Archive for Bikes & the Law

Morning Links: More on misguided Olin decision; protected bikeways and hit-and-run bills pass legislature

August 28, 2014 / / 6 comments

More on the DA’s refusal to prosecute the sheriff’s deputy who killed cyclist Milt Olin, as cyclists urge the DA to change her mind.

Meanwhile, the local Calabasas paper picks up the story, while Digital Music News offers an angry response. Streetsblog’s Damien Newton rails against the decision. And the story goes international, courtesy of London’s Daily Mail; thanks to Kevin Hopps for the tip.

LA Daily News writer Brenda Gazzar writes that the Sheriff’s Department will open an internal affairs investigation into Deputy Andrew Wood now that the investigation is complete; thanks to Danny Gamboa for the link. Be sure follow her if you’re on Twitter for the latest updates and best reporting on this case.

For those who want to do more than sit and seethe, a protest ride and vigil will held next Wednesday, sponsored by the LACBC, Yield to Life and Ghost Bikes LA.

milt_olin_FLYR

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Despite difficult to understand opposition from CABO, the protected bikeways bill sponsored by the California Bicycle Coalition passed the legislature Thursday and awaits the governor’s signature. The bill will allow protected bikeways, which are currently considered experimental under California law, as long as they adhere to NACTO guidelines.

Meanwhile, two hit-and-run bills sponsored by Glendale Assembly Member Mike Gatto passed, as well; AB 47 will create a Yellow Alert system to notify the public about significant hit-and-runs, while AB 1532 would automatically suspend the license of any driver convicted of hit-and-run. Thanks to Finish the Ride for the heads-up.

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LA Weekly rides along to the Emmys with Mad Men writer/producer Tom Smuts and company.

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Alejandro Valverde captures stage six of the Vuelta. Disappointing that one of the world’s great bike classics is getting so little coverage, especially when it promises to be one of the best in years.

And even though Lizzie Armistead has already wrapped up the Women’s World Cup, there’s still a lot at stake in the final race.

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Local

Two miles of new bike path open along the LA River in the West Valley.

Flying Pigeon questions whether North Figueroa drivers really want faster speeds or better traffic flow.

Fig4All explains how one misguided councilmember can derail a much needed safety improvement project on North Figueroa. And what can be done about it.

Bicyclists in the City of Angeles will ride in solidary with the Afghan women’s cycling team “and all women who ride bikes in the face of adversity” this Saturday.

LA cyclists ride to remember three fallen Belizean riders.

Who knew? The Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills was once home to some of the region’s finest bike trails.

Santa Monica police bust a bait bike thief.

A jogger is critically injured running in the bike lane on PCH in west Malibu when he’s hit by a car, which doesn’t bode well for cyclists using the lane intended for them. Correction: It turns out that’s not a bike lane, after all. 

 

State

San Diego’s new Bicycle Advisory Committee promises to make the city better for biking

Santa Barbara gets $8.6 million for bike projects, while Goleta gets $3.654 million and Santa Ana gets a relatively paltry $3 million.

Sadly, a Roseville rider is killed by her own SUV when it rolls over her while she’s trying to remove her bike from the back.

 

National

Momentum Magazine lists the next great bicycling cities, while Bicycling is about to offer an updated list of the nation’s top 10 bike cities. Do I really need to mention that LA didn’t make either list?

A 91-year old Oregon WWII and Vietnam Vet plans to keep riding despite being hit by a car.

No distracted driving law means the penalty for hitting a Texas cyclist is no worse than getting a speeding ticket.

Despite the LSU paper’s apparent ethical dilemma, bike theft is just wrong. Period.

A 75-year old former Manhattan bike commuter reminds his fellow Virginia riders they’re not above the law.

Milt Olin isn’t the only cyclist to lose his life to a sheriff’s deputy, as a 15-year old Florida boy is run down for no apparent reason by a patrol car driven by a Lee County deputy.

 

International

Calgary defenseman Cory Sarich puts his NHL career on hold to recover from serious injuries suffered in a frightening bike collision last month.

The UK government is urged to protect funding for bikes and pedestrians.

Half of Brit drivers break the law; I suspect the percentage would be a lot higher here.

Turns out London cyclists aren’t a danger to guide dogs after all.

A Brit minibus driver gets five years for killing a cyclist while looking a photos on his cell phone.

India’s Health Minister wants a nationwide network of protected bike lanes.

Clearly, it was a loss felt worldwide, as Aussie cyclists ride to remember Robin Williams.

 

Finally…

When you’re leaving an Ohio drug house with crack on your bike, put a damn bell on it if that’s what the law requires; the bike, not the crack. Now that your GoPro bike cam can give you a dog’s eye view of the world, expect to see a lot of butt close-ups.

And evidently, a pair of Laguna Beach cyclists are selling something to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research. Unless the local paper meant pedal, instead of peddle, of course.

 

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

Update: DA refuses to file charges in Milt Olin case

August 27, 2014 / / 22 comments

The investigation is finally complete.

As predicted as soon as the LA County Sheriff’s Department inexplicably insisted on investigating itself in the death of cyclist and former Napster Exec Milt Olin, no charges will be filed against the deputy who killed him.

And as long predicated by myself and others, the immediate cause of the collision was the deputy’s use of the patrol car’s onboard computer while traveling on a winding road at 48 mph.

It was clear that the Sheriff’s Department was attempting to downplay their investigation — if not coverup the results — when they announced late on the Friday before Memorial Day that it had been turned over to the DA’s office for evaluation over a week before.

Then, nothing.

Not a word from the District Attorney for over three months, until news broke late this afternoon that the deputy responsible, Andrew Wood, would not face charges.

DA refusal letter (pdf)

Surprisingly, it actually appears the Sheriff’s Department recommended a charge of vehicular manslaughter; not surprisingly, the DA declined to file, saying they did not feel they could prove the deputy was negligent, which would be required for a conviction.

As we have discussed before, the case hinged on CVC 23123.5, which prohibits using electronic communication devices while driving — but exempts police officers and other emergency service workers in the performance of their duties.

According to the DA, that exemption applied in this case, as Wood was typing a response to a query from another officer when he drifted into the bike lane and rear-ended Olin’s bike without ever braking.

As often happens in such cases, Wood initially claimed Olin swerved in front of him in the traffic lane, and he only went into the bike lane in an attempt to avoid him. That is, until physical evidence and witness testimony proved him wrong, at which point his story changed to say he never saw Olin prior to the collision.

Yet somehow, the mere fact that Wood was driving at nearly 50 mph — in a bike lane — with no idea what was on the road directly in front of him is not sufficient evidence of negligence as far as the DA’s office is concerned.

Simply put, there are only two options.

Either the deputy was at fault for driving distracted — even though he could legally use the computer, he is still required to drive in a safe and legal manner.

Or the Sheriff’s Department itself is negligent for a policy allowing its officers to use the onboard computer in a manner that places everyone else at risk, as they will undoubtedly be found responsible for in the civil suit filed by members of the Olin family.

Either way, thanks to the complicity of the DA’s office, no one will ever be held accountable for the death of an innocent man, whose only crime was going for a bike ride on a sunny afternoon.

And a dangerous, if not deadly, policy will never be changed.

Thanks to Brenda Gazzar for breaking the story. 

Update: The afore mentioned Brenda Gazzar offers a detailed look at the case and the DA’s decision not to file charges in the LA Daily News, including this:

Eric Bruins, planning and policy director for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, said he was disappointed to see a clearly distracted law enforcement officer escape charges on what he called a technicality.

“Just because the law allows someone to do something while driving doesn’t mean they are allowed to do something unsafely while driving,” Bruins said. “Hitting someone from behind is very clear evidence that whatever was going on in that car was not safe and should have been considered negligent.”

It’s definitely worth a read to get the full story.

Meanwhile, LAist quotes several angry tweets from very pissed-off cyclists. Including yours truly.

 

 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Weekend Links: Three LA riders shot, one killed in separate attacks; Mad Men producer will bike to Emmys

August 23, 2014 / / Comments Off on Weekend Links: Three LA riders shot, one killed in separate attacks; Mad Men producer will bike to Emmys

Be careful waiting for transit late at night.

An Eastside bike rider was shot and robbed of his cruiser bike early Friday at the Metro Station on the 200 block of Indiana Street. Police are looking for a man and a woman.

Then again, let this be a reminder to always be aware of your surroundings, especially when you’re alone at night.

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According to the LA Times, two motorized bike riders were shot in South LA Saturday evening; sadly, one of the victims, a man in his 30s who has not been publicly identified, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The reason for the shooting is unknown. A report on KABC-7, not yet available as this goes online, says it did not appear to be gang related.

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For the first time in my knowledge, a nominee for a major Hollywood award will arrive by bike, as Mad Men writer/producer Tom Smuts will ride 15-miles from his Santa Monica home to Monday’s Emmy Awards at Downtown’s LA Live. He’ll be riding with a group of fellow attendees on a route designed with help from the LACBC.

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Barring catastrophe, Teejay van Garderen wrapped up his second consecutive victory in Colorado’s USA Pro Challenge by setting a new course record in the individual time trial. Uphill. And in the rain.

As the Pro Challenge wraps up, the Vuelta a España kicks off; Bicycling tells you who to watch.

And speaking of which, Helen’s Cycles is sponsoring a Vuelta Challenge Party on Saturday, September 6th; the same day, they’re also holding a group ride for intermediate to advanced cyclists.

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Local

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton takes councilmember Gil Cedillo to task for honoring an 84-year old Korean War vet killed while crossing North Figueroa, despite killing the street safety improvements that might have prevented his death. Meanwhile, Orange 20 says when Cedillo won, LA lost.

Original LA bike advocate and recent father Joe Linton offers advice on when, where and why to bike or walk with a baby.

The final Crank Mob ride rolls on Saturday, September 20th with The Last Crankmass.

Beverly Hills may be the Biking Black Hole, but their police take distracted driving seriously, at least for a day.

Maybe things are finally getting better for cyclists in the San Gabriel Valley, as both Pasadena and San Gabriel pursue robust bike plans.

 

State

A podcast interviews LA ultra-distance rider and Furnace Creek 508 and Badwater 135 producer Chris Kostman.

OC riders are invited to meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday in Seal Beach and Fullerton, respectively, to discuss a proposed 66-mile bikeway loop through the county.

A San Diego ninja cyclist was injured in a collision early Friday morning, yet a local TV station somehow considers his lack of a helmet to be the most important detail.

Oakland looks to improve safety for bike riders and pedestrians.

 

National

NPR responds to complaints that a recent story about LA Bike Trains incited violence against cyclists.

Bicycling’s Elly Blue goes in search of her five-figure bike.

Bike lawyer Bob Mionske offers advice on what to do if you’re hit by a car in Oregon; the same advice holds true just about anywhere.

Evidently, bike thieves will steal anything, as vandals strip Washington’s famous bike in a tree.

Local business people freak out over a new road diet and parking protected bike lanes in Salt Lake City.

A Nashville writer asks if we can all share the roads without someone ending up in the hospital. Good question.

New York firefighters rescue a salmon cyclist and her adorable puppy after her bike is hit by a sanitation truck.

If you think it’s hard riding in DC now, imagine what it was like in 1982.

 

International

New British study shows riding to work really does make you thinner. Then again, so does taking public transport.

Scary. A 96-year old UK woman apologizes for killing a cyclist and seriously injuring the victim’s husband — even though she can’t remember the crash.

An Irish cyclist rides 8,700 miles from Dublin to Beijing.

Tragically, 20-year old Dutch mountain biker Annefleur Kalvenhaar was killed after falling in a qualifying race for the UCI World Cup.

Instead of focusing on making the streets safer, Aussie police bust 76 cyclists for riding without helmets.

 

Finally…

A rare triple caught on video: The top 10 epic fails of drunken Russian bike riders. Cam Zink successfully lands a 100 foot mountain bike backflip. And a Polish cyclist hits a hidden pothole and does a faceplant in a major puddle; then again, if this is the worst day of his life, as the headline suggests, he must be having a pretty good one.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Morning Links, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: New e-book from bike writer Rick Risemberg, conviction in Phillip Richards hit-and-run case

August 17, 2014 / / 2 comments

Our-Own-Day-HereWe have a lot to catch up on after this weekend’s breaking news, starting with a new e-book from one of LA’s leading bike writers.

If you’ve been following this site for awhile, you’ll know that we link to pieces written by my friend Richard Risemberg of Bicycle Fixation on almost a daily basis, whether on his own site, or as a guest writer for Flying Pigeon and Orange 20 Bikes.

Now he’s collected some of his best essays for the new volume, Our Own Day Here.

While many of the chapters focus on bicycling, the tome goes beyond bikes to examine “how the way we travel, live, and shop shape our lives and our souls, and reveals the richness of experience he finds in city living.”

Among the subjects covered in these sometimes poetic, sometime humorous essays are cars, transit and bicycling, economics and politics, development, as well as the sense of place and the places that make it happen.

As he notes, some of the pieces have appeared on various websites, as well as in the pages of local and national publications, while others have never seen print or pixels before.

I haven’t had a chance to read it myself yet, though I hope to offer at least a partial review soon.

But knowing Rick, and the insightful quality of his writing, I’d highly recommend giving it a read. Especially at the low download price of just $4.99 — with a 10% discount through Smashwords with the code BU84L through the end of August.

It’s also available through Apple’s iTunes Store, and for Kindle through Amazon.

So what are you waiting for, already?

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The driver charged with killing popular Beaumont cyclist Phillip Richards has been found guilty on charges stemming from the fatal hit-and-run.

Jurors convicted William Donald Johnson of both gross vehicular manslaughter while under the influence and hit-and-run causing injury, with enhancements for leaving the scene of a collision and causing great bodily injury.

However, the jurors split on an additional murder charge; the Riverside County DA is unsure if he will be retried on that charge. He will be sentenced October 3rd; no word yet on how much time he faces.

Johnson’s wife Kari had previously pled guilty to aiding in Johnson’s escape in the hit-and-run, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years probation.

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Tragically, the bike rider most seriously injured in that wrong-way collision on San Diego’s Fiesta Island that sent eight cyclists to the hospital is paralyzed from the chest down as a result.

Meanwhile, the driver responsible pled not guilty to felony DUI with injury and possession of a controlled substance after meth was found hidden in a very private place.

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That other notable cyclist from my hometown sets out today to win his second USA Pro Challenge, while Jens Voigt says this will be his last pro tour after 33 years.

Caught on video: A nasty crash in the Eneco Tour takes out Italian cyclist Eugenio Alafaci, as well as the cameraman filming it.

And former world champ Mario Cipollini is hospitalized after a car turns in front of him on a training ride.

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Local

CityMetric looks at a tale of two bike lanes on North and South Figueroa.

A virtually unrecognizable Kesha goes for a bike ride on Venice Beach.

LAist offers photos from the opening of the Levi’s Commuter pop-up in DTLA.

Now you, too, can slug your java from an Every Lane is a Bike Lane mug.

Streetsblog and Santa Monica Next will host a forum for SaMo city council candidates next month.

The San Gabriel City Council holds a special session on Tuesday (pdf) to discuss the city’s proposed bike plan.

 

State

A Desert Hot Springs man is under arrest after police found him riding with bolt cutters on a stolen bike. And it wasn’t even the one he was seen stealing on surveillance video.

Sad news, as the San Francisco bike rider seriously injured in a collision with a fleeing car thief last month was taken off life support on Saturday.

After his custom-made bike is stolen, Redding residents pitch in to help a developmentally disabled man build a new one.

 

National

Our slow cycling, casually dressed president goes for a family bike ride on Martha’s Vineyard.

An OpEd writer for the New York Times reminisces on her life on two wheels, while a writer for Crain’s New York, who lost his own son in a bicycling collision seven years ago, explains the city’s new Vision Zero policy.

The New York Post applauds the NYPD’s crackdown on cyclists who “terrorize pedestrians and endanger life and limb,” and calls on the city to make it permanent. On the other hand, they seem to be fine with the lawbreaking drivers who kill a hell of a lot more people than cyclists ever could.

Caught on video: Continuing today’s New York theme, an NYPD officer is caught leaning in to deliberately block a bike lane, evidently just for the hell of it.

Finally leaving Gotham, a Maryland cyclist pens a powerful open letter to the hit-and-run driver who cracked his ribs and ran his bike over.

 

International

CNN lists the world’s best cycling cities; only one US city is on the list. And no, it ain’t LA.

A Montreal office building cuts a cyclist’s lock and impounds her bike, even though it was parked on public property; if they have such a problem with parked bikes, maybe they should put in a decent bike rack.

Britain’s Top Gear host calls for separated bike lanes and greater tolerance on the roads.

Turns out cyclists are human beings, too. Who could have imagined?

At least they’re showing an even hand, as Aussie police target scofflaw cyclists and the law-breaking drivers who pose the greatest risk to them and others.

 

Finally…

Breckenridge CO hosts a replica of the Eiffel Tower made entirely of bike parts. And Ford learns the hard way that using a convicted bike doper probably isn’t the best way to market their cars.

 

Category: Bikes & the Law, General, Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: Possible Olin cover-up, USC students launch Nutlock, and the other cyclist from my hometown

August 7, 2014 / / 5 comments

The LA Times updates the lack of action in the Milt Olin case, killed by an LA County Sheriff’s Deputy while riding on Mulholland Highway last December.

The story offers one bit of new information, reporting that an initial examination of the driver’s cell phone showed no activity at the time of the crash, while phone records later showed he had texted six times in the minutes leading up to it.

Which suggests that the texts may have been erased from the phone in an attempt to cover it up — or that someone may have ignored evidence on the phone pointing to his guilt.

Meanwhile, Salon is the first national news source to pick up the story, noting that texting while driving is illegal in California. But they fail to note the exemption for on-duty emergency workers, which could explain why the DA’s office can’t seem to find anything to charge him with.

This one was forwarded from multiple sources, so thanks to everyone who sent it for the heads-up; thanks to Hwy 39 for the Salon link.

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USC students unveil an innovative new wheel lock to help prevent wheel theft and eliminate the need to lock them in addition to the frame. Security is enhanced by plans to create multiple key designs to prevent thieves from simply buying a set to unlock the wheels.

After just two days, their Kickstarter campaign has already raised over $10,000 towards the $15,000 goal. A pledge of just $25 dollars will get you a pair of Nutlocks of your very own.

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The other famous cyclist from my hometown, Teejay van Garderen, will defend his USA Pro Challenge title later this month. Former next big thing pro cyclist Joe Dombrowski has vascular surgery to try and get his leg strength back.

And Peter Sagan may not be headed to Tinkoff-Saxo after all. Update: Yes, he is.

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Local

The LACBC invites you to attend Hot August Bikes at Hollywood’s Amoeba Records on Sunday, the 17th.

London Bridge may not be falling down, but the Riverside Figueroa Bridge is. Or being dismantled, anyway.

No irony here, as Beverly Hills promotes heart health while fighting bike lanes and discouraging bike riding in the city.

Santa Monica gets $4.4 million to improves streets and implement their Bike Action Plan.

Proposed Glendale Green Streets could include bike lanes. And a smart OpEd in the Glendale News-Press patiently explains why motorists are a bigger danger than cyclists.

