Archive for April 30, 2015

Morning Links: Turning private tragedy into help for others, and a 3-decade old AG opinion on sidewalk riding

April 30, 2015 / / 2 comments
Donny McCluskey in better days.

Donny McCluskey in better days.

Okay, so this one made me cry.

You see, one reason I write about fallen cyclists is the hope that somehow, some good will come out of such senseless loss. Whether in the form of improved safety measures at the site of the collision, or in some other way.

Patti McCluskey Andre made sure that happened.

It was just over three years ago that her brother, Donny McCluskey, stood waiting with his bike, for a Palm Springs red light to change. He was in the right place, exactly where he was supposed to be, obeying the law so many motorists seem to think we break with abandon.

Yet in the intersection in front of him, a drunk driver was hit by a motorist running that same red light. One of the vehicles went ballistic, spinning out of control and crashing into him; with his feet planted on the ground, there was nothing he could do to avoid the impact.

In seconds, he became collateral damage to the dangers on our streets, a victim of actions beyond his control.

The remorseful driver who ran the red light was ultimately convicted and placed on three years probation and community service. This at the request of the victim’s family, who saw no benefit in putting him behind bars.

In most cases, that would have been the end of it.

They would have walked away, mourning the loss of someone so dear to them, and trying to find some way to put it all behind them.

But Patti wanted Donny’s life to mean something.

So she started a fund in his name, which this month awarded its first two scholarships.

Here’s what she had to say:

Yesterday I had the honor of awarding the first 2 in memory of Donny McCluskey scholarships. Both recipients, Lisa Ponsford and Wendi Swanson are family nurse practitioners graduating in May with their DNPs. As FNPS working in our communities — they have the power to promote change at every level. Lisa works in the ER and Wendi in college health plus both are educators at WesternU. Both recipients are physically active and dedicated to changing population health with lifestyle interventions.

Both recipients were honored and touched to be chosen for this scholarship. All I can say is that I am honored to know them and wish they had known Donny, he would have been honored to have his name associated with these two!

Just how big a heart does it take to turn your own private tragedy into something so positive? Let alone something that will not only benefit those who receive them, but everyone whose lives they touch?

Patti has thanked me more than once for the work I do here. But I am in awe of her, and what she’s done to not only channel her own grief, but make our world a better place.

She’s currently raising funds for an additional scholarship for a graduate or doctoral student of Health Science at the same university. And promises to match every donation dollar for dollar.

I can’t think of a better cause.

……..

In light of yesterday’s guest post about riding on crosswalks, I was forwarded this 1993 opinion from then California Attorney General Dan Lundgren, concluding that the rules of the road do indeed apply to bicyclists on the sidewalk, and that sidewalk cyclists can be required to ride with traffic.

We note that certain rules of the road concern the use of the roadway in particular rather than the highway in general (e.g., § 2165 [except in specified circumstances, a vehicle upon the highway is to be driven upon the right half of the roadway]). Although a sidewalk is a separate part of the highway from the roadway, we believe that, given the factors discussed above, the intent of the Legislature was for the operation of a bicycle on a sidewalk to be similar to vehicular travel wherever practicable. Therefore, to the extent that a vehicle must be driven on the right half of the roadway, a bicyclist riding on an adjacent sidewalk must travel in the same direction as the vehicular traffic. This interpretation of section 21200 provides pedestrians with some assurance as to the direction of bicycle riders on sidewalks at all times. Such statutory construction is consistent with the well-established principle that “[t]he courts must give statutes a reasonable construction which conforms to the apparent purpose and intention of the lawmakers.” (Clean Air Constituency v. California Air Resources Bd. (1974) 11 Cal.3d 801, 813.)

Of course, an opinion of the AG does not have the force law.

It’s up to the courts to interpret and rule on the meaning of laws guiding the use of bicycles on the sidewalk, as well as the crosswalks. And laws can be amended, and interpretations change, over three decades.

I don’t know of any California city where sidewalk riders are routinely expected to ride in the direction of traffic. However, many police departments — including the LAPD — believe bikes become vehicles once they enter the street, and so must travel in the direction of traffic when they enter a crosswalk, yesterday’s post not withstanding.

But it’s interesting to see such a different interpretation of the law from thirty years ago.

……..

Somehow I missed this column from an auto-centric writer in my otherwise bike friendly home state, insisting that bike riders are law breaking junior partners who deserve only a small share of the road. And of course, the usual complaints about a “subset” of arrogant, self-righteous, self-centered and condescending riders.

A cyclist responds by shouting tongue-in-cheek taunts at other riders when he’s behind the wheel.

……..

An article in a Boston College environmental law review makes the case for how strict liability could even the scales on our roads, improve safety and encourage more environmentally friendly forms of commuting.

Like bicycling, for instance.

Strict liability is based on the assumption that motorists, as the operators of the more dangerous vehicles, have a greater responsibility for avoiding collisions, and so are presumed to be at fault in a collision unless it can be shown otherwise.

Adopting it here is probably the biggest step we could take to reduce reckless behavior behind the wheel and stop the carnage on our streets.

……..

Local

Thieves made off with nine bikes in DTLA in a one week period this month; eight of the purloined bicycles had their locks cut.

Turns out there’s already bike share in Century City, while nearby Westwood’s new bike corral is being put to good use.

