$100 million at risk as CA denies extension request, pulling no punches on G7 bikes, and how to honor fallen Ventura bicyclist

June 19, 2026 / / No comments

Happy Juneteenth!

And a happy Father’s Day this Sunday to all you dads out there. 

………

So much for that.

California has denied LA’s request for a six year extension to complete three major street improvement projects in Boyle Heights, Skid Row and Wilmington, or lose $100 million in state Active Transportation grants.

So you can kiss that funding goodbye. And probably those projects, as well, including traffic calming, new bike lanes, and desperately needed sidewalk repairs.

Just one more consequence of the city’s financial mismanagement that has led to laying off, transferring or not replacing city staffers, leaving us with no one to do the work on time.

Or as KFI put it,

According to LAist, the city is facing challenges in implementing the projects on time, as it has more grants than it can currently manage. Shirley Lau from the Bureau of Street Services highlighted the need for more staff, stating, “We just don’t have enough bodies.”

If the extension is not granted, the funding for the environmental review phase will lapse, forcing the city to seek alternative funding sources. This could also impact Los Angeles’ ability to secure future grants.

Which means that we will probably pay for those unfunded and unbuilt projects in yet more legal settlements for injuries that didn’t have to happen. But now probably will.

………

Escape Collective doesn’t pull its punches in considering the high-end French bicycles given to the leaders of the G7 by the president of France, particularly a certain American leader.

And sure, we could talk about the implausibility of Donald Trump finding joy astride US$10,700 worth of finest French carbon fibre (even if he once co-founded a bike race). We could, specifically, rant about the way that his objectively evil and stupid regime has, over his two terms, made blatant corruption an everyday banality; undermined public health; assassinated and kidnapped other world leaders; jeopardised the climate; attacked reproductive rights; weaponised public institutions against the country’s own citizens; and covered up certain scandals and manufactured others. We could speculate about his credibly documented history of sexual assault. We could point out that he seems to be an outright racist. We could tie a bow on it all by saying that he is, at an absolute minimum, just the worst dude. [This is, obviously, my personal opinion and not a broader editorial stance. But it is also correct.]

Anyway. I digress. According to some, bikes and politics should be kept separate and these bikes – a political gift – are probably worth talking about in their own right…

Unfortunately, the rest is hidden behind their paywall.

But I’d say they made their point.

……….

We’re finally learning more about Colby Tucker, one of the two people killed by an alleged speeding, drunk driver in Ventura County last week.

A preliminary obituary says a memorial service will be held for him in the Boston area next week, while a public celebration of life will be held in Ventura in the coming months.

More information may be added by the time you read this. However, the following section is worth highlighting now for all those who want to do something in his honor.

Donations in celebration of Colby’s life may be made to organizations working to conserve places he loved: The Green Mountain Club, protecting the Long Trail in Vermont (donation page here), and The Nature Conservancy, protecting Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands off the coast of Ventura (memorial donation page here).  Livestream link (to his memorial service) to follow.

Meanwhile, Ventura website edhat lists full details about the case, and the charges against the driver.

Case: 2026015375 

Defendant Information: 

  • Gabriel Esquivel (DOB 01/13/02)
    Oxnard

Charges: 

  • (2 counts) PC 187(a) – Second degree murder
  • VC 23153(a) – DUI of alcoholic beverage causing injury
  • VC 23153(b) – Driving with a .08% blood alcohol causing injury
  • VC 14601.5(a) – Driving while license suspended/revoked

Special allegations: 

  • PC 12022.7(a) – GBI in commission of felony

Esquivel is currently scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 pm on Monday, June 22, 2026, in courtroom 13 of the Ventura County Superior Court.

I don’t think I need to remind anyone to show up if you can to support his loved ones and demand justice.

Just like I doubt I’m the only one who’s equal parts outraged and heartbroken by this whole damn thing.

………

Local 

A letter writer in the Los Angeles Times calls for banning all types of motorized bikes from sidewalks shared with pedestrians. Yet another example of what happens when the media paints all ebikes with the same brush.

Glendale is moving forward with the Glendale-Los Angeles Garden River Bridge Project, a curving bike and pedestrian bridge connecting the city to Griffith Park via a series of landscaping, raised beds, shade structure, and seating and viewing areas.

Streets Are For Everyone says completion of the LA River Bike Path through DTLA and Vernon is inching closer after a recent Metro vote. Although after all the previous broken promises, I feel like a dog whose owner has tried holding on to the ball instead of throwing it one too many times.

 

State

A Change.org petition is calling for the immediate removal of the head of the California DMV and reform of the agency, after the author’s son was killed while riding his bike by a driver with a long history of reckless driving with three prior hit-and-runs — yet another example of authorities keeping dangerous drivers on the streets until it’s too late.

A paywalled story from the San Diego Union-Tribune examines the recent grand jury report that praised the city for its “admirable effort” towards “advancing bicycle infrastructure in a meaningful way,” while complaining about gaps in the network and bike lanes that end without adequate warning.

That’s more like it. The Sacramento Area Council of Governments is expected to approve a highway corridor plan that includes 299 transportation projects, only 63 of which are actual freeway projects, and 99 of which are geared toward bicyclists and pedestrians in an effort to reduce traffic on the highway.

 

National

PeopleForBikes celebrates 12 years of the Better Bike Share Partnership, which helped encourage the spread of micromobility throughout the US, but is winding down due to a lack of funding.

