Yes, I’ve got a lot of reading for you today.
But it’s shaping up as a great day for riding. So call in sick, if it’s not too late. Or tell your boss you’ve got to go meet a client on the other side of town, and get in a quick ride before our perfect L.A. weather turns less than perfect next week.
This will still be here when you get back.
I promise.
……..
Big changes at LADOT; but not yet clear what it means for L.A. cyclists. LADOT’s Venice wayfinding meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 14th. Streetsblog looks at last week’s LAPD sting operation on Downtown’s green Spring Street bike lane, and interviews L.A.’s rapidly rising bike-friendly mayor. Cyclists storm the L.A Police Commission to demand more protection from hit-and-run drivers. Rick Risemberg looks at L.A.’s first pedestrian plaza and second bike corral; the 7th annual Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer hill climbing stage race will roll from the same location on Sunday, March 25th. L.A. cyclists could enjoy a new bike, pedestrian and equestrian bridge thanks to a local philanthropist; I wonder how long before the horse crowd tries to get us evicted? Here’s your chance to start Beverly Hills first bike shop with little or no money out of pocket; a perfect opportunity for a wrench with his or her own tools. Beverly Hills should consider how bikes could boost small businesses. An interview with cyclist and Hollywood composer Cody Westheimer. Police shoot a cyclist in Harbor City when he pulls a gun after stopping him for riding without a light. The road raging driver who attacked The Path Less Pedaled’s Russ Roca avoids jail after admitting he has an anger problem; well duh. Meanwhile, Russ offers a very short bike PSA.
A new bike shop opens in Redlands this weekend. A San Diego mayoral candidate has a plan to double the number of bike commuters in the city; the shocking part is, he’s a Republican. A Bakersfield driver gets a whopping 10 months in jail for the drunken hit-and-run death of a cyclist; evidently life is cheap in Kern County. Four years in jail for an underage drunk driver who killed an English tourist is San Luis Obispo county. A San Jose cop is held liable for using excessive force on a cyclist after breaking his nose and dislocating his elbow — for a headlight violation. Petaluma police seem to think the way to improve safety for cyclists is to crack down on children without helmets, at least they targeted the drivers who run them down, as well. San Francisco cyclists can now take their bikes into work with them. The World Naked Bike Ride hits Baghdad-by-the-Bay this Saturday, and shows some Kiwi skin, as well.
Number 19 on drivers’ list of complaints — cyclists who don’t let them pass; if they treat us this badly, it makes you wonder how motorists treat people who do the other 18. Biking can save cities billions in health costs. An Idaho driver is found guilty of intentionally running into two Boise bike cops. A Kansas attorney who killed a cyclist while driving drunk is disbarred. Missouri police donate an unclaimed bike to a five-year old tornado survivor. A New York cyclist sues after getting a ticket for leaving the bike lane so he could make a turn. Will driverless cars be the safety solution some people think? A Baton Rouge cyclist starts the long road to recovery following a DUI collision that took the life of his riding companion; the driver who hit him had a BAC nearly four times the legal limit. Now this is the way to encourage helmet use, as Tupelo police hand out helmets to bare headed riders. According to a witness, the Florida hit-and-run driver who crashed into two cyclists, killing one, was so drunk he could barely stand up.
A 35-year old armless cyclist could represent Cuba in the upcoming London Paralympics. A new UK study says bike helmets — even the free ones passed out by Tupelo police — are useless in major collisions. A British coroner says road layouts should be reviewed in the wake of a cyclist’s death; think that would ever happen in this county? Me neither. Singer Florence Welch keeps getting lost on bike rides; thankfully, local kids are happy to guide her home. Scotland’s Transport Minister will meet with cyclists to discuss improving road safety. Just days after a woman who tried to stab him to death was sentenced to prison, a Scot rider is killed in a collision. A road raging driver says she only meant to scare a cyclist, not run him over like she actually did. Evidently, the US isn’t the only place killer drivers get away with it, as a repeat speeder gets a suspended sentence for killing a cyclist during a race. Colnago launches the first road bike with hydraulic disc brakes. Cyclists in a German town face a ban on drunk riding. Professional cycling prepares to split into two separate race series in 2014. An 82-year old Taiwan farmer has pedaled his wife 7.5 mile roundtrip for medical care for the last 18 years.
Finally, the inmates evidently escape the asylum and condemn the proposed Escondido master plan as UN plot that favors bikes and transit over cars; damn, they’re on to us, comrades. And if you haven’t seen it already, check out the tongue-in-cheek Motherf***ing Bike video.
