My apologies once again.
I had hoped to be back today, but I’m not doing well at all today. I’ve fallen a couple times due to extremely low pressure, and given up on a new med that was supposed to help but only made things worse.
Best advice, don’t get old. It’s no damn fun.
Hopefully, we’ll be back on Monday.
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Happy Bike to Work, and/or Bike Anywhere Day!
I know of bike pitstops this morning in Beverly Hills and Pasadena, and I’m pretty sure Santa Monica is doing something, too. If Los Angeles is doing anything for Bike to Work Day, they seem to be keeping it secret.
Then again, I’m pretty sure most LA city leaders are keeping their eyes and ears closed, and trying to pretend we don’t exist.
Metrolink trains are free for anyone with a bicycle, and Metro trains and buses are free, along with DASH buses. And Metro Bikes are free for half hour rides.
Unfortunately, I’m having trouble finding a balance between two of my medications. My blood pressure has been in the toilet all day, and I’m currently flat on my back with the world spinning around me, so I’m not up to writing tonight.
Or anything else, for that matter.
So get out and ride your bike today, whether to work, school, shopping or anywhere else.
I’m just going to keep a tight grip on this mattress, and see you tomorrow.
My apologies.
I thought I was finally getting over Covid, but things took a concerning turn for the worse on Sunday. Hopefully a good night’s sleep will help, and we’ll be back tomorrow to play catch up.
My apologies.
I’m still really struggling with Covid, so no new post for Monday. Hopefully we’ll be back later this week after this is done kicking my ass.
………
The good news is, it turns out I don’t have the same virus I had before, after all.
The bad news is, I’ve got Covid instead, after carefully avoiding it for the first five years of the pandemic.
Good times.
So let’s see if I can get through this tonight.
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No surprise here.
As expected, a leaked memo shows the Trump administration will freeze all future bike lane and green infrastructure grants, so they can review them.
And yes, probably cancel anything issued during the Biden administration if the money hasn’t already been spent.
But don’t put it past them to attempt to claw some funding back, as they have already threatened to do with California’s high speed rail.
According to Streetsblog,
The memo cited as its authority five executive orders issued by the Trump administration that take aim at the diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility goals of the Biden administration, as well as the previous president’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the nation’s transportation system, which Trump and Duffy have characterized as a so-called “Green New Deal.”
Those efforts were a centerpiece of previous DOT secretary Buttigieg’s strategy to implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, from which he allocated billions of dollars in discretionary grants to sustainable and equitable modes — but now that Duffy and Trump are holding the reins, they’ve signaled that they’ll use the same programs to vastly expand America’s consumption of fossil fuels instead.
Because really, what could be the downside to Making America Drive Again?
I mean, aside from more traffic deaths and serious injuries, more congestion, worse smog, and the utter destruction of our planet.
………
Meanwhile, a bipartisan, bicameral active transportation bill was introduced in both houses of Congress this week.
The Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act would expand federal funding for local governments to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.
This legislation is named in honor of Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, the American diplomat and mother who was killed while riding her bicycle in Maryland, just two weeks after being evacuated from Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
But as much as I appreciate the gesture, the bill’s chances in the current political climate make a snowball in hell look pretty good.
………
Oh, okay then. Boston’s mayor says she removed the plastic posts “protecting” some of the city’s bike lanes because they kept getting run over by drivers and looked awful. And yes, drivers seemed to take that as an open invitation to drive in the bike lanes.
No surprise here. Internal Ontario engineering documents show ripping out Toronto bike lanes won’t reduce congestion, but could make streets significantly more dangerous for everyone.
No bias here. The UK’s Traffic Watch says London traffic is grinding to a halt as road restrictions “squeeze the lifeblood” out of the city, while bike riders say the real problem is just too damn many cars.
Bike Radar responds to Sir Julian Lewis’ call in the British Parliament for mandatory bike bells, saying “cycling doesn’t need more bad ideas from unserious politicians.”
………
Metro is fast at work at the new LAX Transit Center, with the new bike path and people mover readily visible.
Pasadena residents are calling for safety improvements to protect bicyclists and pedestrians on North Fair Oaks Avenue, while reminding city leaders that we’re people, too.
A Moorpark man suffered serious head injuries when he was left hooked by a driver who was apparently more concerned about turning left into the driving range than looking for someone on a bicycle.