A writer for Velo experiences a rite of passage when his six-year old son rode to school without him for the first time.

Bike Hacks has a list of bridges that will test your nerve to ride across, starting with San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

Rather than cracking down on ebikes like everyone else, Portland will attempt to break Seattle’s Guinness World Record for the largest ebike party and ride next month.

A 33-year old bike rider was killed by the driver of a county road commission truck in an apparent right hook in Ferndale, Michigan yesterday afternoon.

Police in Maryland got their man thanks to a quick-thinking bystander, who loaned his bicycle to a cop chasing a suspect for soliciting sex from a minor on a city bus. And yes, he got his bike back.

Kindhearted Florida sheriff’s detectives gave a new bike to a teenager after his was stolen from his home, taking care to ensure it was similar to his purloined bicycle.

 

International

Southampton, England has been named the best bike city in the UK by the country’s bicyclists, ahead of Newcastle and Cambridge — although their top “bugbear” is “discourteous drivers.” But I’m sure those drivers will hold a door open for you. 

Beginner friendly mountain bike trails for your next trip to Finland.

A German bicycle site offers advice on how to ride your bike safely in the heat, even at temperatures of up to the equivalent of 95°. Or as they call that in Texas, winter. 

Germany’s Canyon has designed a bike helmet prototype complete with a heads-up display incorporating artificial intelligence. Perfect for people who need it to be right most of the time. 

A 47-year old Beijing man rides at his own pace, narrating his explorations of the city on his bike cam while explaining his philosophy of a “balanced triangle of people, bike, and life.” Which, if I’m not mistaken, is a direct quote from Lao Tzu, or the Tao of Pooh, or something.

 

Competitive Cycling

Tadej Pogačar extended his lead in the second stage of the Tour de Suisse, despite being shaken when his partner, Urska Žigart, was injured in a high-speed crash during the women’s Tour de Suisse stage that preceded it; Žigart was hospitalized with a fractured jaw.

Four-time triathlon world champ Taylor Knibb won the women’s time trial at the USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships in West Virginia, finishing a whopping 45 seconds ahead of defending champion Emily Ehrlich.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you’re only #14,001 on the bike locker waiting list. Or when no one wants to see the blood sucking parasite you brought home from your last ride.

And no, it is never socially acceptable to ride a bikeshare naked.

Unless maybe you bring your own industrial-strength antibacterial cleanser.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

Alleged DUI driver finally charged for Ventura bike deaths, CA #8 for ped deaths, and Culver carjacker intentionally injures 8

June 18, 2026 / / No comments

Now we finally know.

Twenty-four-year old Oxnard resident Gabriel Esquivel was charged in the DUI deaths of Kellie Standish and Colby Tucker in Ventura County last Thursday.

Esquival was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when he ran down from behind three people riding in the bike lane on PCH, killing Standish and Tucker, while leaving the other victim with major injuries.

He’s been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the crash, after receiving multiple Watson Advisements following a previous DUI arrest last December. He is being held without bail pending his arraignment, which has been postponed to this coming Monday.

According to News Channel 12-3-11,

Equivel (sic) is also facing charges of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, driving with a suspended or revoked license, and driving with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit and causing injury to a third bicyclists during the same incident shared the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

Meanwhile, the Oregon press remembered Standish, a native of the state, as a “beloved adaptive sports volunteer.”

I screwed up yesterday in identifying Tucker as Standish’s boyfriend. As his brother pointed out, while they may have been dating, he was an individual in his own right. I should have known better, and I apologize.

Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels. 

………

No surprise here.

A new report from Smart Growth America says fewer people may be dying in the US, but slightly less deadly is not the same as safe.

According to the report, California is only the eighth most dangerous state for pedestrians on a per capita basis.

Yay us.

The report ranks the top ten worst states for pedestrian deaths as,

  1. New Mexico
  2. Louisiana
  3. Arizona
  4. South Carolina
  5. Florida
  6. Mississippi
  7. Nevada
  8. California
  9. Georgia
  10. Delaware

The good news is, Los Angeles doesn’t show up in the top twenty riskiest cities for people walking. In fact, none of the 88 cities in LA County does.

The bad news, the Riverside, San Bernardino and Ontario metro area does, in a tie for ninth.

Other California cities on the list are Bakersfield & Delano at 3rd, Fresno 7th, and Sacramento, Roseville and Folsom tied at 19 with Stockton & Lodi.

In another non-surprise, the roads remain deadliest for older pedestrians, with people 65 and up accounting 5.36 deaths per 100,000 people.

And people of color continue to be disproportionately represented, with Black and African Americans a whopping 170% above the national average.

The report also shows Florida remains one of the most dangerous states for pedestrians, ranking fifth in the US, in addition to being the nation’s deadliest for bicyclists.

………

This is who we share the road with.

A man accused of a knifepoint carjacking in DTLA allegedly used the car as a weapon, driving through Culver City intentionally targeting pedestrians, drivers and bike riders.

An hour after the carjacking, Culver City police received a report that four people on foot were injured in a hit-and-run collision near Centinela Ave and Washington Blvd.

Shortly after that, the driver, later identified as 45-year old Perris resident Juan Luis Estrada, struck a motorist in the 3800 block of Sepulveda Blvd before police took up the chase, watching as Estrada allegedly swerved towards multiple people.

