Today’s post, in which I make a shameless plea for money

Not for me.

Even though I could use it as much as the next guy. Especially if the next guy has a bank account that makes Greece look flush.

But actually, I’m asking for you. And every cyclist you share the road with.

Because right here in Southern California, some of the finest bicycling advocacy groups in the country are out there every day, fighting for your rights and the safety of all riders.

And they need — and deserve — your support.

Personally, I’m partial to the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. And not just because I’m a board member.

In fact, when I agreed to join the LACBC three years ago, it was because I often found myself working side-by-side with them on various issues. And was impressed with the commitment and dedication they showed in fighting for better bicycling here in the City of Angels, and their willingness to listen to, and support, all members of the bicycling community.

Since becoming a board member, I can honestly say I have never had the pleasure of working with a better group of people, from my fellow board members to the staff and volunteers who run the organization on a daily basis.

Unlike some organizations, the LACBC doesn’t often trumpet its successes, or broadcast the issues they’re working on with various governmental officials. They tend to be far more interested in getting results than taking the credit.

But chances are, you regularly ride streets they’ve played a hand in improving, from Main Street in Venice, to 1st, Spring and 7th streets Downtown. Not to mention the role they’ve played as the incubator for CicLAvia, City of Lights and Bici Libre.

Staff members from the Coalition were also the only people other than myself who attended every single council and committee meeting in support of the groundbreaking bicyclist anti-harassment ordinance passed in L.A. last year, which has set the standard for similar laws in cities around the country.

And the LACBC is currently working to play a role in next year’s Mayoral and City Council elections, to ensure the voices of cyclists are heard in City Hall — both before and long after you cast your vote.

Unfortunately, that sort of advocacy doesn’t come for free.

Like any other enterprise, the LACBC has to pay for office space, supplies and computer systems, as well as travel and other expenses. Not to mention the salaries of those people out there fighting on your behalf on a daily basis.

And that’s where you come in.

If you’re not a member, take a few minutes right now to join, and add your voice and membership dues with a few thousand like-minded bike riders.

Or take a moment in this season of giving to give to an organization that needs and deserves your support. If only because they’re out there supporting you.

It doesn’t matter what you give.

A $10 donation means as much, and is just as challenging, to some as $1000 is to others. So give a dollar. Give a hundred dollars.

But give something.

Of course, the LACBC is not the only bicycle organization that deserves your support. Put your money where your heart is, and support the organization that means the most to you.

Like the newly revitalized C.I.C.L.E., which has been on fire lately leading rides and workshops for local cyclists. Bikeside LA appears to be inactive these days, yet they remain the area’s only registered nonprofit bicycling political organization. And while LA Streetsblog isn’t an advocacy organization, they do more than anyone else — myself included — to keep us informed about the news and events effecting transportation issues in the Southland.

For those of you south of the Orange Curtain, consider giving to the Orange County Bicycle Coalition, or the Newport Beach Memorial Ride fund.

A little further south, the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition could use your help. As could BikeSD, the new organization co-founded by Sam Ollinger, one of the brightest and most dedicated bike advocates California has to offer.

On the state level, I’m a huge fan of the California Bicycle Coalition, which as done a great job of representing the interests of bicyclists in the state capitol. And while I’ve had my disagreements with the California Association of Bicycling Organizations, aka CABO, you might find they’re the ideal group to support your views in Sacramento and cities around the state.

Then there are the groups working on the national level, like the League of American Bicyclists, People for Bikes, the Alliance for Biking and Walking and the Adventure Cycling Association.

It’s up to you to decide where your money will do the most good. But let it.

Now.

Please.

And don’t forget, donations to most, if not all, of these groups are tax deductible. Which is something that will come in handy on April 15th if you make a contribution before the end of the year.

I’m always reluctant to list people or groups for fear I’ll inadvertently leave someone out. So if you’re aware of a bicycle advocacy group worthy of our support, please let me know in the comments below.

