In retrospect, I should have been further out into the lane.
Instead, I tried to be polite and let cars move up next to me, not anticipating that one incredibly impatient driver would deliberately right hook me.
She couldn’t wait two seconds — literally — for the light to change. And it was worth it to her to risk the life of a total stranger because I didn’t get the hell out of her way.
I don’t recommend flipping off anyone.
But this one earned it.
If I’d gone when the light turned green, I’d be in the hospital right now.
After awhile, you get to know the streets you ride.
Like this intersection on eastbound Ohio Ave, one block west of Sepulveda. I’ve learned to slow down there in anticipation of right hooks, as drivers stuck in traffic make a sudden decision to turn right without checking the bike lane first.
But I’ve never been right hooked from the left lane before.
You know it’s CicLAvia when the bike sculptures come out.
Maybe it was the extended hours, from 9 am to 4 pm, instead of 10 to 3.
Or maybe it was the scorching sun that made it too hot to get too worked up, and may have kept some people home for the day.
Either way, several people I talked with said this seemed to be the most relaxed CicLAvia so far.
The eighth version returned to its semi-traditional Downtown roots, and routes. Even though Downtown itself had changed, with the addition of Grand Park and the subtraction of the green bike lanes on Spring Street.
Or when the bikes parked in front of a pub take up a full block.
Everyone appeared to be in good spirits and ambulances seemed to be few and far between.
Although I took the afternoon shift, arriving at MacArthur Park a little after noon, so I missed anything that might have transpired prior to that.
For once, the semi-official 150,000 estimate seemed reasonably accurate; the streets I rode were nowhere near as crowded as they had been on previous events, making it more pleasant and safer for everyone involved.
It was heartbreaking to see the Spring Street green lane in its present state.
And I saw far more walkers and skaters, and less spandex, than on any previous CicLAvia. Which is a good thing, suggesting it’s moving beyond the hardcore riding crowd.
If I were to offer any constructive criticism, it would be that it’s time to stop routing riders through industrial areas with blocks of closed businesses. The South LA leg saw a fraction of the riders along the other routes, at least while I was there.
Which is not to say CicLAvia shouldn’t visit South LA. But can’t we find a more interesting way to get there, like the previous route down Figueroa?
Especially on hot days, effort has to be made to make inexpensive refreshments more easily available. I spent much of my parched ride looking for a convenient cold drink without having to stop and lock up my bike; one of the highlights was finally finding an ice cold horchata in Mariachi Plaza.
Bikes can dance, too.
And thanks to the Coke plant on Central, which placed a bucket of iced soda in the middle of the street so riders could help themselves.
Word is that next year could see four events, including another CicLAvia to the Sea — by far, the most popular event so far, at least in terms of attendance if not complaints — and a return to Wilshire Blvd, with a first foray into the Valley in December.
CicLAvia is maturing into a regular event.
In doing so, it’s losing that unique sense of wonder the first few events enjoyed, as we were all in awe the opportunity to experience an LA free from motor vehicles, and discover what the streets could be.
The view west from Mariachi Plaza.
And far from what anyone could have predicted when is founders first brought the idea to the LACBC for help in getting started.
But sadly, it’s only a respite, and only for a few hours.
At four pm, the barricades come down.
And the streets once again became unfriendly territory for anyone on less than four wheels.
………
A few video images from Sunday’s CicLAvia.
This is what your Spring Street green bike lane will eventually look like, even though the city broke its promise to finish it in time for CicLAvia.
Maybe it’s just me. But I loved watching this kid on his bike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB-FtP3K1Fw
And finally, this was may favorite part of this year’s CicLAvia, as DanceLAvia took to the streets between traffic cycles with a bike-powered soundtrack.
I try to post something every day, or weekday, anyway; even bike bloggers need a little time off. But sometimes the demands of daily life get in the way.
And sometimes, I just need to get in a good ride on a perfect fall LA day. Good ride being a relative term, if Westside drivers have any say in the matter.
Then there’s the problem of the day’s designated Preventer of Productivity climbing up unbidden for an extended round of petting, ear scratching and belly rubs, forming an impermeable barrier between my laptop and lap.
Fortunately, I’ve learned to edit video one handed.
Then there’s another project that’s been occupying most of my time lately, which I hope to share with you in the coming weeks as progress allows.
Stay tuned.
……….
Meanwhile, Patrick Pascal sends word that the Department of DIY has been hard at work on wayfinding signage on the LA River bike path near the southern end of the Frogtown section, which he describes as “both professional and also informative, useful and long overdue.”
Word is that the city is working on a half million dollar wayfinding system of their own, which will cover bikeways across the city.
But whether they can do a better job than the person or persons who took it upon themselves to craft these particularly well-done on-path street signs remains to be seen.
Okay, so the bad news is that I didn’t get to write today’s post last night. And since I’m guest editing LA Streetsblog today, I won’t have a chance to make up for it this morning.
The good news is, the reason I couldn’t write it was because I was hosting a discussion on bike education for KPFK’s Bike Talk program.
Bike Talk host Nick Richert, C.I.C.L.E.‘s Julia Lippe-Klein, LACBC Education Director Colin Bogart, Jim Shanman of Walk and Rollers, Tana Ball, Education Director of Youth Education Sports, and Cynthia Rose, Director of Santa Monica Spoke all joined in on a free-flowing and informative talk about the need for educating beginning cyclists as well as more experienced riders.
Not to mention teaching motorists and the general public about the rights of cyclists, and how to ride around bicycles.
It was a great conversation, and I thank everyone who participated. Especially for keeping me from sounding like a complete idiot my first time hosting a radio show.
