Archive for Advocacy & Politics

Guest Post: Felicia Garcia looks at Councilmember Cedillo’s Opposition to Mobility Plan 2035

November 12, 2015 / / One comment

Since his election in 2013, CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo has lead the fight against bike lanes in his Northeast LA district, first by halting an already approved road diet on North Figueroa, then by demanding that bikeways planned for his district be removed from the new Mobility Plan.

A casualty of that opposition has been safety for everyone, as North Figueroa remains one of the most dangerous streets in Los Angeles.

Today Fig4All’s Felicia Garcia examines his continued opposition to the safety improvements promised in the Mobility Plan.

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For over 50 days, a memorial for Yolanda Lugo-Espinoza has stood on N. Figueroa, and donation boxes to help the family cover funeral expenses have adorned the counter of local businesses along the street. However, this tragic fatality seems to be absent from Councilmember Cedillo’s memory, as he continued his opposition Tuesday to a plan that aims to eliminate traffic deaths citywide. N. Figueroa Street was intended to undergo a reconfiguration shortly after Cedillo took office in 2013 that would have resulted in crosswalk improvements and buffered bike lanes but that city-approved and funded safety plan has been single-handedly stalled by District 1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo.

In a joint Transportation and Planning & Land-Use Management Committee meeting Tuesday to re-examine proposed amendments to the Mobility Plan 2035, Councilmember Cedillo again demonstrated his lack of empathy with the community and those affected by dangerous streets. He is one of 2 council members who has consistently opposed the Mobility Plan. The primary goal of the Plan is to put safety first by eliminating traffic fatalities while encouraging Angelenos to consider alternative means of transportation through adding dedicated bus and bike lanes to the city’s roadways over the next 20 years.

At the initial Mobility Plan 2035 meeting in August, Councilmember Cedillo (whose district includes the Glassell Park, Highland Park and Cypress Park neighborhoods of Northeast LA) attempted to make significant changes to specifics in the Plan. Most notably he requested that the streets in his district meant to be part of the citywide network of protected bike lanes be removed from the Mobility Plan. The Councilman has said his reluctance towards the Plan and his motive for excluding streets in his district is that he must act as “representative for the entirety of …[his] district, not simply 1%”. He refers to anyone who walks, bikes or uses public transportation as the 1%, but in doing so dismisses a large population of his constituents. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the MacArthur Park neighborhood of his district boasts one of the highest percentages of commuters who travel by means other than car – a noteworthy 49.2%. For other parts of Cedillo’s district such as Westlake and Chinatown, those commuting without car make up 48.8% and 25%, respectively.

Many of the residents in Cedillo’s district cannot afford the luxury of owning a car, while others simply choose not to drive. Cedillo attempted to give more insight behind his reasoning at the Mobility Plan meeting stating: “A recent poll in the L.A. Times found that traffic is the No. 1 concern of the people, not public safety, not the high cost of living, not cleanliness of the city.” The poll he refers to was an online survey taken by 1,500 LA County residents. Considering the 2013 Census estimates LA County is home to over 10 million people, this survey focused on a tiny portion (around 0.015%) of the population, with the majority (98%) of the surveys conducted in English and exclusively serving those with internet access. Besides the fact that this survey in no way represents the needs of his constituents, he continues to cite it. He also overlooks one of the main purposes of the Mobility Plan, which is to find new ways to deal with the inevitable traffic that comes with a growing population of Angelenos. In insisting that traffic flow is more important than safety, he expresses his disregard for human life while a candle for hit-and-run victim Ms. Lugo-Espinoza still flickers at a memorial less than 2 blocks away from his Highland Park Field Office.

The Council Tuesday concluded the Mobility Plan 2035 meeting with intent to place changes to the Plan up for vote again next week with a full Council. Neighboring Northeast LA Councilmember Huizar is in strong support of the Plan, citing the 43% reduction in traffic collisions on Colorado Boulevard after safety improvements were introduced in 2013 as an example of how the rest of the city could progress. The majority of the City Council supports the Mobility Plan and commend it for its vision and years of exhaustive outreach unmatched in the City’s history. Meanwhile, Councilmember Cedillo remains insistent that he would not like the Plan to move forward until there can be greater “community input,” leaving his constituents at risk and danger as he stalls implementation of critical roadway safety improvements.

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BikinginLA welcomes guest posts on subjects of interest to bicyclists, particularly in the Los Angeles and Southern California areas. If you’ve written something you’d like to share, or have a topic you’d like to suggest, contact us at the email address on the About page.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Guest Columns, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Re-approval of Mobility Plan moves on; Breeze blows into SaMo; Caltrans nixes induced demand

November 12, 2015 / / 3 comments

The proposal to rescind approval for LA’s new Mobility Plan and reapprove it to head off a lawsuit from Fix the City eked through a combined meeting of the City Council’s Planning and Transportation Committees on Tuesday.

It passed by just a slim five to four vote.

Surprisingly, West Valley Councilmember Mitch Englander voted against it, less than two weeks after he was honored with the LACBC’s Innovator Award at their Firefly Ball.

New CD4 Councilmember David Ryu also voted against it, while the no votes from Gil Cedillo and Paul Koretz were entirely expected.

Councilmembers Mike Bonin, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and Felipe Fuentes voted in favor, with Jose Huizar voting yes twice as a member of both committees.

The measure now goes before the full council at a future date.

On a related note, come back later today when we’ll have a guest post from Fig4All’s Felicia Garcia on Cedillo’s opposition to the Mobility Plan.

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Santa Monica’s Breeze bikeshare system officially kicks off today, making it the first citywide bikeshare system in Southern California.

If you don’t count San Diego, that is.

Breeze Email-ad-Final

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Caltrans finally acknowledges the concept of induced demand, admitting that increasing road capacity does not decrease congestion, despite the demands of LA drivers.

Too bad it’s a little too late for the billion dollar expansion of the 405 through the Sepulveda pass; that money could have built a lot of protected bike lanes.

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It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from St. Louis CyclingSavvy instructor Karen Karabell.

Today she offers a nice five minute video on the joys of riding a bike, and what a difference it would make if more people felt safe on their bikes.

Karen notes that the piece was the debut effort of filmmaker and transportation cyclist Alison Ehrhard, who she says is passionate about the subject of bicycling.

Then again, aren’t we all?

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Local

Collision LA offers a fascinating sliding map of the LACBC’s recent bike count.

Multicultural Communities for Mobility will host a number of free bike safety classes over the next few months, starting tonight in East LA.

Bicycling Retailer takes a tour of the high-end, celebrity-filled bike shops in Santa Monica.

Great idea. The Southern California Velo Cycling Club is teaming with Incycle Bicycle Stores to collect food donations for families in need this holiday season.

A Norwalk bicyclist was kidnapped and shot in both legs in an apparent gang attack.

Long Beach receives a $150,000 grant for bike and pedestrian workshops.

CiclaValley continues the tale of his recent ride from LA to San Diego for the Calbike Bike Summit.

 

State

A San Diego couple hopes security camera video helps someone recognize the thief who stole their bike. Which could be hard, since the TV station somehow failed to include it in their story.

Dozens of volunteers pitch in to help a San Jose bike non-profit move to a new location; the shop provides bikes and maintenance training for needy and homeless people.

Students at Cupertino’s De Anza College can rent one of 50 bikes for an entire semester at no charge; they also have use of a free bike repair station.

San Francisco’s first raised bike lane — possibly the first in the state — is now officially open on Market Street.

 

National

Bicycling considers how to reframe the story to avoid blaming the victims in bike collisions. Before we complain about the press paying too much attention to bike crashes, let’s remember it was only a few years ago that they didn’t care enough to report them at all.

The Triple Pundit website looks at why the US lags behind other countries in bike commuting.

USA Today ranks the 25 best sports movies of all time. Breaking Away is the only bicycling movie on the list, ranked far below some highly questionable choices.

LA bike tourists Milestone Rides report on a trip to Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park.

A Seattle radio personality who describes himself as an avid cyclist is up in arms over spending a whopping $9,000 in taxpayer money to install free bike repair stations at nine local libraries.

