Archive for General
US DOT Secretary LaHood says bikes are good
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood tweeted this in support of bikes on Monday:
We’re not anti-car; we’ve paved our share of roads. But bikes must have a seat at the table.
But that doesn’t begin to compare with what he had to say on his blog:
Today, I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.
We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.
To set this approach in motion, we have formulated key recommendations for state DOTs and communities:
- Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
- Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
- Go beyond minimum design standards.
- Collect data on walking and biking trips.
- Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
- Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
- Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.
Now, this is a start, but it’s an important start. These initial steps forward will help us move forward even further.
The Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation does a good job of explaining just what that means.
But evidently, the planners working on a replacement for the Gerald Desmond Bridge in the Port of Long Beach didn’t get the memo.
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A police sting catches a Downtown bike thief, and nearly stings a nearby pedestrian in the process. The Dodgers could learn a lot from the new Yankee Stadium when it comes to bike parking. Will offers video of his trek down the Orange Line Bikeway, and he’s shocked by the Times’ front page coverage of last weekend’s Fargo Street Hill Climb. The LACBC’s City of Lights program is featured in a Streetfilms video from the National Bike Summit. The hit-and-run epidemic hits Berkeley. A new ghost bike goes up in Sacramento. Security cameras capture the last images of a Portland cyclist missing for nearly a month. A Spokane-area bar owner pleads not guilty to the hit-and-run death of a cyclist earlier this month. Drivers now form the minority in Detroit. Dave Moulton looks back at the King of the Classics. Maybe you just need a better soundtrack for your commute. Riding from Paraguay to the U.S. to save the trees. Bike sharing in Tehran. The failure of London’s new bike plan. Bspoke bikewear fit for the office. More on the London bike death of musician and fashion designer Shivon Watson, aka Shiv Lizzy; Dutch experts say London’s mayor could do more to cut deaths and get more riders on the road. Maybe they should consider an underwater stage for next year’s Tour. Thanks to the Trickster for word that Melbourne-area roads are getting smarter.
Finally, Copenhagenize looks at Ciclovia in Mexico City; if you like what you what you see, don’t just imagine it in L.A. Do something about it.
Category: General / Tags: bicycling, Ray LaHood, transportation planning, U.S. Department of Transportation
Big news on blocked bike lanes, Complete Streets and drivers manuals
Turns out, this really is illegal after all. Photo of Venice Blvd bike lane courtesy of Todd Munford.
It took awhile.
But we’ve finally got an answer on whether blocking bike lanes with anything other that a parked motor vehicle is legal.
And it turns out, it’s not.
The other day, along a handful of other local cycling activists, I got an advance look at the new officer training materials currently being prepared by the LAPD. It’s still a work in progress, but promises to be a huge step forward in repairing relations between the city’s police and cyclists.
And ensuring that our rights — and yes, responsibilities — will be respected and enforced.
One thing stood out, though, especially in light of the above photo. So I turned to the LAPD Commander next to me to ask for a little clarification.
A bike lane, he explained, is a lane of traffic. And it is against the law to block any traffic lane without a permit.
Which means that those trash cans and recycling bins blocking the bike lane in the picture up above are violating the law. As are the countless tree limbs, advertising signs, double-parked cars and other assorted hazards we frequently find blocking our way on the few strips of asphalt dedicated to our exclusive use.
Of course, it’s one thing to confirm it’s illegal. It’s another entirely to get someone to enforce it.
As Stephen Box has pointed out, LADOT’s Parking Enforcement Division hasn’t been in a hurry to write tickets for bike lane violations. And while the police can write tickets, it’s not exactly their highest priority, for obvious reasons.
So the next time you find a bike lane blocked, call and complain.
Call LADOT. Call the police (but don’t call 911 — a blocked lane may be a pain in the ass, but it’s not an emergency). Call your local councilmember.
And keep calling until someone actually does something.
Because it turns out, it really is illegal.
Meanwhile, Cyclelicious broke the news last week that big changes are taking place on the state level.
On March 9th, Caltrans Director Randell Iwasaki announced the state’s new Complete Streets Implementation Action Plan that’s intended, along with other measures, “to meet the needs of all users.”
Iwasaki instructs state transportation agency employees to “view all transportation improvements as opportunities to improve safety, access, and mobility for all travelers in California and recognizes bicycle, pedestrian, and transit modes as integral elements of the transportation system.”
In other words, bikes and pedestrians will now — in theory, at least — be taken in account in all future state roadway work.
Which won’t mean immediate changes. But it has the potential to eventually transform every city and county throughout the entire state.
On the other hand, the new 2010 California Drivers Handbook could have a more immediate effect, clearly stating that cyclists have the same right to the road as any other road users:
Bicyclists on public streets have the same rights and responsibilities as automobile and motorcycle drivers. Respect the right-of-way of bicyclists because they are entitled to share the road with other drivers. Here are some critical points for drivers and bicyclists to remember:
Motor vehicle drivers must:
• Pass a bicyclist as they would a slow moving-vehicle. Pass with caution, and only when safe.
• Look carefully for bicyclists before opening doors next to moving traffic or before turning.
• Safely merge toward the curb or into the bike lane.
• Not overtake a bicyclist just before making a turn. Merge first, then turn.
• Be careful when approaching or passing a bicyclist on a freeway.
As Cyclelicious shows, it goes on to clearly spell out the responsibilities of cyclists to obey all traffic signals and stop signs, to ride with the flow of traffic — including riding on the left on one-way streets — and to “signal their intentions to motorists and bicyclists near them,” among other points.
It’s not perfect.
But if drivers — and cyclists — actually pay attention to what it says, our streets could start getting a lot safer.
Fast.
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In yet another case of a UK cyclist dying in a collision with a large truck, emerging British musician and fashion designer Shivon Watson — who recorded under the name Shiv Lizzy — was struck and killed in the London borough of Hackney on Wednesday. Closer to home, no cause of death has been determined for L.A. resident Kevin Brent Cohn, whose body was discovered in the bike path in Ballona Creek on Saturday.
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Santa Monica-area cyclists may want to make plans to attend an important Monday night meeting on street improvements to 20th Street and Cloverfield Blvd. L.A.’s second Tweed Ride rolls on Saturday the 27th. Over four thousand cyclists take part in Saturday’s Solvang Century. The Redland’s Classic bike race kicks off on the 25th. Long Beach’s biking expats roll through West Texas on their way to Austin. Why are hipster fixie riders the most pretentious jerks in San Francisco? Also in the Bay Area, you can have your bike stolen — and get it back 30 minutes later. If you’re visiting New York City, you might want to bring your bike with you — or maybe you’d prefer pedaling through Transylvania. A popular Ohio cyclist and bike store owner is found dead on the side of the road; authorities suspect natural causes. More highlights from last week’s National Bike Summit. This year’s Paris – Nice race goes to the same guy who won last year’s Le Tour, for the second time. An Ottawa paper visits America’s most bike-friendly brewery. Calgary has to do more to support cyclists, including getting non-cyclists to pay more attention on bike paths; yeah, that would be nice here, too. Toronto’s leading candidate for mayor says let’s put the bike plan on hold. The 50 best bikes, from a Brit perspective. A South African writer mistakenly believes he’s being clever when he says bicycles are for children and circus bears, and describes cyclists as “pointy headed people wearing disturbingly tight Lycra and gay shoes; evidently, he didn’t read about the three cyclists killed there earlier this week.
Finally, a retired L.A. police officer paralyzed by a robber’s bullet is training to ride in this year’s Race Across America to raise money and awareness for Operation Awareness, an LAPD-based program that has sent 35 young people from gang-infested neighborhoods to college over the last 10 years.
Category: General / Tags: 2010 California Drivers License Manual, bicycling, Caltrans, DMV, L.A.P.D., LADOT, Los Angeles
Your pre-Ides of March links
Mini-grants are available for the Safe Routes to School program. More on Saturday’s ArtCycle in East Hollywood from Stephen Box and LAist. Also Saturday, Eastside cyclists meet Westside cyclists in the middle on the FMLY Ride. Six minutes of reasonably awesome singletrack riding above Altadena. The Redlands Bicycle Classic could put the Banning Bench on the biking map. The victim in the Sacramento hit-and-run case, in which a witness chased down the drunk motorist and took her keys, is making a slow recovery — and tells his tale of being dragged beneath the vehicle for a quarter mile. Maybe this is the year the Feds start funding bikes; the U.S. Secretary of Transportation tells cyclists “You’ve got a partner in Ray LaHood.” Can the bike boom survive better times, assuming there are better times any time soon? A cynical cyclist takes a critical look at Google Bike Maps. Arrested twice for the crime of riding a bike in Ennis Tx. Mountain bike racing could be the next high school football. Beware the Ides of March; a study shows crashes increase 17% the first Monday after Daylight Savings begins. Joe Mizereck, the man behind 3 Feet Please, suggests London drivers should Please Look, Thank You. Bike racks have been removed from Westminster Palace to make room for more chauffeured cars. A London paper road tests bike bags. L.A.’s pothole plague seems to be part of a world-wide phenomenon. Attention dopers racers, there’s a new test for Human Growth Hormone on the horizon. A Rutgers University professor says Sydney is one of the world’s most hostile cities for cycling.
