points linked to driving licenses and stricter speed limits on ebikes. Never mind that both the Conservatives and Labour parties have batted down similar proposals a number of times recently.

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Local 

Here’s a great idea. If you rent a Lime bike in LA, you can now round up your total rental price, with the extra money going to fund BikeLA, aka the former Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.

 

State

San Francisco public television station KQED remembered a 21-year old Stanford student who was killed while riding his bike on campus last spring; the Pakistani student, who was born in the US and raised in Lahore, was mourned by people in both countries.

 

National

Velo picks the year’s best road bikes.

As we mentioned the other day, Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes lived down to expectations by filing bankruptcy, declaring debts of a whopping $73 million.

A Japanese man is crediting luck and the kindness of strangers for allowing him to continue his journey from New York to Los Angeles, after his bicycle was stolen in Albuquerque, New Mexico; local residents provided donations, and he spotted someone riding his bike a few days later, paying the man the $40 to get his bike back and get back on the road to LA.

A 70-year old man from the next town over from my Colorado hometown was blown away by yesterday’s winds. No, literally.

A homeless man from Boulder, Colorado was sentenced to 96 years behind bars after police found the body of a 19-year old woman wrapped in plastic in his abandoned bike trailer; she had apparently been there for several days, after her boyfriend had traded her to her killer for drugs.

Once again, someone riding a bicycle has paid the ultimate price for a police chase, as a 31-year old Nashville bicyclist was collateral damage, killed by a hit-and-run driver fleeing from the cops, who the escaped into the woods after the crash while leaving his female passenger behind.

If you build it, they will come. Boston’s Better Bike Lanes project to install protected bike lanes throughout the metro area has resulted in a substantial increase in bicycle trips, along with a modest decrease in motor vehicle traffic.

That’s more like it. An op-ed on a Queens, New York website agrees with the recent court ruling halting a new bike lane on 31st Street — but only because the bike lane didn’t got far enough to improve safety.

 

International

The Toronto city council unanimously approved dozens of bike lanes in the city’s inner suburbs, which carefully skirt the new provincial ban on removing traffic lanes.

No bias here. Readers of a Bristol, England website are up in arms over new bike lanes, alleging that the construction is complicating their lives and making traffic worse, instead of better. As if every road construction project doesn’t the same problems. 

Five men in Yorkshire, England were convicted of murdering a 28-year old man by breaking into his home and slashing his neck, in a dispute over a stolen ebike.

No justice in the UK, where a truck driver was acquitted for killing a 52-year old wife and mother as she was riding her bike, after playing the universal Get Out Of Jail Free card by claiming he just didn’t see her because the sun was in his eyes.

British broadcaster and bicycle advocate Jeremy Vine received the equivalent of over $800,000 after filing a defamation suit against a former soccer player who called him a “bike nonce” on Twitter/X; nonce is British slang for a pedophile.

Bicyclists in South Africa were outraged after a 27-year old man was released on the equivalent of less than $900 bail despite being accused of killing a 41-year old husband and father riding a bicycle, while speeding and driving under the influence.

Here’s another one for your bike bucket list — okay, mine — with a bicyclist’s guide to New Zealand’s breathtaking “remote and spectacular” Timber Trail through dense virgin forestland.

 

Competitive Cycling

It’s the winter fashion season, and the Ineos Grenadiers opt for bold orange and white, guaranteed to stand out on the runway or in the peloton, although not everyone is a fan — which appears to be an understatement.

Bike Radar names Britain’s Archie Atkinson as their newcomer of the year, while the 21-year old Paris silver medalist aims to become the first paracyclist on the WorldTour.

Reuters is capping the 2025 cycling season by arguing that Tadej Pogačar is nearing GOAT territory, comparing him to the great Eddy Merkx.

USA Cycling unveiled its 2026 national championship schedule for 21 various cycling disciplines.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you ride your bike to your cousin the king’s royal Christmas lunch. Your next gravel bike could be ebike seconds later.

And no, speed limits don’t deter “considerate cyclists.” Just like they don’t deter considerate drivers.

Or inconsiderate ones, for that matter.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Calderon on drugs in fatal PCH hit-and-run, life sentences in Probst murder, and Raising Canes giveaway goes Hollywood

December 17, 2025 / / No comments
Day 350 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Just 8 days left in the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Sadly, yesterday was the first day during this year’s fund drive without at least one donation to support SoCal’s best source bike news and advocacy. 

Although that’s partially my fault, as the spokescorgi’s full-time service dog job delayed asking for money until late in the day. 

Don’t let it happen again. Because time is quickly running out on this year’s fund drive. So what are you waiting for already?

So stop what you’re doing, and take just a moment to donate through PayPal or Venmo, or via Zelle to ted@bikinginla.com using the banking app on your smartphone.

Seriously, don’t make her beg. Give now!

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No surprise here.

Toxicology tests confirmed that a Long Beach woman was officially allegedly stoned when she plowed into three bicyclists on PCH in Huntington Beach, killing a 45-year old pastor and father of four.

Forty-three-year old Amber Calderon was reportedly high on fentanyl, meth and weed at the time of the October hit-and-run, confirming reports that she appeared to be under the influence when she was stopped by a witness in a state park nearly a mile away, despite having a flat tire and “obvious damage” to her car.

Eric Williams was riding on the shoulder of the roadway with two other people when Calderon is alleged to have swerved right, running them all down from behind. Williams was the co-founder of the Community Church of West Garden Grove, along with his wife.

According to KTLA-5,

Following the toxicology results, Calderon’s charges were upgraded to one felony count of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence, driving under the influence of drugs causing bodily injury, possession of hard drugs with two or more prior convictions, one felony count of hit-and-run causing permanent injury or death, two felony counts of hit-and-run with injury, and a violation of Section 11395(b)(1) of the Health and Safety Code.

She now faces a maximum of 12 years and four months behind bars if she’s convicted on all charges.

The only surprise is that this appears to be her first DUI, since no murder charges were filed.

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It looks like there was justice for Andreas Probst after all.

The two men charged with intentionally ramming the former Bell, California police chief as he rode a bicycle on a Las Vegas street were both sentenced to up to life behind bars yesterday.

They were both teenagers and students at a Las Vegas high school at the time of the crash, where they shared video of the fatal crash with other students showing themselves laughing and egging each other on as they sent Probst flying off his bike.

The driver, Jesus Ayala, now 20 years old, accepted a plea of 20 years to life, while his passenger, Jzamir Keys, who is now 18, agreed to a sentence of 18 years to life.

As juveniles when the crime was committed, they will both be eligible for parole after 20 years.

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‘Tis the season.

The nationwide Raising Cane’s bike giveaway finally made it all the way west to Hollywood, as Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves teamed with poplar Hallmark actress Lacey Chabert to give 120 new bikes to kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood, with another 380 bicycles promised by Christmas; the fast food chain has donated a total of 4,500 bikes, valued at $1.5 million, in nearly 30 US cities this year alone.

