Archive for November 16, 2016

Morning Links: A reminder to register your bike for free, ranking the cyclists, and does Metro bike cost too much?

November 16, 2016 / / 6 comments

I received the following email from David Drexler after he sent the photos of the sadly stripped bike at the Expo Line Bundy Station earlier this week.

I registered my bikes today at BikeIndex with pics. I had them always registered somewhere else.

You know — more people should register with pics on BikeIndex.

It was a sobering experience when I took 30 minutes to peruse the listings of bikes stolen.  Keeping in mind that the ones listed are not all that have been stolen — many don’t register at Bike Index — and there were a ton.  And when I put in my LA zip code and just using a 1 mile radius or 1 mile of Santa Monica beach zip code — the results were staggering.

I took the time to study what folks wrote about where the bike was when stolen and what kind of lock and basically all different locks and places and times of day. There was no safe haven lock or place from what I could see.  And it was insignificant if there were cameras around. It is almost as if there are professional bike thieves just on a constant roam of Southern California ready with tools and portable saws at all times.  Bikes have been stolen from every imaginable location including one guy that reports that he turned his back on a bike he brought into a convenience store for safety and someone ran out with it, from cars, from bike racks where a person cable and u-locked it to the rack.  Thieves just tore apart the rack to get at the bike.

As a matter of fact, there are professional bike thieves roaming SoCal communities on a constant basis. Along with people stealing to support drug habits, homeless encampment bicycle chop shops, and people willing to steal your ride just because the opportunity presents itself.

And quite frankly, the odds of ever seeing your bike again once it’s gone are somewhere on a continuum between slim and none.

But you can raise those odd considerably by taking his advice and registering your bike for free with Bike Index right here on this site, and reporting it to the police if your bike is stolen.

And yes, police do check those listings when they find a stolen bike, and have returned bikes to their owners as a result.

Lots of bikes.

So don’t wait. Take a few minutes to register your bike right now.

You have nothing to lose. Except maybe your bike if you don’t.

Full disclosure: This site does not receive any compensation, financial or otherwise, from Bike Index for hosting their registration and stolen bike listings. We just want to help you fight back against bike theft.

………

Cycling Weekly ranks the year’s 100 top cyclists; the top ranked American is Megan Guarnier at #6, while the highest ranked American man is Andrew Talansky down at #84.

Belgian cyclist Greg Van Avermaet describes the mountain bike accident that left him with a broken ankle.

………

Local

An editorial in the LA Daily News says the Metro bikeshare system is a good idea, but it costs too darn much.

CiclaValley tells the tale of his Veteran’s Day bike excursion into the Sierra foothills, while Milestone Ride’s Johnny Lam goes deeper into the Sierras for Adventure Cycling.

Long Beach gets a $50,000 grant to put on bike and pedestrian safety workshops.

 

State

The Orange County Transportation Authority will produce two videos focusing on the leading causes of bike and pedestrian injuries and deaths, once they figure out what they are.

Evidently, craft beer and bike lanes aren’t enough to get Millennials to move to San Diego. Then again, they don’t seem to be sticking around LA, either.

Plans are moving forward for the 50-mile CV Link bike path around the Coachella Valley, though bike riders and wheelchair users could be forced to use the dangerous Hwy 111 in places after two cities refuse to participate.

Ventura County cyclists are invited to take a survey on regional bicycle wayfinding.

This is how Vision Zero is supposed to work. San Francisco will install a protected bike lane on a street where a woman was killed riding her bicycle earlier this year.

 

National

People for Bikes says Americans voted for bicycles in a big way, including passage of LA’s own Measure M.

The Guardian asks if Chicago’s proposed floating bikeway could overcome the doubters and reconnect the city.

The New York Times says blame mobile apps for the largest spike in traffic fatalities in 50 years.

New York police finally arrested a killer hit-and-run driver for deliberately running down a bicyclist as he rode in a bike lane.

An 83-year old Virginia man fought, and failed, to get a red light at an intersection near his home; it cost him his life this past weekend as he walked his bicycle in the crosswalk.

A New Orleans woman writes about ghost bikes in the city following the death of her friend. Yet the website oddly files it under “The Lighter Side.”

 

International

A writer for Bike Radar says the world may be a mess, but it’s still a beautiful place to explore on a bike.

London’s Mirror says the answer to the question of whether an ebike is worth buying is not quite yet.

London’s mayor kills plans for one of the city’s cycle superhighways, meaning the city probably won’t have any segregated bikeway from central to west London anytime soon.

A British mother is looking for an apology from the hit-and-run cyclist who knocked down her five-year old daughter and just kept going.

A man in the UK says cyclists should be required to carry liability insurance if they insist on riding in the roadway; his petition has garnered nearly 30,000 signatures.

Irish prisoners have refurbished 2,000 bicycles to give to school children in Africa; meanwhile, bikeshare has come to the continent despite a near total lack of infrastructure.

A TV host in Zimbabwe faces charges in the death of a bicyclist who was riding in a cycle track.

Even when a bike lane doesn’t work out, it only cost an Aussie city a total of $20,000 to paint it and rip it out again.

As internet-based bikeshare gains popularity in China, providers struggle for a share of public space.

 

Finally…

Now you can ride the famed Little 500 on a board when you’re bored. The impetuous, alcoholic and bushy-bearded inventor of the Pedersen bike.

And rising from the dead to ride nearly 2,000 miles, minus an arm and a leg.

