Not for me.
Even though I could use it as much as the next guy. Especially if the next guy has a bank account that makes Greece look flush.
But actually, I’m asking for you. And every cyclist you share the road with.
Because right here in Southern California, some of the finest bicycling advocacy groups in the country are out there every day, fighting for your rights and the safety of all riders.
And they need — and deserve — your support.
Personally, I’m partial to the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. And not just because I’m a board member.
In fact, when I agreed to join the LACBC three years ago, it was because I often found myself working side-by-side with them on various issues. And was impressed with the commitment and dedication they showed in fighting for better bicycling here in the City of Angels, and their willingness to listen to, and support, all members of the bicycling community.
Since becoming a board member, I can honestly say I have never had the pleasure of working with a better group of people, from my fellow board members to the staff and volunteers who run the organization on a daily basis.
Unlike some organizations, the LACBC doesn’t often trumpet its successes, or broadcast the issues they’re working on with various governmental officials. They tend to be far more interested in getting results than taking the credit.
But chances are, you regularly ride streets they’ve played a hand in improving, from Main Street in Venice, to 1st, Spring and 7th streets Downtown. Not to mention the role they’ve played as the incubator for CicLAvia, City of Lights and Bici Libre.
Staff members from the Coalition were also the only people other than myself who attended every single council and committee meeting in support of the groundbreaking bicyclist anti-harassment ordinance passed in L.A. last year, which has set the standard for similar laws in cities around the country.
And the LACBC is currently working to play a role in next year’s Mayoral and City Council elections, to ensure the voices of cyclists are heard in City Hall — both before and long after you cast your vote.
Unfortunately, that sort of advocacy doesn’t come for free.
Like any other enterprise, the LACBC has to pay for office space, supplies and computer systems, as well as travel and other expenses. Not to mention the salaries of those people out there fighting on your behalf on a daily basis.
And that’s where you come in.
If you’re not a member, take a few minutes right now to join, and add your voice and membership dues with a few thousand like-minded bike riders.
Or take a moment in this season of giving to give to an organization that needs and deserves your support. If only because they’re out there supporting you.
It doesn’t matter what you give.
A $10 donation means as much, and is just as challenging, to some as $1000 is to others. So give a dollar. Give a hundred dollars.
But give something.
Of course, the LACBC is not the only bicycle organization that deserves your support. Put your money where your heart is, and support the organization that means the most to you.
Like the newly revitalized C.I.C.L.E., which has been on fire lately leading rides and workshops for local cyclists. Bikeside LA appears to be inactive these days, yet they remain the area’s only registered nonprofit bicycling political organization. And while LA Streetsblog isn’t an advocacy organization, they do more than anyone else — myself included — to keep us informed about the news and events effecting transportation issues in the Southland.
For those of you south of the Orange Curtain, consider giving to the Orange County Bicycle Coalition, or the Newport Beach Memorial Ride fund.
A little further south, the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition could use your help. As could BikeSD, the new organization co-founded by Sam Ollinger, one of the brightest and most dedicated bike advocates California has to offer.
On the state level, I’m a huge fan of the California Bicycle Coalition, which as done a great job of representing the interests of bicyclists in the state capitol. And while I’ve had my disagreements with the California Association of Bicycling Organizations, aka CABO, you might find they’re the ideal group to support your views in Sacramento and cities around the state.
Then there are the groups working on the national level, like the League of American Bicyclists, People for Bikes, the Alliance for Biking and Walking and the Adventure Cycling Association.
It’s up to you to decide where your money will do the most good. But let it.
Now.
Please.
And don’t forget, donations to most, if not all, of these groups are tax deductible. Which is something that will come in handy on April 15th if you make a contribution before the end of the year.
I’m always reluctant to list people or groups for fear I’ll inadvertently leave someone out. So if you’re aware of a bicycle advocacy group worthy of our support, please let me know in the comments below.
………
In a step virtually no one other than they seem to understand, the League of American Bicyclists has selected the PR and Communications Director for the national AAA as the keynote speaker for next year’s National Bike Summit.
While the Bike League has partnered with AAA on a number of programs in recent years, local chapters have actively opposed bike safety measures, particularly in Washington DC and here in California.
Maybe she has something to say about how we can work together to improve safety for everyone. But maybe AAA should stop opposing bike safety on the local level first.
Thanks to George Wolfberg for the heads-up.
………
The LACBC wants your support for bike lanes on Westwood Blvd between Santa Monica and National Blvds. In case, like me, you missed the opening Saturday night, you can still catch the ARTCRANK LAX exhibition through next Monday. Neon Tommy looks at DTLA’s upcoming Bike Nation USA bike share program. The first phase of the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk opens at 10:30 am today at Paula and Garden Streets in Glendale. LADOT and CD4 Councilmember Tom LaBonge will rededicate the Alex Baum Bicycle Bridge from 10 am to noon on Thursday. Burbank’s Bike Angels will give away 150 refurbished bikes to local families this month. Cycling Unbound says you can tell the NHTSA is a joke because it has TSA in its name. A driver in tiny Durham CA didn’t mean to kill that cyclist, and he’s really, really sorry he did, then ran away like a coward.
