Happy 19th anniversary to BikinginLA, and suspect arrested for shooting two men with BB gun at World Naked Bike Ride in DTLA

June 29, 2026 / / One comment

So, Saturday was the 19th anniversary of this site. It seems like something I should be celebrating, if I wasn’t so damned tired.

I had no idea what this was going to become when I started, and not sure I would have started it if I did. I just know I was pissed off about the state of bicycling in Los Angeles at the time, and surprised to learn there were others out there just as pissed off as me. 

A lot has changed since then, not all of it for the better. But one huge improvement is the number of people who give a damn about our God-given right to ride a bike and get back home in one piece. 

I used to say I was just a voice calling in the wilderness. And I still do. But now there a hundreds more voices calling for change, and thousands more listening. 

I was hoping to have a new merchandise site up and running today, but I’m still busy trying to figure out how everything works, and learning product design on the fly. Sort of like building the bicycle while I’m riding it, except both wheels are flat and the chain is broken. 

But other than that, it’s going great. 

I’m still making changes, tweaking designs as I get a better idea what works and what doesn’t, and adding new ones as I get them done. 

So take a look when you get a chance, and let me know what you think. I’d appreciate any constructive criticism to keep me going in the right direction — what you like, what you don’t, what you’d like to see and what I could do better. 

And since I’m still working out the bugs, I’m extending my introductory sale for another week, with 20% off the regular price through July 4th. So if there’s anything you like, now’s the time to grab it. 

Now let’s get back to work, because the next year isn’t going to write itself. 

Dammit.

……….

A suspect is under arrest and likely facing charges after allegedly shooting two men with a BB gun near Saturday’s World Naked Bike Ride in DTLA.

The victims may have been among the hundreds taking part in the 19th annual Los Angeles edition of the Naked Bike Ride, though that hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Police responded to reports of the shooting around 11 am near the intersection of Temple Street and North Alameda Street, about an hour after the ride started, after a man dressed entirely in black had rolled up on a scooter and opened fire.

It’s also not clear if the men were targeted or shot at random, or who else may have been in the vicinity. Fortunately, they weren’t seriously injured, and were treated at the scene for lacerations.

Video showed a bald man in black being taken into custody after being located by police. KNBC-4 identified him as Edward Sherpa, and said he was wandering around under the influence.

Meanwhile, the New York Post excitedly focused on the suspect’s facial tattoos, while calling him a “madman.”

………

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

A New York driver chased a bicyclist down a parking protected bike lane, before getting out and trying to take the victim’s bike, all because the guy gave the driver’s car “a little tap” after the driver almost hit him while trying to make a right turn. Seriously, as many of us have learned the hard way, some people lose their shit if you so much as touch their precious cars, no matter how close they just came to killing you.

Reddit post

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

A British dog walker and bicyclist makes the case for the use of bike bells around such furry four-footed critters, after getting into a heated argument with a bike rider who became angry when a dog darted into his path, despite failing to give any notice of his presence. The bike rider, that is, not the dog. And as I’ve said many times before, I find a voice more effective than a bike bell, if only because it allows you to ask someone to rein their dog in so you can pass safely.

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton examines new peak hour bus lanes on Florence Ave and on Alvarado Street, which can also be used by bike riders.

South Pasadena approved plans for a two-way protected bike lane on Fremont Ave, which will require removing parking on one side of the street and replacing 89 trees, at a cost of $23 million; the plan also calls for roundabouts where the street intersects with Hope and Oxley Streets.

 

State

Sad news from Fremont, where a man riding an ebike in a bike lane was killed by a driver attempting to enter a freeway onramp, at a typical conflict zone where bike riders are expected to cross the paths of oncoming drivers entering the freeway, the apparent victim of bad road design; however, SFist reports the bicyclist was riding salmon in the bike lane, heading against traffic, when he was struck.

More sad news, this time from San Joaquin County, where a person towing a shopping cart with a bicycle was killed by a hit-and-run driver, along with their two dogs; the three victims had been dead at least four to 12 hours before their bodies were discovered by police. No word on whether they might have survived if the driver had simply stopped and called 911 like any normal human being with a conscience.

 

National

BGR list five Apple Watch functions bicyclists will use every day. I got mine for the fall detection feature, which will automatically call 911 and notify my wife if it detects a hard fall — or the corgi tugs too hard on her leash — unless I cancel it with 30 seconds. But hopefully not every day. 

Police in Eugene, Oregon arrested a 25-year old “prolific car thief” after he severely injured a 40-year old woman riding a bicycle, then abandoned the stolen truck and tried to flee on a bicycle himself.

There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole a custom adaptive tricycle belonging to a 23-year old autistic Vancouver, Washington woman, who relies on it to get around since she can’t drive. A crowdfunding page has raised just more than the modest four grand goal.

Nope, no bias here. The New York Post calls out the mayor’s “insane” decision to end criminal enforcement against ebike riders, demanding “How many New Yorkers have to get killed or seriously injured by rampaging e-bike riders before the political class stops protecting them?” Even though under the same circumstances, drivers would only get a traffic ticket, rather than a summons for criminal court, despite posing far more risk to others than people on ebikes; all Mamdani did was level the playing field.

No bias here, either. The NY Post says the cops are looking for a “cycling psycho” on a “dinky” little “bike bike,” who whacked a 73-year old man with a metal pipe following an argument. Even though his “bike bike” looks a lot more like a mo-ped or e-moto. And who the hell carries a metal pipe on their bike, anyway?

Virginia opened a new 2.5-mile paved shared use trail as part of a new $660 million freeway express lane extension project. Although something tells me the shared use path amounted to little more than a rounding error in the freeway budget. 

Critical Mass riders in New Orleans turned out to honor a 47-year old restaurant worker who was killed while riding his bicycle earlier this month.

President Trump’s granddaughter says that returning to golf after major surgery was “just like riding a bike,” even though she failed to make the cut in a Florida tournament. Actually, the only thing that’s just like riding a bike is riding a bike. And it sounds more like she fell off it, anyway.

A Florida woman is planning a century ride on July 4th to honor her late daughter on the seventh anniversary of her suicide, while raising funds for a faith’s program to support youth in need.

A Florida man riding a bicycle was killed when he was hit head-on by a man on a motor scooter, who suffered critical injuries; police note that neither victim was wearing a helmet, though they didn’t say if either suffered a head injury.