 

Category: Morning Links, Stolen Bikes and Bike Crime / Tags: , , , ,

Update: Teenage bike rider killed in collision between 2 vehicles; 2nd bicyclist killed in Pacoima in 3 weeks

November 15, 2016 / / 4 comments

Another bike rider has been killed in Pacoima, the second in less than a month.

Just three weeks after a still-publicly unidentified rider was killed crossing Foothill Blvd, a teenage boy has lost his life as a result of a collision between two motorists.

The victim was riding near the intersection of Glenoaks Boulevard and Vaughn Street around 7:30 am when a pickup and SUV collided, and he became trapped under the truck.

He died at the scene shortly after being freed from the truck by LA firefighters.

A woman driving one of the vehicles was transported to a local hospital in good condition after suffering a minor injury.

Unfortunately, no other details are available at this time. There’s no word on how the collision occurred or where the victim was riding at the time of the crash. However, given the hour, it’s likely he was riding to school; the crash occurred just one block from a charter school.

A street view shows two lanes in both direction on Glenoaks, with a center left turn lane and bike lanes in both directions; Vaughn is a two lane residential street with the intersection controlled with a red light.

This is the 69th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 29th in Los Angeles County; it’s also the 10th in the City of Los Angeles.

Update: The LAPD reports the collision occurred when one of the vehicles allegedly ran the red light on Glenoaks and crashed into the other as it traveled west on Vaughn with the green light.

The force of the impact knocked them into the south crosswalk, where they crashed into the victim as he was riding west with the light.

Update 2: The victim has been identified as 15-year old San Fernando resident Samuel Lopez; as suspected, he was a 10th grade student on his way to school at Vaughn Next Century Learning Center.

Update 3: As a comment from Meliss points out, his name has been corrected to Saul Lopez.

KNBC-4 offers a touching report on Saul and his death, while a GoFundMe account has raised nearly $27,000 in just one day, far surpassing the $15,000 goal. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Saul Lopez and all his loved ones.

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

Morning Links: License captured in E. Hollywood hit-and-run, Metro may replace sheriff’s deputies with LAPD

November 15, 2016 / / One comment

If you were the victim of a hit-and-run in East Hollywood yesterday, a commenter on Reddit may be looking for you.

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So for once, there may be a little justice here. But only if the victim turns up to file a complaint.

Thanks to Evan G for the heads-up.

………

Metro is considering transferring responsibility for policing buses and train lines from the sheriff’s department to the LAPD in some areas.

This comes after years of complaints from bike riders about biased enforcement or unfair treatment from sheriff’s deputies involving collisions with buses, unsafe driving or harassment by drivers.

So this may end up being good for LA bicyclists. Or not.

………

We have a guess on who makes the screaming yellow bike lock that beat the thieves in yesterday’s photos from David Drexler, as both Mark B and J. Patrick Lynch suggest it’s The Club Bicycle/Motorcycle Utility Lock.

It certainly looks like it.

………

UCI finally comes to the realization that women cyclists aren’t delicate little things, and can actually handle distances up to 100 miles.

What a schmuck. Former Dutch cyclist Teo Muis received a lifetime ban for injecting his own son with steroids without his knowledge; his 18-year old son’s four year ban has been reduced to two years since he did not know about the doping.

Meanwhile, a South African track cyclist has been suspended for a year for doping.

………

Local

KPCC looks at how the new Trump administration could affect federal funding for LA transportation projects, including bikeways currently funded by TIGER grants. And no, it ain’t pretty.

Los Angeles has expanded its cycle hoop bike rack pilot program from Westwood Village to the Hollywood Walk of Fame district, installing 49 racks each capable of holding two bikes on parking meters in the area around Hollywood, Cahuenga and Sunset. However, it’s still illegal to lock your bike to a parking meter without the racks, though that’s rarely enforced. Thanks to LA Great Streets for the link.

A meeting will be held tonight to discuss the feasibility of restoring ten miles of the Arroyo Seco, which could impact the Arroyo Seco bike path.

Pasadena officials try to explain to uncomprehending motorists how bike lanes work and what all that green paint on the street means. Which should be a requirement for getting or keeping a driver’s license.

California’s only international cyclocross competition returns to the Whittier Narrows this weekend.

Santa Monica’s Breeze bikeshare celebrated its first anniversary over the weekend, logging 285,000 trips covering over 618,000 miles over the first year..

 

State

An Orange County writer discovers that riding a bicycle for the first time in 40 years is not just like riding a bike.

A new six-minute documentary from the Oxnard Fire Department tells the story of 12-year old Joey Johnson, who was killed in a collision while riding without a helmet on Father’s Day in 2013.

A new Atascadero bikeway offers a pleasant ride along the creek. Although someone should tell the local paper the difference between a bike lane and a bike path.

Long Beach wasn’t the only city to hold a ciclovía this weekend; San Franciscans enjoyed their final Sunday Streets event of the year.

Forty years later, Lake Tahoe finally completes the last segment of the West Shore Bike Trail.

 

National

Hawaiian Airlines misplaced former UCLA and NBA star Bill Walton’s extremely big bike; he tweeted last night that it had been recovered.

Houston is in the process of getting protected intersections to keep sidewalk cyclists safe along the city’s notoriously auto-centric streets.

It will cost Chicago $2.5 million in damages after a cop crashed into a commuter train while chasing a bike rider last year for the crime of riding a bike on the sidewalk; the city had argued that the law prohibiting dangerous pursuits only applied to chases involving motor vehicles. My apologies, I lost my record of who sent this one to me. But thank you, anyway.

Racist and anti-Semitic graffiti was painted on a New York area bike path.

Once again, a bad bike crash may have saved a rider’s life, as doctors discovered a stage three lung cancer when a Pennsylvania cyclist was being treated for injuries suffered in a collision.

A North Carolina city uses a Christmas tree made of bicycles to encourage people to donate a new bike for local kids.

 

International

Anti-bike terrorists strike again in the UK, where a Welsh mountain biker barely escaped serious injury when he ran into barbed wire strung at neck level over a trail. Whoever did this should face an attempted murder charge, since this could easily have killed someone.

A British driver is asking for a reduction in his nine-year sentence for killing a bike rider while texting behind the wheel, even though he had deleted his last three texts in an attempt to cover up his crime, and dispite eight previous convictions for distracted driving.

Great idea. A British report calls for giving a tax break to businesses that promote bike commuting.

It sounds like snake oil, but a Brit triathlete is standing again after suffering multiple fractures in a collision last year, thanks to an “innovative, ground-breaking treatment” that reportedly allows paraplegics to walk again by retraining the nervous system. Thanks to Opus the Poet for the tip.

The Guardian catches up with the young, Lycra-clad members of the Congo’s Goma Cycling Club.

Once again, a cyclist is a hero, as an Aussie rider drags a homeowner to safety from his burning house, then goes on a 40 mile ride despite suffering smoke inhalation.

 

Finally…

Nothing like sharing your ride with a ‘roo on the roadway. You can carry anything on a bicycle, even a body; they’re also good for disposing unwanted body parts.

And be on the lookout for a turquoise-faced, armed and dangerous, bike-riding anti-Trump vandalism suspect.

 

Category: Hit-and-Run, Law Enforcement, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Photos from Saturday’s Beach Streets in Long Beach, LA bike thefts, and BMUFL wars in PVE

November 14, 2016 / / 4 comments

Mike Wilkinson and his wife Angela took in Saturday’s Beach Streets event in Long Beach.

This past Saturday Metro and the City of Long Beach presented Beach Streets Midtown, a 2.5 mile open streets event along Anaheim Street from PCH to Orange Avenue. My wife and I put the doggies in their trailer, saddled up on our tandem bike and hit the road at the eastern end of the route. The four of us were quite a sight, but we were just one among many unique conveyances along the way.

Whether they were on foot, bike, skateboard or something almost indescribable, the participants were relaxed and friendly. We said “hi” to a wider variety of people in two hours than we have in the past year. Everyone seemed to be having fun, and riding right down the middle of what is usually a big, busy street was liberating and almost joyful.

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All photos by Angela Wilkinson

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You can download these photos, and a few others, from his Google Drive account.

The Cal State Long Beach paper took in the day, as well.

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LA bike thieves strike again, this time snatching a beautiful Geekhouse Woodville touring bike from one of the authors of the Radavist. Thanks to Bryan Hance of Bike Index for the heads-up.

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Meanwhile, David Drexler noticed the aftermath of another semi-successful bike theft at the Bundy station on the Expo Line, which was stripped after the thieves were able to cut through one U-lock, but not the other.

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And no, to answer the question we’re all asking, he didn’t get the make of the yellow lock.

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Local

The Daily Breeze looks at the nasty battle over the proposed installation of Bikes May Use Full Lane signs in Palos Verdes Estates, which has refused to post the signs despite the recommendation of their own Traffic Safety Committee, at least for now. Although you’d think three cyclists killed on the peninsula in the last year, and another critically injured, would create some sense of urgency. But apparently, you’d be wrong.

 

State

An OC man was stabbed and his bicycle stolen after two men challenged him over gang affiliations in the parking lot of the Santa Ana zoo.

Laguna Beach is improving access to the Top of the World singletrack trail from the Top of the World Drive in the Top of the World neighborhood to make it accessible to a wider range of non-Top of the World people.

Sunnyvale police are looking for witnesses to a wreck that sent a bike rider to the hospital with multiple skull fractures.

 

National

Road.cc says Donald Trump’s promise to rebuild America’s infrastructure could be an opportunity to convince him to support building more bikeways.

Nearly one thousand Las Vegas cyclists took part in Sunday’s ride to benefit Ride 2 Recovery.

Gary Johnson, New Mexico resident and distant third place finisher in last week’s election, will now dedicate himself to health and fitness, riding the 2,768 Great Divide Mountain from Banff to Antelope Wells NM next June.

The Guardian looks at a proposal for a floating bike path along the Chicago River.

Can we vote for him here? The vice mayor of Cambridge MA says the city’s bicycle safety efforts are the difference between life and death, even if that means drivers will be inconvenienced and parking will be lost.

The operator of a New Orleans bike tour company wants to know why a woman wasn’t given a sobriety test after doing a slow roll over several bikes being ridden by his patrons. Which is a damn good question.

 

International

Canadian traffic safety advocates are focusing on distracted driving and lowering speed limits as public health issues.

A British bike rider died after he was kicked off his bike by a group of youths, not long after he was released from prison after 24 years behind bars.

A jazz musician in the UK performed seven shows in a single day, towing his keyboard behind his bike between gigs as he rode to each one.

A Belfast councilor was kicked off his bike by a group of young men after he tried to stop one from taking a dump on a memorial to a Northern Irish politician while the others filmed it.

Call it a reverse dooring. A Dublin councilor was knocked out by a hit-and-run salmon cyclist who ran into his car door as he was getting out.

Pakistani cyclists ride to raise awareness of breast cancer, while Islamabad restores a network of cycle tracks that had fallen into disrepair.

Cyclists from around India turn out for a nationwide event to promote bicycling.

A new Australian study shows biking or walking can improve artery health in people with Type-2 diabetes.

A Malaysian cyclist returns home after spending the last 16 months riding through 22 countries, losing 22 pounds in the process.

A Jakarta paper asks if wooden bikes can prevent global warming.

 

Finally…

Nothing like auctioning a cow to raise funds for bicycling. Crash your mountain bike, and wake up to a new career as a competitive beard growing champion.

And if you’re going to ride drunk, try not to run into any police cars.

 

Category: Bike Events, Morning Links, Stolen Bikes and Bike Crime / Tags: , , , ,

Weekend Links: Protected bike lanes improve safety and increase ridership, and LAPD cops buy girl a new bike

November 12, 2016 / / 2 comments

Better bikeways really do improve safety.

In an editorial in the American Journal of Better Health, authors John Pucher and Ralph Buehler argue that bike lanes encourage more people to ride while improving safety, as the following chart shows.

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Even auto-centric Los Angeles, with its disconnected non-network of mostly door zone bike lanes, has shown a significant improvement in safety while more than doubling ridership.

However, the point of the article is that it’s the type of bikeway that matters.

The safest kind of facility, by far, were cycle tracks, which are on-street bicycle lanes that are physically separated from motor vehicles by raised curbs, bollards, or concrete barriers.

The authors note that riding in a cycle track is 89% safer than riding on a major street with parking and no bike infrastructure; regular painted bike lanes on streets without parking were 53% safer.

Note the key words “without parking.”

Thus, removing car parking and replacing it with cycle tracks is an ideal way to improve cycling safety on major streets.

They also observe that lightly trafficked residential streets with no infrastructure were 56% safer, suggesting that you’re right to seek out back ways that allow you to avoid major streets. And that traffic calming is key to improving safety on local neighborhood streets.

They conclude,

It is crucial to provide physical separation from fast-moving, high-volume motor vehicle traffic and better intersection design to avoid conflicts between cyclists and motor vehicles. More and better bicycle infrastructure and safer cycling would encourage Americans to make more of their daily trips by bicycle and, thus, help raise the currently low physical activity levels of the US population.

Which is pretty much what we’ve been saying all along.

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Local

Bighearted LAPD officers pitch in to buy a new bicycle for a teenage girl whose bike was stolen on her birthday; oddly, while the LA press hasn’t picked up the story, a station in Atlanta did. Thanks to Sgt. Helper for the heads-up.

The Santa Monica Police Department received a $300,000 grant to help prevent traffic injuries and deaths.

 

State

A San Diego seminary student thinks it was divine intervention that saved her cell phone from thieves, although those same divine forces didn’t seem to care so much about her bikes.

A two day radiothon raised enough money to buy 400 bicycles and helmets for fourth grade kids in the Coachella Valley.

 

National

Bicycling offers the warning signs of hypothermia. Which isn’t normally something you have to worry about it Southern California, unless you ride in the mountains or get soaked by rain.

Corvallis OR and Oregon State University team up to tell bike riders and pedestrians to “Be bright, Be seen.” Because there’s no point in expecting drivers to actually pay attention, evidently.

Denver TV viewers pitch in give a college student their own pickup and mountain bike after his car and bicycle were stolen two days apart.

A San Antonio bike rider is caught in the middle of a legal dispute after her bike was mangled in a crash while on the front rack of a city bus; the bus company refused to pay for damages, blaming the other driver.

The four Kalamazoo cyclists struck by a hit-and-run driver Thursday night had lights on their bikes and reportedly were doing everything right.

At least one cyclist was seriously injured when anti-bike terrorists struck again, this time tossing tacks into the path of a Florida triathlon; over a dozen riders were treated for abrasions and impact injuries.

 

International

A pro cyclist and entrepreneur is starting a new insurance company for cyclists and other people with active lifestyles in the US and Canada.

Toronto’s Globe and Mail looks at the new Complete Streets promising to end the reign of car as king in the city, while giving unprecedented respect to pedestrians, cyclists and transit users.

Get your resume ready. British Cycling is looking for a new CEO.

Cycling Weekly says Barcelona should be your next cycling destination.

An Israeli father is on a crusade to ban ebikes from the country, calling them a menace to children.

Another day, another Aussie cyclist attacked by a magpie.

Pro cyclist Rebecca Rusch will lead an eight-day, 340 mile ride along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos to raise awareness and funds to remove unexploded ordnance that remain from the Vietnam War.

 

Finally…

Nothing like getting dropped by a koala. If you really want to be seen, maybe you need a brighter bike.

Or maybe you just need to ride with a soccer ball on your head.

 

Category: General / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Villaraigosa announces 2018 gubernatorial run, and pro cyclists stunned by election results

November 11, 2016 / / 2 comments

Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa formally announced his long-expected candidacy for governor of California in 2018 when Jerry Brown’s term ends.

It was under Villaraigosa’s watch that CicLAvia began and the comprehensive 2010 bike plan was adopted, with his now forgotten commitment to build 40 miles of bike lanes a year.

And yes, it all started when he fell off his bicycle.

Let’s hope he makes support for bicycling a key part of his campaign platform.

………

Not surprisingly, the pro cycling world is horrified over the results of this week’s election. Except for Russian former team owner Oleg Tinkov.

An excerpt from a new book looks at the early career of America’s only remaining Tour de France winner.

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Local

The victim’s wife — and the only witness — in Sunday’s road rage carjacking describes the fight with the bike rider who killed her husband and stole their car. A GoFundMe account to pay funeral expenses has raised $19,000 of the $30,000 goal.

