It looks like we’ll have Eric Garcetti to kick around for the next few years.
The LA Times is reporting that Garcetti has decided not to run for president, after spending the last couple years seemingly distracted by modern day Wormtongues whispering visions of occupying the Resolute Desk in his ear.
Now maybe he’ll finally get back to fighting for his own policies like Vision Zero and the Great Streets program, which have suffered from a significant backlash while Garcetti has been crisscrossing the county testing tepid waters.
Or maybe just start fighting.
According to the article, Garcetti says he’s skipping a run for the White House because he wants to finish the work he stated.
Let’s hope he means it. And shows a lot more backbone than we’ve seen so far.
Photo shows LA Mayor Eric Garcetti signing the Vision Zero proclamation; photo from lamayor.org.
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From track cyclist, to French Foreign Legionnaire, to bank robber.
In today’s must read, Chicago Magazine tells the convoluted tale of Olympic track cycling hopeful Tom Justice, who would rob banks dressed in business attire, then change into Lycra and make his getaway by bicycle.
And a high-end handmade bike at that.
He’d throw the money in the trash, or leave it where homeless people would find it. At least until he developed a crack habit, and needed money to buy that bike.
His undoing came as he was making his latest getaway, when a cop wondered why a Lycra-clad roadie on an orange bike would be carrying a messenger bag.
It’s long read, but definitely worth your time.
But if you’re in a hurry, you can catch the Cliff Notes version here.
Thanks to J. Patrick Lynch for the heads-up.
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Apparently, Mikael Colville-Andersen, the host of Copenhagenize and self-appointed ambassador of Danish bicycling, isn’t a fan of ebikes, or the people who ride them.
Maybe he missed the studies that show ebikes can improve your health, while getting people who might not otherwise ride out on bicycles.
As for unfollowing him, some of us never did.
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Some people have to make an effort to take part in International Winter Bike to Work Day on February 8th.
Chances are, you’ll just have to roll out into the SoCal sunshine and ride.
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Local
Christian Bale is one of us, going for a casual anniversary bike ride with his wife along the beach in the Palisades.
Ford-owned Spin is hosting a free panel discussion on enhancing mobility, with a focus on equity, safety, and partnerships next Wednesday, as they prepare to join the LA scooter wars.
West Hollywood has stepped up enforcement of the state’s universally ignored anti-gridlock law, which forbids drivers from entering an intersection if they can’t make it all the way across, in a bid to improve safety for pedestrians and bike riders.
Turns out Lime scooters have been programmed to automatically slow down on the beach bike path through Santa Monica. Which is odd, since they’re officially banned from there and subject to confiscation.
The Long Beach Post says the city is losing a ton of money by failing to regulate dockless e-scooters.
State
Sad news from Stallion Springs, where a Bakersfield woman was killed in a crash. The Bakersfield Californian felt the need to say she wasn’t wearing a helmet, but failed to note whether she died of a head injury or if her injuries could have been survivable with one.
National
Fast Company looks at that brilliant takedown of Peloton ads we linked to yesterday, and says you’ll never look at them the same way again.
People for Bikes offers a baker’s dozen rides to add to your bike bucket list this year.
A Portland writer says no, you don’t need an ebike for family biking.
An Iowa college professor has developed a virtual reality version of bicycle Frogger to teach pedestrians how to cross the street without getting hit by a bike rider. Sad that something like that is even necessary.
Denton TX joins the universal battle over parking versus bike lanes, as business owners once again ignore studies showing they’re better off with the latter.
Bighearted Texas police surprise a boy with a new bicycle after seeing him walking his beat-up bike home.
An Ohio letter writer says she’s tired of nearly getting run down by bicyclists on a shared path. And for a change, offers reasonable advice on how to avoid it.
Rhode Island high school students competed to develop a better bike path crossing in response to a six-year old boy who was killed crossing the road on one.
Philly welcomes the UPS three-wheeled e-cargo delivery bikes with welcome arms.
In the never-ending saga of Baltimore’s drunken, texting hit-and-run bishop, the deservedly de-frocked Heather Cook has asked the court to let her spend the rest of her sentence for killing a bike rider at home.
Oops. Baltimore officials are rushing to rewrite legislation that would impose a $1,000 fine and 30 days in jail for riding a dockless scooter too fast; the penalty was supposed to apply to the scooter providers, with riders subject to just a $20 fine.
New US House Transportation Chair Peter DeFazio says the country needs to move beyond fossil fuels and improve streets for bicycling and walking.
Durham NC is getting its first buffered bike lane.
Um, maybe not. The Boston Globe suggests exploring the nation’s most dangerous state for bike riders by… wait for it… bicycle.
A Florida driver spotted a bicyclist riding on the shoulder of a highway, towing his dog in a trailer, and moved over the the left lane to give him room. Except he cut off another driver, who swerved into the right lane, clipping the first car and spinning into the bike rider. At least the dog survived; his owner wasn’t so lucky.
International
A British business insurance company built a fake Brompton bike shop for an ad campaign warning about online phishing attempts.
Life is cheap in the UK, where a driver got just four months behind bars for killing a bike rider, claiming he didn’t see the victim even though he was “lit up like a Christmas tree.”
A road raging Brit bus driver ran over a man’s bicycle, forcing him to jump out of the way as he tried to block its path.
An Indian sports site profiles record-breaking para-cyclist Aditya Mehta, calling him an inspiration for many athletes.
An Israeli MD has developed a startup to collect data on the severity of car crashes, so emergency room physicians have a better idea of what to expect when a patient is brought in. Call me crazy, but wouldn’t it be better to just avoid crashes in the first place?
That Aussie driver who filmed himself driving on a bike path while screaming abuse at a pair of bicyclists riding in the roadway turned himself into police and will answer to a number of charges, including using a cellphone while driving, offensive language and driving on a bike path. And no, there is no 1st Amendment right to swear your ass off in most other countries.
In a case of life imitating art, a Japanese man has had to make his fiancé fall in love with him every day for the last nine months, after she suffered severe amnesia following a bicycling collision.
Competitive Cycling
Accusations of sexual harassment come to pro cycling, as Quick Step rider Iljo Keisse was accused of rubbing his dick against a teenage Argentine waitress while posing for a photo with his teammates. Or more precisely, it’s always been a boy’s club where crap like has been accepted, and remains all too commonplace.
Chris Froome gets down in the gravel on his time trial Pinarello.
Forget power meters. The well-dressed cyclist will soon be wearing a patch to analyze his or her sweat.
Finally…
Probably not the best idea to get drunk and steal a bike from the local police. Or get drunk and ride one, for that matter.
And sometimes it might be better not to stop for red lights, especially if you’re carrying six bags of heroin in your sweaty hands.
