Archive for bikinginla

LA-style cyclist anti-harassment laws continue to spread, but there’s a catch; plus your Morning Links

March 19, 2014 / / 5 comments

Oakland is the latest city to consider an LA-style bicyclist anti-harassment ordinance.

However, there’s a hidden problem with these kind of ordinances, as LA bike lawyer Josh Cohen recently pointed out.

LA’s law, and most, if not all, of the similar ordinances that have followed throughout California, allow the court to award lawyer’s fees if you win your case, as an inducement for attorneys to take cases that might not otherwise be worth their time.

The problem is, lawyers usually collect their fees from insurance companies when they win a case. But insurers don’t pay for intentional acts. And the whole point of the anti-harassment ordinance is to punish drivers for their intentional actions in harassing riders.

Which, by definition, lets the driver’s insurance company off the hook for any damages, including attorney’s fees.

So unless the driver who harasses you has a major bank account or significant assets that can be converted into cash, it may be difficult to find an attorney to take your case. Which is no knock on lawyers; while some may take a case pro bono when they can, they still need to pay the bills like anyone else.

And that means lower income drivers could have carte blanche to threaten you on your bike with little fear of any consequences.

The short term solution is to act as your own attorney in small claims court; Cohen says he’s working on an online tool kit that that will teach riders how to build a case and guide them through the legal process.

A longer term solution is to pass a statewide version of the anti-harassment ordinance, so enforcement no longer depends on invisible city limit lines. An offense that occurs in Santa Monica or San Gabriel is just as offensive as one that takes place in Los Angeles, and the offender should face the same consequences.

And while we’re at it, let’s change the law to require insurance companies to pay for all adverse traffic acts, intentional or not.

Maybe when they face the costs for the threatening actions of the drivers they insure, they’ll actually do something about it.

And maybe get some of these jerks off the road once and for all.

……….

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton takes an in-depth look at the proposal to increase the sales tax to fix LA’s streets and some, but not all, sidewalks.

While virtually everyone benefits from better streets — bike riders not the least — there needs to be a firm commitment to build out the bike plan as streets are repaved and striped, rather than the vague promises we’ve been offered so far.

And since everyone walks, there should be at least as much commitment to fix every broken sidewalk as there is to repave failed streets.

The question is whether Angelenos will swallow yet another sales tax increase that places the burden of street repair on everyone, whether or not they use them.

Or whether they contribute to the disrepair of our streets by rolling massively oversized multi-ton and highly destructive vehicles over them.

……….

LA City Councilmember Mike Bonin hosts a free Fireside Chat on Transportation: The 405, Traffic, Transit, Biking & More on Friday, April 11th. That’s one I’d like to attend.

LADOT and City Planning are hosting a webinar on Year Two of the bike plan rollout (pdf) on Thursday, April 17th from 7 to 8 pm

Frequent contributor Erik Griswold looks at the city that bans play; yes, that would be our very own LA.

Flying Pigeon says the bike infrastructure infection is spreading. Meanwhile, those new green bike lanes in Santa Monica may be nice, but they’re not what cyclists were promised, and there’s still more work to do. Not the least of which is figuring out what to do with the city’s airport, which may be best done by bike.

Now this sounds like fun, as a planned May ride will visit the murals of Northeast Los Angeles.

LA students call for fixing San Fernando Road, including bike lanes and better sidewalks.

How Sweet Ride USA’s Steve Isaacs went from musician to creating a unique mash-up of bikes and deserts.

Mark your calendar for California Bike Advocacy Day on May 21st.

A Riverside hit-and-run driver gets nine months for leaving a seriously injured bike rider to bleed in the street. More than a slap on the wrist, but hardly what the crime deserves.

This is why you always carry ID when you ride. Oakland police were trying to identify a man who was critically injured in a solo fall when he went over the handlebars; fortunately, the 80-year old rider was eventually identified. Your loved ones deserve to know where you are and what happened if you’re too injured to speak for yourself, and you deserve to have them by your side.

Can protected bike lanes push bicycling into the mainstream? If they can’t, maybe the rise of the combination bike shop/bar can.

A new team-based East Coast track cycling league is set to roll out next year.

My hometown is nominated as one of the nation’s top 10 bicycling cities; needless to say, Los Angeles isn’t, and neither are leading local candidates Long Beach and Santa Monica. Wait, what the hell is Malibu doing on the list?

Fargo cyclists may be afraid to use a new bike lane because motorists certainly aren’t.

Eighty-two-year old Omaha driver opts to kill the person on two wheels rather than collide with the vehicle stopped ahead of her.

Nothing stops Minneapolis bicyclists from riding, even in the dead of winter. Same with most LA riders, as long as it’s at least 70 degrees out.

More proof that hit-and-run isn’t just an LA problem, as a Pennsylvania Amish buggy driver hit an SUV twice before trotting sedately from the scene.

He still doesn’t get it. The Aussie cab passenger who doored a cyclist refuses responsibility, but does admit to acting like a jerk afterwards. And Melbourne’s top bike cop says the city’s patchwork bike lanes give riders a false sense of security.

Finally, chances are, you’ve already seen this one by now. But if not, you definitely need to, as a cyclist is hit by a mattress carried by a passing truck — which miraculously flips under him and cushions his fall, saving him from serious injury. Thanks to Michael Eisenberg for the heads-up.

And it’s been over a century. So where’s my flying bicycle, already?

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikes & the Law, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Hermosa Beach allows LA County’s first cycle track to dangerously deteriorate; and a fresh batch of Morning Links

March 18, 2014 / / 8 comments
Photo of the crumbling Hermosa Beach cycle track by Carol Detrick.

Photo of the crumbling Hermosa Beach cycle track by Carol Detrick.

What good is a bikeway if it’s not in ridable condition?

That’s the question South Bay cyclists are asking as the area’s first cycle track continues to crumble dangerously, with no response from city officials in Hermosa Beach.

The cycle track tucked along Hermosa Avenue has long served as the connection between the beachfront bike path in Manhattan Beach and the Strand in Hermosa, as well as a vital link in the Marvin Braude Bike Trail that stretches from Palos Verdes to Pacific Palisades.

Unfortunately, as these photos show, the short two-way section of bikeway has long been in need of repair. The last time I rode through there, I was struck by just how badly it had deteriorated.

I’m told many riders who know the area have given up on the cycle track and are riding the relatively recently repaved Hermosa Avenue, preferring to take their chances with distracted beachside motorists rather than risk a fall due to bad pavement — exactly the situation the cycle track was built to avoid.

It could also leave the city on the hook for any injuries that might occur there, as I’m told they’ve repeatedly been informed about the dangerous conditions, but have done absolutely nothing to correct the situation or warn riders about the risks they face from the cracked and rutted pavement.

Which is exactly what is required to create liability under California law.

The curb divider is literally falling apart; photo by Carol Detrick.

The curb divider is literally falling apart; photo by Carol Detrick.

And if city officials somehow weren’t aware of the situation before, they are now.

This should also serve as a warning to all of us fighting for better bike infrastructure throughout Southern California. Because it doesn’t matter what gets built if we can’t get our government officials to maintain it.

Even the best bikeways will eventually increase the risk to riders if they’re allowed to deteriorate while the roadways next to them are maintained for the benefit of motorists, as is the case here.

That leaves our local governments liable for whatever injuries may occur, whether due to bad bikeways or bicyclists riding in the street to avoid them.

And we all will pay the price, because the legal settlements will come out of our tax money.

Thanks to Jim Lyle and Carol Detrick — who’s been trying to get this fixed for five years — for the heads-up.

……….

Downtown’s Figueroa corridor could be the next Silicon Valley. But only if the city allows the MyFigueroa project to connect and transform the street.

Once again, a city analyst suggests going back to the same well by raising sales taxes half a cent to pay for roadway and sidewalk repair, rather than find a more innovative way to finance the much needed work. But how many times will city voters approve the same tax, especially with plans proceeding for a new Metro sales tax extension in the near future?

Streetsblog rides with last weekend’s Tour de Watts, and finds things are looking up in one of the city’s most maligned and misunderstood neighborhoods.

Somehow, the annual Bicycle Film Festival snuck up on us this year; it makes a great lead-in for the April 6th Wilshire CicLAvia.

Speaking of which, CicLAvia wants you to have a free pin, while two Open Streets events proposed for the San Gabriel Valley.

San Fernando votes to move forward with the proposed Pacoima Wash Bikeway.

A bike riding child was struck by a school bus in Fontana Tuesday morning, but somehow managed to escape uninjured. Meanwhile, a 12-year old boy is hit by an SUV in Whittier, with no word on his condition; thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

Bike Newport Beach contends with harried and hostile drivers.

A 44-year old San Diego bike rider is injured after being struck from behind by a high-end hit-and-run driver.

Bike San Diego sets its sights higher after winning a national advocacy award.

One hundred 5th graders are raising funds to ride from Yuma AZ to San Diego in a couple weeks. Did I mention they’re only in the 5th grade? Seriously, those kids rock.

Ninety-two-year old anti-authoritarian, pro-bike and anti-car-industrial-complex former Caltrans engineer passes away. After reading this obit, I really wish I’d known that guy.

Who needs side reflectors and wheel lights when your entire bike glows in the headlights?

The question of how to get more women on their bikes raises its head once again. Isn’t the easiest way to increase ridership among women, as well as other human beings, simply to make our streets safe for everyone?

Bike Portland rides the Big Easy.

It’s been five years since a cyclist killed a pedestrian in New York, but that doesn’t stop a healthcare company.

Another look at the seemingly endless debate over mandatory helmet laws.

Tragedy strikes the pro peloton as a 19-year old junior champion dies of a stroke while training in Ecuador.

An award-winning British journalist sues after suffering severe brain damage when he was hit by a London police car responding to a shooting.

A UK writer confesses to being a bike-borne Mr. Hide, and proposes banning bikes and cars and buses, as well as men with glasses and short hair who wear blue jeans. Wait, that’s me.

Aussie woman is doored and brow-beaten by cab passengers, while catching the whole thing on video. Meanwhile, a police minister suggests riders invest in bike cams in advance of Queensland’s new three-foot-equivalent law.

Now that’s what I call a big bike.

Finally, a writer for People for Bikes calls for changing group ride behavior; he’s got a point in that a lot of us could behave a lot better. On the other hand, Cyclelicious quite reasonably takes him to task for unfairly blaming beginners and other group riders for the bikelash in the halls of government and the hatred we face from motorists.

………

Let me give a quick shoutout to Daveed Kapoor and Money Heaven for their generous donations to support this site. It’s your support that makes BikinginLA possible.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Streets and Infrastructure /

Morning links: Your Tuesday morning bike reading list

March 18, 2014 / / 3 comments

Boyonabike says riding a bike is not a lifestyle choice, it’s about life, period.

How to submit a request for street repairs through LADOT. If I reported every crappy street I ride on, that’s all I would ever do. Is it possible to just submit Los Angeles?

Orange 20 says until things get better, it’s up to you to avoid gambling with your own safety.

Help choose the route for Wolfpack Hustle’s forthcoming Long Beach crit.

The world is still shocked that Angelenos and other Californians are driving less.

Streetsblog looks at how the award-winning BikeSD is changing the way people get around in our neighbor to the south.

Quadriplegic cyclist rides an e-bike from Arizona to San Diego.

A Palo Alto engineer says the bike lobby is responsible for impeding safer cycling.

Great read on the dos and don’ts when it comes to introducing people to bicycling from People for Bikes. Seriously, the hardest thing about taking up bicycling is simply deciding to do it.

Must read from a Utah writer who explains why motorists are at fault in most bicycling fatalities.

New York courts worker fights desecration of courthouse by blue bike share bikes.

Maybe there’s hope. Things are actually getting better for pedestrians in the long-time deadliest state in the nation for walkers and bicyclists.

A London study shows vigorous exercise — like riding a bicycle fast — can help ward off the flu. In fact, there are so many health benefits to riding I probably achieved immortality decades ago.

A Welsh cyclist rides through a train tunnel, causing a 14-hour delay while authorities searched for him in vain.

Scandal in the UK as eight MPs bill taxpayers a whopping £417.48 — $692.31 — for bicycling related expenses.

In a horrifying collision, a French high-speed train travels 25 miles with the body of a bicyclist it hit clinging to the front of the train.

Belarus police stage a bike crash to see if anyone cares. Not surprisingly, few do.

Finally, another great read as an Aussie writer offers 10 things he wishes would happen to improve bicycling. And a South African writer says riding a bike shouldn’t be playing Russian roulette.

………

The mailman has been good to me lately, delivering the latest line of Mojo bars from my friends at Clif Bar, and a new fast water filtration pitcher from Camelbak.

I’ll let you know what I think after I try them out.

Mojo-bars

Camelbak-web

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Today’s post, in which a terrified little dog reminds us what it means to be brave in the moment

March 17, 2014 / / One comment
Sienna Profile

The hero of today’s story.

There’s one image from Monday’s early morning Shamrock Shake that sticks out in my mind.

Living just a few miles from the epicenter, we were awakened by some serious rocking and rolling that jolted everyone instantly awake.

The Corgi had been sleeping on the floor next to my side of the bed. At the first jolt, though, she flew to the foot of the bed and, adopting her best firmly planted, I-shall-not-be-moved-by-man-or-God stance, bravely barked out a warning about the earthquake. As if we were somehow unaware of that our bed and building were shaking around us.

Still, this is a dog that takes her self-appointed guard duties very seriously. And she took it upon herself to let everyone within hearing range know that something was very, very wrong.

And in this case, that hearing range was undoubtedly a several block radius.

She did not cower. She did not flinch. She did not hesitate.

Then as soon as the shaking stopped and we’d gathered our wits about us, she came back up into the bed and buried her head into my chest, remaining there until we got up a couple hours later, since my wife had the morning off.

Clearly, she’d been terrified and turned to me for comfort. Which is understandable, since at seven years old, this was the first serious earthquake she’s experienced.

But she overcame that fear to do what she felt was her duty, barking out her warning until the shaking stopped.

And I found myself thinking how many times we do just the opposite, allowing a little fear to stop us from what we want or need to do.

Whether that’s riding in traffic, commuting to work or school, tackling that hill or speaking up in front of government groups to demand safer streets.

In years past, my problem was just the opposite.

I was a human kamikaze, throwing myself headfirst into whatever bike-borne whim struck a nerve and worrying about the possible consequences afterwards. From light-free rides through the Colorado plains illuminated only by the moon, to bombing down a mountain pass in pre-helmet days, passing startled drivers on the right as if they were standing still. And knowing one stray piece of gravel could be catastrophic.

More than once I paid the price. But still, if there was a chance, however slight, I took it.

That changed the day I got married. And realized that there was someone counting on me coming back home again from every ride.

It changed even more the first time she picked me up from the ER after a failed ride, and I realized I never wanted to see that look on her face ever again.

As a result, I became more conservative in my riding. I now wait for a clear space in traffic instead of shooting through a gap if I’m reasonably sure I can probably make it. I feather my brakes on a downhill to control my speed, rather than hoping no one pulls out in front of me at the bottom.

And I no longer turn with my knee just inches off the ground in absolute confidence in my abilities and a smooth and dry road surface.

Because if I get it wrong, the cost could be too damn high. And not just for me.

I have a wife and dog that depend on me.

Yet over the course of the past several years, I, like so many others, have been battered by the absurdities of life and an uncaring economy. And that caution has sometimes turned into a trembling reluctance and experienced-based fear of taking unnecessary risks.

And not just on the bike.

Yet the funny thing about fear is that most of the things we worry about will never happen. And those that do are usually nowhere near as bad as we’d feared.

Even if the worst occurs, we can usually withstand far more than we think we can.

It’s been a hard few years for a lot of us. But I hope you’ll join me in recommitting to confront the fears that hold us back, and keep us from attempting, let alone accomplishing, the things we desire most.

So let’s try to be like that brave little dog. And focus on doing what needs to be done in the moment.

Then deal with our fears after it’s over, instead of letting them keep us from even starting.

“It’s better to make a mistake with the full force of your being than to carefully avoid mistakes with a trembling spirit.”

— Dan Millman

Category: General / Tags: , , ,

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day — Main Street Santa Monica goes neon green

March 16, 2014 / / 2 comments
New green bike lanes below Pico in Santa Monica.

New green bike lanes below Pico in Santa Monica.

When the revelers stumble out onto Main Street in Santa Monica tonight, they may think the street has been dressed just for those who pretend to be Irish by getting fighting drunk for a night.

But they’d be wrong.

Even if the pavement matches the green beer they’ll soon be regurgitating onto it.

Because actually, the street has been repainted for your benefit. And not just for one night.

As of Friday, the much maligned door zone bike lane on the Santa Monica stretch of Main Street has been widened, and repainted in a vivid shade of green guaranteed to cause conniptions in a Hollywood location scout.

Or at least, that’s the effect a similar shade had in Downtown LA.

Intermittent patches of green lead up to intersections.

Intermittent patches of green lead up to intersections; you can see where the lane marker has been moved left.

Maybe that’s why the lanes are only intermittent south of Pico, where they match up with LA’s normally hued lanes through Venice. And full green only north of Pico, where they pass through the city’s civic center, where presumably, fewer film permits are in demand.

Or maybe Santa Monica just recognized the risk posed by all those drivers trying to access City Hall and the LA County Courthouse.

In fact, that’s long been on of the mostly likely places to get right hooked among my usual riding routes, as confused drivers cut across the bike lane to access Civic Center parking.

Broken lane leading to the entrance to City Hall/Courthouse parking lot.

Broken lane leading to the entrance to City Hall/Courthouse parking lot.

Whether a bright shade of green will help with that, or convince drivers they don’t belong there — despite the break in the paint — and make them more likely to turn across the lane rather than merge into it as the law and safety requires, remains to be determined.

I’d rather see the full green on the south section as a vivid reminder to drivers to look for riders before opening their doors or turning across the lane. We’ll have to see if the city’s spot job will do the job.

On the other hand, that extra foot of bike lane should make a huge difference by allowing cyclists to ride further outside the door zone without having to leave the bike lane.

Here’s a fast-forward view of the civic center lanes on both sides between Pico and Santa Monica Place.

Let’s just hope they hose them down in front of the bars Tuesday morning.

………

Just down the road and around the corner on Abbott Kinney, LADOT installed the City of Angels’ third and fourth bike corrals last week, on a street that has long suffered from a lack of adequate bike parking.

When every other parking meter has a bike attached — which is technically illegal, though rarely enforced — it suggests an unmet demand, which the city has wisely heeded.

Even if, on the day I checked it out, one had as many hipsters enjoying lunch in and on it as it did locked-up bikes.

Just out of the frame, one more bike and two more guys sitting on the railing having lunch.

Just out of the frame, one more bike and two more guys sitting on the railing having lunch.

A brand new bike corral, full on a Friday afternoon.

A brand new bike corral, nearly full on a Friday afternoon.

One of the new bike corrals adorned with the new LADOT #bikeLA sticker.

One of the new bike corrals adorned with the new LADOT #bikeLA sticker.

 

 

Category: Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning links: LA cyclist is shocking collateral damage, fatal San Diego bike-by, NC writer gets it so wrong

March 16, 2014 / / 4 comments

The LACBC is hosting a workshop to empower local bike advocates this Thursday. Be there if you want to make a difference in your own neighborhood.

A Buena Park cyclist is collateral damage as a driver knocks over a fire hydrant, then knocks down a power line, which falls in the water and shocks the passing rider. Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to have been seriously injured.

The Times interviews a Dutch cyclist who’s riding 17,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina to raise funds for education and children’s programs. And destroys the myth that the Dutch don’t wear helmets, at least over here.

Huntington Park is seeking grants for a CicLAvia-style open streets event, as well as a second annual Gran Prix in conjunction with the LACBC and Wolfpack Hustle.

Sometimes bike riders are the bad guys, as a San Diego cyclist kills an SUV driver in a ride-by shooting; thanks to Sam Ollinger for the heads-up.

I Bike Kern offers a great overview of California bike laws; I think I need to add this link to the Resources page.

Fresno police auditor wisely tells the department to reconsider the way they pursue suspects on bicycles. Using a police vehicle to run down a rider should always be considered deadly use of force.

A Pittsburgh CA cyclist is in grave condition after being hit head-on while riding salmon. Don’t do that. Just don’t.

Elly Blue offers advice on how to be a bike angel to new riders in your town.

Yet another experienced cyclist has been killed by yet another elderly driver, this time in Omaha.

Clearly, hit-and-run isn’t just an LA problem, as Grand Rapids MI suffers a 50% jump in fleeing drivers. I have some distant relatives out that way; I hope they have enough sense to stick around after a collision. Or better yet, just don’t hit anyone.

Remember that New York Times writer who blogged about his cross-country ride a few years back? It’s a book now.

That obnoxious fight over proposed bike lanes in Alexandria VA has finally ended with a unanimous council vote in favor of bike lanes over parking spaces.

A North Carolina letter writer gets it so wrong I don’t even know where to start. Like bike riders have the same rights as motorists, but should give way when an impatient driver honks and attempts to pass dangerously on a curve? I’d probably bail, but only to save my life, not to be polite.

This is what happens when Chilean velodrome officials neglect to remove a starting gate.

A Brit bike rider refuses to put her back into it, while another gives up bike commuting — and stops his or her son, too.

The right bike can make all the difference in your commute, though.

A British bishop takes to his bike and gives up his car for Lent. I’ve given up abject poverty for Lent, but my bank account doesn’t seem to have noticed yet.

An Aussie cyclist is run down from behind — despite taking the lane — by a driver who surely should have seen him in a collision caught on camera. Warning: you need a strong stomach to watch this one, even though the story says he seemed okay.

That driver must feel like small potatoes, as one of his countrymen manages to take out six cyclists in a single blow. The good news is, one of the six didn’t need medical attention, one has been released after treatment and the other four are in stable condition. Thanks to Michael Eisenberg for the heads-up.

Finally, this happened on my ride through Santa Monica on Friday. And you might want to turn down the sound if impressionable ears are around.

To be fair, the removal of bike lane markings in preparation for new green bike lanes on Main Street may have contributed to the driver’s jerkishness confusion.

Category: Bike Cam Video, Morning Links / Tags: , ,

A busy bike weekend — Donut Ride, Albert Soto benefit, Velodrome Swap Meet and Streetsblog fundraiser

March 14, 2014 / / 4 comments

Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

The Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, the city’s only official voice for bicyclists, meets on the first Tuesday of every even-numbered month; the next meeting takes place at 7 pm on Tuesday, April 1st at 6501 Fountain Ave.

The authors of Where to Bike Los Angeles are joining with the LACBC for their monthly bike tour of the LA area, this time through the Palos Verdes area with a San Pedro version of the Donut Ride. The ride meets at 8:30 am at the Wilmington Waterfront Park, departing at 9 am.

Note: A comment from Cynthia below says this ride has been cancelled. C.I.C.L.E. hosts The Way Back When Ride: La Puente, co-sponsored by Metro and Bike SGV, on Saturday, March 15th. The family-friendly, leisurely paced ride meets at 10:30 am at the Park-N-Ride Lot at Stafford Street and Glendora Avenue in the City of Industry, rolling at 11 am.

Also on Saturday, March 15th, give your legs a test with the annual Malibu Seven Canyon Classic, with routes ranging from 50 to 100 miles, including a new fast, flat route along the coast. All rides start at 8 am.

Ride to support LA cyclist Albert Soto in his battle with cancer on Saturday, March 15th. Meet at La Placita Olvera- La Golondrinas across from Union Station in Downtown LA at 11 am, rolling at noon.

The Encino Velodrome is hosting a Bicycle Swap Meet and Fun Race Day on Saturday the 15th, 17301 Oxnard Street.

Bike Newport Beach is hosting a St. Patrick’s Ride on Saturday, March 15th, along the beach boardwalk to Huntington Beach. Meet at the Newport Beach Civic Center at 10 am for the easy 22-mile ride.

Finish up the day with the first Streetsblog fundraiser of the year from 6 to 9 pm on Saturday, March 15th as they honor Streetsie Award winner Paul Backstrom, Transportation Deputy to Westside Councilmember Mike Bonin. The event, with a suggested donation of $100, will include Indian food, beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages; location provided upon RSVP to Damien@streetsblog.org.

Bike Long Beach invites you to join them for a low-speed bike ride on Sunday, March 16th to remember city leader and bike advocate Mark Bixby, killed in a plane crash three years ago. The short, 2.5 mile ride departs from the Forming Wave Sculpture at the Belmont Pool at 9:30 am.

The City of Los Angeles will host a series of neighbor workshops to collect feedback on the Mobility Plan 2035, re:code LA and the Plan for a Healthy Los Angeles; the Mobility Plan especially will impact the future of bicycling in the city. Click here for addresses and other information (pdf).

  • North Los Angeles, 9 am to noon on Saturday, March 15th
  • Central, 5 to 8 pm on Wednesday, March 19th
  • South Los Angeles, 9 am to noon on Saturday, March 22nd
  • East, 9 am to noon on Saturday, March 29th
  • West, 6 to 9 pm on Wednesday, April 2nd
  • South Valley, 9 am to noon on Saturday, April 5th
  • Harbor, 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday, April 12th

Wednesday, March 19th, the Bikeways Subcommittee of the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee meets to discuss a long list of bike lane designs. The meeting takes place from 1 to 3 pm in the Sunland Room of LADOT headquarters, 100 Main Street in DTLA.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 22nd from 11 am to 3 pm when Swrve, LA’s favorite non-spandex bikewear manufacturer hosts a warehouse sale with discounts from 50 to 9-%; at VeloLoveLA, 3421 Verdugo Road.

A good friend of mine will be leading a Women’s History Ride on Saturday, March 22nd starting at the Angeles-Rosedale Cemetery, start time TBD.

Test your legs against the city’s best with the annual Fargo Street Hill Climb sponsored by the Los Angeles Wheelmen on Sunday, March 23rd at 9 am. The Eastside Bike Club and Stan’s Bike Shop are hosting a ride to the event, meeting at Stan’s Bike Shop, 880 Myrtle Ave in Monrovia; meeting at 7:30 am and rolling at 8 am.

The San Fernando Valley Bike Club offers a twice monthly Campagni Group Ride — Italian for companion — on the second and fourth Sunday of every month; the next ride takes place on Sunday, March 23rd. Click here for more details (footnote d); lots of other great sounding rides on the list, too.

The needlessly embattled MyFigueroa project is tentatively scheduled to return before the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management committee on Tuesday, March 25th at 2:30 pm in Room 250 of LA City Hall, 200 North Spring Street. Be there if you can to argue for the city’s first complete street.

The LACBC’s Civic Engagement Committee meets on the last Tuesday of every month to discuss how bike riders can influence the political process. The next meeting rescheduled for Tuesday, March 25th, at 6:45 pm, 634 S. Spring Street in Downtown LA.

Saturday, March 29th, take a bike tour of the city’s seven bike co-ops with the Tour de Co-Ops 2014; optional $35 fee includes t-shirt, food at every stop, and dinner and a drink at the after party.

Lovers of Bikes & Beers should head to San Diego on Saturday, March 29th. The $45 event offers four start times, from 9:30 am to 11 am; the 26 mile ride will feature stops at some of the city’s best brew houses.

Gear up for the April CicLAvia by heading down to San Diego for CicloSDias, the open streets equivalent in our neighbor to the south on Sunday, March 30th from 10 am to 3 pm in Pacific Beach.

The 30th annual Redlands Bicycle Classic rolls from Wednesday, April 2nd to Sunday, April 6th offering some of the nation’s best amateur and professional bike racing.

The National Open Streets Summit is scheduled for Friday, April 4th through Sunday, April 6th at the Line Hotel, 3515 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles.

The next CicLAvia is scheduled for Sunday, April 6th on iconic Wilshire Blvd, LA’s historic main street. The free event rolls and walks from Downtown to the Miracle Mile with expanded hours from 9 am to 4 pm.