Finally, props to my friends in the soggy northwest, whose West Seattle Blog was just named Business of the Year by the local Chamber of Commerce.
The Google now loves bikes and other assorted links
In a move long-awaited by cyclists — and currently running rampant through the biking blogosphere — Google announced the beta version of its Google Map biking directions at the National Bike Summit currently taking place in Washington, DC.
It allows you to call up bike maps for any of 155 cities throughout the U.S., including the entire Los Angeles metropolitan area, and allows you to zoom in to show street-level detail. Like their driving and transit maps, the bike maps allow you to enter a starting and ending point, and will map out a presumably bike-friendly route “optimized for cycling, taking advantage of bike trails, bike lanes, and bike-friendly streets and avoiding hilly terrain whenever possible.”
I say presumably, because early tests have been mixed.
This morning, I tried entering two trips starting from the Coffee Bean at the intersection of Santa Monica and Beverly Glenn boulevards.
The first, plotting out a route to the Santa Monica Pier, was a disaster to put it mildly. The odd, circuitous route it suggested added 10 unnecessary turns — and nearly a mile of riding — at the beginning, when all it had to say was “get on your bike and ride west in the bike lane on Santa Monica Blvd.” Then instead of recommending the reasonably safe bike lanes on Ocean Blvd in Santa Monica, it suggests walking down a flight of stairs and riding on the walkway through Palisades Park, even though riding on the sidewalk is illegal in Santa Monica.
The second attempt, riding east to Downtown’s City Hall, proved much better. Again, it starts out with a strange loop at the beginning, when it would be far easier to simply get on the bike lane on Santa Monica and ride east. Then it follows the same route I would take through Beverly Hills, before recommending riding Olympic Blvd to Downtown — which is actually a decent route, though many cyclists could feel uncomfortable on such a busy, high-speed street. And ends by directing you to ride past the main entrance to City Hall, around the block to the Spring Street employee-only entrance.
Maybe Google assumes no one but a city employee would want to go there.
It’s a good start, and could prove invaluable down the road, giving cyclists the ability to successfully navigate their own cities, as well as visit places they’ve never gone before. Although it didn’t take long for the bike haters to jump in.
But there are a lot of bugs that will have to be worked out.
As JJ Hoffman, River Ride Director for the LACBC, put it:
Google gives you an option to email them to correct their directions. I will be exercising that option.
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Other news from the national Bike Summit currently taking place in Washington, DC.
Bikes Belong launches a new campaign to unite bike riders of all types in a single voice; BikePortland says think of it as a MoveOn.org for bikes. Evidently, some members of the Senate Bike Caucus support bikes in name only; notice the lack of any members from the once Golden State. And the LACBC has sent its own delegation to the Street Summit, with meetings scheduled with a number of SoCal Congress men and women — though evidently neither of our non-Bike Caucus Senators, one of whom is running for re-election. (Note to Barbara Boxer — we vote, too.)
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It was an exceptionally bad weekend for cyclists in the Southern hemisphere. A young Australian cycling champ was killed on a training ride Saturday when he failed to make a turn. Meanwhile, three “outstanding” South African cyclists were killed on a training ride when they were struck by a driver who claimed to be blinded by the sun; a fourth died later in the hospital.
One of the surviving riders succinctly summed up the horror:
“I was slip-streaming… I looked up, saw the bakkie (ed: pickup) and then it hit me. Everything happened so fast. The next thing, the paramedics woke me up and I heard the doctor telling someone to cover the three bodies with a blanket.”
The driver has been charged with homicide.