That decorated retired military dog shot by a cyclist in Wyoming received a public military funeral worthy of the hero he was.

Apparently, Houston’s bikeshare system is all about the fun, ‘bout the fun, not commuting.

Pittsburgh bicyclists are calling for greater accountability for drivers in collisions between cars and bikes; as one person put it, “Bikers do not present a life-threatening risk when they have a momentary lapse in concentration.” I wish we could drill that thought into every anti-bike commenter on the Internet.

Evidently, there’s competition among thieves, as New York police bust two bike thieves attempting to steal the same bike, although it’s possible they were working together.

The Washington Post asks if e-bikes are the future of transportation, or just the next Segways.

 

International

Nice piece from the Guardian on the improving state of bicycling in Mexico City, where a weekly ciclovía opens 35 miles of roadway to bicyclists and pedestrians. Thanks to Steve Katz for the link.

London considers protected bike lanes on the Westminster Bridge leading to the Parliament building. Having walked that bridge, they would improve things for people on the sidewalk, as well.

A British bicyclist has died following a collision with another cyclist. Another reminder to always ride carefully around other people, on bike or on foot; it doesn’t take much to do serious harm.

British police bust a bike theft ring responsible for stealing 48 bikes worth $38,000. Meanwhile, registering it in advance helps a man from the UK recover his stolen bike in just 3-1/2 hours. Seriously, stop what you’re doing and register your bike for free with Bike Index before anything bad happens.

Maybe what you need is a canary yellow, 14 pound Brit foldie.

Caught on video: An apparently lightless Dublin cyclist gets t-boned by a car.

A new line of women’s bicycling panties is made with a quick-dry fabric and built-in chamois to provide comfort under skirts or casual clothing; the Latvian manufacturer is raising funds on Indiegogo.

Smog-choked Beijing wants to get its residents back on bikes to combat an over-dependence on cars.

 

Finally…

For once, the dispute isn’t over bike lanes vs. parking; it’s bike lanes vs. gravesites. Now you can let drivers know exactly what a three-foot passing distance is.

And caught on video: This is what happens when you take a wide turn and smash into a parked car on the opposite side if the road.

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On a personal note, if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may be aware that my wife was unexpectedly hospitalized following a trip to the ER on Sunday.

I’m happy to report that she’s back home safe and sound, although she nearly had to go back after she was welcomed home by an overly enthusiastic Corgi. Thanks to everyone who expressed their caring and support; that meant more to me than I can ever begin to say.

Her absence reminded me of this piece I wrote following her heart attack almost three years ago to the day.

It may be the most heartfelt thing I’ve ever written.

And quite possibly, ever will.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikeshare, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: LA’s Mobility Plan up for review today, and a call for to join or renew membership in LACBC

November 10, 2015 / / One comment

The LA Times looks at the city council’s planned revote on the recently passed LA Mobility Plan to stave off a lawsuit filed by Fix the City, the self-appointed guardians of LA’s failed auto-centric transportation system.

It’s worth noting that the story quotes CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo as saying that a recent poll showed traffic, not safety, was the number one concern of LA residents. Even though there have been a number of high-profile traffic deaths in his district since he arbitrarily killed the safety improvements planned for North Figueroa, and attempted to have all bike lanes in his district removed from the plan.

Evidently, the deaths of a few bike riders and pedestrians are a small price to pay to avoid slowing traffic by even a minute or two — and then only at peak hours.

It’s also worth noting that the story begins by describing supporters of the plan as “activists,” rather than just people who want to be able to get where their going safely, and without fear. However they choose to travel.

Yet those who oppose safety improvements are never referred to as car, business or homeowner activists.

And once again, the story fails to correct claims from groups like Fix the City that the plan calls for an increase in congestion and a decrease in air quality and emergency response times. Even though that’s only a worst case scenario in case the plan does nothing to encourage alternative transportation, which is extremely unlikely.

Meanwhile, Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman travels with a group of South LA bike riders protesting Councilmember Curren Price’s plans to exclude the promised Central Avenue bike lanes from the plan.

If you’d like to weigh in on the matter, whether as an activist or just a bike-riding human being, the City Council Planning and Transportation Committees will take up the proposal in a joint session scheduled for 2:30 this afternoon in the council chambers at City Hall.

………

I want to pass along the following message from Ishraq Ali, Membership Manager for the LACBC.

Hi there!

We’re in midst of a Membership Drive at the LA County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC)!

The year 2015 has been one of change and growth for LACBC. To start I’m the new Membership Manager looking to build our presence in LA! I’m excited to come onboard and help LACBC integrate equity into all our programs and prioritize outreach in underserved communities.

We’ve had GREAT success, and the momentum is in our favor to make the LA region a healthy, safe, equitable and fun place to ride a bike. Our advocacy efforts have led to the passage of the Mobility Plan 2035 and the creation of the Los Angeles Vision Zero Alliance.

Now is a great opportunity for us to grow and strengthen our numbers as we head into 2016.

Support us today and get a special one year complimentary e-subscription to Momentum Magazine! We also have a special limited edition of our #bikeLA members’ shirt!

bikeLA group

Support us at the premium level and represent LACBC with these limited-quantity shirts.

Its through your support that we can continue to do our advocacy, education and community work! Join and support our work today!

If you have questions or thoughts to share, email me at membership@la-bike.org

#bikeLA

Ishraq

Membership Manager

The LACBC is the leading voice for LA’s bicycling community, working with city and county leaders on a daily basis to improve the riding environment for everyone on two wheels.

It’s only through your membership that they have the strength to make all our voices heard.

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Local

Streetsblog pulls back the curtain on pricing for Metro’s coming bikeshare system in DTLA; most commenters seem disappointed that the plan doesn’t offer true integration with the tap card system. Although I’m glad to see there’s a walkup option that doesn’t require advance membership.

CiclaValley takes on the challenge of Sunday’s Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer hill climb.

Breitbart looks at how Santa Monica’s Breeze bikeshare system will work. Although what the US Department of Transportation has to do with it is beyond me.

Tonight is your last chance to turn out in support of a proposed bike park in the San Gabriel Valley.

 

State

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton talks about Calbike’s legislative report cards with Campaign’s Director Ryan Price.

Santa Barbara’s new draft bike plan is called deeply disappointing, as the city avoids making the hard choices between bikes and cars.

Somehow I missed this story on bike theft at an Oakland BART station, which explains why even a heavy U-lock can be worthless in protecting your bike. Thanks to Gil Solomon for the heads-up.

 

National

Bicycling suggests bike commuters should use Strava to provide data for city planners, and offers advice on how to get back on your bike after having a baby.

Bob Mionske says killer drivers are seldom held accountable, and Vulnerable User Laws can form the middle ground between giving killer drivers a walk and sending them away for years. As if to prove Mionske’s point, a Maryland man won’t face charges for running down a bike rider on the shoulder of a roadway; instead, he got three tickets worth less than $300 each, with a possible two points against his license.

Sixteen female bike industry executives met with federal lawmakers to discuss the transportation bill and other issues facing the bike industry. Nice to have women’s voices represent the traditionally male-dominated bike business for a change.

How Minneapolis is encouraging kids to bike and walk to school.

A political commentator for CNN attempts to lose her fear of bicycling with just her second ride through the streets of Manhattan.

Two Miami men are dead after the driver of a stolen car slams into a bicyclist before the car crashed into a tree and burst into flames.

 

International

VeloNews catches up with the newly retired Jens Voigt, who says he’s leaving pro cycling in good hands.

A writer in Saskatoon says people ride to work even in winter because they’re commuting just like anyone else.

London’s Guardian newspaper unmasks Mexico City’s Peatónito, a cape crusader fighting for pedestrian rights and safety on the traffic-clogged streets.

The Guardian examines fatality stats to determine how bike riders get killed in England and Wales, pointing out that you’re almost as likely to get killed falling off a ladder. The story adds that four pedestrians were killed in collisions with cyclists in the UK in the last year.

Evidently, it’s a Guardian kind of day, as another writer continues the recent theme of windshield-perspective hatchet jobs, portraying even 71-year old bike riders as out to terrify those poor, innocent drivers by being dangerously out of control. Must be strange driving over there if lightless kamikaze hands-free cyclists doing wheelies from all sides is really a problem.

A Welsh cyclist with a long history of substance abuse gets 14 months for threatening two people with a knife while “out of his mind on drink and drugs.” Call me crazy, but it seems like his mode of transportation is the least important part of this story, despite the headline.

Jerusalem police give a new bike to a 13-year old boy who was recently stabbed while riding.

Bike paths are coming to several communities in Dubai, which is on track to add 550 miles of cycle tracks by the end of the decade.

A group of 35 Aussie cyclists are riding through New South Wales to call for the equivalent of a three-foot passing law, including some of the country’s current and past elite riders.

 

Finally…

Apparently, cyclists aren’t the only dopers after all. A simple photo of Beyoncé looking hot while posing with her bike blows up the Internet.

And if you’re going to get high and ride your bike, try to remember to put lights on it first — and don’t assault a deputy when he tries to stop you.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Guest Columns, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: Calbike ranks LA area state legislators, and no charges in the Texas death of a San Diego cyclist

November 4, 2015 / / 4 comments

Great chart from Calbike showing the voting records of LA area legislators on bicycle issues in the recent legislative session.

I’m pleased to see my Assembly Member has a 100% rating.

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Sad news from Texas, as a San Diego man on a cross-country ride to bring awareness to homeless vets was killed in a collision last week.

Stephen Michael Clift was riding eastbound on I-40 near Groom, Texas, when he was rear-ended by a driver who admitted looking away and never seeing Clift’s bike before he ran him down.

Apparently, that’s a good enough excuse for drivers in the Lone Star State, since police announced he won’t face charges. Evidently Texas drivers have no responsibility to pay attention while operating multi-ton machines, let alone avoid killing innocent people.

The former participant in the Occupy movement had reportedly given up everything he owned to take part in the March Across America for Homeless Veterans bike tour.

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Local

A video from Metro flies viewers through the plans for an improved Union Station, including a bikeshare station scheduled for next year, and a new Bike Hub due in two years.

CiclaValley details the first part of his journey from LA to San Diego by bike for the recent Calbike Bicycle Summit.

The Santa Monica Spoke offers details on the official launch of the Breeze bikeshare program a week from tomorrow in front of SaMo City Hall.

The Long Beach city council considers improving access to the LA River bike path, including a traffic signal opposed by some residents.

Former Long Beachers The Path Less Pedaled are headed back down to SoCal for a visit.

 

State

A student at Fullerton College explains why she is afraid to ride a bike to campus. Although she’s mistaken about one thing; bicyclists are allowed to ride in the full lane on any street where the right lane is too narrow to safely share with a motor vehicle.

San Diego responds to the death of a 15-year old boy by looking into safety improvements on the street, including bike lanes.

The San Diego Union-Tribune offers advice for runners and riders on how to stay safe after dark, including a warning to watch out for wild animals.

Still more news from San Diego, as the suspected bike thief who stabbed a cop trying to stop him pleads not guilty to four counts, including attempted murder of a police officer.

Sad news from Palo Alto, as well, as a bike rider was killed while riding on a popular bike route Tuesday morning.

The mother of a fallen San Francisco cyclist calls for safer streets in the wake of his death; police say he was thrown into the path of a bus after his bike got caught in streetcar tracks.

Napa County gets its first green bike lanes in St. Helena.

A Napa bicyclist suffered serious injuries after she allegedly went through a stop sign and was hit by a car. Once again, reports that she actually blew the stop should be taken with a grain of salt unless it can be confirmed by independent witnesses.

 

National

The Daily Beast looks at what it call the inevitable event when a self-driving car kills someone on a bike.

The next time you need a royalty-free photo of someone riding in a bike lane, People for Bikes has you covered.

Since Washington state legalized marijuana use, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes with THC in their systems has nearly doubled.

Gizmodo explains how a former video game designer helped create Salt Lake City’s first-in-the-nation protected intersection.

An Aspen CO man is arrested for DUI twice in just three hours.

The cyclist killed in the Colorado Springs Halloween Day shooting spree was an Iraq veteran and a father of two. Sadly, it might have been prevented; a woman called police to report a disturbed-looking man walking down the street with an assault rifle prior to the shooting, only to be told they couldn’t do anything because the city has an open carry law.

Now that’s taking traffic crime seriously. A Michigan woman will spend the next 25 to 50 years behind bars for the DUI hit-and-run death of an eight-year old boy while he was riding his bike; she had heroin, cocaine and Xanax in her system at the time of the crash.

The Orlando paper offers a reminder not to buy a big box store bicycle-shaped object for the holidays, and suggests getting a clearance bike from your local bike shop for close to the same price instead.

 

International

Unbelievable. Not one day behind bars for a Vancouver cop convicted of punching a bicyclist in the head — while handcuffing him for running a red light. He also gets to keep his job, although he does have to pay a whopping $100 restitution.

Evidently, Edmonton’s bike corrals have to hibernate for the winter.

The Guardian looks askance at the crowdfunded proposal to build a floating bikeway through the heart of London on the Thames River. The people behind pseudo-visionary projects like this miss the point; one of the joys of bicycling is the ability to immerse yourself in the city and go wherever you want, rather than be totally isolated from it. Although it might be fun to ride on the famed river once or twice.

Scottish police are looking for a cyclist who pushed a 72-year old bike rider off his bike and punched him repeatedly while riding on a bike path. Sad to see the road rage that has become far too common among motorists spreading to the bike world.

PRI looks deeper into why some refugees are riding bikes across the border between Russia and Norway.

Olso, Norway is investing the equivalent of half a billion dollars in bicycle infrastructure.

A Turkish cyclist explains why he’s traveling the world by bicycle; he hopes to finish his journey by 2020.

 

Finally…

If you swerve your truck to crash into your bike-riding friend because he took it the night before and owes you money, you’re probably not really friends. Evidently, an e-bike has to look cool before commuters will use it.

And TV’s Supergirl not only rides a bike, she has one tattooed on her ankle. Like they couldn’t have found a photo of it?

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Come back later this morning, when we’ll have a great guest post from LA BAC member Jonathan Weiss explaining your rights to ride two or more abreast in California, reposted from the Velo Club La Grange newsletter.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: Yet another attack on federal bike funding, workshops on providing park access in LA County

November 3, 2015 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Yet another attack on federal bike funding, workshops on providing park access in LA County

People for Bikes wants you to weigh in to stop yet another attack on US bicycle funding by a pair of GOP Congressmen.

In a world that made sense, conservatives would support bicycling as a far more cost-efficient alternative to driving, requiring significantly less public subsidy while reducing reliance on foreign oil.

But let’s face it, American politics stopped making sense a long time ago.

And just out of curiosity, what the hell does Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer’s bicycle lapel pin have to do with a proposal to raise the national gasoline tax?

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A coalition of LA advocacy groups, including the LACBC, are sponsoring a series of Stakeholder Workshops to take action on improving access to parks in LA County, starting tonight in El Monte.

Parks-reduced

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Local

Long Beach celebrates its second Critical Mass five years after the current LA County Sheriff, then the chief of the LBPD, ordered what was probably an illegal crackdown and confiscation of rider’s bikes. Not only were the citations unfounded and the riders denied their freedom of assembly, but there was no apparent legal justification for impounding their bicycles.

This Sunday marks the 10th edition of Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer, one of the most challenging amateur hill climbing races in the US.

The LACBC is hosting the first 15-mile, family friendly Great Valley Bicycle Roundup on Saturday, November 14th.

Climate Action Santa Monica hosts What a Way to Go — Bike, Bus, Expo! on Sunday the 22nd; it’s a free event, but registration is requested due to limited seating.

Streetsblog LA has several other bike events in their This Week in Livable Streets.

 

State

A man on a bike was critically injured when he was hit by a car in Santa Ana Monday night; there seemed to be a lot of victim-blaming going on, as police said the victim was not in a bike lane, while the driver claimed he “came out of nowhere.” Then again, it’s hard to ride in a bike lane when there isn’t one. And “he came out of nowhere” is usually just another way of saying “I wasn’t paying attention,” since cyclists seldom suddenly materialize on the street.

It takes a real jerk to steal a three-wheeled bike from a disabled San Diego man; the bike was his only form of transportation since suffering a brain injury in a DUI crash 30 years ago.

BikeSD’s Sam Ollinger takes a deep dive into what the organization can do to have an impact on income inequality.

A 16-year old East Salinas boy was killed in a shooting while riding his bike Sunday night.

Cupertino drivers are responding to road construction by attempting to drive in the bike lane, often without looking for bikes first.

Bay Area bicyclists are still waiting for a long-promised bike path to Treasure Island on the Bay Bridge, let alone all the way to San Francisco. This is what happens when they build bridges and roadways without considering anyone other than motorists; it’s difficult, if not impossible, to shoehorn in accommodations for people traveling by foot or bike at a later date.

Petaluma police attempt to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety by reigning in those darn people on bike and foot instead of the ones in the big, dangerous machines.

 

National

Fox News recaps some of the latest developments in the bike world, including fat tired bikes and MIPS helmets. Although someone should tell them Phat Bikes is a brand, not a description, and fat tires can hardly be called “tech.”

Bicycling offers good advice on how to check yourself for injuries after a collision or fall.

Business Insider says the coolest thing in road cycling is multimodal recreational riding, which is riding further than you normally would, then taking the train back.

Wyoming considers establishing a task force to study bike safety improvements and new bikeways in response to an increase in fatalities last year.

Like much of the rest of the country, Baton Rouge LA is experiencing a bikelash as bikes make inroads onto formerly auto-centric streets.

A Pennsylvania driver says he’s really sorry he killed a cyclist, and it was just an accident when he crossed onto the wrong side of the road and ran up onto the sidewalk, dragging the victim 88 feet under his SUV. Sure, that could happen to anyone, right?

A 16-year old Philadelphia bike rider was fatally shot after he and his companion had an altercation with a car full of men in a possible road rage incident; the assailants fired 17 times, which a police captain described as “a lot of shots to fire at two kids on a bike.” You think?

The accused drunk driver who killed a Maryland couple riding their tandem bike over the weekend tried to convince police she just happened to stop when she saw two people lying on the side of the road. Probably because she’d just smashed into them.

 

International

The Department of DIY strikes in Toronto, where cyclists turn a buffered bike lane into a pumpkin-protected lane.

Britain’s Cycling Weekly explores what roadies can learn from mountain bikers.

London’s Evening Standard looks at the new women’s bikewear line Victor and Leap. Is it really feminist to make bike clothes to meet the needs of women, or just finally recognizing that women’s needs aren’t the same as men, and they ride bikes too?

Paris plans a major makeover for the famed Champs-Elysées to make it more human-friendly, including better walkways and “proper” bike lanes on either side. And just in time for Public Bikes’ latest edition.

A South African cyclist understandably loses his love for his favorite mountain ride after he’s beaten and robbed of his $3,000 bike.

 

Finally…

Where else would you put a bike chop shop except in a secret room behind a swinging bookshelf hidden in abandoned house? A turnabout is fair play, as Brooklyn cyclists ticket police cars parked in a bike lane.

And caught on video: An inept Washington State thief spends 17 minutes trying, and failing, to steal a bike before being chased off by police.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , ,

Weekend Links: BOLO alert for hit-and-run cyclist, LA unadopts mobility plan, and a Firefly Ball missed connection

October 31, 2015 / / 2 comments

Just stop already.

The LAPD reports that they’re on the lookout for a bike rider who rode away after hitting a 77-year old pedestrian on Glendale Blvd in Echo Park.

The victim was left in the street suffering from a severe head wound; he’s still hospitalized in grave condition two weeks after the collision.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Central Traffic Division detectives at 213/833-3713.

Seriously, bike riders have the same obligation to stick around following a wreck as drivers, both legally and morally.

So do it, already.

………

The LA City Council is planning to unadopt the Mobility Plan, less than three months after they passed it.

And supposedly, that’s a good thing.

Confused? You should be.

Apparently the problem stems from three minor changes the council made before adopting the plan, which only served to give greater attention to things that were already in it, according to Steetsblog’s Joe Linton.

However, because they didn’t follow the correct process in amending the plan, they may have given Fix the City, the self-appointed guardians of LA’s auto-centric past, grounds to sue and possibly get the entire plan thrown out in court. Or at least tie it up for years while lawyers fight over every comma and period.

So to head them off, a group of LA’s more progressive councilmembers have put forth a motion to rescind the plan, then re-adopt it sans amendments. Which should remove the basis for the lawsuit suit.

We’ll see.

Meanwhile, you never know what roadblocks anti-bike Councilmember Gil Cedillo and pseudo-environmentalist Paul Koretz will attempt to throw out in order to derail what should be easy passage.

And new Councilmember David Ryu remains a cypher after promising to re-evaluate everything predecessor Tom LaBonge had done, then following in his footsteps by attempting to have certain streets, including the long-promised 4th Street bikeway, removed from the plan.

………

Still more big hearts out there.

A group of Veterans Administration employees pitched in to buy a homeless Kansas vet a new bike, after he returned a lost wallet with $400 inside that had been dropped from a female vet’s wheelchair.

And nice move from Specialized, as they replace the bike Dallas a woman was riding when a driver went through a red light and hit her; however, she’s still not able to ride nearly two months later.

………

A few quick events this weekend.

Thousand Oaks is holding their first Open Streets event today with Spokes in the Oaks from 10 am to 3 pm. Thanks to Pedego 101 for the heads-up.

The Big Orange Classic Orange County Honor Ride rolls today to benefit Ride 2 Recovery.

The LACBC’s monthly Sunday Funday Ride celebrates Fall-Sedena with a 22-mile guided ride through tree-lined Pasadena.

Planning ahead, there’s a family-friendly group ride with the Biking Bunch scheduled for Culver City on November 15th.

And Finish the Ride makes it’s first appearance in the Valley on December 27th to help you burn off those sugar plums and figgy pudding.

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Local

It looks like that rails-to-trails bikeway that would link the coming Crenshaw Line with the LA River in South LA may actually become a reality, as Metro gets a $15 million grant to begin work on the first phase.

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton takes the LAPD and Clear Channel to task for those horrible pseudo-public safety billboards; he quotes the BAC’s Jeff Jacobberger as saying that using an anti-bike and traffic safety member of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council as a spokesperson for the campaign is like “using Bill Cosby as the face of a campaign against sexual assault.”

CiclaValley highlights the LACBC’s 2nd Annual Firefly Ball, where a good time was had by all. Speaking of the Firefly Ball, someone left a metaphorical glass slipper behind; let’s hope true love finds a way.

 

State

The Orange County Register’s Honk columnist corrects himself, saying it is legal to ride a bike on the sidewalk in some cities.

A San Diego cop was stabbed trying to stop a suspected bike thief; fortunately, he’s expected to make a full recovery. This is why you always want to be careful trying to stop a thief, even a cop can get seriously injured.

San Bernardino County receives $10 million for new bike lanes and walkways.

Milpitas police somehow blame a teenage bike rider for getting hit by a car, even though he was riding in the crosswalk and had pressed for the crossing light.

An Oakland cyclist is in critical condition after being hit by a car on Thursday.

Sad news from Davis, as bike rider was killed in a collision Friday morning; the driver considered swerving around the victim but saw traffic coming, so he aimed for the cyclist instead.

A new bike park is set to open north of Sacramento.

An eight-year old Redding boy wants his stolen bike back; he’s been riding BMX half his life.

 

National

A new study says driverless cars are more likely to get into wrecks, but people behind the wheel are more likely to injure other people than cars that drive themselves.

A reviewer says Elly Blue’s new anthology collection Pedal Zombies is the feminist bicycle science fiction you didn’t know you needed.

Planetizen asks why people hate cyclists; then again, it’s nothing new.

Bicycling offers advice on how to ride with diabetes, and tells how bicycling helped four women beat breast cancer.