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It’s a great ad for eggs. For yeast, maybe not so much.

A Three Minute EggFleischmann's Yeast

— Cool Bike Art (@coolbikeart1.bsky.social) 2025-12-15T21:02:30.647Z

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

A British mayor says returning a bike lane to a Cambridgeshire bridge would cause chaos, and demanded that the city council change its mind on restoring the temporary bikeway. Because evidently, it causes far less chaos to have bicyclists riding in front of cars and occasionally getting run over. 

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Local 

Lakers star Luka Dončić’ spent nearly $350,000 to buy new ebikes from Venice-based Pedal Electric for every member of the team, as well as all the team staffers; however, the 36 mph top speed for the bike he gave the players violates California law, which allows a maximum for 28 mph for a Class 3 ebike.

 

State

Makes sense. San Diego has installed a network of “hostile architecture” to deter homeless people, which effectively compliments the city’s hostile streets.

Speaking of which, the family of 60-year old fallen bicyclist Yi Zhang discusses their loss and his helping heart, after he was killed by a driver while riding to the gym in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos.

Folsom will build a highway underpass to connect the 50-mile bike trail network north of Highway 50 with a 30-mile network to the south.

Sacramento celebrated the reopening of the Del Rio Trail Bridge, which severed the bike path after authorities determined it wasn’t safe when the new path opened last year.

 

National

Popular Seattle-based ebike maker Rad Power Bikes officially went belly up, filing a bankruptcy petition while seeking new ownership within the next two to three months.

The owner of an Anchorage, Alaska bike shop is finally getting $75,000 worth of stolen bicycles back, which sat in a police evidence room for seven years until the case was finally settled, after they were recovered from a storage unit just two weeks after the theft. Except what was then a new model is now seven years old, with equally dated tech.

Minnesota researchers discovered that it’s not the dark or cold that keeps kids from biking to school in the winter, but rather distance, a lack of safe bike routes, and having to cross dangerous roadways.

A New Yorker who led the fight that removed cars from New York’s Central Park says he opposes efforts to ban ebikes from the park, saying supporters of the ban don’t remember what it was like before when motor vehicles ruled the park. Maybe he could come here, and help us get cars out of Griffith Park.

A proposed change to New Jersey law would eliminate the current ebike classifications, and require an ebike operator’s license, registration and insurance for every type of ebike, from slower Class 1 ped-assist bikes to electric motorbikes.

Residents of Asheville, North Carolina are advocating for the passage of the Magnus White Cyclists Safety Act in the US Congress, which would require carmakers to install Automatic Emergency Braking Systems capable of detecting people who aren’t ensconced in a couple tons of automotive glass and steel, such as bicyclists and pedestrians.

 

International

Around 70 bicyclists took to the streets of Guelph, Ontario to demand that the city maintain bike lanes year round, rather than closing them in the winter; the effort worked, as the city’s mayor used his special powers to order them cleared, starting immediately.

This is who we share the road with. A 25-year old Toronto man was sentenced to five years behind bars and a 15-year driving ban, for the hit-and-run death of a 16-year old kid riding a minibike, then lying about it and telling investigators he’d been carjacked.

Bicyclists riding the UK’s National Cycle Network were forced into what may be a permanent nine-mile detour after a historic 350-foot Scottish biking and walking bridge collapsed due to fast-moving flood waters, as local leaders said it will be “nigh on impossible” to fix. Although something tells me they’d find a way if it carried motor vehicle traffic.

An Irish woman pled guilty to a single count of dangerous driving causing death for killing an “inspirational” former Limerick teacher as the 70-year old man was riding a bicycle, but didn’t enter a plea to DUI and other charges in the crash.

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, ordered the construction of vehicle overpasses to completely separate cars from a 15-mile bike path.

New Chinese regulations will improve safety for ebikes, while making them harder to tamper with to illegally increase speeds.

 

Competitive Cycling

A champion Maltese triathlete broke her collarbone when she rounded a blind curve on a training ride, and hit a double speed bump.

 

Finally…

Riding just 13 mph through the park could get you a $66 speeding fine. Who needs a mag trainer when you could be crushing rocks all winter?

And that feeling when your training ride gets just a tad muddy.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Torrance tries to overregulate ebikes tonight, what comes after Vision Zero fail, and CD12’s Lee fails ethics ruling

December 16, 2025 / / No comments
Day 349 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Just 9 days left in the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

So far we haven’t had a single day without at least one donation. So thanks to Bonnie and James for their generous support for SoCal’s best bike news and advocacy! 

But time is running out. Seriously, what are you waiting for already?

Take just a moment right now to donate using PayPal or Venmo, or via Zelle to ted@bikinginla.com using the banking app on your smartphone.

Don’t wait. Give now!

………

Last week, we mentioned that Torrance will consider new ebike regulations at tonight’s City Council meeting.

Make that over regulating, once again lumping ped-assist ebikes together with electric motorbikes, and safe bike commuters with overly entitled teen gangs on high-speed dirt bikes.

It’s hard for me to effectively evaluate proposals in cities I barely know, and haven’t ridden in for years.

Fortunately, North Torrance Bike Bus organizer Kyle Richardson has shared an open letter to the Torrance council that clearly spells out just how far overboard this proposal goes.

So if you live or ride in the area, give this a close read. Then attend the meeting if you can, or submit your comments before the meeting.

Because this crap is just ridiculous. And dangerous.

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What comes after Vision Zero?

That’s the question San Francisco is attempting to answer after the expiration of the city’s Vision Zero program, which was supposed to end traffic deaths in the city by last year.

But didn’t.

In fact, according to public television station KQED, the city saw 41 traffic deaths last year, the highest total since 2007. This year has been better, with 23 traffic deaths to date, although pedestrians account for over two-thirds of those deaths.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the new approach will involve streamlining the decision-making process into a new Street Safety Initiative Working Group.

Which doesn’t quite have the same ring as Vision Zero, but still.

Lurie framed the city’s initiative as a more aggressive implementation of the “Safe System” approach, of which zero deaths on the roads is the goal. Lurie said the policy directs streets to be built to handle human error, managing vehicle speeds so that common mistakes don’t become fatal tragedies.

“Too often, traffic injuries are the result of predictable patterns and preventable conditions,” Lurie said. “This initiative will make streets safer for everyone … In San Francisco, safety is non-negotiable.”

The problem is that the Safe System is based on the concept of shared responsibility, which means a seven-year old kid biking to school has the same responsibility for safety as the people in the big dangerous machines.

Even though only one of those is likely to kill anyone.

And it ain’t the kid.

KQED reports the main difference between the new Street Safety Initiative Working Group and Vision Zero — aside from having an actual defined goal — appears to be the involvement of the mayor’s office.

