Archive for April 20, 2013

CicLAvia! CicLAvia! CicLAvia! Plus Pedalers Fork opens, and bond issue and Mobility Element meetings

Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

The Pasadena Tri Club is offering a nine week Group Riding Series for new cyclists interested in learning how to ride with in a group with more experienced riders; the course is designed to teach the basics, improve fitness and increase confidence. Sessions meet each at 8 am each Saturday at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, 360 N. Arroyo Blvd in Pasadena, through April 27th; thanks to Margaret Ho for the heads-up.

The inaugural Green Prix of Long Beach will take place from 11 am to 6 pm on Saturday, April 20th in the parking lot of Anderson’s Hardware, 714 Pine Avenue; the free event will offer green artists, urban farmers, green chefs, children’s workshops, film screenings, sustainably focused beer, local venders and food trucks, in addition to a group ride, free bike valet and drawings for bike items.

It’s finally here. CicLAvia rolls out on Sunday, April 21st from 10 am to 3 pm, following a new route from Downtown to Venice Beach — or as Yo! Venice! puts it, from Dogtown to Downtown — along Venice Blvd. KPCC offers the most complete roundup to get you ready, while feeder rides roll from virtually every corner of the city. Culver City takes advantage of its central location on the route, and opportunities exist to walk to the coast and develop kids’ bike skills. Future events will follow Wilshire Blvd from Downtown to Fairfax on Sunday, June 23rd, before returning to an extended Downtown route on Sunday, October 6th. I’ll be at the LACBC booth at the Culver City hub from 2 pm to 3:30; stop by and say hi; or better yet, sign up as a new member if you’re not one already.

The City of Los Angeles will hold an Environmental Impact Report and scoping meeting for the new Mobility Element Update, which includes a major bicycling component. The meeting will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on Monday, April 22nd at Caltrans District 7 Building, Room 01.040 A & B, 100 Main Street Downtown.

Long anticipated bike-focused Calabasas farm-to-table restaurant, Moots bike boutique and 10 Speed Coffee shop Pedalers Fork is scheduled to open on Monday, April 22nd at 23504 Calabasas Road. I hope they have plenty of secure bike parking, because they’re going to need it.

This Tuesday, April 23rd, Westside riders and walkers have a chance to speak out about the proposed $3 billion bond issue to fix our streets. As it stands now, the measure does not address Complete Streets or building out the bike plan as streets get repaved, and there’s no mention of fixing our broken sidewalks. The meeting takes place at 6 pm at the West L.A. Municipal Building, 1645 Corinth Ave. Additional meetings are scheduled for Thursday the 25th and Tuesday the 30th in South and East L.A., locations TBD.

The Ride 2 Recovery Honor Ride will take place on Saturday, April 27th, with rides of 17, 40, 62.5 and 100 miles. The ride will start from the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, 27050 Agoura Road; funds benefit outdoor cycling programs and spinning recovery labs for wounded vets around the country.

Streetsblog LA hosts its 5th Birthday Party and Streetsie Award Dinner on April 27th, at the home of Deborah Murphy. Suggested donations for the fundraiser range from $25 to $100, but no one will be turned away; RSVP for location.

tumblr_mld0gn2nqS1qjdyl1o1_500Also on Saturday the 27th, the Northeast Los Angeles Riverfront Collaborative invites you to the River Bike + Walk Spectacular, from 4 to 10 pm at Marsh Park, 2960 Marsh Street. The event starts with a Bike + Walk at 4 pm, followed by a Community Fair at 6 pm and free outdoor screening of Beetlejuice at 8.

Sunday, April 28th, the 2013 LA to the Valley Unity Ride rolls to strengthen bonds between the city’s disparate communities. The ride starts and Los Angeles Historic Park and ends at Tia Chuchas. Registration is $20 before April 17th, and $25 before closing on April 19th; it includes lunch, dinner, snacks and mechanical support.

Also on the 28th, the 8th edition of the L.A.’s toughest hill climb competition takes place when Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer rolls from Sunset Triangle Park in Silver Lake, 3626 W. Sunset Blvd. The free competition meets at 8 am, and rides to the first of 10 serious hills at 8:15.

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Civic Engagement Committee meets at 6:45 pm on the last Tuesday of each month. This month’s meeting will take place at Johnnie’s Pizza at Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd. on Tuesday, April 30th. This will be the last meeting before next month’s Mayoral and City Council election. You don’t have to be an LACBC member to participate; email bikinginla at hotmail dot com to be added to the discussion list.

Warm up for Bike Week and River Ride with the Tour of Long Beach 2013, featuring an all-bike bike fest and rides ranging from a 5-mile Family Fun Ride to 31 and 62 milers through the bike-friendly streets of Long Beach, along with a full century through Long Beach and down the SoCal coast to Laguna Beach. Proceeds go to support pediatric cancer research at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach.

Ventura County and West Valley riders can take part in the 28th Annual Cruisin’ the Conejo Bike Ride on Saturday, May 11th. Rides range from a 12-mile children’s junior tour and 35-mile fun tour, to a 68-mile metric century and a 100-mile full century; all rides start and finish at 649 Lawrence Drive in Thousand Oaks.

This year’s Bike Week will take place May 13th – 19th, starting with Fix Your Bike Day on Monday the 13th, Guided Ride Day on Wednesday, May 15th, Bike to Work Day on Thursday the 15th, and Bike Local Weekend from Friday, May 17th to Sunday the 19th, offering discounts to bicyclists who mention Bike Week.

2013-posterThe 10th Annual Blessing of the Bicycles is scheduled for Tuesday, May 14th at Good Samaritan Hospital, 616 Witmer Street, between 6th and Wilshire. The multi-faith event is always one of the high points of Bike Week. And it never hurts to have a little divine protection when you ride.

Pasadena celebrates Bike Week as well, including Ladies Night on Wednesday, May 15th from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at Paseo Pasadena, 280 East Colorado Blvd.

