Archive for General

Today’s missing links

January 29, 2010 / / 3 comments

More on Wednesday’s Council meeting to discuss the proposed anti-harassment ordinance. Stephen Box looks at the proposal, along with the discussion of bike sharing and the Transportation Committee’s hearing on raising speed limits, for City Watch. And KNBC covers the proposal, and quotes yours truly.

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Culver City holds a workshop on their new bike plan Saturday from 10 am to 1pm.

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Enci Box, actress, cyclist and too sexy for public radio? Evidently, we should be glad Dr. Alex no longer rides shirtless through Beverly Hills. Dr. Alex also takes the Times to task for failing to search their own archives. GT rides a near-impromptu century in memory of a friend who died in a frightening cycling accident last year. Will Campbell offers proof that some cyclists run red lights and some don’t, and stares down an aggressive idiot driver. Investing in walking and biking could save lives; maybe if all those people would live longer if they’d stop complaining about bikes and start riding one. Some ride out of choice, some ride out of necessity. Touring San Diego by cycle chic. A new study shows hands-free cell phone laws don’t reduce crashes. How to remove a stuck seat or handlebar stem. Creating better bike parking in three two easy steps. Most UK drivers think they’re better than the other drivers on the road. Paris will roll out two-way bikeways this year. Add this to the helmet debate: Pro cyclist Matthias Kessler wasn’t wearing his when he was critically injured in a freak accident after a cat ran across his path. Finally, for those who want to be cycle chic but aren’t willing to give up functionality — or a chamois — Castelli presents an online fashion show.

Category: General / Tags: , ,

Evidently, we should be glad there’s such a low turnout in local elections

January 29, 2010 / / 7 comments

Back when I was in college, one of my Political Science professors gave a lecture about low voter turnout in the U.S.

He pointed out that far more people turn out to vote in formerly totalitarian countries, because they understand the true value of the freedom we take for granted.

Then he flipped through a few surveys, highlighting the percentages of people who hate blacks, Jews, gays and other assorted minorities. As well as those who believe the moon landing was fake and the Earth is flat.

His point was that a lot of people don’t vote.

And maybe we’re better off for it.

Case in point, the 91 and counting comments that followed the brief story on the Times website about the proposed bicyclist anti-harassment ordinance. The overwhelming majority of which were of the standard “I’ll respect bikes when they (choose one or more of the following): respect the law, stop for red lights and stop signs, signal, stay on the sidewalk, stay off the sidewalk, get out of the lane, get out of my way, get a life, grow a pair, and/or stop wearing those ugly clothes.”

I read ’em so you won’t have to. You can thank me later.

Take these two, for example, which pretty much sum up the tone of today’s conversation (and yes, I’ve left the spelling and punctuation exactly the way I found it):

Im a fireman. Experience has shown me that SPANDEX AND HEAVY STEEL DONT BELONG ON THE SAME ROAD!!!!!! Common since. Legislation is not going to change physics! Ride at your own risk!

Posted by: Steve | January 28, 2010 at 11:06 AM

Bicyclists are full of it. There are legally obligated to follow the motor vehicle code. However, I see them run stops signs, run redlights, and make sudden lane changes without signaling all the time.

If bicyclists want respect, they need to follow the rules of the road.

Posted by: Stump Barnes | January 28, 2010 at 11:09 AM

Then there was this one:

Here’s some ideas how to get people to be more vehicle friendly with cyclists;
1.Get cyclists to be more courteous with vehicles & pedestrians
2.Get cyclists to start opeying all driving laws
2. Require all cyclists to install I.D. licence plates on their bike’s so they can be identified when they either break a law, cause an accident, or start somesort of road rage.

Cyclists are known to be rude, obnoxious, law breaking jerks for the most part. They use strong profanity, they spit, they flip you the bird, and they provoke fights, knowing that they can easily get away because they can’t be identified. They seem to have all City Officials on their side, and since they are not wasting gas or polluting the air, they get away with just about anything. What’s it going to take to get Officials to wake up and realize that the root of the problem is the cyclists themselves.

Posted by: Dave Reynolds | January 28, 2010 at 10:12 AM

Dave, have you ever considered that if you’re running into so many rude, obnoxious, swearing, spitting, finger-flipping, fight-provoking, law-breaking jerks, that maybe, just maybe, the cyclists aren’t the problem?

Just a thought.

Anyway, after reading all those comments, I was truly shamed, realizing for the first time what dangerous scofflaws we cyclists must be. And understanding that, yes, these people are right to harass us because we pose such a risk to their two+ tons of glass and steel.

I mean, I might actually dent the bumper and get blood on their shiny paint and stuff.

So when I set out to ride today, I took notice of the drivers around me, hoping to learn from their example how to properly assume my place on the road.

Imagine my surprise.

Three of the first four drivers I saw ran stop signs. Not just a rolling stop, mind you — that’s what the fourth one did — but full blown, not slowing down don’t care if you’re in the way I’m coming through anyway stop sign running.

And for the first 1.83 miles, I didn’t see a single driver use a turn signal — and yes, I did make a note of it, because it was so surprising when someone finally did. And no, he wasn’t the first one to turn or make a lane change.

Far from it.

Then there were these four rocket scientists of the road.

I encountered the first two as I sat waiting at the front of the intersection for a light to change, just to left of the right turn lane. Next to me was a small utility truck, which kept inching forward. So I gestured to the driver, pointing out the “No right turn” sign directly ahead of him. Evidently, though, it doesn’t apply to small utility trucks, because he made his turn anyway.

Then the SUV behind him pulled up to the light. Unlike the previous driver, she waited patiently in the right turn lane until the light changed. Then went straight, nearly forcing me into the car on my left before she cut in front of both of us and sped off down the road.

But not before giving me the finger.

Although, to be fair, that was after I called her a jackass. Which I thought showed remarkable restraint, given the circumstances.

Then there was the driver in the Escalade, who saw me signal to move left into the traffic lane. And responded by speeding up to cut me, forcing me to jam on my brakes to avoid rear-ending the parked car ahead of me. Because there just wasn’t room for a massive Escalade and a bike in the same lane at the same time.

The real winner, though, came when I pulled up behind a car that was stopped at a stop sign, waiting patiently for a woman to cross the road. So the driver behind me crossed the yellow line onto the wrong side of the road, passing us both, then blew through the stop without slowing down — forcing the pedestrian to dodge out of his way.

So yes, I can easily see why all these people think we’re such dangerous, law-flaunting outlaws, undeserving of equal protection from law enforcement, since that right is reserved for real, law-abiding, gas-guzzling Americans.

I take comfort, though, in knowing that most of these self-proclaimed traffic law experts probably won’t be voting in the next election.

Oh, and Dave?

“Licence” is usually spelled with an “s.”

I’ll let you figure out where to put it.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Best of, Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, General / Tags: , , , ,

A rising and reviving L.A. River — and a 10th annual ride to celebrate it

January 26, 2010 / / 7 comments

Someday it’s gonna rain, someday it’s gonna pour, someday that old dry river, it won’t be dry any more. — Dry River, Dave Alvin & The Guilty Men


Los Angeles tried to kill its river.

Unlike other cities where life revolves around the streams at their hearts, L.A.’s central river has been abused and ignored, and all but forgotten.

Admittedly, it was an act of self-defense, after one too many violent floods. And so they dammed it and tore up the riverbed, straightened its course and lined it with concrete to in an attempt to tame the usually mild and sometimes wild river and transform it into the world’s largest culvert system.

Instead they created a popular movies set, home to key scenes in everything from Grease and Chinatown to Terminator 2 and Transformers. As well as a massive canvas for countless taggers. And the site of odd events and dramatic rescues, human and otherwise, that transfix L.A. nearly every time it rains.

And so the city turned away from it, other than a relative handful of cyclists who continued to ride the bikeway that follows the river channel for much of its lower length. Sometimes holding their nose.

Yet, the river refused to die.

And in a comeback every bit as improbable and unexpected as Robert Downey Jr. or Mickey Roarke — or Jay Leno, for that matter — the L.A. River is slowly coming back to life.

Led largely by groups such as Friends of the Los Angeles River and L.A. Creak Freak’s Joe Linton and associates, efforts are under way to revitalize the river, and extend the bikeway its full length, from the harbor in Long Beach to Canoga Park.

Now one of the key steps in that revitalization, the new park on the site of the former Albion Dairy in Lincoln Heights, is up for review. While the deadline for offering comments online has passed, you can still comment on the plans — and insist on the inclusion of a bikeway paralleling the river —  from 6:30 to 8:30 pm this Thursday at the Downey Recreation Center, 1772 N. Spring Street.

There will also be free refreshments, which should be enough to get the cycling community out.

Speaking of the L.A. River, Joe Linton offers advice on who to call on those not-infrequent occasions when the access gates to the county’s many river-channel bikeways remain locked long after the risk of rushing water has passed.

And no, it’s not Joe. Or Stephen Box. Or even me, for that matter.

Meanwhile, you have a perfect opportunity to explore the L.A. River bikeway for yourself at the recently announced Los Angeles River Ride.

Sponsored by the LACBC — which has been revitalized itself in recent years — the L.A. River Ride is one of the city’s largest and most popular rides. It’s scheduled for Sunday, June 6th, with rides ranging from a 15-mile Family Ride and free Kids Ride to a relatively flat Century. And just about everything in between.

Full information and registration form for the 10th Annual L.A. River Ride are available by clicking here.

From what I’ve heard, it’s a lot of fun.

So maybe this time, you’ll see me there. And vice versa, I hope.

Update: Janette Hoffman emailed to remind me about the role the L.A. River Ride has played in pushing for the revitalization of the river, with a 2006 postcard campaign urging the mayor to complete the bike path — including the recently completed section between Fletcher and Fig, which will be part of this year’s ride. She also met with the Gateway Council of Governments in 2008, resulting in re-striping of the path and removal of graffiti between Maywood and Long Beach.

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California’s car-centric Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC) gave a big, fat screw you to cyclists at a meeting in San Diego last week, refusing to allow cyclists to be represented on the committee. The Times looks at the big changes taking place in suddenly bike-friendly Long Beach, yet fails to note the death of a cyclist there just a few weeks ago. Enci Box explains how to make L.A. safe, effective and more enjoyable for cyclists. Damien Newton notes that comments may not be allowed when the Council considers the anti-harassment ordinance tomorrow, but suspects Rosendahl might argue otherwise if a lot of cyclists show up. Dr. Alex argues that speed limit increases should be put on hold at the TranspoComm meeting that follows. The LAPD busts a Downtown bike theft ring selling hot bikes on Craigslist. Living well without a car. A helmetless Pink and husband ride the streets of L.A.; Carson Daley puts on his helmet and sticks his tongue out at photographers on Ocean Blvd. A town in North Carolina considers a clearly well thought-out plan to ban bikes from the bike path. BikeDenver unveils a series of public service announcements to promote bike safety. A look at Carlos Bertonatti, the drunken schmuck musician who kept going after driving over — and killing — a Miami cyclist last week. Kenosha, WI revises their cycling laws after a cyclist is ticketed for drinking from his water bottle. Yet another city gets (legal) sharrows before L.A., this time in New York’s lower Hudson Valley. Bike Radar provides a heads-up for the upcoming Handmade Bike Show and Rocky Mountain Bicycle Fest. A New Hampshire man threatens cyclists, misses his arraignment, and gets a slap on the wrist. Sydney replaces the site of drunken brawls with a hub for cyclists, including outdoor café, bike shop and showers. Hello, is anyone in L.A. listening? Hello? Finally, a Hummer driving cyber bully threatens cyclists in New Zealand — and claims to have already run two off the road — then quickly backs off after riders unmask his identity; thanks to the Trickster for the heads up!

Category: Advocacy & Politics, General / Tags: , , , , ,

It never rains in California…

January 23, 2010 / / 3 comments

This is what greeted us today on a crisp, 42º morning, when the clouds finally cleared after a week of rain.

And yes, that is the Hollywood sign on the hill in the foreground.

Category: Best of, General / Tags: ,

Idle thoughts while waiting on the end of the world

January 21, 2010 / / 7 comments

We were waiting for the end of the word, waiting for the end of the world. — Elvis Costello

It never rains in California, but girl, don’t they warn ya? It pours, man it pours. — Albert Hammond

According to some, the world will be coming to an end in a few years when the Mayan calendar runs out in 2012. Although I recently heard a scientist discussing the subject who said that when his calendar runs out, he just puts up a new one.

But anyone who has been watching the news in Los Angeles this week would conclude that the end times have come a couple years early.

It’s raining.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. It’s rain, for crying out loud.

But seriously, it’s right up there with all the other warning signs of a near-biblical apocalypse: War, famine, pestilence, earthquakes and rain in Los Angeles.

And not just rain, but heavy rain. And hail. And waterspouts.

Or as they called it when I lived in Louisiana, Thursday.

Then there’s another sign that the world as we know it may be coming to an end. Not only did Hizzoner recently say the city has to do more to support cycling, but there may be a chance — a slight chance — that we might actually see Mayor Villaraigoso on a bike.

Strange days, indeed.

So just to be safe, I’ve been holed up in my office all week, working on plans to convert my old bike into the world’s first pedal-powered ark.

Which means now I have to find two of all the local species. Like lawyers, hipsters, artists, gangbangers, actors, agents and Brit ex-pats, et al. Though I may have to build a bigger ark just to fit the massive egos on board.

And cyclists, of course.

And that means pairs of roadies and beach cruisers, commuters, recreational riders, fixie fanatics, hipsters, off-roaders, family cyclists, racers, fast riders, slow riders, Lance Armstrong wannabees, Ridazz, bike activists, LACBCists, eco riders, Critical Massers, license-less immigrants and mandatory-helmet-wearing kids.

Just to name a few.

I gotta sit down.

……….

CD5 Council Member Paul Koretz continues his support of cyclists with an effective letter requesting a better bike plan for his district — definitely worth reading. Cyclists and the LAPD begin the long process of building a better relationship, but it appears to be off to a good start. Enci Box continues her examination of L.A. bikeway systems, noting the failure of the city’s Class III Bike Routes. LACBC presents the Spanish language version of their new Bike Parking Community Resource Guide, available as a free download. Steal a bike, lose your pants. Bob Mionske writes that cyclists continue to pay the price for cell drunk drivers. Mandatory helmet laws for children reduce fatalities, but also discourage riding. Even the Boy Scouts say take the whole lane. Urbana, IL boldly removes parking to add bike lanes. Getting Portland’s mounted police off the saddle and onto bikes would save over $500,000. The drunken asshole driver who killed a cyclist in Miami had over 40 traffic violations in 12 years, but was still on the road. DC area cyclists win one and lose one, as a hit-and-run is investigated as an assault, while riders are stopped by police for being annoying. The Guardian says mudguards are a must, even on your fixie. In L.A., we haven’t even got sharrows yet; in Copenhagen, they get footrests. The UK’s Olympic cycling team gets a Formula One boost from McLaren. Police order British children to wear high visibility clothing at night, or get off their bikes. Finally, over 70 cyclists rode the valley’s Chandler Bikeway last weekend in honor of Drake Holland, a 17-year old Burbank cyclist who died in a fall while walking with friends.

Category: General / Tags: , , , ,

If you were harassed by a driver in a white van Monday morning, Bus Bench has it on video

January 7, 2010 / / Comments Off on If you were harassed by a driver in a white van Monday morning, Bus Bench has it on video

According to L.A.’s Bus Bench website, they were nearly hit by a speeding white van while driving to work on Cesar Chavez Blvd. Monday morning.

Shortly afterwards, they saw a cyclist arguing with the driver of the same white van, who had nearly hit the rider as he sped by. The driver lurched forward as if to strike the cyclist, then swerved away at the last second, nearly hitting another car in the process.

What the driver didn’t count on, however, is that they recorded the incident, as well as license of the van.

So if you had an altercation with a jerk in an older white van about 6:20 am Monday on Cesar Chavez, you’ll find witnesses and video documentation at thebusbench.com.

Category: General / Tags: , , , , ,

A cyclist is killed, ignorance abounds

January 7, 2010 / / 8 comments

Yesterday, Will Campbell was right hooked by a driver in a small car.

A day earlier, a Long Beach cyclist was killed when a truck driver did virtually the same thing.

In the video he posted, you can clearly see the car cut directly across Will’s path, and his rapid reduction in speed as he brakes hard to avoid a collision. And you can hear his restraint as he urges the driver to be more careful in the future.

Now contrast that with the incident in Long Beach, in which an experienced cyclist collided with a semi-truck making a right turn.

According to published reports, Gustavo Ramirez, a 30-year old resident of the Belmont Shore area, was riding eastbound on the sidewalk along East Shoreline Drive in Long Beach about 10:30 am Tuesday, when he hit the side of the truck as it turned onto Shoreline Village Drive. The driver reportedly had missed his exit off the 710 Freeway and was attempting to turn around when the collision occurred.

The popular cyclist, who worked at the Manhattan Beach REI, had survived another recent accident when a car cut him off while riding in the Bixby Knolls area.

Charles Gandy, the mobility coordinator for the city, was quoted as saying that many cyclists feel uncomfortable riding a busy street with no bike lanes like Shoreline Drive, so they may prefer to ride on the sidewalk.

Judging by the city’s website, that may or may not be legal. Long Beach’s municipal code suggests that riding on the sidewalk is allowed in most areas, with a maximum speed limit of 15 mph — 5 mph when pedestrians are present. However, there are a number of exceptions where it’s prohibited; I don’t know the area well enough to say if any of those would apply around there.

Then again, as complicated as the exceptions are, I’m not sure if anyone else does, either.

As a general rule, I advise against riding on the sidewalk, because drivers anticipate cyclists on the sidewalk even less than they do on the street, and aren’t likely to look for you when they’re pulling out of a driveway or turning onto a cross street. In fact, according to a 1998 study by Dr. William Moritz, there’s a 24.8 times greater risk for cyclists riding on the sidewalk as compared to a typical street with no cycling facilities.

However, I can also understand why a cyclist would make an exception there. The southern end of the 710 Freeway dumps heavy traffic directly onto the street just blocks from where Ramirez was killed; more than a few drivers fail to make the mental adjustment from freeway to surface street driving.

It’s clear from the description of the incident that Ramirez collided with the truck, rather than the other way around, striking it on the right side just behind the cab.

Some of the comments online suggest that proves he was at fault. But as Will’s video clearly shows, when a driver turns in front of you without warning, there’s not much you can do except jam on your brakes and pray. If there’s time.

The fact that Ramirez hit the truck just behind the cab suggests that the driver was just beginning his turn when the collision occurred, so there probably wasn’t enough time to react. It also implies that he was probably already alongside the truck when it turned, so he might not have been in a position to see its turn signal, assuming the driver used it.

And even if he was wearing earphones, as a friend of his suggested, it’s highly unlikely that any experienced cyclist would be unaware of such a large truck on the roadway right next to him.

It’s more likely that the driver failed to see Ramirez before turning in front of him; a classic right hook. And a heartbreaking tragedy for his family and friends.

Still, that didn’t stop the usual online comments blaming cyclists from running red lights, calling for licensing and testing — or expecting cyclists to yield regardless of who has the right of way. Or even demanding that the new health care plans impose a surcharge on people who engage in risky behavior like riding a bike.

And that’s not counting the many comments that were deleted for being too offensive. Like the ones questioning whether Ramirez — or the driver — were in the country legally, just because of their names.

It’s tragic enough when any human being loses his life. But no one should have to die simply for riding a bike.

And it shouldn’t be an opportunity for people who hide behind the anonymity of the internet to show just how little compassion and common sense they have.

Members of Midnight Ridazz are planning a ghost bike and memorial ride for Friday the 15th.

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A Downtown cyclist was run down by a hit-and-run driver yesterday, yet somehow managed to avoid serious injuries. Damien offers the definitive response to the bike plan; the deadline for comments is tomorrow. An L.A. rider tries, and fails, to reach Downtown by following the county bike map. Flying Pigeon gets Belgian-made Achielle bikes in stock. An East Coast cyclist learns to take the whole lane — and in a skirt, no less. Ft. Collins, CO cyclists demand equality, and get the same traffic-calming surcharge drivers face. A New York school bus driver backs over a cyclist in a fatal collision. A Louisville writer goes car-free, and gets a new Pashley. A North Carolina newspaper complains about a planned bike route for “design cyclists,” whatever that is. The League of American cyclists wants to make U.S. university campuses bike friendly. London cyclists outrace the Tube. The hit-and-run plague even extends to Oxford Dons. Adelaide cyclists get a boost in infrastructure spending. A Canadian cyclist is killed by a truck’s oversize load, yet the court rules no one is at fault. Tips on riding in the snow, not that it’s an issue here. Finally, proof that not all cyclists are nice people, even in Copenhagen; then again, neither is everyone who offers to help recover your bike.

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

A simple act of roadway courtesy

January 5, 2010 / / 8 comments

I have always believed in riding courteously, remembering that sharing the road is a two-way street. And that I have no less — or greater — right to it than anyone else.

So I didn’t think twice when I pulled up to a red light at a narrow intersection, and noticed the car behind me had its blinker on. I simply lifted my bike and made a couple quick sidesteps to the left so he could get by and make his right turn.

What happened next surprised me, though.

As he rolled past, the driver lowered his window, waved and said “Thank you; thank you very much” — sounding so much like an Elvis impersonator that I could barely keep from laughing.

Still winded from the sprint that got me there, the best I could manage in response was a nod and a smile, combined with a friendly wave. But he got the idea.

And just for a moment, we truly saw each other, not as adversaries competing for the same limited piece of pavement, but as real human beings.

Whether he’ll remember that the next time a cyclist is blocking his path, I have no idea. Or whether I will the next time an impatient driver follows too close or cuts me off.

But it only took a simple act of roadway courtesy, and its acknowledgement, to make me truly visible to another road user. And to lift my spirits for the rest of my ride.

And the rest of my day.

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Enci Box makes the case against Class 1 bike paths. L.A.’s best bike plan probably isn’t the one LADOT proposed; meanwhile, LADOT pleads poverty as an excuse not to attend future Bike Advisory Committee meetings. Will Campbell Embraces the Brilliance on a recent ride near Jefferson and Crenshaw. Flying Pigeon explains how to make your own Jasbeschermers clip; if you can pronounce it, you probably already know what it means. Making negligent driving fatalities a crime in the DC area. Bike Portland offers an in-depth examination on the lack of bike insurance. A candidate for mayor of Columbia, MO says vote for him “Because most Columbians drive cars and not bikes.” Denver lowers speed limits and adds bike lanes and traffic calming to around Washington Park (see LADOT? It can be done…). Hagerstown, Maryland includes cyclists in designing their new bike plan (see LADOT? It can be done…). The Orlando newspaper wants to know if cyclists have a right to the road. A look at 10 years of bike culture in America. Your Japanese-made bike now probably comes from China, but look for an increase in U.S. made bikes. Cycling casualties — serious injuries and deaths — in the British city of Leeds increased 10% in 2008; somehow, that works out to a fifth, according to the headline writer. Finally, this is why you never leave your sleeping children in your bakfiet; evidently, that’s just what they do over there. But at least the thief was honest responsible.

Category: General / Tags: , , , ,

Unfinished business: Alejandro Hidalgo & Dr. Christopher Thompson sentencing

January 5, 2010 / / One comment

Jesus Castillo, a 44-year old day laborer from Sonora, Mexico, was riding his bike — his only form of transportation — on Glendale Boulevard in the early hours of Sunday, April 19th last year.  As he rode south, he was struck and killed by a car driven by Alejandro Hidalgo, who fled the scene in his Mitsubishi Gallant.

Fortunately, a witness was able to take down the license number, and police were able to take Hidalgo into custody less than two hours later, as well as tracking down a passenger in his car who indicated that Hidalgo had been driving under the influence.

According to recently married cyclist/attorney DJ Wheels, last November the District Attorney had offered Hidalgo a plea bargain that included prison time for the three charges he faced. Since he hadn’t received an update from the D.A.’s office, he decided to look into the case, and discovered that Hidalgo is scheduled for sentencing on Wednesday.

According to Wheels,

I decided to request a copy of the docket today at the clerk’s office.  I learned that on November 12, 2009, the district attorney requested that count 1 for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated (Penal Code 191.5a) be changed to vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence (Penal Code 191.5b).

Hidalgo then changed his not guilty plea to no contest on this particular count.  Judge Craig Richman entered his conviction under 191.5b, a felony, and ordered him to return for sentencing on January 6, 2010 in Dept. 35 at 8:30 am.

There were still two counts of drunk driving on the original complaint, but the minutes do not state whether those were vacated as part of the plea bargain.

It should be noted that 191.5a requires a state prison term of 4, 6 or 10 years. On the other hand, 191.5b, requires imprisonment for 16 months, 2 or 4 years.

We’ll have to see what sentence the judge imposes. But even four years seems like a relative slap on the wrist for killing another human being, simply because someone felt compelled to get behind the wheel after having a few too many — or maybe merely capable of making it home in that condition — then running away and leaving a man to die in the street.

Meanwhile, Dr. Christopher Thompson is scheduled for sentencing at 8:30 am this Friday at the Airport Courthouse, after being convicted on five felony counts for intentionally injuring two cyclists in Mandeville Canyon on July 4th, 2008.

And in another tragic case, a ghost bike was installed for Robert Painter, the cyclist killed by yet another hit-and-run driver in North Hollywood last month.

……….

A reminder that it’s not just cyclists who are vulnerable to hit-and-run drivers. Will notes upcoming rides, including his rapidly growing, Five Seven Eight Presidents Ride. Biking through the snow in Cambridge, Mass. Advice on sharing the road from a cycling instructor in my old home town. New York remembers cyclists and pedestrians killed last year. Yes, that really is an impressive bike rack. How people who don’t live in SoCal keep warm on winter rides. Where are Singapore cyclists supposed to ride when there’s no good place for Singapore cyclists? 2,500 Aussie cyclists ride to raise safety awareness. A road raging driver in the UK beats a cyclist after a near collision. Finally, yet another Facebook page for people who love to see cyclists get hurt; evidently, the well of human compassion online doesn’t run very deep.

Category: General / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Just a quick reminder why we live in Southern California

January 3, 2010 / / 6 comments

A cycling surfer relaxes on Surfrider Beach in Malibu.

I hate to rub it in.

Really, I do.

I know winter riding in colder climes can be invigorating. And at times, breathtaking. I even did it myself when I lived in Denver, unwilling to give up a single day of riding that didn’t call for strapping on x-country skis, instead.

But seriously. Weekends like this just serve as a reminder how lucky we are to be here.

L.A. may have a long way to go to catch up with bike-friendly cities like Copenhagen or Portland. Or even Long Beach, for that matter.

But times like this, it ain’t bad.

……….

Streetsblog announces the Bike and Transit Stories of the Year, along with the Livable Streets Person of the Year — who should come as no surprise — as well as the worst stories of the year. Five great places for CA cyclists, including a misnamed South Bay Bicycle Trail. Bike-friendly Boulder, CO works to improve bicycle parking. A Louisville, KY writer says that cars vs. bikes may be an unsolvable problem. A tragic death in South Carolina reminds local cities why they need to make their streets safer for cyclists. Bikers irk motorists in the country’s most dangerous state for cyclists. Even Gulf Coast Alabama adopts a Complete Streets policy. Washington cyclists are forced off the road by an erratic driver. Infrastructurist names the rise of cycling #7 on the top 10 stories of the decade. A 34-year old Bicycling editor could find himself competing as a domestique in this year’s Le Tour. Tour undiscovered Paris by bike; no, not the one in Texas. Finally, a Charleston cyclist becomes last year’s 11th murder victim — 10 years after he was attacked while riding.

Category: General / Tags: , , ,
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