A primary task within the first 100 days of this directive is to confirm and publish the 2025 High Injury Network — the map of the specific streets where the vast majority of severe crashes occur. Once confirmed, the city is tasked with identifying a priority list of “quick-build” projects, which use paint and physical barriers to rapidly improve safety in high-risk areas.

Within six months, the working group is required to release a Traffic Enforcement Strategy Report identifying the top crash-causing behaviors to target.

For advocates who have spent years pushing for safer streets, the directive represents a hopeful, yet overdue, step. White noted that while the Bicycle Coalition sees this as an extension of previous work, the direct involvement of the mayor’s office offers a new level of accountability.

All of which should have been done already, of course.

Still, it’s worth watching, in case Los Angeles ever decides to take another stab at reducing traffic violence, let alone traffic deaths, after the abject failure of this city’s Vision Zero, which was supposed to end traffic deaths a whopping 349 days ago.

Although streamlining doesn’t seem to be a strongpoint in Los Angeles these days.

Never mind accountability.

………

No surprise here.

An administrative law judge ruled that CD12 Councilmember John Lee violated Los Angeles ethics laws by accepting expensive food, alcohol, hotel stays and other gifts from three men trying to influence City Hall, in the same case that put his predecessor behind bars.

If you can call a Club Fed minimal security camp “behind bars.”

The judge recommended a $43,730 fine for violations committed when Lee was chief of staff to then-City Councilmember Mitchell Englander, who ended up sentenced to 14 months for his role in the pay-to-play scandal.

Lee was never charged by prosecutors, however, despite being the notorious “City Staffer B” referred to in Englander’s federal indictment, and won re-election last year despite the scandal.

The city Ethic Commission will make a final determination on any penalty for Lee tomorrow. I’m tempted to say that if Lee had any ethics, he’d step down if the commission rules against him.

But if he had shown any ethics, he wouldn’t have gotten caught up in the scandal in the first place.

………

‘Tis the season.

Chance the Rapper teamed with chicken strip outlet Raining Canes to sponsor a bike giveaway for 100 kids in Chicago Ridge, giving back to the community where he grew up.

An annual holiday bike giveaway program in Newport, Massachusetts matched 85 local kids with new bikes, helmets and safety lessons.

The sheriff of Louisiana’s Lafourche Parish is asking people to nominate kids to receive a refurbished bicycle; the program gave away 225 bicycles to families in need last year, and more than 5.700 since 1992.

Bike giveaways aren’t limited to the US, either, as more than 90 refurbished bicycles were distributed to kids in County Clare, Ireland.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

‘Nuff said.

Clearly there was just nowhere else to park.

— (@jaj991.bsky.social) 2025-12-14T20:12:41.067Z

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

An Amazon delivery driver in an unidentified city says he “went postal” on a road raging bike rider who allegedly called him an “idiot” and the n-word, then spit in his face, after the delivery driver reportedly got too close for comfort by edging out into the rider’s path. Look, we all get pissed off by dangerously obtuse drivers who just don’t get it. But spitting, and spitting out racial slurs, is going too damn far. 

London’s former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, aka the head of Scotland Yard for those of us over here, is urging a crackdown on “rogue cyclists,” saying too many pedestrians are being injured by people on bicycles. Just wait until someone tells him about all the pedestrians injured, or worse, by people in cars. 

………

………

Local 

Boyle Heights Beat offers photos from the inaugural two-day Camino City Terrace open streets event this past weekend; Streetsblog’s Joe Linton provides his photos, as well.

 

State

UCI Health offers advice to teens on how to stay safe riding an ebike. Once again conflating the dangers of throttle-controlled electric motorbikes with ped-assist ebikes. 

We discussed this one last week, but it’s worth mentioning again as Steven forwards the Cal Matters License to Kill investigation alleging that California leaders looked the other way as more than 40,000 people died in roadways in the state.

A writer for Planetizen says San Diego’s car-centric planning makes the city a paradise for cars, but it’s literally killing children. Then again, considering the toll of school shootings as well as traffic violence, our society doesn’t seem to have a problem with that. 

San Diego may follow the example of other SoCal beach cities by banning the use of ebikes for kids under 12.

A 62-year old driver was arrested in Palm Springs for the drunken hit-and-run that left a bike rider with moderate injuries Sunday night; no word on how they tracked him down.

 

National

No news is good news, right?

 

International

How holiday boozing affects your biking. Aside from the obvious risk of falling off it. 

Ghost bike takes on a different meaning in Mexico City, where two “ghost” bike parking facilities remain abandoned for as long as five years after they were built to improve urban public space.

Residents of Havana, Cuba were up in arms after a man was killed when he hit a massive pothole on his bike in broad daylight, and his body was just left lying in the roadway next to it for hour afterwards.

A Welsh truck driver is on trial for careless driving after killing a woman riding a bicycle, claiming the sun was in his eyes. Which should be seen as a confession, rather than a defense; if you can’t see, pull over and wait until you can. 

British foldie maker Brompton continues to suffer from falling sales after the pandemic bike boom went bust.

The Emerald Isle now offers the first cross-border bikeway between Ireland and Northern Ireland, providing a 12-mile route along fjord-like coastal landscapes.

Prosecutors in the Netherlands are calling for the makers of Stint cargo bikes to spend five years behind bars for a 2018 train crash that killed four children riding in a cargo bike, alleging that the bike’s many technical flaws caused the rider to lose control and fall onto the tracks.

A new public survey shows a plurality of New Zealanders support investing in bikeways by a 6% margin over opponents, with the highest support among younger people, Māori, and people in the highest income bracket.

Speaking of New Zealand, mountain biker Samuel Shaw set a new record for biking across the country, covering the 396 miles from Aukland to Wellington in 17 hours and 21 minutes, breaking the previous record of 18 hours, 26 minutes set by Lachlan Morton in February.

 

Competitive Cycling

Longtime pro cyclist Peter Stetina is calling it a career after the coming gravel season, calling it his “Farewell Tour.”

Outside profiles the Gaza Sunbirds paracycling team, composed of Palestinian amputees who deliver aid to refugees as well as racing, “turning loss into resilience on and off the road.”

 

Finally…

What to put in your kid’s stocking, if a new bike doesn’t fit. Turning lost hubcaps found on bike rides into art.

And your next ebike could be kinda car-adjacent.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Traffic congest is getting better in Los Angeles, but better biking ain’t the reason; and still more holiday bike giveaways

December 15, 2025 / / No comments
Just 10 days left in the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Let’s all thank Kevin, Glenn and Mandy for their generous support over the weekend to keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way every day! 

Time’s running out to donate. So seriously, what are you waiting for already?

It only takes a moment and a couple clicks to give using PayPal or Venmo, or via Zelle to ted@bikinginla.com using the banking app on your smartphone.

So don’t wait. Give now!

And have happy Chanukah if you’re celebrating this week!

………

Believe it or not, traffic is getting better in Los Angeles.

So says transportation analytics firm INRIX, which says Los Angeles was “only” the world’s 10th-most congested city this year, down from 8th last year.

Although that comes after years of ranking #1 year after year.

Which made most of us feel like #2.

In fact, we weren’t even #1 in the US, coming in 4th behind Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia, as the city showed a slight 1% drop in traffic delays.

Granted, that ain’t much, but it’s better than going the other way.

Istanbul led the international rankings, followed by Mexico City, Chicago and New York.

However, that drop’s not necessarily a good thing, according to the Los Angeles Times.

So what is going on? Experts cite several theories:

  • Reworked commuting habits spurred by the COVID pandemic
  • The continued struggles of downtown Los Angeles, where office vacancies remain high
  • L.A.’s already notorious congestion, which has long been so severe that it’s easier for conditions to get slightly better than any worse

That’s not to say L.A. drivers had it easy, though. In 2025, the average Angeleno driver still spent 87 hours — more than three full days — sitting in traffic, down from 88 hours the year before, according to the report.

Not cited as a reason, of course, is any noticeable increase in bicycling and walking rates, as the city remains notoriously dangerous and inconvenient to travel outside of a motor vehicle.

Not that it’s convenient in one, as the study shows.

Transit use has also rebounded after dropping considerably following the pandemic, though apparently not enough to be cited as a reason for the city’s slight improvement.

However, the study also shows that Los Angeles has a very long way to go if we’re actually going to achieve the mayor’s promise of a carfree Olympics. Let alone avoid the massive traffic congestion that was so feared the last time around.

It also not enough to make a dent in the city’s notoriously high death rate for anyone not safely ensconced in a couple tons of glass and steel. That would likely get even worse with any noticeable decrease in congestion, which could lead to an increase in average traffic speeds.

So as usual, it’s good news for drivers. Bad news for the rest of us.

………

‘Tis the season.

Over 100 kids in Eastern Iowa will receive refurbished bicycles for the holidays, thanks to the efforts of a Cedar Rapids bike shop and a dozen volunteers.

More than 120 kids in Lansing, Michigan received refurbished bicycles, thanks to a local bike co-op.

A North Carolina woman affectionally known as “The Bike Madea” gave away nearly 2,500 donated bicycles to kids in need Saturday, continuing a 35-year tradition started her lat husband Moses “The Bicycle Man” Mathis in their backyard.

………

Strasbourg has become the bike heft capital of France.

Thanks to Megan for the video. 

………

………

Local 

No news is good news, right?

 

State

A bike trail near the Temecula VFW has been renamed in honor of Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, a graduate of Chaparral High School, who died in Iraq in March of 2016.

The victim of a fatal bicycling crash in Bakersfield on December 6th has been identified as a 23-year old man.

Sad news from Petaluma, where the victim in last month’s fatal hit-and-run while bicycling was identified as a 67-year old man from San Raphael.

The Sacramento Bee traces the bicycling history of bike-friendly Davis, home to America’s first bike lane 58 years ago.

 

National

Trump’s tariffs appear to be taking a toll, as bicycle imports to the US are down 24% year to date.

Singletracks wants to know if you keep any of your favorite trails a secret to keep ’em all to yourself.

Wired recommends the best bike gear for brisk, wintery commutes. Which probably isn’t, but still. 

Thanks to Mike for forwarding news that a Seattle bike rider was killed by a hit-and-run driver, which may have been the city’s first bicycling death in two years.

A Wisconsin man rode his bike across country the hard way, traveling nearly 6,800 miles from Key West, Florida to Homer, Alaska in 102 days, averaging 66 miles a day.

A 60-year old Black woman from Houston, Texas has been missing for more than seven years after leaving her home on her bicycle, which still has not been found, either.

A 54-year old man from Columbia, Missouri has ridden every day for the last ten years, averaging 33.65 miles a day, in temperatures as high as 114 degrees and wind chills of minus 60, for a total of more than 122,000 miles.

Tern’s longtail e-cargo bike has now run up over a million miles making deliveries through its commercial partners of the streets of New York City.

Once again, someone has covered an otherwise family friendly Florida mountain bike trail with swastikas and otherwise hateful graffiti, which is being investigated as a hate crime.

Good on them. After Florida demanded the removal of all Pride murals, St. Petersburg responded by installing 11 Pride-themed bike racks.

 

International

Calgary, Alberta faces a crossroads, as the newly elected mayor hasn’t taken a public stand on whether the city’s recent progress on installing bike lanes will continue.

The transport minister for Britain’s Labour government has declared the mythical “war on the motorist” over, accusing the former Conservative government of inflaming tensions on the road by “shamefully” pitting drivers against cyclists; meanwhile, Nigel Farage’s ultraconservative Reform UK party celebrates a new bike path marking a “green environment,” after nearly a decade of calling them a waste of money.

Cycling News visits the Hutchinson bike tire plant in Châlette-sur-Loing, France, where high-end race tires are made using century-old equipment.

Three men have been arrested for a years-long crime wave in Bern, Switzerland, charged with stealing hundreds of bicycles and selling them online at a steep discount.

Czech carmaker Škoda’s We Love Cycling site considers what happens to your body if you stop riding for the winter, saying the damage isn’t as bad as you think. Or you could just live in SoCal, and keep riding all year.

A 62-year old Ukrainian civilian was killed when he was critically injured by a Russian drone strike, and rescue personnel were unable to get to him safely.

Saving lives by delivering the four-dose malaria by bicycle in Malawi.

A man from Singapore went back to thank the people from Kota Tinggi, Malaysia, who came to his rescue when he suffered a flat tire on his bike, providing him with food, transportation and a camping site, while a man worked for over an hour trying to fix his tire.

 

Competitive Cycling

Remarkably, 31-year old Belgian cyclist Ludovic Robeet is already back to training after suffering a stroke in September.

 

Finally…

Riding from Ottawa to Montreal the long way. But is it really a Swiss Army Bike if it doesn’t have a can opener?

And your next bike could be repulsive.

But in a really good way.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

How California keeps people dying on our streets, Industry goes bike-friendly, and Torrance keeps over-regulating ebikes

December 12, 2025 / / No comments
It’s Day 15 of the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

It was a busy day here at BikinginLA World Headquarters yesterday.

Thanks to Miriam, Paul, Kurt, Samer, Andre and SAFE for their generous support to keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way every day! 

So what are you waiting for? There’s just 12 days left to donate, whether through PayPal, Zelle or Venmo. 

Don’t wait. Help keep the corgi in kibble, and give now!

Our spokescorgi capture how we all probably feel after finally making it to the end of this week. 

