Archive for Bicycle Safety

18-year bike rider killed in Fontana train collision; 2nd San Bernardino County train death in 3 days

June 16, 2013 / / 5 comments

This may be too much of a tragic coincidence.

For the second time in just three days, a San Bernardino County teenager has been killed in a collision with a train while riding his bike.

According to the Fontana Herald News, 18-year old Fontana resident Carlos Morales Guzman was riding north on Beech Avenue above Ceres Ave when he attempted to cross the train tracks and was hit by a westbound train. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:20 pm.

A street view shows a traditional railroad crossing arm; if it was working, Guzman may have tried to ride around it.

Remarkably, the collision occurred at exactly the same time of day, and on what appears to be the same tracks, as the collision that killed 19-year old Brendan Allen Adams just three days earlier, less than 20 miles away.

This is the 34th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in San Bernardino County. Guzman is the fourth person killed in a collision with a train since the first of the year, and as noted, the second in just three days.

It’s also the third cycling death in the last three days, following the death of a 25-year old Los Angeles man in Pasadena on Saturday, just 15 minutes after the wreck that took Guzman’s life.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Carlos Guzman and all his family and loved ones.

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

Update: 25-year old bike rider killed near Caltech in Pasadena

June 15, 2013 / / 28 comments

More bad news.

According to the Pasadena Star-News, a bike rider described only as a man in his 30’s was hit and killed while riding near Caltech in Pasadena this evening.

The paper reports the collision took place at Del Mar Blvd and Wilson Avenue just north of the campus about 5:30 pm; the L.A. Times places the location mid-block between Wilson and Michigan Ave, with the time of the collision around 6 pm.

The victim was taken to Huntington Hospital where he died from his injuries. The driver of the compact car remained at the scene and was reportedly cooperating with police.

No other details are available at this time; no word on which way the rider was headed or how the collision occurred.

This is the 33rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year; remarkably, 17 of those deaths have been in Los Angeles County. This is also the third bike death in Pasadena since 2011.

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

Update: The Star-News reports that the victim, who still has not been publicly identified pending notification of next of kin, was a 25-year old resident of Los Angeles. 

According to the paper, he was riding west on Del Mar with a female companion when he was struck from behind, with the force of the impact throwing him into a parked car.

The woman he was riding with was not struck by the car.

Update 2: The Caltech Bike Lab is sponsoring a petition calling for better east-west bike routes in Pasadena, including sharrows on Del Mar; whether it would have helped in this case may never be known. 

Update 3: In a comment below, a blogger links to her thoughts about witnessing the collision. According to her, the victim was thrown across the road to collide with the parked car before landing crumpled on the sidewalk, suggesting an impact of significant force. 

Update 4: The victim has been identified as 25-year old Los Angeles resident Phillip O’Neill. 

……..

When I learn about a case like this, in which the victim has not been publicly identified, I pray it’s not someone I know. And feel guilty, because even if I don’t know who it is, someone else will.

Because it’s never just a stranger on a bike.

It’s always someone’s son or daughter, mother or father, sister, brother, cousin, nephew, co-worker or friend. It’s someone someone loves, or likes or maybe even can’t stand, if only just a little.

It’s never just a statistic, regardless of those stats I keep.

It is a real person who was here, and now, suddenly and without warning, isn’t. A meteoric flash of life snuffed out in a relative instant, leaving a gaping hole in the lives of those left behind.

It’s always heartbreaking. It’s always tragic. It’s always a loss beyond our comprehension, if only because we can never know what might have been.

And it is always — always — unnecessary.

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

Update: Bike rider killed by train in Upland; rash of NorCal and Central California bike deaths continues

June 14, 2013 / / 4 comments

Just when it looked like death may have taken a sabbatical from SoCal cycling, word comes of a rider killed in a collision with a train in Upland on Thursday.

Very few details are available at this time. However, according to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, the male rider was hit by a Metrolink train near Benson Avenue and Eighth Street around 5:15 pm. The victim, who has not been publicly identified, apparently died at the scene.

A series of photos from the scene offer no additional information, other than showing a badly mangled bike.

The death is just the second SoCal cycling fatality this month, after a swarm of four fatalities in an eight-day period between May 25 and June 2nd, including bike racer Chris Cono, and Susan Stripko in Huntington Beach.

This is the 32nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, compared to 23 this time last year, and the third in San Bernardino County. This is also the third bike rider killed by a train since the first of the year.

Unless the safety equipment malfunctions in some way, or the rider is somehow forced onto the tracks, there is simply no excuse for a collision with a train, which is confined to a clearly defined space on the tracks. Never ride under or around the warning gates or try to beat a train across the tracks.

I speak from experience, having barely beaten a train in a foolish attempt to race it across the tracks when I was a child.

A lesson I survived by just inches. And will never forget.

Update: The Daily Bulletin places the actual location as Montclair, and identifies the victim as 19-year old Pomona resident Brendan Allen Adams. Witnesses saw Adams riding south on Benson towards the train tracks, where he either ignored or didn’t see the crossing arms, for whatever reason. 

The Press-Enterprise confirms that Adams was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Update 2: The Inland News Today confirms Adams attempted to ride around the crossing arm. Never a smart thing to do.

My prayers and sympathy for Brendan Adams and his loved ones.

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This has been a horrible week for bike riders Northern and Central California as well, as a woman cyclist became collateral damage when two trucks collided in San Jose, and one fell on her — the 6th bicycling death in just the last eight days, following fatalities in Sacramento, Dublin, Elk Grove, San Jose and the Modesto area.

Clearly, something is going on up there.

And it’s not good.

……..

One other quick note.

The City Council vote on restoring Downtown’s Spring Street green bike lanes in the face of film industry lies opposition has been postponed until Tuesday’s council session.

Mark your calendar and be there if you can. Because it will take all of us to convince the council to values the lives and safety of bicyclists over the simple convenience of filmmakers.

And you can hear the LACBC’s Planning and Policy Director Eric Bruins, LADOT’S Nate Baird and others discuss the bikelash over L.A. bike lanes with Warren Olney on KCRW’s Which Way, L.A.?

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

Near head-on collision with scofflaw tricyclist, OC hit-and-run, good news in San Pedro and NELA

June 13, 2013 / / 7 comments

Talk about close.

A late start meant I didn’t have a lot of time to ride yesterday, so I took a quick spin along the beachfront bike path through Santa Monica and Venice — despite my long-held preference to avoid it as much as possible this time of year.

And I nearly paid for it with a head-on collision with a scofflaw salmon cyclist.

Make that a four-year old scofflaw.

On a tricycle.

She didn’t seem too pleased when I suggested she should ride on the other side, either.

……..

Yet another coward has fled the scene following a serious collision, leaving a bike rider to bleed in the street. This time in Orange County.

According to KABC-7, a teenage cyclist suffered critical head injuries when he was hit by an unidentified vehicle around midnight Wednesday on North Harbor Boulevard near La Palma Avenue in Orange.

A passing motorist saw the victim lying in the street and called for help.

Anyone with information is urged to call Anaheim police at (714) 765-1900.

……..

Tuesday’s twin meetings called to oppose bike lanes in NELA and San Pedro may not have turned out the way opponents might have planned.

The special meeting of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council’s Sycamore Grove Local Issues Committee — maybe they could work on shortening that just a tad — gave every indication of being a set-up for opponents of bike lanes on Figueroa Street in Northeast L.A. Even going so far as to allow a bike lane hater to present an uncontested 15 minute video in opposition to the lanes.

A presentation he reportedly botched — eventually leading to his ejection from the room for disrupting a public meeting.

The Fig4All website calls the meeting a farce in every sense. Yet one that resulted in an overwhelming 41 to 16 in favor of the bike lanes.

Meanwhile, the highly contested road diets and bike lanes recently installed in San Pedro received unexpectedly strong support from city officials, in a special meeting with area Councilmember Joe Buscaino.

The lanes were installed as part of the 2010 L.A. bike plan, as well as in an attempted to calm traffic on streets with excess capacity — including in front of a school, where parents inexplicably complained about the difficulty of dropping their children off, rather than praising the attempt to increase safety for their own kids.

Fortunately, cooler heads seemed to have prevailed, as Buscaino suggested drivers get used to the changes and find ways to avoid the brief periods of congestion.

I’m starting to like this guy.

Now let’s see if he, and the other members of the council, show as much backbone dealing with Hollywood’s irrational demands to remove the Spring Street green bike lanes at Friday’s council meeting.

………

A couple bike-related items from Metro made it into my inbox yesterday.

First up is how to cope with the new locking turnstiles being activated in Metro train stations this summer.

Metro Rail turnstiles will be activated this summer and open only with a valid TAP card. If you bring your bike on board, please plan ahead for how this change can affect your station access.

Some important tips to remember for bringing your bike through turnstiles:

  • Follow ADA-accessible routes to find elevators and wider turnstile gates to safely walk your bike in and out of stations.
  • If lifting your bike over turnstiles, please be careful. Avoid lifting your bike over turnstiles in a crowded station.
  • Using the emergency exit gate for non-emergency purposes is not allowed and punishable by fine.

Whatever type of fare you’re using – single ride, pass or transfer from another system – it must be loaded on a reusable TAP card to ride any Metro Rail line. Please be sure your TAP is loaded with cash or valid fare before approaching turnstiles at Metro Rail stations. If you don’t already have a TAP card, you canpurchase one along with your fare from the TAP vending machine for a $1.

I can’t say I’m fond of the idea that one-time train users will be forced to buy a tap card, increasing the cost of a single ride to $2.50.

And Metro will be working with bike advocacy organizations to co-sponsor a series of bike education and safety classes throughout the county.

All cyclists can benefit from a working knowledge of the rules of the road.

Continuing efforts to educate all road users, Metro presents a new series of free bicycle traffic safety workshops, rolling out across the county over the next few months.

With funding from the Office of Traffic Safety, Metro is working with the LA County Bicycle Coalition, Bike San Gabriel Valley and Multi-Cultural Communities for Mobility to lead the workshops. A 3-hour beginner’s road rules class will be offered in English and Spanish, and an 8-hour workshop for intermediate cyclists will focus on building traffic skills.

The series kicks off with the following classes. As more classes are scheduled, information will be available able at metro.net/bikes andfacebook.com/bikemetro.

Street Cycling Skills Class 
Saturday, June 22 
8am-5pm
Alexander Hughes Community Center
1700 Danbury Rd
Claremont, CA 91711
Register with LA County Bicycle Coalition here

Street Cycling Skills Class 
Saturday, July 6 
9am-6pm
Culver City Veteran’s Memorial Building
4117 Overland Av
Culver City, CA 90230
Register with LA County Bicycle Coalition here

Street Cycling Skills Class
Friday, July 12, 6pm-9 pm 
AND Saturday, July 13, 8am-2 pm
Azusa Memorial Park Recreation Center
320 N Orange Pl
Azusa, CA 91702
Register with LA County Bicycle Coalition here

Bicycling on the Road Class
Sunday, July 14 
10am-1pm
South El Monte Community Center
1556 Central Av
South El Monte, CA 91733
Register with Bike San Gabriel Valley by emailing info@bikesgv.org

Street Cycling Skills Class 
Wednesday, July 17, 5:30pm-8:30pm 
AND Saturday, July 20, 9am-1pm
California State University Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Bl
Long Beach, CA 90815
Register with LA County Bicycle Coalition here

Bicycling on the Road Class
Saturday, July 20
10am-1pm
El Monte Senior Center
3120 Tyler Av
El Monte, CA 91731
Register with Bike San Gabriel Valley by emailing info@bikesgv.org

Bicycling on the Road Class 
Saturday, July 27 
10am-1pm
Palm Park Rec Center
5730 Palm Av
Whittier, CA 90601
Register with Bike San Gabriel Valley by emailing info@bikesgv.org

Bicycling on the Road Class 
Thursday, August 4 
1-4pm
Culver City Veteran’s Memorial Building
4117 Overland Av
Culver City, CA 90230
Register with LA County Bicycle Coalition here

Bicycling on the Road Class 
Sunday, August 18 
10am-1pm
La Verne Community Center, Classroom 1
3680 “D” St
La Verne, CA 91750
Register with Bike San Gabriel Valley by emailing info@bikesgv.org

Bicycling on the Road Class 
Saturday, August 24 
10am-1pm
Barbara J. Riley Community & Senior Center
7810 Quill Dr
Downey, CA 90242
Register with Bike San Gabriel Valley by emailing info@bikesgv.org

………

Finally, you could soon fly over potholes; no, literally. And if you’re going to steal precious artwork by a revered artist, bring a bag big enough that it doesn’t stick out of your backpack as you make your getaway by bike at 4:30 am. Let alone big enough to carry everything you meant to steal.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Bike Cam Video, Hit-and-Run, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Save the endangered San Pedro and Spring Street bike lanes; hit-and-runs involving bicyclists up in L.A.

June 11, 2013 / / One comment

I’m a little battered and bruised tonight.

Riding home from another wildly successful River Ride, I hit an open 8-inch mini-manhole cover somewhere along the transition from Silver Lake to Beverly Blvd. I somehow managed to stay upright, although how I have no idea, finding myself momentarily riding a wobbling and fully ballistic bike veering dangerously towards both the curb and the asphalt.

Falling down there would have meant going down hard and in front of traffic. It would have also meant my second fall of the day, as I misjudged a steep hill on my way there in the morning, and couldn’t clip out from pedals in time after a bad shift.

Which would have made it just my second fall in the past several years, as well.

Even so, I ended up with cuts and bruises where my legs smacked the frame. And everything from butt up feels like I was hit by a Mack truck.

Yes, everything.

Enough said.

Just a reminder that something most drivers wouldn’t even notice can be dangerous if you’re on a bike.

Even if you don’t hit the street.

So with that, let’s catch up on the news we missed as I tried to sleep off my bumps and bruises yesterday.

………

Bad news from Redondo Beach, as a 48-year old triathlete Michael Giardano collapsed and died after the swimming leg of the Redondo Beach Triathlon. My condolences to all his loved ones.

………

Buscaino FlyerIf you’re anywhere near San Pedro tonight, try to make it to the 6 pm meeting with Councilmember Joe Buscaino to defend the recent road diets and bike lanes in the area.

As we’ve discussed before, the primary complaints center on the road diet installed on Westmont Drive, which reportedly results in traffic congestion just 20 minutes each morning and afternoon as parents pick their children up at the local school.

Yet the bike lanes those parents complain about exist primarily to tame traffic and improve safety around that very school. Which means that instead of demanding that they be removed, parents should be thanking city officials for taking tangible steps to protect their children.

The mantra for this meeting should be it’s not about bicyclists, it’s about the safety of your children. And if local residents somehow think the convenience of a few drivers is more important that, something is seriously wrong in San Pedro.

With school ending for the year, they’ve got all summer to find a solution that works for everyone. And returning to the previous status quo ain’t it.

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Remember that vivid green paint that lasted about a week on Spring Street, which Hollywood location scouts claimed was impossible to avoid filming or remove in post-production and was used nowhere else in the known universe?

Yeah, right.

Mark your calendar for a Battle Royale this Friday when the issue comes before the full City Council. Every bike rider who can make it should be at City Hall at 10 am Friday to refute the lies and demand that the safety of our citizens should take precedence over the convenience of filmmakers — as if there’s not enough money in their bloated budgets to cover-up a little green paint on the street.

Tell you what.

Just give me a couple of hours and a box of gaffers tape, and I guarantee they won’t see an glimpse of green in the dailies.

Fortunately, not all Hollywood types are bike-unfriendly. Or have such small hearts.

………

I haven’t had a chance to dive into it yet, but the long-awaited LAPD report on hit-and-runs has finally been released, and will be presented to the Police Commission at today’s meeting.

At first glance, it suggests that the city’s rate of hit-and-run, while not acceptable, is not out of line for comparable major cities, and hit-and-runs resulting in death or serious injuries to pedestrians is on the decline.

But if you think more drivers fleeing after killing or injuring bicyclists, you’re right.

………

The “new” LADOT issues their annual report, and takes credit for more than doubling the number of bike lanes in the last eight years compared to the previous 32, with 150 miles installed during the eight-year Villaraigosa administration.

………

A bike rider is shot in Santa Monica in an apparent gang driveby, which had absolutely nothing to do with last week’s shooting rampage, despite the Times unfortunate spin on the story. L.A. mayor-elect Eric Garcetti promises bike lanes and walkable communities. The Source names the bikiest guy in L.A. The upcoming Wilshire Blvd CicLAvia should be better for pedestrians; CicLAvia means open streets for everyone, not just bike riders. Another neighborhood council wants your take on bike lanes on North Figueroa; take a few minutes to respond, because the bike haters certainly will. Turns out handlebars aren’t the safest place to ride, but you knew that, right?