Protected bikeways nearly double nationwide in 2012, and are expected to double again next year. How about a hidden minibar in your handlebars? Chicago business needs protected bike lanes. Boston is working for more, and safer, bike commuting. Bikeyface advises drivers on avoiding doorings and kangaroos. A Massachusetts paper asks why hit-and-run drivers flee. Lovely Bicycle offers advice on how to ride real slow. The Washington Post says it’s time we stopped living with streets that are killing us. Hit-and-run drivers are suspected of beheading several bollards protecting a separated bike lane; on the other hand, those might have been cyclists if the divider hadn’t been there. Jacksonville FL has killed 28 pedestrians and nine bicyclists this year alone; that compares with five bicycling fatalities in Los Angeles this year, with over four-and-a-half times the population.
Just like with cyclists, the only official solution to Toronto pedestrian deaths appears to be brighter clothing. Greater horsepower brings greater responsibility. Over half of all UK cyclists don’t feel safe on the road. A 15-year old Brit phenom returns to racing over a year after breaking his back in a racing fall. The unofficial highway code for cyclists. London cyclists drive to work to show how much they don’t contribute to traffic; something tells me most motorists didn’t even notice. Russia’s Katusha pro team is ticked off about not getting a ticket to ride in next year’s UCI WorldTour. New Zealand’s PureBlack racing team is about to go belly up, again. A local rider says Christchurch should be a cycling city. Australian authorities are looking for a teenage cyclist who was severely beaten by a bus driver in a road rage attack.
Finally, bike are great for transportation and recreation — and evidently, stalking potential serial killer victims
Your donation to the LACBC can be FREE to you! Many of local bicycle stores give huge discounts to LACBC members, as much as 10% off the purchase of a new bicycle and 15% off any accessories. Buy something, send the savings to the LACBC, and take a tax deduction for the donation. Works for me.
Great suggestion!
The petition applet dealy for the Westwood Bikelanes on http://www.la-bike.org/ridewestwood does not appear to work, neither my wife nor I can get it to actually accept the signature, it just acts like it’s loading for a second then fails silently (though it then does say “signed”, but the signature never shows up on Change.org’s site, nor do the number of signatures go up). The actual petition link is here – https://www.change.org/petitions/we-support-bicycle-lanes-on-westwood-between-santa-monica-and-national
With it failing silently like that but kinda looking like it did take the signature, LACBC may have quite a few people thinking they’ve signed the petition but who haven’t actually done it.
You can also support Adventure Cycling Association, which maps routes on the national level and is the main proponent of the U.S. Bicycle Route System, a route network of federally designated routes across the U.S. http://www.adventurecycling.org/holidaycampaign
Thanks for the reminder; I don’t know how I could have left the ACA out. I’ll add it to the list right now.
And you can support or join Women on Bikes So Cal, if you are so inclined ;). Thanks for the reminder. I am proud member of LACBC and will be renewing for sure – they do amazing work!
Also, Safe Routes to School. And, if anyone wants to win a $600 gift certificate for Bicycle John’s Lancaster, High Desert Cyclists are holding a raffle for one. Raffle tickets are $40.
Ok folks some us are buying for as little as $1.50 per hundred shares outright battery (nanophosphate including temperature insensitive best in class or completely unique in quality american made still) company stock I’ve previously guaranteed as a safe not moral and essential investment. But none of us, anywhere, have bought options for 2014 in this company- even though they say the stock will still be trading in 2013 and has NEVER gone below a penny.(yet)
I’m chiming in here as I’ve survived the solve so far. We can cool this planet- we can leave it so as to not overcrowd it, we can fly not just glide, we can so much better then survive. THe bike, the trike, all these things too few of even have a chance to fully like, are finally within reach. Vote with our money. Our speech as well. Somewhere is a lawfirm with someone who owns a bike and of tens of thousands a dollar fairly earned is paid to like.
About a year ago a firm kept the hundreds of millions there contract saidi they would be due- and that yes about three dozen thousand dollars per hour for other then the precious few.
This is where it’s at with a123 systems. I got taken out for not just november- but i’m alive and kicking harding then ever.
I’m back- and so can the dozens of dollars per share valuation of what’s now none as aoneQ
time is very very very short though
the judge has abused his discretion- the reorganisation is filed in bad faith- the bike owning stock owning owners of this publically traded american enterprise have notyet been heard.
let me be very clear a bout what a small battery can do for us who pedal.
it can let our brakes store all the energy we put into making us move-
meaning we use them more
meaning we survive- we comply with stop signs- having lost our reason not to etc.
meaning we don’t waste money on pads to regulate our speed downhill- but gofaster uphill for free.