This year’s Tour de Fat, which once again bypassed the City of Angels, has raised over $4 million for local non-profits over its 16-year history.

A Minneapolis website complains about pathletes, those athletic cyclists who rudely blow past other riders on a bike path. That may be my new favorite term.

A Michigan official wants tickets torn up for church goers who parked in a new bike lane, and he wants the lane itself removed. Although based on the photo, it looks like a pretty crappy half-gutter bike lane anyway.

A Cleveland editorial board discusses how bikes and cars can safely share the road, while a Pittsburgh letter writer says the solution isn’t to make our streets safer, but to get all those darn bikes off them.

Tampa FL is the latest city to sign on to Vision Zero, at least for bicyclists and pedestrians. The city is also attempting to ensure its planned bikeshare system isn’t just for the rich.

 

International

The most memorable doping excuses in bicycling history.

Your carbon frame may be obsolete in a few years; get ready for graphene.

Ottawa considers a proposal to remove ghost bikes after just 90 days. A local columnist says tone-deaf city officials don’t get that a ghost bike is an accusing finger pointing at them, while another says three months is too short a time. The brother of a fallen cyclist would like to see a permanent bronze memorial installed to remember those who have lost their lives on bikes.

Plans are in place to remove a traffic lane and double the width of a popular London bikeway to more accurately reflect who is using the road, and how.

Caught on video: A Brit cyclist is punched, not once, not twice, but thrice after attempting to speak with a driver who’d just narrowly missed him.

A British writer says riding abreast is often the safest option.

Volvo’s reflective Life Paint doesn’t exactly get a ringing endorsement.

 

Finally…

Evidently, calling a bike thief a criminal shows a lack of empathy and understanding. Do traffic cameras actually have to work to stop scofflaw drivers?

And why choose between riding your bike and making some pretty cool art when you can do both?

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: New LACBC film, updates on Orange Line bike path closure and Stephany murder trial

October 15, 2015 / / 2 comments

Just a brief update today, since last night was lost in IRS hell getting my wife’s taxes ready in time for today’s final extension deadline.

On the other hand, mine were easy; it doesn’t take long when you don’t make any money.

………

Let’s start with a new LACBC video prepared for last week’s New Urbanism Film Festival, as Executive Director Tamika Butler discusses her journey to bike advocacy and the coalition’s vision for the future of Los Angeles.

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Speaking of the LACBC, former board member and current LA Bicycle Advisory Committee member Kent Strumpell is leaving Friday on an extended solo bike tour to raise money for the California Bicycle Coalition and the Citizen’s Climate Lobby.

………

We’ve had a few updates recently from danger d regarding the unannounced closure of the Orange Line bike path in the San Fernando Valley. Yesterday he went straight to the source to find out what’s going on.

At least it’s good news from the Orange Line bike path construction. Workers on site say they expect the fenced off section to be closed for 6 weeks, so they can build a new path on the other side of the trees in order to build the new flyaway bus stop and comply with ADA standards. The detour is set up but there is room to walk around the fencing on Victory and get back to the path. Workers say this is the only section that will be fenced off.

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Our anonymous Orange County correspondent offers a brief update from the murder trial of Neal Storm Stephany, who was allegedly high on heroin and anti-addiction meds when he ran cyclist Shaun Eagleson down from behind on the coast highway in Newport Beach last year.

Today, Eagleson’s widow held it together as long as she could, but when the prosecution brought out photos from the crime scene again after lunch recess, she whimpered at the images of the gouges left in the asphalt by her husband’s bike, and then broke down so completely at the photo of Shaun’s shredded clothing that her family (& the extraordinary victim services specialist) escorted her out of the courtroom.

She didn’t return.

Court recessed early, and will continue next Tuesday.

Despite the heat, I wanted to go down to PCH. The gouges are still there. And despite the repeated use of the term “bike lane” by NBPD Sgt. Little on the stand and the prosecution, no designated bike lane exists at that location.

No word on whether the jury has gotten a glimpse of Stephany’s reputed “fuck the police” and swastika tatts under his new haircut.

She also adds a few thoughts about the Santa Ana courthouse, where the trial is being held.

I think Civic Center Drive (on the north side of the Santa Ana courthouse there) has preliminary markings for a buffered bike lane. (Or maybe upcoming sewer work, dunno.) New sensors were installed very recently, including a bike sensor, but it’s not marked yet.

Bike racks at the courthouse would be f’ing nice.

………

State Assemblymember Chris Holden is holdin’ a meeting to discuss Southern California Transportation issues at 10 am today in Pasadena; if you can’t make it there on short notice, you should be able to view the session online at his website. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

………

A few other key stories.

LADOT Bike Blog introduces the city’s first Complete Streets design committee.

Joel Epstein looks at transit envy and other thoughts on making LA the city it can be, including the need to embrace the mobility plan and bike infrastructure the way other cities have.

Streetsblog offers highlights from Wednesday’s meeting of the City Council Transportation Committee, which encouraged LADOT and the LAPD to find ways to reduce speeding in support of Vision Zero, and maybe even legalize the practice of locking your bike to a parking meter, which is currently banned in LA.

A San Francisco columnist calls on residents of a nearby town to stop their two-decade old guerilla tack war on cyclists.

A Chicago cyclist knocked on the window of a car that drifted into the bike lane he was riding in, and ended up under arrest when the driver turned out to be an off-duty cop.

I want to be like him when I grow up. An 85-year old man biked from Sacramento to Lake Forest IL to visit his alma mater.

Brooklyn cops commit an act of vandalism by painting parking spot numbers on a bike lane to illegally convert it to their use.

A DC church is fighting a planned bike lane because they claim it would infringe on their constitutional rights of religious freedom. No, seriously.

Georgia police apologize after one of their officers is caught on video buzzing a group of cyclists, and nearly hitting one.

A Florida driver won’t face charges for the hit-and-run collision that killed a cyclist because — get this — prosecutors say there’s no proof he knew he killed a human being, after the driver claimed he thought he’d hit a wild hog. That’s basically a Get Out of Jail Free card for every hit-and-run driver, everywhere.

A London cyclist is caught on video taking his anger out on the rider he just cut off after running a red light and making an illegal left turn. Actually, if you just cut someone off, it is their business.

Finally, just what every cyclist needs, a bike trailer with a built-in grill. But do we really need bike and pedestrian lanes inside an apartment building?

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Thanks to John Hall for his generous donation to support this site. If you’d like to join him in supporting the work we do here at BikinginLA, just click here. 

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Morning Links: LA BAC meets tonight, Los Feliz NC discusses LA mobility plan, and bike Metro’s Rideshare Week

October 6, 2015 / / 7 comments

Let’s catch up on a few events of immediate interest.

First up, the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee is meeting at 7 pm tonight in the LAPD Hollywood Division Community Room, 6501 Fountain Ave.

This month’s agenda includes discussion of the role of the committee in the city’s Vision Zero plan, and why we’re not going to see the planned Northvale Bike Path that was supposed to run parallel to the new Expo Line extension.

And yes, it matters.

The BAC is the only official voice bike riders have in city government. And in theory, at least, its members should have the ear of the councilmembers who appointed them.

………

The Los Feliz Neighborhood Council is hosting a community forum to discuss LA’s Mobility Plan 2035 from 7 to 9 pm tonight at 1965 N Hillhurst Ave.

The good folks retroactively fighting the Rowena road diet, along with those who want to Fix the City by keeping our streets dangerous, will undoubtedly be there. It might not hurt to have a few rational bike-friendly voices in attendance to balance the scales.

Thanks to BAC VP Glenn Bailey for the heads-up.

………

It’s Rideshare Week, when Metro encourages you to carpool, ride bikes, take public transit, walk and vanpool to your destination.

And how do they love you? Let them count the ways…

First among these new initiatives, Metro has launched a new Rideshare campaign to encourage Angelenos to bring a friend along for the ride as opposed to driving alone. Statistics show that in California 37.3% of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions come from transportation, 71% of those emissions are from passenger vehicles, and 72% of commuters are driving alone. If every commuter were to involve one other person in their commute mode, then traffic would disappear and GHG emissions would greatly reduce. New campaign ads, titled “Friends don’t let friends drive alone” will appear online and on giveaway items available at events.

Second, Metro has collaborated with 3 community organizations to co-host creative ridesharing events:

  • Innovate LA with the Karaoke Rickshaw — Movable Parts, an artist collective of college professors, engineers, city employees and creatives, will construct and deploy a Karaoke Rickshaw. The bicycle powered machine will tour through various LA neighborhoods amplifying street sounds, interviews, and multi-lingual pop hits. The finale performance will take place at LA Innovation Week’s Innovate Pershing Square event on October 9.
  • Share the Ride to Ambulante Film Festival — Empact Communities, a grassroots bicycle advocacy group, has partnered with Metro to facilitate ridesharing to Ambulante Film Festival. Group bike rides led by Empact partners will bring attendants to several film screenings. All Ambulante events will be registered in www.Ridematch.info, a database website that facilitates carpooling with more than 300,000 users.
  • ¡Mobilizaté! Eastside Commuter Interviews — Multicultural Communities for Mobility (MCM) will convene along popular transit lines in East LA and Boyle Heights to engage ridesharers to share their street stories through a photo or short video. All stories will be captured through Twitter and Facebook and tracked by tagging @mcmhandles, @metrolosangeles and #SharetheRide.

Third, Metro is giving away prizes to commuters who register their rideshare trip using www.ridematch.info. Prizes include handbags from Brighton Collectables, Metro 7-Day TAP Passes, Barnes and Noble gift cards, Macy’s gift cards, gas cards, and more. Special thanks to Macy’s, Burbank TMO, AAA, VRide, Brighton Collectibles, and Enterprise Rideshare for the donations!

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Bicycling recaps the Richmond world championships, concluding they were utterly unforgettable.

VeloNews asks if pro cycling’s WorldTour points championship really means anything. Be honest, did you even know there was a points championship, let alone that Alejandro Valverde won it? I didn’t think so.

Two-time Giro winner Ivan Basso retires at age 37, after successful treatment for testicular cancer. Sad to see Basso go out like that. In his prime, he made Lance work for every now-discredited victory.

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Local

Another great, if difficult, read from Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman as she looks at the anniversaries of the hit-and-runs that took the lives of cyclists Andy Garcia and Benjamin Torres; the 21-year old drunk driver who killed Garcia and seriously injured two other riders is already out of jail after serving just 16 months of a 42 month sentence. Meanwhile, there will be a ride calling for justice for Torres on Saturday to mark the third anniversary of his still unsolved death.

Councilmember David Ryu’s office is amassing a database of broken sidewalks and cracked streets, and vise versa, that need repairs in the 4th council district. Thanks to David Wolfberg for the tip.

Tired of ticketing cyclists for riding salmon on a one-way street, UCLA responds by devoting half the street to what may be the LA area’s first contraflow bike lane. Update: Richard Risemberg points out there’s a contraflow bike lane on Marengo in Pasadena.

USC is now requiring all students, faculty and staff to register their bikes before parking them on campus, ostensibly to combat bike theft. However, mandatory bike registration programs can easily be used as an excuse to stop and search bike riders in the absence of probable cause, which is why LA’s registration program was repealed in 2009.

Continuing our school report, it’s Bike It! Walk It! Bus It! Week at Santa Monica public schools, while LA has 126 schools signed up for Wednesday’s Walk to School Day. Riding a bike to LA schools seems to be acceptable, as well; walking the last few steps after arriving in Mom’s massive SUV, not so much.

 

State

The anti-bike lane madness continues in San Diego-adjacent Coronado, where apparently any bikeway inspired, designed, assisted or implemented by anyone who doesn’t live on the island must be some sort of plot. And that goes for traffic lights, too. That town may be in more desperate need of a civic colonic than anywhere else on earth right now.

Temecula plans to put the fun in Fondo — just go with it — at the grammatically challenged first annual Temecula Spandex Stampede Cycling GranFundo on November 8th. It may be the first of what’s planned as an annual event, but can’t be called that until the second one. Hey, I don’t make the rules.

A former volleyball player who won a gold medal with the US team at the 1984 LA Olympics was seriously injured when he was hit by a pickup in Santa Barbara, after he reportedly ran a stop sign on his bike and rode on the wrong side of the street.

The San Francisco Chronicle looks at the Idaho stop law, which has become a political hot potato in the City by the Bay; a 2010 study shows it reduced bike collisions by about 30% without causing any known problems. But as everyone likes to say, San Francisco isn’t Idaho, and LA is Copenhagen. Which is just an excuse not to try something that has been proven effective somewhere else.

A former star of the long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless was just two riders back when a rider in Sunday’s Levi’s GranFondo tragically rode off the roadway.

Still more bad news from NorCal, as a Dixon driver is under arrest for felony charges of DUI and voluntary manslaughter after fatally rear-ending a bike rider on Sunday.

 

National

Garmin has released a new rear-facing radar that tells you when cars are coming from behind; the unit also includes a taillight that dims to save battery life when there’s no one behind you, and brightens to save yours when there is.

Boulder CO begins undoing the right-sizing of a city street. Which would seem to be wrong-sizing, mais non?

A moving story from Kansas, as 32 cyclists from a four state area come together to help a five-year old boy suffering from life-threatening aneurisms go for his first bike ride.

An Illinois man gets 55 months in jail for killing a cyclist while driving aggressively under the influence.

A new under-two-minute film looks at a 49-year old Minnesota firefighter who is also a champion track cyclist.

Pittsburgh’s bikeshare system is exceeding projections by averaging 12,000 rides a month.

A handicapped Pennsylvania man was rescued after being trapped for two days in a 300-yard bike/pedestrian tunnel when his motorized wheelchair stalled.

An Albany NY writer says it’s time to stop the debate over a proposed road diet and just do it.

A New York city councilman wants to remove 400,000 cars from the city streets by 2030, in part by subsidizing the city’s bikeshare system. Think an LA councilmember would ever have the courage to call for removing nearly a third of the cars from our streets? Me neither.

Alec Baldwin goes for a rainy bike ride in the Big Apple. Riding with earbuds and sans helmet does not, however, make him a “two-wheeled terror.”

 

International

The New York Times looks at the efforts of São Paulo’s mayor to shake off the city’s dystopian sprawl and automotive hegemony by making room for bikes, buses and people on foot.

A bike advocacy group on Canada’s Prince Edward Island calls for mandatory use of flashing daytime bike lights to stop an apparently non-existent rash of bike wrecks; a police source says the island experiences a whopping seven to fourteen bike-involved collisions each year. The same group wants to take over a program to enforce helmet use, as well. Maybe they define bike advocacy a little differently up there in the Great White North. Thanks to Lester Walters for the link.

In a tale that will sound familiar to anyone who’s followed the debate over bikeways in New York, London or right here in LA — or just about anywhere else – residents and business owners in a British town are up in arms over plans to make the city center more walkable and bikeable, even though studies show they would actually benefit from plans to de-emphasize cars.

Irish police ticket 244 bicyclists after new rules went into effect allowing on-the-spot fines.

A new Irish study says bike helmets are effective protection in collisions up to 31 mph, and not much good above that.

Only 18% of bike-riding Amsterdam club goers use both front and back bike lights. On the other hand, if you’re going to go lightless, that’s probably the place to do it.

Sixty Mangalore, India cyclists rode to save the embattled Netravathi river.

Two South Korean women completed a 3,300 mile ride across the US to raise awareness of Korean comfort women forced into sexual servitude by Japan in WWII.

 

Finally…

Lots of people bike to work; not many do it on a Penny Farthing, though. Don’t express your anarchist leanings by jogging in a DC bike lane or you could face a whole $10 fine.

And who’s the criminal if you break into a home to steal back your stolen bike after spotting it on Craigslist?

Which is not to say I wouldn’t do the same damn thing.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Coronado bike lane madness hits big time, Rowena redux, and OC deputy gets bike law wrong

October 2, 2015 / / 2 comments

The Coronado anti-bike lane madness is now officially the butt of jokes.

In a brilliant monologue, CBS Late Late Show host James Corden rips the rich old white ladies, as he calls them, who claim to get vertigo from the tattoo and graffiti-like white stripes besmirching their streets.

Seriously, watch it.

It could be the best four minutes and thirty-six seconds of your day not spent on a bike.

Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the heads-up.

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Meanwhile, the San Diego Bicycle Coalition responds to the madness in Coronado, asking city leaders to reconsider the decision to cancel the planned bike lanes.

And the insanity extends to the local police, as a Coronado cop refuses to believe the beach bike a sailor bought at the wasn’t stolen.

Because he’s a man, and it was pink.

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Maybe there’s something in the water down there by the border.

A new report finds a disconnect between the transportation plan developed by the San Diego Association of Government and the City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan; San Diego calls for 50% of trips to be made by foot, bike or transit, while SANDAG settles for just 15%.

In fact, SANDAG envisions a future with more driving, not less. And one in which an increase in greenhouse gases is perfectly acceptable, as long people can continue to slog through traffic on an ever-increasing mass of freeways.

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Then again, it’s not just a West Coast problem.

In a prime example of just not getting it, a Staten Island website complains about bike lane fever gripping city officials.

SI Live argues that the evangelical zeal of bicyclists has transformed into an influential political movement that has found ardent acolytes at city hall, in the absence of “anything approaching broad, let alone overwhelming, public support.”

Odd.

Anywhere else, the 66% of New Yorkers who favor bike lanes would be considered overwhelming, let alone broad, support.

But whatever.

They also question the “dubious claim” that a road diet to add bike lanes serves to calm traffic, never mind that it can actually improve traffic flow.

Sure. As long as you consider a 19% to 47% reduction in overall crashes dubious. And think the Federal Highway Administration is a questionable source for those stats.

As for that other claim that road diets can improve traffic flow, it comes not from bike riders and their political acolytes, but the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

Who should know.

And both the FHWA and NACTO also say that bike and pedestrian use tends to soar following a road diet, which is something else the SI Live editorial dismisses.

But why let the facts get in the way of a good uninformed rant?

Of course, there are those who will say the mad rantings of an NYC website don’t matter here on the Left Coast.

Except this is the same sort of misguided and barely informed thinking we see at work in Coronado, Beverly Hills, Silver Lake and on North Figueroa.

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Speaking of Silver Lake, Larry Mantle discusses the Rowena road diet with LADOT’s Tim Fremaux, while the Los Feliz Ledger offers a relatively one-sided look at the recent town hall meeting. And KABC-7 asks if the road diet is causing unnecessary traffic headaches.

Meanwhile, EGP News takes a surprisingly even-handed look at the issues surrounding North Figueroa, while KPCC discusses the street as ground zero in the debate over road diets.

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Honk my ass.

It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that newspaper column with such an auto-centric name would get a question about bicycling wrong.

The Honk column in the Orange County Register was asked whether it was legal to ride a bike on the sidewalk. And turned to an OC Sheriff’s traffic deputy for the answer.

Bad idea.

The officer responded that under state law, bicycles were forbidden to ride along a sidewalk. Which just goes to show, once again, a cop is the last person you should ask about bike law.

Because section 21206 of the California Vehicle Code leaves it up to the local jurisdictions to decide.

The result is a crazy patchwork of bike laws, where someone can legally ride on the sidewalk in LA, and be ticketed for exactly the same thing after crossing the street into Beverly Hills. And usually with no posted warnings, and often no indication you’ve gone from one city to another.

Down in OC, bikes are allowed on the sidewalk in Laguna Hills, and banned in Laguna Beach. And allowed everywhere but the central business district in Laguna Woods and Laguna Nigel.

So the real answer to the question is, it depends on where you happen to be at the moment.

As for why someone would ride on the sidewalk when there’s a perfectly good bike lane on the street right next to it, there can be a lot of reasons.

Especially in Orange County, where bike lanes are routinely found on streets with speed limits of 50 mph or more.

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Applications are now open for the bike industry’s 2016 Women’s Bike Mechanic Scholarships; 16 scholarships will be offered for the first all-female class in professional repair and shop operation.

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And one more common theme before we move on.

Urban Adonia questions how Vision Zero will play out in communities of color, raising concerns over racial profiling and the predominance of Eurocentric thinking.

A new study reveals that disadvantaged people are more likely to die in traffic collisions than people who are well-off. And despite a declining rate of traffic fatalities nationwide, death rates are going up for people over 25 without a high school diploma.

Ebony magazine looks at Slow Roll Chicago, described as a community-based organization that uses bicycling to connect with underserved and unappreciated communities.

And the founders of DC’s Black Women Bike and Black Girls Do Bike explain why groups like theirs matter.

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Local

Not even bike cops are safe from the epidemic of hit-and-run drivers, as an LAPD officer’s bike was hit by a driver who sped away after the officer tried to flag him down; he was hospitalized in stable condition.

CiclaValley meets the orange-vested mystery man who keeps Mulholland clean.

Bicycling should get a little easier in the Mid-City area, thanks to a Metro grant for a pair of bicycle friendly streets. As long as we manage to wait until 2020, that is, when they’re finally scheduled to be finished.

Better Bike’s Mark Elliot points out the rising rate of bicycling injuries in the Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills. And things are only going to get worse thanks to a decision to not include bike lanes on Santa Monica Blvd — let alone any kind of accommodation for bikes during the construction phase.

Richard Risemberg suggests imbibing in a strong dose of optimism and see what’s being done in cities around the world at next week’s New Urbanism Film Festival.

 

State

It looks like next year’s Amgen Tour of California will have a Pasadena start.

Chico police are using GPS-enable bait bikes to bust bike thieves.

 

National

Nice piece from a 45+ year old mountain biker, who discusses the women who inspire her to ride. And it’s not the pretty young things with an insatiable Instagram account.

According to Gizmodo, science says driving is the most stressful way to get to work, while commuting by bicycling or walking makes you healthier and happier.

A Kickstarter campaign is raising funds for a bike lock built into the pedal. The makers promise an alarm will sound if a thief tries to cut what looks like an easily defeated cable. Then again, no one even pays attention to car alarms any more.

Oh please. A Seattle radio personality says the city’s volunteer bike count has already been decided before it even happens, because the local bike club anticipates asking for more funding based on the results. If she really wants to ensure an honest count, maybe she should sign up to help out herself. Or get the city and state to pay for something they should be doing anyway, instead of leaving it to a volunteer advocacy group.

A Boston radio station discusses the nation’s first protected intersection in Salt Lake City.

Boulder CO bicyclists ride to protest the dismantling of a road diet in that city.

A cyclist leads horse mounted state troopers on a wild west wrong way chase through the streets of Austin TX after running a stop sign.

Despite a broken collarbone, a quick thinking Chicago cyclist snapped a photo of the license plate belonging to the driver who fled after running him down, and got a sizable settlement as a result.

A Boston petition calls on the city to “improve safety” by removing all bike lanes and sharrows; it had received 33 signatures as of Tuesday, while a competing petition calling on the city to keep them had over five times as many.

I want to be like him when I grow up. A Florida man is planning to ride 80 miles to celebrate his 80th birthday on Saturday.

 

International

Mass-produce hydrogen cars are still a long way off. But the first hydrogen-powered e-bike is already here.

Two Canadian men are fined for building an illegal bike trail in a provincial park.

Now that she’s on top of the cycling world, 24-year old British World Cup and world road racing champ Lizzie Armistead is thinking about retiring after next year’s Rio Olympics.

An arrest has been made in the brutal, unprovoked attack on a 54-year old Edinburgh bicyclist as he rode on a bike path.

So much for helping those in need. Norway says Syrian refugees who used a legal loophole to bike across the border from Russia will now be sent back. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.

Caught on video: A rampaging magpie swoops down at an Aussie cyclist mutiple times, leaving him with a bloodied ear.

 

Finally…

Seriously? Even Costco is getting into the argument over whether bike riders should pay registration or user fees. Caught on video: Two French cyclists ride the word’s smallest velodrome.