That included a pedestrian near Braddock Drive and Sepulveda Blvd, two teens on ebike near Culver Blvd and Le Bourget Ave, and another pedestrian near Canfield Ave and Culver Blvd.

The vehicular mayhem finally came to an end when he crashed head-on into another vehicle in a restaurant drive-thru lane in the 200 block of Washington Blvd.

Fortunately, none of the victims — who ranged in age from 15 to 70 — suffered life-threatening injuries.

……….

Tomorrow morning, Freedom Ride LA and We Major will host a “Joyous Juneteenth Bike Ride” from Earle’s on Crenshaw to historic Bruce’s Beach; you can find other Juneteenth events here.

……….

A patient at the Mayo Clinic will ride all 21-stages of the Tour de France a week before the race, traveling more than 2,000 miles, with 175,000 feet of total elevation, from Barcelona, Spain to Paris, France to raise awareness for blood cancer.

Christopher Edgerton was diagnosed with very rare form of cancer, called Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, in 2018; a year later, he raised over $50,000 to fight the disease by riding across the US.

………

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

The Salt Lake City Tribune says a growing intolerance for bicyclists is coming at exactly the wrong time, as the city’s bicycle culture is maturing.

Seriously? A bicyclist was injured by a New York City cop in a protected bike lane; the officer refused to apologize and repeatedly asked the cyclist for his ID, insisting the victim “came out of nowhere.” Because obviously, the presence of a bike lane doesn’t inherently imply that there might, just possibly, be someone riding on it.

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

You’ve got to be kidding. A former San Antonio bike cop, who was fired for feeding two homeless men literal shit sandwiches, has been hired as police chief of Benavides, Texas.

Brits are suitably outraged after a woman was seen riding her cargo bike through a red light with three kids on the back.

British baron, politician and journalist Michael Gove called out an “unmannerly” bicyclist who managed to avoid crashing into him after Gove crossed against a red light while the rider was — legally — turning left, the equivalent of a right turn here; Road.cc says the bicyclist did everything right “until he opened his mouth, and posted the footage to the world’s worst social media platform.”

Twitter post

………

Local 

The Los Angeles City Council approved a sweeping revision of the city charter for the fall ballot, including greater oversight of the LAPD, and voting by noncitizens in city elections — but without the popular provisions to expand the council and ranked-choice voting. Without those two, I’m a definite no vote this fall; as far as I’m concerned, they can go back to the fucking drawing board and start over until they get it right. Hopefully, someone will put a citizen’s referendum on the next available ballot. 

Los Angeles is installing 125 speed cams throughout the city, which will be the largest number in California. Then again, we probably have the most speeders, too. 

 

State

Police in Huntington Beach busted a thief for stealing a high-end ebike, tracking him in realtime using a bait-bike valued over $2,000 to qualify as a felony theft. Which serves as a reminder that the LAPD still won’t use bait bikes to cut down on the city’s bike theft rates, based on bad advice from the City Attorney’s office that it could be considered entrapment — even though they’re successfully used and prosecuted throughout the state. Or maybe the LAPD thinks it just has more important things to do.

A new bill from Encinitas State Senator Catherine Blakespear will require the same scrutiny to remove or reduce a bike lane as to install it, throwing a much-needed monkey wrench in plans to rip out the bike lanes on Santa Fe Drive in Encinitas.

An op-ed from a Santa Barbara bike safety researcher says bicycle accidents bring home the need for bike and pedestrian paths. Although you’d think someone who studies bike safety would know enough to call them crashes or collisions. Or wrecks, even. 

 

National

Good for them. Alaska officials aren’t looking for a grizzly bear that attacked a mountain biker over the weekend, arguing that after the biker startled it, “the bear defended itself from a perceived threat and then left the area, which is what any bear likely in that same situation would have done.” The bears have seniority rights on the trails, anyway. 

A new Washington State law makes a clear distinction between ebikes and electric motorbikes, limiting an ebike to no more than 20 mph without the rider pedaling and a motor that producing no more than 750 watts; anything else is considered a motorcycle and will require a license.

Moab, Utah opened the first trail system designed and built for adaptive bicyclists.

Cheyenne, Wyoming is kicking off the city’s bike week. Which is a far cry from when cowboys in pickups used to run me off the road the few times I tried to ride there. 

Over 5,800 people in 14 counties in Arkansas and Oklahoma could get ebike vouchers up to $1,200 through a grant from the EPA. Something CARB no doubt explored before stealing the funding for the California Ebike Incentive Program to pay for electric cars. 

Chicago protesters say the city has to value people over parking, after a Complete Streets planner was killed riding his bike in a painted bike lane.

A 60-year old mother of seven was killed when she was hit by a freight train in a Chicago suburb last week; she was also the chief financial officer for a nonprofit working to support victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and had been winning the battle against a rare form of blood cancer.

Hundreds of Braintree, Massachusetts community members turned out to pray for a 12-year old boy who was hit by the driver of an SUV while riding his bike to Little League practice; he remains in a coma after undergoing multiple surgeries for severe head and upper body injuries. A crowdfunding page has raised nearly $90,000 of the $110,000 goal.

The mere sight of Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner riding New York bikeshares caused a writer for Vogue to go into a paroxysm of uncontrollable thoughts, although another fashion writer was primarily concerned with Jenner’s thousand dollar shoes.

Cycling Weekly says forget California or Colorado, and head to the Carolinas for “long climbs, empty roads, breathtaking scenery, and a culture built around the bicycle.”