The annual Ride of Silence falls in the middle of Bike Week, on Wednesday, May 15th, honoring fallen cyclists and calling attention to the need for safety. The biggest ride in the Los Angeles area will take place at the Rose Bowl starting at 6:30 pm and rolling at 7. Other Southern California rides take place in Gardena, San Clemente, Temecula, Thousand Oaks and Ventura, as well as the 2nd Annual Anthony Martinez Jr. Ride of Silence in Oxnard. Highly recommended to send an important message, as well as a little emotional healing.

Caltech Bike Lab teams with C.I.C.L.E. to offer a series of free defensive cycling classes; the next one take place on Saturday, June 8th at Caltech Y, 505 S. Wilson Ave in Pasadena. RSVP to bike@cicle.org with the date you want to attend.

Registration has opened for this year’s LA River Ride, to be held Sunday, June 9th, starting and ending in Griffith Park. If you haven’t done the River Ride, I highly recommend it; if you have, then why haven’t you registered already?

Here’s your chance to bike the famed Las Vegas strip and the surrounding Las Vegas Valley, with the 6th Annual RTC Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo Pinarello on Saturday, September 21st. The event will offer routes for riders of all levels, from a 17-mile ride to 60-mile Metric Century and a 103-mile Gran Fondo; the longer rides will visit the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Lake Mead. Discount registration applies through April 10th.

Hit-and-run on Mulholland Hwy, boat racing by bike and train, win a bike trip to Tuscany from LACBC

Lots of news coming in through my inbox this past week.

So let’s take a few moments to catch.

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First up is news of a hit-and-run on the dirt road section of Mulholland Highway. Fortunately, the rider wasn’t hurt, but that doesn’t change the need to find the driver and bring her to justice.

According to the email, the owner of a Valley bike shop was riding between the trail head near Topanga Canyon and the Reseda trail head when he was struck by what’s described as a white crossover SUV. He landed hard on the hood of the car, leaving a major dent.

The driver was reportedly looking down at her phone when she hit him. She got out of her car to look at the dent on the hood, then sped away without talking to her victim, who wasn’t able to get the plate number or make of car before she left.

If you see a vehicle that matches that description with a large dent in the hood, take down the license number and call the police.

Thanks to Dan at Santa Monica Helen’s for the heads-up.

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A couple weeks ago, Michael Eisenberg, who has contributed a number of items here in recent months, emailed me asking for info on taking a bike on an Amtrak train.

He was planning to participate in a Newport to San Diego sailboat race, and wanted to drive his boat trailer down to San Diego, then use a combination of bike and train travel to come back up to get his boat and start the race.

I’ll let him tell you how it worked out.

I’ve returned from my sailing/biking weekend and I thought you might want a travel report.

After launching the boat in Newport Harbor, I headed down to San Diego to leave the car and trailer. As I expected, I was running late and wasn’t ready to start cycling back to Newport Beach until 3:45. With a stop for dinner I calculated that I would arrive at my destination  around 10. I really didn’t want to finish the ride on PCH after dark, so I changed my plans and headed over to the Amtrak Old Town station.

The train was scheduled to depart at 4:08, so I needed to hustle to cover the 5 miles in time. I got there with 2 minutes to spare. As an aside, as I was speeding up Rosecrans Blvd passing block upon block of stalled rush hour traffic, I came upon a police cruiser with a cyclist pulled over and with his hands spread out on the hood awaiting a pat down. I have no idea what led up to this.

I’ve never ridden on a train before, so I had to ask around to find out what to do next. I was told that the only bike storage was on the lower level of the first car. When I entered to car, I found 10 bike racks in the front. This car also contain the area for special needs travelers. There were already 7 bikes in racks, and these must all have arrived. At the first stop, as Old Town was the second stop. I noticed that every other bike was locked, so I new I would have to get up at each stop to keep tabs on my bike as it was the low hanging fruit.

While on the train, I figured out how to register on-line with Amtrak and to purchase a ticket. I was ready when the conductor came by to scan the bar code on my phone. The ride was of course extremely pleasant. As I was dressed in cycling gear, I had two people come up to me asking about where to find good cycling spots in SD. Talk about the blind leading the blind. I was able to tell them about the excellent bike path that traverses the South Bay from Coronado around to Chula Vista and up to San Diego.  But when I mentioned the path was only about 30 miles long, their eyes got really big. My how perceptions change after a time.

The only glitch occurred when we arrived in Irvine. The train overshot the platform, and I had to carry my bike up the stairs and back to the second car before heading back downstairs to exit. Talk about tight.

Once I exited the station, I Googled the directions from Irvine to Corona Del Mar in walking mode. I was given 3 choices, all the same length of 15 miles. Two were major boulevards, and one was listed as Shady Canyon / Bonita Canyon. That sounded the most appealing and it did not disappoint. I was a first rate bike path with spectacular views. I arrived at my destination at 7:00 with a sense of accomplishment in discovering a new method of travel.

Once back at the boat, I removed the bike wheels, packed the bike into a travel bag, and stored it down below. The next day I won my singlehanded division in the Newport to San Diego sailboat race.

I’ve written this for you, not because I’m looking for any publicity, but instead to inform you about how easy and satisfying bit was to combine rail and bicycle travel.

Just goes to show what you can do with a bike and a little imagination.

As an aside, he notes that he’s planning to bike down to Knott’s Berry Farm for an annual car show later this month, a distance of 115 miles round trip. Which should impress his friends more than any car he might take down there.

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Eisenberg's DIY bike rack

Eisenberg’s DIY bike rack

Eisenberg also writes that he’s gotten in the bike rack business for a friend.

I went to the gym last night. The gym manager showed me a video taken in the morning of some low life creep cutting a cable lock on a $1000 bike and riding off. I hope they catch the bastard. Anyway, there was no proper place to lock a bike before, just around a 6″ x 6″ support post. So I whipped this up for him today. It’s now out being powder coated. I made this one for about 1/2 of what I saw similar ones online if anyone is in interested.