Laguna Beach sees an increase in bicycle collisions. If you hit another cyclist or a pedestrian, stick around until you know they’re okay, hit-and-run laws — and common human decency — apply to us, too; thanks to Allan for the heads-up. A Sacramento man faces a murder charge after deliberately running down a bike rider he’d argued with, then getting out and kicking him repeatedly. An 18-year old Pleasanton driver kills a woman cyclist and injures her husband; since she rear-ended both of them, it doesn’t really matter if one might have been outside the bike lane, does it? In what was clearly a horrible weekend for NorCal cyclists, a 25-year old bike rider is killed in Elk Grove, a San Jose cyclist is killed in a collision with a train and a Modesto man is killed in a hit-and-run. Once again, a San Francisco pedestrian is injured by a cyclist.

Your next bike could be a lot smarter than your last one; on the other hand, I’m not looking forward to a bike that can say “I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Especially since my name’s not Dave. IsolateCyclist looks at the people who self-identify as cyclists in order to criticize other cyclists. Bicycling is catching on with the NBA. Members of my college fraternity will be riding cross-country to raise half a million dollars for people with disabilities. Lessons learned by a first-time bike commuter from my hometown. A Kansas man is electrocuted trying to steal copper wire, but props for riding a bike to do it. Chicago’s bike-specific traffic signals increase compliance by 161%. New York’s new bike share program currently reaches just 10% of the city’s population; the NY Times asks why the fuss over bikes in a city that can tolerate anything? Why conservatives should love bike share; then again, no one ever said embracing bike share would be easy. NYC bicyclists offer their wisdom on riding in the city in 10 words or less. A struggling rider finds advice on how to ride uphill. Even when one of their own editors is doored, the NY Daily News blames the victim; however, they agree cyclists aren’t the real danger, despite what the WSJ’s wicked witch says. Boston incorrectly blames bicyclists for most collisions. Bob Mionske relates how a local Tennessee political boss got away with murder — or vehicular homicide by intoxication, in this case — something I suspect occurs far more often than we’d like to admit. The wife of North Carolina’s Bicycle Man fills in during his illness.

A British PSA might just shock a few drivers into sobering up first; thanks to Day One for the heads-up. London’s bike czar says the city needs fewer testosterone-fueled cyclists and more careful female ones; nope, not a hint of reverse sexism there. A UK cyclist suffers a broken arm in a road rage assault. As usual, the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain offers a blog roundup that puts this one to shame. Bike safety devices designed to prevent collisions with trucks could make things worse. Guess which country has gone pazzo for bicycling? A South African driver flees the scene after plowing into three cyclists. An Australian woman is killed while riding with her husband the day before an appointment to find out if she was pregnant. Proof that bike riders aren’t always the good guys, as an Aussie cyclist shoots a sleeping transient with an arrow. A special New Zealand inquest rules mandatory hi-viz clothing won’t cut bicycling deaths. Chinese authorities apologize for beating a bike salesman. Well said: “If we meet out on the road or trail, let that be the start, not the totality, of a friendship.”

Finally, it’s seldom a good idea to celebrate your birthday by riding drunk and trying to strangle the cop who stops you. This is why it’s not a good idea to use people instead of traffic cones at bike races, with entirely predictable results. And someone should tell this 10-time loser that just because the sign says Highway 101, that’s not actually the speed limit; seriously, if you lose your license 10 times in four years, you shouldn’t even be on the damn highway. Or any other street, for that matter.

Too easy to get, too hard to lose, indeed.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Law Enforcement, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , ,

CHP says we have a right to ride Mulholland, going away party for Villaraigosa, and finally, some links

June 6, 2013 / / 6 comments

I’m sure you remember the recent collision where everyone was lucky to walk away after a motorcyclist plowed into two bicyclists on Mulholland Highway.

I’m told that the inexperienced motorbike rider, who set events in motion by touching a foot down while leaning into the curve, has received one point against his license. Which he probably shouldn’t use for anything more challenging than riding, very slowly, to the nearest 7-11 and back.

Meanwhile, the CHP has reached out to local motorcycling groups to let them know, in no uncertain terms, that bicyclists have as much right to ride the road on Mulholland as they do. And we’re not going to go away, so they need to deal with it.

Maybe the CHP isn’t so anti-bike after all.

………

Family members call for an investigation into the shooting of bike rider Terry Laffitte last month. There seems to be a rash of bike-involved police shootings these days.

………

Say goodbye to outgoing Mayor Villaraigosa at a free party at Downtown’s Grand Park this Friday, complete with bike valet — something that became common at L.A. events during his tenure, thanks in part to the LACBC.

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SCSClaremont062213It’s a busy bike weekend, with the first memorial ride for fallen cyclist Chris Cono on Saturday, while CORBA will hold a memorial for former board member Danusia Bennett-Taber this Sunday. KNBC-4 looks forward to Sunday’s lucky 13th L.A. River Ride.

Also Sunday, learn to be more confident on your bike in Long Beach. And the LACBC is working with Metro to offer a series of free bike safety classes this summer.

………

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton handicaps the candidates for chair of the city council Transportation Committee. The city council is scheduled to decide the fate of the Spring Street green bike lanes on Friday, June 14th; cyclists and supporters are urged to attend. The first section of the new Wilshire Blvd bus — and yes, bike — lanes are now officially open. Who rents Metro bike lockers and why. Speaking of bike parking, it looks like the Dodgers have finally improved theirs. Better Bike asks if civility is finally coming to the streets of Beverly Hills; probably not. Ride the Ballona Creek bike path to Marina del Rey with C.I.C.L.E., Metro and Walk ‘n’ Rollers on the 29th. Will Campbell offers a timelapse video of the longest game of bike/bus leapfrog ever. Richard Risemberg calls out the lies opponents of the Colorado Blvd bike lanes employed. Boyonabike says that new bike lane is great, but Arcadia is still stuck in a 1950’s auto-only mentality. The Press-Telegram says if bike share can make it in New York, it can make it anywhere — including L.A. And it will get to Long Beach eventually. California’s Coastal Commission will rule on a proposal for an expanded Long Beach bike path next week.

A bike rider is expected to survive after being critically injured in multi-car Buena Park collision, in a story just short enough to make it past the OC Register’s paywall. A 2.5 mile bike lane project in Thousand Oaks will plug the gap in what will be a 13-mile continuous bikeway. Chico could use eminent domain to complete a planned bike path bridge. A San Francisco court rules bicycling is an inherently dangerous activity in dismissing a suit against Strava. How not to make a right turn around bikes. What is it that reactionaries have against bicycles?

The Feds back off that long discredited claim that bike helmets reduce head injuries by 85%. An Arizona woman faces 10 to 25 years after pleading guilty to the drunken death of a college student from San Jose. Dallas pro cyclist Lauren Stephens races on weekends, and commutes to work by bike during the week. Far from being overrun with bike lanes, New York still doesn’t give cyclists their fair share. Is it just me, or is this cycle chic look from the New York Post just a little creepy? Now there’s some rational thinking, as locals call for bike lanes on a proposed I-10 bridge over Alabama’s Mobile River. Bob Mionske says the truth is finally emerging in the Toronto death of bike messenger Darcy Allan Sheppard. VeloNews says only Lance can save cycling.

Finally, it turns out that New York’s bike share isn’t a commie plot after all; it’s really a Nazi-Muslim plot to firebomb the streets of the city to avenge the WWII bombing of Dresden. Who knew? The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay says just get on a bike and it will all make sense; I wonder how long he’ll work there once the wicked witch finds out about it. And a Sonoma County writer seems to find great humor in the death, serious injury and possible impotence of bike riders.

Jerk.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, General / Tags: , , , ,

Update: 56-year old bicyclist killed in Huntington Beach early Sunday; 6th bike death in the city since 2010

June 2, 2013 / / 10 comments

This isn’t the news any of us wanted to come home to after a beautiful SoCal Sunday.

According to the Southwest Riverside News Network, 56-year old Orange resident Susan Stripko was killed while riding in Huntington Beach early this morning.

Citing the paywall-blocked Orange County Register as its source, the news site says Stripko was attempting to cross busy Yorktown Ave on or near Beach Blvd at 12:08 am Sunday when she was hit by a white 2002 Silverado pickup truck traveling east on Yorktown.

The story does not say which direction she was going, or if she had lights on her bike. Nor does it suggest how fast the driver was going, whether the intersection was lighted, or any other factor that may have contributed to the collision or shed light on how it might have occurred.

