If you thought our roads are getting more dangerous, you’re right.
According to figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 42,915 people were killed on American streets last year — the highest total since 2005, and an increase of 10.5 percent over 2020.
Bicycling fatalities rose five percent, to 985 — an average of five deaths every two days — while pedestrian deaths jumped 13 percent to 7,342.
Not surprisingly, nearly two-thirds of US traffic fatalities occurred in urban areas, where there are more people, and more cars.
Artwork by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay.
Thanks to Ted Faber for the heads-up.
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In political news, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer dropped out of the race for mayor, swinging his support to Karen Bass.
And the LA Times made a surprising endorsement of former Mike Biden staffer Karen Pynoos over incumbent Mitch O’Farrell in CD13 — without mentioning O’Farrell’s role in tanking the shovel-ready Temple Street lane reduction in the wake of the Playa del Rey fiasco.
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California Assembly Transportation Chair Laura Friedman jumped into the road safety fight to push for steps to improve bike and pedestrian safety on the new Burbank Blvd Bridge.
I have been assured that @CaltransDist7 is going to work to implement new safety improvements designed by the @BurbankCA . Cautiously optimistic! #VisionZero
— Laura Friedman (@LauraFriedmanCA) May 16, 2022
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Still more Bike to Work Week news.
Or bike anywhere, for that matter.
Tonight marks the annual Ride of Silence, with rides throughout California; a ride will be held in Los Angeles at 7 pm tonight, starting at 3554 W. First St .
Metro is celebrating tomorrow’s Bike to Work Day by offering free rides for everyone on all Metro Bus and Rail lines, as well as free half-hour Metro Bike rides.
Bike Metro is teaming with the LACBC to host a lunchtime ride through Chinatown on Thursday’s Bike to Work Day.
Celebrate #BikeToWorkDay this Thursday with @BikeMetro and @lacbc! Join a lunchtime ride from Union Station through Chinatown and enjoy lunch and community with your fellow bike riders. Learn more and sign up at: https://t.co/aVKKC04tCs pic.twitter.com/2db2hLJYML
— LADOT Livable Streets (@LADOTlivable) May 17, 2022
Culver City Bus is offering free rides for bike riders on tomorrow’s Bike to Work Day.
May is National #BikeMonth and May 16-20 is Bike Week! https://t.co/0tCGw7qP9B
Join @CulverCityBus and local bicycle commuters to celebrate Bike to Work Day on May 19. On that day, bring your bike, folding bike or helmet on board a Culver CityBus and you can ride for free. pic.twitter.com/IelsPaVGR9
— City of Culver City (@CulverCityGov) May 17, 2022
The Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition and Day One are hosting a Handlebar Happy Hour at the Dog Haus tomorrow night.
And make plans for a Spoke and Art Ride this Saturday.
https://twitter.com/BikeLAredditors/status/1526757480918700032
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
There’s a special place in hell for the bike thieves who rammed an 81-year old British man with their car, knocking him into a ditch and stealing his new mountain bike.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
A 35-year old ex-con will stand trial for the unprovoked murder of a San Diego man in a Pacific Beach restroom, before the killer fled on a bicycle; Martin Alvarez, Jr. has entered a not guilty plea to the fatal stabbing.
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Local
The proposed LA River Master Plan has been posted online, along with public comments about the plan.
A massive Puente Hills landfill could soon become the new Puente Hills Regional Park, including plans for a bike skills park.
State
Plans for a two-way bikeway down the middle of Palo Alto’s California Street hit the skids, failing on a tie vote at the city council.
National
No surprise here. A new study from the Urban Institute shows that tax rebates are a better solution to soaring prices than cutting gas taxes, while policies that discourage driving — like high gas prices, for instance — would have the greatest longterm impact on inflation.
Advisory bike lanes, which give bike riders priority and force drivers to share the roadway, are coming to a pair of short Portland streets. Advisory streets have bike lanes on either side, with a single car lane shared by drivers traveling in both directions; drivers are expected to move into the bike lanes to pass one another, before returning to their lane. Let’s hope they have a better rollout than they did in San Diego.
A crowdfunding account has raised over $91,000 for the family of a young Las Vegas father who was killed by a speeding driver while riding his bike on Sunday.
A Minneapolis man pulled himself out of depression and got his life on track with an apprenticeship at a nonprofit bike shop dedicated to providing mentorship and training for young people dealing with housing instability.
Miami bike riders demanded safety improvements to the city’s Rickenbacker Causeway following the death of a couple riding in the bridge’s green bike lane.
International
Cycling Weekly considers what makes a good beginner bicycle.
After bike riders complained about a 22 mph speed limit, organizers of the 20,000 person Ride London backed off and removed the speed cap.
Someone cut the locks off a semi-truck in the UK, and made off with 133 Merida bikes as the truck was stopped at a truck stop, while leaving 73 bikes behind.
The co-owner of the Israel Cycling Academy WorldTour cycling team has donated one million dollars to complete a bike trail in Elad.
A Kiwi driver was captured on video ramming a woman riding a bike directly in front of her car, but will only get a lousy $150 fine because she “wasn’t injured enough.” But at least the driver apologized and offered to fix her bike.
Competitive Cycling
History was made Tuesday when 22-year old Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay outsprinted Mathieu van der Poel to win stage 10 of the Giro, becoming the first Black African to win a Grand Tour stage.
Ayesha McGowan, the only Black rider on the women’s pro tour, called it a victory for all of us.
Even van der Poel showed his support for Girmay in defeat, with a thumbs up gesture as the African rider crossed the finish line.
https://twitter.com/nealrogers/status/1526757824440766465
Finally…
Your next e-cargo bike could be self-charging with solar panels. And Giro podium today, followed by a Prosecco cork in the eye.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
