BikinginLA

Day 199 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Let’s start with the good news.

It’s a happy ending in Oregon, where a 52-year old man who disappeared on a mountain biking trip one week ago made it back to his car, and drove himself home after being missing for five days.

He explained his absence, which prompted searches with drones and National Guard troops, by saying he hid his mountain bike so it wouldn’t get stolen, then lost his footing while hiking and slid down a steep embankment. Unable to climb back up, he walked further down to a stream, becoming ill after drinking from it.

He eventually made it back to the trail, then hiked back to retrieve his bike — which was still there — before returning to his car and driving to a friend’s house.

But at least he’s okay.

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The WeHo Times covers Wednesday’s ghost bike installation for Blake Ackerman, who was run down from behind by a hit-and-run driver last week at Fountain and Gardner.

As we reported yesterday, a 73-year old man was arrested by sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday, which gave him plenty of time to sober up if he had been under the influence.

The second part of the memorial honoring Ackerman will take place this evening, with a vigil beginning at 6 pm at Fountain and Gardner, before walking to West Hollywood City Hall for a rally and press conference.

I’ll be there for the first part of the vigil, but will have to skip the rest due to family obligations.

And yes, I’ll be the one with the corgi, and without the Hawaiian shirt.

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Bike Talk talks about opportunities in the New York protected bike lane crisis, a Bike Life buyout for LA street vendors, and suspicions of an “anti-vehicle agenda” in San Diego.

Although that last part sounds a lot like the mythical war on cars.

I think the title says it all here. biketalk.org/2025/07/2528… @sophlebo.bsky.social @obcycler.bsky.social @bikinginla.bsky.social #bikesky

— Bike Talk (@biketalk.bsky.social) 2025-07-18T02:39:47.599Z

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Now you, too, can compete in the Grand Fondo World Championship in Kazakhstan next month.

I think.

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

Gothamist says New York Mayor Eric Adams efforts to rip out a parking-protected bike lane in Brooklyn are just an effort to appeal to Hasidic voters who live in the area.

Police in Fletcher, North Carolina are looking for a pickup driver who recklessly followed a bike rider, then threatened to kill the victim during an argument.

A British motorist deliberately drove into a man riding a bicycle in Birmingham, England, then the occupants of the car got out and beat the victim as he lay in the street; the unidentified victim walked off before police arrived, but one of the attackers was arrested on suspicion of affray. And yes, I had to look that one up.

But sometimes, it’s the people on bikes behaving badly.

Lime Bikes is rolling out a London billboard campaign reminding bikeshare users they’re required to stop at red lights, as if they didn’t already know and just don’t bother.

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Local 

Both the Los Angeles City Council and Mayor Bass have signed off on the ground rules to implement Measure HLA, which took affect over a year earlier; the measure requires the city to build out the mobility plan whenever a significant portion of a street is resurfaced, which it hasn’t done up to now.

Don’t forget the bicycle and pedestrian safety operation 5 am to 8 pm today in Santa Monica; police are legally required to enforce traffic laws equally, regardless of who commits them, so ride to the letter of the law until you cross the city limit line so you’re not the one who gets ticketed.

A pair of “fearless adventurers” for The Inertia take an ebike tour across Catalina Island in a single day, saying the 4,000 feet of elevation gain and 360° ocean views make it an adventure you need to experience.

 

State

The state Senate has approved SB 720, a bill to modernize red light cameras to make it easier for cities to choose to install them; it now moves on to the Assembly.

A new report from Santa Cruz County reveals the county ranks second in California for bicycling deaths and injuries, and fifth for pedestrian crashes and deaths.

Streetsblog says it’s time to fix San Francisco’s Polk Street once and for all, calling it one of the city’s best streets for “nightlife, cookies, doughnuts, and city life in general,” as well as one of the most dangerous.

 

National

Seattle Bike Blog endorses a bike and transit riding mom for the city’s mayor.

A local advocacy group will post signs in a Denver park memorializing the 79 bicyclists killed in Colorado since 2020 as part of a bike safety campaign, with the blessing of the state Department of Transportation

A group of Houston artists are getting a jump on Dia de los Muertos, and will build ofrendas for the fallen bicyclists who have died in the city over the past year.

Indy rock duo Illiterate Light is taking their latest tour by bicycle, with a 700 mile bicycle trip from Harrisonburg, Virginia to Rhode Island, while passing through Pennsylvania with stops along the Jersey Shore.

The Asheville, North Carolina dump truck driver who killed two bicyclists and injured another in a head-on crash has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of death by vehicle, and driving left of center. Because apparently, killing two people riding bicycles just isn’t that big a deal.

 

International

The British Columbia bicycling community is in mourning after three bike riders were killed by drivers in a single week.

He gets it. A Whistler, British Columbia letter writer and practicing family physician complains about the Mounties focus on bicycle helmets when preventing crashes in the first place would do more good.

Momentum says Quebec’s 3,300-mile La Route Verte is North America’s most epic bicycling network.

A writer for Road.cc says London’s bicycling infrastructure is “bloody brilliant” these days, after learning how good he had it when he moved to another city.

A writer for The Guardian enjoys “freewheeling family fun” with a bicycling and camping trip along the Netherland’s Maas river.

Tragic news from Italy, where extreme sports star Andreas Tonelli was killed when he fell over 600 feet while mountain biking near Gröden/Val Gardena in the Dolomites; the 48-year old mountain biker and adventure sports guide posted a photo to Instagram after ascending to 9,500 feet around 7 pm, but wasn’t heard from again until his body was found around 1 am.

 

Competitive Cycling

Tadej Pogačar claimed his 20th Tour de France stage victory on the famed Hautacam, redeeming himself after losing to Jonas Vingegaard on the mountain three years ago, and reclaiming the yellow jersey with a more than three-and-a-half minute lead over second place Vingegaard.

The Tour de France peloton paused for one minute before Thursday’s 12th stage and applauded in honor of Samuele Privitera, the 19-year-old Italian cyclist who died after hitting a speed bump while descending and losing control of his bike during the first stage of Italy’s Tour of Valle D’Aosta.

Apparently, it’s okay to drop Tadej Pogačar when he’s peeing, but not after a crash.

Czech carmaker Škoda’s We Love Cycling website takes their eyes off the peloton, and looks to the sidelines to examine the stars who have graced the Tour de France over the last 45 years.

For the second time in less than two weeks, the Cofidis cycling team has been targeted by bike thieves, this time the women’s squad competing at the Baloise Ladies Tour; the team isn’t saying how many bikes were taken or what they are worth.

Over 120 volunteers turned out in response to an urgent social media plea by the organizers of the USA Cycling Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships in Roanoke, Virginia, after only a fraction of the expected race marshals showed up on the first day.

 

Finally…

Your next bike could be an adult tricycle. This is your brain, this is your brain on cars.

And I’ve ridden with a few short cranks, myself. But you can’t always pick your riding companions.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin.