Archive for Bicycle Safety

Morning Links: Caltrans takes another step forward; CHP wants to improve bike safety, while cycling deaths up

October 28, 2015 / / 4 comments

Let’s start with bike news from a couple of state agencies.

Caltrans moves beyond its auto-centric past by launching a website for the upcoming California Bike and Pedestrian Plan, which promises to guide the department’s efforts for active transportation. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn out like that scorpion trying to hitch a ride across a river.

The CHP has received a federal grant to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety; the department plans to use it for education programs for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. They could start by improving bicycle education for their own officers, who frequently misinterpret bike law.

The CHP also reports bicycling fatalities are up 10.6% in the state this year. My records show a 12% decrease in Southern California compared to this time last year, but news from other parts of the state hasn’t been as good — if you can call 65 SoCal deaths good news. Thanks to Melissa Pamer for the heads-up.

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As Streetsblog notes, this Spanish spot promoting bike commuting doesn’t need subtitles to get its message across.

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Today’s news includes a couple of painful reminders to always ride carefully around pedestrians.

  • The University of Delaware student paper offers more details on the pedestrian critically injured in a collision with a bike rider on campus.
  • A 62-year old London woman has to have a hip replacement after she’s knocked down by a hit-and-run salmon cyclist.

As most bicyclists can attest, it’s not always the rider’s fault when a collision with a pedestrian occurs; people can be unpredictable and can step into the path of a bike without looking.

But it’s up to you to anticipate that behavior, and ride slowly, safely and defensively around other people, giving them the same space you’d expect from a driver.

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Local

KPCC reports that Union Station has received a state grant to remake its front entrance to be more bike and pedestrian friendly, including a new plaza and Bike Hub.

Three LA intersections make a list of the most dangerous intersections in the US: Eagle Rock Blvd and W Avenue 41, Olympic Blvd and S Bonnie Brae St, and W Temple St and N Beaudry Ave. Your best bet is to avoid them if possible; if not, use extra caution when riding through.

Advocacy group Multicultural Communities for Mobility is hiring a part-time Program and Policy Coordinator.

Members of Santa Monica Forward call on residents of the city to commit to Vision Zero.

 

State

A petition calls for a flashing crossing walk across a deadly street in Newport Beach.

San Diego becomes the latest city to adopt a Vision Zero; like LA, they’ll attempt to eliminate traffic deaths by focusing on the most dangerous traffic corridors first.

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton examines San Diego’s new $200 million bike plan; meanwhile, CiclaValley makes some snap judgments about biking in the city.

New Orleans police have finally identified a suspect in the road rage beating of a La Jolla bicyclist who was visiting the city; friends say the department showed no interest in the case that left the man paralyzed from the shoulders down until they were pressured by California media.

A 12-year old Victorville boy was airlifted with a head injury after he hit a parked car when he was apparently buzzed by a truck. Naturally, the victim was blamed for coming too close to the truck, even though it’s the driver’s responsibility to pass safely.

The Davis newspaper looks at road and track cyclist Jane Eickhoff-Becker and 1930’s six-day race specialist Al Crossley prior to their introductions to the US Bicycling Hall of Fame.

 

National

Streetsblog calls the proposed federal transportation bill a step backwards, even if it does contain a nod to complete streets.

Nice piece about a Seattle handcyclist using his ‘bent to overcome disabilities following a serious riding wreck and major health issues.

Powerful protest from Boulder CO as cyclists object to the removal of bike lanes by placing bikes on the street splattered with red paint to resemble blood; naturally, they were deemed abandoned by officials and given to the police.

The fight is usually over removing parking to make way for bike lanes, but officials in Austin TX are considering plans to remove a bike lane to make room for parking.

Minnesota authorities plan to respond to the death of a cyclist by installing rumble strips along a highway shoulder, even though many riders say they increase the danger without providing a significant benefit; as one man put it, once a vehicle hits the rumble strip at 65 mph, it’s probably too late.

Formerly auto-centric Detroit now has the fastest-growing rate of bicycle commuting in the US. Needless to say, Los Angeles didn’t even make the top 10.

A popular 60-year old Akron, Ohio man was shot while riding his bike 22 years after his son was shot in the same area.

Heartbreaking story from Ohio as a competitive cyclist suffers a life-altering injury when a driver slammed into him while trying to beat a red light; she was fined just $130 for the wreck that put him in a wheelchair.

New York’s unofficial Department of Transformation is crowdfunding efforts to create their own better bikeways.

A Pennsylvania man faces a vehicular homicide charge for killing a cyclist when he fell asleep at the wheel; he said there was nothing he could do after waking up to loud noises and noticing a bicyclist in front of his car. Nice to see authorities taking this seriously and not treating it as just an accident.

Heather Cook, the former Baltimore Episcopal bishop who killed a cyclist in a drunken, distracted hit-and-run, will spend the next seven years in prison after being sentence to 20 years, with 13 suspended. Thanks to F3nugr33k for the link.

The University of Delaware is the latest college to introduce their own bikeshare program.

A New Orleans bike advocate says everyone deserves to be safe on the city’s streets.

 

International

Snowy Calgary plans to make clearing the city’s new cycle tracks a priority this winter.

The four leading candidates to replace Boris Johnson as London mayor have all said they would consider changing the law to allow cyclists to go through red lights.

The widow of a British cyclist told the driver who killed him that he should be ashamed of himself for driving a truck a day after his doctor told him not to drive due to sleep apnea.

A cyclist is fined the equivalent of $300 for doing 38 mph in a 20 mph zone in a London park, even though a park official says the speed limit doesn’t apply to bikes. But still, 38 mph in a park? Seriously

An Irish cycling website says a bike-riding, but cyclist hating, commentator should have proof before blaming the victims.

PRI talks to director Haifaa Al Mansour, who has turned her movie about a young girl who upends Saudi society by riding a bike into a novel for young girls.

 

 

Finally…

After a co-founder of Mozilla Firefox catches a confrontation between two cyclists on video, he writes a song about it, and sings it badly. Evidently, it’s not possible to ride bikes with a large group of other people without calling it a race, even if you’re a wounded vet.

And now you don’t have to choose between sleek furniture and a place to store your bike; a new line of Chilean furniture is made to hold it for you. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the heads-up.

bike-furniture

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Law Enforcement, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , ,

Update: Bike rider killed in Carson when shipping container falls off flatbed truck

October 27, 2015 / / 2 comments

You’ve got to be kidding.

A bike rider lost his life in Carson this evening, for no reason other than he was there.

According to KTLA-5, a man was riding his bike on Santa Fe Avenue near Warnock Way around 5:05 pm Tuesday evening when a shipping container fell off a flatbed truck and landed on him.

He was pronounced dead at the scene; he has not been publicly identified.

The LA Times reports the truck somehow struck a railroad bridge, dislodging the massive container.

To make matters worse, the victim was not even riding in the street. KTLA says he was on the sidewalk when it fell on him, most likely as the truck was passing him.

Based on the limited description, there was absolutely nothing he could have done to avoid it. The only question is whether the driver struck a support, or if the load was too high to pass under the bridge.

This is the 65th bicycling fatality in Southern California, and the 26th in Los Angeles County.

Update: KABC-7 reports that the coroner’s office has identified the victim only as an Asian male, and confirms that the truck was passing the victim when the load fell off. 

According to a witness, a similar wreck occurred the previous day; fortunately, no one was hurt in that one. He blames trucking companies for cutting corners because truck drivers are on strike at the ports of LA and Long Beach. 

As a result, the companies are hiring flatbed truck drivers who simply strap the containers on, and who are paid by the load, rather than the hour, encouraging them to take chances. 

Today, it may have cost a man his life. 

Update 2: The LA coroner’s office has identified the victim as 51-year old Long Beach resident Robert Castorena.

Update 3:  BAC member David Wolfberg forwards what appears to be Robert Castorena’s Facebook page. 

Meanwhile, the LA Times fills in details about shipping companies and how the collision occurred; the truck apparently scraped the underneath of the railroad underpass, breaking the cables that secured the container.

No word on whether the driver, or the company he worked for, will face charges. 

Update 4: Police report the driver may face charges depending on the outcome of the investigation; they appear to be looking into whether the load was too high for the bridge. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Robert Castorena and his loved ones.

 

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

Update: West Covina bicyclist killed in (alleged) drunken late-night hit-and-run

October 27, 2015 / / One comment

For once, there was a cop around when he was needed.

Unfortunately, it came too late for a bike rider in West Covina last night.

Multiple sources are reporting that a bicyclist was killed in a high-speed hit-and-run just before midnight, and the allegedly drunken driver arrested moments later just a few blocks away.

Forty-four-year old La Puente resident Jose De Jesus Ruiz-Villanueva was riding his bike north on the 1100 block of South Valinda Avenue, just above Merced Avenue, at 11:49 pm when he was hit from behind by a car traveling at a high rate of speed.

A police officer who was writing a report at nearby Melinda Elementary School heard the collision, and gave chase as the driver sped away, he stopped the car on Cameron Ave, where he noticed substantial damage to the vehicle.

According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, a second officer went back to the scene, and found Ruiz-Villanueva dead at the scene.

The paper reports he had been on his way to work when he was killed.

Police arrested 25-year old Presley Danielle Rodriguez of Glendora on suspicion of felony driving under the influence causing great bodily injury or death and felony hit-and-run. She was booked on $100,000 bail.

Unfortunately, this occurred in Los Angeles County, where cases like this are usually plea bargained away, leaving the drivers to face little or no jail time.

This is the 64th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 25th in Los Angeles County.

Eight of those 25 deaths have been hit-and-runs.

Update: The driver, Presley Danielle Rodriguez, faces up to 15 years in prison on charges of hit-and-run and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. And for a change, the court appears to be taking this case seriously, increasing her bond to $150,000, $50,000 more than prosecutors requested.

The SGV Tribune reports Ruiz-Villanueva was on his way to work at A-1 Power Sweeping Co in Baldwin Park; his bicycle was his only form of transportation. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose De Jesus Ruiz-Villanueva and his family. 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities, Update / Tags: , , , , ,

Weekend Links: Scary head-on GMR driver, bikes for the zombie apocalypse, and a beer keg messenger bag

October 24, 2015 / / 7 comments

Halloween is just a week away. So let’s start with something scary.

Like an SUV driver coming around a blind curve on the wrong side of the road on Glendora Mountain Road after an ill-advised pass, courtesy of Ron.

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Washington Bikes spells out what I’ve been saying for years, with 13 reasons why you’re going to need a bike when the zombie apocalypse starts.

You can practice for the days of flesh-eating doom with Walk Bike Glendale’s 4th Annual Zombie Walk tonight.

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Forget a messenger bag. What you really need is this Timbuk2 keg-carrying backpack.

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Local

DTLA’s new and still unnamed bikeshare system needs a General Manager. Why shouldn’t it be you?

Frogtown’s Spoke Bicycle Café wants your help to expand into a full-fledged restaurant, microbrewery and coffee roaster along the LA River bike path; they’re trying to raise $25,000 via Indiegogo

Talk about not getting it. A Santa Monica coffee shop owner strikes gold by having a Breeze bikeshare station placed directly in front of her business, and freaks out over the loss of one or two parking spaces. If people aren’t using the bike racks next to her business, despite the city’s boom in bicycling, that should tell her something. But probably won’t. Thanks to David Huntsman for the heads-up.

Santa Monica moves towards its own Vision Zero plan.

The Ride 2 Recovery will be wheeling into SaMo today if you want to help welcome the wounded vets at the end of their week-long ride down the coast.

Say goodbye to the iconic Sixth Street Viaduct today from 2 to 10 pm, with free bike valet courtesy of the LACBC.

Don’t forget the Grand Opening of the San Gabriel Valley Bicycle Education Center, complete with costume bike train, on Sunday.

 

State

There may still be time to get to Santa Barbara for its third annual Open Streets event today, offering two miles of beachfront boulevard free from cars.

An Oakland bike rider gets a $2.5 million settlement after she was hit by a left-turning bus just after escaping from another one.

 

National

Can a little green paint improve the lowly and much maligned sharrow? Probably not.

A website on governing looks at the Complete Streets movement spreading across the country.

A Spokane city councilman claims it costs $63,500 to paint one mile of bike lanes; he’s right, as long as you include all engineering costs and expenses to repaint the entire roadway after repaving. In other words, it’s impossible to break out the relatively minor cost of bike lanes from roadwork that would have been done anyway.

A member of the Denver Broncos is raffling an autographed, custom Broncos Trek to help make Colorado children better readers.

Nice. A 98-year old Wisconsin man gets one last bike ride on a three-wheeled rickshaw.

This is the cost of traffic violence. A Boston researcher killed while riding her bike this past August was part of a team that just announced a major breakthrough in using stem cells to grow a new thyroid.

Boston bike advocates are ambivalent about the possibility of an Idaho stop law.

Streetfilms looks at DC’s protected bike lanes, while African American churches in DC are joining in a fight to preserve 75 street parking spaces used primarily on Sunday. Instead of bike lanes that would be used every day, and could help fight obesity in the community.

A League Cycling Instructor in Virginia — not a Licensed Cycling Instructor, thank you — says forget better lights, electronic turns signals and bike lanes, just learn how to ride more safely.

A New Orleans man is under arrest for intentionally running down a bike rider he suspected of trying to break into his car.

 

International

Let’s face it. Pro cyclists are just flat out better riders than the rest of us.

A group of international scientists will run and bike to Paris from both poles to demand action on climate change; although people coming from the South Pole have a hell of a lot further to go.

Even drivers are more comfortable on streets with protected bike lanes, as a Toronto survey shows.

Caught on video: This one is tough to watch, as a UK cyclist shares a first-person helmet cam view of his epileptic fit while riding a mountain bike.

Despite the headline, a British lawyer’s comments about Chinese President Xi Jinping had absolutely nothing to do with his two-wheeled mode of transportation.

A 19-year old Brit career criminal stole a car, blocked the path of a bike rider, then get out and attacked him before intentionally ramming two taxis as he made his getaway; he got three years for his efforts.

Perth, Australia is about to get its first bike boulevards. Although for some reason, the rendering still shows cars tailgating the bikes.

Life is cheap in Singapore, as a speeding taxi driver gets a whopping two weeks behind bars for killing a slow-speed salmon cyclist; at least he’s banned from driving for the next three years.

 

Finally…

Maybe the answer is bike therapy, or it could be better riding through hypnosis. You don’t have to understand Spanish — or maybe Portuguese, despite what the story says — to enjoy seeing bike thieves get punked; thanks  to Brian Dotson for today’s language lesson.

And now you too can buy your very own ice bike from Hammacher Schlemmer for just $2,500, plus shipping and handling.

 

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

Update: Twelve-year old Oceanside boy killed in collision with pickup while riding his bike to school

October 22, 2015 / / 8 comments

Sometimes you just want to scream.

A 12-year old Oceanside boy is dead, evidently because a driver neglected to look both ways before pulling out of a driveway.

According to multiple sources, the victim apparently struck the side of the driver’s pickup as he pulled out of an RV park driveway at 1510 South Coast Highway at 7:03 this morning.

The Seaside Courier reports the driver was turning left onto the Coast Highway when he heard a thump on the side of his truck. He made a U-turn into another driveway, and got out to find the victim lodged under his rear tire.

The boy’s bike was lying nearby, as other drivers helped guide the truck off of him, according to the San Diego Union Tribune. He was flown to Tri-City Hospital, but died a few minutes later.

Despite a lack of witnesses, police suspect the victim was riding against traffic in the bike lane, while on his way to a nearby school.

However, even if he had been riding the wrong way, he should have been clearly visible unless the driver neglected to look to his right as he prepared to pull into the center turn lane.

It’s also possible that the boy would have survived if the driver had simply stopped when he heard the thump, which was most likely the sound of his bike hitting the side of the truck.

A 12-year old boy is unlikely to have been riding fast enough to suffer significant, let alone life threatening, injuries by colliding with the side of the pickup. It’s probable that the fatal injuries were caused when the driver made his U-turn with the boy trapped underneath.

This is the 63rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified as Logan Lipton, a champion surfer who loved skateboarding and frequently rode to school. 

Tragically, though, his uncle says he was unusually apprehensive about going to school his bike on Thursday.

Update 2: A comment below from Barbara says the driver is a bicyclist himself, and is very torn up about this, which is only natural. 

She also says that he didn’t see Logan on his bike because the sun was just beginning to rise.

However, even at that early hour, there should still be enough light to see. And the sun could not have been in the driver’s eyes because the street runs north and south, and he would have been facing west. 

We can sympathize with the driver; something like this must be devastating to live with. But it’s far worse for Logan’s parents, family and friends.

It’s entirely possible that Logan may bear some responsibility for what happened if it can be shown that he really was riding against traffic. And he would have been more visible with a light at that early hour, if he didn’t have one on his bike.

But let’s not forget that cars are big, dangerous machines, and it only takes a momentary lapse in attention to have life altering consequences. 

Update 3: A gofundme account has been started to help the family pay for funeral expenses; Logan’s father is a Carlsbad police officer.

He was honored by his fellow surfers with a paddle out on Sunday.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Logan Lipton and all his family and friends.

 

 

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

Bicyclist killed in Compton collision

October 20, 2015 / / 2 comments

More bad news, as a Compton bike rider was killed in a collision Monday morning.

According to the Press-Telegram, the victim, identified only as a man in his 30s, was riding north on Compton Ave around 6:30 am when he was struck by a vehicle driving east on El Segundo Blvd.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver remained at the site following the collision.

A satellite view shows a signalized intersection with four lanes in each direction, with a center left turn lane; Compton narrows to two lanes south of El Segundo.

No other information is available at this time.

This is the 62nd bicycling fatality in Southern California, and the 24th in Los Angeles County.

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

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

Update: Bike rider dies following wrong way collision in Boyle Heights last week

October 20, 2015 / / 5 comments

Word is just coming in that another bike rider has died after being hospitalized following a collision.

Last week EGP News reported that a bike rider had undergone surgery after suffering major injuries while riding in Boyle Heights.

The victim was riding against traffic on westbound Fourth Street near South Mission Road around 10:15 pm on Monday, October 12th when he was hit head-on; the driver remained at the scene.

An email from his niece identifies the victim as Adolfo “J.R.” Haro. The family just learned of the collision and his death because he was not carrying identification.

She also reports the driver was speeding.

A vigil will be held and a ghost bike installed at 6:30 tonight.

This is the 61st bicycling fatality in Southern California, and the 23rd in Los Angeles County; it’s also the 10th bicycling death in the City of Los Angeles.

Update: An LAPD officer reports that Haro was walking his bike in the streets against traffic, rather than riding, even though there was a sidewalk he could have been using.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Adolfo “J.R.” Haro and his family.

Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the heads-up.

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

Morning Links: gofundme for HB bike victim, bike lane and salmon cyclist signs in Santa Ana, and more CicLAvia

October 20, 2015 / / One comment

A gofundme account has been set up for the victim in last week’s Huntington Beach bicycling collision, who passed away over the weekend.

I’m told that his name won’t be officially released until his parents can arrive here from Mexico to identify the body.

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Last week, our Orange County correspondent mentioned in passing that she’d spotted what looked like the initial markings for a bike lane near the Santa Ana courthouse.

Now Mike Wilkinson sends confirmation that the lanes are going in. Along with signs telling salmon cyclists to turn around.

Santa-Ana-bike-lane-1 Santa-Ana-bike-lane-2

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A reader writes to share her post-CicLAvia experience with an aggressive driver.

CicLAvia was its usually flurry of fantasticness that was over too soon. By 3pm, I was already commiserating with a friend about jonesing until the next one! You know the feeling, kind of like late Christmas morning.

But. But then. CicLAvia was over. And the road closures had created hordes of people operating vehicles under the influence of rage which doesn’t subside immediately when those barricades come down.

I was mashing westbound on 3rd Street, approaching Olive and minding the countdown timer. Despite what I, as a slowpokey old woman, consider a scary amount of speed, there’d be no time for me to clear the green. I braked at the yellow. The sedan behind me did not. Instead, the driver passed me on the left and shot into the Third Street Tunnel. How he didn’t sideswipe the vehicle in the designated left turn lane, I will never know.

Technically, the driver didn’t hit me; he hit the cardboard Militant Angeleno crossbucks protruding from under the flap of my Chrome bag. There was a single, loud THWIP as the cardboard bent and smacked my left flank. I knew immediately that my art project had been damaged, but didn’t feel the welt forming until I’d cleared the tunnel, and couldn’t pull off my dress to verify until I got home. The wound can barely even be called that; it’s just superficial, no broken skin and it won’t scar.

If I hadn’t already had a bad feeling about this driver, I would have been in the middle of the lane, exactly where I was supposed to be. I’d be writing this from the hospital, or not at all.

And no, I didn’t report it. I was hot and sweaty and tired, and had no information to give the police. I’m not even certain of the driver’s gender. “Mid-sized silver-grey sedan, last seen heading west.” Yeah, that’s helpful. Besides, the LAPD has made it crystal clear that hit and runs are too difficult to investigate, and an incident so minor that it doesn’t warrant reporting will serve only to divert resources away from solvable crimes. Also, I didn’t feel like explaining to an officer who should already know that it’s 100% legal for a cyclist to be in the left lane at that location. I was on a one way street and fixing to turn left onto Flower, and even in a car it’s fucking suicide to try to get over into the left lane. In the tunnel it’s impossible, and upon emerging, the two lanes immediately split into five.

Earlier in the day, I’d gotten rear-ended at the Mandatory Dismount Zone, and that collision was merely hilarious. It would’ve been awesome to have a rear-facing camera to have recorded the expression on the apologetic perpetrator’s face! But alas.

At least the event was fun from start to finish!

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Local

KPCC recaps Sunday’s 5th Anniversary CicLAvia, where a good time was had by all.

The LA Times notes that thousands of cyclists, skaters and pedestrians turned out, but still insists on calling CicLAvia a bike festival.

The Times also seems shocked that white people would support the Black Lives Matter movement at CicLAvia. Wait. Who says CicLAvia is a liberal event? Or do they suppose that conservatives would never set foot on a bike, let alone set foot on foot?

CiclaValley offers a good summation of Sunday’s CicLAvia. Seriously, does anyone realize just how hard it is keeping all those damned internal caps straight?

Getting people out of their cars and onto feet and bikes at CicLAvia not only improves moods, it results in a noticeable reduction in air pollution, according to a UCLA study.

And yes, there will be another CicLAvia, although you may have to wait awhile, as it returns to the Valley next March.

In non-CicLAvia-related news, KPCC looks at LA’s ban on locking bikes to parking meters, which is largely ignored by riders and cops alike, and how the ban could be lifted in Westwood to address the area’s acute shortage of safe bike racks.

 

State

A San Diego salmon cyclist is lucky to survive a head-on collision with just a broken arm after reportedly veering out into traffic; police suspect she may have been drinking.

BikeSD’s Sam Ollinger tells the story of the organization’s birth and its efforts to create a world-class bicycling city.

Injuries have tapered off at a Marin County bike park six weeks after opening.

 

National

Volkswagen cheats on emissions tests, and USA Cycling could pay the price. And at the same time the group is getting competition, no less.

Unbelievable. A driver flees the scene after killing a Utah handcyclist, and will have charges dismissed in just 36 months if he pays a measly $2500 in court fees and writes an apology to the victim’s family. Evidently, life is really cheap in the Beehive State.

A pair of mountain bikers ride into a dispute over overuse of wild trails in their attempt to ride all the rideable Colorado mountains over 14,000 feet elevation.

A Kansas letter writer insists that highways are meant for cars, and there’s nowhere to pass groups on cyclists who take the lane on the one he drives, even though it has both a right lane and a left lane.

A Houston bike rider gets screwed twice; once by a deputy constable who hit him while responding to a call, and again by a law that limits his compensation to just $100,000, forcing him to pay his medical expenses out of pocket.

A Texas bike rider called both 911 and his wife before passing out after suffering five fractured ribs, a broken left fibula, a partially collapsed lung and some nasty road rash when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver.

Congratulations to Anderson IN, which just conducted a road diet to give the city its first bike lanes. Although that’s got to be the widest damn center turn lane I’ve ever seen.

A Massachusetts driver is charged with fleeing the scene after killing a motorized bike rider he described as a dear friend; he reportedly got out and looked at his friend before driving off, promising a witness he’d be right back.

 

International

Six large international cycling events team together to form the World Association of Cycling Events. Yet somehow, they leave out CicLAvia, which should serve as proof to the Times that it isn’t a just bike event.

A British driver suffering from sleep apnea was told by his doctor not to drive the day before he killed a bicyclist.

There’s a special place in hell for the thieves who stole a British boy’s bike while he was being treated by paramedics after falling off a scooter.

Dublin thieves steal 14 bikes a day.

A 12-year old Australian boy is the latest bike rider to suffer a slashed neck because some asshole — and I use the term advisedly — strung a rope across a trail. Note to The Age: Attempting to decapitate someone by stringing a rope between two trees may be a lot of things, but a prank, it ain’t.

An Aussie developer rejects claims that an improved bikeway will encourage investment along the corridor. After all, that’s only been shown to work around the world, so why would anyone expect it to work there?

An Australian writer insists the Dutch don’t go far enough to make cities bike friendly, and that urban centers should be redesigned to make bikes the default mode of transportation.

An 18-year old British bike rider passes through Thailand four months after leaving London on an around the world journey.

 

Finally…

You could ride your next bike lying down. Or maybe you’d prefer a chainless bike with the seat set next to the handlebars. Or you could build a one-of-a-kind bicycle that’s like no other, except it looks suspiciously like a lot of other four-wheel pedal cars.

And a Brit writer criticizes cyclists for unfairly criticizing her for unfairly criticizing cyclists. But not all cyclists.

Got that?

 

Category: Bike Events, Injuries and Fatalities, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Huntington Beach bike rider has died following last week’s bike lane collision

October 19, 2015 / / 3 comments

Sometimes, our worst fears are realized.

That was the case last week, as the Orange County Register made a brief mention of a bicyclist who critically injured when he was struck from behind while riding in a Huntington Beach bike lane.