I should note that LADOT offers a free bike rack program, installing U-racks on request anywhere within the City of Los Angeles.

But if you’re outside the city or want a larger rack, you can contact him at maecomotorsport@bizla.rr.com.

Bike rack 2

You could have a rack like this of your own

And he notes that, now that the rack has been installed, the gym owner hopes the rack gets enough use to justify a second one.

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The LACBC is offering you a chance to win a bike trip to Tuscany by fundraising for the upcoming River Ride.

Fundraise for LACBC’s Annual Los Angeles River Ride.  It is easy.  The top prize for the highest fundraiser is a bike trip to Tuscany, courtesy of VBT. We also have a prize for the fundraiser who gets the most people to donate to the cause: a bike from DTLA Bikes. Runner-up prizes include a New Belgium Brewing Cruiser Bike and signed copies of Where to Bike Los Angeles. Prizes are guaranteed for meeting fundraising minimums at the $100 (LACBC socks), $250 (River Ride jersey), $500 (access to the River Ride VIP tent and beer garden), $1000 (recognition at LACBC donor and supporter party), and $5000 (custom vintage cocktail mixology, tea ceremony, or dinner with our Excutive Director and Board President) levels. Go to http://www.active.com/donate/riverride and  www.la-bike.org/riverride for more information.

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition has long been fighting for a safer, cleaner, quieter form of transportation for all Angelenos whether they bike, walk, or drive. The Annual Los Angeles River Ride provides much of the funds LACBC needs in order to transform the face of Los Angeles County and give future generations the option of enjoying Los Angeles by bike! This year’s Annual Los Angeles River Ride also incorporates a campaign to complete all 51 miles of LA River Bikeway. Imagine it: a completely car-free uninterrupted bike highway running right through the middle of Los Angeles, from Canoga Park to Long Beach!

When you raise funds for the River Ride you are contributing to this campaign. What a legacy to leave, the knowledge that you helped make such an enormous and positive change to the landscape of the 5th largest economy in the world. In addition to helping LACBC do such great work, high fundraisers win great prizes.

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Reporter Roger Rudick produced a story for KCRW’s Which Way LA contrasting the impressive bicycling infrastructure in the Dutch city of Rotterdam with the far less notable bikeways here in the City of Angeles.

Yet surprisingly, he discovers that the two cities aren’t that different.

Which suggests that Los Angeles could do a lot more to encourage cycling and keep riders safe.

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Police have concluded that the driver was at fault in the death of Cal Poly Pomona bike rider Ivan Aguilar. Charges against the driver, who has not been publicly identified, are on hold pending the result of a final report from the L.A. County Coroner.

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The family of cyclist Donny McCluskey published a moving memorial to the fallen cyclist, who was killed in Rancho Mirage when a speeding driver ran a red light and hit another vehicle driven by a drunk driver. The cars spun out of control and hit McCluskey, who was stopped at the red light.

McCluskey was killed despite doing everything right. Except being in the wrong place when two drivers broke the law.

Yet shamefully, neither has faced more than a slap on the wrist for taking the life of an innocent human being.

Donny McCluskey Memorial

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Finally, it turns out that those green bike lanes on Spring Street in Downtown L.A. aren’t so hard for filmmakers to remove in post-production after all.

Which begs the question of why Hollywood really wants them gone. And why FilmLA, the L.A. Times and L.A. city officials have fallen for what appears to be one big anti-bike lie.

Let alone why the city appears to have caved in to bogus demands to let the highly popular green lanes fade to oblivion.

Credit to LA Streetsblog’s Damien Newton for getting the truth in this story.

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I’m going to be at the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition booth at CicLAvia from 2 pm to 3:30 pm this Sunday at the Culver City hub; stop by and say hi if you get the chance.

Better yet, bring a few bucks, checkbook or credit card with you and I’ll be happy to sign you up as an LACBC member if you’re not one already.

Eastside teen cyclist critically injured; murder charge in last week’s Cathedral City DUI hit-and-run

The Eastsider reports a teenage bike rider was critically injured in a Glassel Park collision on Tuesday.

The student at the Alliance Environmental Science and Technology High School was making a left from westbound San Fernando Road to Fletcher Drive when he was hit by a car and dragged underneath the vehicle, suffering severe head injuries.

And no, he wasn’t wearing a helmet. In this case, it might have made a difference.

My prayers for a fast and full recovery.

Thanks to Patrick Pasqual for the heads-up.

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Twenty-seven year old Palm Springs resident Brandon Royce Melton has been charged with homicide in the DUI hit-and-run death of Edward James Shaieb in Cathedral City last Saturday.

This is Melton’s second DUI case; under California law, a previous conviction for DUI can elevate the charges to second degree murder. In addition, he faces charges for DUI, gross vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run resulting in death or injury.

Unless prosecutors completely screw up the case, he should off the streets for a very long time.

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LAist offers a list of the best bike rides in the L.A. area, including my all-time favorite L.A. ride. Great job by LAist’s Lauren Lloyd.

Meanwhile, SFist could only come up with five great rides by the Bay.

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LADOT Bike Blog implores you to stop running stop signs and red lights.

They’re right, though I might argue for different reasons; running stops greatly increases your risk of a collision — for which you’ll be found at fault — and virtually eliminates any chance of a financial recovery afterwards.

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I don’t usually link to fundraisers that benefit individuals unless they’ve been injured in riding collisions; after all, most of us could use a little help, myself included.

But I’m going to make an exception for this project for Michele Chavez, one of the top bike advocates in the Antelope Valley. She’s run out of funds after going back to school to develop the skills to work full-time in bike advocacy, and currently finds herself just under $800 short of her 4th quarter tuition.

I can personally vouch for Michele and the job she’ll do to make the world a better place for bike riders.

And maybe you followed the recent links to the heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant, story of Patrick Brady’s newborn son. Now you can contribute to a Kickstarter project to publish a book of the Red Kite Prayer writer’s best work — some of the most beautiful bike writing anywhere — to help defray their heavy medical costs.

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The Veggie Grill is offering a free meal to anyone who bikes in during the next seven days.

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Everything you need to know for this Sunday’s CicLAvia, along with four feeder routes from South L.A. and more from the Westside. The Weekly says CicLAvia could see tightened security, including undercover cops mixed in with the crowd. And Will Campbell shows how CicLAvia can be used for an unusually pleasant bike commute.

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The LAPD asks If you see something, say something to fight terror; I wonder if that extends to the terror on our streets, where I see speeding and distracted drivers every day. USC’s Daily Trojan looks at the upcoming MyFig project, which should benefit the school’s many bike-riding students. Evidently, L.A. Street Services has figured out how to seal street surfaces without covering over sharrows, as they did in Westwood last year. Sign, sign, everywhere a sign — except on the L.A. River bike path, which will be the sight of a walk and bike-in movie on the 27th. Santa Monica will soon allow pedicabs, but not on the bike path. Popular cycling route Topanga Canyon Blvd could be designated a state scenic highway from PCH to the Ventura County Line. Another look at bike-centric Calabasas farm-to-table eatery Pedaler’s Fork, which opens next Monday, and will host the first ever Moots boutique. Black and brown bicyclists band together to demand justice in the Gardena hit-and-run that took the life of bike rider Benjamin Torres. Cyclists debate the safety of a planned two-way cycle track through Redondo Beach; thanks to Jim Lyle for the link. Long Beach will have have it’s own mini-ciclovía Thursday, courtesy of the Long Beach Grand Prix. Every bike shop should have a dog.

A call for justice for an Indio bike rider who was shot by police in a case of mistaken identity. Why shouldn’t Big Bear students ride a bike to school; why indeed? A San Diego program uses bikes to help keep ex-cons from returning to jail. If a San Diego brewer meets its Kickstarter goal, they’ll make a $2,200 donation to BikeSD. San Diego wants to know where you want a bike rack. The 28th annual Crusin’ the Conejo Bike Ride rolls through the Thousand Oaks area on May 11th. A Santa Rosa motorcyclist wasn’t at fault in a collision with a cyclist, but broke the law by fleeing the scene. An Apple bike is finally photographed in its natural habitat, and turns out to be underwhelming. Cyclelicious updates pending bike legislation in Sacramento; the much hated bill that would absolve government agencies for liability for defective bike lanes may be dead or dying. Bad grades turn a pending art school dropout to a life of bike crime.

People for Bikes is planning a bike hackfest next month. Apparently, riding can beat dementia; including the craziness of driving when you could ride. Bicycling reviews the latest city bikes. Denver city council makes bike and pedestrian safety its top budget priority. Boston cyclists will soon get enhanced sharrows. In light of the recent bombings in Boston, NYC’s Five Boro Bike Tour pulls ads showing flames at the starting line; good call. New York’s new bike share program sells 5,000 memberships in the first two days, leading New York’s bike-hating Daily News to call for panic on the streets. A road diet may be on the way for Brooklyn’s most dangerous street for pedestrians. Remarkably, a New York cyclist can’t sue for injuries following a collision with an unleashed dog, even though the owner called on the dog to cross his path. There is no war on cars, despite what some auto-centric AAA directors may tell you.

Actor Gerald Butler rides a bike share bike in Mexico. Brit bike scribe Carlton Reid provides a preview of his free e-book, the upcoming Roads Were Not Built For Cars. London’s Guardian looks at why male cyclists shave their legs; I’ve done it ever since I found myself trying to field shave a badly cut calf so I could get a bandage to stay on long enough to ride back home, besides, I’ve got the legs for it. London mayor Boris proclaims himself a wily, curb-hugging cyclist. Dutch bike riders are most likely to have their bikes stolen while shopping. Turns out Lance failed four doping controls in the ’99 TdF. Great read from the Wall Street Journal on an American woman supporting the budding yet banned women’s bike movement in Afghanistan. An Aussie rider says unsanctioned races could be the future of cycling.

Finally, the family of a fallen Albuquerque cyclist is understandably upset about repeated vandalism and theft of his ghost bike; but did they really have to post the story under Paranormal? And it turns out green bike lanes aren’t the only problem Hollywood has with today’s Downtown; it’s all those damn people.

Breaking news: Joel Alexander Murphy gets serious jail time in DUI hit-and-run death of Roger Lippman

I’ve just gotten word that Joel Alexander Murphy has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for the drunken, high-speed hit-and-run collision that took the life of Orange County cyclist Roger Lippman.

Lippman was riding north on PCH along the Bolsa Chica Wetlands last June when he was run down from behind by a car driven by Murphy; a witness reported seeing his body flying over 100 feet through the air following the impact.

Instead of stopping, Murphy continued on until he had second collision a few miles away, crashing into the fence surrounding the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station. He was arrested at the scene, and booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, driving under the influence resulting in great bodily injury, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and violating probation for prior drug offenses, including DUI, dating back to 2005.

Last month Murphy changed his plea to guilty, reportedly without a deal in place.

On Friday, he was sentenced to 10 years in state prison on one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, along with an additional five years for fleeing the scene. The terms are to be served consecutively, with the five-year sentence specifically excluding any eligibility for parole.

Which means that we can expect Murphy to be off the streets for at least the next 10 years at the bare minimum.

It doesn’t bring Lippman back.

But for once, a killer driver gets more than just a slap on the wrist.

Meanwhile, my source reminds me that the Orange County DA’s office still has not filed charges against Becki Lee James in the allegedly drunken death of cyclist Kenneth Prevatte just a month later and a few miles up the road, despite receiving a final report from the Huntington Beach Police Department over six months ago.

Which makes me wonder what exactly they’re waiting for.

Vote now for Bicycle Friendly Business Districts; new bike study shows what we already know

I was just about to put this when the news broke about the bombings in Boston.

Somehow, posting it then just didn’t seem right. But maybe, by now, you need a break from the fast flying rumors.

Lord knows I do.

And while I’m tempted to just wait until tomorrow, these links aren’t getting any fresher. And this piece is certainly long enough as it is.

So here’s today’s post, just as it was it going to be earlier today. I haven’t changed anything, so if something comes off wrong in retrospect, I apologize.

Just remember, in regards to what happened today, much, if not most, of what you’ve read and heard today will later turn out to be wrong.

So let’s wait to point the finger.

And take the news with a grain, if not a bag, of salt. The truth will come out soon enough. 

And in the meantime, I hope you’ll join me in offering a prayer, or whatever you’re comfortable with, for all those killed or injured in the bombings. No one should ever die or suffer a life-changing injury just because they ran, or watched, a race.

Just as no one should ever die just because they rode a bike.

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Only two more days to vote for a proposal to create Bicycle Friendly Business Districts throughout the Los Angeles area. If you haven’t voted yet, take a moment and do it now.

Or if you need another good cause, CicLAvia is in the running for some money, as well.

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Minneapolis conducts a study of bicycling collisions, and concludes that the safety in numbers effect is real and quantifiable.

They also discover that most bike crashes are a result of drivers not seeing or yielding to bicyclists, and bicyclists not riding in a predictable matter.

In other equally startling results, they found that the sun usually does rise in the east, and the bear does, in fact, poop in the woods.

As it turns out, spandex-clad scofflaws are actually more law abiding than the general driving public. But you knew that, right?

And US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood calls for zero tolerance for drivers who don’t respect the rights of bicyclists on the road. No further word on LaHood’s impending retirement; personally, I move we make him DOT chief for life.

Meanwhile, a new study says thinking may be the most dangerous thing a driver can do behind the wheel.

Which suggests that many motorists may have nothing to worry about.

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Always carry a spare when you’re riding on the bike path.

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Still no suspects in the gruesome hit-and-run that dragged cyclist Damian Kevitt onto the 5 Freeway. The LAPD points out, correctly, that while a traffic collision may not be a crime, driving away from one is. The eighth edition of L.A.’s toughest hill climb event takes place on the last Sunday of this month. The search continues for the killer of bike-riding artist Sam Michel in Koreatown last year. Would Brentwood residents be willing to give up part of their front yards to make Bundy Drive safer for cyclists? KCET Departures examines fixed-gear trick riding. The Times looks at four new bike helmets. Pedicabs could soon go into business in Santa Monica. It seems cities with progressive bike infrastructure have us surrounded. Injured mountain biker rescued in Altadena. Cal Poly Pomona will host a pair of traffic safety forums this Thursday, followed by an online forum later that evening. Patients from Miller Children’s Hospital kick off the month leading up to May’s Tour of Long Beach. Long Beach-based Women on Bikes offers a new column from a professional triathlete.

Turns out you can live without a car, even in Orange County. Newport Beach extends the deadline to apply for the city’s Bicycle Master Plan Oversight Committee to April 26th. For once, drivers weren’t complaining it was bikes that slowed traffic on PCH in Corona del Mar. In a sparse report, a bike rider is injured on PCH in Huntington Beach; I’m starting to realize that when a newspaper says more details to come, it’s code for we’ll never report on this story again. San Diego-area cyclist Gordy Shields owns master’s criterium records in three separate age categories, and probably set another one as the only competitor in the 95+ age group Sunday. If you’re going to rob a man at knifepoint, you might choose a faster getaway vehicle than a beach cruiser. Temecula residents ride bikes to replace tykes’ stolen trikes. Riverside residents will have a chance to debate a planned road diet, while a Ukiah letter writer predicts disaster if a road diet there goes through. A Santa Maria run will honor a 19-year old cyclist killed by a distracted driver in 2009. Caltrans’ botched resurfacing of Highway 1 north of Cambria will keep most cyclists off the popular riding route through fall of this year. A 79-year old San Raphael man is killed after falling under a passing vehicle, which may or may not have hit him; either way, if he hadn’t been Jerry Browned by the car it wouldn’t have run over him.  A 15-year old San Lorenzo boy is killed playing chicken with a moving train. Damning with faint praise, a San Francisco paper says bike and pedestrian enhancements don’t necessarily hurt businesses, when actually the study they cite shows the results are overwhelmingly positive; thanks to Ralph Durham for the heads-up. Durham also sends word that a newly completed bike path will allow cyclists to ride from Downtown San Jose to Palo Alto using almost no surface streets. And he forwards this story of a San Jose man sentenced to a well-deserved 41 years for the road rage murder of two elderly men.

Andy Schleck plans to come back from last year’s season ending injury at this year’s Amgen Tour of California; on the other hand, his doping-suspended brother won’t. Cannondale’s Peter Sagan will be here, too. If you can get to a National Park this week, your admission is free; and if you get run over, the FBI could investigate, as the death of a rider on the Natchez Trace Parkway demonstrates. A automotive website asks if this is the world’s most beautiful e-bike. The Oregonian says streets are for unoccupied car storage, dammit. A Utah woman receives a piddling 210 days in jail for killing a bike rider because she couldn’t be bothered to scrape her windshield or stop for an oncoming train. A pair of Utah writers debate bicycling progress in SLC. A long-time Nebraska bike cop is sued for colliding with a 63-year old pedestrian. Minneapolis police arrest two children in the case of a cyclist attacked with a Molotov cocktail; would a good spanking followed by being grounded until the age of 47 be considered cruel and unusual punishment? A bicyclist leads police on a slow speed chase in Austin TX. A Long Island mother turned herself in, but denies guilt, for a September hit-and-run that dragged a cyclist under her car for 500 feet — with her five-year old in the car next to her. A New York cyclist offers an introduction to urban cycling. An NYC bike tour may not have to pay for police protection after all; thanks to George Wolfberg for the link. Signups begin today for Gotham’s new CitiBike bike share program. A Newark cyclist is dragged 30 feet following a collision, but survives with minor injuries. Baton Rouge, capital of the other LA, demonstrates that cities can demonstrate the effects of a road diet before making it permanent; note to Hollywood location scouts — evidently, they even have green lanes in the deep south these days. Florida cyclists ride to the state capital to call attention to bike safety. Moving the needle downward on bicyclist and pedestrian deaths.