………

In a step virtually no one other than they seem to understand, the League of American Bicyclists has selected the PR and Communications Director for the national AAA as the keynote speaker for next year’s National Bike Summit.

While the Bike League has partnered with AAA on a number of programs in recent years, local chapters have actively opposed bike safety measures, particularly in Washington DC and here in California.

Maybe she has something to say about how we can work together to improve safety for everyone. But maybe AAA should stop opposing bike safety on the local level first.

Thanks to George Wolfberg for the heads-up.

………

The LACBC wants your support for bike lanes on Westwood Blvd between Santa Monica and National Blvds. In case, like me, you missed the opening Saturday night, you can still catch the ARTCRANK LAX exhibition through next Monday. Neon Tommy looks at DTLA’s upcoming Bike Nation USA bike share program. The first phase of the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk opens at 10:30 am today at Paula and Garden Streets in Glendale. LADOT and CD4 Councilmember Tom LaBonge will rededicate the Alex Baum Bicycle Bridge from 10 am to noon on Thursday. Burbank’s Bike Angels will give away 150 refurbished bikes to local families this month. Cycling Unbound says you can tell the NHTSA is a joke because it has TSA in its name. A driver in tiny Durham CA didn’t mean to kill that cyclist, and he’s really, really sorry he did, then ran away like a coward.

Protected bikeways nearly double nationwide in 2012, and are expected to double again next year. How about a hidden minibar in your handlebars? Chicago business needs protected bike lanes. Boston is working for more, and safer, bike commuting. Bikeyface advises drivers on avoiding doorings and kangaroos. A Massachusetts paper asks why hit-and-run drivers flee. Lovely Bicycle offers advice on how to ride real slow. The Washington Post says it’s time we stopped living with streets that are killing us. Hit-and-run drivers are suspected of beheading several bollards protecting a separated bike lane; on the other hand, those might have been cyclists if the divider hadn’t been there. Jacksonville FL has killed 28 pedestrians and nine bicyclists this year alone; that compares with five bicycling fatalities in Los Angeles this year, with over four-and-a-half times the population.

Just like with cyclists, the only official solution to Toronto pedestrian deaths appears to be brighter clothing. Greater horsepower brings greater responsibility. Over half of all UK cyclists don’t feel safe on the road. A 15-year old Brit phenom returns to racing over a year after breaking his back in a racing fall. The unofficial highway code for cyclists. London cyclists drive to work to show how much they don’t contribute to traffic; something tells me most motorists didn’t even notice. Russia’s Katusha pro team is ticked off about not getting a ticket to ride in next year’s UCI WorldTour. New Zealand’s PureBlack racing team is about to go belly up, again. A local rider says Christchurch should be a cycling city. Australian authorities are looking for a teenage cyclist who was severely beaten by a bus driver in a road rage attack.

Finally, bike are great for transportation and recreation — and evidently, stalking potential serial killer victims

8 comments

  1. Jim Lyle says:

    Your donation to the LACBC can be FREE to you! Many of local bicycle stores give huge discounts to LACBC members, as much as 10% off the purchase of a new bicycle and 15% off any accessories. Buy something, send the savings to the LACBC, and take a tax deduction for the donation. Works for me.

  2. Brian says:

    The petition applet dealy for the Westwood Bikelanes on http://www.la-bike.org/ridewestwood does not appear to work, neither my wife nor I can get it to actually accept the signature, it just acts like it’s loading for a second then fails silently (though it then does say “signed”, but the signature never shows up on Change.org’s site, nor do the number of signatures go up). The actual petition link is here – https://www.change.org/petitions/we-support-bicycle-lanes-on-westwood-between-santa-monica-and-national

    With it failing silently like that but kinda looking like it did take the signature, LACBC may have quite a few people thinking they’ve signed the petition but who haven’t actually done it.

  3. You can also support Adventure Cycling Association, which maps routes on the national level and is the main proponent of the U.S. Bicycle Route System, a route network of federally designated routes across the U.S. http://www.adventurecycling.org/holidaycampaign

    • bikinginla says:

      Thanks for the reminder; I don’t know how I could have left the ACA out. I’ll add it to the list right now.

