Archive for bikinginla

Morning Links: What DTLA can learn from NYC, guilty plea in Fallbrook hit-and-run, new distracted driving app

August 18, 2014 / / 2 comments
Local

What Downtown LA can learn from New York City — starting with road diets and pedestrian plazas.

Metro wants your help to plan possible bike share locations.

Setting an example by what you wear when you ride.

The LA Times endorses closing a loophole that allows hit-and-run drivers to buy their way out of criminal charges.

The LACBC offers photos from Sunday’s Hot August Bikes at Amoeba Records.

The sixth edition of the Santa Monica Museum of Art’s popular Tour de Arts rolls this Sunday.

 

State

Laguna Beach city councilmembers get on their bikes to get a feel for bike safety.

Anaheim opens up for comments on the city’s proposed bicycle master plan.

San Diego cyclists plan to recreate last week’s ill-fated Fiesta Island ride that sent several riders to the hospital, thanks to an allegedly drunk and possibly high wrong way driver.

A Fallbrook driver pleads guilty to a hit-and-run that seriously injured a cyclist.

 

National

Not surprisingly, the more cities invest in bicycling infrastructure, the more they get out of it in the long term.

New heads-up display app gives drivers something to pay attention to. Other than what’s on the road in front of them, that is.

How to claim your place among the wealthy elite on bikes.

Bike lawyer Bob Mionske rebuts arguments that call for licensing cyclists.

The 18-year old Aspen kid who beat Lance on a mountain bike rides his first year as a road pro, while Taylor Phinney is back in BMC colors, albeit far from ready to race.

A Pittsburgh shopper goes on strike against his favorite store until they install bike racks.

A scofflaw Jared Leto illegally rides on a New York sidewalk. As has been pointed out before, though, few cyclists will ride on the sidewalk if they feel safe on the street. Celebs included.

 

International

A look at what may be Britain’s most dangerous bike lane.

London’s Evening Standard looks at bike bells.

A New Zealand political party calls for scrapping the country’s mandatory helmet law to boost bicycling.

 

Finally…

A British gang drives off with a woman’s car after tricking her into thinking she’d hit a cyclist. Of course, that wouldn’t work in LA, because the driver probably wouldn’t stop.

 

Category: General, Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: New e-book from bike writer Rick Risemberg, conviction in Phillip Richards hit-and-run case

August 17, 2014 / / 2 comments

Our-Own-Day-HereWe have a lot to catch up on after this weekend’s breaking news, starting with a new e-book from one of LA’s leading bike writers.

If you’ve been following this site for awhile, you’ll know that we link to pieces written by my friend Richard Risemberg of Bicycle Fixation on almost a daily basis, whether on his own site, or as a guest writer for Flying Pigeon and Orange 20 Bikes.

Now he’s collected some of his best essays for the new volume, Our Own Day Here.

While many of the chapters focus on bicycling, the tome goes beyond bikes to examine “how the way we travel, live, and shop shape our lives and our souls, and reveals the richness of experience he finds in city living.”

Among the subjects covered in these sometimes poetic, sometime humorous essays are cars, transit and bicycling, economics and politics, development, as well as the sense of place and the places that make it happen.

As he notes, some of the pieces have appeared on various websites, as well as in the pages of local and national publications, while others have never seen print or pixels before.

I haven’t had a chance to read it myself yet, though I hope to offer at least a partial review soon.

But knowing Rick, and the insightful quality of his writing, I’d highly recommend giving it a read. Especially at the low download price of just $4.99 — with a 10% discount through Smashwords with the code BU84L through the end of August.

It’s also available through Apple’s iTunes Store, and for Kindle through Amazon.

So what are you waiting for, already?

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The driver charged with killing popular Beaumont cyclist Phillip Richards has been found guilty on charges stemming from the fatal hit-and-run.

Jurors convicted William Donald Johnson of both gross vehicular manslaughter while under the influence and hit-and-run causing injury, with enhancements for leaving the scene of a collision and causing great bodily injury.

However, the jurors split on an additional murder charge; the Riverside County DA is unsure if he will be retried on that charge. He will be sentenced October 3rd; no word yet on how much time he faces.