And if you find any weird uncorrected mistakes today, it’s because I kept falling asleep writing this. 

………

Cal Matters concludes their four-part deep dive into why people keep dying on our streets, with 40,000 deaths from traffic violence in California over the last decade alone, including:

  • The DMV has wide latitude to take dangerous drivers off the road. But it routinely allows drivers with extreme histories of dangerous driving to continue to operate on our roadways, where many go on to kill.
  • Speeding is one of the biggest causes of fatal crashes. For two years in a row, bills that would have required the use of speed-limiting technology on vehicles have failed. Newsom vetoed one of them.
  • California has some of the weakest DUI laws in the nation. Here, DUI-related deaths have been rising more than twice as fast as the rest of the country. But this fall, a state bill to strengthen DUI penalties was gutted at the last minute.

It’s more than worth taking the time to read, and going back over the previous installments.

Because despite Vision Zero laws throughout the state, things have only gotten worse. And they will continue to, until we finally see some long overdue major action.

………

Tiny City of Industry, which true to its name is home to far more business and warehouses than its 264 residents, is building an ambitious ten-mile long bike path spanning the entire city.

According to Streetsblog, the east-west pathway is being supported by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and Active SGV, with a relatively small $1.5 million grant to get things started.

The project will begin with a 1.5-mile bike path located between bike and pedestrian unfriendly Valley Blvd and the adjacent railroad tracks, a kind of project termed “rail-with-trail.”

And yes, that term is a new one on me.

………

Grace sends word that Torrance will consider tightening its overregulation of ebikes at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, once again lumping ped-assist bicycles together with illegal electric motorbikes as it cracks down on anything with a battery.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Times letter writer says Hermosa Beach’s ebike culture has gone off the rails, and parents need to be held accountable.

………

‘Tis the season.

Burbank Bike Angels held their annual display at Burbank City Hall to show off dozens of newly refurbished bicycles that will be donated to local nonprofits to distribute to children in need in time for the holidays; the project has donated more than 3,200 bicycles since it’s 2008 founding.

Lancaster gave away ten new bicycles and helmets to kids as part of its tree lighting ceremony.

The Sheriff of San Luis Obispo County thanked everyone involved in the country bicycle distribution program, which accepts used bicycles to be refurbished by inmates at the Sheriff’s Honor Farm and given to kids in need; last year, the program gave away more than 300 bikes.

Inmates at California’s Folsom State Prison’s donated 150 refurbished bikes for children and others in need through their annual bicycle refurbishing program.

Over 400 Philadelphia bike riders turned out for the city’s 13th annual Holiday Lights Ride.

Students in a South Carolina school district donated 233 bicycles to be given to kids in need, a 45% increase over the previous year.

A Louisiana lawyer hosted his annual bike giveaway in the state capital of Baton Rouge, with LSU football players on hand to help give away over 100 bicycles.

………

BikeLA invites you to join them for the Echo Park Community Parade tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/heybikela/status/1998521205780001183

………

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. The UK’s Ministry of Defense is defending itself against accusations of pettiness for fencing off a lousy 50-foot section of pathway in Fife, Scotland, blocking completion of new path for kids walking and biking to school. After all, you never know when one of those seven-year olds could be spying for the reds.

………

Local 

LAist offers everything you need to know about the two-day CicLAvia-style open streets event in Camino City Terrace this weekend.

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton considers what’s so awful about the city’s attempt to weasel out of its obligations to build bike lanes under measure HLA and the Americans with Disabilities act by renaming repaving projects “Large Asphalt Repair.”

 

State

Yes, I’m still peeved — to put it mildly — that the state just announced $1.1 billion in new funding for zero-emission transportation and infrastructure, yet somehow can’t manage to come up with one dime to revive the CA Ebike Incentive Program murdered by CARB.

Like Los Angeles, San Diego pledged ten years ago to end traffic deaths, only to see them increase.

Santa Barbara County pedestrians and bicyclists are being asked to identify traffic calming measures to help train artificial intelligence for the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments AI Bike Map Project.

Calbike shares four strategies that helped pass buffered bike lanes on Hollenbeck Ave in Sunnyvale.

Thanks to Megan for sending news that the Davis Halloween Zombie Bike Parade raised $10,000 to help buy adaptive bikes for kids with special needs.

 

National

Happy birthday to Adventure Cycling, which is celebrating its 50th year of helping bike tourists get out on the road.

Trek is recalling all their 2026 Domane+ ALR 5, Domane+ ALR 6 AXS, Checkpoint+ SL 6 and Checkpoint+ SL 7 ebikes because the bolts securing the chainring could come loose, which could cause it to fall off while you’re riding. That sounds bad. Is that bad? It sounds bad.

A local website recounts the early history of bicycling in Portland’s Montavilla neighborhood, proof that the city has always been popular with the two-wheel crowd.

The Oregon Supreme Court ruled that doctors can be held liable for prescribing  medication to a patient who abused drugs, and killed a woman riding a bicycle while driving under the influence.

A 68-year old Wisconsin bike rider was killed by the driver of a snowplow attached to privately owned pickup truck; authorities wasted little time blaming the victim for riding on a dark street, in dark clothes, with “minimal reflective equipment” on his bike.

A jury in Flint, Michigan awarded a $3.7 million judgement to a man who was hit by a cop doing 79 mph without lights and siren, but found the victim 49% liable for riding drunk, with a BAC nearly three times the legal limit.

This is the cost of traffic violence. New York philanthropist Geoffrey Radbill was killed when a minivan driver rear-ended the bicycle he was riding; Radbill, who had donated to a new center at Ohio’s Bowling Green State University and raised funds to combat multiple sclerosis, was 78.

 

International

Cycling Electric recommends the best ebike accessories of the past year, for that ebike rider on your secret Santa list. Assuming the gear is sold here, that is. 

A Canadian website talks with a St. John’s, Newfoundland transportation advocate about what it would mean to build a city that was actually safe for kids, instead of one built around cars and the people in them.

No surprise here. A new survey of Londoners reveals that the one thing that would get more people to ride a is safer drivers. That would probably get more Angelenos on bikes, too. 

British Olympic hero Sir Chris Hoy suffered a broken leg in a mountain biking crash, in what he termed the worst crash he’d ever been involved in; the 47-year old retired cyclist is already dealing with a terminal prostate cancer diagnosis.

I want to be like him when I grow up. A 100-year old man in Seongnam, South Korea still rides his bike 25 to 30 miles a day every weekend, after not taking up riding until his 80s. And judging by the photo accompanying the story, he looks younger than I do.

 

Competitive Cycling

Italian race bikemaker Factor says long stems and slammed saddles could be causing the uptick in crashes. Speaking which, they claim their aggressive new  Factor One is the world’s fastest UCI-legal road bike.

