More reaction to Wednesday’s meeting of the city council Transportation Committee, which voted to devote 60% of Measure M local return funds to the city’s Vision Zero plan.
According to the LACBC, the remaining funds will be split with 10% going to bike infrastructure, 10% to sidewalk repair and reconstruction, and 20% to median island and curb extension improvements.
A Los Feliz paper looks at Wednesday’s meeting that resulted in prioritizing Vision Zero work over repairing potholes with Measure M return funds.
But evidently, saving human lives is a “pet project,” according to a community activist who spoke to KABC-7.
The anger is understandable. Measure M was pushed in large part with promises that it would fix our crumbling streets. Although I’d like to think we could all agree that improving safety for everyone on the road is more important than patching potholes.
But I could be wrong on that.
The proposal goes before the Public Works and Gang Reduction committee next week.
Whether this comes under the heading of public works or gang reduction remains to be seen.
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Hats off to a group of LA police officers, who will be riding from Hollywood to DC to honor fallen police officers in the first-ever Hollywood Memorial Ride.
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World road champ Peter Sagan denies he intentionally hip-checked another rider during Sunday’s Ghent-Wevelgem classic.
An unsupported Aussie ultra-endurance race was cancelled midrace when British ultracyclist Mike Hall was killed in a collision near Canberra; another rider was nearly scalped when he was hit by a car earlier in the 3,400 mile race. The race, which started March 18th, had been expected to finish today.
New Zealand cyclist Keagan Girdlestone completes a near-miraculous recovery after severing his carotid artery and jugular vein when he crashed into a team vehicle during a race last year, as he prepares for his first race since the crash.
Cycling Weekly looks at LA cyclist Phil Gaimon’s series of Worst Retirement Ever videos, as he documents his efforts to claim KOMs throughout California.
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Local
CiclaValley describes a major bike lane fail on Moorpark Street in Sherman Oaks.
From sponsored BMX racer to SoCal’s in-demand DJ.
A new mixed-use project in Larchmont will offer nearly as many bike parking spaces as spaces for cars.
Model CJ Franco is one of us, as she rides a WeHo Pedals bikeshare bike to Bristol Farms in Beverly Hills for a little shopping. But if the Daily Mail doesn’t stop drooling over her, it’s going to short out my keyboard.
State
Streetsblog interviews BikeSD executive director Sam Ollinger, who has risen to become one of the nation’s leading bike advocates.
A San Bernardino cop was cleared in the shooting of an unarmed man after he tried to escape on his bike.
Ventura advocacy groups are working for more and better bikeways to ensure people can ride safely.
A Salinas writer looks at the bipartisan effort to pass the Idaho Stop law.
App-based, dockless bikeshare provider Bluegogo is off to an awkward start in San Francisco, pulling their bikes off the street after several were left on a sidewalk in the Castro district.
National
No surprise here, as Trump’s proposed budget would gut funding for transit expansion and TIGER grants.
Outside magazine asks why mountain bikers keep running into bears on the trail. Probably because they’re the ones that live in the wildeness, and we’re trespassing on their territory.
It takes a special kind of jerk to punch a 10-year old Phoenix boy and steal his bicycle.
Sad news from Montana, where the executive editor of Adventure Cyclist magazine died unexpectedly of natural causes.
A Nebraska college student may have a self-described vendetta against cyclists, but at least he gets it, calling for an Idaho Stop law and better bike facilities to improve safety for everyone.
An Austin TX bike advocacy group says two recent bicycling fatalities could have been avoided if the roads were more accommodating for people on bicycles.
A judge rules the driver who killed five Kalamazoo cyclists and injured four more in a drug fueled crash last June will face multiple counts of second degree murder, as well as a DUI charge.
New York plans to install a protected bike lane on the iconic 5th Avenue as part of the city’s Vision Zero plan, removing 38 parking spaces to protect human lives.
The Wall Street Journal says you should trade your regular bike for a gravel bike that can do almost everything, while Road.cc just happens to have a few suggestions for you.
Georgia state police are looking for a road raging driver who deliberately sideswiped a cyclist leading a group ride; police may be aided by bike cam video recorded by the victim. Just one more reminder why it’s so important to put a camera on your bike or helmet. Or both.
Savannah GA rejects plans for a road diet and bikes lanes to calm traffic on two streets leading in and out of downtown.
Miami considers adopting a Vision Zero plan to reduce bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities; the city ranks third in the US for pedestrian deaths, after Los Angeles and New York.
International
A new app will identify when you’re riding your bike, so your boss can pay you for riding to work. Because he or she will totally do that, right?
Two months after Ottawa, Canada police said the victim didn’t want to press charges — which he quickly denied — the driver caught on video repeatedly nudging a cyclist blocking his path pled guilty to assault and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
A London writer questions whether riding a bicycle through the city makes him a better architect, while looking forward to Rapha’s Unlocking the City program in Los Angeles this July.
Manchester, England is finally beginning to embrace the cycling revolution.
Paris is leading the fight to reclaim our streets from motor vehicles.
Kiwi advocates call for scrapping the country’s mandatory helmet law.
Finally…
Rail to trail to roadway. No, bike riders aren’t required to wear stretchy pants, but should be on their best behavior.
And apparently, the all-powerful bike lobby is running a shadow government in NYC.
Re: New mixed-use project in Larchmont bike parking spaces
Believe bike parking is a requirement now for new residential buildings or its in trade for car spaces, I forget the fine print. I still prefer keeping my bikes in the kitchen here than in a garage. Buildings across the street from me had so much stuff stolen for their ‘secure parking’ garage that they no longer store stuff in there.
A 10% set-aside for bicycling of the local return from Measure M is four times more than the 5% set-aside from the local return under Measure R.
I’m pretty sure that 10 is only twice as much as 5, unless you mean that twice as big a slice of a pie that is also twice as big.
Improved bike facilities are a good thing, but I think you may be underappreciating the value of road repairs for bike safety. Potholes and other road surface anomalies (fins on vermont!?, mysterious sandy spots) seem to me the most dangerous things I deal with while riding around LA. Coming upon gaping holes in the road while moving at speed is not a trivial danger and the need to avoid them, which can mean a sudden move to the left, can create conflict with traffic.