BikinginLA

Writing for Flying Pigeon, Rick Risemberg accuses Councilmember Gil Cedillo of lying — again — in his opposition to bike lanes on North Figueroa.

Which is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the resentment many riders and NELA community members seem to feel over the Councilman’s apparent attempts to tip the scales in opposition to the planned North Fig road diet and bike lanes.

And all for reasons known only to Cedillo, who has yet to take a public stand on the issue despite the obvious efforts of his office to torpedo the already approved, funded and shovel-ready project designed to improve safety and livability for everyone along the corridor.

It’s scheduled to come to a head tonight as yet another public hearing will be held to consider the matter.

The project enjoyed overwhelming public support at the last meeting on the subject, even though Cedillo and his staff refused to let most supporters be heard in a bizarre attempt at balancing those in favor and against the project. Which only served to amplify the voices of the minority opposition far beyond the limited support they actually had.

Anyone who lives, works or rides in the area is urged to attend. And wear green to show which side you stand with, even if they try to muzzle supporters once again.

6 pm to 8 pm

Franklin High School

820 North Avenue 54

………

Local

In the wake of the recent video showing a bike rider deliberately buzzed by a Metro bus driver, the Source offers advice on how to share the road with buses.

KCET says the road to better health runs through the city’s proposed Mobility Plan. Maybe so, but only if we can stop rogue councilmembers from blocking bike lanes before they can get into it.

Bloomberg looks at the bike and transit unfriendly Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills, and finds it an obstacle to progress in neighboring cities.

Santa Monica votes to lower speed limits on some streets.

Long Beach bike shop The Bicycle Stand moves to a new, improved location half a mile away.

Streetsblog — and BikinginLA ­— sponsor Jim Pocrass is taking your legal questions to answer on the site next week.

 

State

Corona del Mar becomes a little more bike friendly, as new bike racks are installed in the city’s Business District.

The bike riding Silicon Valley tech exec charged with severely beating a motorist pleads not guilty in the alleged road rage case.

Streetsblog SF says the rear-end collision that injured a San Francisco cycling instructor shows sharrows don’t cut it.

 

National

Train your dog to ride on your bike.

Too much bad news on the national front today, as a 70-year old German tourist riding across the US is killed in Walla Walla WA; the driver claimed he was blinded by the sun, which should be excuse enough to avoid any adverse consequences.

Boise Idaho rips out their six-week old buffered bike lanes despite support from the mayor and city council.

Very sad. The 2012 US masters national points race champ is killed when his wheel overlaps another rider’s in a Colorado Springs velodrome collision; tragically, his daughter, the current 15-16 national track champ, was competing in the same race.

Dallas finally repeals its helmet law, at least for adult cyclists.

A Brooklyn DJ is killed in a collision on his way to a job interview as a bike messenger, yet the NYPD doesn’t seem to know anything about it.

 

International

The owner of a Vancouver bike shop is shot in the street in front of his store; police take the 61-year old shooter into custody.

A Toronto paper says you belong in the bike lane if one or both of your hands are holding a bicycle handlebar; if not, not so much.

London bike safety improves as serious injuries drop sharply in 2013, though fatalities are unchanged.

The ultimate guide to cross-county cycling. If the country you’re cycling across is Russia.

 

Finally…

If you’re going to steal a bike from a bike shop, don’t break it on the way out and don’t run into a passing homicide detective. And a writer for the Times looks forward to this weekend’s LA edition of the World Naked Bike Ride, though noting that most folks should never be naked after birth; must make for some awkward showers at his place.