Fear of a more user-friendly future on our streets rears its ugly head, as the president of the Miracle Mile Residential Associations waves a red flag and LADOT’s senior planner appears to backpedal on the city’s draft mobility plan.

The first bike lane in the ‘Bu finally opens, but it’s just a tad shorter than earlier reports. Instead of seven miles long, it’s two miles, along with an improved seven-mile bike route.

Glendale police held a fundraiser for next week’s 300-mile Police Unity Tour to honor fallen officers.

 

State

Irvine police make their second bust in two days of thieves stealing copper wire from the lights along a bike path next to the 405 Freeway. But at least the crooks were on bikes, right?

No bias here, as the Press-Enterprise says a bike rider was badly hurt when he ran into a car; never mind that he was actually right-hooked. Note to the P-E: The victim was cut off, not passing on the right; thanks to sponsor Michael Rubinstein for the link.

No bias here, either. A Hollister newspaper reports a bike-riding child hit a car and fell over, but fails to mention if the car was even moving at the time. And in more Hollister news, if you’re a known gang member carrying a concealed weapon, ride to the right, damn it.

San Francisco police arrest the unlicensed hit-and-run driver who plowed into three bicyclists earlier this month; she’s scheduled to appear in court today.

In an exercise in sheer stupidity, a San Francisco man is arrested for stabbing another man to death in a dispute over a bicycle.

Police in Menlo Park are looking for a bike rider who whacked a driver in the head with his bike lock after throwing something at his car. Seriously, no matter how much you think someone might deserve it, don’t resort to violence. Ever. Period.

 

National

Bikes hardly ever catch on fire. Unless maybe you’re on a Pedego e-bike; the company just recalled their batteries due to a fire hazard.

A new study says bike shares are more successful when the stations are close together. Are you listening, Metro?

A website lists the three best American cities to tour by bike. No, Los Angeles isn’t one of them.

Here’s that full report on bike helmets from Consumer Reports.

A Portland website asks if bike locks of the future could end 120 years of thieving bastards. Their words, not mine, but I like the way they think.

An Oregon judge gives a repeat drunk driver yet another second chance, despite already spending time in prison for killing a cyclist in 2004. The driver, not the judge. This is how we keep drunks on the road until they kill someone. Or in this case, kill again.

Yuma AZ changes the city ordinance to require cyclists to ride with traffic, after two-thirds of bicycling collision victims in the town were riding salmon. Which makes you wonder what the hell the law was there before.

Mad City cyclists will get a new $3 million bike and ped bridge this September.

A off-duty Cleveland cop is punched in the arm by an 81-year old man for riding his bike on a multi-use bike path.

Residents of a New York neighborhood complain about scofflaw salmon cyclists, unlike all those law abiding drivers on Gotham streets. Evidently, New York moms don’t teach their kids to look both ways before crossing the street, either.

LA may be the mecca for food trucks, but Pittsburgh is about to get the Porkrind Bike, delivering 15-flavors of free-range chicharróns.

A three-time DUI loser is sentenced to over 10 years behind bars for the death of a Virginia bike rider, after a BAC two-and-a-half times the legal limit — then has eight years suspended. See above about why we can’t get drunks off the roads before they kill. Or kill again.

 

International

Writing for the Wall Street Journal, a sociologist explains that Europeans are more likely to be injured riding a bike, though we Americans are more likely to wear a helmet. And says he doesn’t, even though he thinks he probably should.

Quebec’s Transport Minister is leaning against a mandatory helmet law, saying it would be hard to enforce.

An amateur Brit bike racer spends the equivalent of nearly $40,000 competing in a single year. Many amateur racers would like to just have that much money, let alone spend it on racing.

That’s one way to get the streets fixed, as a UK graffiti artist draws attention to potholes by drawing a penis around them. Thanks to Topher Mathers for heads-up.

The Wall Street Journal offers five things to know about riding in Amsterdam.

At least we only have to worry about LA drivers, as a South African cyclist was apparently killed by a giraffe.

 

Finally…

Slowtwitch offers advice on group riding for triathletes attempting to infiltrate the peloton. Advice on how to tell another rider his ass is showing through his spandex shorts.

And an off-duty Houston cop with crappy aim shot at a man stealing a bike from his porch twelve times — yes, 12 — because he “thought” the thief was armed. Apparently without hitting anyone, though police briefly followed a trail of dried paint or tomato juice.

Seriously, you can’t make this crap up.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

How Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

April 28, 2015 / / 32 comments

Jim Pocrass, Pocrass & De Los Reyes LLP

Jim Pocrass, Pocrass & De Los Reyes LLP

Bikes Have Rights™
By James L. Pocrass, Esq.
Pocrass & De Los Reyes LLP 
 
Have you ever been asked a question in which the answer seems so obvious that it seems like a trick question? This happened to me recently. A reporter asked me if it were true that, as he was told by a police officer, that you could be ticketed for riding your bike the wrong way in a crosswalk.

The question flabbergasted me. Since when are crosswalks one-directional? Pedestrians walk in crosswalks in both directions. That’s why there are buttons and/or signals on both sides of the street.

Requiring cyclists to only travel with the flow of traffic would lead to absurd results. You would have to cross two streets to go across the street.

The legislature passed Vehicle Code 21650: A bicycle operated on a roadway or a shoulder of a highway, shall be operated in the same direction as vehicles are required to be driven upon the roadway.

Subsection(g) states: This section does not prohibit the operation of bicycles on any shoulder of a highway, on any sidewalk, on any bicycle path within a highway, or along any crosswalk or bicycle path crossing, where the operation is not otherwise prohibited by this code or local ordinance.

The legislative comments to VC 21650.1 say: That had the Legislature wished to include the term “sidewalk” or “crosswalk” it would have done so.

All of this naturally leads me to opine that for the bicyclist to be in violation of VC 21650.1 (riding the wrong way in traffic), the cyclist would have to be riding in the opposite direction of traffic AND be either a.) on the shoulder of a highway or b.) on a roadway. (Again, assuming there is no local ordinance against riding in a crosswalk.)

Shortly thereafter, I received an email from a woman asking for my help. She was hit by a car while riding her bike across the street in a marked crosswalk. The police claimed the accident was her fault.

The law says it is legal for you to go from the sidewalk – against traffic – and ride into the crosswalk to the other sidewalk.

However, if there is a local ordinance that prohibits riding on the sidewalk, which many cities do, especially in commercial areas, AND the local ordinance specifically states that you may not ride through a crosswalk, then riding in the crosswalk and/or the sidewalk would be illegal. If the local ordinance does not state that you cannot ride on the sidewalk or in the crosswalk, then it is legal.

Vehicle Code 275 defines a crosswalk and does not limit it to pedestrians. Subsection(b) expands crosswalks to include: Any portion of a roadway distinctly indicated for pedestrians crossing by lines or other markings on the surface.

Legally riding on the sidewalk – slowly – and looking before entering a crosswalk for other vehicles, especially those making a right or left turn, and looking for pedestrians, should be legal (again, assuming there is no local ordinance restricting you from riding through a crosswalk).

There is even case law that specifically addresses the issue of riding a bicycle on a sidewalk against traffic. In Spriesterbach v. Holland (Case B-240348) the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Four, ruled on April 9, 2013 that: . . .because VC 21650.1 requires a bicycle to travel in the same direction as vehicular traffic only when ridden on “a roadway” or the “shoulder of a highway,” it does not by its plain language require bicycles to travel with the flow of traffic when ridden on the sidewalk.

The court continued: Pursuant to Section 21200, (a) persons riding a bicycle. . .upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this division. . .except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application. . .because 21650.1 governs the direction bicycle travel on a roadway or shoulder. . .it does not by its plain language require bicycles to travel with the flow of traffic when ridden on a “Sidewalk.”

Riding fast through a crosswalk and not stopping to look is very dangerous. A cyclist that rides into a crosswalk at 10+ mph does not give the driver of a vehicle that is turning left or right time to see the cyclist.

I suspect that is why the City of Los Angeles passed L.A. Muni Code 56.15(1): No person shall ride, operate or use a bicycle . . .on a sidewalk, bikeway or boardwalk in a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. This ordinance gives the police a lot of leeway to determine what is “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.”

I believe that these topics are good areas for discussion, but legally, I would (and will) argue that, if no local ordinance disallows it, then it is legal to ride in a crosswalk in either direction if it is done safely.

By the way, the answer to the question in the title of this post is that the chicken crossed the road on a bicycle in a crosswalk after stopping and ascertaining that it was safe to ride slowly across the road. But you knew that.

For more than 25 years, Jim Pocrass has represented people who were seriously injured, or families who lost a loved one in a wrongful death, due to the carelessness or negligence of another. Jim is repeatedly named to Best Lawyers of America and to Southern California Super Lawyers for the outstanding results he consistently achieves for his clients. Having represented hundreds of cyclists during his career, and Jim’s own interest in cycling, have resulted in him becoming a bicycle advocate. He is a board member of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. For a free, no-obligation consultation, contact Jim Pocrass at 310.550.9050 or at info@pocrass.com.

*Sponsored post

Category: Bikes & the Law, Bikes Have Rights, Guest Columns / Tags: , , , , , ,

Guest post: BAC Vice Chair Glenn Bailey reports on efforts to undo the Chase Street road diet and bike lanes

April 28, 2015 / / 4 comments

Last week we alerted you to an attempt by the Panorama City Neighborhood Council to sneak in a last minute vote on removing the road diet and bike lanes on Chase Street through the San Fernando Valley neighborhood.

Despite the late notice, a number of bicyclists emailed to protest the blatant attempt to bypass legitimate discussion of the issue, and a handful of riders were able to attend the meeting.

Glenn Bailey, Vice Chair of the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, offers his report on the matter.

………

Existing bicycle lanes in Panorama City were under attack last week as both the Arleta and Panorama City Neighborhood Councils voted to support efforts to “restore” two additional lanes of motor vehicle traffic along a one-mile stretch of Chase Street between Van Nuys Boulevard and Woodman Avenue. The bicycle lanes, installed a year ago, link a major commercial district in Panorama City with the existing bicycle lanes on Woodman Avenue, and will provide a future connection for the proposed bicycle lanes on Parthenia Street, which will extend west to Canoga Park. The Chase lanes also serve the adjoining Chase Street Elementary School and nearby Panorama Recreation Center.

The removal of the bicycle lanes has been spearheaded by the Arleta “Looky Loo” Neighborhood Watch group, even though the lanes are located in Panorama City and not in Arleta. They claim traffic is delayed “up to fifteen minutes during rush hour.” (Alternatively, bicycling the route at any time of the day only takes four to five minutes.)

The Panorama City Neighborhood Council (PCNC) held its regular fourth Thursday monthly meeting last week but the Chase Street bicycle lanes item was not listed on the agenda distributed three days earlier. Instead, the PCNC issued a second agenda for a special meeting that was not publicly distributed via the City’s Early Notification System until less than 11 hours before the meeting start time.

Generally, these “special” sessions are only called pursuant to State’s open meeting law, the Brown Act, to consider items that become known within two to three days before a regular meeting. However, public records indicate that the Chase Street bicycle lanes have been agendized by the PCNC at least twice over the last two years: in April 2013 and in October 2014. The issue was most recently considered by the PCNC Public Safety Committee at a meeting held on March 11, 2015 and yet the item was not included on the agenda for the next full Board meeting held on March 26, 2015. Instead, it mysteriously appeared six weeks later with virtually no advance notice for the public.

Despite the lack of public notice, the PCNC President, Viviano Montes, reported that the Board had received about twenty emails that afternoon supporting the bicycle lanes.   Two bicyclists who live in Panorama City and who use the Chase Street bicycle lanes on a daily basis did attend and spoke passionately in favor of keeping the lanes.

Two persons spoke against the bike lanes and apparently neither live in Panorama City, but rather in neighboring Arleta.  One speaker said the bicycle lanes should be “shared” with motor vehicles, apparently unaware that a five-foot lane width is too narrow to accommodate cars and that such use is a violation of the State Vehicle Code. She claimed to have petitions with 250 signatures to remove the lanes, but apparently a copy was not provided to the Neighborhood Council so the Board doesn’t know if the signers are actually from Panorama City or not.

But that was enough to influence some of the PCNC Board members who said they would vote to represent the wishes of the “majority.”  The vote was 10-1-3 (yes-no-abstain) to “ask the city to restore Chase Street to four traffic lanes between Woodman Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard” which would necessitate the removal of the bicycle lanes. (A similar motion was passed the previous Tuesday by the Arleta NC on a 7-1-1 vote.)

According to the U.S. Census, the current population of Panorama City is 70,749 so if the Neighborhood Council wants to represent a true majority, they will need to hear from at least 35,250 more of their constituents.

Instead of undoing the road diet and removing the bicycle lanes, the City’s Department of Transportation should conduct a traffic and safety study and make recommendations to improve the flow of traffic, if necessary.  For example, the complaints about delays at the four-way stop signs could be addressed by installing roundabouts at those intersections.

The bicycle lane opponents vowed to submit their petition signatures to the local City Councilmember Nury Martinez (6th District) so stayed tuned as this story unfolds.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Morning Links: LAPD ordered to turn over video of bike rider beating, and Redlands riders do the right thing

April 27, 2015 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: LAPD ordered to turn over video of bike rider beating, and Redlands riders do the right thing

Local

A judge orders the LAPD to turn over video of the beating their officers allegedly gave South LA bike rider Clinton Alford.

An artist working on a bicycle-themed interactive art installation for the Los Angeles State Historic Park wants your bike story for the project.

Nice idea. A custom-made book bike operating out of the San Pedro branch of the Los Angeles Public Library can carry and display 200 pounds of books to encourage reading.

Gizmodo looks at LA’s fabled elevated bike highway and why it failed, blazing the trail for what would eventually become the Pasadena Freeway.

For a change, a Malibu motorist actually admires the bike riders making their way up Latigo Canyon.

A Metro panel discussion asks if bicycling is in your future on Monday, May 11th at Caltrans HQ in DTLA.

The same Caltrans HQ location will be the site of Color Wheels: A Bicycle Community Art Show featuring art works from LA bike riders on Bike to Work Day night on Thursday the 14th.

 

State

After a compromise agreement, a single e-bike bill moves forward in the state legislature.

Bike riders attending Sunday’s Orange County Transportation Authority Bike Festival say streets behind the Orange Curtain aren’t as safe as they should be. Sort of like streets everywhere, in other words.

No bias here. According to the local paper, a Riverside bike rider wasn’t hit by a police car, but rather, he collided with it.

Female cyclists don’t earn enough as it is. Yet the women competing in the recent Redlands Classic agreed to donate 15% of their prize money to the family of Erica Grief, who was killed in a car crash on the way to compete in the race.

San Luis Obispo County leads the state in per capita bicycling deaths.

Bad news from Sunnyvale, as bike rider was killed during the morning commute.

 

National

Consumer Reports rates bike helmets, with recommended models starting at just $12.

Here’s your chance to buy a rare bike from a Portland collection. Or maybe all 203 if the mood strikes.

Evidently, winter is officially over in Jackson, Wyoming when the bike racks come back.

Wisconsin drivers can’t seem to figure out how to use roundabouts without endangering bike riders and pedestrians.

A 70-year old Minnesota woman plans a two year journey by bike across the US. If you can call a fully enclosed, solar powered e-assist tricycle a bike, that is.

Vermont cyclists are mourning a leading local rider and bike shop employee killed in a collision with a 17-year old driver, who also died after going over an embankment.

Crain’s talks with the new boss of New York’s Citi Bike about how to turn around the financially troubled bike share program.

