BikinginLA

Day 143 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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My apologies to everyone who found an unfinished — or unstarted, for that matter — draft of today’s post in your inbox. 

And yes, spellcheck, unstarted is a real word.

But’s that’s what happens when have too many windows open on your screen, and inadvertently hit the “publish” button when you try to click on one.

Not for the first time, I might add. 

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Now that we have that out of the way —

Today is the unofficial start of the three-day holiday weekend. Which means lots of people leaving work early, and not paying attention to anything but where they wish they already were right now.

Like bikes, for instance.

And long weekends mean parties and barbecues — and a lot of drinking and other forms of imbibing.

So ride defensively all weekend, and assume every driver you see is under the influence of something. Because more than a few probably will be.

I just want to see you back here safe and sound on Tuesday.

And try to take a few moments to remember what this holiday is all about, anyway.

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Raise your hand if you’d be shocked to learn there may have been cheating in awarding the new Metro Bike contract.

Hello? Anyone?

Is this thing on?

Streetsblog reports Metro directors delayed what was expected to be a pro forma vote to award Lyft the contract to operate the city’s docked bikeshare program yesterday — despite a unanimous vote by the Metro Operations Committee to advance the contract.

And after two previous botched attempts at awarding the contract.

But according to LA Public Press, the vote was pulled after allegations were raised that Lyft had inside information giving them an unfair advantage, in violation of Los Angeles ethics rules.

And yes, we have ethics rules, as hard as it is to believe at times.

Anne Marie Drolet, a bike mechanic and shop steward with the bike share union Transportation Workers Union Local 320, told LA Public Press that the allegations, if proven, should disqualify Lyft from the bidding process.

“Lyft’s bid once again seems very unfair, like they’re getting a leg up,” Drolet said. “One of their subcontractors helped write the [request for proposals]. I think it’s ridiculous [Lyft is] still in the running.”

Alta Planning + Design, a transportation design company founded in 1996 with offices in the U.S. and Canada, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. Metro has previously hired the company to do things like design transportation plans that capture the highest number of riders at transit stations.

LA Public Press also reports that Metro was on the cusp of making the change despite limited cost savings that amount to a rounding error in the massive Metro budget.

Lyft’s proposal claims it can cut costs, build new docking stations, add more e-bikes to the fleet, and develop a new bike share app.

But Metro documents show Lyft’s current proposal offers minimal cost savings. The company said it can operate bike share for $198 million, while BTS says it can operate the program for $202 million.

Opponents of the company’s bid have also pointed out current CEO David Risher’s comments that the company’s takeover of bike share programs is part of a push to get more people using Lyft for ride-hailing.

It’s possible — likely, in fact — that the allegations are an effort by current program operator BTS and unionized Metro Bike mechanics to derail the shift in management.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.

And even if it’s not, is it worth risking the bikeshare program as the city prepares to host the World Cup and ’28 Olympics by shifting to a company which has had a spotty record in other cities?

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It’s been a little more than a week since the “miraculous” rescue of Georgia bikepacker Tiffany Slaton after she got lost in the mountains above Fresno, surviving three weeks on wild leeks and melted snow.

But apparently, not everyone believe her story.

According to the Los Angeles Times,

(Fresno County Sheriff spokesperson Tony) Botti defended Slaton, saying that the woman didn’t report herself missing and “there is no evidence to show she knew we were searching for her.”

Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni called Slaton’s journey “an incredible story of perseverance, determination and survival” saying it is “something that you may see on TV that they would make movies about.”

On the other hand, a Redditor had this to say.

“I’m glad to see that other people don’t believe this story. So many things don’t add up, I hope this office investigates fully since resources were used,” a person wrote on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook. “It’s embarrassing to think people believe someone fell off a cliff, survived 2 hours unconscious (guess she was timing it), popped her knee back into place, and traveled 20 miles after splinting her leg.”

Even the experts had questions. Experienced Sierra mountain guide Howie Schwartz didn’t doubt Slaton was lost.

But,

“It doesn’t seem like a story you can really wrap your head around,” Schwartz told The Times. “Falling off a cliff, having to splint her leg. You don’t splint your leg unless your leg is broken and if your leg is broken, you’re not walking miles on it.”

Never mind the Redditors who said she was probably crazy, embellished her story, or looking for a book deal or crowdfunding cash.

Which probably explains why her parents shut their crowdfunding page down. But not until it had raised over $23,000.

Then again, those same doubts also popped up in my own Twitter/X feed.

So what’s the answer? Don’t ask me.

Her story does seem kind of incredible. But the best stories usually are.

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Caltrans uses a lot more words than necessary to say they’re giving you more time to comment on the PCH Master Plan Feasibility Study.

Maybe they had to use them all before the weekend.

ADDENDUM ADDED TO THE PCH MASTER PLAN FEASIBILITY STUDY AND EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is pleased to announce that an addendum has been added to the PCH Master Plan Feasibility Study. The addendum, described in Section 7, Project Prioritization/Phasing of the Draft Study, consists of a qualitative evaluation matrix assessing the Study’s recommendations for alignment with the Study’s goals as well as statutory mandates and guidelines related to long-range corridor planning. By demonstrating alignment with mandates and guidelines related to corridor management, the Study is better positioned for additional funding opportunities to support the implementation of its recommendations. The results of the evaluation matrix can be found in Appendix E: Evaluation Matrix.

To ensure the public and stakeholders have time to review the update, the comment period has been extended from June 9, 2025, to June 16, 2025. The updated Draft Study can be viewed here.

Caltrans invites members of the public, stakeholders, and any interested individuals to review the Draft Study and leave your thoughts in the comment box provided here or via email to 07-pchmpfs@publicinput.com. When providing comments via email, please include the relevant section title, page number, figure, or table number when applicable to help us accurately locate the part of the document you’re commenting on.

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Streets For All shares video of their virtual happy hour with LA City Attorney candidate Marissa Roy.

I never know how much to tip my virtual bartender. Or a Waymo driver, for that matter.

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Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, posts video of the recent die-in on the steps of City Hall.

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Active SGV hosts free two-hour ebike rentals this weekend.

Here’s the link if Elon is still screwing up proper embedding of Twitter/X posts.

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Of course a bicyclist who used to be a driver would have no idea what a traffic light is. Especially when it comes to right turns.

Or left.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.   

Tres shock! New York’s police commissioner says her cops are only targeting reckless ebike riders for six offenses along 14 key corridors; Streetsblog says it ain’t necessarily so.

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Local 

Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman reports on the celebratory grand opening of the “transformative” Rail-to-Rail bike/walk path in South LA.

Long Beach is launching a 12-month pilot program allowing both private and shared e-scooters along the shoreline bike and pedestrian path.

 

State

Palm Springs bike riders demanded action on safety improvements while honoring fallen bicyclists at Wednesday’s Ride of Silence.

The Santa Barbara Independent says the city’s bicycling rates are inching up while bicycling injuries climb, making both bike and Vision Zero goals “distant.”

 

National

A magazine for lawyers examines the legal challenges facing bike riders injured by distracted and/or reckless drivers. Best advice, document everything and find a good lawyer to walk through your options. Like one of those guys over there on the right. 

The Independent lists eight American cities that are surprising great for bicycling. Seven of which actually are. And yes, I’m looking at you, Houston.

The Today Show highlights a dad going viral for his daily bike rides with his seven-year old daughter.

Nice. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed the nation’s first law permitting shared streets, with a 10 mph speed limit and strict rules requiring people on bicycles to yield to pedestrians, and drivers to yield to bike riders. Which is how it should be, anyway. 

Salt Lake City is pulling the plug on its ebike incentive program after funding nearly 300 vouchers last year, citing a flat budget for the coming year. But wouldn’t a flat budget mean they could fund everything they did the previous year?

An Idaho dancer says ballet is just like riding a bike. And he should know, since he rides a bike to stay in shape for ballet, mentally and physically.

Damn. A Texas jury gave the parents of an eight-year old bike-riding boy killed by a young man driving a family business truck just at tad more than the $1.1 million they were asking for, awarding them a whopping $80 million. Let’s hope that’s a very valuable family business they’ve got there.  

Your next bike parts could come from a Topeka vending machine. Which wouldn’t be the first thing I’ve bought from a vending machine in Topeka.

 

International

Seriously? London emergency rooms are supposedly buckling because of a surge in demand due to “Lime bike leg,” caused by people trapped by the weight of collapsing ebikes that are “around four times heavier than regular cycles,” while a surgeon warns of “life-threatening injuries.” Call it the modern equivalent of bicycle face.

We know a guy on a bike can beat a someone in a car, but can a London bike rider beat another guy riding the Tube across one of the world’s busiest cities? Would I be writing this if he couldn’t?

A 2,000-mile circular relay ride will connect all 42 Anglican cathedrals in the UK. Or as they call them over there, cathedrals.

A British bike club is proving that age is no barrier to learning how to ride a bike.

 

Competitive Cycling

Your new US national time trial champs are Emily Ehrlich and Artem Schmidt.

Mexico’s Isaac del Torro continues to lead the Giro, as Olav Kooij of the Netherlands won a mass sprint Thursday with a leadout from Wout van Aert. Meanwhile, a reader named Steven points out that del Torro’s name translates to “laughter of the bull,” which seems oddly appropriate.

A Utah newspaper profiles 23-year old Utah native Natalie Quinn as she fights to rise in women’s cycling — without getting paid, after joining American team Cynisca Cycling midseason when the British team she was on folded. Which pretty much sums up the problems with the current state of women’s cycling.

Kenyan cycling coach Evan Wangai discusses his journey from boda boda driver to pro cyclist.

 

Finally…

Why line the bike lane with ugly yellow posts when you can have recycled red plastic tulips? Always use a bicycle as a getaway vehicle for your baby gator heists.

And who needs lube when you’ve got…sand.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin.