— George Orwell, 1984
I thought I’d seen the height of hypocrisy a few weeks ago when Westside city councilmember Paul Koretz called on the city to slash greenhouse gasses just months after he unceremoniously killed bike lanes on Westwood Blvd that would have helped do just that.
But I was wrong.
CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo did him one better with a textbook example of Orwellian doublethink by killing the road diet and bike lanes on North Figueroa Blvd, citing the need to ensure safety for everyone as his justification.
Scan courtesy of Northeast L.A. Bikes
The only problem is, the long-planned, funded and shovel-ready road diet is a safety improvement project designed to make one of LA’s more dangerous streets significantly safer for everyone — pedestrians, drivers and bike riders included.
And even though a New Zealand study shows a combination of traffic calming and separated bike lanes — in other words, a road diet — cut car use 40% while increasing cycling rates a matching 40%. And brought in a whopping $24 return on investment for every dollar spent.
A benefit that, along with improving safety, will now bypass all those who live or work along the boulevard, as well as traverse it. As Cedillo ensures that the street will remain dangerous for everyone, despite modest improvements, while speeding traffic past local businesses.
Meanwhile, the Boulevard Sentinel celebrates the victory over bike riding extremists like you and me.
And LADOT, which proposed it.
And the city council that unanimously approved the bike plan that includes the North Fig road diet.
Yeah, those are what I’d call extremists, all right.
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Evidently, we’re not the only ones asking what’s going on with the investigation into the death of cyclist Milt Olin, killed by a sheriff’s deputy on Mulholland Highway last December.
Fox-11 asks why it’s taking so long to find out the results of the investigation, while KCAL-9 questions whether the DA will press charges.
Actually, I think we’d all like to know that.
Meanwhile, Olin’s ghost bike has gone missing a second time, just a week after a new one was installed.
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It’s been awhile since I’ve had a chance to update the Calendar. But meanwhile, here are a few quick bike events coming up this week.
The streets around the civic center turn into a crit course with an international field Saturday when Wolfpack Hustle brings brakeless bike racing to DTLA, with the blessing of city officials.
Sunday morning you’re invited on a slow paced urban expedition and community bike ride through West Long Beach sponsored by Empact LB.
And Metro proposes taking a giant leap into the past by failing to provide a reasonable level of funding for bike and pedestrian projects in their 10-Year Short Sighted Short Range Transportation Plan. Santa Monica Spoke invites you to show up at a Metro committee meeting next Wednesday to point out the error of their ways.
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A Redondo Beach man has been arrested with 11 high-end stolen bikes after being turned in by someone who discovered he had purchased a hot bike from him.
Turns out there’s more to the story.
Starting with a friend of a friend who recognized the thief in the story as the same guy he caught “admiring” his locked-up bike last weekend, before driving away in a van after being confronted.
But that’s just the start.
Come back next week for the real scoop from the inside.
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LocalSunset Blvd could get a 3.2 mile green bike lane; thanks to new LACBC board member Patrick Pascal for the heads-up.
The LA Bike Explorers Club journeys into the forgotten eras of LA’s past, starting with a ride in Downtown LA on Sunday the 20th.
Community stakeholders discuss the possibility of bike lanes on Boyle and Soto with city planners.
Cynergy Cycles wants your unwanted spandex for the Antigua Cycling Association.
The Argonaut offers a detailed look at the growth of bicycling on the Westside.
A Glendale letter writer says if bike riders are demanding equal rights, we need to be held accountable. Problem is, he gets most of it wrong. And we already have equal rights under the law; we just need the people we share the roads with to recognize that.
A Pomona bike rider is seriously injured in a collision on Thursday.
State
A Laguna Beach writer calls on the city to improve safety by building out the bike improvements that were already approved.
An eighth grader could identify the Newport Beach intersections that need improvement, says Bike Newport Beach’s Frank Peters. The real question is what to do about it.
San Francisco supervisors commend LADOT’s new mobility maven.
A Sacramento area cyclist is killed by a suspected drunk driver.
National
Bike haters are a sign of bicycling’s success. Then again, you can ride legally 100% of the time and still be hated by some drivers.
The amount of protected bike lanes doubles since 2011 as cities attempt to attract younger residents.
The simple act of getting on a bike opens women up to unwanted comments, sexual advances and possible violence.
CNN’s Miles O’Brien leaves today on a 300-mile fundraising ride to fight cancer, less than five months after losing his arm in an accident.
International
A Toronto writer who doesn’t even like bicycling explains five things he’s learned by bike commuting.
The popular Cannondale Pro Cycling team is reportedly merging with Garmin-Sharp after this season.
The week of July 20th is officially Women’s Cycling Week.
New Delhi is India’s leading city for bikes. And its most deadly.
Finally…
Apparently, women in stock photos don’t know how to ride their bikes. And People for Bikes offers up nine reasons to date a bike advocate; sorry ladies, but my heart belongs to another.
