No major bike news stories today, so let’s get right to it.
You can find updates to yesterday’s lead stories about missing bike advocate Dennis Hindman and fallen Big Orange cyclist Rob Dollar in yesterday’s post.
Update: Dennis Hindman has been found safe in a local hospital. More details when they’re available.
CiclaValley examines the planned increases in speed limits in Los Angeles due to the deadly 85th percentile law, most of which will be in the San Fernando Valley. Which makes sense, since the Valley has more straight, wide streets that encourage speeding.
A Palm Springs TV station send its crack investigative reporting team out to look at completely non-controversial bike trails similar to the inexplicably controversial CV Link trail proposed for the Coachella Valley.
Watsonville police bend over backwards to blame the victim, saying a woman killed while riding her bike “came out of nowhere” into the path of a moving vehicle, even though witnesses reported the driver may have been street racing. No one, anywhere, has ever defied the laws of physics to come out of nowhere, let alone to get hit by a car.
A new app being tested in eight US cities that aren’t Los Angeles promises to the be Waze of bicycling by helping riders find the safest routes to get around.
An experienced Spokane rider patiently explains how not to be an asshole on a bike path. My word, not his. But he’s right; the only change I would make would be to say “Passing on your left,” rather than just “On your left,” which can confuse people. Or maybe just “Excuse me,” which almost always seems to work.
A New Hampshire letter writer says his town’s appointment of a bicycle mayor is just a Trojan Horse to slap a tax on bicyclists. But at least he recognizes that bike riders already pay for the roads.
A Florida scumbag gets a well-deserved 20 year behind bars for running down a bicyclist, dragging his body to a ditch and covering him with palm fronds, then setting his car on fire, reporting it stolen, and blaming a relative.
Russel Crowe goes for a bike ride with his assistant, and takes her to the pool with him. Which is more than enough for the British press to conclude they’re dating.
An Australian writer argues against what he calls the “myth of equal reciprocity” on the roads, suggesting bike riders who believe they have to earn the respect of drivers are suffering from the Lycra equivalent of Stockholm syndrome.
Hernandez was taken to a local hospital, where he died half an hour later.
A street view shows a four lane street with a left turn lane in every direction at the intersection, which is controlled by a red light. There appears to be a bike lane on Sunset, but nothing on Francisquito.
In a rare concession, the police said either Hernandez or the unnamed motorist apparently ran the red light, rather than automatically blaming the guy on the bike.
Although they followed-up by saying the crash is being investigated as an accident, even though it may have been caused by either the driver or the victim breaking the law.
This is the 55th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 24th in Los Angeles County. It’s also the fourth bicycling death in West Covina since 2013.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Alberto Velez Hernandez and all his loved ones.
Hindman is one of the city’s best bike safety and policy wonks, capable of digging into the smallest details of a project to highlight a specific issue, or uncover hidden problems or unexpected benefits.
He has been a supporter of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition for nearly a decade, if not longer. During my time on the board he was an active participant in virtually every committee I was involved in, and never failed to volunteer for the bike count or attend any LACBC event.
Let’s hope this is just a big misunderstanding, and he turns up safe and sound, with a good explanation for why he’s been gone.
If you have any information on his disappearance or where he might be, please contact me and I’ll forward it to the right people.
Update: I’ve received more information from Hindman’s niece.
His family is concerned that he may have had a diabetic episode; apparently he was hospitalized at the end of August for extremely high blood sugar.
His rent was last paid in mid-September, and has not been paid for this month; a police officer visited his apartment and discovered the milk in his refrigerator had expired in August and his bicycle was missing.
Where he was been for the last two months remains a mystery.
Update 2: Dennis Hindman has been found safe in a local hospital. More details when they’re available.
I first encountered Sam when she emailed me asking what one person could be do to help make what was then a very challenging and bike-unfriendly city a little safer for people on two wheels.
I have no idea what I told her.
But I’ve watched as she’s become one of California’s leading bike advocates, helping pave the way for women to rise to the highest ranks of advocacy.
There’s no doubt that she will do well at whatever she chooses to do next.
But San Diego bicyclists owe her a huge debt. And the city will be much poorer without Sam’s voice.
………
As we’ve noted before, the war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes is all too real.
On the other hand, bike riders aren’t always the good guys. Or the victims.
Tragic irony, as a 91-year old New Hampshire woman who had travelled the world by bicycle with her husband was killed in a collision with a bike rider as she walking along a roadway.
However, let’s not forget that, regardless of how the media portrays it, the person on the bike is not always at fault.
You should always use extreme care around pedestrians, grant them the right-of-way, and slow down to pass them with the same sort of margin you’d expect from a driver.
But people can be unpredictable under the best circumstances. I’m sure most of us have had someone step into the roadway to cross without looking, or make an unexpected turn into your path.
Just as drivers have an obligation to avoid us, we have an obligation to avoid crashing into people on foot if it’s at all possible.
But if it isn’t, it’s not always the person on two wheels who should get the blame.
………
After all that, we could all use a little good news.
The LAPD blames the victim — and the press parrots it — after a pedestrian was killed in a Venice crosswalk when a driver stopped for him in the right lane, and a speeding driver whipped around him on his left. Yet somehow, the police say the victim stepped out into traffic, even though he was in a crosswalk with the right-of-way. Take this as a warning to never cross a street, on your bike or on foot, until every driver stops.
This is the callousness some drivers — and some prosecutors — have. After a pickup driver slammed into two women walking in a crosswalk near the 101 Freeway in Calabasas, killing one and injuring her daughter, the driver got out and dragged the dead woman to the side of the road, then backed up, parked her truck and pretended to be a witness to the crash. And the LA County DA’s office refused to file the serious charges recommended by the CHP, opting for just a single misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter count with a max of one year in jail.
Two new studies suggest self-driving cars could lead to even greater congestion, while forcing bike riders off the road. Although at this point, you can probably find a study suggesting autonomous vehicles will lead to everything from a bicycling Nirvana to an automotive apocalypse.
No disconnect here. A New York writer says nine bicyclists has been killed in the city so far this year, then goes on to say “bicyclists are the most dangerous group on NYC roads.”If getting killed makes you dangerous, then baby harp seals must be the most vicious animals on earth.
An anonymous writer pens a heartbreaking letter to the speeding driver who killed his or her teenage sister as she rode her bike; decades later, the family is still waiting for an apology.
If you build it, they will come. A protected bike lane in Manchester, England is recording over 5,000 trips a day, comparable to London’s cycle superhighways.
A British bicyclist learns that a travel insurance policy offering “comprehensive cover while cycling” doesn’t exactly mean comprehensive. Or cover what you go cycling on.
Drivers in West Australia will now face a $400 fine and four points against their license for passing a bike rider closer than the equivalent of roughly three feet at up to 37 mph, or four and a half feet over that speed. In California, it’s just a $35 fine for passing closer than three feet at any speed. And even that is optional if the driver slows down to pass closer at a closer distance.
File this one under you’ve got to be kidding. An Australian writer says bikeshare is a terrorist’s best friend, because a bomb could be hidden in one. After all, it’s just so hard to find a cheap bicycle, or steal one, for that matter. Or some other object that could conceal an explosive device, like a car, backpack or baby carriage.
According to witnesses, Lien was riding west with traffic on 1st when he turned left at Center, and was struck by a driver headed in the opposite direction on 1st.
He was taken to UCI Medical Center, where he passed away.
The driver remained at the scene; police don’t suspect he was under the influence.
A street view shows Center connecting with 1st in a T-intersection controlled by a red light, with three lanes in each direction on 1st and a center left turn lane.
Given his age, it’s possible that Lien may have started across the street with the light, and was unable to finish crossing before the light changed. However, that is just speculation at this point.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Santa Ana Police Department at 714/245-8200.
This is the 54th bicycling fatality in Southern California, and the 10th in Orange County.
Macmillian was reportedly riding north on the sidewalk on the southbound side of Main Street when rode out into traffic, and was hit by the driver of a 2005 Corvette.
However, it’s very unclear what that means.
A street view shows a T-intersection controlled by a red light, with three lanes in each direction on Main.
It could be that he came off the curb mid-block and rode into traffic on the wrong side of the street, or he could have attempted to cross Main.
There’s also a a utility box and light pole blocking the sidewalk just past Columbine, which could have caused him to enter the street to go around it.
The Register says it’s still unknown whether Macmillian was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The question is whether his actions on the bike suggest he was drunk or stoned, or if police suspect that merely because he was living on the streets.
This is the 53rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth in Orange County. It’s also at least the 11th bicycling death in Santa Ana since 2011.
That compares to 66 in SoCal this time last year, and ninth in Orange County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for David Lee Macmillian and all his loved ones.
Jim Lyle forwards the sad news that Dan Martin, a member of the popular Big Orange Cycling was hit by a motorist while riding home from a club ride on Sunday. He’s currently in the ICU suffering from a broken neck, and faces a long recovery.
Streetsblog offers suggestions on how Councilmembers Englander and Krekorian could respond to injuries to bike riders, instead of their motion to remove bike lanes — including supporting Vision Zero and reading the 2010 bike plan, which includes an unimplemented requirement to inspect and maintain bike lanes. Only two of six lawsuits recently settled by the city actually occurred on streets with any kind of bicycling facilities.
