Archive for Morning Links

Weekend Links: OC hit-and-run driver charged in death of PCH cyclist; fund set to help injured bike rider

February 8, 2015 / / Comments Off on Weekend Links: OC hit-and-run driver charged in death of PCH cyclist; fund set to help injured bike rider

It looks like LA’s District Attorney could learn something from her counterpart in Orange County when it comes to traffic crime.

The OC DA announced Thursday that 20-year old Dylan Thomas Randluby of Emerald Bay has been charged with felony hit-and-run with injury and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence in the death of 55-year old cyclist John Colvin.

Colvin was riding in the bike lane on North Coast Highway last June when he was run down from behind by Randluby’s car. Randluby allegedly kept driving despite a shattered windshield; he was followed by a pair of witnesses and arrested after stopping a mile later.

In too many other cases, hit-and-run has been essentially forgiven when drivers stopped nearby, returned to the scene later or turned themselves in even days later. It’s nice to see Orange County prosecutors treat it like the serious crime it is, even if the charges could be a little stiffer.

Randluby has apparently been released on $50,000 bond; KTLA-5 reports that no one by that name was in custody as of Thursday.

Thanks to Amy Senk and Jeffrey Fylling for the heads-up.

………

A Giveforward account has been established to help raise $30,000 for a bike rider who was severely injured when she was hit from behind at an estimated 50 mph while riding in a bike lane.

And an LA rider wants your help thanking the firefighters who came to his aid when he was injured on Angeles Crest.

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Local

KNBC-4 says LA has a crack problem — potholes and surface cracks in the streets that can seriously injure cyclists. And quotes BikinginLA sponsor Jim Pocrass, as well as frequent contributor Patrick Pascal.

The LACBC shares an interview with new Executive Director Tamika Butler.

Santa Monica officials propose naming their coming bike share program “Breeze;” the city is also hosting a Valentine’s Day Kidical Mass family ride.

 

State

Rather than improve safety on the Coast Highway, Laguna Beach installs sharrows and signage to steer riders away from it.

Does a bike co-op by any other name smell as sweet? Santa Barbara City College opens a DIY bike shop.

A Danville court case could determine whether the safety of cyclists should be considered in the environmental review process for new developments. Maybe we should be classified as an endangered species.

One of the victims in that recent Mendocino County collision where an 18-year old driver mowed down five riders in rapid succession recounts her story in horrifying detail; she remembers seeing the driver sneer at her through the windshield before she fell under the car and was dragged 400 feet.

 

National

If you wondered who would ever buy that $20,000 S-Works McLaren Tarmac, the answer is cyclist and former baseball great and alleged doper Barry Bonds.

Charges have been dropped against a 74-year old Arizona woman who kept going after hitting a bike rider, blew through a red light and t-boned a truck, killing the driver — while on Ambien, no less — because she was found incompetent to stand trial. And to drive, evidently.

After a 14-year old Kentucky boy with Cerebral Palsy has his bike stolen, a stranger reaches out to buy him a new one.

Deadspin drops in, unwelcomed, on the nation’s second-oldest alley cat race in Minneapolis; thanks to Michael Eisenberg for the link.

A Maryland county finds drivers are at fault in 58% of collisions involving bike riders.

The Baltimore paper looks at why some drivers flee after a collision; maybe because they’re at fault 58% of the time.

A Florida county becomes the first in the state to criminalize harassment of bicyclists, pedestrians and people in wheelchairs.

 

International

Get your video fix from Road.cc with this roundup of the year’s best bike videos, including a texting driver shouting at a rider to get in the bike lane and a massive pile-up in the Tour Down Under.

The head of London’s licensed taxi drivers association says maybe he went a tad too far in comparing bicyclists to terrorists. If we were really like ISIS he would have been beheaded for that remark.

In yet another pie-in-the-sky — or maybe pie-in-the-ground, in this case — plan, a London design firm proposes converting abandoned subway tunnels into underground bikeways.

Kind-hearted Londoners raise £6,000 to send the body of a bike rider killed in the city back home to Greece.

British authorities have finally dropped charges against a bike rider who was fined £50 after he swerved out of a bike lane to go around a phone booth. Yet no one seems to ask why was there a phone booth in the bike lane to begin with.

A Brit bike rider is called the most hated man on two wheels after using his helmet cam to help police convict 70 scofflaw drivers.

A Czech group has sent 200 bikes to Cameroon to help protect African elephants. And no, they aren’t so the elephants can ride them to safety whenever poachers show up.

In one of the most over-the-top editorials in recent memory, a “hard-hitting” writer for the Sydney, Australia Telegraph accuses the Lord Mayor of desecrating the city with gridlock-inducing bike paths.

 

Finally…

Plans for a Halifax, Nova Scotia bike lane are put on hold when a hot dog vendor complains it will put him out of business; evidently, bike riders don’t eat hot dogs in the Great White North. A British bike lock goes high fashion.

And if mountain biking isn’t challenging enough, maybe it’s time to try it with one wheel. Or perhaps racing through shopping malls.

 

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

Morning Links: CD4 Livable Streets forum tonight, and the OC Register gets it very wrong on bike funding

February 5, 2015 / / 3 comments

Don’t miss tonight’s Livable Streets forum for the massive scrum of candidates running to replace Tom LaBonge in LA’s 4th council district.

You can register for the free event here, and bike the vote by riding in with Wolfpack Hustle’s Don Ward.

And yes, there will be a bike valet.

Meanwhile, the Jewish Journal profiles the seven most prominent candidates in the race, three of whom call for better bike lanes in the district.

……..

In a highly uninformed editorial, the OC Register says bike paths and other active transportation — no ironic quotes needed, thank you — plans receive a disproportionate amount of transportation funding.

Which is absolutely true, as the LACBC’s Eric Bruins points out, since walking and biking account for 19% of trips, 39% of traffic fatalities and just 1% of funding in LA County.

In other words, the very definition of disproportionate. But maybe not the way the Register intended.

……..

Local cyclist and costume designer Erica Schwartz wants your help with a new line of fashionable and functional clothing for women who ride bikes.

Taking just a few minutes to fill out this anonymous survey will help her develop fashions that will meet your needs.

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Throw me something, mister!

For those of us who know what it means to miss New Orleans, Metro is hosting a Mardi Gras celebration at Union Station on February 17th.

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Turns out even 81-year old country music outlaw Willie Nelson is one of us.

So is Russell Crowe, though we knew that already. Note to Daily Mail — that is so not a BMX bike.

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Local

The LA Weekly looks at LA’s underground bike racing scene, which isn’t really all that underground anymore.

LA’s newest bike corral is taking its lumps protecting bikes and pedestrians from careless Larchmont drivers.

The Loyola Marymount news site lists five of LA’s best bike routes. Although some of those seem a little too familiar; maybe someone should explain the need for attribution to them.

If you loved the South LA CicLAvia, don’t miss the Love Ride on Valentines Day.

 

State

Cyclelicious offers a look at transportation bills introduced in the California legislature; nothing exciting on the bike front yet. Which could give the governor’s veto pen a rest this year.

Costa Mesa considers the safety of biking and walking in the city. Thanks to sponsor Michael Rubinstein for the heads-up.

The EPA will help Fresno plan a bike share program to help improve air quality.

The East Bay Bike Club’s Robert Prinz explains how to carry a little or a lot of stuff on your bike.

Sounds like they think he did it on purpose. A Ukiah teenager faces five counts of assault with a deadly weapon for mowing down a series bike riders in rapid succession; he also faces one count of DUI.

 

National

Bicycling offers advice on how to bike with your dog, and how to buy an un-abused used bike.

I’ve never been a fan of PC language, as you may have noticed. But People for Bikes makes the case that changing terms helped end the divisive Seattle bikelash.

Now that’s more like it. A bill before the Nebraska legislature would make injuring or killing a cyclist through careless driving a felony with up to five years in jail. Although someone should have a long talk with the editor who approved that awful illustration.

Louisville KY’s extremely cool new underground bike park built in an abandoned limestone mine prepares to open next month.

Unbelievable. A Shreveport driver received over 40 moving violations in 20 years — including a DUI — yet somehow was still allowed on the road to kill a seven-year old girl in an allegedly drunken collision.

Baltimore gets a new bike plan calling for 253 miles of bikeways.

 

International

The president of cycling’s governing body admits dropping the ball on paracycling, but pinkie-swear promises to make it right.

London approves plans for segregated bike superhighways crisscrossing the city, as well as additional bike infrastructure improvements. Even as a member of the city’s transportation board says it’s your own damn fault if you get killed.

Just seven days after receiving the heart of a fallen cyclist, a British transplant patient suddenly takes up bicycling. And rides a 30-mile sportive in his donor’s honor 19 weeks later.

My favorite Scottish bike blogger turned leading bike advocate says if you want to sell bikes to women, maybe you should actually listen to them.

The womens pro cycling tour is showing the Arab world what women can do if given a chance; I hope they’re watching in Saudi Arabia, where women are prohibited from riding a bike in public.

 

Finally…

If you’re trying to auction stolen bikes online, don’t take photos with your unique wallpaper visible in the background. When you’re an unregistered sex offender carrying drug paraphernalia and meth on your bike, put a damn light on it, already. Or better yet, don’t.

And Bike Radar offers 30 reasons to take up bicycling. Although boosting your bowels is not one most people would usually recommend to prospective riders.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: LA Weekly says LA driving is fun, LA doesn’t make the bike commuting list, and Lance lies again

February 4, 2015 / / One comment

Local

The LA Weekly resorts to fiction, citing 12 streets that make you love driving in Los Angeles. Actually, nothing could make most LA motorists enjoy driving; only bike riders seem to truly enjoy our streets.

Glendale is the latest city to step up enforcement to prevent collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians. But police only ticket five people in the big dangerous machines that actually hurt people.

Flying Pigeon hosts their monthly Brewery Ride on Saturday.

 

State

KABC-7 offers a nice report on Monday’s memorial ride for Joey Robinson; let’s hope SoCal drivers were watching and got the message.

A Sacramento college student encourages us all to stay calm when encountering a flat tire.

Best advice ever? San Francisco traffic police say don’t rely on motorists to obey the law.

 

National

Clean Technica maps the top 25 US cities for bike commuting. And no, LA is not on the list, but Santa Monica is. And so is Santa Barbara.

In Portland, they have special lanes for bike riding chickens.

Caught on video: A Eugene OR driver blocks an unpainted bike box, then bumps a cyclist with his car twice — apparently on purpose.

Spokane thieves steal a green ghost bike for a 15-year old cyclist who died in a non-collision with a speeding police car.

Corpus Christi turns to bike cops to improve safety.

Michigan landowners don’t want a bike trail on their properties because they’d have to be more careful where they fire their guns.

In the immortal words of the Pretenders — and the Kinks before them — stop your sobbing; a Florida driver charged with killing a cyclist in a drag racing collision gets a stern warning from the judge to stop crying, already.

A Florida driver is arrested in the hit-and-run death of a bike rider; the victim wasn’t discovered for 11 hours after the collision. Which means the driver should face a murder charge on the assumption his victim might have been saved if he’d gotten help in time. Thanks to David Wolfberg for the link.

 

International

Game, set, match. A new Canadian study shows 12% of drivers pass cyclists unsafely on two lane roads without bike lanes; that drops to .2% on similar roads with bike lanes.

A Wednesday vote could determine whether London will take a bold step into a bike friendly future.

Caught on video: A Brit bike rider tries to beat a train crossing barrier, but gets knocked off his bike when it comes down on him.

Here’s something that will never, ever happen in the US, as Britain’s major political parties agree to participate in a debate on bicycling and bike infrastructure.

That Norwegian bike escalator is now available for installation anywhere in the world. Like maybe Los Angeles, for instance — and for as little as roughly $2 a yard.

New Zealand’s capital commits to making the city safer for cyclists.

 

Finally…

Maybe he should stick to his bike. As if doping wasn’t bad enough, integrity-challenged Lance Armstrong hit two parked cars last December after drinking at a party, then drove away. His girlfriend, who claimed to be his wife, initially took the blame for him, which gave him plenty of time to sober up before the truth finally came out. Thanks to John McBrearty and David Wolfberg for the heads-up.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: January was a good month for SoCal cyclists, walkability survey and still more bike events

February 3, 2015 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: January was a good month for SoCal cyclists, walkability survey and still more bike events

Good news for a change.

To the best of my knowledge, only one bike rider was killed anywhere in Southern California last month.

One.

That’s ten less than lost their lives in the seven county region last January. And significantly less than the average of 7.25 deaths in the month of January over the previous four years. In fact, it’s the first time since March of 2012 that only one bicyclist has been killed in any month.

It could be a statistical fluke.

Or it could be that improvements in infrastructure, education and enforcement, as well as the much-touted safety in numbers effect, are finally beginning to pay off.

Lets keep our fingers crossed. And hope this soon leads to a month, or even more, with zero deaths. Something that has never happened since I began tracking SoCal bicycling fatalities in mid-2010.

Maybe, just maybe, we’ve finally turned the corner. And are on our way to safer streets, not just for cyclists, but for everyone.

We can hope.

……….

If you’ve got a few minutes, CSUN sociology master’s student Elizabeth Bogumil could use your help answering a few questions on walkability and livability.

The anonymous survey is designed to examine the relationship between the ability to walk in a community and its quality of life.

Here’s my short answer. If you can’t walk — or bike — safely and enjoyably wherever you are, there’s no point in living there.

Period.

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Still more upcoming bike events, in addition to Friday’s long list.

The LACBC is hosting a Northeast LA organizing workshop on Wednesday to discuss options, including bike lanes, for a five block stretch of North Figueroa.

Join Multicultural Communities for Mobility and the East LA Community Corporation this Saturday for the extensively named Equity in Motion Bici Tour: A Look at Transit Oriented Development in Boyle Heights.

Bike Talk and the Feminist Library on Wheels invite you to the February 22nd Open Books “Lost Cyclist” ride to three independent book stores, including a talk by bike historian David Herlihy.

Head down to San Diego County on March 7th for the St. Paddy’s Palomor Punishment ride up the area’s favorite hill climb.

Or head north on April 25th for the Wildflower Century through northeastern San Luis Obispo County, sponsored by the San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club.

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Local

The Times says the 3.5 pound, foldable Foldylock is serious about securing your bike. Then again, lock up your bike like they show in the photo, and you could kiss your wheels goodbye.

Santa Monica police arrest three 20-year old men with a truck load of stolen bikes.

Better Bike says file Beverly Hills’ dangerous Crescent Drive sharrows under C for crap facilities. Then again, that’s my take on most sharrows, anywhere.

The Glendale News-Press says not so fast on those ridiculous pedestrian crossing flags. Next they’ll expect us to wave a flag while we ride down the street.

An Azusa bike rider suffers serious injuries in a solo fall due to mechanical failure while apparently racing another rider. Yet somehow, the press seems to think the most important detail is that he might be a transient.

The Long Beach paper wants to know how the city treats its cyclists.

 

State

Laguna Beach installs five miles of sharrows in an attempt to route riders away from the Coast Highway.

Great idea. A San Diego program gives bikes refurbished by prison inmates to ex-offenders so they have reliable transportation while they transition back into society.

San Francisco’s SAFE Bikes program takes credit for a 20% drop in bike thefts in the city.

 

National

The Verge asks if it’s time for the Feds to mandate software to disable mobile phones while driving. That would be yes. Or maybe hell yes.

The US imported over $1.3 billion worth of bicycles through November of last year, compared to $140 billion worth of motor vehicles; then again, bikes are a lot cheaper.

A Phoenix man pleads not guilty to murdering murdering two bike riding women in the early ‘90s.

A petition calling for a three-foot passing distance in Wyoming gains over 1,000 signatures in just two days; the organization sponsoring it is named for one of the state’s fallen riders.

A Delaware website calls for boycotting the conservative Koch brothers over their opposition to funding active transportation and transit projects. Unfortunately, given the huge size and reach of their holdings, that would be almost impossible; a better tactic would be to pick one Koch company to target.

A US sailor chases her Olympic dreams in Miami, just months after suffering serious injuries while bicycling; thanks to Michael Eisenberg for the heads-up.

 

International

Bike riders Tweet about how they got into cycling. My origin story begins with a matinee showing of Breaking Away in a nearly empty theater, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

More people are riding bikes in London than ever before, while the Independent offers tips on how the city can keep the momentum going; actually, it’s good advice anywhere.

Famed Italian automotive designer Pininfarina jumps on the bike bandwagon. Nice try, but it doesn’t even come close to the world’s most beautiful bike, at least not in my humble opinion.

FC Barcelona looks back at the first great Spanish cycling champion, who wore the football (aka soccer) club’s colors when they had a bike team early in the last century.

A young South African cyclist offers bike tours through one of Johannesburg’s oldest townships; after less than five years, his company is now rated as one of the top five activities in the city.

Aussie great Cadel Evans calls it a career, while his countryman discovers attempting to set a new hour record really hurts.

 

Finally…

Here’s how LA can close its budget deficit; an Australian city collects nearly $50,000 in just four months by fining drivers who park in bike lanes. A Canadian cyclist uses his bike to fend off a charging cougar; I’ve used a similar technique to defend against angry drivers.

And a British ad encourages cab drivers to get a dash cam in case they run over a cyclist. Yeah, like that would ever happen.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Events, Car vs Bike, Injuries and Fatalities, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

Weekend Links: Burbank Sunday Funday ride; Spokane police bend over backward to blame bike riding victim

February 1, 2015 / / 6 comments

Somehow, I left the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Sunday Funday ride off Friday’s list of coming bike events.

If you hurry, you may still be able to make it to the North Hollywood Red Line station in time for today’s ride exploring the hidden bowls of Burbank.

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This is why police need better training in investigating bike collisions.

Spokane police bend over backwards to blame the victim when a 15-year old bike rider was killed in an apparent crash with a speeding patrol car.

Citing physical evidence, investigators concluded that the car never actually made contact with the victim. Instead, they say he went over the handlebars while — get this — attempting a wheelie a split second before the patrol car passed inches away.

Never mind that it’s far more likely that the victim fell while trying to avoid a collision with a police car racing to respond to an emergency.

Or that he was unlikely to go over the handlebars unless he was doing a wheelie on the wrong damn wheel.

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Local

The east part of Venice Blvd is finally getting some, but not all, of the bike lanes promised in the 2010 bike lane.

Flying Pigeon interviews participants in the LACBC’s recent Operation Firefly bike light giveaway on North Figueroa.

Ciclavalley attends the first community meeting for the March CicLAvia.

The Times offers a nice remembrance of 106-year old Long Beach bike rider Octavio Orduño, who passed away earlier this month.

 

State

A Laguna Beach resident says it’s a great place to live, as long as you don’t want to walk or ride a bike.

The long delayed bike share is officially open in San Diego.

Now that’s something worth contributing to. San Diego’s Major Taylor Cycling Club is raising funds to get a blind tandem-riding cyclist back on his bike.

San Bernardino sheriff’s deputies allegedly shocked a Victorville bike rider with a Taser at least 25 times, then hog-tied face down in the back of a patrol car before he died in the 100 degree heat.

An alleged Santa Cruz hit-and-run driver turns himself in over a month after the collision that took the life of a bike rider — but only after police had identified him as a suspect. He reportedly tried to disguise his damaged truck to avoid detection.

Five cyclists are injured, one seriously, when a Mendocino County driver plows into them from behind with no warning; a photo of the aftermath shows the bikes strewn in a ditch. The 18-year old driver was later arrested on suspicion of DUI.

 

National

Eight ways last year was the year of bike fashion.

Sound familiar? Anchorage, Alaska has installed less than 1% of the bikeways promised in their 2010 bike plan.

Evidently, life is cheap in my hometown, as a 73-year old driver gets probation for fleeing the scene after right-hooking a cyclist.

Kidical Mass gains popularity in Gotham.

 

International

It’s nice that London cyclists get to see what it’s like to drive a truck. But it would be even better for the drivers to try riding a bike surrounded by big ass trucks with impatient drivers.

A Kiwi driver may learn the hard way not to post video of his own road-raging anti-bike tirade on Facebook.

Bikes come to Japanese actions figures.

 

Finally…

A bill in the Wyoming legislature would require cyclists to wear 200 square inches of reflective hi-viz; evidently, dark colored cars are still okay, though. A Manhattan bike map plots routes by degree of stress as measured by mindreading bike helmets.

And there is nothing quite so humiliating to Chinese workers as when their boss bikes to work.

 

Category: Bike Events, Law Enforcement, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Atwater paper calls legal cyclists lane hogs, a handful of links and a long list of upcoming events

January 30, 2015 / / 11 comments
photo from Atwater Village News Facebook page

photo from Atwater Village News Facebook page

First up, a local newspaper manages to get it wrong. And brings out the ire of the Facebook cycling community.

The Atwater Village News posted a photo on its Facebook page, showing four bike riders taking the lane on a two-lane ramp, labeling them “Lane Hogs.” Then cites CVC 21202(a), which says that cyclists are required to ride as close to the right as practicable when traveling below the speed of traffic.

If only they’d read a little further, they would have seen the many exceptions contained in sections 1 ­through 4, particularly the one that says that the law doesn’t apply on substandard width lanes. And defines substandard width as any lane too narrow for a bike and motor vehicle to safely share while traveling side by side.

Kind of like the one shown in the picture.

So for any journalists, police officers, motorists, online commenters or anyone else who’s still unclear on the concept, let’s get it straight.

Bicycles aren’t in the way of traffic, they are traffic as defined by law, with a legal right to the road.

Bikes are required to right as far to the right as practicable whenever traveling below the normal speed of traffic. Which does not mean as far to the right as possible, but only as far as is safe under the current circumstances, allowing riders to position themselves further to the left to avoid gravel and glass, potholes and swinging car doors.

However, cyclists aren’t required to ride to the right if they’re traveling at the speed of traffic — which means the legal speed limit, or less if traffic is moving slower than that. Or if the lane is too narrow to safely share, which is defined as a safe distance from the curb, plus the width of the bike and any motor vehicle, along with a three-foot passing distance.

By that standard, most right lanes in the LA area are substandard.

There is also nothing in California law that requires cyclists to ride single file. Not one word. Bike riders can travel two, three or more abreast, as long as they remain within a single lane, and that lane is too narrow to share with a motor vehicle. Doing so improves safety by making the riders more visible while forcing motorists to change lanes to pass.

And the law requiring slower traffic to pull over to allow faster traffic to pass only applies when there are five or more vehicles stuck behind and unable to go around. Which means it doesn’t apply on any road with two or more lanes in the same direction, where a driver could simply change lanes to pass.

Got it?

Thanks to LA Bicycle Advisory Committee member David Wolfberg for the heads-up.

………

Let’s catch up on some of the upcoming events.

Helen’s Cycles and ThinkCure! are holding a training ride tomorrow for The Life Ride; the two day event will roll in March to raise funds for the fight against cancer.

Also on Saturday, the Eastside Bike Club is teaming with Stan’s Bike Shop in Monrovia and the Monrovia Cyclists Against Diabetes to ride down to the Tour de Cure Kickoff at the Reef in Long Beach.

Pasadena Complete Streets holds their monthly meeting on Monday, February 2nd at Day One, across from Pasadena City Hall.

Speaking of the Bicycle Advisory Committee, the next meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 3rd at Hollywood City Hall; BAC meetings are always open to the public.

Helen’s is also hosting a 2015 Cannondale demo and group ride on Saturday, February 7th on Mulholland Drive; another will be held in Westwood, with a ride up world famous Nichols Canyon on the following day, Sunday the 8th.

Also on the 8th, Stan’s Bike Shop is the kickoff point for a fun ride celebrating the birthday of GoBici president Jorge Rodriguez. But aren’t most bike rides fun?

The Eastside Bike Club brings back their Friendship Love Ride on Saturday, February 14th.

Streetsblog is celebrating the seventh anniversary of LA’s most influential transportation website and champion of livable streets on Saturday, February 21st.

The Sakura Ride will be held at Lake Balboa on March 14th to honor the fourth anniversary of the disastrous March, 2011 East Japan earthquake and tsunami.

And LA’s favorite fundraising ride, the annual LA River Ride, is set for Sunday, June 28th to benefit the LACBC.

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A few other quick notes:

We’ll soon find out if it’s really true that you should use a car if you want to get away with murder. Notorious — as the LA Times calls him — rap mogul Suge Knight is charged with deliberately running down two men with his truck following an argument on a movie set, killing one.