Fans of the Amgen Tour of California can ride the same official Stage 8 course the pros will when the L’Etape du California rolls on Sunday, April 6th in Thousand Oaks. Entry is limited to the first 1,500 riders to register.

Walk ‘n Rollers teams up with the LACBC to present the free 2014 South LA Kids Bike Festival on Sunday, April 13th from 11 am to 2 pm at the Foshay Learning Center, 3751 S. Harvard Blvd. The fun family event will focus on developing safe riding skills; a limited supply of bikes and helmets will be available to borrow.

The MOM Ridaz are volunteering to feed the homeless at the 3rd annual Sweet Home Sundae Bar sponsored by the Fred Jordan Missions and Rowe Cuisine on Saturday, April 19th from 10 am to 2 pm; two or possibly three feeder rides will lead to the event. If you’d like to volunteer, email info@rowecuisine.com with your name, e-mail and shirt size no later than April 1st 1. I can’t imagine a better cause.

The annual Taco Night sponsored by the Eastside Bike Club, Monrovia Cyclist and Stan’s Bike Shop takes place at 5 pm on Saturday, April 19th as a fund raiser for Tour de Cure. The event takes place at Stan’s Bike Shop, 800 Myrtle Avenue in Monrovia.

The American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure Ship to Shore ride takes place on Sunday, April 27th at the Queen Mary, 1126 Queen’s Highway in Long Beach. Rides range from eight to 100 miles, with a $200 fundraising minimum.

On February 17th of last year, Damian Kevitt was hit by a minivan while riding his bike in Griffith Park. The driver attempted to flee the scene with Kevitt trapped under the vehicle, dragging him nearly 600 feet onto the 5 Freeway and leaving him for dead; the resulting injuries cost him a leg, and nearly took his life. On Sunday, April 27th, Kevitt is planning to finish the ride to raise funds for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

The Ride 2 Recovery to benefit wounded vets returns to Southern California on Saturday, May 3rd in Thousand Oaks. The ride departs from the Lost Hills Sheriff Station, 27050 Agoura Hills Road, starting at 8 am; no cost for injured vets.

Saturday, May 10th, marks the Grand Opening of the first protected bike lane in the San Gabriel Valley, on Rosemead Blvd between Las Tunas and Broadway in Temple City; ribbon cutting ceremony starts a 9 am, with a Community Festival from 10 am to 1 pm. CICLE, the Eastside Bike Club and Stan’s Bike Shop are leading a family-friendly community ride to the festival.

The Amgen Tour of California runs from Sunday, May 11th to Sunday, May 18th, starting in Sacramento. Three SoCal stages are planned, Friday May 16th, Santa Clarita to Mountain High; Saturday May 16th, Santa Clarita to Pasadena, and the final stage on Sunday the 18th in Thousand Oaks. There are also two women’s races scheduled, in Sacramento on May 11th and on the 12th in Folsom.

Bike Week 2014 is set to unfold the week of May 12th, with preview events on Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th.

  • May 10th: Get Ready and Fix Your Bike!
  • May 11th: Bicycling is for Everyone Celebration!
  • May 12th: Kick-off Bike Week LA
  • May 13th: Blessing of the Bicycles
  • May 14th: Guided Ride Day: Bike Lanes and More!
  • May 15th: Bike to Work Day
  • May 12th-18th: Bike Local Discounts

Mark your calendar for Glendale’s 2nd Annual Jewel City Fun & Fitness Ride on Sunday, May 18th, with rides ranging from seven to 45 miles.

LA’s most popular fundraising bike ride rolls on Sunday, June 22nd with the 14th edition of the LACBC’s Los Angeles River Ride. Ten rides of varying lengths, with starting points in Long Beach and Griffith Park, including two centuries, a 15-mile family ride and a free kid’s ride; discount prices available through May 27th.

Mark your calendar for the Peace Love & Family Ride for Crohn’s and Obesity in South LA on July 5th and 6th. Great cause; more details when they become available.

The year’s second CicLAvia takes place on Sunday, October 5th with a new variation on the classic Heart of LA route through Downtown LA, from Echo Park to East LA.

The first winter — or late fall, anyway — CicLAvia is also the first to roll through historic South LA on Sunday, December 7th, from the cultural center of the Southside in Leimert Park to the birthplace of West Coast Jazz on Central Avenue.

Find bike racing schedules and other cycling events at SoCal Cycling.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , ,

Morning links, a defensive riding tip, a BAC Bikeways Committee Agenda, and a Metro ciclovia of your very own

March 13, 2014 / / 3 comments

Just a few quick notes to wrap up the week.

……….

First up, let’s go back to that video we shared yesterday, in which I was Jerry Browned by a pair of our fellow cyclists.

But this time, instead of looking at what they did, take a look at what I did. Or more precisely, didn’t do.

Which is, react.

Notice that in both cases, I held my line without swerving in either direction.

Not exactly the easiest thing to do.

It’s human nature to react — or too often, overreact — to the unexpected, either by swerving away from it or, counter intuitively, swerving into it. Many people react to being startled by turning to look towards whatever it is that surprised them. And naturally, if they’re on a bike, their bikes follow.

Either one can increase your risk exponentially, as a rider startled by an unexpected pass on the left could swerve right into parked or turning cars, or risk injury by falling or crashing over a curb. Meanwhile, a swerve to the left can result in a crash with the person or vehicle that startled you, or a cutting dangerously or falling in front of traffic.

If I’d reacted to the first rider by jerking my bike to the right, I could have collided with the cars in the right turn lane; to the left, I could have been hit by the cars going straight.

That’s why one of the most important skills you can develop — and a key to defensive riding, as well as driving — is learning not to react unless you need to.

Practice holding your line — that is, continuing to ride in the same path you were headed — regardless of what is going on around you.

And learn not to overreact to a situation that may already be over before you can respond — like a swinging door when you’re already riding outside the door zone, for instance — as was the case with both of these riders.

It could make all the difference between a minor annoyance and a major disaster.

……….

Metro wants to hold a ciclovia in your neighborhood.

The Metro Board approved the Open Streets Program in September 2014 to include up to $2 million annually for open street events in Los Angeles County that will be distributed through a competitive grant application process. Open streets are events which temporarily close the streets to automobiles and open them up to people to re-imagine and experience their streets while walking, biking, rollerblading or pushing a stroller in a car-free environment. The goals of the program are to encourage sustainable modes of transportation (biking, walking and transit), provide an opportunity to take transit for the first time, and provide an opportunity for civic engagement that can foster the development of multi-modal policies for cities.

The Metro Open Streets Program application is now available to cities to apply for grant funding and the deadline to apply online is Friday March 14, 2014. For more information contact Avital Shavit at shavita@metro.net.

Click here for the Metro Open Streets Application

………

The LA Bicycle Advisory Committee’s Bikeway’s Subcommittee meets next Wednesday, March 19th — despite the date on the agenda below. The public is invited to discuss upcoming improvements on the city’s streets.

Planning-Agenda

………

Mark your calendar. According to the LACBC, the MyFigueroa project is due back before the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee on the 25th of this month.

The Times editorial board is no fan of the Supreme Court’s ruling against the Rails to Trails movement.

The first step in becoming a biker in LA: buying a bike.

Big bike-friendly changes are coming to Downtown Santa Monica. But once again, much needed safety improvements in LA only seem to come after someone gets killed.

Calbike’s Dave Snyder says there may be hope for Caltrans yet.

Twelve-year old middle school student was injured in a collision with a Chevy Suburban in Whittier. No word on what happened or who was at fault.

Once again, a foreign visitor comes to this country and is sent home in a box, as a Dutch cyclist is one of two victims of a murderous Austin TX driver who injured 23 other people — 5 critically — when he plowed into crowds at the South By Southwest festival. The suspected drunk driver was fleeing from police, and now faces two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault. If only we could get the authorities to take less high profile cases so seriously. Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the heads-up.

Minneapolis police reopen the case of a cyclist killed in a hit-and-run over five years ago.

WaPo says maybe we’ve reached peak car, which is bad news for global auto makers. And as we’ve noted recently, that seems to hold true for California, as well.

Brit bike rider makes friends with a golden eagle.

Pyscho cyclist terrorizes a Brit couple in a road rage incident. Or at least, that’s one side of the one-sided story.

Now here’s a great idea. Paris makes their Velib free for three days to combat dangerous air pollution. I wonder what other city that suffers from bad air could benefit from something like that? Oh wait, we don’t have a bike share system here.

Tracing the growth of Parisian bike culture.

Bet that comes out of his salary, as pro cyclist Marcel Kittel smashes his $11,000 Giant Propel bike into the asphalt.

The Cannibal, possibly the greatest un-banned cyclist of all time, says that Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso could be the best thing to happen to (pro) cycling. Oddly, he’s not expected to have any significant impact on recreational riding or bike commuting.

Finally, despite six previous DUI convictions — and seven arrests — an Ohio driver was still on the streets so he could kill a cyclist in a drunken hit-and-run. I’d like to know why the hell someone like that wasn’t banned for life from getting behind the wheel — let alone not behind bars already?

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Events, Morning Links /

Seriously, don’t be a two-wheeled Jerry Browning jerk, and your Morning Links

March 13, 2014 / / 5 comments

It’s bad enough when drivers pass far to close.

It’s another thing entirely when the danger comes from being buzzed by other bike riders who really should know better. Especially when there’s no damn reason for it.

In the first case captured in the above video, a rider blew by with no warning whatsoever, apparently  because he couldn’t be bothered to squeeze his brakes long enough to announce his presence and make a safe pass. Had I moved more than a few inches off my line — which would have happened as soon as I thought it was safe to pass the rider ahead — we would have collided.

And probably ended up beneath the cars to our left.

The second rider evidently felt the need to risk my safety by remaining firmly inside the frequently ignored solid yellow no-passing line, brushing by as close as humanly possible without making actual physical contact.

If I had even turned my head to look behind me, she would have hit me. She must have recognized my obvious skill and was confident in my ability to hold my line.

Right.

So let’s get this straight.

What passes in the peloton doesn’t play on the street. Or the bike path, for that matter, which tends to be over populated with the least skilled riders and pedestrians,.

If you’re going pass another human being — on a bike or otherwise — give them at least an arms-length passing distance, if not the full three feet you’d expect from a motorist.

If for any reason you can’t give sufficient passing distance or if there’s any danger of conflict, call if out before you pass. A simple “On your left” can avoid most problems, and is often, though not always, greeted with a thank you and a move to the right.

Which is exactly what I would have done if the woman on the bike path had just announced her damn presence.

And if the guy on the street had yelled it out before blowing by, at least I would have known not to move left, which I was about to do.

While I’m no fan of bike bells, even that helps by offering a friendly announcement that you’re there, if not where you’re going.

And lets everyone know an angel just got it’s wings.

Always pass on the left whenever possible, and never undercut a rider by passing in the door zone he or she is carefully avoiding. If a car door happens to swing open, it could knock you into them, and you could both end up under passing traffic.

Or better yet, just treat other riders the same way you want drivers to treat you. And simply don’t pass until it’s safe to do so.

Better to lose a few seconds off your Strava time than spend a few hours in the ER.

Or force someone else to.

Update: In the comments below, Chuck questioned whether the first rider was really as close as he seemed, noting he passed the rider in front of me at over an arms length.