CBS News discovers last weekend’s Red Hook Criterium, which brought over 300 riders from 29 countries to compete on the streets of Brooklyn. Here on the Left Coast, it was all about the Waffle Ride.

The NYPD is cracking down on bike riders, making New York’s most bike friendly neighborhood significantly less so.

 

International

The leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats promises to turn Britain into a cycling nation.

A British jury finds a dangerous junction guilty, along with the driver who killed a cyclist; the 70-year old motorist said the victim somehow blended in with the background, despite his hi-viz.

Ed Ryder sends word that sometimes diabetes can be beat, as bicycling helps save the life of an overweight Brit man after his sons intervene. Which almost makes me wish I was overweight.

Scottish officials promise to increase spending on bicycling, while cyclists call for presumed liability in bike collisions, which would require motorists to prove they’re not at fault.

Dubai police seize 11,000 bikes from law-breaking riders in just two months. Imagine how many cars they could seize if they applied the same standards to scofflaw drivers.

 

Finally…

In a world where advertising has become inescapable, bike lanes have become the latest marketing medium. Jared Leto takes his new Joker green hair for a ride around Toronto.

And beware doping drivers. A pair of Ohio grad students have developed a roadside test to determine just how high they really are; apparently, counting the number of empty Twinkie wrappers in the vehicle is not a legally valid standard. Thanks to Geri Wilson for the heads-up.

………

Come back later Tuesday morning for a guest post from LA Bicycling Advisory Vice Chair Glenn Bailey reporting on efforts to remove the bike lanes from Chase Street in the SFV.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: LA Times picks Ramsay, LA bike plan site pushes rug padding, and how to pass a bike respectfully

April 26, 2015 / / One comment

Local

The LA Times endorses Carolyn Ramsay in LA’s 4th district. Without ever mentioning the word bicycle.

Evidently LADOT’s website got hacked. Or maybe someone forget to renew the domain registration for the 2010 LA bike plan, which now links to a spam site for rug padding. Thanks to Jonathan Fertig and Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

Speaking of LA’s DOT, they are currently reinstalling the bronze plaques honoring the late Alex Baum, which had been stolen from the bridge named after him. That would have provided a good opportunity to hold along-delayed public memorial for LA’s leading, long-time and much revered bike advocate if the city cared to, which they evidently don’t.

Rick Risemberg writes that you’ll now find bikes in every corner of LA, as the City of Angels slowly becomes a city for people.

Looks like even bike-challenged USC will get a bike share program before LA.

LA Magazine looks at the new seven-mile long bike lanes on PCH, which should be just the first of many in the ‘Bu. Let’s hope they help tame what has long been one of the area’s most dangerous roads.

Kick off National Bike Month with Ride On! Bike Day at Amoeba Records on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood this Sunday; the afternoon event benefits the LACBC.

 

State

The new California Streetsblog updates a couple of the proposed bills in the state legislature affecting bicycling, which are starting to look a lot better; Cyclelicious looks at some of the other nearly 40 bills currently before the legislature affecting bikes.

SoCal agencies gather to fight the rising tide of drugged driving. Although I’m told the OC crime lab doesn’t even bother to test for some common prescription drugs that can seriously impair driving.

As expected, the two men convicted of killing a developmentally disabled San Diego bike rider just for the hell of it have been sentenced to a well-deserved life with parole.

An Antioch boy was injured when a motorist drove into the bike lane he and a friend were riding in to get around traffic; the driver was arrested when he collided with another car after fleeing the scene.

 

National

Bicycling explains the problem behind the massive Trek recall, which could affect other bicycle manufacturers.

Triathlete site Slowtwitch examines the dreaded speed wobble.

Garmin sets out to challenge GoPro with an updated line of action cams. However, affordability doesn’t appear to have been high on their feature list.

Denver police are using GPS enabled bait bikes to battle bike theft.

A Wisconsin professor has written an academic history of the battle to give bikes a piece of the road.

Life is cheap in Ohio, where fleeing the scene of a collision — leaving a critically injured cyclist lying in the street — and tampering with evidence to cover up the crime isn’t worth a single day behind bars.

The New York Daily News says there is virtually no enforcement for bike riders who break the city’s law against riding on the sidewalk — except for the 10,000 people who were ticketed for doing it last year. The article also cites the 1,000 pedestrians injured in collisions with bicycles throughout the state each year, but fails to consider that maybe not all of the collisions were the bike riders’ fault.

A Philly columnist takes the city’s new bike share program out for a ride.

A video from Mobile AL demonstrates how to pass a bicyclist properly and respectfully.

 

International

A Toronto writer says cycling is synonymous to socialism, and compares bike riders to smelt. Seriously?

The owner of a Brit trucking company says cyclists are the worst users of the road, and truck drivers are the best. Sure, let’s go with that.

A Scottish writer suggests balancing the country’s books by taxing “odious” middle-class activities like bicycling and jogging. Never mind that that taxing cyclists would be self-defeating, and many poor people bike. In fact, some people even use them to transport trees.

Thousands of Scot riders Pedal on Parliament to encourage politicians to make the country more bike-friendly.

Alejandro Valverde wins Liège-Bastogne-Liège for the third time, just days after winning his third La Flèche Wallonne.