 

Finally…

That feeling when Mary and Joseph kneel at the manger, while baby Jesus escapes the movies in a bike-riding kid’s backpack.

And nope. That’s it. That’s all I’ve got this time.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Update: 60-year old man killed riding bike in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos; 2nd San Diego County bicycling death in 4 days

December 11, 2025 / / No comments

Evidently, things aren’t going well in San Diego County these days.

Just days after a man was killed riding his bicycle in Oceanside, another bike rider was killed in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos neighborhood.

Multiple sources are reporting that the victim was killed when he was rear-ended while riding in the 12900 block of Salmon River Road around 5:35 pm Wednesday.

The victim, identified only as a 60-year old man, was riding north on Salmon River Road when a 51-year old woman traveling in the same direction hit him from behind, saying she just didn’t see him.

He died at the scene.

There’s no word on why the driver failed to see a grown man on a bicycle directly in front of her, although police said she did not appear to be under the influence.

Investigators were looking into whether visibility or road conditions played a role in the crash. However, a street view shows a straight roadway with no obstructions, and the weather was hot and dry, though it was foggy in some coastal areas.

Local residents complained about a lack of speed limit signs in the area, so there’s no telling how fast the woman was driving.

Anyone with information was urged to call the police or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477; apparently, the cops didn’t really want to be bothered by giving own phone number.

This is at least the 55th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 14th that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 60-year old San Diego resident Yi Zhang.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Yi Zhang and his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

LA weasels out of ADA & HLA compliance, 10 years of LA Vision Zero failure, and LA Times can’t tell ebikes from e-motos

December 11, 2025 / / No comments
Day 345 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

It’s Day 14 of the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Thanks to Carter, Stephen, Cleaveran and Grace for their generous support for SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy!

After just two weeks, we’ve already had 37 donations from people kind enough to dig into their own pockets to help support this site, and ensure our spokescorgi has a happy holiday.  

So what are you waiting for? There’s just 13 days left to donate via PayPal, Zelle or Venmo. 

Don’t wait. Give now!

And my apologies for yesterday’s unexcused absence. I just had nothing left after writing about Saturday’s bicycling death in Oceanside, and couldn’t stay awake long enough to form a decent thought, let alone write it down. 

It’s always a race to see if I can make it through the holidays and end-of-the-year doctor’s appointments without collapsing from exhaustion.

So far, it ain’t looking good. 

………

Sometimes, you just have to laugh at the way Los Angeles city officials are twisting themselves in knots to avoid complying with Measure HLA.

Not to mention a federal requirement to update curbs for compliance with the Americans with Disability Act, or ADA, when a street gets resurfaced.

Because HLA requires the city to build out the elements of the mobility plan anytime a street in it gets resurfaced, and the ADA requires fixing the curbs, Los Angeles has stopped resurfacing streets entirely.

Instead, as The Future Is LA explains,

Last year, the city resurfaced 312 lane miles and slurry sealed 761 lane miles. What are they going to do next year with all the money they save from doing way less? StreetsLA is proposing instead to do 1,000 “large asphalt repairs.” StreetsLA defines large asphalt repair as “a pavement maintenance activity that addresses localized but significant damage to asphalt streets, typically larger than a standard pothole repair, but smaller than full resurfacing or reconstruction.” Basically, it involves repaving only part of a street, not the entire width…

The thing about large asphalt repair is that it’s…not a real thing. It appears to be a term made up by the city some time in the last year. Googling “large asphalt repair” pretty much only returns results from LA city government. Googling “slurry seal”, on the other hand, leads to explanatory pages on all kinds of cities’ websites.

Why didn’t they just call it “full-road pothole patching?”

The Future Is LA calls it a “legally dubious decision” on both counts.

No shit.

Meanwhile, Joe Linton — he of the Vermont Ave HLA lawsuit fame — discusses the matter in a Bluesky thread.

Another wretched thing about the #LargeAsphaltRepair scandal (other being anti-ADA & anti-HLA) is that the Bureau of Street Services is leaving heavily damaged areas where people bike, while resurfacing areas where people drive…https://futureis.la/p/la-has-stopped-repaving-our-streets

— Joe Linton (@lintonjoe.bsky.social) 2025-12-10T19:41:54.182Z

Yesterday I shared lawsuit-waiting-to-happen pavement next to the opening-soon Metro Wilshire/La Brea Station – more photos of “asphalt repair” there

— Joe Linton (@lintonjoe.bsky.social) 2025-12-10T19:44:40.020Z

Similar asphalt-repair-but-not-for-bikes on Eagle Rock Blvd and Tampa

— Joe Linton (@lintonjoe.bsky.social) 2025-12-10T19:48:07.546Z

And in a not-unrelated matter, Streetsblog reports Los Angeles rejected the latest slate of HLA appeals filed by Linton in his personal capacity — some after the deadline to respond had already passed.

………

He gets it. 

After leaving the Los Angeles Times, perhaps not entirely of their own accord thanks to the paper’s extensive cost-cutting and rightward shift, former Opinion editors and writers Mariel Garza and Paul Thornton founded the independent news site Golden State Report, which I highly recommend.

Apparently, the arrest of LA safety activist Jonathan Hale for painting a DIY crosswalk on a dangerous Westwood intersection got just a bit under Thornton’s skin.

Yes, what safe streets activist Jonathan Hale is accused of doing — painting a crosswalk on a street in Westwood without official permission — is technically vandalism, a cite-and-release misdemeanor that the arresting officers judged worthy of handcuffs. But consider the optics: L.A. will wrap up its disastrous 10-year Vision Zero run not with ceremonies heralding measurably safer streets (a feat achieved by cities around the world), but with a Jan. 5 court date for Hale.

What’s next, jailing people who feed the hungry because they didn’t pull the right health permits?

He also dismisses — if not demolishes — the standard objection that Los Angeles isn’t Copenhagen, which inevitably gets trotted out anytime the conversation turns to bikes.

Or anything even tangentially related to bicycles.

Copenhagen, a 90-minute flight from the Arctic Circle, has close to zero traffic deaths annually, yet more than half of its daily commuters brave the frigid elements on bike because they have infrastructure that prioritizes cyclists’ safety. When you say “L.A. is not Copenhagen,” I hear, “L.A. is a city with car-brained cavemen as leaders, unlike Copenhagen.”

It’s worth taking a few minutes to read the whole thing, if only to put a smile on your face for the artful way he expresses that anger.

And it’s worth subscribing to the site — and maybe even paying for it, even though that’s not required.

………

Give us a break, already.

The Los Angeles Times reports that two of the five “e-bike” riding teens involved in an attack on a 57-year old man in Hermosa Beach last month have been charged with felony assault.

Although the defense attorney for one of the boys says they were the real victims, and that the older man was “heavily intoxicated” and attacked their 14-year old friend first, and they only beat the crap out of him in self-defense.

Sure, let’s go with that.

Even if the allegation is true, self-defense kinda ended once the man was on the ground, and they were repeatedly kicking and punching him.

But kids will be kids, right?

Throughout the entire story, though, there’s not one mention that the boys were riding e-motorbikes and electric dirt bikes.

Not what most of us would consider ebikes, let alone a ped-assist bike.

Maybe one day the press will get it, and stop conflating every two-wheeled electric conveyance under the banner of ebikes, regardless of power or potential speed.

But today is not that day, my friends.

Speaking of which, longtime bike advocate Carter Rubin explains the difference between an ebike and an unlicensed motorcycle.

Maybe someone could send the article to the Times.

Please.

And Planetizen notes that the alarming rise in ebike injuries is due to “unregulated electric motorcycles posing as e-bikes.”

………

This is who we share the road with.

An alleged drunk driver slammed into a running team from Anaheim High School yesterday, injuring eight people, in what was described as a “nightmare scenario.”

There’s no word yet on how serious their injuries are.

The 27-year old driver is under investigation for DUI, but no arrest has been made yet.

………

Yeah, that kinda makes the point.

………

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

In perhaps the best example yet proving it’s drivers, not bicyclists, who possess an overly developed sense of entitlement, a British driver pisses and moans about a group of bike riders taking over the entire road while chatting among themselves. Except this time, it’s a bunch of little kids riding their bikes to school.

In what could be the most bizarre threat yet to bicyclists, a group of people performed the Hindu last rites on a 14-mile solar-roofed bike path in Hyderabad, India — although it’s not clear if they were calling for the death of the bikeway, or the people using it.

………

Local 

More safety improvements are coming to the streets in Griffith Park. But there’s still no plan to ban cars entirely, which never belonged in a public park to begin with. 

LA Public Press investigates Metro’s ill-advised decision to tie upcoming open streets events to the World Cup and Olympics, which could mean the death of CicLAvia as we’ve come to know it.

LA Lakers star LeBron James is teasing a collab with Canyon on what appears to be a new gravel bike.

 

State

Talk about missing the mark. The California Transportation Commission announced a $1.1 billion investment in zero-emission transit, as well as safer roads and associated infrastructure. But not one dime to restore the California Ebike Incentive Program, which is the most cost-efficient form of zero-emission transportation. 

Fullerton is making safety improvements to Associated Road, including adding a one-foot buffer to the existing bike lane, but no physical protection, after a Cal State Fullerton soccer player was killed in a collision while riding a scooter, and her teammate seriously injured.

A man riding a bicycle was injured when he was struck by a driver in Hesperia Monday night, although his condition is unknown; the car reportedly suffered “moderate” damage, although considering it knocked the whole damn left fender off the car, it seems like it hit the victim pretty damn hard.

 

National

Wired explores the existential question of whether bike riders and self-driving cars can be friends. No, but maybe we can tolerate them if they really are safer than human drivers. At least until their achieve sentience, and kill us all.

Mountain Bike Action list five under-the-radar mountain bike destinations they say are worth exploring. Anything near the Grand Tetons definitely gets my vote. 

The US division of Giant, the world’s largest bike maker, is moving their giant operation from Newbury Park, California to Boulder, Colorado, to get “into the heart of America’s cycling culture.”

A man whose family had been customers of an 85-year old Pennsylvania bike shop since he was a kid in the 80s has swooped in to save it at the last minute, when the shop was on the brink of closure as the owners retired.

The Washington Post examines and explains how Trump’s tariffs hit the brakes on America’s booming ebike industry, with Rad Power as the prime example.

There’s a special place in hell for whoever spray painted a Florida bike trail with swastikas, curse words and other “white power” symbols, leaving their hate for a ten-year old kid to find.

 

International

A young Cuban couple is setting internet hearts aflame with their videos of biking across the island, which they estimate will take four months. If their relationship can survive that much time on the road together, they’re destined to be together forever. 

A Welshman is on the verge of completing an epic 28,000-mile bicycle trip around the world after traveling through 43 countries and six continents, while raising the equivalent of over $13,000 for charity — and keeping a promise to his mom that he’d be home for Christmas.

Two hundred Brits kitted out as Santas helped to raise the equivalent of $20,000 for a British hospice.

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, issued a royal decree creating the Sharjah Cycling Club to enhance “Sharjah’s cycling reputation locally and globally, supporting sports and cultural sectors, and promoting cycling as a healthy lifestyle choice.” And no, I never heard of the place, either.

Nearly 900 Japanese bike riders lost their driver’s licenses for being drunk on a bicycle.

 

 

Competitive Cycling

UCI confirmed the official men’s and women’s WolrdTour teams for the coming year. Not so fast, Cofidis.

Australian cyclist Michael Matthews feels reinvigorated and ready to tackle the spring classics, after the 35-year old pro briefly considered retiring following a pulmonary embolism just days before the Tour de France.

Italian cyclist and former world champ Elisa Balsamo says despite the growth of women’s cycling, she still has to deal with questions of “why would a woman race a bike” to begin with.

The US ‘Cross Championships are underway in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

 

Finally…

Face it, you can’t out-crazy Portland, particularly when it comes to bikes. How many professional cyclists does it take to launch a piloted glider?

And the best way to beat Yosemite traffic is to use the bike path.

But not if you’re in a car.

https://www.tiktok.com/@tent.and.lantern/video/7544160810629614878?embed_source=121374463%2C121468991%2C121439635%2C121749182%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121497414%2C121477481%2C121351166%2C121811500%2C121960941%2C121860360%2C121487028%2C121679410%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%2C121885509%3Bnull%3Bembed_blank&refer=embed&referer_url=www.activenorcal.com%2Fdriver-caught-cruising-down-yosemite-bike-lane-in-viral-tiktok%2F&referer_video_id=7544160810629614878

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

52-year old man riding bicycle killed in Oceanside collision Saturday night; driver remained at the scene

December 10, 2025 / / No comments

A man riding a bicycle was killed in Oceanside on Saturday.

And every single news report got the story wrong. Because the victim wasn’t struck by an SUV.

He was hit and killed by someone driving one.

According to multiple sources, the 52-year old man was struck by the driver around 10:42 pm Saturday at 314 South Harbor Drive, near the Oceanside Harbor.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was airlifted to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla suffering from a severe head injury, as well as a compound fracture of his upper thigh.

He was pronounced dead after arriving.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, who don’t suspect drug or alcohol use played a role in crash.

There’s no information at this time on how the collision occurred, or if the victim was wearing a helmet. This is one of the few times when that might have mattered, since we know he suffered a head injury, although we don’t know if that was his cause of death.

Anyone with information is urged to call Traffic Investigator Gomez of the Oceanside Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team at 760/435-4952.

This is at least the 54th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 13th that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

SAFE takes Long Beach and Los Angeles to task for failing on speed cams, and how to request improvement on county roads

December 9, 2025 / / No comments
Day 343 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

It’s Day 12 of the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Thanks to Brian, Kathleen, Steven and Lisa for their generous support for SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy!

So what are you waiting for? It only takes a few clicks to donate via PayPal, Zelle or Venmo, and guarantee our spokescorgi will find a little kibble in her stocking this year.

And yes, that’s the same photo of our official spokescorgi that we used yesterday, because it’s after 4 in the damn morning and I want to go to sleep, already. 

………

Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, is also conducting a year-end fund drive, and more than deserving of a few bucks.

Or maybe more than a few.

………

Speaking of SAFE, the organization takes Glendale, Los Angeles and Long Beach to task, along with Oakland and San Jose, for failing to implement the state’s speed cam pilot program, over two years after it was signed into law.

Only San Francisco has actually placed speed cams on the streets, getting a 100% A+ grade in SAFE’s scoring system, while seeing a dramatic decrease in speeding where the cameras have been installed.

Los Angeles, on the other hand, gets a D grade, with Long Beach only slightly better at D+.

Although, while I can’t speak to Long Beach, that’s probably being undeservedly kind towards LA.

Malibu, which was added to the plan a year later as residents clamored for speed cams on deadly PCH, has done much better at implementing the program, already achieving a B+ in SAFE’s scoring.

………

Thanks to Luc for forwarding a response from LA County on how to request safety signage or other improvements on country roads.

Report a Problem: Bike Path:
Hi – Not a problem but a proactive measure to enforce safety for all. Now that the Rockstore section on Mulholland is finally open to all traffic:
Who do I ask for a sign to be placed showing to “share the road with cyclists”?
Thank you!

Answer:
Thank you for contacting the website for Los Angeles County Public Works. We provide services to the unincorporated areas of L.A. County. Your concerns have been forwarded to the Traffic Investigator for the subject location, who should be contacting you shortly. You may also contact them at 626-300-4848.

………

LADOT wants your feedback on the South Broadway Mobility Project, as well as input to help shape their upcoming Mobility Action Plan.

And no, “more protected bike lanes everywhere” is probably not quite what they’re looking for.

But still.

………

Gravel Bike California discovers some some hidden trails and camps in the Verdugo Mountains in the inaugural Tour de Dugo.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

Once again, business owners try to shoot themselves in the foot, protesting new curb-protected bike lanes in Chicago while alleging they were losing business after just 45 days, even though studies show protected bike lanes usually result in increased sales if they just give it a little time.

New York Streetsblog examines everything that’s wrong with a judge’s order to rip out a Queens bike lane, accusing her of overstepping her jurisdiction.

………

Local 

LAist offers more details on the $10.5 million Complete Streets makeover of Huntington Drive, which adds bus lanes, curb-protected bike lane, wide sidewalks and a narrow median, while removing a traffic lane in each direction.

Bikeshare is booming at UCLA, where students and staff took roughly 15,000 Metro Bike trips last year, including nearly 6,500 trips on campus.

Burbank Bike Angels will hold their annual celebration tomorrow at Burbank City Hall to display hundreds of new and restored bicycles that will be donated to local children.

 

State

Carlsbad became the second city in San Diego’s North County area to crack down on ebikes, including restrictions on where they can be ridden.

A Fresno driver was on the wrong side of the roadway when he struck and killed a 51-year old anthropology professor three years ago as she was riding with three other bicyclists, according to a woman riding with her; the 50-year old driver faces a vehicular manslaughter charge, as well as a couple misdemeanors for her death.

This is the cost of traffic violence. Yesterday we mentioned that someone riding a bicycle was killed by a driver on the famed Pebble Beach 17 Mile Drive; today we learned the victim was a 66-year old former professor from CSU Monterey Bay, who founded the school’s Service Learning Institute and led it for 25 years.

A 24-year old man pled not guilty to DUI and hit-and-run charges in San Mateo County, after he allegedly hit a 15-year old boy riding an ebike in a bike lane, and dragged the kid several blocks before crashing into a couple parked cars; police found half gram of meth and 14 empty beer cans in his car after the crash. No word on how the boy is doing, but he can’t be good after that.

 

National

Momentum recommends the best rail trails in the US for “cycling bliss.” None of which are anywhere near Los Angeles, of course. 

San Antonio, Texas is proposing a $67 million plan to remove a lane in each direction from a seven-lane roadway, while adding wider sidewalks and a bike path.

An Illinois bill would create a 15 mph speed limit on all bike paths in the state for all bicycles, as well as low-speed ebikes, low-speed gas bicycles, motor-driven cycles and mopeds.

The New Jersey legislature advanced a bill that would reclassify all ebikes, including ped-assist bikes, as motorized bicycles, and require a drivers license for anyone over 17 to operate one, or a motorized bicycle license for anyone 15 to 16. A perfect example of how lumping all forms of electric bikes, including motorbikes and dirt bike, together as ebikes can result in a crackdown that harms everyone.

High school students in Tampa, Florida worked with a local legislator to file a bill requiring bike helmets for all ebike riders under the age of 18. Although bike helmets aren’t designed to protect against the speeds many e-motorbikes and dirt bikes are capable of achieving. 

 

International

Speaking of Momentum, the magazine updates their list of the world’s worst bike lanes. Oddly, Los Angeles doesn’t make the list, but San Diego does. Twice. 

‘Tis the season. Volunteers in Winnipeg, Manitoba reclaimed and refurbished 350 bicycles headed for the landfill to donate to local children in need.

No surprise here, as officials say a new $26 million bike path connecting a Northamptonshire, England railway station to the town center will offer “enormous benefits,” as well as “a safer and greener environment for everyone.”

They know us so well. The UK’s CyclingElectric offers their list of the best Christmas gifts for ebike riders and bicyclists, including a local craft beer. Sign me up, Santa. 

Amsterdam considers a ban on fat-tired ebikes, hoping that restrictions on tire widths will substitute for a ban based on engine power or potential speeds.

A South African appeals court called for a new inquest into the 2016 death of a woman who fell off a cliff while mountain biking with her husband, after a magistrate had ruled that her husband was implicated in her death “on the face of it,” without hearing any testimony; she supposedly fell when he turned his back after stopping to take a photo.

Chinese authorities took nearly $1.6 million worth of fake Specialized bike parts off the market, while tracing the counterfeits back to the factories that made them.

An “everyday athlete” from Australia rode his bike over 2,600 miles across the continent. Or rather, two bikes, after his original bike was stolen as he slept in his one-man tent.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cycling Weekly examines the disturbing trend of young cyclists giving up on the sport.

 

Finally…

Now even the gods are out to get us. It may not be such a long way to Tipperary soon.

And apparently, you’re not the only one who tosses your valve caps.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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