BikinginLA

Do I really have to tell you CicLAvia is returning to LA this weekend?

I’m assuming that everyone within reasonable traveling distance of Los Angeles knows what CicLAvia is, and has probably been to at least one.

If not, what the hell are you waiting for?

In just three short years. CicLAvia has become the largest open streets event in the US, drawing far more than the official “over 100,000” estimate cited after each one — which was probably short by at least half for the Venice Blvd CicLAvia to the Sea. And providing Angelenos with a new way to experience the city and the streets that belong to them, not the cars that usually clog them.

The Wilshire route, which you can enjoy for free from 9 am to 4 pm this Sunday, opens up one of the city’s most iconic boulevards to people who usually grasp it only in glimpses from the hermetically sealed comfort of their cars, with events occurring all day from end to end.

It’s not a race. It’s not a bike tour. It’s not, in fact, limited to bikes, though that’s the easiest way to experience the full length from Fairfax on the Miracle Mile to the eastern terminus in Downtown LA.

It’s open to everyone, using any form of non-motorized transportation. And yes, exceptions are made for motorized wheelchairs and other necessary mobility devices.

You can experience as much or as little of the route as you want, any way you want, for however long you want. You can walk a few blocks, or hike the full way. Skate it. Scoot it. Or just pull up a chair and watch the city — your city — roll by.

Because that’s the primary takeaway most people seem to have after attending a CicLAvia. That this is our city, and our streets. And neither one belongs to the cars we’ve given them over to.

That, and it’s a helluva lot of fun.

However you do it.

……..

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers 12 tips for Sunday’s CicLAvia. I’d disagree on just one point — wear whatever the hell you want, whether that’s spandex or a taffeta tutu.

Downtown News lists nine things you’ll want to know before you join in on Sunday.

Even Zev shares the CicLAvia spirit.

Gizmodo lists CicLAvia first among nine top open streets festivals.

Feeder rides include routes from Santa Monica, UCLA and the Eastside.

Bicycle Fixation’s Rick Risemberg will be leading a free art tour of Miracle Mile galleries starting at 1 pm.

Choose from three organized walks. Or just, you know, walk.

You can meet Breaking Away’s Dennis Christopher, as well as the two-wheeled star of the movie that got me back on a bike, at the west hub near Fairfax Ave. If only bikes could sign autographs.

New Belgium Brewing is sponsoring a snapshot competition.

Los Angeles Magazine offers recommendations on where to eat and what to see, as well as a guide to churches, temples and Islamic Centers along the way.

And you’ll want to print out the Militant Angeleno’s iconic guide to the iconic boulevard to reference along the way.

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Local

Friends of fallen cyclist Andy Garcia offer a gut-wrenching remembrance of the night he was killed and two other riders seriously injured in a drunken hit-and-run. And question the plea deal that resulted in his killer serving just a fraction of the possible sentence. It’s a difficult read, but well worth it.

A cyclist offers five tips for drivers, saying our streets don’t have to be a battlefield.

Who knew LA already had a bike share program? The successful program at Occidental College could be turned into a full student service.

 

State

Streetsblog updates the status of transportation bills in Sacramento.

The husband of fallen Newport Beach cyclist Debra Deem files a claim against the city for failing to maintain the Coast Highway where she was killed; the city denies responsibility for that section of roadway, saying Caltrans should be liable.

New bike lanes are coming to Carlsbad.

After suffering a major concussion in her first spring classic, a women’s pro rider discovers it’s a long and slow way back; fortunately, she’s recovered enough to compete in this week’s Redlands Classic.

San Francisco’s bike share program could be extended to the East Bay.

 

National

Former DC and Chicago DOT head Gabe Klein looks at what makes a successful bike share program. Meanwhile, the US Senate considers a tax break for bike share.

Six new gadgets for your bike commute.

A Portland woman is arrested for intentionally running down a bike rider following a traffic dispute.

A 12-year old Oregon boy suffers a life-changing brain injury when the front wheel comes off his bike; a tragic reminder of the importance of proper maintenance, especially on low-end kids bikes that may be more prone to failure.

Wisconsin passes a watered-down vulnerable users law.

 

International

If someone on a bicycle or motorcycle can be called a biker, why shouldn’t someone in a car be called a carer? Especially one who kills an 87-year old man while driving drunk.

Cycling News remembers the forgotten founder of the Tour of Flanders.

It takes courage to race a bike. It takes real courage for women to race in Afghanistan.

Kiwi courts are accused of going easy on drivers who kill cyclists; the same argument could be made about just about any court, everywhere. An editorial from the same paper says more needs to be done to keep cyclists safe. Again, the same goes just about everywhere.

 

Finally…

Is an all-orange bike chained to a fence a clever marketing campaign, or a misguided rip-off of ghost bikes and in extremely poor taste? Personally, I’d seriously question if I’d want to do business with the company behind them.

And after a East Bay bike advocate tries switching bikes for cars in news stories, he starts a meme that quickly becomes the top trend on Twitter.