A Toronto hit-and-run driver blows through a red light escaping a collision, killing a cyclist, before causing a five car collision. Toronto debates whether ebikes belong in the bike lane; the same debate is soon to come to a city near you, if it hasn’t already. One of the world’s leading experts on global warming is killed by a truck while riding in London. A writer for the London Guardian says the anti-bike lobby has run out of plausible arguments. Vandals target a UK cycling event, scattering tacks on the route and removing direction signs; let’s call this what it really is — domestic terrorism targeted at bike riders. If Oxford University can create its own bike brand, can USC and UCLA bikes be far behind? The Cycling Embassy of Great Britain offers their typically extensive round-up of links that puts my humble efforts to shame. Scot cyclists call for strict liability legislation. Cyclodeo wants to be a cycle-centric take on Google Street View. A Chinese bike rider has her cell phone stolen by a pickpocket using chopsticks.

Finally, yet another house is the victim of a drunken driver; if only they’d all use lights and wear hi-viz. A UK toddler is saved by his helmet, but not the way you might think. And the Detroit Free Press talks to a bike, or rather trike, riding Winnie the Pooh.

Congratulations to Chris of the Westwood Helen’s, who has been promoted to a buyer at the Santa Monica location. Couldn’t be more deserved, or happen to a nicer guy.

70-year old bike rider killed in Cathedral City hit-and-run; DUI driver turns himself in later

It’s happened again.

According to the My Desert website, a Cathedral City cyclist was killed leaving a shopping center last night. And once again, the driver fled the scene.

But for a change, he turned himself in later.

The site reports that 70-year old Edward James Shaieb had just left the Canon Plaza shopping center on his bike just before 8 pm, apparently after collecting plastic bottles for recycling. An SUV driven by 27-year old Brandon Melton of Palm Springs was traveling west on East Palm Canyon Drive east of Golf Club Drive when he hit Shaieb; no word on which direction the victim was riding or where he was positioned on the street.

A number of motorists stopped to help Shaeib, including a doctor and nurse, but they were unable to resuscitate him; he died at the scene, with the bag of plastic bottles he’d been carrying scattered across the roadway.

Melton called police about 20 minutes later after he’d arrived back at his home. KESQ-3 reports he was arrested on manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and DUI charges.

Based on a number similar cases, however, the hit-and-run charge is unlikely to stick, since he called police himself.

There was also a female passenger in the SUV, which may be why he turned himself in.

My Desert notes that Shaeib was not wearing a helmet; whether it would have done any good depends a lot on the speed of the vehicle that hit him.

This is the 17th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second in Riverside County. Shaeib is also the second victim — or maybe third — victim of a fatal hit-and-run since the first of the year.

My sympathy and prayers for Edward Shaieb and all his loved ones.

Breaking news: Driver sentenced to five years in hit-and-run death of Newport Beach cyclist

I’ve gotten confirmation from multiple sources that Michael Jason Lopez pleaded guilty today in the hit-and-run death of Newport Beach cyclist Dr. Catherine Campion-Ritz.

As you may recall, Campion-Ritz was the second of two cyclists killed in Newport Beach in just 24 hours last September, hit from behind as she rode with her husband in the bike lane on high-speed Newport Coast Drive. The driver fled the scene, leaving her critically injured in the street; she died later at a local hospital.

According to a press release from the OC District Attorney’s office, the Newport Beach Police Department used surveillance video to identify Lopez’ truck and determined that he was the driver, arresting him just three days after the collision.

Lopez accepted a plea deal for a single felony count of hit-and-run causing death and a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence.

According to the press release, he will serve five years in state prison. However, another source indicates that Lopez will serve four years in state prison on the felony count — with the possibility of parole — followed by another year in county jail for the misdemeanor.

The death of the popular physician had a huge impact on her family, as the press release indicates.

Victim impact statements were submitted to the court by the victim’s mother, her husband, two brothers, and two sisters. The victim’s mother said in part, “Her death was a tragic loss for all of us. Without warning, she was gone and our lives will never be the same without her. I never expected to outlive my children, yet Kit is gone at 57 and I am still here at 87.”

The victim’s husband said in part, “Catherine was many things to many people; physician and leader in the medical community, business leader, a church lector, and family leader. To me she was my wife. She was my confidant, my partner in adventure, and my inspiration. There is an emptiness at home with no one to reminisce about [the] past, to discuss the day’s events or to make plans for the future. The activities we did together I typically now do alone or not at all.”

What the release doesn’t mention is the impact her death had on the larger community.

Along with the death of cyclist Sarah Leaf a day earlier, it inspired a massive rally and bike safety campaign that still reverberates today. As tragic as it is, we can honestly say her death wasn’t in vain, as it has lead to improvements in safety and enforcement that could help keep other riders alive.

Which, honestly, should be the result of every cyclist who falls on our streets.

Whether just five years, or potentially less, is justice in this case is subject to debate; Dr. Christopher Thompson got a similar sentence for merely maiming two riders, though his actions were intentional.

However, it is a lot more than the slap on the wrist too many hit-and-run killers get away with.

And it’s probably the best we could hope for without going to trial.

Thanks to Jeffrey Fylling and Ann for the heads-up. And thanks to the NBPB and Deputy DA Anna McIntire for bringing a killer to justice.

A ride through the Westside, in eight parts

Cars blocking bike lanes. Doors blocking bike lanes. Trucks blocking bike lanes. Nannies blocking bike lanes. Elderly drivers ignoring right of way. New sharrows in front of Catholic churches. Missing sharrows. Useless sharrows. Decrepit Victorian VA churches. Last second left cross drivers.

Or as I like to call it, Thursday.

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a video from my helmet cam.

It’s not that I haven’t captured anything worth sharing. It’s just that by the time I usually get around to editing the video, the limited storage left on my ancient Mac means I’ve usually had to delete the footage before I can do anything with it.

So I wanted to get this one out while it’s fresh.

This is footage I captured on yesterday’s ride through L.A.’s Westside and Santa Monica. The sad thing is, there’s absolutely nothing unusual about it. Other than discovering new sharrows on my usual route through Westwood, things like this happen virtually every time I get out on my bike.

Maybe just not so many on the same ride.

And this wasn’t even everything I saw, good or bad.

There were a couple of Jerry Browns that the camera didn’t pick up – it seems that the fisheye lens on the cam means that a driver has to virtually brush me before the video looks anywhere as close as it feels in person. And I also have to avoid flinching, since the helmet mount means I miss the whole thing if I turn my head away.

I also noticed the county has been busy with the sharrow stencils, as well, adding a single symbol on Washington between the beachfront bike path and where the bike lane picks up on the next block. They also put in a few behind the Marina library, where riders on the Marina bike path have to share a brief roadway with drivers using the parking lot or moving their boats.

And in a nod to the Cycle Chic crowd, I wanted to offer a look at a well-dressed woman I encountered who looked about as good as anyone could on her bike. But when I saw the video, it felt a lot more like Creepy Stalker Guy than an honest appreciation of a fellow cyclist.

Delete.

As for those newfound sharrows on Ohio, maybe someone can explain to me why they skip the two blocks between Selby and Glendon on the westbound side, but not on the east.

Did they just forget? Or is there some incomprehensible reason why those two blocks on that side of the street, where they’re most needed, don’t qualify for sharrows?

Because it’s right there, in that direction, where I feel most pressured by drivers when I take the lane, since it’s far to narrow to safely share.

A little pavement-based support from the city for the proper road position would have gone a long way towards telling impatient drivers that’s exactly where I belong. And encourage more timid riders to use the street and move out of the door zone, despite pressure from drivers coming up behind them.

There seems to be no reason to omit them from the street.

But omitted, they are.

And don’t get me started on the oddly placed sharrow further west that forces riders to duck beneath a low tree branch as they hug the curb.

Or the oddly undulating placement that may keep riders out of the way of vehicular in places without parking, but encourages them to weave in and out of the traffic flow in a dangerous manner, as some motorists may not be willing to cede the road space to let them back into the traffic lane.

Look, I’m not complaining. Much.

I’d glad to have sharrows on a street that needed them.

But these need some serious improvement before they meet the apparent goals of encouraging more ridership and keeping riders safer on the street.

What the f*** is wrong with Beverly Hills??????

Excuse me if I’m a little livid.

Okay, mad as hell, to the point that my head may explode.

Because once again, a story has surfaced of a cyclist seriously injured on the streets of Beverly Hills. And once again, the local gendarmerie is either incompetent, or just doesn’t give a damn about a bike rider bleeding on their streets as a heartless motorist just drives away.

It’s an all-too-common complaint I’ve heard from far too many bike riders. They get hit by a car in the Biking Black Hole, and there’s little or no follow-up by the Beverly Hills police.

And as a result, little or no justice.

The latest case comes courtesy of L.A. Streetsblog, as they follow-up with Paul Livingston, a rider so critically injured in a hit-and-run that he’s able to walk only through the miracle of modern medicine.

Let alone still alive.

The last thing Paul remembers that day is being put on a stretcher before he woke up in a hospital bed six days later. He suffered spinal and pelvic fractures. His pelvic bone, broken in half and pushed upwards into his bladder had severed blood vessels causing him to bleed internally. When he was first admitted to the hospital he was hypotensive, which means his organs were shutting down with the lack of blood and his body was going into shock. Paul underwent three abdominal surgeries within the first two days just to stop the bleeding. On the fourth day, the doctors were able to fix his pelvis and then he went through spine surgery only to have pelvic surgery once again to get it back to its original position. Paul also suffered from post-operative infection from the abdominal surgeries. Finally, with his fever gone, he was healthy enough to have his spinal fusion – as a result, Paul is a bit shorter now.

You’d think that any competent police agency would conduct a thorough investigation of such a serious felony, and do everything necessary to bring the near-killer driver to justice.

You’d think.

I ask him about the person who hit him, self-identified as Victoria Chin. He tells me that during the time of his recuperation, he had been in touch with the Beverly Hills Police Department to find out what was going on with the woman who hit him and then ran. Apparently, they were dropping the ball on his case as they never even processed her car for evidence. And her explanation for not stopping, as given to the BHPD, “There was no place to park.”

The technical loophole that Victoria Chin falls into is that no one could properly identify her even though the day after the collision she called the BHPD herself. The police officer she spoke to said she had to come in to the police station to turn herself in. She then called back saying she would be in tomorrow. The police officer reminded her to bring her car in for processing. The next day, Chin showed up without her car and with a lawyer. She only admitted to being Victoria Chin refusing to say anything else. Her lawyer asked the police officer if they were going to book his client. BHPD said no. So, the lawyer asked if they were going to arrest his client. BHPD said no.

They let Victoria Chin go. No arrest. No charges.

It’s far from the first time something similar has happened.

Beverly Hills police and courts have repeatedly dropped the ball on cases involving cyclists. And while they have responded to pressure from riders, it shouldn’t be up to us to force them to do their damn jobs.

Now don’t get me wrong.

I’m not anti-police.

In fact, I have a great deal of respect for most cops, and have often been impressed with the responsiveness of the LAPD when I’ve dealt with them on various issues. While there are always a few bad apples, I’ve found overwhelming majority of officers are caring and committed to doing their best to protect the public and bring justice to those who have been wronged.

With the obvious exception of the NYPD, who the Beverly Hills police are evidently trying to emulate in their lack of responsiveness in incidents involving bicyclists and pedestrians.