That’s more like it. A 25-year old Florida woman was sentenced to 29 years behind bars and had her license permanently revoked for the hit-and-run death of a 67-year old man riding a bicycle; she was driving 80 mph in a 40 mph zone, with a BAC over four times the legal limit, when she slammed into the victim from behind

 

International

Momentum highlights six “amazing” Dutch-style bicycles.

A Calgary, Alberta op-ed writer says the city knows how to make things safer for bike riders, but is focusing on the wrong things — like a bike safety post from the cops that doesn’t even mention drivers, let alone bad street design.

Toronto cops handed out 9,500 tickets to bike riders last year, although a quarter of those were to bikeshare users for not wearing a helmet. Apparently, everyone is expected to always carry a bike helmet with them 24/7 on the off chance they might decide to use a bikeshare. 

Ultra-endurance cyclist Dr. Sarah Ruggins now holds three world records, including fastest south-north crossing of Europe, and the greatest distance ridden by a woman in a single week, despite not being able to ride a bicycle until three years ago, after spending 10 years recovering from a rare autoimmune condition.

The recent Eurobike trade show demonstrated that the bike industry is doubling down on smart bikes and AI, building into bikes the same sort of tech now found in cars. So soon, you, too can play video games when you should be watching the road. And no matter how smart bikes get, it’s not likely to make up entirely for stupid drivers. 

An op-ed from German biking magazine Tour says it’s not cool to copy pro cyclists when you ride on public roads, unless maybe you actually are one, arguing that you’re not in a race, so don’t act like it.

Ukraine’s Supreme Court rules that bike riding victims can lose some of their legal settlement if they were under the influence at the time of the crash.

 

Competitive Cycling

The official Olympics website lists the full team rosters of everyone taking part in this year’s Tour de France, which begins on Saturday.

 

Finally…

Nothing like standing in line for Metallica when a few hundred mostly naked people roll by on bicycles. That feeling when a search for bike news from the last 24 hours somehow turns up a story about Andy Schleck — from 14 years ago.

And even an expert in conflict resolution and deescalation can give in to that sudden urge to flip off a reckless driver.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Building bike lane straw men to knock them down, judge denies Vermont injunction, and CicLAvia connects Expo and Leimert Parks

June 26, 2026 / / No comments

Oh, me?

I was just hard at work Wednesday night, and fell asleep at my keyboard sometime around 2 am. 

When I woke up, I found a screenful of random, nonsensical letters and spaces. And since it made more sense than anything else I’d written all night, I gave up and go to bed.

Image by HANSUAN FABREGAS from Pixabay.

………

Nope. No bias here.

A Larchmont op-ed writer creates his very own straw men to refute the argument that Los Angeles can be another Amsterdam. And, not surprisingly, very effectively knocks them down.

Except no one I know expects Los Angeles to be another Amsterdam, unless it’s West Hollywood’s plan to dominate the city’s demand for legal weed.

We just want a city where you have reasonable, safe choices on how to get from here to there, and aren’t forced into a car by default.

According to the writer, Joe Vein,

Supporters of expanded bike infrastructure often respond with examples such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, or Paris. They are correct to do so. These cities have achieved remarkable success in increasing bicycle use. But acknowledging that success is not the same as concluding that L.A. can replicate it.

Amsterdam occupies roughly 85 square miles. Paris covers approximately 41 square miles. Los Angeles spans nearly 470 square miles and sits at the center of a metropolitan region approaching 13 million residents. More importantly, L.A. County does not function around a single urban core. It operates as a network of major employment centers including downtown, Century City, Santa Monica, Burbank, Pasadena, Culver City, El Segundo, Long Beach, and many others.

Oddly, most advocates of alternative transportation are acutely aware of what kind of city we live in, since we’re often the ones who don’t traverse it in a hermetically sealed vehicle, with the windows rolled up and entertainment system on, without stopping until the GPS says “You’ve arrived at your destination.

We know that far too many people are forced to live far from their jobs. Or choose to, so they can go home to a manicured little suburb with its own police department, and pretend that Mayberry wasn’t just a show runner’s dream.

We also know that most trips in LA County are three miles or less, which can easily be done by bus, bicycle or ebike, or even walking if you’re in semi-decent shape.

Again, according to Vein,

Supporters also frequently cite UCLA research suggesting that some road diets produce less congestion than traditional traffic models predict. However, the research examines whether specific corridors under specific conditions can be redesigned successfully. It does not conclude that all road diets are beneficial. It does not establish that parking reductions are harmless. It does not evaluate impacts on local businesses, deliveries, service vehicles, emergency access, or regional commuting patterns. Most importantly, it does not answer the broader question of whether enough residents will ultimately switch transportation modes to justify the costs.

Actually, I prefer to rely on the US Department of Transportation, even in the Trump era.

A classic Road Diet typically involves converting an existing four-lane, undivided roadway segment to a three-lane segment consisting of two through lanes and a center, two-way left-turn lane.

The resulting benefits include a crash reduction of 19 to 47 percent, reduced vehicle speed differential, improved mobility and access by all road users, and integration of the roadway into surrounding uses that results in an enhanced quality of life. A key feature of a Road Diet is that it allows reclaimed space to be allocated for other uses, such as turn lanes, bus lanes, pedestrian refuge islands, bike lanes, sidewalks, bus shelters, parking or landscaping.

Why consider a Road Diet? Four-lane undivided highways experience relatively high crash frequencies — especially as traffic volumes and turning movements increase over time — resulting in conflicts between high-speed through traffic, left-turning vehicles and other road users. FHWA has deemed Road Diets a proven safety countermeasure and promotes them as a safety-focused design alternative to a traditional four-lane, undivided roadway. Road Diet-related crash modification factors are also available for use in safety countermeasure benefit-cost analysis.

I don’t see anything there about enough people switching their mode of transportation to justify the costs. Although I suppose a significant reduction in collisions, and the resulting auto and bodily injuries, possibly could.

Supporters of Measure Healthy Streets L.A., an approved citizen-led ballot measure that mandates safer infrastructure whenever L.A. performs street improvements, often argue that voters have already settled this debate. I disagree. HLA passed and is now the law, but passage of a ballot measure does not transform a policy into a proven success. California has a long history of adopting complex policies through initiatives, often based on compelling slogans and campaign messaging rather than detailed analysis of long-term consequences. Whether one agrees or disagrees with measures such as Proposition 13 (the limits on property taxes statewide in California), it is difficult to dispute that ballot initiatives can produce effects that are not fully understood at the time they are approved.

The proper response to HLA is continued scrutiny—not blind opposition, but certainly not blind acceptance either. Policymakers and residents should continue asking whether the assumptions underlying the measure are sound before irreversible changes are made.