Sadly, they announced today that he did not survive his injuries.

The 29-year old victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding east on Warner Avenue at Springdale Street at 5:27 pm Tuesday when a driver veered into the bike lane and struck him from behind.

He was taken to UCI Medical Center, where he died on Saturday, four days after he was injured.

The driver remained at the scene, and police do not suspect drugs or alcohol use. No word on why he moved into the bike lane where the victim was riding; however, since the wreck occurred at or near the intersection, he may have been making a right turn.

A street view shows a typical six lane Orange County street with a center turn lane, and wide lanes built for excessive speed.

This is the 60th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 16th in Orange County; that compares with 74 in SoCal and 16 in the county this time last year.

It’s also the third bicycling death in Huntington Beach this year, and the eighth in just the last two years.

Update: A comment below from Bill Selin caused me to go back and check my records, revealing two errors.

One was the Garden Grove death of Suzy Ramage and her dog, which had been mistakenly categorized as Los Angeles County, rather than OC. The other was an unknown rider also killed in Garden Grove a few weeks later, which I had neglected to add to my database. 

As a result, I have corrected the totals above to reflect one additional fatality in Southern California, and two in Orange County.

I apologize for the error.

Update 2: A gofundme account has been set up for the victim. I’m told that his name won’t be officially released until his parents can arrive here from Mexico to identify the body.

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

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, Update / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: Don’t confront angry drivers, salmon cyclist injured in Boyle Heights, near miss in OC, and CicLAvia!

October 16, 2015 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Don’t confront angry drivers, salmon cyclist injured in Boyle Heights, near miss in OC, and CicLAvia!

Some stories are just too outrageous for words.

That was the case with yesterday’s murder of a bicyclist by a road-raging SUV driver who fled the scene after running down the victim near Expo Park following an argument.

We won’t rehash the whole story here.

But it serves as a tragic reminder that you never know who you’re dealing with on the roads. And if you encounter an angry driver, it’s better not to engage if possible.

Just pull over, and let them go on their way. A lesson I learned the hard way, after bouncing off the bumper of a road raging driver when I made the mistake of responding to her anger with a single raised finger.

Rule #1: Never flip off the driver behind you.

If they come after you, try to ride to a public place. Take your bike into a store if you need to.

Make a public display of calling 911, or ask witnesses to call the police.

I’ve also found that taking a photo of the driver and the license of the vehicle with your smartphone will diffuse most situations. Although pointing out that you’re recording everything on your helmet cam seems to have the opposite effect.

Try to speak calmly. Don’t yell or get into a shouting match. Just find a way to get out of the situation as quickly and painlessly as possible.

I don’t mean to preach.

That advice is a reminder for me as much as it is for you or anyone else.

I’ve got a long history of standing my ground and fighting for my right to the road through words and gestures. Even going so far as to block offending drivers with my bike and body, and shoving car doors closed to keep drivers or passengers from getting out and kicking my ass.

I’ve somehow managed to get away it. Except for that one time.

But as that case and this one make clear, it’s just not worth the risk.

………

A salmon cyclist suffered major injuries in a head-on collision in Boyle Heights Monday night.

………

A drunk driver lost control of his car and went off PCH in Huntington Beach, coming to rest in the sand; the driver and a passenger were arrested trying to flee on foot.

A friend reports she would have been passing through that exact spot at the time of the crash as she rode her bike home along the beach, if she hadn’t stopped to watch the lightening display and ended up talking with a driver who’d pulled over to watch, as well.

It’s funny how often little things like that can make all the difference in getting home safely.

………

CicLAvia returns to the scene of the crime for the fifth anniversary of the original Heart of Downtown event.

Speaking of which, the Militant Angeleno is back with his epic guide to Sunday’s CicLAvia route. Seriously, you need to memorize this, print it or download it to your phone before you head out on Sunday.

And there will be a feeder ride to CicLAvia from Culver City.

………

In pro cycling, the Tinkoff-Saxo cycling team is now just Tinkoff, as the team lost Saxo Bank after eight years of sponsorship.

And it’s not just the riders facing a doping ban anymore, as USA Cycling extends a zero tolerance policy to its staff and contractors.

………

Local

The Alliance for Community Transit is hiring an Organizing Coordinator, and a Campaign and Communications Coordinator. And they’ll be hosting a community event in Grand Park on Monday to discuss what a sustainable, transit-rich LA could look like.