  4. Lizzie says:

    And you can support or join Women on Bikes So Cal, if you are so inclined ;). Thanks for the reminder. I am proud member of LACBC and will be renewing for sure – they do amazing work!

  5. Also, Safe Routes to School. And, if anyone wants to win a $600 gift certificate for Bicycle John’s Lancaster, High Desert Cyclists are holding a raffle for one. Raffle tickets are $40.

  6. Karl says:

    Ok folks some us are buying for as little as $1.50 per hundred shares outright battery (nanophosphate including temperature insensitive best in class or completely unique in quality american made still) company stock I’ve previously guaranteed as a safe not moral and essential investment. But none of us, anywhere, have bought options for 2014 in this company- even though they say the stock will still be trading in 2013 and has NEVER gone below a penny.(yet)

    I’m chiming in here as I’ve survived the solve so far. We can cool this planet- we can leave it so as to not overcrowd it, we can fly not just glide, we can so much better then survive. THe bike, the trike, all these things too few of even have a chance to fully like, are finally within reach. Vote with our money. Our speech as well. Somewhere is a lawfirm with someone who owns a bike and of tens of thousands a dollar fairly earned is paid to like.

    About a year ago a firm kept the hundreds of millions there contract saidi they would be due- and that yes about three dozen thousand dollars per hour for other then the precious few.

    This is where it’s at with a123 systems. I got taken out for not just november- but i’m alive and kicking harding then ever.

    I’m back- and so can the dozens of dollars per share valuation of what’s now none as aoneQ

    time is very very very short though

    the judge has abused his discretion- the reorganisation is filed in bad faith- the bike owning stock owning owners of this publically traded american enterprise have notyet been heard.

    let me be very clear a bout what a small battery can do for us who pedal.

    it can let our brakes store all the energy we put into making us move-

    meaning we use them more

    meaning we survive- we comply with stop signs- having lost our reason not to etc.

    meaning we don’t waste money on pads to regulate our speed downhill- but gofaster uphill for free.

    farther

    faster

    safer

    never having to ever plug in

    or buy a new battery

    technology

    being given away fora quarter billion to the car industry

    it’s blog censored of all comments- and not taking new ones only claiming to

    it’s employees

    the last america will see hired

    it’s products

    ONLY put in cars

    is my nightmare

    is why i didn’t eat one morsel of food in all of november notjustu weeks before and after

    is why my bmi is betteer then it was now then i was a teen

    my bloodwork even more spectacular

    about why i’m free again, not just at last, to spill theh beans

    as best i can

    and say

    i can’t guarantee your penny or two a share if now invested will not be lost- but if it is, so are we… needlessly

    and delaware is not that far

    the web lets us f ile

    from anywhere

    managementgets sued by owners- b y employees

    but is at there service as well

    the law is developing

    we need a serious chapter 11 advocate

    or the future of mobility will be suppressed additional decades

    ifwe are to ever see it

    i want to be wrong

    to be enlightened

    my mind is open

    but if you w ant to stop a bike

    and understand that in this heated too much world

    it is evil to rub rubber to do it

    EVIL

    when literally babies die from the energy being wasted

    the time

    the danger

    not just expense

    EXT technology

    is the alternative

    and it might be too good f or cars

    yes it might be

    but for us

    it’s just right

    to light up the night

    to rationally take away our fright

    ext for extreme temp

    i own no stock

    (yet)

    i owe perhaps millions now to people who bought it on my endorsement and have lost d imes on each share since then

    BUT

    I’ll pay them back

    it’s the least of my worries

    Brilliant people got shotina publkic park like yesterday tome

    doznes of thdem

    machine guns

    tanks

    ‘they’ now want toown this battery maker

    i say let’s say NO

    they are banning bikes of all kinds

    they are not a democracy

    or even a private company

    they are the past

    it’s like sesame street

    a123

    a chemist

    and a team

    we WE have now spent billions

    onfactories

    and scientists

    engineers
    and even batteries

    on powder for them

    selling them below the cost of the powwder

    so as to dominate the market very soon

    and now

    executives caring not about our planet

    sell out

    for half of what they offered

    claimingit’s twice what one of our companies was willing to pay

    even though barely a few million more

    the lies need tostop

    as do we at lighhts

    as we need tostore energy for our lights

    los angeles

    it is “fifth element” land

    it is “blade runner”

    we can leave wheels behind

    we can strap onshoes that make my weight loss seem insignficant compared to there lift- the steps made effortless- thec ommute needing cars or bikes is a quick hop skip and jump

    technology

    publically owned

    sold to those with the highest and best uses for it

    bikingn

    was once the best we can do

    but it c an be improved upon

    if we don’t sell the store

    to those who won’tlet us buy what we need or w ant

    butrather for uneraned unearen unera unearned profit will only forever haunt

    fuck them

    with barely if that buck for every one of us put up

    when the company i fight for still is worth over a buck for every one of them

    a dozen easally times as much- not just well over the double now promissed they wanted to pay when i last posted ono here

    hey

    let’s not blame them for wanting to pay one quarter B instead of two

    but we must stop them

    i don’t mean tosound like bill clinton

    in his overture thatfaileed out our governor

    i rmember that day as well

    it is teh final days

    the two penny stock dances

    we spendf thousands on electric shifters

    we can afford regenerative braking

    we can afford to stop and go

    to light up the road like never before

    it’s so simple

    thet lithium car battery replacements are light

    you goto lowes

    or HD

    but two bulbs

    buy and ac invertor

    and you have seriuous lumens

    and never need move slower then 20 mph

    or unsafely

    motgor cycles are dangerous yes

    but bikes

    with modern brakes

    lights

    even power assistance

    willl determine the fate of thousandsn of species in months coming- every day perhaps

    i know s outhern california

    i know DTLA

    i know we need to be ab le t o buy the best materials to recover our roads for human purposes

    to end the deaths

    to bring back fun

    and speed

    both

    if this company goes private

    it will be worse then ithas been

    we are already not allowed on bridges to san diego

    fiction could not describe worse

    obama follows my words about killing being easier then crossing

    and it is us who kills our planet

    with cars

    and similar attitude about other matters

    the bike is more then a symbol t hough

    it is in fact the solution

    i usded to say correctly that mostof theowners of this company would not s ell for quareter

    or dollars

    as they kknew the valuewas tens of dollars

    but by simply filing a chapter 11

    we are considered to not count

    so of course the price is quartered and then still after ‘auction’ half

    as if we wouldof taken twice- half abillion- right.

    no way

    it’s illegal

    obviously so

    it must not beallowed to occur

    property rights include those of stock holders even in battery companies

    which is whatthis has been

    alll along

    and can be someday for real

    nota car enabaling cabal

    but a company

    that prevent usfrom being the dcell as teh warshoski brotehrs warened

    as we are now

    make them

    or be made them

    and tossed into the gutter

    not even recharged once

    hold your shares

    or bill me

    but kill me

    after i pay you

    as i’ll never surrender till someone does

    or gives me reason to doubt these facts

    cars are obsolete

    here especially

    even wheels are so quaint

    having the stench of fetish

    and exploiting trench

    i want the batteries

    we need t hem

    but our money won’t be enough

    if car companies are given the keys to never have there bluff’s known

    a glimpse of George Jetson’s lack of wheel’s

    is less then we need

    evolution

    safe speed

    requires now from us- that we rob others of there greed

    especially those who killled there best and brightest, old farts- not because they should of, but because perhaps correctly they knew not just that they could of, but in doing that, would see even us only now pat them on the back and trust them to sell batteries only to makers of products defective for the purpose sold- who would haveh us die of sedentary freaking lives despite no winter cold or lacking beauty bold.

    of these facts i need all’s help to be bettertold.

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