Actually, HLA it wasn’t just voter approved. It was approved by a two-thirds majority.

Which doesn’t mean that two-thirds of Angelo voters are right, and we will seamlessly transition to a multimodal city. But it does mean that two-thirds of Angelenos want to see that change.

And yes, while Vein does skillfully dispatch another straw man, the proper response to any change in policy is continued scrutiny.

Like the change in policy that took Los Angeles from a city with the world’s best private transit systems, to the car-dominated hellscape we live in today. Unless, of course, you’re privileged to live behind one of those nice, quiet, well-manicured lawns of Larchmont.

This city has transformed many times over. From horses and buggies, to bicycles, to the Red and Yellow Cars, to automobiles.

And it’s hard to deny that the last one has failed, as the roads continue to get more crowded and cramped, with no room left to expand, and innocent people get killed and maimed just trying to cross the street or get home from work.

The automotive hegemony of Los Angeles is a failure, by virtually every measure. Yet the people of Los Angeles didn’t vote to get rid of cars. They voted to give themselves an alternative.

Let me be clear: this is not an anti-bike argument. I support cycling. I support recreational riding. I support safer streets. I support targeted bike infrastructure where it makes practical sense. What I question is the assumption that L.A. can or should become Amsterdam simply because Amsterdam has succeeded.

Good for you, Mr. Vein. I’m sure you make your mama proud.

But the people who voted for Measure HLA, and who support those bike lanes and road diets — and bus lanes, and sidewalks, and crosswalks — don’t want to build another Amsterdam.

If we wanted to live in Amsterdam, we’d move there.

We just want our Los Angeles to be the best version of Los Angeles. Is that really too much to ask?

………

So far, it’s Metro 3, Linton 0.

LAist is reporting that the judge hearing Linton’s lawsuit against Metro and Los Angeles for violating the terms of Measure HLA — there’s that term again — in redesigning the Vermont corridor denied a request for a preliminary injunction, ruling that the work can go forward for now.

Sans the bike lanes that the city’s mobility plan calls for, and which Measure HLA requires — if it’s a city project, as Linton argues, and not just a Metro project, as Metro and the city insist. Although the latter just seems like a blatant attempt to skirt the law.

According to LAist,

L.A. County Superior Court Judge Kristin Escalante denied the request on June 15. Escalante wrote in her decision that the city neither initiated the project nor selected Vermont Avenue for resurfacing and won’t be constructing the project itself.

“Metro’s coordination with the city does not transform the project into one made by or undertaken by the city,” Escalante wrote in her decision.

In April and June, Escalante denied Linton’s requests for pre-trial judgement on two other issues in his lawsuit, including deciding if resurfacing work on Vermont Avenue service roads triggered HLA-mandated upgrades and determining whether the city’s HLA ordinance represents an “impermissible amendment” of the ordinance.

That does not mean, however, that Linton has lost. It just means that the case will now go to trial.

Kind of like the US loss to Turkey in the World Cup last night. Yes, the US lost on a last minute goal, but they will go on to the next round anyway, and have a chance to prove they can win.

So too, will Joe Linton, on our behalf.

……….

Don’t forget Sunday’s Leimert Park meets Expo Park CicLAvia.

Twitter post

Meanwhile, Bike Long Beach is hosting a feeder ride to CicLAvia on Sunday.

………

This is who we share the road with.

A bill that would have required speed limiting technology in all new cars was vetoed by Governor Newsom, who ironically doesn’t like governors, at least when it comes to speed.

California Assembly Bill (AB) 2276, which would have required speed limiting technology only for chronic reckless drivers, died in the Appropriations Committee, at least for this year.

Twitter post

………

While he’s not a sponsor here — and should probably reconsider that — attorney James Johnson has long been a friend of this site, often pointing me to stories I might not have heard about yet. Or at all.

Today he discusses the problem of dooring, which is one of the most common types of bicycling crashes, after a bike rider was doored in Felton.

And yes, I had to look up where the hell that is.

Twitter post

………

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

An Indiana University staffer is in hot water for getting out of her car at an intersection, and pointing a laser-sighted gun at a group of people on bicycles; she insisted she’d been in fear for her safety, claiming the boys on bikes had “surrounded her,” even though witnesses reported the bike riders had waited patiently behind her SUV at the red light, and “had not been causing any issue.”

A Minneapolis bike rider rides up a ramp to discuss illegal parking in the bike lane. And you have no idea how many times I’ve been tempted to do that myself.

Twitter post

No bias here. A New York lawsuit attempts to force the city to return to a policy of issuing criminal citations to scofflaw ebike riders, even though infractions by drivers only result in a traffic ticket. I’m actually fine with that, as long as lawbreaking drivers have to appear in criminal court, too.

Ireland’s Sinn Féin political party has come out against a Safe Routes to Schools project, teaming with a local councillor who insists he’s not anti-bike, and a local coal supplier who warns “there could be a bike lane outside your own door next. There’s a lot to unpack here, starting with a local elected official who supports bikes while opposing bike projects, and a coal supplier(!) warning about bike lanes. And clearly, Sinn Féin ain’t what it used to be, for better and for worse. 

Moving north, a group of 21 Belfast, Northern Ireland residents met to “unanimously” oppose plans for a protected bike lane, due to the possible loss of a small number of trees that “survived the Blitz and the Troubles” and are ‘full of goldfinches,” as well as losing parking spaces in front of the local Airbnbs.

………

Local 

A new LADOT survey wants your input on how to improve access to Dodger Stadium. How about a subway stop — or at least a damn people mover — from Union Station?

Calbike says the 5.5-mile Rail-to-Rail Active Transportation Corridor through South Los Angeles and Inglewood is an example of what California’s Active Transportation Program can make possible — if it is adequately supported and funded.

A bike rider in Palos Verdes Estates learned the hard way that if you’re carrying meth, drug paraphernalia and someone else’s financial card on your bike, stop for the damn stop sign, already. Thanks to Jim for the heads-up.

 

State

Speaking of Calbike, they have some new T-shirts and other assorted merch that definitely doesn’t suck.

Let’s thank the Orange Police Department for making it clear that their motorcycle cop was chasing a 13-year old kid on an e-motorcycle and not an ebike, as the officer’s bodycam picked up his play-by-play commentary of the chase.

Encinitas will spend $3.5 million to rip out a protected bike lane that was completed just last year, in a race to beat new state legislation that would require the same level of study to remove a bike lane as there was to build it.