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The LACBC reminds you about the ongoing input meetings for L.A. County Bicycle Master Plan, including tonight’s session at the Marina del Rey Library, where the Marina bike path crosses Admiralty Way. Stephen Box takes Metro to task for failing to meet minimal standards for bike parking at the Hollywood and Vine Metro Station. Photos from the Bike Kitchen’s 5th Anniversary celebration. Miley Cyrus takes to her bike in Toluca Lake, though she could use a few adjustments. The amazingly cool bike sculptures of Robertus Joost van der Wege go on display in Forth Worth; could be worth a trip to Texas just to check it out. Cyclists may soon be able to share Pennsylvania Avenue with the President; but maybe a bike lane isn’t always the best solution. Lance says don’t count on him to beat Contador in this year’s Le Tour. Floyd Landis finally gets a new team, though it’s a big step down for a former Tour non-winner. Oddly, a survey of motorists conducted by a car insurance company and posted on an Automotive news site shows that most drivers want cyclists to pay road fees and ride somewhere else; half also admitted to having little understanding of bike laws — evidently, the rest either wouldn’t admit it or don’t realize how little they know. Changes to Ontario’s auto insurance regulations could put cyclists and pedestrians at risk. Kiwi cyclists can now fly, as a New Zealand inventor unveils a new pedal-powered monorail. The good news, Toronto gets a new bike lane; the bad news, it’s full of cabs waiting for fares — with a traffic cop guiding them. To survive on London streets, women riders should be less ladylike.
Finally, a London cyclist was killed at almost the same time London’s mayor unveiled a new Cycle Safety Action Plan; I’ll let you know what I think about it when I have a chance to read it. And if anyone from Metro is reading, something like this could be a great outgrowth of the new Metro Bicycle Roundtable.
Category: General / Tags: bicycling, Google Map biking directions, just the links, National Bike Summit
Is a ghost bike appropriate for a teenage gun shot victim?
When I lived down south, I had a great apartment in a park-like 1920s neighborhood that was the envy of all my friends.
The only problem was — and the reason I could afford it — it was right next to one of the worst high-crime neighborhoods in town. One that I had to ride through if I was going to get anywhere.
I never thought much about though, until one night when I was on my way home from a late-evening ride and found myself stopped at a red light, well after dark.
A small group of men were gathered on the corner. And sure enough, as I waited for the light to change, four or five of them started walking towards me, looking very unfriendly despite their broad smiles.
“Nice bike, man.”
“I bet I’d look good on that bike.”
“Maybe you should let me ride it.”
Fortunately, right about then, the traffic cleared. And I took off on a sprint that would have won most stages of the Tour de France.
Later, when I discussed it with a friend of mine on the local police force, he suggested that in the future I should just run all the red lights and stop signs in that neighborhood. “There’s not a cop in the world that would give you a ticket for that,” he said.
Somehow, I have a feeling the LAPD might disagree.
I was reminded of that this evening when I read this post from Will Campbell.
It seems he was stopped at a red light at National and Venice, when a beat-up car blaring rap music pulled up on his left.
“That’s a nice bike, ” says the passenger to me over the lyrics that are mainly muthafuckin this and the muthafuckin that.
At face value that may seem a nice thing to say. But more often than not, such a statement is not a nice thing. More often than not, such a statement is not a compliment. More often than not it is not paid by a Century City lawyer or a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, but rather by some covetous lowlife, and it translates roughly into “I want your bike.” It’s a statement in the form of a demand along the converse lines that “Where you from?” is a demand in the form of a statement. In short, it’s mostly rhetorical and arrives carrying a lot of baggage.
I give him a glance to find him presenting a general demeanor that would qualify as a definite lowlife. The hairs on my arms rise.
“Thanks!” I say too cheerily and I watch him looking over 8Ball like it’s another guy’s girl that he wants to get to know better 10 minutes ago. Looking away and ignoring him might have been the better tactic, But I didn’t employ it.
“What’ll you give me for it?” I ask and he takes his eyes off the bike and puts them on me and sits up a bit.
“How ’bout a beating?”
Fortunately, after a tense stare-down, both men in the car started laughing. “Nah, man. I’m just fuckin’ witcha,” he said, before driving off.
But it brings up yet another risk cyclists face on the streets.