The LACBC says there were lots of questions but few answers at the Army Corps of Engineer’s workshop this week to discuss the sudden closure of the LA River bike path. Which isn’t surprising, given the Corps tight-lipped, we-know-best reputation.

The CHP will increase traffic safety education efforts and step up enforcement of bike and pedestrian safety violations in Santa Clarita, regardless of whether they’re committed by drivers, pedestrians or bicyclists.

If you’re in need of a good ciclovía to raise your spirits after a stressful week, Long Beach’s Beach Streets open streets event comes to the city’s Midtown neighborhood this Saturday.

In ten years the Long Beach Coastal Coaster bike group has grown from a few friends to several hundred coaster bike riders flooding the city on the first Sunday of every month.

 

State

A law firm ranks the most dangerous intersections in California, almost all of which are in the Los Angeles area; eight of the top ten are in the San Fernando Valley.

A USC graduate just passed into Mexico on a ride from Alaska to Argentina to raise awareness about spinal chord injuries after a friend was paralyzed in a drunk driving crash.

San Luis Obispo’s proposed transportation sales tax increase falls to a narrow defeat; Sacramento’s plan also went down in a photo finish, as well. Which is ridiculous when California’s two-thirds requirement to increase taxes means the will of the overwhelming majority of voters is ignored. And don’t get me started on the electoral college.

 

National

American voters approved $170 billion in transportation funding, including public transit, and bicycle and pedestrian projects to make up for a shortfall in federal funding, which is likely to get much worse under the incoming administration. Although Strong Towns says let’s not waste any of it on sharrows.

Forbes discusses how HED Cycling’s Anne Hed picked up the pieces after the death of her husband, and co-founder of the company.

A local Eugene OR weekly discusses how local advocates are working to remove the barriers to bicycling.

A Houston radio station talks with one of the authors of a new study from the Urban Land Institute that shows real estate developers can see big returns by including facilities for walking and bicycling.

An Iowa driver is under arrest for intentionally running down a bike rider while high on drugs; unfortunately, no reason for the attack was given.

What the hell is going on in Michigan these days? Four bicyclists were struck in a hit-and-run, once again in Kalamazoo County; fortunately, only two of the riders were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

A new North Carolina law requires cyclists to have a red rear light on their bike or wear reflective clothing at night.

 

International

Police in the UK are looking for a bike rider — not to arrest him, but to thank him for loaning his bike to an officer to chase after a suspect.

The parents of an Irish boy killed in crash while riding his bike channeled their grief into donating ten defibrillators to the local police department.

The mayor of Islamabad, Pakistan will inaugurate new segregated bike lanes.

The new Chinese LeEco Super Bike comes complete with virtually everything built-in, except e-power.

 

Finally…

Evidently, there’s an illegal motorized bicycle scene here in Southern California. Most nine-year olds are content to ride their bikes in the playground.

And wheelie-popping kids terrorize Philadelphia.

No, wheelie.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: Pro bike forces carry the day in LA area; Trump presidency could mean end to federal funding

November 10, 2016 / / One comment

The good news in Tuesday’s election was the victory of most bike-friendly proposals and candidates in the LA area.

Metro’s Measure M passed with overwhelming support, increasing the sale tax by ½ cent indefinitely to fund transportation projects throughout the county; the measure is expected to raise roughly $120 billion over the next 40 years, including at least $4 billion for walking and biking. The measure promises to help reshape the city into what LA Times Architecture Critic Christopher Hawthorne calls the Third Los Angeles.

LA County’s Measure A also passed with far more than the required 2/3 majority to provide funds for parks, open space and recreational facilities; hopefully, some of that will go towards completing the missing links in the LA River bike path through DTLA and points south.

In addition, nine of the ten candidates endorsed by Bike the Vote LA were on their way to victory, including Laura Friedman and Stephen Bradford, both of whom were endorsed here.

The good news extended to Santa Monica, where all three of the city council candidates endorsed by the group won, while the city’s draconian anti-growth Measure LV failed.

Meanwhile, the LACBC’s Tamika Butler writes about the organization’s success with the passage of the measures they supported, while movingly noting the fear among the LACBC’s highly diverse staff over the outcome of the national vote.

Further south, San Diego’s transportation issue Measure A failed, and Republican Rep. Darrel Issa, the richest man in Congress, barely survived his Democratic challenger after campaigning by bicycle.

………

Nationally, the news is good for drivers, not so much for everyone else.

Our soon to be president Donald Trump promises to rebuild America’s roads to make them second-to-none; however, the GOP platform calls for eliminating funding for rail, mass transit and bicycling.

Meanwhile, an industry site looks at how a Trump presidency will affect the bike trade.

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Bike Radar takes a ride along the route of the iconic Paris-Roubaix classic.

Cycling News talks with former cycling great Jan Ullrich, who retired before he could be banned for doping.

A pair of North Carolina twins born one minute apart both podiumed at the recent Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships, their first and third place finishes separated by just 120 seconds.

………

Local

No bias here. The Pasadena Star-News reports on the city’s decision to move forward with the Union Street road diet and protected bike lanes. But instead of discussing how the project will improve safety for everyone on the street, they focus on the possible loss of parking and fears of business owners. And illustrate the story with a photo of a salmon cyclist using the new Marengo Ave bike lane.

 

State

La Jolla officials propose a road diet on Gilman Drive to make room for a separated bike lane connecting segments of the San Diego Coastal Rail Trail; naturally, members of a local planning association fear massive traffic backups.

Sad news from Los Banos, as a bike rider was killed in a collision with two other vehicles.

Palo Alto officials support a less expensive design for a bike and pedestrian bridge; the city scrapped a previous design over rising costs.

 

National

Cycling Weekly asks what lessons can be learned from president-elect Donald Trump’s ill-fated attempt at starting a bike race to rival the Tour d France back in the ‘80s.

Tragic news as a 71-year old Phoenix man was collateral damage in the city’s drug wars, after a group of teenagers fatally shot him in the eye while trying to hit another man in a drive-by shooting.

A creepy mystery in Arizona, as skeletal remains were found near clothing and a bicycle close to a freeway interchange in the desert north of Lake Havasu City.

A Colorado Springs CO letter writer is shocked to learn the city has a bicycle planner and demands the removal of a new bike lane, saying city officials couldn’t care less what area residents want. Because people who live in the city and prefer not to drive don’t qualify as residents, evidently.

Chicago Streetsblog approves of a new Illinois bike park, even though it’s hard to get to by bicycle.

A new Indiana bike park was built to honor a soldier killed in Afghanistan; the park features 300 acres of bike trails, including some that float on water.

Dayton, Ohio bicyclists will ride for respect this Saturday to educate motorists and raise awareness of cyclists’ rights on the roadway.

Three Florida cyclists finish a cross country ride, even though one started the ride while still recovering from a crash earlier this year.

 

International

As we’ve mentioned before, an environmental philosopher will travel the length of South America on a bamboo bike she built herself to study the effects of biodiversity loss starting this December.

Caught on video: An Ottawa, Canada bicyclist is hit in a left hook while riding in a new cycle track, at least the third collision involving a cyclist since the lane opened.

The board governing British cycling proposes giving bike commuters a £250 annual tax break — the equivalent of $310. Something like that should be done here to encourage more people to leave their cars behind. 

This has got to stop. A bike rider in the UK pleads guilty to manslaughter after pushing a pedestrian to the ground in a road rage dispute. Never resort to violence, no matter how justified you may feel at the time; the unintended consequences could haunt you for life.

An English town is pioneering a project using cargo bikes to collect rotting food and turn it into green energy.

Scotland’s tourism board hopes Danny MacAskill’s latest stunt video will translate into more people visiting the Scottish Highlands.

A French cyclist is gearing up for his 400th climb up famed Mont Ventoux.

An Indian man has been riding around the world for the last 12 years to call attention to HIV/AIDS, traveling over 80,000 miles through 126 countries, and being held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

An Asian travel website helps you plan your next bicycle tour of scenic, bike-friendly Taiwan.

 

Finally…

You can’t play Pokémon Go while driving anymore. You may soon be able to take your bicycle to the mobile bike wash.

And if you want to ride harder, chomp down on that Hershey bar.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: Westwood Great Street needs bike lanes, and Pasadena approves Union Street cycle track

November 9, 2016 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Westwood Great Street needs bike lanes, and Pasadena approves Union Street cycle track

It’s a light news day, thanks to yesterday’s election. So give this a quick read, then get out on your bike and keep riding until you work all the stress and anger out.

Which in my case, may take months.

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A pair of UCLA deans team up to explain why Westwood Blvd should be a Great Street with bike lanes.

They make a great case.

Unfortunately, it comes several months too late to keep the lanes in the city’s mobility plan.

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Pasadena approves funding for the Union Street road diet and cycle track, despite concerns over outreach and the effect it will have on the disabled.

Although it’s hard to imagine that disabled people are better off negotiating a wide, high speed street than one that’s narrower and easy to cross.

………

The French are taking UCI to court over changes to the WorldTour calendar.

A British amateur cyclist banned for doping last year finally admits his guilt and regrets.

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Local

Police identify the victim of Sunday’s bizarre Van Nuys road rage carjacking and murder, which started as an apparent road rage dispute between the driver and a man on a bike.

CiclaValley says Sunday’s Phil’s Fondo was phun. Phonetic pun not my phault.

Santa Monica’s Breeze bikeshare celebrates its first anniversary on Saturday with an open house and free rides.

A writer for the Press-Telegram says car crashes run in the family. Actually, that seems to be true for most families these days.

 

State

California voted on eleven transportation measures yesterday, with $8.3 billion earmarked for bicycling projects.

The body of Menifee man who appeared to have been dead for some time was found in the bushes along a roadway, with a bicycle nearby; it could be a local man who disappeared 13 days ago. However, there’s no confirmation at this time that the bike was his, or that he was riding at the time of his death.

Clovis proposes adding bike lanes and pedestrian walkways to the city’s Old Town area.

 

National

A media writer says Donald Trump needs to get back into the bike race business, while Vice President-elect Mike Pence bikes the vote. Although it looks like Trump will be otherwise occupied for the next four years.

A writer for a Wisconsin paper urges mothers not to ride a bike with a baby on board, and wear a damn helmet while you’re at it. Better yet, just wrap the kid in bubble wrap, and don’t let them out of the house until they’re 18.

The four survivors of the Kalamazoo massacre are expected to testify in the trial of the allegedly stoned driver who hit them and killed five others.

Volunteers clear debris left over from Hurricane Matthew from Savannah bike lanes.

 

International

Caught on video: Mountain biking through the challenging streets of Taxco, Mexico.

A Canadian paper fills in the backstory on an Ontario man popularly known as The Bike Man, who passed away at 90 recently.

Hundreds of London bicyclists stage a die-in outside the mayor’s office to demand safer streets.

A UK bike site asks if ‘cross is the future of cycling.

Caught on video too: A fan filming the action nearly gets taken out by a Belgian cyclocross crash.

It turns out Amsterdam has the slowest bike paths in the Netherlands, while Utrecht has the fastest.

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor is one of us, as he takes fans on a musical ride to promote his new film.

A photographer captures Hanoi’s bike-born street vendors from above, turning their massive loads into art.

 

Finally…

Now you can virtually ride across Canada on a stationary bike, which could be good practice if we all decide to move there. Your next bike could be a functional synthesizer.

And if you’re not racing, you don’t need to be aero.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: Van Nuys bike rage leads to murder and car theft, Guidroz gets ten years, and a sidesaddle Sagan

November 8, 2016 / / 3 comments

Horrifying story of an apparent road rage murder in Van Nuys.

According to the Daily News, the whole thing started when a bike rider hit a car’s windshield after the driver honked at him Sunday night. The driver responded by getting out of his car, only to get punched by the bicyclist, who then got into the other man’s car and drove off, as a passenger bailed out the right side.

When the driver tried to grab the door of the car as the bike rider was driving away, the rider responded by ramming the driver’s side of the car into parked cars, forcing him to let go.

The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

The suspect was last seen driving away on Sepulveda Blvd in the victim’s car. He’s described as a Hispanic male approximately 20 to 30 years old, around 5’11” and between 140 and 160 pounds, wearing a dark-hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.

Anyone with information is urged to call Valley Bureau Homicide Detective Steve Castro at 818/374-1925.

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As expected, Lucas James Guidroz was sentenced to ten years after pleading guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and hit-and-run resulting in death in the May death of math teacher, music director and musician Rod Bennett as he rode his bike on Placerita Canyon in Santa Clarita.

Guidroz apologized before the sentence was announced, saying he’d take it back in a heartbeat if he could.

The problem with remorse is it always comes too damn late.

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Caught on video: Peter Sagan rides sidesaddle.

I used to do that all the time to make my patented flying dismount, before switching to cleats made sticking the landing a tad problematic; the real trick is to pedal from that position.

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Local

UCLA is gearing up for the sixth annual Bike (Re)cycling Day this Sunday, when students, staff and faculty can claim abandoned bikes and parts.

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce calls for moving the planned Union Street two-way cycle track to the north side of the street to avoid conflicts with businesses on the south side.

The Santa Monica Bike Center is offering 20% rentals to help you cast your vote this election day.

A member of the Big Orange Cycling club suffered head, rib and back injuries when she was rear-ended in Rancho Palos Verdes on Sunday; witnesses report her shoes were still clipped into her pedals following the crash.

 

State

A Laguna Beach newspaper remembers surfer and sailor Jack Meehan, a local resident killed while riding his bike in Santa Cruz last month.

A competitive cyclist is calling for safety improvements, including narrowing the 14-foot wide traffic lanes, after he was the victim of a hit-and-run while riding in an Encinitas bike lane last August.

A lightless San Diego bicyclist suffered a broken leg when he allegedly rode through a stop sign and into the path of an oncoming car.

Someone at UC Santa Barbara is apparently going after a Masters in sarcasm, reporting that the university has decided to turn the entire campus into a bike lane.

Authorities are looking for the bicycle a young man was riding before he was found buried in a shallow grave on the Sonoma State University campus.

 

National

Bloomberg notes that bike lane networks can even improve the health of people who don’t ride, and are more cost-effective than the majority of preventive health measures. However, that’s actual networks, not a few disconnected lanes like we have in Los Angeles.

Seattle dropped speed limits on over 2,400 miles of city streets in order to improve safety. Which is exactly what LA needs to do, but probably can’t due to the outdated and deadly 85% law.

Denver’s bikeshare system is free today only to encourage people to ride to their polling place.

A Minnesota writer says a ghost bike is a beautiful sentiment, but the best way to honor fallen riders would be to actually improve safety.

The driver responsible for the Kalamazoo massacre last June has been ordered to stand trial for the allegedly drug-fueled crash that killed five cyclists and injured four more; he faces up to life in prison if convicted on any of the five second-degree murder counts.

Durham NC installs green bike lanes through an intersection in a continuing effort to improve safety on a notoriously dangerous street.

A non-driving Atlanta writer tells drivers to just calm down, while noting the irrational anger many motorists exhibit when a bicyclist breaks the law, even though they don’t obey traffic laws, either.

An Alabama letter writer complains about “unsightly” Share the Road signs that he insists are for the benefit of outsiders, since no one he knows rides a bike.

 

International

The victims of a British Columbia crash were all members of a club that raises funds for the local Parkinson’s Society; one rider was killed and two others seriously injured when a driver plowed into the six riders.

Nice piece from London Cyclist discussing five things cyclists should learn to love, from Bromptons and ebikes to airbag helmets and yes, drivers.

A UK cycling magazine discusses the need to look after your heart, noting that heart disease can affect anyone, even if you’re great shape. Seriously, take a few minutes to read this one; it could save your life some day. But remember, the symptoms of a heart attack can be different for women.

Caught on video too: The Sun insists hundreds of wheelie-popping London teens caused mayhem by riding through red lights and weaving through cars while on a ride to raise awareness for a cancer victim. Yes, they rode recklessly, but it’s quire a reach to describe the minimal disruption they appear to have caused as mayhem.

For the first time, there are more bikes than cars in Copenhagen’s city center.

Bicycling is once again becoming cool in China.

 

Finally…

Seriously, if another rider stops to help you after a fall, don’t repay him by whacking him with your bike. When is a bike lane not a bike lane? When it’s a park.