While he goes by far too fast in the video to tell just how close he is, this still should give a better idea. Clearly, not as close as the near-shoulder brushing rider on the bike path, but still too close for safety, let alone comfort.

Especially at that speed.

Way too close for comfort.

Way too close for comfort.

………

Nice.

Some walking — or in this case, rolling — human scum used sleeping homeless people as props for BMX stunts in Downtown’s Skid Row.

I don’t care how much of a self-absorbed jackass you may be, show some respect for other human beings. Especially those less fortunate than you.

………

Abbott Kinney gets a pair of surprise bike corrals; LADOT Bike Blog offers full details on the design and construction, while Streetsblog says the city is taking applications for more. I expect rioting from parking-challenged Venice motorists over the loss of two spaces.

Even so, Flying Pigeon suffers from infrastructure envy.

Meanwhile, the needlessly embattled MyFigueroa project is gaining key support from neighborhood councils, and is due back before the city council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee any day. Hopefully, we’ll get some advance notice of the hearing so supporters can actually show up.

At least one candidate for Glendale city council supports bicycling.

Bike Long Beach invites you to join them for a low-speed Sunday morning bike ride to remember city leader and bike advocate Mark Bixby, killed in a plane crash three years ago Sunday. A more permanent memorial to Bixby is the city he helped transform, where a downtown cycle track has boosted bicycling 33% while reducing bike-involved collisions 80%.

Outgoing County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky looks at Metro’s Bicycle Roundtable; has it really been four years since so many cyclists showed up for the first one?

If you need inspiration, you’ll find it here, as the Orange County Register talks to a recumbent-riding Wounded Warrior who’s not letting cancer kick her ass. Thanks to the Register for sharing this one.

Riverside’s long-debated Brockton Ave road diet and bike lanes finally gets a final approval.

Five-foot wide bike lanes are coming to Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas, while green bike lanes are coming to a deadly intersection in Goleta.

More evidence that Caltrans is hopelessly locked in the auto-centric past as they propose widening Highway 1 to six lanes in Pacifica to possibly save 5 minutes drive time 20 years from now. But at least they did include bike-friendly 10-foot wide shoulders in the plan.

Does San Francisco’s MTA spend more on Post Its than bike projects?

More on the unanimous committee approval of AB 1532, which would suspend licenses and create minimum sentences for any hit-and-run.

Two Utah bike commuters were killed by a driver who apparently didn’t see them. No one will ever be safe on our roads until that’s an admission of guilt instead of a Get Out of Jail Free card.

An off-duty Chicago cop who drove away after hitting a cyclist gets one whole year probation and 30 days community service.

New York firefighters will ride 18-days from Ground Zero to the Navy Seal Museum in Florida, towing an I-beam from the World Trade Center.

Very cool bike murals from Buenos Aires. I wonder if I could fit an entire wall in my carry on? Then again, I have not idea how I’d get to Argentina to begin with.

An Ontario Canada triathlete gets $75,000 restitution for taking a beating from a road raging driver, yet, as usual, no jail time for his attacker.

Lots of people swear at cyclists, but this guy may have been going for the record as a road raging Brit driver is caught on video swearing at a cyclist 25 times in just 35 seconds.

Finally, stealing a bike is nothing unusual. Stealing a penny-farthing for a drunken Christmas Day ride home, on the other hand, is.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Cam Video, Morning Links, Roadway Courtesy / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning links: Undead bike lanes in Beverly Hills, 11 routes to the Valley, and a harrowing Brit Jerry Brown

March 11, 2014 / / 5 comments

Maybe those Santa Monica Boulevard bike lanes through Beverly Hills aren’t dead yet, as residents in the Biking Black Hole call on council members to reconsider their extremely misguided vote.

And maybe LA leaders shouldn’t be allowed to drive, period.

Another Perfect Day ranks 11 routes from the Westside to the Valley. And says avoid Laurel Canyon at all costs.

Metro continues their monthly Why You Ride series by interviewing bike commuter and multi-cultural advocate “Rio” Jill Contreras.

Long Beachize maps out where bike share should work best in LA County.

The family of fallen Whittier rider Arturo Ornelas publicly disagrees with how his death was depicted in the local paper; can’t say I disagree after getting comments from eye witnesses. Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the heads-up. 

Nearly one in four household trips in California are now taken by some means other than motor vehicles; bike trips have nearly doubled from .08 in 2000 to 1.5% in 2010 – 2012.

A Santa Barbara paper offers good advice on bike path etiquette.

A Chico man is arrested for accidently shooting at a cyclist in an argument, after his friend calls police to falsely claim the unarmed rider had shot at them several times. I’m sure it made sense at the time.

State Assembly Member Mike Gatto’s bill mandating a six month license suspension for any hit-and-run passed the Public Safety Committee on a unanimous vote Tuesday. The bill would also provide up to six months in jail and a $1000 fine.

Fascinating long read on how we came to accept — or perhaps ignore — a culture of roadway deaths.

Speaking of which, five ideas from New York’s Vison Zero plan worth stealing.

Cyclist Collyn Ahart decries the “cult of the beginner” in women’s cycling. Wait, why can’t we appeal to experienced riders and beginners, hard core roadies and Cycle Chic cruisers? There’s no one right way to ride; we should have an all-of-the-above approach to promoting bicycling.

A close-passing British driver updates Monty Python’s dead — or maybe not quite — parrot skit.

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, the first Irish-made bicycle in 40-years goes to that legendary Irishman Barack O’Bama.

Finally, a British driver loses his job over one of the most frightening intentionally close passes I’ve seen. Can we still call it Jerry Browned if it’s across the pond? Thanks to Carlton Reid for the link.

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »
Wordpress Theme by ThemeZee