Unlike drivers, who can lock their doors and roll up their windows — yet still risk getting jacked — cyclists are exposed and vulnerable to whoever might be passing by at any given moment. And we’ve got something worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars tucked between our legs, as well as wallets, cell phones and iPods in many cases.
Most of the time, it’s not a problem.
You keep your eyes open, and try to avoid certain streets and circumstances, especially after dark. Just like you would if you were on foot.
But things can happen. And you never know when you could find yourself in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people.
Like the mini crime-wave that stuck the Ballona Creek bikeway a couple years ago, prompting cyclists to reclaim the bike path. Or the female rider struck in the face with a baseball bat in a robbery attempt, or the two cyclists shot and wounded in separate incidents on the same night last year.
And it’s not just limited to L.A. Clearly, it can happen anywhere.
And does.
Then there’s this tragic incident that occurred yesterday in Paicoma, in which two teenage cyclists with no apparent gang ties were shot in an attack police believe was gang related — evidently, simply because they were riding their bikes in the wrong place at the wrong time.
According to the LAPD blog,
On March 8, 2010 at around 6:44 p.m., officers from the Foothill Division responded to a radio call of an “Ambulance Shooting” on the 11200 block of Dronefield Avenue in Pacoima. When officers arrived they found two male juveniles suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims were 15 and 16-years-old, their names are being withheld. Both victims were transported to a local hospital where the 15-year-old died from his wounds. The 16-year-old was treated and remains hospitalized in stable condition.
A subsequent investigation determined that the victims were riding bicycles on Dronefield Avenue when a black vehicle, unknown make or model approached. An unknown male Hispanic suspect in the vehicle fired several rounds striking the victims multiple times. This case is believed to be gang related, but neither victim has apparent gang ties. There is no additional suspect information and the weapon is still outstanding.
Police ask anyone with information to call LAPD’s Foothill Homicide Detectives Gahry or Martinez at 818-834-3115.
We live with violence in our city by telling ourselves it doesn’t affect us, and can’t happen here.
But this young man was someone’s son.
He lived in this city.
And he died as one of us.
Category: General / Tags: bicycling, bike crime, Los Angeles, Paicoma, violence against bicyclists, Will Campbell
The bike court beat goes on
Christian Stoehr and Ron Peterson speak outside the courthouse following the Thompson conviction last November; at left is Josh Crosby, Patrick Watson is partially visible in back. Photo courtesy of Jared Shier.
Cyclist/Attorney DJ Wheels wrote the other day to provide updates on pending court cases involving cyclists.
First up is the case of an Orange County woman charged with striking and killing a 49-year old Irvine cyclist in an early morning collision on December 9th, then driving off, leaving a 300 yard pattern of debris — yet amazingly, was forgiven by the victim’s family.
Patricia A. Izquieta (Case #09HF2198) – Victim – Don Murphy
A hearing was held February 18 for arraignment, but no plea was entered yet and arraignment was continued to March 19 at the Santa Ana Courthouse.
She is charged with:
1) one felony count of hit and run with permanent and serious injury – CVC 20001(a)(b)(2)
2) a special allegation of inflicting great bodily harm, which is attached to the hit and run – Penal Code 12022.7(a)
3) one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence – Penal Code 192(c)(2)
4) one misdemeanor count of driving without a valid driver’s license – CVC 12500(a)
Next is the underage driver with a long list of priors who was charged with killing a Santa Clarita man and injuring three others in a drunken hit-and-run; tests showed that in addition to a blood alcohol level over twice the legal limit, he was also high on methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana at the time of the 11 am collision.
Marco Antonio Valencia (Case # PA065011) – Victim – Joeseph Novotny & 3 other injured cyclists
There was a pretrial conference and re-arraignment on January 22. Four separate counts for DUI — two counts of 23153(A) and two counts of 23153(B) — were dropped. I think the charges were initially filed separately for all the various substances that came up in the toxicology report. However, there are still two remaining DUI counts. He plead not guilty to all the charges in the amended complaint. Another pretrial conference is set for March 23 at the San Fernando Courthouse.
