Let’s start with a quick look at who we share the road with.
A hit-and-run driver was arrested by police after he killed a man and his three dogs walking in Downtown Los Angeles early yesterday, then crashed into several parked cars trying to flee; police used a stun gun and baton to take the man down.
And a 20-year old woman faces 25 to life after allegedly using her car to kill a Cypress man she thought was trying to run over a cat; she thoughtfully recorded the confrontation on her cellphone, in case prosecutors needed more evidence to put her away. No word on whether the cat escaped with all nine lives intact.
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Another new bike lane in DTLA.
Now if they’d just put a few in the rest of the city.
https://twitter.com/multimodalLA/status/1575700094510280705
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Seriously, someone tell Metro and Caltrans to take the hint, already. And stop wasting billions on induced demand-inducing freeway projects.
We are calling on @CaltransDist7 and @metrolosangeles to:
1. Stop chopping up projects into smaller segments to avoid CEQA review
2. Admit all additional lanes induce more demand
3. Put an end to all freeway widening in L.A. CountyCc @Tony_CTDirectorhttps://t.co/Ez5sc4iB8p
— Streets For All (@streetsforall) September 29, 2022
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More news from Gavin Newsom’s veto pen, as he signs a bill requiring bike parking in new multifamily construction, but vetoes a bill requiring the state to put its climate change money where its mouth is.
SIGNED INTO LAW: AB 2863 (by @AsmLoriDWilson) requires @California_HCD and @CalifDGS to consider mandatory bike parking standards in multifamily buildings and to update existing bike parking standards independent of vehicle parking. Thank you @GavinNewsom pic.twitter.com/BqVQXo6S4b
— Streets For All (@streetsforall) September 30, 2022
VETOED: AB 2438 (by @laurafriedman43 and @climateplan) would have aligned state transportation plans and greenhouse gas emissions reduction standards via the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure. Very poor climate leadership here, @GavinNewsom. pic.twitter.com/ZvyPKR4wOj
— Streets For All (@streetsforall) September 30, 2022
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Just a reminder that there are still good people in the world.
Although it’s also a reminder not to post videos online that start or end where you live.
https://twitter.com/clarkstbikelane/status/1575669587663761408
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
Life is cheap in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where killing a woman and injuring another bike rider as they took part in a fundraising ride only merits a lousy ticket for a bad lane change. Although that’s still more than the driver would get in some other places.
Police are looking for the bike rider who viciously attacked a disabled London man while threatening to kill him, after the driver tried to let him know he was behind him. As we’ve said before, violence is always wrong. But something tells me there’s another side to this story.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
Police in Eugene, Oregon busted a man with an outstanding warrant after he went over his handlebars while trying to flee the cops on his bicycle.
The New York man who killed Gone Girl and Cocktail actress Lisa Banes faces one to three years behind bars after pleading guilty to running her down with his moped.
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Local
South Pasadena will observe the annual Walk or Bike to School Day on Wednesday.
State
The Orange County Transportation Authority is urging people to walk, bike, use transit, share a ride or work from home during next week’s Rideshare Week.
Police in Carlsbad are asking for witnesses to the ebike crash that left a 61-year old woman with serious injuries; it’s not clear if she was the victim of a hit-and-run or a solo crash.
Goleta will host a public meeting Tuesday to discuss the San Jose Creek Bike Path Project.
Sad news from Redwood City, where a man was killed when a semi driver crossed the double yellow line and hit his bicycle head-on; the driver was arrested on a charge of involuntary manslaughter with gross negligence.
San Francisco bicyclists are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the original Critical Mass tonight.
Richmond’s Rich City Rides is as important to the East Bay Community as the East Side Riders are down here. Right now, they’re 13% of the way to their $10,000 fundraising goal to keep giving away free bicycles and bike repair to people in need. Just in case you have a little extra money lying around.
National
Bicycling looks at the best bike shorts with pockets to stash your essentials. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you.
Forbes examines whether you can get a DUI on a bicycle. Short answer, in California, yes. In other states, it depends.
Vision Zero is failing in Seattle, where traffic deaths continue to climb despite the commitment to end them by 2030.
A Spokane writer visits the Netherlands to examine how the western Washington city could elevate itself to the ranks of bike friendly cities like Copenhagen, Mexico City and Portland. All of which would work just as well in Los Angeles.
Salt Lake City’s efforts to get more people on two wheels is paying off, with a 19% jump in bike commuting rates over the past two years.
Just one day after pledging to rip out the city’s only protected bike lane — and hours after a protest from bike riders — the mayor of Omaha, Nebraska says the bike lane will stay in place until construction begins on a planned streetcar.
Slate examines why Houston cops would say a quiet residential street “isn’t safe for pedestrians or people riding bikes” after an eight-year old boy was killed doing just that.
That’s more like it. A 44-year old Peoria, Illinois woman has been sentenced to 22 years behind bars for the drunken, hit-and-run crash that killed a ten-year old boy riding an ebike.
The Boston Globe says bike riders and runners are turning to gravel trails as a safe refuge from aggressive drivers. Or it could just be because it’s fun. Or both, maybe.
New York’s attorney general took a few minutes off from suing the Trump Organization to warn New Yorkers about the dangers of improperly charging ebike batteries.
Great idea. A New York City council member has proposed a bounty for reporting a blocked bike or sidewalk; the program would pay a reward equalling 25% of the $175 fine.
New Jersey is establishing a committee to create a statewide Vision Zero program. First step is to actually fund the damn thing, unlike a certain SoCal megalopolis we could name.
International
Road.cc considers the pros and cons of using a single bike helmet across various bicycling disciplines.
Litelok claims their new lightweight, axel grinder-resistant U-lock is five times more theft proof than the best performing locks currently on the market.
Edmonton, Alberta is investing $170 million to build 62 miles of new bike lanes. Although some people think the money could be better spent on other things.
A new Dutch ebike promises to last forever, with a modular design that allows you to swap out parts as they become worn or obsolete.
A 34-year old man is riding over 18,000 miles from Thiruvananthapuram, India to London, passing through 35 countries in 450 days.
Bicycles have taken over the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, as other forms of transportation become impractical or prohibitively expensive.
Bike advocates in Jerusalem are seeing progress in making the ancient, hilly city more welcoming to people on two wheels.
Your next Chinese ped-assist bicycle could be powered with hydrogen instead of electricity.
Finally…
The first Harley-Davidson had pedals. Now you, too, can own your very own Bugatti urban bike for a mere $75,000 or so.
And a reminder that refrigerators don’t belong in bike lanes any more than cars do.
https://twitter.com/wildbell/status/1575520496111603712
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