farther
faster
safer
never having to ever plug in
or buy a new battery
technology
being given away fora quarter billion to the car industry
it’s blog censored of all comments- and not taking new ones only claiming to
it’s employees
the last america will see hired
it’s products
ONLY put in cars
is my nightmare
is why i didn’t eat one morsel of food in all of november notjustu weeks before and after
is why my bmi is betteer then it was now then i was a teen
my bloodwork even more spectacular
about why i’m free again, not just at last, to spill theh beans
as best i can
and say
i can’t guarantee your penny or two a share if now invested will not be lost- but if it is, so are we… needlessly
and delaware is not that far
the web lets us f ile
from anywhere
managementgets sued by owners- b y employees
but is at there service as well
the law is developing
we need a serious chapter 11 advocate
or the future of mobility will be suppressed additional decades
ifwe are to ever see it
i want to be wrong
to be enlightened
my mind is open
but if you w ant to stop a bike
and understand that in this heated too much world
it is evil to rub rubber to do it
EVIL
when literally babies die from the energy being wasted
the time
the danger
not just expense
EXT technology
is the alternative
and it might be too good f or cars
yes it might be
but for us
it’s just right
to light up the night
to rationally take away our fright
ext for extreme temp
i own no stock
(yet)
i owe perhaps millions now to people who bought it on my endorsement and have lost d imes on each share since then
BUT
I’ll pay them back
it’s the least of my worries
Brilliant people got shotina publkic park like yesterday tome
doznes of thdem
machine guns
tanks
‘they’ now want toown this battery maker
i say let’s say NO
they are banning bikes of all kinds
they are not a democracy
or even a private company
they are the past
it’s like sesame street
a123
a chemist
and a team
we WE have now spent billions
onfactories
and scientists
engineers
and even batteries
on powder for them
selling them below the cost of the powwder
so as to dominate the market very soon
and now
executives caring not about our planet
sell out
for half of what they offered
claimingit’s twice what one of our companies was willing to pay
even though barely a few million more
the lies need tostop
as do we at lighhts
as we need tostore energy for our lights
los angeles
it is “fifth element” land
it is “blade runner”
we can leave wheels behind
we can strap onshoes that make my weight loss seem insignficant compared to there lift- the steps made effortless- thec ommute needing cars or bikes is a quick hop skip and jump
technology
publically owned
sold to those with the highest and best uses for it
bikingn
was once the best we can do
but it c an be improved upon
if we don’t sell the store
to those who won’tlet us buy what we need or w ant
butrather for uneraned unearen unera unearned profit will only forever haunt
fuck them
with barely if that buck for every one of us put up
when the company i fight for still is worth over a buck for every one of them
a dozen easally times as much- not just well over the double now promissed they wanted to pay when i last posted ono here
hey
let’s not blame them for wanting to pay one quarter B instead of two
but we must stop them
i don’t mean tosound like bill clinton
in his overture thatfaileed out our governor
i rmember that day as well
it is teh final days
the two penny stock dances
we spendf thousands on electric shifters
we can afford regenerative braking
we can afford to stop and go
to light up the road like never before
it’s so simple
thet lithium car battery replacements are light
you goto lowes
or HD
but two bulbs
buy and ac invertor
and you have seriuous lumens
and never need move slower then 20 mph
or unsafely
motgor cycles are dangerous yes
but bikes
with modern brakes
lights
even power assistance
willl determine the fate of thousandsn of species in months coming- every day perhaps
i know s outhern california
i know DTLA
i know we need to be ab le t o buy the best materials to recover our roads for human purposes
to end the deaths
to bring back fun
and speed
both
if this company goes private
it will be worse then ithas been
we are already not allowed on bridges to san diego
fiction could not describe worse
obama follows my words about killing being easier then crossing
and it is us who kills our planet
with cars
and similar attitude about other matters
the bike is more then a symbol t hough
it is in fact the solution
i usded to say correctly that mostof theowners of this company would not s ell for quareter
or dollars
as they kknew the valuewas tens of dollars
but by simply filing a chapter 11
we are considered to not count
so of course the price is quartered and then still after ‘auction’ half
as if we wouldof taken twice- half abillion- right.
no way
it’s illegal
obviously so
it must not beallowed to occur
property rights include those of stock holders even in battery companies
which is whatthis has been
alll along
and can be someday for real
nota car enabaling cabal
but a company
that prevent usfrom being the dcell as teh warshoski brotehrs warened
as we are now
make them
or be made them
and tossed into the gutter
not even recharged once
hold your shares
or bill me
but kill me
after i pay you
as i’ll never surrender till someone does
or gives me reason to doubt these facts
cars are obsolete
here especially
even wheels are so quaint
having the stench of fetish
and exploiting trench
i want the batteries
we need t hem
but our money won’t be enough
if car companies are given the keys to never have there bluff’s known
a glimpse of George Jetson’s lack of wheel’s
is less then we need
evolution
safe speed
requires now from us- that we rob others of there greed
especially those who killled there best and brightest, old farts- not because they should of, but because perhaps correctly they knew not just that they could of, but in doing that, would see even us only now pat them on the back and trust them to sell batteries only to makers of products defective for the purpose sold- who would haveh us die of sedentary freaking lives despite no winter cold or lacking beauty bold.
of these facts i need all’s help to be bettertold.