1) one felony count of murder with malice aforethought (2nd degree) – PC 187(a)
2) one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence – PC 191.5(a)
3) one felony count of driving under the influence causing bodily injury – CVC 23153(a)
4) one felony count of driving with a BAC over .08 causing bodily injury – CVC 23153(b)
5) four felony counts of hit and run causing serious or permanent injury – CVC 20001(a)
6) one felony count of driving with a suspended or revoked license due to a prior DUI – 14601.2
Then there’s the case of the Malibu driver who fled the scene after running down two riders nearing the end of the L.A. Wheelmen’s 200 mile Grand Tour; killing a father and critically injuring his son. The tragedy was compounded by reports that the driver wasn’t a bad guy, but made a fatal error by driving after drinking, and destroyed two families in the process.
Robert Sam Sanchez (Case # SA071910) – Victim – Rod Armas & Chris Armas injured
A preliminary setting was heard on February 11. The court ordered a pre plea report pursuant to PC 1203.7. Sanchez counsel consented to an pre plea interview, but the defendant may not be interviewed about the facts of the case. The defendant was also ordered to the probation department and also ordered to appear at the next court date, which will be March 11 for another preliminary setting hearing at the Malibu Courthouse.
Charges are still the same as previously reported:
1) one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence – PC 191.5(a)
2) one felony count of driving under the influence causing bodily injury – CVC 23153(a)
3) one felony count of hit and run causing serious or permanent injury – CVC 20001(a)
In another case, the 18-year old driver who hit a cyclist in West Hollywood last December, causing “massive” injuries — including breaks to both hands and extensive facial injuries — fled the scene, but was arrested less than a half mile later; despite her age, she had a small amount of alcohol in her system at the time of her arrest.
Celine Mahdavi (Case #SA073459) – Victim – not named
This is the West Hollywood case, involving a young woman in a luxury SUV who made a left hook, seriously injuring a young male cyclist. Charges were filed in early February by the L.A. D.A.’s office:
1) one felony count of hit and run causing serious or permanent injury – CVC 20001(a)
2) one infraction count of a minor driving with a BAC over .01 – CVC 23136(a)
Mahdavi entered a not guilty plea to both counts on Feb. 25. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for March 22 at the Beverly Hills Courthouse.
In a case that largely went under the radar, an Orange County driver was convicted on the same day the Christopher Thompson verdict was announced in the Mandeville Canyon case. He was accused of killing a 14-year old Huntington Beach boy riding to school in the bike lane on the opposite side of the street, while texting and under the influence of prescription drugs.
Jeffrey Francis Woods (Case #08ZF0040) – victim – Danny Oates
Woods was found guilty by a jury after a 16 day trial. He was sentenced to 6 years state prison, 3 years license revocation and ordered to pay restitution for:
1) one felony count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated – PC 191.5(a)
However, according to the OC Superior Court website, the status of this case is listed as “APPEAL.” Woods is still in custody.
He also includes an update on one strange, non-bike-related case involving a 71-year old former state legislator who ran over a USC parking attendant after being denied entry last December because he didn’t have the proper parking permit.
Walter Karabian (Case #0EA00275)
Apparently Karabian was trying to enter a lot for which he didn’t have the appropriate parking permit, and ended up hitting the parking attendant with his car, causing some minor injuries. Sheriff responded and arrested him; he was later released on $30,000 bail.
The D.A. rejected it for felony charges and gave it to the City Attorney, but they recused themselves due to a conflict of interest, and handed it back to the D.A. for misdemeanor consideration. Turns out Karabian has a son who is currently a deputy C.A. at the Metro Traffic Court on Hill St.
A single misdemeanor count for assault with a deadly weapon – PC 245(A)(1) was filed in early January at the East Los Angeles Courthouse by the D.A’s office. A motion was filed last month to have the case removed from the initial judge, Elaine Lu, because she might be prejudiced in this case, and the case is now before Judge Henry Barela in Dept. 7. On Feb. 18, Karabian’s defense attorney entered his plea of not guilty on his behalf; this is allowed in most misdemeanor cases. There is a pretrial hearing set for March 24, 2010.
The elder Karabian is a former deputy district attorney, former State Assemblyman and current named partner of a law firm in Monterey Park.
He concludes with the current status of two recently convicted prisoners — the driver accused of the intoxicated hit-and-run death of a Mexican immigrant in Echo Park last April, and the emergency room physician sentenced to 5 years in prison for intentionally injuring two cyclists in Mandeville Canyon on July 4th, 2008.