That’s more like it. An Oregon woman now faces a murder charge in the death of a 87-year old man riding a bicycle, after fleeing the scene when she crashed into him and another man he was riding with; that’s in addition to the previous vehicular manslaughter, DUI and hit-and-run charges.
This is why people keep dying on our streets. An Oregon pickup driver walked without a single day behind bars for killing a woman riding a bike with her son; he originally faced 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000, but an overly lenient DA and judge gave him a Get Out of Jail Free card, despite his long history of speeding.
“Dozens” of New Yorkers, led by a state Assembly member, demonstrated in support of a law that would require ebikes to carry license plates and be registered with the DMV. Although you’d think a legislator could get more people to turn out if they actually cared about it. And unless there were more people than you can see in the photo, that ain’t dozens.
This is the cost of traffic violence. A “beloved” Virginia elementary school principal suffered life-threatening injuries and faces a long road to recovery after he was struck by a driver while riding his bike home from school.
Momentum lists ten “hidden gem” bike routes to add to your bike bucket list, none of which are in California, of course. Although the only hidden thing about the Great Divide route is it can be hard to find in places. Or so I’m told.
A writer for Cycling Weekly fondly remembers his first road bike, despite it being “taken prematurely” from him.
A bike commuter for more than 20 years explains 13 mistakes beginning riders make.
Life is cheap in England, where a distracted food delivery rider walked without a single day behind bars for killing a man on a bicycle, despite riding an illegally modified ebike.
The pandemic bike boom is definitely over, as bike sales in the UK dropped to the lowest level in 50 years. Or maybe they’ve just reached the saturation point, and everyone who wants a bike has already got one, or four. It could happen.
It will now cost you five US dollars every year to register your bicycle in the Zimbabwean city of Marondera.
Belgian Tour de France stage winner Victor Campenaerts says he’s “not the next Remco [Evenepoel] or Jonas [Vingegaard] or Tadej [Pogačar],” instead, he’s “just a good cyclist.”
This year’s Redlands Bicycle Classic will take place April 9th through 13th.
What’s biking through a little flood waters between friends? Drivers aren’t even waiting for bikes to leave the shop to run them down anymore. It’s not just a bike lane, it’s a parking space for your mobile workshop.
And protect your bike with the stench of death for the low, low price of just 280 bucks.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin.
Seriously, if it’s not one damn thing after another.
I’m dealing with a mild concussion resulting from an obstinate corgi who refuses to go outside in the rain.
We had to wander aimlessly through the garage looking in vain for a spot she would deem worthy of relieving herself. When she reversed herself suddenly to examine a stray a stray leaf, I turned to follow and knocked myself silly using my head as a battering ram against a low-hanging concrete support beam I swear wasn’t there when we walked over.
After which she decided maybe the rain wasn’t so bad and she wanted to go out after all, while I wobbled like a Weeble counting the Smurfs swirling through my head.
Ten hours, later my head still feels like the Liberty Bell. Never mind that it’s taken me almost an hour just to write this much.
So I’m going to pack in for today, and see you tomorrow to catch up on anything we missed.
Meanwhile, before you risk riding today, take a quick look at the notices below about road closures in and around the ‘Bu due to rain in the Palisades burn scars.
https://twitter.com/CaltransDist7/status/1883679871626527112
https://twitter.com/LAFDtalk/status/1883629832933957644
https://twitter.com/CaltransDist7/status/1883705259706700055
https://twitter.com/LAFDtalk/status/1883697317854986403
Shit, meet fan.
Like most Angelenos, I’ve been watching news of the fires with increasing horror all week. And like too many of us, too many of my friends have lost everything in a literal puff of smoke.
But when concerned friends and relatives would ask, I would confidently tell them we were in a safe area far from the danger; the only thing we had to worry about was someone starting a fire in the Hollywood Hills above us.
Guess what happened next.
In a matter of minutes, we went from praying for others to grabbing everything we could before joining a long line of fellow evacuees on the gridlocked streets of Hollywood as ash fell around us from the growing glow just blocks away.
It took us two-and-a-half hours to get to an overpriced hotel three miles away. Something I could done it in 20 minutes on a bike.
And would have if I didn’t have a wife and dog to worry about.
But we were safe, and watched on the news as firefighters made a heroic stand that literally saved our entire neighborhood.
By yesterday morning we were back in our home, nervously watching the winds as we unpacked everything we took in haste the night before.