Jimmy Kimmel gives a non-bicycling staff writer a bike riding lesson behind his Hollywood studio.

Great news from the Valley, as design work begins for another 12 miles of bike paths along the LA River. Although the story doesn’t say if it will connect with the existing LA River bike path.

CiclaValley says Metro has plans for a bigger, bolder, and hopefully more bikeable NoHo. Let’s hope those plans include the long promised Lankershim bike lanes that were squashed by the unlamented Tom LaBonge.

It’s official. South Pasadena will host the second stage of next year’s Amgen Tour of California.

Long Beach needs volunteers for its eighth annual bike count on Sunday, which unfortunately takes place the same time as CicLAvia.

 

State

A Huntington Beach bicyclist suffered critical injuries when he was rear-ended while riding in the bike lane on Warner Ave.

Newly bike friendly San Diego is ranked as the 12th greenest city in the US.

A Santa Cruz writer plays Miss Manners for mountain bikers for a day.

San Francisco cyclists have an interesting new transportation option, as they can now lease a $2000 e-bike for $79 a month, including a lock, theft insurance and unlimited maintenance.

A Rancho Cordova cyclist is lucky to survive a collision with a light rail train.

I want to be like him when I grow up. A Granite Bay man celebrated his 90th birthday by riding his 200,000th mile on his bike. By my calculations, I only have somewhere around 18,000 miles and a few more decades to go.

 

National

Microsoft is working on predictive intelligence to prevent bicycle collisions before they happen. Except when they have to reboot the system, download and install upgrades or fight off a virus, that is.

CNET looks at the growing popularity and expanding choices in e-bikes.

Next City offers eight images and videos it says will make you fall more in love with bikeshare.

A new Portland apartment building is only 80% leased, but the bike parking is already overflowing.

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho police are looking for a hit-and-run cyclist who plowed into a jogger after calling “on your left,” then not doing it.

The driver who nearly killed a Denver bike cop who was protecting protesting high school students faces up to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to vehicular assault; he lied about an existing medical condition when he applied for a drivers license.

An Arkansas county sobriety court has started their own bikeshare program — actually more of a bike library — to provide transportation for drivers who’ve had their licenses suspended for DUI.

The Minneapolis StarTribune talks with Stephen Clark, the bicycle-friendly community program specialist for the League of American Bicyclists.

Evidently, not everyone loves Detroit’s Slow Roll Bike Rides.

A New York truck driver was high on coke when he killed a cyclist in an apparent right hook.

The NYPD doesn’t just think bike lanes are for parking, they’re also a dump for precinct garbage.

A Brooklyn paper offers a by the numbers look at bicycling in the borough.

City Lab says that DC church’s claimed opposition to bike lanes for religious freedom is really all about free parking. Oddly, I don’t recall Jesus saying anything about being able to park right in front of a house of worship.

 

International

City and state governments around the world are finally using data to harness the benefits of the bicycling boom.

Two Winnipeg men are under arrest for attacking a car after the right-turning driver had hit a bike rider as she came off the sidewalk.

A Toronto writer reflects on the intersection of bicycling and jazz, including a hair-raising ride from Hollywood to attend a recording session in Studio City with the great Lee Ritenour, aka Captain Fingers. I’ve often thought riding through traffic felt like a jazz improvisation, as you slide in and out of ever expanding and collapsing spaces, speeding up and slowing down with the flow around you.

The UK’s Cycling Weekly offers advice on winter riding, some of which actually applies in sunny Los Angeles.

Horrifying crime from Austria, as four masked men push a bike rider to the ground and carve a swastika into his forehead.

A commuter in Malta tried five different forms of transportation before concluding that riding a bike was the most efficient way to get to work.

A Singapore judge suggests cracking down on rash cycling with jail time or a fine up to the equivalent of $1800.

Aussie cops take the country’s mandatory helmet law to a ridiculous extreme by fining a helmet-wearing woman $70 because her strap wasn’t tight enough.

Only in Japan would separated bike lanes be intended to protect cyclists from pedestrians instead of cars.

 

Finally…

If you’re carrying a knife, sawed-off shotgun, drugs and trafficking paraphernalia, don’t ride on the sidewalk and put a damn bell on your bike. If you’re hiding a meth pipe on your bike, maybe it’s better not to ride with a .22-caliber rifle strapped to it.

And it may be smart, it may be electric, it may be a foldie, but if it doesn’t have pedals, it’s a freaking scooter, not a bike.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Events, Car vs Bike, Morning Links, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , ,
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