The Orange County Coroner’s office describes her as a pedestrian, which could suggest she may have been walking, rather than riding her bike at the time of the collision, and places the collision site east of Beach Blvd.

However, police reports sometimes refer to bicyclists as pedestrians on bikes, for reasons which will forever escape me, so that may or may not mean anything.

Stripko was pronounced dead at UCI Medical Center in Orange less than an hour later, as 12:55 am. The driver reportedly remained at the scene and was cooperating with investigators, and no arrest was made or citations issued.

However the Injury Law Central website places the collision one block further east at the uncontrolled intersection of Yorktown and Worchester; based on the conflicting reports, it could have happened anywhere between the two intersections.

Stripko leaves behind a daughter and two sons.

This is the 31st bicycling collision in Southern California since the first of the year, yet just the 3rd I’m aware of in Orange County this year, which normally averages over one bicycling death per month.

Remarkably, it’s also the at least the sixth cycling fatality in Huntingon Beach since late December 2010, making the small city of just under 200,000 one of most dangerous places to ride a bike in the entire seven county SoCal region.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Susan Stripko and all her loved ones.

……..

Update: I’ve received confirmation from multiple sources that the collision occurred at Worchester, rather than Beach Blvd. I’m also told Stripko had a medical condition that made it painful to walk or bike, and fatigue may have slowed her in crossing the street.

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

A slow building right hook, how it looks to be invisible and a very courteous SaMo parking officer

June 1, 2013 / / 4 comments

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a chance to post any videos from my recent rides.

I ended up deleting most of them this past month as I worked to catch up from my recent involuntary computer downtime. And anything that didn’t seem all that dramatic didn’t make the cut.

But here are a few that did.

First up, as happens far too often, a driver speeds up to pass me on Abbot Kinney, then cuts in front of me to make a right turn. He might have gotten away with it if he hadn’t had to stop short to let a pedestrian cross the street he was turning onto.

If I didn’t have good brakes — thanks Chris! — and more importantly, been prepared to use them, this could have had a different outcome.

Note to drivers — never count on a best case scenario to complete a move you shouldn’t have started in the first place.

Then there’s this one taken the same day while riding past the VA hospital in Brentwood, in which I discover just how it feels to be invisible, by nearly rear-ending a driver who pulled out directly in front of me.

Same notes about good brakes and preparation, same thank you to Chris, formerly of the Westwood Helen’s and now a rockstar bike buyer in the Santa Monica store.

And by the way Chris, if you ever need someone to review anything…

Finally, my videos tend to focus on stupid driver tricks, simply because that’s what I usually encounter on the streets. And what shows up well on video.

Trust me, I wish the video of the idiot who nearly t-boned me Thursday by making a left into the bike lane I was riding in on San Vicente had come out better so I could show it to you. But even though he finally stopped about a foot from my left hip, I was looking straight ahead at the time trying to get the hell away from him.

And the camera doesn’t show what I’m not looking at.

But riding north on Ocean through downtown Santa Monica that same day, I was annoyed to find a parking enforcement officer cruising in the bike lane ahead of me, and started searching for a break in traffic to go around him.

Until he evidently noticed me in his rear view mirror, that is, and courteously — and safely — pulled out of my way to let me pass.

And no, he wasn’t pulling over to write a ticket; he gave me a wave as I passed, then pulled back in behind me once I was out of the way.

Note to the City of Santa Monica — if you can identify this guy from the video, give him a medal or a commendation or something.

He makes your city look damn good.

If only all your parking officers — let alone drivers — would follow his lead, the streets would be a much safer place for all of us.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Cam Video, Law Enforcement / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Bike rider killed in Oxnard collision; 3rd SoCal rider to die in 4 days — and 10 ahead of this time last year

May 29, 2013 / / 2 comments

A bad week just keeps getting worse.

The Ventura County Star reports that a 68-year old bike rider was killed when he was hit by a massive SUV operated by an 18-year old driver.

The collision occurred around 8:35 last night on Pleasant Valley Road west of Terrace Ave in Oxnard. According to the paper, the victim was hit by the eastbound GMC Jimmy when he entered the roadway from the south side of the street.