But there is simply no excuse for any department dropping the ball so badly in so many cases where bike riders are run down on their streets. And given that it happens so often, the question arises whether it’s the fault of a few incompetent cops, or if there is a willful, systemic bike-blindness within the department that emanates from the top down.

It’s not a question I can answer right now.

Fortunately, charges were finally filed in the Livingston case, despite the failure of the department to conduct the most basic investigation.

In late august 2012, over a year after the crime, Don Ward wrote about the crash here at Streetsblog and elsewhere informing people about Paul’s situation and called on the cycling community to join them at the Beverly Hills City Council Meeting to draw attention to his case.

For a moment, Paul pauses his story, speechless, he swallows and then tells me that four months later, after the public outcry and the persistency of his lawyer, Otto Haselhoff, the DA of Beverly Hills is finally pressing charges. The helplessness that Paul describes to me, all his suffering, mental and physical anguish, had begun to lift. He quit drinking, started jogging, he was able sleep through the night.

“Knowing that something can be done, that there will be some kind of justice, this changed my life.”

Maybe so.

It’s long past time for Beverly Hills Police Chief David Snowden and new Mayor John Mirisch to meet with bicyclists to find some solutions to the dangers we face on their streets. And the apparent lack of support we get from the police.

In the meantime, I will continue to avoid Beverly Hills as much as possible. Not just because of their failure to provide a single inch of bikeway anywhere in the city.

But because I don’t trust the police to give a damn conduct a thorough and honest investigation if I end up bleeding on their streets.

Three SoCal cities in top 10 for Complete Streets policies; proposed three-foot law moves forward

A national organization honors the Best Complete Streets Policies of 2012.

According to a press release from Smart Growth America, three of the top 10 policies are from cities in the greater L.A. area — though they define that as a far greater area than anyone here would. They list Hermosa Beach and Huntington Park tying for second behind Indianapolis, with Rancho Cucamonga in 10th place.

I think San Bernardino County would dispute that it’s anywhere near L.A. And I’m not sure L.A. would admit to more than a passing acquaintance it.

According to the SGA website, 488 cities and towns nationwide have adopted Complete Streets policies.

There may be hope for this country yet.

Update: I initially wrote that Orange County’s Huntington Beach received the honor, rather than L.A. County’s Huntington Park. Thanks to TQ for the correction.

………

California’s latest proposed three-foot law is amended to address the improbable concerns of our veto-wielding governor. Can’t say I’m familiar with the bill’s sponsor, Assemblymember Steven Bradford, but I’m liking the guy more and more each time I read about this bill. Here’s who you need to bug before April 22nd to get the bill out of committee.

But will Ohio get theirs before we get ours? Depends a lot on Governor Brown and his veto pen.

……..

The Antelope Valley Times offers a detailed update on the two idiots — and I use the term advisedly — who intentionally Jerry Browned a group of cyclists on Sunday morning, as we discussed here yesterday.

Idiot one is being held on $100,000 bail, while idiot two was released on $30,000.

Thanks to Michele Chavez for the link.

………

The authors of Where to Bike Los Angeles will team with the LACBC for L.A. Roubaix, our own not-so-hellish cobblestone-equivalent ride this Sunday; I’m told participants may have an opportunity or two to join in on Sunday’s Rowena Ave Cash Mob, as well.

………

Will pedestrian improvements make Downtown’s freeway overpasses more walkable? A petition calls for completion of the planned Confluence Park and its connecting bikeways. Santa Monica students go car free. Time for a little beer-induced bike-centric socializing in Upland. Calabasas bike-centric eatery Pedalers Fork is looking damn good, even if we have to wait until the 22nd for it to open. Long Beach police are on the lookout for a bike-borne groper, who evidently owns, steals or borrows multiple bicycles. Signal Hill wants to hook up with Long Beach, bike lane-wise.

A visit to frame building school, in two parts. Velodrome season opens in San Diego on Wednesday. San Diego needs to work with SANDAG to develop a regional bicycling plan. San Francisco Streetsblog discusses raised bike lanes to separate bikes from taxis; they’re coming to Chicago, too. A 12-year old Oakland thief is arrested after attempting to make his getaway by bike. Santa Rosa is the latest city to consider a cyclist anti-harassment ordinance. A Novato bike shop gets the okay to sell beer to its customers; now that’s what I call full-service. A Vacaville cyclist is recovering after being seriously injured riding salmon.

The late Annette Funicello was 1958’s Bicycle Queen, while Stephen Colbert wipes out on a pink cruiser in the House office building. A Great White North news site challenges Lance to earn back a little respect by competing in the Iditarod Trail Invitational bike race through the Alaskan wilderness — in winter; or he could just sponsor my brother so he doesn’t have to sell his entire dog team and equipment, damn it. An OKC cyclist is looking for the hit-and-run motorist who gave him fifty bucks, then drove off. New York’s long-delayed bike share program will kick off next month; Gothamist offers a first look at a new station in Brooklyn. New York cyclists push for bike lanes on the famed Verranzano Bridge. A Brooklyn cyclist is billed $1,200 for damage to the NYPD patrol car that hit him. A Daytona Beach mother is killed riding on her way to a job interview. A Pensacola man gets 24 years for killing a cyclist in a hit-and-run six months after getting out of prison on a DUI. Miami Heat stars LaBron James and Dwayne Wade support the city’s Critical Mass.

A Vancouver cyclist is killed in a collision with a pedestrian; when bicyclists collide with pedestrians or other bike riders, it can be deadly for both victims. After the latest London bike death, cyclists call for a ban on large trucks at rush hour. London Cyclist explains why drivers get mad at us, and offers slang you need to know. A UK writer points out the first death from performance enhancing drugs occurred in 1886; not surprisingly, the victim was a cyclist. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili breaks his shoulder riding his bike in Turkey.

Finally, all the hot vampires and werewolves from Twilight recommend using bike lights so you won’t end up undead like them; or am I reading a tad too much into it? Perez Hilton loves this bike. And it turns out Niceville isn’t for at least one pedestrian and bike rider.