Smart idea. Finland fines law-breaking motorists more the more money they have.

Tens of thousands of people turn out on two wheels to promote bicycling in Budapest.

Japanese anime goes bicycling.

 

Finally…

Now you can do your laundry while you pedal, as long as you don’t want to actually go anywhere. Brits are urged to be on the lookout for the “evil” bike rider who ran over the royal-in-law Chihuahua.

And as every parent knows, it’s important to share bonding experiences with your kids. Like stealing bikes, for instance.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Weekend Links: Super-secret discipline for Milt Olin deputy; SD’s Fiesta Island wreck caused by invisible boyfriend

April 24, 2015 / / One comment

We’ve got a lot to catch up on today.

So feel free to take a break and go out for a ride. This could take awhile.

……..

The LA County sheriff’s deputy who killed former Napster exec Milt Olin has been officially disciplined by the department. But since it’s considered a personnel matter, we’ll most likely never know what that discipline is.

And there will be no discipline for the department, which reportedly encouraged its officers to use their onboard computers while driving, despite an official policy against it.

……..

A psychiatrist says the alleged meth-using wrong way driver who plowed into 10 cyclists on San Diego’s Fiesta Island, leaving one paralyzed, “has bipolar disorder with chronic or long-standing mania and psychotic features, but also depressive features.”

Oh. Well, okay then.

She reportedly blames the crash on an invisible boyfriend who somehow popped up, apparently inside her car, before disappearing.

And she had a bag of meth in her vagina when she was arrested.

Allegedly.

Update: Despite the testimony of the psychiatrist, Theresa Owens was found competent to stand trial on Friday. 

……..

Three bikes take a 100 year journey to Bike Week LA, coming next month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IzfJ4uZj10&feature=youtu.be

Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the link.

……..

Update: I’ve been reminded that the OCTA Bike Festival will be held this Sunday from 9 am to 1 p in Huntington Beach.

Although how I can be reminded of something I didn’t know about to begin with is beyond me.

……..

Local

Note to CMs Gil Cedillo, Tom LaBonge and Paul Koretz: A Virginia study confirms what we’ve been trying to tell you. More bikes on the streets will actually increase traffic congestion unless we have bike lanes to ride in. But hey, go ahead, keep blocking those planned bike lanes on North Figueroa, Lankershim and Westwood until traffic improves.

If you’re looking for a new job, CicLAvia is hiring a new head honcho; meanwhile, the Times talks with outgoing exec and founder Aaron Paley. Although I wish he could remember the role the LACBC played in assisting the birth of CicLAvia; one of the first votes I cast as a board member involved approving a cooperative agreement to help get the first event off the ground.

Caught on video: Streetsblog’s Joe Linton looks a Malibu’s new bike lane on PCH, a first for the formerly bike-unfriendly city. Speaking of the LACBC, the coalitions’s Eric Bruins deserves much of the credit for the coastal city’s change in attitude.

 

State

California Streetsblog interviews Assemblyman Mike Gatto, who insists Governor Brown will sign a Yellow Alert hit-and-run notice this time around; he vetoed a similar bill last year.

Caltrans effectively unblocks protected bike lanes; the state transportation agency will hold a summit on the newly legalized Class IV bikeways next month.

Is someone targeting bike riders in OC? After a Santa Ana bike rider is shot in a possible gang-related driveby, he continued riding to a nearby residence for help; another man riding a bike was shot in the same city just a day later.

Huntington Beach police are looking for a man and woman who tried to steal a purse from a bike rider’s basket, then ripped it out of her hands when she fought back. Thanks to Louis for the tip.

The cities of Highlands and Redlands in San Bernardino County are working together to build a proposed bike lane connecting the two; a separated lane is one possibility.

Sad news from Palo Alto, as the 61-year old woman hit by a cyclist while crossing the street has died. The rider was descending around a blind curve at about 25 mph when he crashed into her; he has not been charged. The victim, Kathryn Green, was a noted philanthropist with local ties to the LA area; she was born in Santa Monica and grew up in the Palisades. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.

Streetsblog SF picks up the story of the Belmont bike rider blamed by auto-centric police for talking on a cell phone and riding sans-helmet — both legal — when he was left crossed by a car; the 90-year old motorist who illegally violated his right of way wasn’t held responsible in any way.

The Uber driver who allegedly ran down a San Francisco bike rider in a road rage dispute has surrendered his drivers license.

San Francisco’s director of transportation and public health director team up to explain the city’s Vision Zero policy. It would be nice if we could see something like that here; most Angelenos have no idea what Vision Zero is, let alone that the city has adopted it.

NorCal’s Arcata posts a YouTube video explaining the new bicycle boulevard running through the center of town. So why can’t we have nice things like that? See Cedillo, et al, above.

 

National

Phoenix cyclists agree with the city’s low ranking for bike-friendliness.

Organizers unveil the route for this year’s Tour of Utah, which includes a whopping two whole days of women’s racing. Which is better than none, I suppose.

A Houston bike rider has become the latest cyclist to be killed in a collision with a police car; the victim reportedly ran the red light.

Ever wondered what happened to the guy who inspired Breaking Away by almost single-handedly winning the 1962 Little 500?

An Ohio driver gets probation for the hit-and-run crash that left a bike rider seriously injured, and tampering with evidence to hide the crime afterwards. Evidently, life is cheap there. And the law seems pretty meaningless, too.