Speaking of the Carolinas, the South one just adopted the “Palmetto Stop,” aka Stop as Yield or Idaho Stop, becoming the first state on the east coast to allow bicyclists to treat stop signs like yields, and red lights like stop signs.

The Florida legislature has passed a bill imposing a 10 mph speed limit for all ebikes on shared-use paths, regardless of type or class.

An 18-year old Florida man went missing on a bikepacking trip from Jacksonville to the Florida Keys.

 

International

A new two-way protected bike path on a Brazilian bridge recorded 7,000 bicyclists in first month, improving mobility on the country’s coastal region.

A new Dubai cycle track will “allow pelotons to velo on a network of paths and bridges from Dubai Hills to Internet City.” Although pelotons seldom use bike paths that are only wide enough for a single rider in each direction. And who the hell uses velo as a verb, anyway — never mind the “wheely” bad pun in the headline? 

 

Competitive Cycling

Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner will be a no-show for this week’s US Pro Road Cycling National Championships, after “travel chaos” returning home from the Giro Donne left her without the energy to compete.

Belgian star Wout van Aert is out of this year’s Tour de France after an elbow injury suffered in a training crash resulted in an infection, throwing a “spanner in the works.”

The route was announced for the Tour of Britain this September. Although the trophies appear to have been cut out of plywood. 

Um, okay. The cycling events of the 2026 Pasadena Senior Games were held at El Dorado East Regional Park in Long Beach yesterday; the 10k time trial and 20K road race were sponsored by SoCalCycling.com and the Pasadena Senior Center. Because apparently, there are no locations in Pasadena where the races could be held, such as, oh, I don’t know, maybe the Rose Bowl. 

Heartbreaking news from Ireland, where yet another junior cyclist was killed in a training crash, as 16-year old Shane O’Brien was killed when he ran into a parked truck while on a training ride Tuesday morning; the rising star had just made his debut with the national team, and was described as one of the country’s most exciting talents.

Instagram post

Finally…

That feeling when “hundreds of naked cyclists” somehow leave a major city paralyzed. Seriously, if you’re going to put your naked ass on a bikeshare seat, put a damn cover on it first.

And that feeling when PeopleForBikes doesn’t know which way a helmet is supposed to go.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: ,

West Hollywood named one of 8 to Watch, fallen Ventura County bicyclists ID’d on Instagram, and Macron gives Trump a bike

June 17, 2026 / / No comments

Just a quick update today. 

I have an early commitment in the morning, and I’m still having trouble seeing after having my eyes dilated yesterday. 

On the plus side, though, I haven’t had to get a shot for retinal bleeding for over two years now. 

Photo from PeopleForBikes.

……….

So much for that embargo.

For more than a week, PeopleForBikes has provided me with information on the release of their new 2026 City Ratings, particularly West Hollywood being named one of their Eight Cities to Watch, on the condition that I keep it quiet until after 7 am today.

Then they posted it online themselves yesterday afternoon.

Go figure.

And yes, I would have held it if they did. But they didn’t, so let’s start with the good news.

While WeHo only rated a 37 out of a possible 100, ranking 1022 out of 3019 American cities, they think it’s worth keeping an eye on as the city continues to improve.

West Hollywood has been making big moves for better biking in recent years. In April 2025, the city council unanimously committed to building only protected bike infrastructure on future street projects — the first city in the Los Angeles area to do so — and followed it up by painting all existing bike lanes green on Fairfax Avenue, San Vicente Boulevard, and Santa Monica Boulevard for improved visibility. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the horizon, West Hollywood’s premier location in LA positions it as a key corridor for the broader active transportation push underway across Los Angeles ahead of the Games.

One reason they give is the future extension of the K Line, nee Crenshaw Line, into the city. Another will be the Complete Streets remake of Fountain Ave, although it’s questionable which of those will actually be completed first, given a lack of federal funding and the inevitable lawsuits.

On the other hand, WeHo compared very favorably to LA’s subpar rating of 32 compared to the national average of 36, ranking us 1350th in the US, and barely in the top 200 California cities at 195.

And no, Los Angeles is not a city to watch. Even if we have climbed from the nadir of 2023, when we scored a whopping 19.

Among other cities in LA County,

I guess Culver City shouldn’t have ripped out the MOVE Culver City protected bike lanes, after all.

There’s a lot I could quibble with on that list, but you can check out their methodology in the video below and decide for yourself.

And if your city isn’t on that list, you can click here for more California cities.

………

In response to yesterday’s post, thanks to David for pointing me to an Instagram post identifying the two victims killed by an alleged speeding, drunken driver in Ventura County last Thursday.

However, they still haven’t been publicly identified by any official source, so I won’t name them here. But reading what others had to say about them, it sounds like we lost some very exceptional people.

Then again, we’re all exceptional in some way, to someone.

There’s also no word yet on the name of the accused driver, who should have appeared in court by now, which raises the question of why they’re holding back his identification.

………

Finally, someone in France must have a hell of a sense of humor.

To promote the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships, which will be held in France’s Haute Savoie region, French President Emmanuel Macron gave every leader attending the G7 conference at Lake Geneva a personalized Look bicycle.

Yes, even Donald Trump.

As Fortune wryly observed,

There was no hot mic moment to detect the reaction of Trump, who is not known to bike and has joked about doing minimal exercise beyond regular golf outings.

Despite being called — or calling himself — the fittest, healthiest president in recent history, Trump has said he will never, ever ride a bicycle, and has mocked Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and John Kerry for their two wheeled exploits.

Although I’d pay good money to see him try.

Maybe they didn’t have enough FIFA Peace Prizes for everyone.

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

No ID on victims or suspect in PCH DUI crash, LA’s most dangerous intersections, and grand jury says San Diego bikeways ain’t cutting it

June 16, 2026 / / No comments

Still no ID on the two people killed by a suspected drunk driver on PCH in Ventura County on Thursday.

The victims were riding in the bike lane on SoCal’s killer highway, just north of Ventura, when they were run down from behind.

There’s also no word on why investigators concluded the unnamed 24-year old Oxnard man was under the influence. Or why he was arrested on suspicion of murder.

It seems odd that we haven’t learned anymore by now, particularly since he was scheduled for an initial court appearance yesterday.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

But in the meantime, at least Hoodline showed the good taste to reference me.

Photo from Ekaterina Bolovtsova on Pexels.

………

We finally have a little news from the City of Angels, as the LAPD says crashes are up 5% with a nice round 750-crashes so far this year, largely due to distracted drivers.

Although they also blame people on ebikes and e-scooters for blowing through red lights, and illegally using sidewalks. And, of course, they warn pedestrians to stay alert, rather than telling scooter riders to stay the hell off the sidewalk.

KABC-7 reports the the most dangerous intersections this year have been:

  • Figueroa Street and 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles – 11 crashes so far in 2026
  • Highland Avenue and Pat Moore Way, near the Hollywood Bowl – 6 crashes so far in 2026
  • Century Boulevard and Main Street in South L.A. – 5 crashes so far in 2026
  • Sherman Way at the 170 Freeway entrance in the San Fernando Valley – 5 crashes so far in 2026

No word on where the most dangerous sidewalks are.

………

In a hard-hitting report, a San Diego grand jury says the city is not meeting its own ambitious climate goals.

Shocking, I know.

According to Streetsblog,

The new report, Shifting Gears, arrives at a moment when San Diego is trying to reconcile two competing realities. On one hand, the city has adopted ambitious goals. The Climate Action Plan calls for 10% of all daily trips to be made by bicycle by 2035. Vision Zero commits San Diego to eliminating traffic deaths and severe injuries. The Bicycle Master Plan Update is meant to create a safer and more connected network. On the other hand, San Diego remains a city where the automobile remains king. While the report itself is not binding nor enforceable, it validates San Diegans’ concerns and recommends a path forward.

Safety and connectivity remain the two biggest barriers preventing more people from choosing to bike. A recent city survey of more than 2,000 riders found that “traffic safety concerns” and “gaps in the bike network” were the first and second most frequently cited barriers to bicycling.

The report cites a disconnect bike network, where bike lanes suddenly start and stop, leaving bicyclists to confront freeway on and off-ramps on their own.

Something I can attest to from my time there four decades ago. Apparently, some things never change.

They also cite a lack of maintenance, particularly on the city’s protected bike lanes.

It’s worth taking a few minutes to read, at least the Streetsblog summary, if not the full grand jury report. Because San Diego may have its issues.

But they’re lightyears ahead of Los Angeles.

……….

Seriously?

The head of the Luxembourg Police National Road Traffic and Safety Service warns that bicycling injuries continue to climb in the Duchy. So bicyclists should be careful around cars.

Drivers, as you were.

In fact, the only advice he has for drivers is to look before you open the door to avoid dooring bike riders. But it’s still the bike rider’s fault, even when the driver is at fault.

Motorists can prevent this by looking over their shoulder as they open the car door. But Faber believes that cyclists also share the responsibility to avoid this type of accident.

“Of course, if there’s a collision, the driver is actually to blame,” he said. “But to prevent it from happening in the first place, the cyclist must remain alert at all times and allow for the possibility that other road users might make mistakes,” he said. In practical terms, this means reducing speed and increasing their distance from parked cars passing parked cars.

And of course, he tells bicyclists to wear hi-viz and a helmet. Drivers, just look over your shoulder when you open the door to make sure there’s not someone wearing a helmet and dressed like a reflective clown riding too close to your door.

Because you don’t want to hurt someone, even if it’s their fault.

………

French TV talks with American activist Shannon Galpin, who played a key role in exfiltrating the Afghan women’s cycling team following the return of the Taliban.

Which, translated from politese, means she had to get the women, and some men, out herself after UCI stopped helping with the mission, which has been ongoing since 2021.

Thanks to Megan for the heads-up.

………

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

Residents of England’s Northumberland County make the same complaints about a new protected bike lane you could hear in any American city, from “it makes the road more dangerous,” to the work came “out of the blue” and “the money should have been spent on something more important,” because “it was never that dangerous for bicyclists, anyway.”

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

Ohio lawmakers are considering revising the law to close a loophole, and make it possible to charge someone with vehicular homicide if they kill someone while riding an ebike.

A New Jersey woman is recovering from a concussion, cuts and bruises, and a man is facing criminal charges, after she told the man and his girlfriend to slow their ebikes down, and he responded by getting off his bike and punching her in the head. Even though the bikes look like electric motorbikes, it looks like his bike has pedals, so they may actually be ebikes. Or not.

………

Local 

The US House Appropriations Committee approved less than half of the $2 billion in transportation funding LA officials are requesting for the ’28 Olympics, all of which Metro plans to use for buses, with no crumbs left over for active transportation, apparently.

A writer for the Los Angeles Times joined a group of people walking 28 miles from Alhambra to Long Beach, passing through Monterey Park, Commerce, Vernon, Maywood, Bell, Cudahy, South Gate, Lynwood, Compton and Los Angeles along the way.

LADOT wants to know what you think about alternatives to building a gondola to Dodgers Stadium that might actually work.

 

State

This is who we share the road with. Even a coyote joined in as police chased an ebike rider across multiple cities in Orange County, before police busted the rider in Santa Ana. And even though the suspect was clearly riding an e-moto, we still got the blame.

A newspaper in Davis makes the argument that bicyclists roll through stop signs because of road design, rather than lawlessness, questioning whether traffic control signs designed for motorists really make sense for people on bicycles.

 

National

Sixty-six-year old ultracyclist Joe Barr set a provisional world record for riding the full length of Route 66, covering 2,448 miles, along with a whopping 68,897 feet of climbing in 10 days, 12 hours and three minutes.

A local Utah celebrity known as “Bicycle Brent” is back on his stuffed-animal festooned bicycle, despite being struck by the driver of a semi-truck, which dragged him a short distance; remarkably, the 70-year old man with cerebral palsy was conscious and breathing when first responders got to him.

Yeah, maybe it’s time. Bicyclists in Duluth, Minnesota are invited to “Bike for Science” to gather real-world riding data to update the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s bicycle facilities design guide, which is based on data collected in the 1980s. Which, for anyone unclear on the concept, is, like, a really long time ago, okay?

The best friend of a fallen New York bicyclist demands action against illegal vehicles on the street after he was killed by a man on stand-up electric scooter, arguing that “better street design” is not “some kind of mystery.”

Four young men who have overcome problems like substance abuse, legal troubles and emotional struggles are planning to ride 500 miles across Georgia to honor the founder of their youth home, who road 1,200 miles from Vidalia, Georgia to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1961 to help raise awareness and support for the newly established youth home.

 

International

Life is cheap in England, where a tree surgeon got a whole 16 months behind bars for dumping a load of asbestos in the middle of a narrow lane after being turned away from the local landfill; a 66-year old grandfather lost a quarter of his skull when his bicycle hit the debris and punctured a tire. And no, you don’t want to see the pictures.  

London Penny Farthing riders set four Guinness World Records, including for the largest and smallest rideable big wheelers. Although I initially left out the “h” in “Farthing,” which would have made for a much more interesting set of records. 

Londoners are worried that the bikeshare system wasn’t properly disinfected after some of the bikes may have been used in the city’s World Naked Bike Ride. Don’t click on the second link if you don’t want to see male genitalia hanging out. 

The Daily Mail says a Freedom of Information request shows the UK’s first bicycle street is being used by just half the 3,000 daily riders Cambridge city leaders suggested.

Bicyclists in Manilla are calling for the city to build more bikeways as more people are riding due to limited public transportation.

 

Competitive Cycling

A German cycling race was disrupted when an elderly woman on a mobility scooter rode into the peloton, sending riders flying and causing a massive pileup.

Road.cc features a stunning photo of Belgian Liam Slock sliding foot-first across the finish line at Switzerland’s GP Gippingen, after suffering from premature celebration.

 

Finally…

Seriously, don’t flee from the cops when they try to pull your bike over for multiple vehicle code violations — and don’t try to punch them out when they finally stop you. Whacking a cop with a bike pump is not one of the recommended uses for it, even if you are 86-years old.

And that feeling when you pedal “America’s Weirdest Bike” 2,000 miles — to highlight a tax form.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

The endless battle of good versus evil, ebikes and regular; 600 turn out for first-ever Bike the Coast Ventura; and goodbye Mr. Hockney

June 15, 2026 / / 2 comments

Why, pray tell, does it have to be an endless battle of regular bikes and pedestrians versus ebikes?

Take this story in The Guardian.

Please.

In a story headed :

Vicious cycles or transport revolution? The ebike battle raging in Queensland

The paper argues,

Aggrieved pedestrians and push-bike riders are pitted against those who see e-mobility as a ‘once in a generation’ chance to change the way we travel around cities

Somehow, we have to choose one side or the other, as if it’s not possible to have a “once in a generation” opportunity to change urban transportation, while acknowledging that the lack of effective regulation has allowed things to get out of hand.

Like this story from Virginia Beach, Virginia, where a 15-year old boy fled from multiple cops and a police helicopter on an illegal electric dirt bike with whopping 16,800-watt motor and a top speed over 59 mph, while on probation for doing exactly the same thing three previous times.

Or the recent case here in Orange County, where a 14-year old boy killed an 81-year old Vietnam vet while doing wheelies on an illegal e-motorbike, leading to charges against the boy’s mother, who had ignored previous warnings from police.

Never mind the beatdowns various people have suffered for berating, or just trying to ride an e-scooter through, teen e-moto gangs.

Let alone this story from Ebike Tips, where a writer gets hit by a hit-and-run rider on an illegally modified ebike while riding his own — legal — ebike, and questions how critical he can be when his own bike comes close to crossing the line.

On the other hand, at least he knows enough to stick around after a crash.

The result has been laws like New Jersey’s “crazy” crackdown on ebikes by requiring a license and registration for all ebikes, with no distinction between Class 1 ped-assist ebikes and illegal electric motorbikes.

Or Dublin cracking down on all bicycles on a pedestrianized shopping street when the real problem is illegal mopeds.

Even a town near bike-friendly Utrecht in the Netherlands is experimenting with a two-week 12.5 mph speed limit for bicycles on a bike path, leading to a revolt from some acoustic bike riders.

Lumping all ebikes together in the public mind inevitably leads to a crackdown on every type of ebike, when the problem is only caused by a subset of riders on ebikes that have been illegally modified to exceed permitted speeds, or on electric motorbikes and dirt bikes that aren’t legally allowed on the roads as it it, at least without a driver’s license and/or motorcycle license.

The obvious solution is to crack down on the electric mo-peds, motorbikes and dirt bikes — and riders — who are actually causing the problems, without killing the “once in a generation” opportunity we have to make a real change.

The responsibility lies with the various legislatures to create a clear distinction between the two, lightly regulating the one while restricting the other.

If they can do that, we have an opportunity to make a significant dent in driving rates, with consequential benefits to traffic, road wear and tear, pollution and public health.

If not, we’ll butcher the golden goose and fry its eggs for breakfast.

Photo of electric non-motorbike by Cely for Pixabay. 

………

I got the following press release yesterday about Saturday’s first-ever Bike the Coast Ventura. And since I’m getting lazy in my old age, I’m simply reposting it for you here.

Bike the Coast Ventura Welcomes Nearly 600 Riders at Inaugural Event 

Riders of all ages and experience levels rode through the scenic coastal city, ending at the finish festival featuring local vendors and musicians

VENTURA, Calif. – The inaugural Bike the Coast Ventura hosted nearly 600 riders on June 13, welcoming participants of all ages and experience levels to ride through the scenic City of Ventura. The event partnered with local businesses and organizations to ensure that the Ventura community charm was truly highlighted throughout the event. The field of riders included Ventura locals, loyal participants of Bike the Coast San Diego, the event’s sister ride that takes place in the fall, and cyclists who traveled from Northern California, Las Vegas, and Arizona.

This year’s sponsors and partners included Visit Ventura, Downtown Ventura Association, Ventura Coast Brewing Company and Ventura Coast Cycling. The event also partnered with local charity organizations, including The Los Angeles Chapter of National MS and the Downtown Ventura Foundation. The 2026 event contributed over $6000 for their charity partners.

“When we chose Ventura as the host city for Bike the Coast, it wasn’t only because of the incredible views and scenic routes; it was also because of the incredible community,” said Mike Bone, president and CEO of Spectrum Sports Management, producer of Bike the Coast Ventura. “The Ventura locals really showed up for us throughout the planning stages and all the way up to race day. We look forward to future years of hosting this event and showcasing this amazing community.”

Participants took part in one of the three course options: the Metric Century 65-mile ride, the 40-mile ride or the rider’s favorite 20-mile family ride. Participants of the Metric Century 65-Mile ride were taken on a tour of the coastline with some hills in neighboring cities. The 40-mile and 20-mile riders were also treated with constant ocean views along their rules of the road routes. All participants wrapped up at the finish line in Promenade Park, which featured the Finish Festival that has coined the slogan, “Come for the Ride – Stay for the Party”. The free Finish Festival hosted the Ventura-based band The GAMBLE, and featured various local vendors offering food, drink and cycling-focused products and services.

For more information on Bike the Coast Ventura, visit www.bikethecoastventura.com. Follow the event on Instagram and Facebook.

………

Goodbye to the late, great LA artist and lifelong bicyclist David Hockney, from his native England.

Bluesky post

………

Local 

For the third day in a row, I got nothing. 

 

State

Off-Road.cc offers an ode to mountain biking pioneer Charlie Cunningham, who died earlier this month at age 77.

San Francisco’s Bicycle Advisory Committee held its last meeting this past week, shutting down after 35 years because the city decided it was redundant because the MTA now has a Sustainable Streets Division, “with teams focused on active transportation, employs full-time bike planners and engineers, and integrates biking into multimodal planning.” Which all sounds good, but doesn’t take the place of informed advice from a citizens committee representing the voice of the public. 

 

National

A website called Straight Arrow News looks at the America Bikes Act, saying it’s gaining traction but critics are trying to pump the brakes — but only the only critic they cite is a Missouri bicycle retailer who says ebike voucher programs have created complications for retailers, domestic bike manufacturing isn’t economically viable, and replicating European bicycle networks nationwide would be difficult. Oh, well if it’s going to be hard, let’s just give up now. 

Velo offers the dietary and training fixes you need to avoid having your skeleton “turn into chalk,” as UCI calls bicycling ‘perfect storm’ for bone loss. I lifted weights and watched my calcium intake for decades, but was shocked to end up with osteoporosis in my hips, anyway. 

Good news for bike couriers and pedal-cab drivers, as the IRS includes both in the new exemption on taxing tips.

A Seattle op-ed calls on the city to move faster on implementing a bike network, two years after voters approved a historic $133.5 million investment in bike infrastructure and programs.

The Chicago Sun-Times explains how their photographer captured an outstanding photo of a memorial ride for a fallen bicyclist, perfectly reflected in a pool of water.

Um, okay. After man in Shelter Island NY was nearly run off the the road by a driver while riding his bike, he was relieved to discover than not only was there already a three-foot passing law, but there were already signs in place informing drivers of the fact. Which apparently did nothing to prevent that driver from buzzing him at close range. 