Or maybe we should, since the LA County Sheriff’s Department is supposed to work for all of us.
Yet as this new YouTube video from WesHigh shows, at least one Sheriff’s Deputy has no idea what a sharrow is. Let alone that bicyclists aren’t required to ride to the ride on a non-sharable lane.
As the video points out, sharrows are not just wayfinding symbols that indicate a Class III bike route, but indicate the preferred position for bike riders within the lane. While you’re not required to ride on the sharrows, if you position yourself on the point of the arrow, you’ll be in the exact spot traffic engineers think you should be within the lane.
Those charged with enforcing the law should know that.
Yet from what I heard from other bike riders, the Deputy’s misconception, while an extreme example, isn’t that unusual for the department.
Many riders have complained about Sheriff’s Deputies demanding that they ride as far as possible to the right, in violation of CVC 21202, which only requires bicyclists to ride as far to the right as practicable. And then, only when traveling below the speed of traffic.
If you’re riding as fast or faster than the vehicles around you, you can legally ride anywhere you damn please, as long as you travel in the direction of traffic.
Yet even if you’re just crawling along, there are countless exceptions to the requirement to ride to the ride — including riding in a non-sharable lane, which is defined as any lane too narrow to share with a motor vehicle. And that includes allowing for sufficient space to avoid the door zone, which is one of those hazards the law refers to.
Which means that virtually every right lane in the Los Angeles area should be considered non-sharable. Especially if it allows parking on the right.
The officer is also mistaken in his insistence that the rider was obstructing traffic. Under California law, that only applies on two lane roadways, and by definition, requires five or more vehicles stuck behind the slower vehicle and unable to pass. If drivers can pass, or if there is another lane to the left they could use to pass if they chose to do so, the rider is not legally obstructing traffic.
As the video shows, this was a four lane street. And drivers were able to pass with ease — including the officer who dangerously chose to speak with a moving cyclist without pulling over to the curb first.
Unfortunately, this brings up a much bigger problem.
While the LAPD has worked with local bike riders to clarify the laws applying to cyclists, and developed a training session to train their officers in just how to — and how not to — enforce traffic laws relating to cyclists, the LASD, to the best of my knowledge, has not.
Just what training their officers receive in bike law isn’t known outside of the department and the officers who actually receive it. Or not.
And while the department may feel their officer training is adequate, this video — and complaints from bike riders around the county suggesting a lack of knowledge and inconsistent enforcement in various areas of the county — would suggest it isn’t.
It’s long past time for the Sheriff’s Department to step up and work with cyclists to ensure their officers understand bike law and enforce it correctly, and fairly.
In the meantime, this video prepared by the LAPD in conjunction cyclists participating in the department’s bike task force remains the state-ot-the-art for bicycle traffic law training among SoCal police agencies.
Even then, it’s only as good as department’s commitment to ensure every officer views it.
Most rides, you don’t see anything out of the ordinary. And others just take your breath away.
I’ve ridden past the hang gliding launch site above Dockwieler State Beach for a couple decades now, and never actually seen one in the air. Until now.
Let alone ridden alongside, so close I could nearly touch it.
This is what happens when I find myself stuck updating recent stories instead of working on my next post.
I get scooped once again by the ever-intrepid Damien Newton of LA Streetsblog.
Then again, this is a story worth sharing.
Because there’s a bike party going on at the LA Zoo. And if you’re over 18, you’re invited.
The Zoo’s Roaring Nights program offers live music, a DJ, stand-up comedy, food trucks and — here’s the best part — full bar service. Which means you can enjoy a beer while watching the bears. Or a martini with the marsupials.
Okay, maybe the second best part.
Because the Zoo is going to be LA Bike Central every Thursday for the next three weeks.
They’re encouraging everyone to ride their bikes there and leave their cars at home. Which means you could take a pleasant ride up the LA River bike path to the zoo on a warm and starry summer night. Or thanks to the 7 pm start time, make your way causally through the Griffith park area in relatively light post-rush hour traffic.
And you’ll find a free bike valet once you get there, courtesy of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, along with a special discount on admission for LACBC members.
The Los Angles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Los Angeles Zoo is located at the northeast corner of Griffith Park at the junction of the I-5 (Golden State) and the 134 (Ventura) freeways.
Biking to the Zoo is encouraged, and the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition (LACBC) will provide free bike valet for all of the Roaring Nights events.
COST:
The event is $18 for general admission, and $15 for members of GLAZA, KCRW, and LACBC members.
INFO:
For more information online, or to purchase tickets, please visit www.lazoo.org/roaringnights or call (323) 644-6042.
All events are 18+ and up. No outside food or drink is permitted.
………
The carnage continues, as two Highland CA boys are seriously injured when the bike they were sharing was hit by a car after they unexpectedly rode off the sidewalk into the roadway. The six- and nine-year old boys weren’t wearing helmets, despite state law requiring them for anyone under 18.
Patrick Pascal sends word that new bike lanes continue to spread across the city.
LADOT has finally completed the “last mile” of the Sunset Blvd bike lane! For several years the lane ended at Douglas just west of Elysian Valley Parkway (the main entrance route to Dodger Stadium). Today the reconfiguration was completed, adding (1) several hundred yards of bike lane from Douglas to Elysian Park and (2) a bus/bike lane continuing to Figueroa (where bike lanes into downtown were recently added).
While this project was modest in scope, it now allows a bicyclist to ride on bike infrastructure all the way from Hollywood to downtown.
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 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.
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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.
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 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 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
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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.
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.