To celebrate the launch of Philadelphia’s bike share program, Uber brought bike riders a new helmet for just $10. Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the tip.

Bike riders in South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island say harassment is common, after the arrest of a driver for yelling at a woman to get on a bike path, then getting out of his car and grabbing her arm to scream some more.

Caught on video: A Georgia truck driver gets out of his vehicle and pushes a bike rider over after the rider flipped him off for passing too closely; the driver claims he was in fear for his life after the rider kicked at his massive, multi-ton steel truck. Sure, let’s go with that.

Unbelievable. The 2013 police shooting of a Florida bike rider was caught on dash cam video; he was left paralyzed from the waist down — even though his only weapon was a cell phone.

The Justice Department will review the Tampa Bay police department’s ticketing of African American bike riders, who received 79% of the city’s tickets for bicycle violations even though they make up just 26% of city residents. The paper that broke the story asks if police will now stop the biased enforcement while the review is underway. Thanks to BikinginLA sponsor Michael Rubinstein for the heads-up.

 

International

They never learn. A young British driver becomes the latest to lose her job after tweeting about hitting a bicyclist without stopping.

A Brit woman may have suffered permanent scars resulting from a collision with a grinning hit-and-run cyclist.

A formerly morbidly obese man from the UK loses 210 pounds in a single year after taking up bicycling; he’s now planning to run a half-marathon — and have 14 pounds of excess skin removed.

Now that’s what I call fleeing the scene. An Irish driver gets six-and-a-half years for causing the death of a cyclist. He first fled to the UK, then Australia; he was arrested after being recognized in an ill-advised return to the UK.

Join the Army, and you too can experience the German equivalent of a ciclovía.

Kazakhstan-based pro cycling team Astana somehow manages to keep its top-tier racing status, despite a number of team members busted for doping.

Unbelievable. An Aussie man jailed for killing a cyclist in a 2011 hit-and-run killed another man in a second hit-and-run the same month, and hid his body under some bark and leaves.

 

Finally…

Caught on video: A llama joins the peloton. In Canada, no less, where the animals aren’t exactly native.

If you’re going to climb into a driver’s vehicle and drive off after coming to blows in a road rage dispute — with the owner still clinging to the outside of his car — try to make a clean getaway without crashing into a parked car. But if you want to experience just one angry, honking driver on your ride to work, make sure you have a police escort.

And Bo Jackson says nobody’s perfect. Not even his buddy Lance.

 

Category: Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , ,

BOLO Alert: Bike rider seriously injured in East LA hit-and-run

April 23, 2015 / / 7 comments

This one is hard to take.

Police are asking the public to be on the lookout for the driver of a white Toyota pickup who plowed into an East LA bike rider, then simply drove off without so much as slowing down.

KTLA-5 reports the wreck, which occurred at 9:15 am Monday, was caught on a security camera; fair warning, the video is stomach churning, to say the least.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was riding east on the north sidewalk of Olympic Blvd when he attempted to cross Arizona Ave in the crosswalk. The driver of the pickup, which was headed south on Arizona, went through the red light, violently knocking the rider off his bike before turning right and speeding down Olympic.

The victim was transported to County USC Medical Center with major head trauma.

The CHP, which investigates major traffic collisions in unincorporated areas of the county, is looking for a white, mid-‘80s Toyota pickup with an extended cab, metal rack and black side graphics.

Anyone with information is urged to call 323-980-4600 or the Traffic Management Center (TMC) at 323-259-2010.

Let’s find this heartless jerk.

Category: Car vs Bike, Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities /

Action Alert: Panorama City NC sneaks in agenda item to remove bike lanes on Chase Street at tonight’s meeting

April 23, 2015 / / 3 comments

I just received news that the Panorama City Neighborhood Council will discuss removal of a recently installed road diet and bike lanes on Chase Street.

The group has already requested removal of the lanes in one section; now they’re planning to ask for removal of the entire road diet.

Worse, they’re trying to sneak this past the public without any real discussion by inserting a last-minute “special agenda” at the end of the previously published agenda. And allowing only eight minutes to consider the matter, effectively eliminating any possibility of legitimate discussion.

5. Consideration and possible action on the recommendation of the Public Safety committee that the Board ask the city to restore Chase Street to four traffic lanes between Woodman Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard. The Board has already taken action to request a return to four lanes between Wakefield Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard. The council had opposed lane elimination in that area when the street restriping was still in the proposal stage. Now that the restriping has occurred, a dangerous condition has also arisen at the Woodman end, where parent traffic blocks the street while waiting to turn into the alley behind Valor Academy Middle School to pick up children. The through-street’s traffic capacity reduction is also causing huge backups along the street during rush hours, and a dangerous diversion of cut-through traffic to Parthenia Street between Woodman Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard. That section of Parthenia has now changed from a quiet residential street to an arterial street. For all of these traffic disruptions, very few bicycles are ever seen occupying the two bike lanes that replaced the two traffic lanes. [8m]

If you live, work or ride in the area, you’re urged to attend tonight’s meeting:

PANORAMA CITY NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING AGENDA

Thursday, April 23, 2015, 6:30 PM
Mission Community Hospital, Medical Office Building, 2nd Floor, Room 208 14860 Roscoe Boulevard, Panorama City, CA 91402

If you can’t make it, email your comments — and your outrage at the sneak attack — to PCNC@EmpowerLA.org; blind copy (Bcc) LA BAC Vice Chair Glenn Bailey at glennbicyclela@gmail.com.