However, there is is a clearly marked bike lane along the roadway, suggesting that the driver may have drifted into the bike lane to hit the rider from behind, or that the cyclist may have been forced into the traffic lane for some reason. It’s also possible that the rider may have crossed over the sidewalk to enter the street from the nearby residential area, though that should have placed him in the bike lane, rather than in the path of the truck.

The victim was pronounced dead after being transported to Ventura County Medical Center.

This is the 30th cycling fatality in Southern California this year, placing us far ahead of this time last year, when just 20 riders had died on SoCal streets. It’s also the fourth bicycling death in Ventura County, already exceeding the total of three for all of last year, and matching the total of four in 2011 — just five months into the year.

The victim is the third cyclist to die in Southern California in the last four days, two of which occurred in Ventura County.

My deepest sympathy for the victim and his family. 

Thanks to Machico Yasuda for the heads-up.

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

Update: Popular Pasadena bike racer killed in Rancho Dominguez

May 28, 2013 / / 31 comments

More bad news.

Word is slowly spreading that local rider Christopher Cono was killed while racing in the Carson area Sunday afternoon.

Other reports, including one from Michael Wagner of CLR Effect, identify him as Christopher Contreras of Velo Pasadena; he says the death occurred at the CBR Memorial Day Criterium in Dominguez Hills.

No word yet on why the discrepancy in identifying the victim; condolence messages are appearing under both names.

According Wagner, Contreras was injured when he hit a light standard at full speed in the pro race, and died after being transported to a hospital.

Sadly, H&S Bicycles reports Cono/Contreras leaves behind a wife and small child.

There is always an assumed risk in racing; we hope the worst will never happen, while knowing it can at any time. It is the chance we all take when we push the limits, and the loved ones we leave behind who pay the price.

So far, there has been no report of the death in the media.

Once confirmed, this will be the 29th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, over half of which have occurred in L.A. County.

My prayers and sympathy for Christopher (Cono) Contretras and all his family and loved ones.

Update: The confusion over the victim’s name has been cleared up; Christopher Contreras went by the name Cono. The H&S Facebook page reports he raced for Gruppo Velo, where he served as Race Director; plans are in the works for a ride to benefit his family. 

In addition, Michael Wagner has added more to his post, writing movingly about a fallen racer he did not know, but who was a member of the local racing family; he also identifies him as the founder of the popular Fortune 700 stage race.

Unless someone captured him during the race, this photo of Contreras and his son, along with L.A. Olympic legend Nelson Vails, may have been among the last ever taken of him.

Photo by Lynn Ingram, via Facebook

Photo by Lynn Ingram, via Facebook

Update 2: Kryxtanicole offers a touching tribute to a rider who touched her life, if only briefly, and inspired her to ride without fear.

I remember the night we met; when my first impression of him was that he was intense, in a good way. When you live with conviction it’s infectious, and that’s how he was. Cycling was not just a big part of his own life, it was something he was passionate about sharing with others.

It’s definitely worth clicking on the link and reading the full piece; thanks to H&S Bicycles for the link.

While I didn’t know Chris, his death hit me hard, as it clearly has many others. And the more I learn about him, the harder it hits.

By all accounts, we lost a very good man yesterday.

Update 3: Writing on the Wolfpack Hustle blog, L.A. cycling icon Roadblock describes watching the ambulance slowly round the final turn, not knowing his friend was inside. And the lesson learned to make time for the people and things that really matter in life.

Make time to ride with your friends and with future friends. You never know when someone will no longer be here especially with a sport as dangerous as competitive cycling. I feel like a pillar of LA cycling has collapsed. It’s just not real… it’s like looking at the familiar downtown skyline and seeing one of the skyscrapers now gone.

And Christy Nicholson writes on SoCalCycling that there will be a Memorial Service for Contreras next week, and that a previously scheduled criterium will be turned into a benefit for his family.

Memorial Service
There will be a Memorial Service for Chris at Cabot & Sons Mortuary in Pasadena on June 7th at 6pm.

Cabot & Sons Mortuary
300 Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA

3rd Annual Kool ‘N Fit Criterium Benefit Race
On June 9th, the 3rd Annual Kool ‘N Fit Criterium will donate all proceeds to benefit the Chris Contreras family. This is a great opportunity for the SoCal Cycling Community to come together and lend their support and help Chris’ family during this sad time. Race Flyer >

Update 4: A fund has been established to raise money for Contreras’ family.

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