Then came the false alarm evacuation alert ordering us to leave once again, only to be cancelled 20 minutes later with an “oopsie” alert explaining we got it in error for a fire far away.
Which oddly did not seem to lower my blood pressure or pulse rate one iota.
Now I’m completely exhausted, physically and emotionally, and worried sick about the friends we’ve yet to hear from.
And just this side of tears if my wife looks at me the wrong way. Or the dog, for that matter.
So I hope you’ll forgive me if I miss yet another post today. I just don’t have it in me to write about bikes right now.
I’ll be back on Monday, as usual, to catch up on anything we’ve missed, barring any further disasters, natural or otherwise.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head.
And hope this is all over when I finally wake up, whenever that may be.
My internet service has been going in and out all night, which is what happens when the cable company insists on stringing overhead wires in wind prone areas.
And the power’s not looking much better at the moment, so let’s make this quick.
If you’re in the LA area, and thinking about riding your bike in these winds, don’t.
The National Weather Service has described these winds as life-threatening, and they’re not kidding.
We’re seeing hurricane force winds throughout the LA area, particularly near mountains and canyons, which can easily blow large objects through the air, and knock down branches and power lines.
I’ve also had sudden gusts of winds knock me off my bike, and blow me across multiple lanes of traffic.
And trust me, that ain’t fun.
Then there’s the multiple fires spreading across the area, which can erupt suddenly and spread a lot faster than you can ride away.
In addition, the smoke from these fires is highly toxic, and poses a significantly greater risk if you’re exercising and breathing deeply. So if you can smell smoke, don’t ride.
Period.
There’s also the problem of multiple road closures, including PCH and the hills in Pacific Palisades, as well as around Eaton Canyon and Sun Valley. Which means that even if you do decide to chance it, you may find your usual route shut down.
Not to mention your escape route, if you need one.
On the other hand, if you have to evacuate, your bike makes a much better choice in an emergency than a motor vehicle, as hundreds of drivers trying to escape the Palisades fire learned the hard way yesterday.
Particularly after authorities had to use a bulldozer to clear a path for emergency vehicles through all the cars abandoned by drivers who couldn’t get out. (Thanks to Larry Kawalec for the link.)
The good news it, this is predicted to let up by Wednesday night, and be over by Thursday night.
So stay home, stay safe, and I’ll see you tomorrow to catch up on anything we missed.
Photo by Cole Keister from Pexels.
Hard to believe, I know.
It’s been ten long years since a friend suggested holding a fund drive to help pay for this site, allowing me to turn pro.
It started as a joke, but quickly turned into an important source of funding, as people like you surprised me by opening their hearts and wallets to us.
And by us, I mean me and my four-legged assistant down there at the bottom.
It’s been ten years of good news and bad, happy and, yes, sad. Because I always try tell you the truth about what’s happening on our streets, to the best of my ability, so you know what’s going on out there.
I admit, it’s been a challenge this year, as my wife and I have both struggled with a litany of issues. It’s meant I haven’t been able to keep this up every day, though I’ve done my best to bring you the most important news, and catch up on anything we’ve missed.
Now it’s your turn.
If you think we bring something of value to your life, maybe you can share just a small part of your hard-earned income, and a kick a few bucks this way. Or more than a few, if the spirit moves you.
I won’t turn it down.
You can donate with just a few clicks by using PayPal. Or by using the Zelle app that is probably already in the banking app on your smartphone; just send your contribution to ted@bikinginla.com.
You can also use Venmo@BikinginLA now. Or at least I think you can. Let me know if it works.
As always, any amount, no matter how large or small, is truly and deeply appreciated. And needed more than ever in this challenging year.
But either way, I hope you’ll keep coming back here, and keep reading in the days to come.
Because none of this matters without you.
I won’t lie, it’s been a tough year.
Despite everything, though, I have a lot to be thankful for.
I have a good wife, and a good dog. I also have a great extended family, and even get along with all the in-laws and outlaws.
My wife and I are finally healing from our respective shoulder injuries. And I know how to ride a bike.
But most of all, I’m thankful for you.
Because without you, I couldn’t do what I do. And even if I did, it wouldn’t mean very much without someone to read it.
So thank you.
I hope you and all your loved ones have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend, and I look forward to seeing you next week.
Check back on Friday, when we’ll launch the 10th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!