And if you’re going to burglarize a couple of homes, make sure the homeowner doesn’t walk in on you. And don’t wear an easily recognizable shirt as you make your getaway by BMX bike.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Gov. Brown signs hit-and-run alert law, bike park meeting Wed night, and SCAG says Go Human

September 29, 2015 / / 5 comments

Maybe this will tame our streets a little more.

Governor Brown surprised nearly everyone by signing AB 8 Monday afternoon. The new law creates a Yellow Alert system to place notices of serious hit-and-runs on digital freeway and street signs in the area surrounding a collision.

The bill, sponsored by Glendale Assembly Member Mike Gatto, is patterned after a successful Colorado hit-and-run alert system. Brown signed it just hours after a press conference urging him to approve it, despite his veto of a similar bill just last year.

Maybe it’s no coincidence that the signing came the same day an Orange County driver was convicted of second degree murder in the drunken hit-and-run death of a grandmother as she walked in a San Clemente bike lane with her grandson.

The driver, Kelly Michele Wolfe, had a BAC over three times the legal limit when police arrested her at her home, shards of windshield glass still twinkling in her hair. Prosecutors estimate that she had downed as many as 15 drinks at a local bar before getting behind the wheel.

Wolfe had been warned when she got her California license that a second DUI could result in a murder charge, following her previous conviction for drunk driving in Nevada in 1994.

She now faces a well-deserved 18 years in state prison.

………

GOHUMAN-SOCIAL-MEDIA-640x832-BIKES-FULL-LANE_ENGThe Southern California Council of Governments has launched a new campaign encouraging people to Go Human to promote bike and pedestrian safety.

Nice to see the bike ad promotes the full use of the traffic lane.

Although I’d rather see the pedestrian ad point out that there’s a crosswalk at every corner, painted or not, rather than just urging people to cross at the corner or crosswalk.

………

There will be a meeting tomorrow night at the Hacienda Heights Community Center to discuss plans for the Puente Hills Landfill Park, including the possibility for LA County’s first true bike park.

The meeting runs from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, 1234 Valencia Ave in Hacienda Heights.

And be sure to sign the petition supporting the bike park.

………

Sad news from Yolo County, as an amateur cyclist competing in a time trial was killed when a driver crossed the center line to avoid one rider, and didn’t see the victim riding in the opposite direction.

Police inexplicably said the driver was obeying the law, even though drivers aren’t legally allowed pass if they can’t do so safely.

They wouldn’t have said she was obeying the law if it had been a semi coming the other way.

………

New world champ Peter Sagan finally gets the support of his volatile team owner after months of criticism. Sagan used his podium finish as a chance to call for changing the world, after getting there by timing his final sprint perfectly. It wasn’t his first podium finish in a world championship; he finished second in the junior cyclocross worlds in 2008.

The perfectly named Joan of Arc becomes the first Rwandan woman to compete in the worlds, winning by her mere presence despite a last place finish. The championships gave other riders a chance to fly their flag, as well.

Attendance for the worlds topped expectations, with over 645,000 spectators over the ten days of racing. Evidently, support for bike racing is alive and well in the USA.

Speaking of alive and well, Lance Armstrong is still with us, but his specter haunts the worlds. Maybe there’s a female Lance Armstrong waiting to be discovered; while women’s racing expands, it doesn’t face the same anti-doping scrutiny the men do.

And speaking of Lance, he’s not out of the woods yet, despite settling with the insurance company suing him for $10 million for bonuses it paid out for all those Tour de France wins that aren’t any more.

London won’t be hosting the start of the 2017 Tour de France after all, as the city pulls the plug a day before final contracts were set to be signed.

………

Local

That’s one way to ruin a good ride. Bicyclists and pedestrians were herded off the Ballona Creek bike path after a body was found resting along the jetty Sunday evening.

LA Times readers react to the recent column by George Skelton calling for a registration fee for bike riders; for a change, they all get it right. The first letter, by El Cajon’s Barry Carlton, nails it.

The Times talks with Matty Grossman, the 11-year old voice of reason in the debate over the Rowena road diet and the needless and never-ending battle betwixt people on bikes and those in cars. And he’s not the only kid to face aggression from angry motorists. Seriously, it takes the lowest form of human scum to yell at little kids out riding their bikes, let alone drive aggressively around them. There’s no excuse. Ever. Period.

LA takes a big step towards revitalizing the LA River with a $25 million grant to buy a key parcel of land. That should also help with plans to extend the bike path the full length of the river by 2020.

Actress and amateur triathlete Teri Hatcher had her Specialized bike stolen from an LA bike shop. But despite what TMZ says, $1,000 is not “super expensive” for a bike, racing or otherwise.

CiclaValley is joining with Wolfpack Hustle’s Don Ward to lead a feeder ride to see the documentary Bikes vs. Cars at Ambulante Park this Sunday. There are a number of other feeder rides planned; I’ll catch up with them later in the week.

 

State

Opposition is rising to a long-planned bike path through Orange County’s Peters Canyon Regional Park; the bikeway would complete the gap in a bike trail that runs from Irvine Regional Park to Newport Bay.

A writer for an Encinitas paper says Complete Streets aren’t complete nonsense. Despite the slightly unhinged opposition of a local commissioner.

In the wake of Monday’s bicycling fatality in Mira Mesa, San Diego cyclists say they don’t always feel safe on the streets.

A Santa Barbara cyclist wonders if someone is deliberately sabotaging bike riders after he got a saw blade embedded in his wheel.

A lightless salmon cyclist died in a San Jose collision Saturday night.

Someone is sabotaging a popular road for cyclists and motorcycle riders in San Mateo County by affixing tacks to the roadway point up to guarantee they cause flats. Local police and CHP are aware of the problem, which has reportedly gone on for years; a local resident is raising a $10,000 reward. The schmuck should face an attempted murder charge, since a flat tire at high speeds could have deadly consequences.

A San Francisco writer explains why the Idaho stop is safe for cycling, even as the city’s mayor promises to veto an ordinance that would make safe rolling stops the SFPD’s lowest traffic priority.

A Modesto letter writer complains that safety improvements on a major street will make it less safe, and insists it’s not worth $2 million for a few lousy bike riders.

 

National

Momentum Magazine explains why biking is better than Tinder. And you never have to come up with a cover story for how you met your bike.

GoPro is slowly getting more affordable, with a new waterproof, Bluetooth-enabled cam priced at a penny under $200.

Boulder CO caves in the face of the entirely predictable opposition to “right-sizing” a handful of roadways, and will vote today on ripping out the protected bike lanes on the only one that has been completed so far — even though the results have been successful.

An Iowa driver wasn’t even ticketed, let alone arrested, for the death of a cyclist despite crossing onto the wrong side of the road to hit the rider head-on as he rode on the shoulder.

An Ohio driver faces charges of vehicular homicide and wanton disregard for safety in the left cross collision that took the lives of two cyclists and injured three others.

Cleveland plans to have a bikeshare system up and running by June of next year.

The next time you ride to Niagara Falls, you should be able to find a place to park your bike.

As Washington DC becomes more bike friendly, renters are demanding a safe place to park their bikes. And a DC writer explains the proper bikeshare etiquette when two people want the last bike.

 

International

Hitchcock was right. A Vancouver bike rider was terrified by an attacking crow.

A British woman faces charges after her then 9-year old son missed too many days of school because he was grieving over the bicycling death of his father.

A British woman is joining the three men attempting to set a new year record; the women’s mark of 29,603 miles was set nearly eight decades ago.

A Scottish rider was the victim of a brutal and unprovoked attack after arguing with a man walking his dog on a bike path.

Paris may have staged the ultimate ciclovía, as it bans cars from four central arrondissements on Sunday in an effort to clear the air.

An Aussie report finds some types of lane dividers don’t keep drivers out of separated bike lanes and could pose a risk to riders.

 

Finally…

If someone yells at you to be careful after a near collision as he exits a bus, don’t respond by chasing him down and trying to steal his watch. If you’re carrying burglary tools and a ski mask at 1:40 am on a hot high desert night, put some damn lights on your bikes.

And at seven years old, most kids are happy to bike around the block; this Chula Vista kid is already a professional BMX champ.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , ,
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