Nine months after Chula Vista’s ebike ordinance went into effect, residents are questioning whether an average of just two citations a month is really a sufficient crackdown on scofflaw teen e-moto riders.

Congratulations, San Diego, you’re getting your very own edition of Streetsblog on July 27th — but now they need your help to make it a reality. Although you’ll have to find your own Joe Linton, ’cause we ain’t giving him up. 

Speaking of San Diego, the East Village Association has lost two-thirds of it’s budget due to a loss of parking revenue — not because of bike lanes, but because the city decided not to share its parking revenue with community parking districts anymore. But someone will inevitably find a way to blame bikes, anyway. 

Oakland’s iconic scraper bikes are back, if they ever went away.

Sacramento will host a two-day Clean Mobility Forum focused on shared mobility and equitable clean transportation at the end of September; CARB is one of the sponsors, so give ’em hell about killing the California Ebike Incentive Program.

 

National

PeopleForBikes new city rankings finds that small towns are leading the fight for bikeability. Which only makes sense, since it’s easier to make a profound change with less effort and expenditure in a small town than a big city.

Bike riders in Cheyenne, Wyoming celebrated Bike to Work Week, with city leaders citing a strong bike culture going back to the ’70s. Look, I’ll believe things have really changed in the city, where cowboys used to threaten to kick my ass just for riding a bike, when they add a bike rodeo to the Cheyenne Frontier Days. 

Hats off to a Denver-area firefighter who rode an ebike with a dead battery back to the fire station after its owner suffered a medical emergency.

A Texas man did the right thing, and turned himself in for the distracted driving crash that killed a 16-year old boy and severely injured his younger sister as they were riding their bikes — and he only waited four and a half months to do it.

A Minneapolis driver faces a pair of criminal vehicular homicide counts for killing a bike rider while a) on the unholy trinity of alcohol, coke and weed, while also b) speeding and c) driving distracted.

The Chicago Courrier Classic revives ancient alleycat tradition to prove bike messenger culture refuses to die. No matter how hard drivers try to kill it. And them. 

In a surprising move, conservative Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have imposed a 10 mph speed limit for ebike riders within 50 feet of pedestrians, saying it would be hard to enforce (true) and lead to increased surveillance by local governments.

 

International

A 31-year old “deeply selfish” British man was sentenced to nine years behind bars for killing a retired math teacher riding a bicycle in a head-on crash, while 16-times over the legal limit for cocaine. And yes, the UK has a legal limit for coke.

Here’s one for your bike bucket list. A new 205-mile gravel route in southwest Scotland connects Dumfries and Galloway through a series of three interconnected loops. Let’s see Gravel Bike California make a video about that one. 

Dublin, Ireland’s monthly Critical Mass Ride will turn into a music-filled pre-Pride Ride tonight.

The Eurobike trade show will move to a biannual basis following the 2027 show, after it lost a number of major exhibitors.

 

Competitive Cycling

Likely Tour de France competitors are dropping like flies, as the Visma-Lease a Bike team says Edoardo Affini ‘will be monitored’ after he was taken away by ambulance following a high-speed crash at the Italian Road Championships.

Not only did ultra-endurance cyclist Victor Bosoni smash the existing record to win the Tour Divide, he finished two days ahead of second-place Laurens Ten Dam, even sleeping eight hours a night; he broke the record by a whopping 11 hours, finishing in 11 days, 8 hours, 37 minutes.

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can own an Eddy Merckx team bike that was definitely not ridden by Eddy Merckx. You can be replaced by a self-riding bicycle robot capable of an unassisted acrobatic front flip. Pinarello is now haute couture.

And clearly, bike lanes and sex workers don’t mix.

Voulez-vous coucher a vélo ce soir ?

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

Santa Ana hit-and-run victim leading UC Irvine oceanographer, and Chicago shows bike lanes don’t hurt local businesses

June 24, 2026 / / 2 comments

This is the cost of traffic violence.

Road.cc has revealed that Francois Primeau, the 60-year old man killed by a hit-and-run driver in Santa Ana Thursday evening, was a leading oceanographer whose work helped scientists better predict the effects of climate change.

A statement from Kieron Burke, the Interim Dean of School of Physical Sciences at UC Irvine reads, in part, 

Francois joined the UC Irvine Department of Earth System Science in 2001 and quickly became an indispensable member of our community. He served as Chair of the department from 2021 to 2024. During his tenure, he helped the school navigate the aftermath of COVID-19 and worked to minimize disruptions for students and faculty members.

He was an internationally recognized leader in physical oceanography and ocean biogeochemistry, whose work helped deepen our understanding of global ocean circulation and global carbon and nutrient cycles. His research yielded foundational insights into the ocean’s role in regulating climate, including landmark studies on ocean ventilation, the global nitrogen budget, and the strength of the biological carbon pump. His work has equipped scientists with the tools to make more accurate climate predictions—a legacy that will benefit generations to come.

Francois was a dedicated leader, researcher, mentor, colleague, and friend. He will be remembered for his excitement in sharing mathematical insights and his enthusiasm for Bayesian statistics. His smile was always warm, and his door was always open. We were all fortunate to know him and to count him among our community. We have lost one of our best.

He is survived by his wife, Juno, and their son, Louis

However, that makes his death, not just a loss for his family and friends, but for all of us and the planet we call home. Not just for the research he will no longer conduct and the warming climate he will no longer work to forestall, but for the future scientists who won’t benefit from his teaching and guidance.

Primeau was killed while riding his bike at Standard and Warner avenues in Santa Ana around 6:15 pm Thursday.

Thirty-eight-year old Edjan Rocha turned himself in to Santa Ana police over the weekend, after investigators had discovered and impounded the vehicle he was allegedly driving. At last report, the Santa Ana resident was being held on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run.

Photo courtesy of UC Irvine School Of Physical Sciences.

………

Well, they don’t hurt, anyway.

According to Book Club Chicago, a new report from the City of Chicago examined six distinct economic corridors, comparing streets with bike lanes with those without.

And while they were unable to conclude that the bike lanes help businesses, due to the number of uncontrolled factors, they concluded that at the very least, the bike lanes don’t hurt business.

Despite what business owners everywhere will try to tell you.

The Chicago Department of Transportation last month published a report on the economic impacts of bike lanes that examined six commercial corridors with different types of bike lane projects. Researchers analyzed data as well as surveys and interviews with local businesses, residents and real estate developers.

The case studies compared the surveyed areas with “control” corridors nearby, and looked at the change in sales tax revenue, commercial property vacancy and employment, as well as safety and bike usage data since the lanes were installed…

According to the survey results and data gathered in the report, however, the six bike lane projects have not hurt business activity after their installation, although the study does not assert that the lanes themselves improved an area’s economic outlook.