Johnson’s wife Kari had previously pled guilty to aiding in Johnson’s escape in the hit-and-run, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years probation.

………

Tragically, the bike rider most seriously injured in that wrong-way collision on San Diego’s Fiesta Island that sent eight cyclists to the hospital is paralyzed from the chest down as a result.

Meanwhile, the driver responsible pled not guilty to felony DUI with injury and possession of a controlled substance after meth was found hidden in a very private place.

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That other notable cyclist from my hometown sets out today to win his second USA Pro Challenge, while Jens Voigt says this will be his last pro tour after 33 years.

Caught on video: A nasty crash in the Eneco Tour takes out Italian cyclist Eugenio Alafaci, as well as the cameraman filming it.

And former world champ Mario Cipollini is hospitalized after a car turns in front of him on a training ride.

………

Local

CityMetric looks at a tale of two bike lanes on North and South Figueroa.

A virtually unrecognizable Kesha goes for a bike ride on Venice Beach.

LAist offers photos from the opening of the Levi’s Commuter pop-up in DTLA.

Now you, too, can slug your java from an Every Lane is a Bike Lane mug.

Streetsblog and Santa Monica Next will host a forum for SaMo city council candidates next month.

The San Gabriel City Council holds a special session on Tuesday (pdf) to discuss the city’s proposed bike plan.

 

State

A Desert Hot Springs man is under arrest after police found him riding with bolt cutters on a stolen bike. And it wasn’t even the one he was seen stealing on surveillance video.

Sad news, as the San Francisco bike rider seriously injured in a collision with a fleeing car thief last month was taken off life support on Saturday.

After his custom-made bike is stolen, Redding residents pitch in to help a developmentally disabled man build a new one.

 

National

Our slow cycling, casually dressed president goes for a family bike ride on Martha’s Vineyard.

An OpEd writer for the New York Times reminisces on her life on two wheels, while a writer for Crain’s New York, who lost his own son in a bicycling collision seven years ago, explains the city’s new Vision Zero policy.

The New York Post applauds the NYPD’s crackdown on cyclists who “terrorize pedestrians and endanger life and limb,” and calls on the city to make it permanent. On the other hand, they seem to be fine with the lawbreaking drivers who kill a hell of a lot more people than cyclists ever could.

Caught on video: Continuing today’s New York theme, an NYPD officer is caught leaning in to deliberately block a bike lane, evidently just for the hell of it.

Finally leaving Gotham, a Maryland cyclist pens a powerful open letter to the hit-and-run driver who cracked his ribs and ran his bike over.

 

International

CNN lists the world’s best cycling cities; only one US city is on the list. And no, it ain’t LA.

A Montreal office building cuts a cyclist’s lock and impounds her bike, even though it was parked on public property; if they have such a problem with parked bikes, maybe they should put in a decent bike rack.

Britain’s Top Gear host calls for separated bike lanes and greater tolerance on the roads.

Turns out cyclists are human beings, too. Who could have imagined?

At least they’re showing an even hand, as Aussie police target scofflaw cyclists and the law-breaking drivers who pose the greatest risk to them and others.

 

Finally…

Breckenridge CO hosts a replica of the Eiffel Tower made entirely of bike parts. And Ford learns the hard way that using a convicted bike doper probably isn’t the best way to market their cars.

 

Category: Bikes & the Law, General, Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

San Diego cyclist died following Aug 6th collision with another cyclist; 2nd bike-on-bike fatality in 10 days

August 16, 2014 / / 4 comments

Unfortunately, the news media doesn’t always get it right.

A few weeks ago, TV stations in San Diego reported that two bike riders had collided on a bike trail at Lake Miramar, sending a 73-year old rider to the hospital. However, San Diego’s NBC-7 reported that the victim’s condition had improved, and he had been released later that same day.

But as the song says, it ain’t necessarily so.

Sadly, it turns out that the victim, Gus Pabalan, died at 4:30 the next day, 24 hours after the bike-on-bike collision that took his life.

The much-loved rider was injured around 4:30 pm on Wednesday, August 6th, when he collided head-on with another cyclist. According to the news reports, he suffered major head trauma, while the other rider was uninjured.