New York Mayor Mamdani made history by becoming the first sitting mayor to join the other 32,000 riders taking part in the 5 Boro Bike Tour for the entire route. Which raises the obvious question of whether the other mayors didn’t take part, or just didn’t have seats on their bikes, forcing them to stand the whole way.

A Japanese business student studying in the US is riding his bicycle 1,200 miles from Pittsburgh to Dallas to watch his home team play in the World Cup.

A New Orleans website offers highly edited photos of the city’s World Naked Bike Ride. Or as the rest of the denizens of that city called it, Saturday.

 

International

The latest Lumos helmet combines built-in lights with an intercom system allowing up to 15 riders to communicate, offering obvious safety benefits for group rides.

Toronto held not one, but two separate editions of the World Naked Bike Ride, encouraging “freedom and body resistance for queer, trans, and feminist folks in the city.” Apparently, the usual idea of calling attention to bicycle safety and fossil fuels isn’t a factor there. 

One thousand London bicyclists took to their bikes in the buff, or some variation thereof, for more traditional reasons, as protest against car culture and other linked themes, while also demonstrating against global oil dependency and celebrating their bodily freedom; the event was moved from Saturday to Sunday to avoid disrupting the annual Trouping of the Colour.

Oops. Former Aussie pro cyclist Rohan Dennis was stopped for driving, with his kids in the car, despite a five-year driving ban imposed as part of his extremely lenient sentencing for the death of his wife, former Olympian Melissa Hoskins.

 

Competitive Cycling

Mexican cycling star Isaac del Toro won France’s eight-day Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on the final day by winning his second successive stage in a mountaintop finish; meanwhile, pre-race favorite Paul Seixas saw his Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes hopes dealt a major blow when he had to fight his way back from a bloody crash on the penultimate day.

A Paris Olympian is back on the track again, after trapped spinal fluid nearly ended her cycling days a year ago, preventing her from even completing simple tasks like tying her shoes.

Cycling News analyzes how the women’s WorldTour cyclists navigated a chaotic final lap of the Copenhagen Sprint, as Dutch star Lorena Wiebes held off countrywoman Charlotte Kool for the win.

 

Finally…

Even the damn coyotes are out to get us now. The Jekyls and Hydes of competitive cycling.

And nothing in the rules says you have to be upright when you cross the finish line.

Twitter post

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

Update: Two dead, one injured when alleged drunk driver plowed into three bicyclists on PCH north of Ventura; driver held for DUI and murder

June 13, 2026 / / No comments

Two people are dead, and another injured, just because some guy felt the need to get behind the wheel after drinking.

Allegedly.

According to reports from KTLA-5 and Ventura’s News Channel 12-3-11, three people were riding their bicycles north in the bike lane on PCH in Ventura County when a pickup driver plowed into them from behind at 50 to 55 mph.

A Facebook commenter said the posted speed limit in the area is 45 mph. According to AAA, the risk of death for a pedestrian at 42 mph is 50%, jumping to 75% at 50 mph, and 90% at 58 mph.

One of the victims died at the scene, while another died after being taken to Ventura County Medical Center; the third victim was transported to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries.

The CHP places the crash around 7:08 pm Thursday, on PCH near Solimar Beach Road, just outside the City of Ventura.

A paywalled story from the Ventura County Star says a 33-year old woman from Bend, Oregon died at the scene, while a 39-year old Ventura man died at the hospital. The injured victim was identified only as a woman.

It’s not clear if they were riding together, or just had the misfortune of all being in the driver’s way. Several witnesses stopped to assist the victims before paramedics arrived.

It’s not known why the driver, identified only as a 24-year old Oxnard man, veered his pickup into the bike lane. He continued north until crashing into a guardrail, coming to rest on the right shoulder.

CHP investigators arrested the driver at the scene on suspicion of felony DUI causing injury, murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. He’s being held at the Ventura County jail in lieu of $1 million bail, and scheduled for a June 15th hearing in Ventura County Superior Court.

The murder charge suggests this may not be his first DUI offense.

Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP’s Ventura Area Office at 805/662-2640, and reference CAD Log 260611VT0384.

These are the 33rd and 34th bicycling fatalities that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the sixth and seventh we know about in Ventura County already this year.

Update: Ventura County’s Rolling Cerros Run Club identified the victims on Instagram as Kellie Standish and Colby Tucker. 

Other Instagram accounts remember two, while another video, which I can’t embed, shows the many signatures on their ghost bike, as well as their friends coming together; it sounds like their deaths are a real loss to the community. 

However, they still have not been officially identified by police, the medical examiner’s office or the media five days later. And there has been no public identification of the driver. 

Instagram post

Instagram post

Instagram post

Update 2: A preliminary obituary for Colby Tucker has been posted online. A memorial for the 39-year old will be held in the Boston area on Tuesday, with a live link to posted online later; a celebration of life will be held in Ventura in the coming months. 

According to the obituary, 

Donations in celebration of Colby’s life may be made to organizations working to conserve places he loved: The Green Mountain Club, protecting the Long Trail in Vermont (donation page here), and The Nature Conservancy, protecting Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands off the coast of Ventura (memorial donation page here).  Livestream link to follow.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Kellie Standish and Colby Tucker, and all their loved ones.  

Thanks to David for the heads-up. 

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