Ride a Ford GoBikes bikeshare bike in the Bay Area, and you could earn miles on Alaska Airlines. Whether you could earn enough to actually go anywhere is another matter.
A Portland garbage company blames the victim after one of their drivers fatally left-crossed a woman riding her bike; the company said she didn’t have a front light on her bike, wasn’t wearing hi-viz, and was riding under the influence.
Boulder County CO is testing a pair of road signs that tell drivers to give three feet to pass a bicyclist, or instructing them to change lanes to pass a bike.
A Michigan man hit the road on his recumbent following his divorce, spending the last three years traveling the country and living on his modified bike, which, counting him and a trailer, now weighs 600 pounds.
Caught on video: A London TV newsman uses bolt cutters to free his bicycle after someone chained a child’s bike to it, then bought a new chain to replace the one he cut. However, it’s a common bike theft technique for thieves to chain a cheap bicycle to one they want to steal, then come back for it later when there are fewer witnesses.
Caught on video: An Aussie driver confronts a group of cyclists who were riding at the speed limit on the road ahead of him; it took him less than a minute to get around them.
And yet, since the mayor’s 2015 directive, Los Angeles hasn’t just gotten more dangerous, it has become outright hostile to the concept of roadway safety. A small but vocal contingent of residents has taken an increasingly combative posture to any meaningful safety improvements that appear to interfere with their daily car commutes. City agencies have responded to this pushback by buckling — either canceling or watering down proposals to address dangerous speeding on North Figueroa Street, Lankershim Boulevard, the Hyperion bridge and elsewhere. At the same time, we’ve seen a 43% increase in traffic fatalities in the first year after the adoption of Vision Zero, with the fatality rate trending to rise again in 2017.
Garcetti, meanwhile, has been inexplicably and unaccountably silent on the matter.
When Councilman Mike Bonin and Garcetti announced last week that they were removing a multi-street Vision Zero effort in Playa del Rey, it was in large part because Garcetti refused to insert himself in the debate around safety. As the drama escalated and some residents threatened a recall of Bonin over the safety upgrades, Garcetti never came to the councilman’s defense…
This is why I won’t support Eric Garcetti for any higher office, despite strongly supporting him in the past, first on the city council, then in two runs for mayor of Los Angeles.
He has done a great job of setting policy by calling for safer, more walkable and bikeable communities, and bringing Vision Zero to Los Angeles, along with LADOT GM Seleta Reynolds.
But then he disappeared, leaving it up to others to defend those policies, as he set off in search of other initiatives, like so many shiny new toys.
He had the potential to be a great mayor.
But that will never happen unless and until he decides that this is the job he actually wants to have.
And that means rolling up his sleeves and getting to work on the street level with the rest of us.
And somehow we missed this one from earlier in the month, as an architecture critic for the Philadelphia Enquirerlisted seven ways bike lanes benefit motorists and pedestrians. Commit these to memory for the next time an angry driver complains about bike lanes. Which will probably be the next time you go to any public meeting or onto any social media platform.
Here’s your chance to meet Ole Kassow, the founder of Cycling Without Age — the international program that’s changing lives by giving older people the chance to enjoy bicycling again, often for the first time in decades.
Former motocross racer and current Pink husband Carey Hart catches hell on Instagram for the crime of letting his 10-month old son roll gently on a skateboard, sans helmet.
A San Francisco museum is attempting to halt an effort to close Golden Gate Park to cars on weekends year-round; the main road through the park is already closed on Sundays and half the year on Saturdays. On the other hand, if the street was closed, the museum wouldn’t have to worry about the parking spaces they lost when a cycle track went in.
You’ve got to be kidding. A Novato man has been charged with multiple felony hit-and-run counts, despite intentionally running down four bicyclists earlier this month; he faces a maximum of five years behind bars. He should be facing four counts of assault with a deadly weapon at the bare minimum.
A new survey shows that 87% of British cyclists think bike lights should be required day and night, 81% call for mandatory helmets, and over half would require mirrors and hi-viz. Which might be explained by the fact that the survey was conducted by a car rental company, of its own self-identified bicycling customers.
After a friend was badly injured riding his bike, a Bengaluru, India writer asks if it’s better to risk life and limb to be socially and environmentally responsible by taking to two wheels, or add to the city’s choking congestion by driving a private car.
The 26-year old driver fled the scene, but was arrested nearby after police found a white sedan with damage consistent with the collision. Fox 11 reports he was speeding at the time of the crash, and was found in his car obviously intoxicated.