The study found improved economic activity in most of the areas studied, although in some cases the control group outperformed the studied corridor on some metrics.

But there was no case where the bike lanes, whether painted or protected, made things any worse.

The city’s transportation department did not provide someone behind the report for an interview. In a statement, spokesperson Erica Schroeder said the studies show that bike lanes contributed to either “positive or neutral” trends along most of studied areas — and that the report “complements” the city’s analysis of improved and safer street design.

“Although it is not possible to isolate the effects of bike lanes from broader economic factors, the case studies show no evidence that bike lanes negatively impacted retail sales, commercial property values, or employment,” she said.

To which we can all anticipate a chorus of voices shouting “But they didn’t study my street, in my town, which is somehow unique from every other street in every other town.”

Because as we’ve learned, there is no way to convince some people unless you conduct a study on their exact street, under the exact same conditions under which they do business.

And even if you do, they won’t believe the results unless it confirms their preconceived bias.

Because, people.

……….

It’s Prime Day, uh Days.

Which is Amazon’s self-proclaimed shopping frenzy holiday, for anyone who chose this particular week to hide under a rock. And if you did, I don’t blame you.

But for those of you willing to wade into the online frenzy, credit card in hand —

Singletracks recommends the best Prime deals for mountain bikers.

Velo highlights Prime deals on gear they’ve actually tested, as well as competing offers at Competitive Cyclist and Backcountry.

Road.cc offers links to their choices for all the best UK bike deals, though those may or may not translate to the same savings on this side of the Atlantic.

………

Streets For All is holding a July members drive.

………

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

A local Scottish council resists demands to rip out a bike lane, but decides to build more parking so maybe all the damn drivers will stop parking in it.

An Irish woman is calling for a ban on angry honking after a school bus driver blasted his horn for 40 seconds as he followed her, incensed that he couldn’t pass as she rode her bike home from visiting her brother’s grave. It’s illegal here in California to use your horn for anything other than an emergency warning, not that it’s ever stopped anyone. 

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton reports Culver City’s Elenda Street is getting an upgrade to curb-protected bike lanes, replacing the armadillos installed in 2021.

 

State

The state senate is poised to approve scaled-back legislation that would make it easier to get approval for bike and pedestrian projects in coastal zones, including in Santa Monica, after it was watered down to something everyone could live with. Legislation by committee is never a good idea, because you end up with a law that is acceptable to everyone, but barely for anyone.

San Diego passed a ban on any type of ebike for riders under 12 years old, as well as banning passengers on ebikes without a permanent second seat, although it will need to pass a second vote at the end of the month. I’m actually good with a ban on ebikes for kids that young, although I’d rather see the age limit raised to 14. 

A 68-year old Bakersfield man is competing in the iconic Race Across America, aka RAAM, for the 20th time, with his team leaving Oceanside this past Saturday on their way to Atlantic City, New Jersey. Seriously, the next great cycling movie would be about a solo rider competing against all odds just to finish the race. You don’t have to thank me; an “Idea by…” title in the credits will suffice. 

Fresno’s Blackstone Ave, described as the “spine” of the city, is getting a 6-to-4 road diet to make room for bike lanes, wider sidewalks and elevated bus platforms.

Oakland has begun work on installing a protected bike lane on a one-mile segment of Lakeshore Drive, scheduled to open early next year.

 

National

Cycling Weekly says a female design engineer at Salsa Cycles is the first person to figure out how to make 32″ wheels work for everyone, including those with her petite 5’2″ frame.

Apparently, you now need 21 separate products to teach your kid how to ride a bike. Because a just bicycle just isn’t enough anymore. 

A new Anchorage, Alaska bike park honors a local fallen bicycle advocate who was killed by a driver in 2014.

I want to be like him when I grow up. A Massachusetts man is celebrating his 80th birthday by riding 80 miles. I rode my age every year on my birthday until I was 51, and fresh out of the ICU following the Infamous Beachfront Bee Incident.

I want to be like him when I grow up, too. An 81-year old elite cycling coach from Connecticut has no plans to give up riding, despite recent heart surgery; Bill Humphreys developed his love of bicycling in his 20s after a judge threatened to take his driver’s license away if he got any more speeding tickets.

 

International

Canyon’s newest ebike incorporates vehicle-to-everything technology, for all those drivers who are inexplicably drawn to bicycles.

Bike riders in Canada’s Yukon Territory say things aren’t getting any safer, and harassment from drivers is getting worse, as they held the second annual memorial ride for a man who was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle in 2024.

British extreme endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox has given up her attempt to set a new record for riding around the world, after suffering nausea and heat exhaustion during the European heatwave.

Spanish F1 driver Fernando Alonso makes an unexpected walk-on cameo in a music video promoting this year’s La Vuelta a España, aka the Vuelta, “delivering an absolutely flawless ‘what am I even doing here?’ shrug to the camera,” against a blurry Monaco backdrop.

A Melbourne, Australia bicyclist discovers a fake bike shop scam when he spots his face all over its website.

 

Competitive Cycling

Tragic news from France, where former pro Saïd Haddou, a two-time winner of the Breton gravel classic Tro-Bro Léon, was killed in a traffic collision while riding his motorcycle on Monday.

A new video re-examines the motor doping scare of the last decade or so.

 

Finally…

Well I, for one, think it’s about damn time someone built a bicycle with front and rear handbrakes, complete with butt-powered steering.  If you steal an ebike, probably not the best idea to ride it back to the same store you took it from.

And, uh, no. Just…no.

Credit, or discredit, goes to Google AI. Although “prominent local cycling news site” I can live with. 

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

Murder grills — how today’s pickups and SUVs are literally built kill, and alleged driver turns himself in for fatal Santa Ana hit-and-run

June 23, 2026 / / 2 comments

We’re going to take a little different approach today by focusing on a single story, with another quick note at the end, due to the importance of this issue and the time required to put it together. 

Barring anything unexpected, we should be back tomorrow for our usual links and hijinks. 

………

Don’t take my word for it.

For some time now, I’ve been a voice crying in the wilderness about the dangers of the flat design and ever-increasing height of today’s grills, as pickups and SUVs continue to get bigger, and designs more aggressive.

Make that aggressive, as in dangerous.

I’ve come under a lot of criticism for calling them murder grills, because they are literally designed to kill. Maybe not intentionally, but the design of their grills and extensive blindspots dramatically increase the lethality of these increasingly popular vehicles.

And no one is doing a damn thing about it.

The design of a typical sedan, with a lower hood and a more rounded grill, means pedestrian in a low speed crash is likely to land on the hood, absorbing much of the impact. Although at higher speeds the victim can be thrown into the windshield or even over the car, greatly increasing the risk of serious injury or death.

However, the same crash involving a vehicle with a high, flat grill means the pedestrian will likely be knocked forward on the the roadway, and can easily be run over before the driver has time to react to the crash.

But as I said, don’t take my word for it.

According to a story published by The New York Times over the weekend,

“We see a lot of devastating collisions even at lower speeds because the pedestrian gets punted forward,” said Shawn Harrington, whose company, Forensic Rock, conducted crash tests for us. “Before the driver knows what’s happened, the pedestrian’s head is under the wheel.”

More vehicles than ever have hoods that exceed the average American’s center of gravity, which is generally around the belly button.

The hood of an average passenger vehicle today is about three feet high. Anyone shorter than 5-foot-6 — about half of American adults — would frequently be rammed to the pavement. So would most children.

, who is

, is likely to be knocked down by about 39 percent of vehicles today. In 2002, that number would have been 29 percent.

They even offer an interactive graphic comparing the difference when someone in a smaller passenger vehicle hits a pedestrian compared to a large truck, making the impact crystal clear.

Pun intended.

In fact, researchers for The Times found that approximately 10% of the increase in pedestrian deaths over the past quarter century could be attributed to the sheer size of today’s vehicles, compared to just 25 years ago.

That’s 200 to 400 people each year who might not have had to die, if they hadn’t been sacrificed to the greed of American automakers. Not to mention the vanity of American car buyers, who gladly pay for oversized vehicles with excess capacity most will never use.

Then complain about gas prices.

In fact, The Times cites the excess growth in American vehicles as at least one factor explaining why traffic deaths in the US aren’t declining like they are in most of Europe — particularly for people outside of the vehicle.

Like those of us on bicycles, for instance. And others who just happen to be in the street — or even on the sidewalk — in the wrong place, at the wrong time, for whatever reason.

Then take the increase in blind spots.

Please.

To analyze how these blind zones have changed, we used a three-dimensional scanner to compare sightlines in four of the most common pickups today — the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, GMC Sierra and Toyota Tacoma — with their counterparts from the 1990s or early 2000s.

The Silverado’s blind zones have nearly doubled.

The Sierra’s and the Tacoma’s grew by about 60 percent.

The smallest increase was the F-150’s. Its blind zones grew by about 25 percent.

Our overall findings match what we found in court records and heard from dozens of experts who reconstruct crashes for police and lawyers.

I have never forgotten about a young Anaheim boy who was killed while riding his bike home from school in 2009.

Nicholas Vela, a 4th grade student at Alexander J. Stoddard Elementary School, did everything he was supposed to do. He waited patiently at the corner for the oncoming truck to stop, then rode his bike out into the crosswalk.

The driver proceeded to roll forward and over the boy and his bicycle, later telling police he never saw the kid on the corner because of his large wing mirror. And didn’t see him riding right in front on him because of the height of his jacked-up truck.

Here is how I described it at the time.

According to the driver, he never saw the boy, and he was not cited by police. Evidently, California drivers are no longer required to be cautious, alert and aware of their surroundings when behind the wheel.

I’m sure the driver is devastated. Lord knows I would be.

But somehow, I don’t think “Oops” should be a universal Get Out Of Jail Free card for someone who kills another human being. Especially not an innocent child who, by all accounts, was riding in a safe and legal manner.

I’ve been haunted by Nicholas’ death for 17 years now.

And how the sheer size and height of a jacked-up truck could hide a boy on a bicycle from the driver’s view. Although I doubt his truck was any larger or higher than some you can drive off the showroom floor today.

Murder grills.

The Times goes on to explain that vehicle design is not the only factor affecting rising pedestrian death, citing road design in particular.

Like America’s wide, straight urban streets and rural highways designed and built with excess capacity that virtually encourages speeding. Along with this country’s many cramped intersections with restricted sightlines, and our penchant for red lights and stop signs instead of roundabouts.

Automatic obstacle detection and braking systems are the miracle that’s supposed to save us.

And they do help. In fact, The Times reports that one study found that GM vehicles with so-called front pedestrian braking reduced the frequency of injuries by 35 percent.

Which ain’t nothing.

But they aren’t always reliable under variable conditions. And relying on them, rather than actually seeing what’s in the roadway in front of and beside you, invites needless collisions, injuries and deaths.

But let’s get back to that question of automakers appealing to the vanity of our fellow Americans.

Again, according to The New York Times,

What used to be utilitarian vehicles for construction workers are now marketed to the American masses, with messages tailored to specific audiences.

One common pitch centers on machismo. Automakers trumpet how some of their trucks have an “aggressive appearance” or a “piercing glare.”

Other approaches emphasize the perceived safety of being the biggest vehicle around. “You’re the king of the road,” said Frank Hanley, a director at the automotive research firm JD Power.

At Ford, Nicole Gayney’s job was to identify specific social and psychological groups to target.

One was men who hoped to be seen as the neighborhood’s hero, keeping everyone safe, said Dr. Gayney, who left Ford in 2022. Another group was women who viewed a roomy S.U.V. as a way to be the community’s caregiver, taking the soccer team out for ice cream.

Yet the problem didn’t go unnoticed.

The ever-growing size of vehicles, and increasing rollover requirements resulting in ever-larger windshield support columns, or A-pillars, reduced visibility to such a degree that researchers at the US Department of Transportation became concerned, meeting with regulators four years ago.

That November, the researchers met with leaders at the department and N.H.T.S.A. They delivered a stark message: Large vehicles, with their big blind zones, were increasingly deadly. They were killing hundreds of pedestrians and cyclists every year and injuring thousands more, the researchers estimated, according to attendees and meeting materials we reviewed.

The researchers hoped that their warning would spur regulators to consider how to address the problem.

But a single senior official disputed the data, and argued that new pedestrian-sensing systems were already solving the problem. So in typical American fashion, the answer was to do nothing.

As you were, boys and girls. Nothing to see here. Pay no attention to that pedestrian or bike rider writhing in pain over there.

Never mind that higher grills — more than 50″ tall for pickups like the Ford F-250 and Chevrolet Silverado 2500, and luxury SUVs like the Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade — are becoming significantly more common, and more lethal.

Murder grills.