And we should know later today if Donald Trump’s candidacy will grab the yellow jersey or go the way of his ill-fated bike race, while the one he tried to sue to stop is still going strong.

Now go vote already.

Category: Morning Links, Road Rage, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Important LA River bike path meeting tonight, and hard-hitting Aussie road safety videos

November 7, 2016 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Important LA River bike path meeting tonight, and hard-hitting Aussie road safety videos

Just a quick reminder before we start.

Chances are, if you rode your bike to work today, it’s going to be dark before you head back home. So make sure your lights are fully charged or have fresh batteries before you ride tonight.

And even if you never ride after dark, throw a set of inexpensive lights in your seat bag in case you get delayed by a flat or mechanical problem.

I’ve learned the hard way that unexpected things can happen to keep you out later than you planned. And it can be scary as hell trying to make it back home without lights surrounded by angry and aggressive drivers.

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As CiclaValley reminds us, the Army Corps of Engineers is holding a meeting tonight to discuss the most recent closure of the LA River bike path, after apparently concluding that people in LA don’t ride bikes after Labor Day.

We need to let them know just how wrong that is.

The LA River trail is a vital link, not just for recreational riders, but for countless people riding to work and school. And closing a large section down for six months when the city is trying to encourage bike commuting makes no more sense than shutting down a major roadway.

The meeting starts at 6:30 this evening, ending at 8:30 pm, at the Friendship Auditorium, 3201 Riverside Drive.

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Jeffrey Fylling forwards a series of road safety PSAs put together as part of a student competition sponsored by Australia’s Amy Gillett Foundation, named for a track cyclist killed in a collision while training in Germany eleven years ago.

I might question the last one, but there’s some damn good work here. Especially for students.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_R097vjg7Y&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5cO7lULGLk&feature=youtu.be

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A former World Gravel Race champ and world traveler says let’s keep the golf out of cycling.

There have always been unwritten rules in regards to what to wear, how the colour of your bar tape has to match your seat and about what bike you ride. But at the end of the day, it really didn’t matter how much your bike was worth because the enjoyment of the sport, the company of your friends and the accomplishment through your legs overruled any blatant materialism.

But it seems, there is a new trend creeping in.

The capitalism-induced search for a new status symbol has changed the reason why people ride bikes. Cycling has become pretty, elitist, materialistic with a seemingly insurmountable wall to be climbed to be accepted into a group. Until then, you will be shamelessly ignored as a hubbard or fred.

That scares me.

It’s a great piece. So take a few minutes to read the whole thing.

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Don’t forget to Bike the Vote when you cast your ballot tomorrow.

bike-the-vote

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Local

The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay takes a look at Gran Fondos, including Phil Gaimon’s Malibu Gran Cookie Dough yesterday, saying they’re as fun or as challenging as you want, and a great way for pro cyclists to connect with their fans. Although he was disappointed pro cycling’s retiring Cookie Monster only ate five cookies along the way.

Richard Risemberg talks multi-modal commuting.

Bike SGV is partnering with the Eastside Bike Club for a pet-friendly — or Pet-acular, as they call it — ride in conjunction with the SoCalCross cyclocross race at Legg Lake on the 19th.

 

State

An Oxnard man suffered non-life threatening injuries when he was shot while riding his bike early Saturday.

San Francisco installs speed humps in Golden Gate park where a woman was killed by a speeding hit-and-run driver while riding her bike earlier this year. Once again, too little too late. But maybe it will help prevent the next one.

Oakland’s mayor and California’s Lt. Governor get on their bikes to promote a local measure to fix the roads, upgrade public facilities and build affordable housing.

 

National

Your next tire may never go flat. And throw away your air pump while you’re at it.

Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer urges you to bike the vote by riding to cast your ballot.

That didn’t take long. Seattle drivers are parking in a new bike lane before it’s even opened.

A New York man was badly injured in a collision with a hit-and-run bicyclist while he was crossing the street.

The Washington Post says Lance Armstrong is using his new podcast to turn his image around. He could start by working to improve safety on our streets where his voice could really make a difference.

New Orleans becomes the latest city to adopt a bikeshare system.

 

International

Experts argue that self-driving cars may eliminate the need for bicycling infrastructure, but cyclists and pedestrians may take advantage of all those poor cars once they learn the cars have to stop for them.

Bike Radar asks if you’re better off standing on your pedals or sitting when you ride up a hill. And concludes the answer is yes.

HuffPo writes in praise of the upright bike.

A British Columbia driver somehow slammed into a group of six cyclists, killing one and critically injuring another.

A Canadian writer explains why he rides a bicycle, which he calls mankind’s most civilized invention.

The Isle of Wright votes to lower speed limits to 20 mph in built-up areas in an effort to save lives.

It’s quicker to ride a bike than to drive on some sections of a London highway near Heathrow. Maybe they should allow bikes on the freeway so people could choose the more efficient option.

A Brit website looks at why getting more bicyclists on the road means fewer fatalities.

A British man admits to being a hypocrite by running red lights on his bicycle because he doesn’t want to wait, but rolling his eyes when he sees someone else do it while he’s driving.

Prague holds its annual Penny Farthing race.

An Indian couple discovers romance on wheels by riding together.

 

Finally…

If you’re going to ride behind a reporter doing a live broadcast, make sure you wheel is firmly attached. Irish police lock up a pair of bike chasing terrorist terriers.

And the next time someone says bike riders need to pay their fair share, give ‘em a nickel.

 

 

Category: Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , ,
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