He appears to have been riding a mountain bike with reflectors, but no lights are visible in the news reports.
A street view shows a four lane road on Western with center left turn lanes in both directions at San Marino, and no bike lanes. And little or nothing to slow a speeding drunk at that hour.
This is the 52nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 23rd in Los Angeles County; it’s also the eighth in the City of LA.
At least 19 of those 52 fatal crashes have been hit-and-runs.
October 25, 2017 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: LA biking marginally better, single arrest in double Danville hit-and-run, and JuJu’s bike snatched
It’s a relatively light news day, so let’s get right to it.
And remember to bring plenty of water if you’re riding in this heat, and drink before you get thirsty.
………
Local
LA 2050 says the city is a slightly better place to walk, bike and take transit today than it was in 2014. Although such slight improvement after three years, following the adoption of the city’s mobility plan, should be seen as an indication that something is seriously wrong; we should be making great strides, but aren’t.
An 83-year old San Ramon man has been arrested for the double Danville hit-and-runs over the weekend that injured three cyclists on the same road 40 minutes apart. Which raises the question of whether he ran down the riders on purpose, or just is one of the world’s crappiest and most cowardly drivers.
National
Bicycling offers tips on how to tell when you need to chill out. I realized I was riding too much when it stopped being fun; that was the day I stopped training and just started riding my bike for the hell of it again.
A Washington man is suing after a crash with a bollard placed in the middle of a bike path left him paralyzed from the neck down.
A Minneapolis NIMBY Op-Ed says density and bike lanes are two separate issues, and should be separated; just don’t try to increase density in more expensive areas or shove bike lanes down their throats, according to the writer.
Just days after mentioning here that former USC Trojan and current Pittsburg Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster used his bicycle as his only form of transportation, someone stole it. But at least he’s not the only NFL player who rides to the games. Thanks to Jorge Dario Wüey for the heads up.
Life is cheap in Australia, where a driver will get off with a ticket for an illegal U-turn for an August crash that seriously injured five bicyclists. The driver said the sun was in his eyes, which as we all know, automatically absolves the driver of any responsibility for whatever happens as a result.
Instead, he has come back with his own plan, which would remove parking and add one or more left turn bays. Which would only increase the speeding local residents blame for the numerous crashes and multiple deaths on what should be a relatively quiet commuter street.
The people I’ve heard from have described the meeting as a waste of time, saying Ryu’s staffers seemed angry and tried to steer people towards his plan, rather than listening to area residents, as the councilmember has promised to do.
But it’s also hard to imagine Vision Zero succeeding if he won’t listen to the concerns of the people in his district, and take concrete steps to improve safety for everyone.
………
The LAPD has sent out an alert to be on the lookout for a hit-and-run driver who severely injured a man riding his bicycle on Victory Blvd near Van Alden earlier this month.
Just don’t expect a bike valet when you get there.
………
Adding insult to injury, Belgian pro cyclist Jan Bakelants was lifted to safety after tumbling over a guard rail and failing into a ditch during the Il Lombardia race earlier this month. Only to be run over by a race moped after they laid him down on the roadway.
West Covina is holding a meeting tomorrow to unveil their draft Active Transportation Master Plan. Although they might have better luck if they rescheduled for a night that didn’t conflict with the World Series.
The man charged with stabbing two people as they looked for a stolen bicycle in Coachella is still being held without bail, and will undergo a psych evaluation.
Napa is planning to widen the main road leading into town, but only intends to place a bike lane in one direction; the city says they need to wait until a bike and pedestrian bridge is built to accommodate riders, even though plans for the bridge haven’t even come up for a vote yet.
An 83-year old Michigan driver will avoid jail time in the death of one bike rider and injuring another, after he was sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service and forbidden to ever drive again. Once again raising the issue of how to get older people off the road after they’ve lost the ability to drive safely. And before they kill someone.
A state senator says a pair of New York bikes lanes are continuing to cause crashes. After all, it couldn’t be the fault of careless or distracted drivers who can’t manage to follow the lines on the street banging their cars together.
New York’s Prospect Park is going permanently carfree next year. I’d like to say maybe there’s hope for LA’s Griffith Park, but that would imply that Los Angeles would finally coming to grips with its automotive addiction, which doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.
The governor of a Nigerian state has ordered truck drivers who break traffic laws to see a shrink if they cause a crash. Maybe we could offer that here instead of traffic school.
Nothing like a little North Korean propaganda to start your day, revealing that women “is forbidden to ride a Bicycle” because a “skirt should always cover the knees, and wear pants ladies is impossible.” Though you’d think a piece authored by someone named Bill Cooke would demonstrate a somewhat better grasp of the English language.