 

State

Measuring traffic flow by automotive throughput — aka Level of Service — is now officially a thing of the past in California.

BikeSD makes a public call for the resignation of the chair of the city’s Uptown Planners group.

A 73-year old San Diego cyclist suffers major head trauma in a head-on collision with another rider.

Mobile bike repair service comes to San Diego.

BART hopes new signs will keep bike riders from breaking the rules.

 

National

The problem with Share the Road campaigns.

If you want to get cyclists off the sidewalk, build bike lanes.

Wearing headphones when you ride may not be smart, but it’s safer than driving with the windows rolled up.

East Texas cyclists start a safety campaign reminding drivers that bike riders are people, too.

A reminder that a new bike path isn’t any good if it’s not maintained, like this one in New Jersey.

A former American Gladiator allegedly flattens a pedestrian while riding in New York’s Central Park.

To protect and serve (pizza). Baltimore bike cops go above and beyond by delivering pizza to a seriously injured cyclist after she’s released from the hospital; link via Bicycling magazine.

The Baltimore airport opens a 12.5 mile bike path, complete with bike share to entertain waiting passengers and employees.

Kill a bike rider in Florida, and lose your license for a whopping six months.

 

International

A Vancouver motorist drives down a protected bike lane, then right crosses a cyclist after leaving it.

Evidently, a unanimous vote of Toronto’s city council doesn’t mean any more than it does here, as they voted for a separated bike lane that never gets built. Sort of like bike lanes on Lankershim, Westwood and North Figueroa.

A London grocery truck gets outfitted with 360-degree cameras in an effort to protect bike riders.

Caught on video: A London bike rider captures a first-person view of a cut-off collision; fortunately, he survived the brutal impact.

Lovely Bicycle meditates on a ghost bike for a 16-year old Irish rider.

A new Chinese bike helmet promises to be a combination turn signal and mood ring for your head.

 

Finally…

After a six-year old Portland girl posts a sign shaming the thieves that stole her dad’s bikes, the publicity helps get them back. After repeatedly giving a Texas man with Asperger’s Syndrome a ride to work, local police pitch in to buy him a bicycle; now that’s class.

And Austrian police tell a naked bike rider to put her damn clothes on, already.

 

Category: Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

Daughter of LAPD Sgt. accepts plea in death of Gardena cyclist Jesse Dotson

August 6, 2014 / / 5 comments

Despite her best efforts, the killer of a Gardena bike rider was unable to avoid justice after all.

Although her semi-successfult attempt to flee the scene may have spared her from a more severe penalty.

Twenty-three-year old Vanessa Marie Yanez was reportedly driving home when she collided with 60-year old postal worker Jesse Dotson as he was riding into work on Gardena’s El Segundo Blvd in June of last year. Yanez fled the scene, leaving Dotson bleeding in the street; he died in a local hospital a few days later.

The daughter of a veteran LAPD sergeant, Yanez reported the car stolen to the Huntington Park police the next day. However, an alert HPPD officer put two-and-two together after seeing news reports of the collision, and contacted Gardena police to report Yanez as a suspect.

Her car was found, complete with shattered windshield, still at the home she shared with her father, less than a mile from the scene of the collision. KNBC-4 later reported she told police she had been drinking before the wreck; if true, fleeing the scene would have given her time to sober up before her arrest.

She was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, perjury, filing a false police report and felony hit-and-run.

Gardena police initially said her father, Sgt. Arturo Yanez, could face charges if it was shown that he had knowledge of his daughter’s actions or was involved in the attempted cover-up. No such charges were ever filed, though, even though it’s hard to understand how such an experienced officer would be unaware of what was happening under his own roof.

There were also reports that he could face an internal investigation with the LAPD; however, such investigations are considered personnel matters, and the results are unlikely to ever be made public.

Today, the LA District Attorney’s office announced (pdf) that Vanessa Yanez had changed her plea to no contest on three counts — a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident, felony perjury, and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. She is expected to be sentenced to two years in state prison on September 25th.

The sentence seems light under the circumstances, suggesting she accepted a plea deal in exchange for a lighter sentence, as usually happens in traffic cases.

However, light sentences do little to stem the epidemic of hit-and-runs. And her sentence would have undoubtedly been much stiffer if it could have been shown that she was under the influence when she hit Dotson.

Which is just one more reason why the penalty for hit-and-run should be stiffened to match the penalties for drunk driving and remove the incentive for intoxicated drivers to flee the scene.

Correction: This story initially said Yanez had pled guilty; it has been amended to reflect her actual plea of no contest.

 

Category: Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Cyclist in critical condition after Koreatown shooting; was Marco Pantini murdered?

August 3, 2014 / / 2 comments

A Koreatown bike rider is in critical condition after being shot three times on Sunday.

