The South Dakota state senate convicted Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg on impeachment charges, removing him from office.
And demonstrating to their counterparts in Washington DC that is it is, in fact, possible, despite all appearances to the contrary.
The Army reserve officer had received a slap on the wrist for the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian two years ago, after pleading no contest to making an illegal lane change and using a phone while driving, claiming he thought he had hit a deer.
Never mind that he never stopped to find out.
The senate’s action made it clear they found his story questionable, at best. As did virtually everyone else who heard it.
Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving jerk.
Photo from Ekaterina Bolovtsova on Pexels. Thanks to Nina Moskol for the heads-up.
………
Metro is offering a chance to win a free one-year bikeshare membership just for completing their Metro Bike user survey.
There are a few weeks left to take our Annual Metro Bike Share User Survey. This survey is open to everyone and should take less than 15 minutes to complete. All feedback is welcome, even if you haven’t used Metro Bike Share before.
Everyone who completes the survey will be entered in a raffle for a chance to win a 365-Day Metro Bike Share Pass ($150 value) and some sweet Metro Bike Share gear.
Take the survey today! This survey will be accepting responses until June 30, 2022.
………
About damn time.
London will start using camera enforcement to ticket drivers who block bike lanes. Now the rest of the world just has to catch up.
You can't drive on a sidewalk. You can't drive in a bike lane either. London's camera enforcement of cycle lanes adds a missing layer of safety to streets and challenges other cities to do more. https://t.co/BqsKaYseAc
— Janette Sadik-Khan (@JSadikKhan) June 23, 2022
Not surprisingly, at least one London tabloid considers it an attack on those poor, beleaguered drivers.
………
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
No shit. A Toronto lawyer and bike advocate says cracking down on bike riders for speeding in a park is a waste of resources.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
Demonstrating a keen grasp of the obvious, a Portland serial bank robber who made his getaway by bicycle admits what he did was wrong. Gee, you think?
An Oxford, England man was sprayed with what appears to be pepper spray by a bike-riding teenaged boy after an argument on a shared-use path.
………
Local
Bicycling talks with Finish the Ride and Streets Are For Everyone founder Damian Kevitt about how a near-fatal hit-and-run motivated him to make Los Angeles a better place for people on bicycles. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you.
UCLA Bicycle Academy Secretary Dr. Michael Cahn takes the university to task for removing a bike lane during construction of the new Rosenfeld Hall, and replacing it with a dumpster. Which is an apt metaphor if I’ve ever seen one.
The former Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills continues its ongoing efforts to become more bike friendly, approving plans for bike lanes and sharrows on Doheny Blvd, from Burton Way to Whitworth Dr. Although someone should tell them that sharrows are literally worse than nothing.
Santa Monica-based micromobility startup Veo is expanding the footprint of their sit-down, moped-style scooters into LA’s Westside.
State
Fullerton officials voted to rip out the Walk on Wilshire bike lane, concluding that it was little used, and the removal would improve traffic flow. Although if a bike lane isn’t used, it’s usually a sign it should be improved, not removed.
Oakland approved plans for a long-delayed Complete Streets remake of 14th Street, too late to save the life of a bike-riding father who was killed by a speeding hit-and-run driver in front of his kids.
National
Forbes offers their picks for the best bike helmets for every kind of rider, while Engadget recommends what they consider the best bike accessories you can buy.
An architecture website considers how to store your bike in small spaces.
Colorado sheriff’s deputies finally busted the driver who witnesses allege intentionally ran down a pair of women riding bicycles, leaving one woman in a coma.
CNN offers a timeline of the events leading up to and following the shooting of gravel cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson, after the car belonging to her alleged killer was found at a Texas car dealership.
They get it. A Milwaukee public radio station says improving street design could help curb reckless driving in the city.
Police in Wisconsin busted a pouting, 62-year old man for the hit-and-run death of a bike-riding man, once again claiming he thought he hit a deer. Which seems to be the universal Get Out of Jail Free card for hit-and-run drivers in northern states.
Life is cheap in Massachusetts, where a driver walked without a single day behind bars for killing a 69-year old man on a bicycle while she was FaceTiming with a friend — but at least she lost her driver’s license for 15 years. Not that losing a license seems to stop anyone from getting behind the wheel anyway, though.
New York is investing $178.8 million for improving active transportation in the state.
New York-based FEND will launch the first folding bike helmet with built-in front and rear lights, after a crowdfunding page raised nearly four times the $20,000 goal.
The mass carnage on the streets continues, as three people in their 60s were seriously injured when a 16-year old driver left-crossed them as they rode in a Florida bike lane, turning her car directly in front of a couple on a tandem and a man on his own bike. Proving once again you can’t spell “carnage” without “car.”
International
Bike Radar offers a complete buyers guide to adaptive bicycles.
Hong Kong may move to require helmets for all bike riders, citing an increase in crashes involving bicyclists. Never mind that helmets are designed to protect against slow speed falls, not collisions with cars and their drivers.
Competitive Cycling
Italian cycling great Mario Cipollini faces two and a half years behind bars on charges of domestic abuse for stalking and threatening his ex-wife, both before and after their marriage, including breaking her bicycle in half so she couldn’t ride it without him.
Lawson Craddock defended his title in the elite men’s time trial title at USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships, edging 20-year old Magnus Sheffield.
Leah Thomas won the women’s time trial title, beating four-time US time trial champ Amber Neben by a whopping 44 seconds.
A Knoxville, Tennessee news site suggests five cyclists to watch at the national championships this weekend.
Finally…
That feeling when your big, clunky plastic bike comes sans chain. Everything Google says you always wanted to know about the Tour de France and weren’t afraid to ask.
And strip down and saddle up for tomorrow’s Los Angeles edition of the World Naked Bike Ride.
………
Thanks to David E for his generous donation to help support this site, and keep SoCal’s best source for bike news coming your way every day. Your generosity, and the support of our sponsors, is what keeps this site going.
………
Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
Some people won’t visit facebook so the website is wnbrla and this ride normally mentions protesting oil being reason it was born- but I don’t see that language by these organisers!
It is not there ride of course it is our cities, so I hope many will protest oil arriving on bike, not paying parking fee even if that means waiting outside lot for ride and even following it on bike?
I’ve not known of it taking river path, nor having the 90 minute socialisation period between rides.
From Covid to War a lot newly informs protesting OIL.
Thank you so much for mentioning ride before it happened this year! Consider this comment my protest of it not mentioning OIL but using the ‘wnbr’ keyword.
It does seem that only one ride should be able to use WNBR and it should be the one oil opponents join and support! Those who can speak about BIG OIL need to be there and be heard! Los Angeles does have oil critics despite it’s car culture!
If you have an electric bike it makes sense to ditch the chain. Motor and transmission in the wheel cleaner and cheaper.