Demand that they allow legitimate public discussion before taking any action.

And that they allow the bike lanes to remain until people in cars and on bikes both have a chance to adjust to the new road design — and give up this ill-advised attempt to revert the roadway back to a more dangerous state.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Unidentified bike rider killed in Bloomington collision

April 23, 2015 / / 4 comments

Bad news from San Bernardino County.

According to the county coroners office, a bike rider was killed when he rode out into the path of a car in Bloomington yesterday evening.

The collision occurred about 6:48 pm near 11100 Cedar Ave when the rider reportedly darted out of a driveway into the path of an oncoming car. No word on why he exited the drive or didn’t appear to see the car coming.

The San Bernardino Sun reports the victim, identified only as a 34-year old Hispanic man, was transported to Kaiser Permanente in Fontana with severe injuries to his head and torso. He died at 7:26 pm, about 45 minutes after the collision.

According to the Sun, the victim was not carrying ID, and would have to be identified by the coroner.

Let this be a reminder to always carry some form of identification whenever you ride. Your loved ones deserve to know if anything happens, and your survival could depend on emergency care providers learning who you are and what medical conditions you may have.

I now ride with a Road ID that lists emergency contact numbers, as well as information about my diabetes. Just in case.

This is the 15th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second in San Bernardino County. That compares with 34 in SoCal and three in the county this time last year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.

Thanks to James Johnson of Johnson Attorneys Group for the heads-up.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: Turns out running a red light is no big deal, and you really can ride with your kid to Dodger Stadium

April 22, 2015 / / One comment

No major stories today, so let’s get right to the links.

………

Local

Unbelievable. A driver runs a red light and slams into three teenage girls in a North Hollywood crosswalk, and walks away without charges. Evidently, traffic laws really are merely suggestions for California motorists.

Caught on video: Flying Pigeon owner Josef Bray-Ali and his daughter ride a cargo bike to Dodger Stadium. Proving it is possible to ride a bike when you have children, even if it entails climbing a (small) mountain.

Smart marketing. When tourists stay at the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel on Fairfax, they not only get free use of a bicycle to tour the area, but a free pair of sneakers to encourage walking, as well.

More proof that bike riders aren’t always the good guys, as a Pasadena woman has her purse stolen by a passing cyclist; thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

Something we left off yesterday’s long list of bike events — Malibu officially cuts the ribbon on the newly installed two-mile long PCH bike lanes at 10 am on Thursday, April 29th at the Zuma Beach Parking lot, PCH and Morning View Drive.

Talented fixie riders are invited to skid, track stand and put a foot down at the DTLB Bike Fest in Long Beach starting

 

State

Calbike offers their monthly report; turns out that Caltrans shares, or maybe stole, their goal of tripling bicycling in the next five years. Does that mean I get to buy two more bikes?

Laguna Beach police are cracking down on distracted driving. Let’s hope every other department follows their example.

Nice story from Newbury Park, as a bike shop owner gives a homeless man a hand up by promoting the business.

The San Francisco school district becomes the latest city agency to adopt Vision Zero.

 

National

Trek recalls over one million bikes equipped with front disc brakes; three people have been injured when the quick release interfered with the brakes, including one who was left a quadriplegic.

Turns out you can use a hands-free device and still drive dangerously distracted.

Despite what you may have read, Millennials are 36% less likely to buy a car than GenXers, while AARP says transit, bicycles and feet are moving us to a brighter future.

USA Today suggests planning your next vacation around the nation’s top 10 bike share cities. Needless to say, LA is not on the list.

A Seattle cyclist files suit against a former city councilwoman who seriously injured him in a left cross crash.

No bias here, as a Tucson paper blames the victim of a right hook for crashing into the car. But at least he was wearing a helmet, right?

Caught on video: A Texas father tackles a man trying to ride off on his daughter’s bike after seeing the thief grab the bike on a security camera.

New York’s mayor says everyone has to yield to pedestrians and bike riders — even bus drivers, who apparently feel they have the right to run over either with impunity.

A Brit blogger provides his perspective on bicycling in New York, potholes and SUVs included; he says riding here explains why only .5% of American journeys are taken by bike. Thanks to Brian Myers for the link.

 

International

A stationary exercise bike developed in LA is helping paralyzed Calgary residents ride by stimulating the muscles in their legs.

Edmonton business owners demand the removal of a bike lane, saying it killed their business when it was installed two years ago.

A Montreal paper says no one should have to die before safe, adequate cycling infrastructure is pushed up the city’s priority list.

A bike tour through the French wine country goes flat. Five times.

The great anti-bike conspiracy? Vested automotive interests are working to suppress cycling, according to a Swedish filmmaker.

 

Finally…

As usual, Bikeyface nails it, saying we don’t need glow in the dark spray for bike riders, we need attention boosting mist for motorists. Caught on video: Stunt cyclist Danny McAskill fixes a flat. And jumps a pair of cows, too.

And the founder of Rapha says bicycling is the most important thing in many customers lives. Which is silly, of course, because that implies there’s something in life other than riding a bike.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,
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