According to the Daily News, the victim, identified only as a man around 45 years old, was riding at the intersection of Leeward and Westmoreland Avenues when he was attacked by two suspects at 1:15 am. At last report, he was undergoing surgery at California Hospital.

No word on a motive for the shooting.

However, this one hits a little close to home, since it’s just a block off the 7th Street bike lanes I, and many other bike riders, use to ride to and from Downtown.

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Local

Flying Pigeon reminds us that Cedillo rhymes with Armadillo — and not in a good way — while Orange20 notes that a certain councilmember receives almost all his support from outside the district.

Rick Risemberg looks at a useless, and not surprisingly, unused bike rack at his local drugstore.

LA Bike Trains founder Nona Varnado looks forward to ‘cross season.

Redondo Beach looks forward to removing a wall that has long been a major choke point on the south end of the Strand as part of a larger bike and pedestrian friendly improvement plan for the beachfront.

 

State

The San Diego City Council forms the city’s first Bicycle Advisory Committee a dozen years after it was first proposed.

Riders are forced to abandon the 100 mile Tour de Big Bear after a thunderstorm leaves two dozen of the nearly 2,000 cyclists suffering from hypothermia.

 

National

Now you, too, can be the part owner of a women’s pro cycling team.

Reno sees a rise in bike thefts in advance of bike-centric Burning Man.

In California, AAA fights bike safety legislation and separated bikeways on South Figueroa; in Seattle they sponsor benefit bike rides.

Missouri bike riders rally to protest harassment in the wake of a local mayor who allegedly ran a cyclist off the road. Meanwhile, a St. Louis blogger looks at the attitudes that fuel harassment.

Gothamist offers a beginners guide to biking the bloodthirsty streets — their word, not mine — of the Big Apple, while Well+Good offers seven suggestions for neophyte riders in the city.

Gulfport MS police are using GPS-enable bait bikes to combat a rise in bike theft.

 

International

Italian authorities open an investigation into claims that pro cycling legend Marco Pantani was murdered by being forced to drink liquid cocaine.

Now you can buy the bike Pippa rode during RAAM for a mere £20,000; I don’t care whose ass was on it, the equivalent of $34,000 is a lot for a bike.

A study from the University of Duh shows people who live near car-free paths tend to bike and walk more.

Marianne Vos wins the Giro. No, not that Giro.

 

Finally…

German police rescue an 83-year old man from the middle of a busy high-speed highway; he was attempting to push his bike to neighboring Luxembourg to make a large bank withdrawal. And a Brit actress is pulled offstage minutes before curtain time after she was reportedly involved in a crash with a young bike rider.

 

Category: Morning Links, Violence & Crime /

Morning Links: Judge rules police can’t search your bike without permission, and Timbuk2 opens on Abbot Kinney

July 31, 2014 / / 3 comments

In an important affirmation of cyclists’ rights, an Orange County judge rules police don’t have a right to turn your bike over without permission or probable cause.

Homeless rights advocate Igmar Rodas was charged with violating Santa Ana’s bike licensing requirement after he was stopped for riding on the sidewalk, which is banned in the city. Police then turned his bike over to look for a license sticker; when they didn’t find it, they ticketed Rodas for sidewalk riding and not having a valid bike license.

However, the judge ruled that the act of overturning the bike constituted an illegal search, which is banned by the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution.

The case serves as a reminder that police may legally ask for identification when they stop you for a moving violation while you’re on your bike.

But unless they have probable cause to suspect you’re breaking the law — such as seeing you attempt to hide a weapon or drugs, for instance — they can’t search you, your bike or your possessions without your permission, any more than they can search your car if you get stopped for speeding.

Nor can they take any action against you for refusing permission for a search, which is your right under the law.

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Timbuk2 signHad a great visit with the friendly and knowledgeable folks at the new Timbuk2 store on Abbot Kinney in Venice Thursday afternoon.

I’ll have a more detailed report later.

But if you’re in the area, stop in and say hi and check out the full line of Timbuk2 messenger bags, backpacks and suit cases — even a smartly designed women’s pannier that converts to a shoulder bag.

Not to mention what promises to be LA’s first bike share program, with free loaner bikes available on a first-come, first-serve basis starting this September. Yes, free.

And mark your calendar for their official Grand Opening ceremony August 16th and 17th.

They’re going to be a great addition to the LA bike scene.

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Local

Streetsblog and LA Walks want your help to win funding for a Vision Zero plan for the City of Angels. They’ve got my vote.

Levi’s Commuter pop-up store opens in DTLA next week.

Culver City Walk & Rollers hosts a Family Ride this Sunday.

A proposed pipeline could result in the final link in San Gabriel Valley’s Emerald Necklace bikeway system.

Carson receives a $1.26 million grant for a new bike/pedestrian path.

 

State

A planning and development website offers a technical look at what comes next when California moves away from using Level of Service to measure traffic flow.

A pair of letter writers call for action to improve safety for Laguna Beach bike riders.

A cyclist is moderately injured in an Anaheim collision.

The Big Bear Cycling Festival runs through this Sunday.

A collision survivor says Sacramento is pretty coldhearted when it comes to justice for homeless cyclists hit by cars.

 

National

The Bike League offers advice on how to create a safe and inclusive learning environment from LA bike advocate and Licensed Cycling Instructor Maria Sipin.

A writer for the Daily Beast offers an open apology to Greg LeMond for pushing the Armstrong lie.

New $1,295 aerial drone promises to follow your rides with an airborne GoPro camera.

A Texas town proposes turning a smuggling path into a bike trail.

Shockingly, a Florida driver is fined just $200 for killing a cyclist — despite 29 traffic violations.

 

International

A Brit cyclist says he was almost run down by a texting truck driver; unfortunately, the video of the incident has been removed.

UK driver posts video of bad bike behavior online after a rider damages his car while weaving through traffic.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon rides a bike to promote urban cycling.

 

Finally…

For reasons known only to him, stunt cyclist Danny MacAskill jumps Playmates at the Playboy Mansion. And a St. Louis writer says, wisely, if a cyclist does something you don’t like, don’t honk or yell; just stay calm, because the streets belong to all of us.

 

Category: Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Two months later, still no word from DA on Olin Case; Amoeba plans Hot August Bikes celebration

July 30, 2014 / / One comment

Sometimes, no news is no news.

More than two months after the Sheriff’s Department turned their investigation of their own officer who fatally ran down cyclist Milt Olin over to the District Attorney’s office, the DA has announced absolutely nothing.

According to the Daily News, there is still no word, official or otherwise, on whether the officer will face charges. Or even when or if a decision will be made.

Even though the DA’s own website promises a decision on filing within 60 days on any case, barring unusual circumstances.

I guess a texting on-duty cop running down a rider in a bike lane, then being investigated by his own department, rather than an independent agency such as the Highway Patrol — which normally investigates traffic fatalities in the county’s jurisdiction — could qualify as somewhat unusual.

Although the near-total news blackout on the results of the six-month investigation, followed by a total lack of comment from the DA’s office after more than two months, might make someone wonder just what the hell is or isn’t going on.

This case has stunk from day one.

And eight months later, the stench isn’t getting any better.

……..

Sounds like fun. Amoeba Records, along with a long list of co-sponsors, will celebrate Hollywood bike culture with Hot August Bikes in their parking lot behind store on Sunday, August 17th. The event, which runs from noon to 5 pm, will benefit the LACBC.

……..

Forgive the late notice.

The Bikeway’s Subcommittee of the LA Bicycle Advisory Committee — the city’s only official voice for bicyclists — will meet from 1 – 3 pm today at LADOT Headquarters, 100 Main Street.

BACBikewaysAgendaJuly302014

……..

Local

Been awhile since we’ve heard from bike lawyer Daniel F. Jimenez, better known here by his nom de bike Dj Wheels. He writes that cyclists are turning to tech products to improve safety.

Planning is underway for next month’s third annual Clitoral Mass ride; as the name suggests, men need not apply. Meanwhile, Culver City will get its own CicLAvia next July.

The Westside’s favorite bike race, the annual Brentwood Grand Prix, rolls this Sunday; always a great time offering exciting men’s and women’s racing.

Metro honors CICLE’s new executive director, Vanessa Gray.

Seriously? A Glendale museum director insists that cyclists — except for his law-abiding friends, of course — are crazed lawbreakers who speed downhill at 40 mph in spandex and without brakes, unlike all those rational, law-abiding motorists out there. Proving you can be really smart, and still say some really stupid things.

And a Palos Verdes letter writer (second letter) complains about bicyclists getting their own private space, plus being allowed to use every lane on the public roadways, unlike all those law-abiding motorists who would never dream of driving in a bike lane. Thanks to Margaret for the heads-up.

 

State

A San Francisco cyclist suffers life-threatening injuries when he’s hit by the driver of a stolen minivan fleeing from police; six other people were less seriously injured.

After a young New York woman is killed while riding in Chico, her parents vow to live out her bucket list.

A Stockton man sics his dog on a bike rider for the unconscionable crime of using a hose without permission.

 

National

The Bike League looks at how better laws can promote bicycling, and invites you to order their new Smart Cycling Quick Guide.

Despite what the NY Times says, Bicycling insists there’s no proof carbon fiber is making bikes more dangerous. And the magazine’s Test Director can barely control his anger at the Times piece.

I’ve been ignoring multiple stories lately about a competition to design the urban bike of the future; Bike Snob explains in his own inimitable way why that was the right choice.

A Chicago study shows only buffered bike lanes keep riders outside the door zone.

An upstate New York woman was high on crack when she hit a cyclist not once, but twice before fleeing the scene — and despite her 23rd license suspension. You’d thing after the first dozen or so, someone would permanently revoke her license and forbid her from owning a car.

A proposed change in DC law would end contributory negligence in car vs bike collisions.

When Ft. Lauderdale police lead Critical Mass riders uphill at a dangerously slow pace — 3 mph, for chrissake — a ride leader asks them to speed up so people won’t fall. And is nearly forced into a collision by a cop, then arrested for his trouble.

 

International

A local Yorkshire official who called cyclists lawless menaces who speed through the village at a remarkable 50 mph is convicted of drunk driving at nearly twice the legal limit. But we’re the dangerous ones, right?

Now that’s class. When the Malawi bike team competing in the Commonwealth Games brought a pair of bikes to a Glasgow bike shop for repairs, the staff decided they deserved better. And loaned them two high-end bikes for the competition.

British rider Emma Pooley announces she’ll retire after the Commonwealth Games.

After pedestrians call an Irish bike rider an idiot for riding on a footpath, he proves them right by attacking them with a key and screwdriver.

 

Finally…

A Houston burglar uses a doggy door to steal a bike, then leaves it behind when he can’t ride it. And Long Beach police respond when a six-year old tries to use a toy gun to jack another boy’s bike.

Seriously, you can’t make this shit up.

 

Category: Bike Events, Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: LA sheriff’s agree PCH cyclists belong in the lane; women could race in 2015 Pro Challenge

July 28, 2014 / / 4 comments

Don’t tell Seth Davidson.

But he’s rapidly turning into one of Southern California leading bike advocates.

After meeting with the police chief of Santa Paula on Friday, along with the LACBC’s Eric Bruins, in the aftermath of the recent anti-bike You Tube fiasco, the author of Cycling in the South Bay followed up with Sunday’s Sheriff’s Department ride-along on PCH.

Along with members of Big Orange Cycling, Davidson organized a demonstration of why large groups of cyclists belong in the traffic lane, riding abreast, rather than hugging the curb or weaving in and out of the lane while riding single-file.

In a result that should surprise no one, with the possible exception of most motorists and many law enforcement personnel, the deputies agreed that riding abreast in the lane was far safer than the other alternatives, and posed fewer problems for the drivers around them.

Which means that riders on PCH can expect fewer unfair and unfounded tickets for violating the requirement in CVC 21202 to ride as far to the right as practicable, which doesn’t apply on non-sharable lanes.

And the deputies agreed that the right lane of PCH is too narrow for a bike to safely share with a motor vehicle. Especially once the new three-foot passing law goes into effect in September.

As he points out, this is less a victory than a step in the right direction.

But it’s a damn big step.

And we all owe Seth, and the other riders involved, a round of thanks for fighting for our rights and helping them take it.

Thanks to Al Williams for the heads-up.

……..

Now that Kazakhstan-based Astana rider Vincenzo Nibali has won it, the Central Asian country wants to host the Tour de France. After a fan lost his helmet cam while filming stage three of the Tour, Europcar rider Kevin Reza films himself finishing the stage, then returns it to the owner. A team founded by Jock Boyer, the first American TdF rider, hopes to be the first all-African team to compete in the race. Jens Voigt looks back on the last of his 17 Tours.

And following the successful Le Course women’s race at the Tour de France, the USA Pro Challenge may consider letting women race next year.

……..

Local

A Freedom of Information request confirms an LAPD officer had no basis to claim bike lanes would delay emergency response times on North Figueroa, despite what he said during a sham hearing put on Councilmember Gil Cedillo.

CicLAvia is working on a route through several cities in southeast LA County for spring of 2016.

A new urban cycling bike shop is opening in Santa Monica, with a pre-grand opening happy hour on Wednesday.

Two Long Beach riding groups will meet Wednesday to discuss how to get more women riding in the city.

 

State

The Palm Springs area could get its own bike share program.

Mountain View is looking for a new Mobility Coordinator. I’ll take the job if I can do it from here.

 

National

A six-year old Portland girl makes her own sign criticizing the thief who stole her father’s bike.

My already bike-friendly Colorado hometown is getting buffered bike lanes.

Red Kite Prayer remembers mountain bike framebuilder Tom Teesdale, who died of a heart attack during Iowa’s RAGBRAI.

A question I’ve often asked myself — should you speak up when you see someone riding in a risky manner?

New York’s Citi Bike is cheaper than other transportation options, and faster than most.

 

International

Moving story of yet another bicycling visitor to this county whose life was cut short by an American driver; this time a young Toronto man run down outside Memphis.

The son of a fallen cyclist asks London’s mayor to stop promoting bicycling in an unsafe city.

A new Indian concept bike could fit in a backpack, and be reassembled in just 10 minutes.

Could a single bad decision ruin Tokyo cycling forever?

 

Finally…

A Boston-area cop begs to differ when a rider claims he can’t be arrested for refusing to give his name after running a red light. And a nice story, as LA Sheriff’s transit deputies and support staff buy a new bike for disabled Reseda man after his is stolen from the Chatsworth Orange Line Station. Nice work, guys.

 

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