The Times built a complex statistical model to estimate the effects, while noting the inherent difficulties in calculating all the factors, and predicting an alternate reality in which vehicle sizes had remained the same.

But based on the best available data, the model reached a sobering estimate: The shift toward vehicles with higher hoods caused about 3,000 deaths from 2016 to 2024.

The estimate is conservative in many ways…

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, for example, found last year that vehicles with larger blind zones were substantially more likely to hit pedestrians when turning left.

And yes, once again, they clearly illustrate it, with side-by-side comparisons of a Chevy ’98 Silverado and the ’22 version of the same make and model.

In one, a pedestrian crossing in a crosswalk to the left of the vehicle is clearly visible as the driver turns. In the other, they’re not. I’ll let you conclude which one is safer.

I strongly encourage you to read the full article, because it’s a remarkable piece of work, and I have only begun to do it justice. (I’ve used a gift link for the article, so you should be able to read it without a subscription.)

And as bicyclists, and humans, our lives are literally on the line.

……….

One other quick note before we go.

A 38-year old Santa Ana man has been arrested for the hit-and-run death of Francois Primeau on Friday.

According to KTLA-5, Edjan Rocha turned himself in to Santa Ana police after they had located the vehicle he had allegedly been driving, and impounded it as evidence. He was booked into the Santa Ana Jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run for killing the 60-year old bike rider.

No word yet on whether he has made bail or is still being held.

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

Bike lanes work, protected networks work better; self-hating bicyclist & driver; and bike-riding dog star of World Cup

June 22, 2026 / / No comments

They get it.

A Philippine news site starts out sounding like another pro-car hit piece, asking if bike lanes really work.

As one sits in yet another line of traffic, it is hard not to glance at the bicycle lane beside the road and wonder whether it is actually doing its job. With cars barely moving, the occasional cyclist quietly passes by, prompting a familiar question: Do bicycle lanes really work?

It sounds like a reasonable criticism until one asks a different question. Are we judging bicycle lanes as transportation infrastructure, or are we judging unfinished infrastructure that was never allowed to function as intended?

According to the site, bicycles have gone from being seen as a means of recreation to being considered a vital part of the country’s transportation policy, while usage has increased from 24% to 36% of the country’s households.

The numbers suggest something important: there is demand. The challenge is that our infrastructure has not yet caught up.

International research consistently reaches the same conclusion. Bicycle lanes work best when they are protected, continuous and connected. A painted strip squeezed beside fast-moving traffic is very different from a dedicated lane separated from vehicles by physical barriers. Safety is what determines whether an experienced cyclist rides to work and, more importantly, whether a parent allows a child or an older adult to do the same.

Every study I’ve seen says that bike lanes increase ridership, and protected bike lanes encourage more people to ride more often, while improving safety for everyone on the road.

But what’s missing, as they note, is a completed network allowing riders to travel across and between cities safely. So when people complain that a bike lane isn’t being used, it’s usually a sign that the connections to it are inadequate, or nonexistent.

If you want people to use them, build a network.

Not a bike lane.

……….

A Canadian website places tongue firmly in cheek, and writes about an “avid cyclist” capable of “hating bikes when he’s driving and hating cars when he’s biking,” while arguing that he may be one of the most intriguing men alive.

Taylor’s dual nature has even led to him yelling at himself. “I was heading home from a ride when I encountered a car blocking the bike lane. I pounded on the trunk and yelled, ‘Bike lane, dumbass!’ Then I realized it was my own car. But hey, I was only parked there for a couple hours. And how hard is it to just go around me? Geez.”

Taylor’s wife, Lauren Smythe, 36, says she knew there was more to him on their first date. “Halfway through dinner I was like, ‘Wow. This fascinating guy hates everyone,’” Smythe recalled they talked until the restaurant closed, exploring Taylor’s many-layered opinions. “He ranted about cyclists going the wrong way on one-way streets, then went right into a rant about cars not giving bikes a full metre of space. Of course, my ‘no hookups on the first date rule’ went right out the window.”

But it seems there’s one thing everyone can agree on.

“Cyclists are insufferable health nuts; there’s just no talking to them. Meanwhile, drivers are just dumb slobs full of hamburgers.”

Taylor says if there’s any hope for improvement, it will come from seeking common ground. “And if there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that we all hate e-bikes.”

Yup.

………

The breakout star of the World Cup in Mexico City isn’t a striker, or a goalie, or even a coach.

It’s a dog. On a bicycle, no less.

As World Cup fever sweeps Mexico City, one of the tournament’s biggest fan favorites isn’t a player, coach or official mascot. Joining Merlin the duck in the pantheon of heart-stealers is Osito, an 8-year-old rescue poodle mix who’s become an unlikely sensation after arriving at Mexico’s opening match perched on the back of a cargo bicycle, dressed in a Mexico jersey, sunglasses and a cap.

As thousands of fans streamed toward the stadium last week for the tournament opener, many stopped to snap photos, pet the dog and post videos online. Within hours, Osito was appearing on international broadcasts and spreading across social media, transforming the bicycle-riding dog into one of the World Cup’s most charming viral stars.

………

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

Bicyclists in Chattanooga are pushing back against a plan to remove a bike lane and widen the existing traffic lanes to “improve safety,” as the city ignores established research showing wider lanes encourage speeding and increase risk to everyone on the road, while narrower lanes slow traffic and improve safety — as do bike lanes.

………

Local 

The ongoing warehouse fire in Boyle Heights has been declared a State of Emergency in Los Angeles, as well as California. The smoke, which has spread all over the city, is highly toxic and could contain a number of dangerous chemicals, which aren’t blocked by an N-95 mask. So your best bet is if you smell smoke, don’t ride. Wait until the wind is blowing in the opposite direct, or they finally put the damn thing out.

 

State

Tragic news from Carlsbad, where a teenager was stabbed following a dispute over an allegedly stolen ebike.

More bad news from the San Diego area, where a 23-year old man riding an e-cargo bike was critically injured when he allegedly turned left directly into the path of an oncoming pickup driver on Friday.

San Diego is just the latest city considering a crackdown on ebikes, banning their use by anyone under 12 and prohibiting more than one rider on bikes that aren’t designed for two people.

Cycling Weekly sings the praises of the mid-ride outdoor coffee meetup, first popularized by Rob Perks of Ventura’s Ocean Air Cycles, and currently mapped out by Long Beach expat Russ Roca on The Path Less Pedaled website.

A Bakersfield bike rider was killed by an alleged hit-and-run driver, who was arrested for felony DUI shortly afterward.

