BikinginLA

Lots of interesting bike stories in the news the last few days — far too many to hold onto until my next post. So pull up a chair, pop open a cold one, and settle in for a bit of reading.

But first, one bit of news. The hotly debated motion to support extending the Marvin Braude Bike Path nearly two miles north to the border with the ‘Bu was passed in the City Council Friday by a vote of 9 – 2.

Does that mean the path will be extended?

Far from it. All it means is that the city’s representatives in D.C. will start looking into the availability of Federal funding to build it. Which is a very long shot, indeed.

So for the time being, you’ll have to keep turning back at Temescal Canyon. Or take the lane on PCH.

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The Times considers L.A.’s big jump in bike thefts, so does KABC; as usual, Damien Newton takes a more in-depth look, and Bicycle Law offers advice on how to avoid it, and what to do if you don’t.

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Roadblock — or Rhode Block — calls on LADOT Bikeways Coordinator Michele Mowery to connect with the cycling community. NELA campaigns for a bike corral and a more ridable Four Corners. Flying Pigeon hosts this weekend’s Spoke(n) Art Ride. Bicycle Fixation remembers when California actually had good roads. Streetsblog says advocates love the Backbone Bikeway Network; hey, ma, look — I’m an advocate! Solving USC’s bike/foot/car/truck/bus traffic issues. Now that Long Beach is officially a bike-friendly city, they’re actually becoming one. Stephen Box says the Times got it wrong in the Warren Olney dooring, then again, the Culver City PD doesn’t get it, either. A San Diego cyclist tells a first-hand tale of a thankfully injury-free hit-and-run. Amgen’s Tour of California unveils it’s toughest route yet. Portland passes a new bike plan leading up to the year 2030. Colorado’s 25th Anniversary Ride the Rockies — think of it as an alpine RAGBRAI — kicks of June 13th. Dave Moulton continues his excellent advice on how to be seen and not be a victim. Finding peace on sleepy city streets. Seattle installs special rail-crossing markings for cyclists and a video explaining how to follow them. The three-foot passing law moves forward in Virginia, as well as in Maryland. Do Arizona drivers have to give a three-foot clearance even when the bike lane is blocked? A new study suggests Portland’s bike boxes may be working. Minnesota considers allowing cyclists to turn left on a red light if the light doesn’t change. Iowa Bike Blog argues why a local legislator is wrong about their proposed five-foot — yes, five foot — passing law, which also includes an anti-harassment measure. USA Today looks at the long road faced by electric bikes in the US. A Charlotte street is about to get a road diet. Why don’t British women ride? It wouldn’t have anything to do with the 19% increase in serious cycling injuries and deaths last year, would it? Helsinki gets new bike lanes and cycle paths, while L.A. continues to wait for sharrows.  Finally, maybe instead of recalling defective cars, we should recall defective drivers.