Tag Archive for Bicycle Friendly Universities

Morning Links: Bike-friendly UCLA nabs the Silver, and Marin grand jury delves into traffic planning

Congratulations to UCLA, which has been upgraded to a Silver Level Bicycle-Friendly University.

It’s great that the university is taking concrete steps to keep bike riders and their bikes safe on campus.

Just too bad LA Councilmember Paul Koretz is dedicated to keeping things dangerous once they leave it.

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A Marin columnist congratulates the local grand jury as they demonstrate why traffic planning should be left to people who know what the hell they’re talking about.

The grand jury, which is clearly unfamiliar with the concept of induced demand, came back with a report criticizing local officials for failing to solve the region’s traffic problems, calling on them to widen roadways to increase capacity.

And failing, evidently, to recognize that the cause of traffic congestion isn’t the width of the roadway, but the number of vehicles on it.

“Based on community feedback and limited funding, focus on those potential improvements that maximize congestion relief and safety. Outside of this project, consider shifting planned budgets for multi-million dollar pedestrian-bicycle pathways toward projects that benefit a larger population.”

Never mind that those “multi-million dollar” pathways benefit public health while providing people with an alternative to joining the great mass of motor vehicles clogging the roadways.

Let them learn from Southern California’s mistake. Turning streets into highways, and highways into freeways does not solve the problem, and only makes the situation worse while destroying the quality of life in the surrounding community.

So if they can’t handle the traffic, the only real solution is to provide residents with a way out of it.

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Business Insider offers a close-up look at Peter Sagan’s bike; he retains the leader’s jersey after four stages.

Dutch rider Tom Doumalin criticizes the long, boring transitional stages in the Tour de France. He should be happy since the race heads back to the mountains today, with a battered Alberto Contador looking vulnerable.

American Evelyn Stevens retains her lead after four stages in the Giro Rosa.

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Local

Writing for the LA Times, Alissa Walker sends a message back in time to describe the utopian, extremely bike and transit-friendly Los Angeles of 2056. We can dream, right?

The LA Weekly looks at the Eastside’s Ovarian Psychos, saying the radical feminist cycling group is taking Boyle Heights back one ride at a time.

Metro is reaching out to low income communities to participate in LA’s new bikeshare system.

A man was shot to death while riding along the LA River, on an unpaved section of the bike path in Bellflower, in what police say appears to be a gang-related attack.

Palos Verdes Estates will discuss replacing the highly biased “Bicycle Laws Strictly Enforced” signs with “Share the Road” signs and signs touting the three-foot passing law at today’s meeting of the city’s Traffic Safety Committee. Nice that they realize traffic laws should be enforced against people who don’t ride bikes, too. But maybe they could go for “Bikes May Use Full Lane” instead of the useless and outdated “Share the Road.”

 

State

A Riverside woman was lucky to survive with moderate injuries after her bike was clipped by a train.

Atascadero is planning to install a roundabout and separated bike lanes to improve safety near a high school, while providing access from downtown to Atascadero Lake.

Visalia is asking for public input on the city’s first-ever active transportation plan.

At least three witnesses jumped into action to follow a hit-and-run driver who fled the scene after slamming into a Santa Rosa salmon cyclist; the victim suffered road rash, while the driver was busted and booked.

 

National

Google’s self-driving cars can now recognize cyclists’ hand signalsBut how will they respond to the one used the most in LA traffic?

Wired says instead of trying to fool Waze, slow traffic by installing road diets with bike lanes, among other options.

An Austin TX bike rider died when the chain came of his bike and jammed into his wheel, throwing him off his bike. Let that be a tragic reminder to always keep your bike in good riding condition.

An Ohio boy with cerebral palsy is given the gift of freedom and mobility by the local Kiwanis club, in the form of a customized tricycle.

Ohio cyclists — and riders around the world — were up in arms over a driver in the Columbus Doo Dah Parade who featured a crushed bike on the hood of his SUV, with a manikin depicting a cyclist sticking out of the roof, and a sign reading “I’ll share the road when you follow the rules.” Because evidently, he’s the only driver in Ohio who never breaks the law. And because threatening to kill people is always good for a laugh.

The Louisville KY city council votes to reduce funding for bikeways in favor of programs to help keep kids off the streets. Which their vote will accomplish in more ways than one.

An Indiana cycling instructor lists a dozen ways drivers and bike riders can share the road.

An upstate New York man faces charges for tackling and holding down a cyclist who almost hit his dog. As a dog owner, I can understand the sentiment. But, no.

A New York driver intentionally ran down and killed a man on a bike before fleeing the scene. So naturally, the NYPD responds by cracking down on bike riders.

Great idea. A DC bike advocacy group uses a grant to hire five trail rangers to patrol area bike paths.

A Norfolk VA writer says the only thing holding the city back from being a great cycling city is a lack of political will. Which is exactly what’s holding LA back, some areas in particular.

 

International

Ottawa transit officials rejected plans for cycle tracks in a new rail station design, knowingly putting bike riders at risk. Meanwhile, Ottawa police ticket 323 drivers and tow 29 vehicles for parking in bike lanes and bus-only lanes.

The Netherlands isn’t just a haven for bike riders, it’s also paradise for bike thieves.

Denmark’s royal family is one, uh, four of us, as they go for a family bike ride.

If you’re going to pose as a cyclist and attempt to blend into a group ride in order to sneak across the border into Spanish territory, make sure your stolen passport is in order first.

It took American adventurers Rebecca Rusch and Pat Sweeny four days to pedal up Mount Kilimanjaro, and another two to ride back down, while raising funds to provide 131 new bikes for people in need in Africa through World Bicycle Relief.

Opponents of a Kiwi bike and pedestrian bridge claim it could be dangerously overcrowded, putting users at risk of a human crush. In other words, don’t build it because it might be too successful. And doesn’t any bridge, anywhere, face exactly the same, extremely minimal risk?

A Malaysian woman takes a solo bike tour through Cambodia and Thailand, negotiating the language barrier with had gestures and staying at “love hotels.”

 

Finally…

Next time you flee the country to avoid paying damages to a Chinese bicyclist, don’t leave your Chinese wife behind. No, seriously, if you’re riding your bike with burglary tools and stolen checks and credit cards, stay off the damn sidewalk.

And how can we possibly top a story about a cyclist who survived a lightening strike thanks to his headphones and penis?

 

Morning Links: Rail-to-River comes up for a vote, and local universities go bike friendly — but once again, not USC

We have a lot to catch up on after yesterday’s unplanned absence, so let’s get right to it.

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Local

The plan to turn an abandoned South LA railway into a Rail-to-River bikeway comes up for a vote today.

The LAPD offers tips on protecting your bike following a rash of bike thefts in the Pacific Division.

Bike riders respond to the Times’ recent editorial raising the specter of the mythical war on cars, including one from John Lloyd — aka Boyonabike — saying they have it backwards.

The LACBC’s Colin Bogart offers bike safety tips for young riders, courtesy of First 5 LA.

Bikes are making inroads in LA, even on bike-unfriendly Wilshire Blvd on the Miracle Mile.

LAist looks at Sunday’s beer-friendly Keep LA Beautiful ride with the LA Explorer’s Club.

Win two free tickets to next month’s Los Angeles Grand Prix.

A Glendale letter writer says bike riders should be ticketed just like drivers, neglecting to consider that we already are. And most drivers who break the law aren’t ticketed, either.

 

State

Calbike looks back at the successes and failures of this year’s legislative session, much of which was marred by Jerry Brown’s veto pen.

Thirteen California universities make this year’s list of bike friendly colleges, including UCLA, UC Irvine, Cal State Long Beach, Pomona College and Santa Monica College. But to no one’s surprise, historically bike-unfriendly USC didn’t, despite the massive number of students who ride to and on campus.

A Redlands couple riding their bikes together are assaulted by the passenger of a passing car.

Modesto mother plays detective after her son’s bike is stolen.

The San Jose Mercury News says exercising your dog by riding next to it on your bike is unnatural and cruel.

The driver who allegedly killed a San Francisco cyclist while fleeing from police in a stolen van now faces a well-deserved murder charge.

 

National

Surly is looking for women to help promote their line of non-spandex bikewear.

Lots of people are biking across the US these days. Not many are nine years old and riding to raise money for children with cancer, though.

The Bike League goes for a ride with Cherokee Schill, the Kentucky cyclist who was arrested for the non-crime of riding a bike in the traffic lane. They also invite you to join the I Bike, I Vote movement.

Unbelievable. Intentionally run down a bike rider in New York and flee the scene, and walk away with a whopping $250 fine.

New York is famous for ticketing cyclists for riding on the sidewalk. But it raises some serious questions when most of those tickets are issued in Black and Latino neighborhoods.

The driver who killed an Atlanta fireman training for an Ironman race in New Orleans gets a well-deserved 5-and-a-half years in prison; thanks to Chris Menjou for the heads-up.

 

International

Ontario, Canada considers increasing fines for drivers who door cyclists and use cell phones behind the wheel, as well as approving contraflow bike lanes.

An Ottawa Storify discusses whether ghost bikes should be taken down or left alone.

Road safety improves in Scotland, including a small drop in bicycling deaths and injuries.

Even in the bike friendly Netherlands, police ticket an even gross of bike riders for running a balky red light.

The Tour de France unveils a challenging route for next year’s race, including a finish on the legendary Alpe d’Huez. Meanwhile, British cyclist Lizzie Armistead calls for a minimum wage for female pros.

Sad news, as a Kenyon cyclist is killed while participating in a Philippine stage race.

Road riding is too scary for an Aussie bike gold medalist following the deaths of too many friends.

 

Finally…

The press is up in arms over bike riders hitting pedestrians in New York’s Central Park, but fail to consider that sometimes it’s the pedestrian’s fault. Even John McEnroe is complaining about lunatic bike riders in Central Park.

And in a case of bike-on-bike road rage, a London rider is kicked off his bike by a passing cyclist.

Seriously, no matter how pissed off you are, there’s never an excuse for violence — especially when it dumps another rider in the path of oncoming traffic.