Alejandro Hidalgo (Case #BA35559301) – Victim – Jesus Castillo
According to the Sheriff’s Inmate locator page, Hidalgo was transferred to Wasco State Prison on January 26, 2010 after pleading guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence – PC 191.5(b). The two year state prison sentence he received in his plea bargain is the middle-term sentence available for this charge.
Christopher T. Thompson (Case #SA06829701) – Victim – Ron Peterson and Christian Stoehr
According to the Sheriff’s Inmate locator page, Thompson was also transferred to Wasco State Prison on January 28, 2010.
Thanks to DJ Wheels for his amazing efforts to keep us up to date on all these cases — it’s a lot of work, and very much appreciated.
On a personal note, some people have questioned why I focus on negative aspects of cycling like the cases noted above. The answer is simple. I feel there’s a need to shine a spotlight on crimes like these in order to do whatever we can to ensure that they don’t happen again. And I feel we have an obligation to the victims to make sure that justice is done and that they are not forgotten.
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Streetsblog plans a fundraiser next month honoring winners of this year’s Streetsie awards. A Sacramento cyclist is killed when he “somehow” gets caught beneath a bus; yeah, like that sort of thing just happens. Three thousand riders take part in a soggy Colnago Gran Fondo in San Diego. A great manifesto on feminist cycling. Trek thinks you might confuse their bikes with their with an unrelated winery. Denver prepares to kick off what they call the nation’s first city-wide bike share program, and uses stimulus funds to close gaps in their bikeway system — and they place sharrows on medium to high volume streets, rather than quiet streets where they aren’t needed. Can private businesses cut the locks of bikes parked in the public right-of-way? 1936 sounds a lot like 2010, at least as far as bikes are concerned. Eight months of riding culminates with a final leg from Guadalajara to Playa Real; the photos alone are worth a look. Cyclelicious covers the prologue of this year’s Paris – Nice race, Boom gets off to a good start while Team Sky’s Henderson takes the first stage. The Scheck brothers may leave Saxo Bank to form their own team — and take Cancellara with them. After being denied a chance to take it, a 10-year old girl with cerebral Palsy passes Britain’s Bikeability test. The first of new bike superhighways sponsored by London’s mayor don’t exactly get glowing reviews. Did Germany send the Hitler Youth as to pre-war Britain as “spyclists?” Evidently, British cycling engineers don’t ride bike routes before they select them, either. Looking at the Japanese love affair with electric bikes. A new Dutch system paces cyclists at the correct speed to avoid red lights.
Finally, L.A’s Downtown News reports on the efforts of bike messengers to fight back again bike thieves, including the infamous — and now confirmed — report of stripping two teenaged alleged rim thieves to their underwear and donating their clothes to a homeless shelter.
Category: General / Tags: Alejandro Hidalgo, bicycling, car vs. bike, Celine Mahdavi, Christian Stoehr, Don Murphy, Dr. Christopher Thompson, evil on trial, hit-and-run, Jesus Castillo, Joseph Novotny, Los Angeles, Marco Antonio Valencia, Patricia Ann Izquieta, Robert Sam Sanchez, Rod Armas, Ron Peterson, Walter Karabian
Proof that cyclists aren’t always the good guys
According to the Times, an 18-year old man was killed when he ran into traffic to escape a bike-riding robber on Thursday evening.
Responding to a report of a traffic collision about 8 pm, police officers discovered Miguel Alvarenga unconscious in the street in the 20600 block of Sherman Way in Canoga Park.
Reports indicate that Alvarenga was hit by a car when he ran out into the street to escape the cyclist. The would-be robber fled on his bike; Alvarenga died of his injuries the following day.
Homicide detectives are asking the public to help identify the cyclist. Anyone with information is urged to call 818/756-3363; callers can remain anonymous.
Obviously, the fact that the robber was on a bike is secondary to the crime he was trying to commit.
But he is every bit as responsible for the death as the hit-and-run driver who was apparently fleeing another crime when he killed a cyclist and critically injured his step-brother in San Bernadino last month.
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CicLAvia currently ranks 51st out of 100 proposals in the Pepsi Refresh Project; only the top 10 in each category receive funding.
So it’s time to get clicking, L.A. — you can vote up to 10 times per day.