No word on whether he was wearing a helmet; however, all the photos of Pabalan on the website of his local bike club, Mira Mesa Cycling Club, show him with one. Photos of the scene show a 10 mph speed limit, which a commenter says is often ignored.

A well-attended memorial ride was held for Pabalan last Sunday.

No word on why the riders ended up on a head-on trajectory, or whose fault it might have been. However, this should be yet another reminder to always ride safely around other cyclists and pedestrians; it only takes a momentary mistake to change someone’s life forever.

Or end it.

This is the 62nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth in San Diego County. And he is the second cyclist to lose his life as a result of bike-on-bike collision in the county in less than 10 days.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Gus Pabalan and all his friends and love ones.

Thanks to Smorg for the heads-up.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

San Diego cyclist dies three months after collision with another rider

August 15, 2014 / / 7 comments

Very sad news from San Diego County.

According to an obituary from the San Diego Union-Tribune, 57-year old Santee resident Paul Fleck died earlier this month as a result of injuries suffered in a bicycling accident.

The incident occurred May 10th; his death came almost exactly three months later, on August 9th.

An email forwarded to me from the OFFBAC riding group fills in some of the details.

Apparently, Fleck was riding downhill in the bike lane on Highway 52, though it doesn’t specify where on the highway, traveling at about 30 mph. Another rider was struggling uphill with his head down when he swerved to avoid something and drifted into Fleck’s lane, where they evidently collided head-on.

He had been hospitalized ever since, and appeared to be making progress until he succumbed to cranial bleeding.

No word on the condition of the other cyclist.

This is the 61st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth in San Diego County. It’s also the two SoCal road death resulting from a collision with another rider since the first of the year.

Please, ride carefully out there.

Update: I’m told the area where this collision occurred is actually a two-way separated pathway that was built when 52 was widened a few years back, removing the shoulders where cyclists used to ride.

Correction: I originally wrote that there had three bike on bike fatalities this year. However, this is actually the second death this year; the count was off due to an entry error in database. My apologies for the mistake. 

Correction 2: Actually, three cyclists have been killed in collisions with other riders; I was just unaware of the third until now.

My deepest prayers and sympathy for Paul Fleck and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Phillip Young of the San Diego Wheelmen for the heads-up. 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

10-year old bike rider killed in Hesperia

August 15, 2014 / / 2 comments

Just heartbreaking.

According to the Hesperia Star, a young bike rider was killed yesterday when he rode out in front of a car at an intersection.

Ten-year old Hesperia resident Arnold Covarrubias was riding east on the north sidewalk along on Main Street at Third Avenue at 8:45 pm when he attempted to cross Main without warning, and was hit by a Kia SUV. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:35 pm.

Investigators say Covarrubias may have been distracted by a stray dog when he rode out into the intersection against the light and was hit by the SUV, which was headed west on Main with the green light.

A satellite view shows a major intersection with two to three lanes of traffic in every direction.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with police; speed or alcohol use did not appear to be factors in the collision. As always, however, the key is whether there were other witnesses besides the driver, who has an inherent interest is seeing his actions in the best possible light.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Deputy Simon DeMuri from the Hesperia Station at 760/947-1500.

This is the 60th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth in San Bernardino County. Remarkably, that’s exactly the same rate as this time last year in both the county, and the greater SoCal region.

It’s also the fifth bicycling death in Hesperia, population 92,000, in the last three years.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Arnold Covarrubias and his family. 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

A big bike weekend, with the Grand Opening of Timbuk2 and Aika Trading, and Amoeba’s Hot August Bikes

August 14, 2014 / / Comments Off on A big bike weekend, with the Grand Opening of Timbuk2 and Aika Trading, and Amoeba’s Hot August Bikes

Timbuk2 WindowBig bike events are on tap for the weekend, starting with the Grand Opening of the new Timbuk2 store in Venice.

After unofficially opening on Abbot Kinney a few weeks back, the new Timbuk2 store is celebrating its arrival in LA this Saturday and Sunday.

The popular bike bag maker was founded 25 years ago by a San Francisco bike messenger who was frustrated that he couldn’t find a decent messenger bag to meet his needs. His designs proved so popular, he soon found himself with a new career making custom bags for cyclists throughout the Bay Area.

Today, they’re one of the leading makers of custom and off-shelf messenger bags, bike packs, camera pouches, seat packs, backpacks, laptop bags and panniers. Even a new line of suitcases made to their own exacting standards.

All still made in San Francisco’s Mission District. And each complete with a lifetime warrantee.

Appropriately located almost directly across from the Linus bike store, at 1410 Abbot Kinney Blvd, the store is just the company’s sixth brick and mortar location, in a chain that stretches from Singapore to Toronto.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmd7vRUVzU&feature=youtu.be

Despite the Venice store’s relatively small size, they hope to become a hangout for bike riders, just like the other locations.

As soon as you walk in — past the usually full bike rack on the sidewalk out front — you’ll see a small nook on your left, with seating, bike maps and other assorted materials, as well as a charging station and free WiFi. You’re welcome to hangout there as long as you want, whether or not you ever buy anything.

You’ll also find a free bike repair station with tools and floor pump for minor work, and friendly employees with basic wrenching skills who can probably show you how to do it.

Timbuk2 signAnd soon, they plan to offer their own bike share program, with a pair of bikes to loan on a first come, first serve basis. And yours free for a full day, if you can get there before someone else grabs them.

Step in a little further, and you’ll find a full selection of their offerings, including a smartly designed women’s line that goes far beyond “shrink it and pink it.” Like a pannier that converts to an attractive shoulder bag once you get to your destination.

Along with ultra-lightweight backpacks for both sexes, specifically designed for comfort on a bike. Water-resistant messenger bags with built-in laptop protection and straps that adjust for either shoulder. And rolling TSA-complaint backpacks to ease your transition from bike to airport.

Timbuk2 SwatchesThen there’s an entire back wall devoted to customizing your bag your way, with a near endless variety of swatches and patterns to create a true one-of-a-kind piece. And best of all, custom orders are delivered — not shipped, but actually in your hands — within three to five days.

It’s well worth checking out any day. But especially this weekend.

To commemorate the store’s opening, a Grand Opening Weekend Celebration will take place on Saturday, August 16 from 11AM – 7PM and Sunday, August 17 from 11AM – 7PM. In true Timbuk2 fashion, Timbuk2 Venice Beach will not only celebrate their opening, but also embrace their new community by partnering with nearby businesses to offer complimentary libations and bites. Timbuk2 will also offer $5 Miir stainless steel “tall boy” cups to raise funds for a Los Angeles bike advocacy non-profit.

Other Grand Opening Weekend Celebration highlights include:

  • Local craft beer + tasty bites from local food trucks.
  • Complimentary photobooth.
  • Live music.
  • Surprise giveaways and discounts.
  • Limited-edition Made in San Francisco shopping tote as a gift with every bag purchase.
  • Exclusive access to the Timbuk2 Republic of California Classic Messenger bag, available for purchase in-store only. Only 50 were made and they are available in two sizes.

RSVP on Timbuk2’s Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/events/1433582100259747/.

I hope to make it there myself this weekend. Even if I’ll have to pass on the Jack Daniels.

Meanwhile, they sent me home with one of those heavy-duty, laptop-specific messenger bags to review. Something I’ll look forward to once I get back on my bike.

But I can already tell you it’s the smartest designed bike bag I’ve had the pleasure of using, and tough enough to survive just about anything you or I can throw at it.

If they didn’t think of everything, they came damn close.

SAMSUNG

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Aika-Grand-Opening-662x1024On Saturday, you’re invited to the Grand Opening Aika Trading, a new urban cycling shop in Santa Monica.

The store, located at the intersection of Lincoln and Pearl, promises the best European brands and designs, including Dutch bikes, Bromptons and other unique brands and manufacturers.

The event runs all day Saturday, from 10 am to 7 pm.

………

Then on Sunday, Hollywood’s Amoeba Records hosts Hot August Bikes.

HOTaugustBIKESposterThe free event celebrating bike culture takes place in the store’s outdoor parking lot behind the Sunset Blvd store on Ivar from noon to 5 pm. Sponsored by Converse, Bern, Sole Bicycles, the LA Weekly and public radio station KCRW, the event benefits the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, and features a complimentary bike valet hosted by the LACBC.

You’ll find DJ’s — after all, there’s no shortage of great vinyl inside — bike workshops, prizes and raffles, as well as a limited edition T-shirt from Golden Saddle Cyclery. Not to mention free food and drinks from Hubert’s Lemonade, Roots Hummus, Ice Cream Ian, Hollywood Farmer’s Market, Pure Luck Vegan and Bicycle Coffee.

Sounds like a great time for a great cause.

 

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Popular LA cyclist seriously injured, update on the San Diego crash that injured 8 riders

August 13, 2014 / / 5 comments

Lots of news today, so grab some coffee, limber up your clicking finger and settle in for a good read.

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Popular LA cyclist Jo Celso is hospitalized in San Diego after suffering serious injuries while riding at the San Diego Velodrome Tuesday night. Donations to defray medical expenses can be made through PayPal.

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The driver in the San Diego crash that sent eight cyclists to the hospital was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and drugs, possibly including meth; she has a history of petty crime dating back to 2006.

One of the victims reportedly couldn’t feel his legs following the crash, while the Times says one of the injured — most likely the same rider — suffered a major vertebral fracture; sounds like prayers or good wishes are in order.

And BikeSD calls for charges against the driver.

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A Santa Maria TV station confirms the rumors that the passenger in the truck that killed Chula Vista randonneur Matthew O’Neill was the 18-year old son of former Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado. Nicolas Maldonado was also a passenger in another fatal collision involving his mother two years ago.

According to the same rumors, the 16-year old driver who killed O’Neill is also a member of the Maldonado family.

Meanwhile, Stacy Kline offers a moving remembrance of her friend and riding companion.

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More on our fellow cyclist Robin Williams, his big heart and his love of bikes.

First up, noted bike rider Conan O’Brien relates how Williams tried to cheer him up following O’Brien’s dismissal from the Tonight Show by giving him an outrageously silly bicycle.

Then there’s the story told by Bay Area comic Johnny Steele, who said Williams bought him a custom-made bike and became his regular riding partner after Steele told him he didn’t ride because he couldn’t afford it. And all because Williams liked his joke about 65-year old men on $6,500 bicycles.

Meanwhile, a bike shop owning friend of the comedian says Williams told him cycling saved his life after kicking cocaine.

And the Wall Street Journal relates how he once met famed Italian bike builder Dario Pegoretti, and how Williams said he loved riding because it’s a close as you can get to flying.

I think we can all relate to that one. I’ve said the same thing myself more than once.

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Local

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is hosting a fundraising Firefly Ball the day before Halloween, honoring Andy Leeka of Good Samaritan Hospital, Long Beach’s Suja Lowenthal, and legendary BAC founder and bike advocate Alex Baum; tickets start at $250.

Meanwhile, the LACBC is holding a workshop on fundraising for bicycle advocates next Thursday.

Attend a live recording of the Bike Talk podcast at the Levi’s pop-up store this Friday with hosts Nick Richert, Melissa Balmer and Maria Sipin.

The Daily News takes a look at LADOT’s new Bicycle Friendly Business program.

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton offers advice for walking or biking back to school.

 

State

California lists 147 projects that could get funding under the state’s new Active Transportation Program, including several in Southern California.

Calbike offers their monthly update.

New bike lanes are approved near Corona del Mar High School.

A 23-year old Big Bear rider competes in his first year as a professional cyclist.

 

National

Even the feds want you to take a bike tour.

Once again, a foreign tourist riding across the US is killed by a drunk driver, this time an Australian woman who was killed in Indiana just 500 miles from her destination.

Caught on video: Angry motorists confront a Vermont cyclist, saying they should have run him over. And to make matters worse, it was the rider got ticketed — for riding in the traffic lane.

Once again, the NYPD cracks down on the victims of traffic violence, rather than the cause.

 

International

Toronto cyclists win a fight for protected bike lanes.

London cop hops on a stolen bike to chase down a wanted bike thief.

Poetic justice, as a drunken Brit bike thief breaks his ankle when the bike he’s trying to make off with falls on him.

 

Finally…

Kids, don’t do this at home. A Kansas driver pulls into a parking lot to confront a bike rider, who promptly pulls out a gun and shoots him in the face; the rider was taken into custody nearby.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, Injuries and Fatalities, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Riverside hit-and-run victim dies after being taken off life support

August 13, 2014 / / One comment

A heartbreaking week just keeps getting worse.

According to KABC-7, Riverside hit-and-run victim D’Andre Sutherland was taken off life support on Tuesday.

The 27-year old father of two was riding near the intersection of Magnolia Ave and Beechwood Place around 2 am Sunday when he was hit by an SUV driving north on Magnolia. The driver fled the scene, leaving Sutherland lying in the street with what police described as significant injuries.

He was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where he remained on life support for the next two days.

None of the stories describe how the collision happened; however, KTLA-5 reports he was riding in the number two lane. Since Beechwood is just a single lane in each direction, that means he had to have been riding on Magnolia, which suggests that he may have been the victim of a rear-end collision.

A ghost bike was installed in Sutherland’s honor on Wednesday. As Mark Friis, Executive Director of the Inland Empire Biking Alliance observed, there have been too damn many of them required in the Inland area this year.

Police are looking for a silver or beige SUV, similar to a Ford Flex, with major damage to the windshield and front end. 

Anyone with information is urge to call Detective Felix Soria at 951/826-8720 or email FSoria@riversideca.gov. 

This is the 59th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th in Riverside County, which compares with 12 for all of last year. Sutherland is also the 11th bicycling bike rider to lose his life in a hit-and-run since the first of the year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for D’Andre Sutherland and all his family.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Bike-friendly LAPD chief reappointed, suspected DUI driver hits 8 riders in San Diego

August 12, 2014 / / 2 comments

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck has been reappointed for another five year term.

It was Beck who worked with cyclists to establish the department’s bike liaison program and bicycle task force when he was first appointed five years ago, resulting in a training module to teach patrol officers the rights and responsibilities of cyclists.

And helping to make the LAPD one of the most progressively bike-friendly police departments in the US.

They may not always get it right.

But things are a hell of a lot better than they used to be.

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A wrong way driver crashed head-on into a group of cyclists on San Diego’s Fiesta Island, sending six riders to the hospital with undetermined injuries; two others declined to be transported. Reports are as many as 16 riders hit the pavement trying to avoid the car.

Not surprisingly, the driver has been arrested on suspicion of DUI.

Meanwhile, Riverside hit-and-run victim D’Andre Sutherland remains on life support as police looks for suspects.

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The latest round in the battle over bike lanes on Santa Monica Blvd in the Biking Black Hole takes place on Thursday, August 21st at 8 am as the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce takes up the debate.

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It seems like the whole world is mourning the unexpected death of Robin Williams. But the loss may be hitting a lot of cyclists a little harder than most.

Because, as Cyclelicious notes, he was one of us. And he’s got the photos to prove it.

Williams never hid his love of riding, even going so far as to describe himself as a bike-sexual.

Red Kite Prayer notes he was a customer of Santa Monica’s Bike Effect and City Cycle in San Francisco; I saw tweets Monday saying he was favorite customer of I. Martin, and had stopped by the Bicycle Kitchen at least once to buy T-shirts.

The mere fact that someone like Robin Williams had even heard of the Kitchen — let alone stopped by to support it — speaks volumes about who he was and how important bikes were to him.

He was even stopped by police in New York for riding on the sidewalk. And let go with a warning as soon as officers realized who he was.

As for myself, I had one wordless, non-bike interaction with Williams when I worked in a jewelry store in Denver’s most exclusive hotel back in the 80s. The one where everyone who was anyone stayed when they passed through what was still an oil and cow town.

And where I met celebrities ranging from politicians and religious leaders, to the day’s leading movie stars and models, rock stars and blues immortals.

I was polishing rings in the back room, which faced a secluded hallway often used by hotel guests to escape the press and hoi polloi.

I looked up to see Robin Williams coming down the hall in the company of a woman. And was startled to see his stricken, almost fearful expression when he realized I recognized him, as if begging just to be left alone.

So I nodded, and he looked back at me with a half-smile and a look of relief, clearly grateful to retain a brief moment of privacy before disappearing out the door.