Cycling West goes riding through the hills of the Sonoma County Wine Country.

 

National

A 61-year old woman believes that riding a bicycle has kept her out of a wheelchair by reversing, or at least delaying, her Parkinson’s disease.

This is why people keep dying on our streets. A 47-year old Albuquerque man faces multiple charges, including driving while intoxicated, for killing a 47-year old man riding a bicycle, just five days after he pled guilty to his fourth DUI offense; witnesses said they heard him rev his engine just before cutting between two bicyclists to hit the victim. Just one more example of authorities keeping a dangerous driver on the road until it was too late.

The 18 participants in this year’s Remember the Removal bike ride returned to their starting point in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, after retracing their ancestors’ original 950-mile journey in the infamous Trail of Tears 188 years ago.

A 23-year old New Jersey man faces charges for fleeing the scene after killing two teenagers walking an ebike on the side of the roadway; he initially stopped after hitting the 17-year old boy and girl, before leaving them to die in the roadway.

You’ve got to be kidding. A 67-year old masters bicyclist and former three-time Olympian and two-time canoe slalom world champ was arrested for vandalizing the reflecting pool in Washington DC; David Hearn says he stopped  in the middle off a 52-mile ride to examine the algae and paint peeling off the bottom of the pool, and merely reached in to touch the peeling paint when he was arrested.

A Florida ambulance company and the local cops went into overdrive to blame a victim who was struck by an ambulance in emergency mode while walking his bike across a street, then struck by another car, saying he ignored the siren and crossed against the light, while wearing dark clothes with no light on his bike, and cops claimed they observed a “dripping alcoholic beverage” in the wreckage of the bicycle afterwards. The only advantage of getting hit by an ambulance driver is you usually don’t have to wait for emergency care.

More tragic news from Florida, where a ten-year old boy was struck by two drivers when he allegedly rode his bike into traffic trying to escape “some incident” at a Circle K with his brother; doctors say if he wakes up from a drug induced coma, he would likely require full-time care and be unable to live independently. A crowdfunding campaign to help with his medical expenses has raised over $28,000 of the $30,000 goal.

 

International

In a moving essay, a Canadian woman says watching the Tour de France got her through the first three weeks after her bike-loving husband suddenly died of cancer at just 36.

It turns out that Irish investigators didn’t have a warrant when they seized a old Trek bicycle worth about $57 that a cop had loaned to an elderly neighbor during the pandemic, after the bike had sat in police storage for some time; the cop received a €270,000 settlement — around $390,000 — after he was suspended for the incident.

Japan’s roadside umbrella stands are facing jeopardy now that the police are enforcing a ban on riding a bicycle with an umbrella attached to the handlebars, which could result in a fine of 3,000 yen, or around $19.

 

Competitive Cycling

Your new national elite women’s road race champ is Kate Courtney, the reigning UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Champ, who held off Lauren Stephens in a sprint to the finish line at the USA Pro Road Championships in Charleston, WV on Sunday.

British cyclist Tom Pidcock, who now calls tiny, landlocked Andorra home, won the final tuneup prior to the Tour de France in his new home country, the second edition of the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica, topping Spain’s Carlos Verona and American Sepp Kuss.

Twenty-five-year old Australian cyclist Sarah Gigante had another operation to adjust the hardware holding her surgically reconstructed femur, ten months after she shattered her leg in a training crash in what had been her breakout season.

British ultra-endurance cyclist Sarah Ruggins shattered the record for riding the length of Europe, riding over 3,700 miles in just 13 days, 20 hours and 27 minutes, and beating the old record by three days and 32 minutes.

 

Finally…

Who knew there was an “Oscar” for the best Italian bike tourism route? How to trick a bike counter.

And that feeling when a new bike park uncovers a long lost 137-year old cemetery.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

Update: 60-year old Irvine man killed in Santa Ana hit-and-run Thursday; 3rd fatal bicycling crash in Santa Ana in just 6 weeks

June 20, 2026 / / 6 comments

A 60-year old Irvine man has become the latest victim of a hit-and-run driver in Southern California.

This time in Santa Ana Thursday evening.

Multiple sources are reporting that the victim, identified as Francois Primeau, was riding his bicycle through the intersection of Standard and Warner avenues around 6:15 pm yesterday, when he was struck by a driver headed west on Warner.

The driver sped away without stopping, leaving Primeau with significant injuries. He died at the scene.

There’s no description of the driver or suspect vehicle at this time.

According to New Santa Ana,

Santa Ana Context: Data reveals over 100 annual bicycle injuries or fatalities within city limits, placing Santa Ana 6th worst out of 15 comparable California cities for cyclist safety. Hit-and-run incidents are remarkably prevalent, with the city averaging 174 injury-causing hit-and-runs annually.

Anyone with information is urged to call Santa Ana Police Detective K. Briley at 714/245-8215 or the Traffic Division of the Santa Ana Police Department at 714/245-8200.

This is the 35th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, the fifth we know about in Orange County this year, and the third in Santa Ana in less than six weeks.

It was also the 10th fatal hit-and-run involving a bike rider in Southern California this year.

Update: KTLA-5 reports that 38-year old Edjan Rocha turned himself in to Santa Ana police over the weekend, after investigators had discovered and impounded the vehicle he was allegedly driving. 

At last report, the Santa Ana resident was being held on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run. 

According to Road.cc, Primeau was a leading oceanographer whose work helped scientists better predict the effects of climate change.  

A statement from Kieron Burke, the Interim Dean of School of Physical Sciences at UC Irvine reads, in part, 

Francois joined the UC Irvine Department of Earth System Science in 2001 and quickly became an indispensable member of our community. He served as Chair of the department from 2021 to 2024. During his tenure, he helped the school navigate the aftermath of COVID-19 and worked to minimize disruptions for students and faculty members.

He was an internationally recognized leader in physical oceanography and ocean biogeochemistry, whose work helped deepen our understanding of global ocean circulation and global carbon and nutrient cycles. His research yielded foundational insights into the ocean’s role in regulating climate, including landmark studies on ocean ventilation, the global nitrogen budget, and the strength of the biological carbon pump. His work has equipped scientists with the tools to make more accurate climate predictions—a legacy that will benefit generations to come.

Francois was a dedicated leader, researcher, mentor, colleague, and friend. He will be remembered for his excitement in sharing mathematical insights and his enthusiasm for Bayesian statistics. His smile was always warm, and his door was always open. We were all fortunate to know him and to count him among our community. We have lost one of our best.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Francois Primeau and all his loved ones.

 

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