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The Fly V Australia racing team is unveiled in Beverly Hills, with plans to ride in the Amgen Tour of California; evidently, my invitation to the event was lost in the mail. Better signage forms the backbone of the Backbone Bikeway Network. The Times reviews belt-drive bikes. Pasadena’s new bike plan could be a blueprint for more thoughtful use of public space. Cindie Davis Holub, the cyclist killed in Scottsdale last week when a garbage truck tried to pass without sufficient room, was an experienced rider from Massachusetts training for a triathlon. Colorado’s governor is finally home after four days in the hospital following a cycling accident. Participants in Miami’s Beer Snob Bicycle Pub Crawl are warned about cycling under the influence. A new record in the frozen bike race over Alaska’s legendary Iditarod course. Would Luke Skywalker refuse to ride because he didn’t have a bike lane, or would he boldly take and hold the lane? What happens when joggers and cyclists conflict in a 4-foot wide strip of asphalt? The case against the former Ontario government minister who deliberately killed a Toronto cyclist is delayed until April 14. Passersby rescue a Windsor, Ontario cyclist trapped under a car. A London borough is investing £2 million pounds to encourage 20,000 new riders to take up cycling. A big-hearted UK girl will ride on Sunday to raise £700 for Haiti earthquake relief; you can donate through her website.
Finally, British conservatives plan to cut the chauffeur budget and tell government ministers to ride a bike instead. Can anyone imagine American conservatives suggesting something that?
I didn’t think so.
Your weekend linkapalooza
Gary offers a great in-depth analysis of the failure of most signal lights to detect bicycles, along with techniques that may help— while suggesting the ultimate solution may lay in legal action.
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Streetsblog asks why cyclists are included in the state’s new distracted driving law; a writer for the SF Gate wonders why biking advocates had such a knee-jerk reaction. Will Campbell gives a well-deserved gesture to an impatient driver; no, not the one you think. Metro is looking for volunteers for the Orange Line bike study, now rescheduled for March 24 and 27. Damien Newton says this will be a busy Saturday for cyclists. A cyclist says the new Long Beach Bikeway Route 1 is well marked, but could be a rough ride.
The Arizona DOT shows class when they damage a ghost bike while trying to move it, then take it back to their shop for repairs before reinstalling it. Orlando cyclists demonstrate how to ride as a group in heavy traffic, including how to take and hold the lane at rush hour. A driver gets her license back less than two years after killing a cyclist, saying she’ll never get over it. A $5 million lawsuit has been filed in the case of Baltimore rider police blamed by police for his own right-hook death. A lawsuit has also been filed in the death of a Kansas rider who died after hitting a pothole left by faulty road work; meanwhile, police say it’s just an accident when a teenage cyclist is hit by a driver who says the sun was in his eyes. Even standard bike lanes may be too narrow to shepherd your kids. Former framebuilder Dave Moulton discusses the history of cycling; amazingly, he’s been involved in one way or another for nearly half of the bike’s history. Last November, Minneapolis restriped a street, adding bike lanes in a road diet; now the stripes have somehow gone missing. An Olympic gold medalist describes harassment on the road of Idaho. Test riding Trek’s new electric-assist bike. Instead of flipping off rude drivers, hand them a letter saying how they made you feel. An urban designer offers suggestions to decrease congestion by making driving more expensive and difficult, while normalizing walking and biking.
Advice on how to create your own bike routes from the author of a book on 25 London cycling routes, courtesy of the always great Cyclelicious. The UK’s bike-riding celebs cross Great Britain from end to end — or in this case, Lands End — in 82 hours. Shades of the Backbone Bikeway Network, as London cyclists design their own bikeway system. East London robbers break a cyclist’s jaw to steal his bike and cell phone. York cyclists get a new bike hub in an unused power substation. A South African driver who killed one cyclist and critically injured another, then removed one of the bikes from underneath his vehicle before driving off, is sentenced to two years. The Australian police officers accused of an Israeli hit-and-run deny striking anyone. A Windsor, Ontario cyclist faces rude drivers while riding through the snow; while an Ottawa, Ontario driver is sentenced to a whole 21 days — weekends only — after striking a cyclist while driving with a suspended license. The Director of the Icelandic Cycling Foundation insists cycling is no more dangerous than driving.
Finally, when an Oregon cyclist is found unconscious on the side of the road with injuries consistent with a collision, police assume hit-and-run and call in the LifeFlight helicopter. Turns out, he was just drunk.