And I learned a lesson that has served me well in my life here in the figurative, if not literal, Hollywood. That being famous shouldn’t mean a loss of privacy, and that even the rich and famous have a right to be left alone.

Robin, you will be missed.

……..

Local

LADOT expands their Bicycle Friendly Business program throughout the city.

Downtown bike shop Just Ride LA forms a new cycling club.

An online petition calls on the DA to prosecute the sheriff’s deputy who killed Milt Olin on Mulholland Highway. Personally, I’m less concerned with prosecuting the driver than holding the department responsible if it can be shown that their policies, official or otherwise, put us all at risk.

The new LA Times new publisher is one of us; former assistant mayor Austin Beutner suffered a serious biking injury while riding in the Santa Monica mountains a few years ago.

Wolfpack Hustle calls on everyone who cares about safety to write city officials to demand buffered bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the soon-to-be rebuilt Hyperion Bridge.

 

State

Bid on a one-of-a-kind 8-speed Linus + SeaVees bike, and all the proceeds will go to benefit the California Bicycle Coalition.

Paso Robles votes to install a four-block bike lane.

A 14-year old Fresno-area bike rider riding with his father is killed in a collision with an 82-year old driver; needless to say, the driver insists the victim inexplicably swerved in front of him.

The leader of the state’s most successful bicycle advocacy group, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, will leave at the end of the year.

Here’s an idea. Keep a bike on both ends of your commute, and you never have to take one with you on the train.

 

National

Thirty-six bike share programs throughout the US, resulting in a combined 23 million rides — and despite the panicked predictions, not a single fatality.

After a Spokane man steals a bike when his gets stolen, the internet helps bring him to justice.

A DC blogger says the Post’s bike-hating columnist may have ridden a bike, but he didn’t learn much.

 

International

A Belizean cycling legend is executed during a rash of gun violence in the Central American country over the weekend.

A new app could help design bike lanes in Germany’s most bike-unfriendly city.

Bike share is booming in Poland.

 

Finally…

Even the trees are out to get us, as a Brit rider barely survives a falling branch. Athens GA police chase a drunken, lightless bike rider.

And two German artists finally claim credit for the white flags that appeared on the Brooklyn Bridge last month, and led the Manhattan DA to subpoena the Bike Lobby parody account.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, General, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Bike rider killed in Vista train collision; popular randonneur killed Saturday in Santa Maria

August 12, 2014 / / 8 comments

Sometimes, all it takes is a single tragic error in judgement.

That was the case last night, as a bike rider lost his life apparently trying to beat a train in North San Diego County.

According to multiple sources, a 48-year old man, who has not been publicly identified, was hit by a Sprinter light-rail train in an unincorporated area of Vista. The collision occurred at a railroad crossing at the intersection of Woodland Drive and South Santa Fe Avenue at 8:07 pm Monday.

According to witnesses, the warning gates had been down for more than 40 seconds, with the lights and bells activated, when the victim rode around the gates and onto the track. He was struck by oncoming the train, which had been sounding its horn as it approached the intersection.

The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

No explanation was given for why he attempted to cross the tracks despite multiple visual and audible warnings.

He was the third person killed by a train in the county in the last five days.

This is the 58th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in San Diego County. He is also the third bike rider to be killed by a train in the seven-county SoCal region since the first of the year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones. 

Thanks to Rick Risemberg for the heads-up. 

……..

I don’t normally report on bicycling fatalities that occur outside the SoCal region.

However, I’ve gotten multiple reports of a cyclist killed on Foxen Canyon Road in the Santa Maria area over the weekend.

According to the Santa Maria Times, the victim was a 33-year old Chula Vista resident, who was hit by a 16-year old driver in a truck pulling a horse trailer.

Now word is coming in that victim was Matthew O’Neil, a popular randonneur well known in SoCal riding circles. I’m told that a group of riders participating in the ultra-distance event came upon the scene shortly after the collision, and recognized the victim by his unique Bacchetta recumbent bike.

Meanwhile, rumors are swirling that the driver is the son of a woman involved in another fatal wreck on the same road in 2012.

Hopefully, we’ll have more information later.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Matthew O’Neil and all his family and friends. 

Thanks to Mike T for the link. 

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , , ,
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