Appalling news from Glendale, as police are looking for a hit-and-run cyclist who allegedly blew through a red light and crashed into a 64-year old woman as she was walking in the crosswalk.
The victim hit her head on the pavement, suffering “significant” but not life-threatening injuries. The man on the bike fled the scene, despite reportedly being fully aware of what happened.
He’s described only as a male wearing a dark jacket. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Glendale Police Department at 818/548-4911.
For anyone unclear on the concept, bike riders have exactly the same obligation to stop, render aid and exchange information that drivers do after a crash.
And are the same heartless cowards if they don’t.
To put it mildly.
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Orange County sheriff’s deputies have identified a person of interest in the Sunday night hit-and-run that left a San Juan Capistrano father of five in a coma, and are no longer looking for suspects.
Which means they’re confident they’ve got the right person.
Thanks to Lois for the heads-up.
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John Montgomery shares a stomach-churning close shave on 4th Street in Venice, first getting cut off in a pass that feels way too close, then forced to make a heart-stopping panic stop when he gets brake-checked seconds later by the same driver.
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The rescheduled Resolution Ride will take place tomorrow in Griffith Park.
Active Streets LA is hosting a community festival and mapping walk and ride on Saturday at MLK Jr. Park.
And don’t forget the 8th annual Ride for Love at Ted Watkins Memorial Park on Sunday, sponsored by the Eastside Riders.
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Bicycling Magazine wants to know just how common abuse of power is in competitive cycling, regardless of gender.
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Local
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition has come out strongly against Measure S, which would impose a minimum two-year moratorium on most major building projects in the City of Los Angeles.
Speaking of the LACBC, time is running out to get your 2017 LACBC kit; just click on the ad on the right to place your order.
Strong Towns profiles Josef Bray-Ali in his campaign to unseat anti-bike incumbent Gil Cedillo in LA’s CD1; Bike the Vote LA is looking for volunteers to phone bank for him tomorrow.
KNBC-4 provides renderings of the new $482 million Sixth Street Viaduct project. Just riding down those big swirling bike ramps will make it worth the price.
Manhattan Beach rejects a proposal to put a bike path through the city’s Polliwog Park to improve safety for middle school kids headed to and from school.
State
A coalition of 82 organizations join with Calbike to call for reforms in a state transportation funding package to invest more on active transportation.
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from the OC Register’s David Whiting, who talks with the Long Beach-based founder of Velomax bicycle wheels, now making and marketing the iWalk alternative to using crutches.
A Lakeside driver was shot at by someone riding a bicycle when he tried to chase “suspicious suspects” out of a mobile home park at 4:45 am.
BikeSD calls on the executive director of SANDAG to step down after inflating projections for last year’s failed, overly auto-centric transportation tax.
A killer Fresno drunk driver is asking a judge to allow him to rescind his no-contest plea that resulted in a 12-year prison sentence in the death of a seven-year old boy who was riding in a crosswalk with his family, blaming bad road design instead of his own high speed and drunken state. Sure, let’s go with that.
Modesto police bust a bike-riding groper accused of assaulting at least seven high school girls.
That was fast. A suspected Menlo Park bike thief gets one year in county jail, just eight days after he was arrested after fleeing from police.
Now that’s more like it. Rather than minimum parking requirements, San Francisco will now require developers to provide alternative transportation options in exchange for the permission to provide free parking spaces.
National
A new study from the University of Duh says less driving results in fewer traffic fatalities. However, the decade-long decline in vehicle miles traveled did not result in an increase in physical activity.
A habitually anti-bike Seattle radio host is convinced the city is throwing away millions spent on bikeways, as the bicycling commuter rate continues to drop. And yet it’s still at a level most cities would envy, including sunny Los Angeles.
The Radavist says Utah needs our help to stop a lease of BLM land and defend the Bear’s Ears National Monument. Thanks to CiclaValley for the link.
Unlike Los Angeles, DC appears to be serious about reducing speeds to save lives as part of the city’s Vision Zero; a proposal from the DCDOT would lower the default speed limit to 20 mph, with a 15 mph limit around schools, parks, senior and youth centers from 7 am to 11 pm.
International
A columnist for London’s Evening Standard says the city’s new cycling and walking commissioner has to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of getting drivers to behave.
Caught on video: A London bike rider falls after jamming on the brakes when a mother with two young kids steps out unexpectedly from between stalled traffic.
Caught on video too: A British cyclist is caught on security camera carving deep scratches into a couple’s minivan, causing the equivalent of $1,250 in damage; the victims had no idea why he chose their car, and questioned whether he targeted them by mistake. Let’s make this as clear as possible: No matter what they might have done, or how justified you might feel, vandalism is always wrong. Period.
A French website offers 10 reasons to visit the county for your next cycling vacation. But really, you only need one — it’s France.
Evidently, it’s not just hoverboards. An ebike battery started a fire that sent a German carport up in flames, causing over a half million dollars in damage. The story’s in German, but you can read a translation here. Thanks to Vesley Reutimann for the heads-up.
Iraqi women are riding for their freedom, in what began as one woman’s art project.
Women make up only 18% of bicycle traffic in Melbourne, Australia, where a lack of safe bikeways forces riders to mix with traffic.
Finally…
Yes, you can find lasting love on a bicycle. Okay, so maybe he can downhill slightly faster than the rest of us.
And she wasn’t driving dangerously when she ran over a bicyclist’s hand, just carelessly.
So it’s okay, then. Right?
Hit and run cyclists get high publicity on the major radio and TV news stations–(the Glendale story reported here has been all over), but hit and run automobiles that hit cyclists rarely or never do. Another double standard in life. Sucks.
No argument here.
I would agree that if you can take a bike tour in France. We spent 2 weeks outside of Toulouse, it is wonderful. There is also a flat ride from there to the Mediterranean along the canal. I would really recommend trying to spend one day between towns and one day not needing to go anywhere.
We also have been in the Dordogne region east of Bordeaux. Beautiful but more touristic.
Here is a plug for Bicycle Adventure CLub. A non-profit and the cost is much lower than the commercial outfits.
Just remember it is a vacation. You can’t see it all, don’t try.