An LA cyclist who lost his leg in a collision with a big rig truck is awarded a whopping $33.8 million settlement.

KPCC is once again auctioning off a chance to ride with political reporter and triathlete Sharon McNary, with your choice of beach cruise or coastal bike tour. I had a chance to join in on last year’s beach cruise until my diabetes knocked me on my ass, dammit.

Two cyclists came to the aid of an unconscious woman being raped on the campus of Stanford University; the riders caught the suspect, a member of the university swim team, as he tried to run away. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.

Portland officials use magnetic sweepers to pick up the tacks someone is spilling on a popular bike route.

In an extreme case of driveway rage, a Nevada man boils over when his neighbor’s son uses his driveway as a turning point for the kid’s bike. And shoves his pistol down the neighbor’s throat to make his point.

Maybe the cop can’t read. A New York cyclist fights a ticket he got for riding on a bike path; the officer wrote him up for disobeying a sign — right next to one saying bikes were allowed there.

A Florida man fights a ticket for riding in the traffic lane, and wins.

Finally, even elected officials can’t catch a break when they ride, as a Toronto city councillor — yes, that’s how they spell it up there — sees the case against the driver who hit her dismissed because the police forgot to give the driver a ticket.

 

Category: Bike Events, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: LA considers hit-and-run alert, Pacoima Wash Bikeway meeting, Glendale surrenders to traffic

January 28, 2015 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: LA considers hit-and-run alert, Pacoima Wash Bikeway meeting, Glendale surrenders to traffic

Local

LA considers a hit-and-run alert system similar to the one vetoed by Jerry Brown earlier this year.

Yes, please. There will be a community meeting in Pacoima tonight to discuss the proposed Pacoima Wash Bikeway.

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune says a Pasadena bike share station could reduce the number of bikes on the Gold Line.

If Glendale really needs to make pedestrians wave a flag to cross a street, they should fire their traffic planners. And make the flags white to signal the city’s unconditional surrender to cars.

 

State

Vista okays the city’s new Bicycle Master Plan, though the San Diego suburb runs into the usual demands to preserve parking instead of lives.

An 18-year old Paso Robles man will be charged with vehicular manslaughter in the November death of LA cyclist Lee Hekyung Craig; he also severely injured Seal Beach rider Lawrence Chong when he drifted off the road at 60 mph trying to pick up the cell phone that fell off his lap. But why is it just a misdemeanor?

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is the latest state bike group to hire a new Executive Director after a nationwide search.

There’s got to be a punch line in there somewhere, as a pink haired Giants fan steals a Fetish Cycle in Mill Valley.

 

National

The Bike League discusses taking Bike to Shop Day nationwide, after it was created by new Calbike board member Janet Lafleur in Silicon Valley last year.

Once again, Seattle Seahawk Michael Bennett takes a cop’s bike for a ride.

Ogden, Utah’s mayor completes a full year of biking to work to bring attention to alternative transportation and the city’s commitment to bicycling.

Caught on video: A Chicago bike messenger takes on a cab driver in a race across the city.

Talk about Viking biking. A separated bike lane is planned to get riders to and from the new Minnesota football stadium.

The Maryland Episcopal officials have officially requested the resignation of the killer DUI Baltimore bishop.

Now that sounds like fun. Louisiana’s Cycle Zydeco bike tour samples the local music and Cajun and Creole food as it winds its way through bayou country. The challenge is surviving the massive swarms of condor-sized mosquitos they have down there.

 

International

VeloNews discusses how to reform pro cycling’s notoriously corrupt inept governing body, while the former UCI president says Lance was a scapegoat. Well, duh.

Vancouver rallies to support a bike rider who was seriously injured when he was run over by a truck after being sideswiped by a bus. And a local woman becomes a virtual recluse after being charged with booby trapping a mountain bike trail; her husband says she only meant to slow riders down, evidently by killing or maiming them.

More on London’s planned bike superhighway, which promises to be Europe’s longest protected bikeway.

Instant justice? Indian villagers block a roadway to demand compensation from a speeding truck driver after he kills a 16-year old girl riding her bike.

 

Finally…

No, seriously. If you’re going to claim the sun was in your eyes after running down a cyclist, make sure he’s not one of the area’s leading personal injury lawyers. Someone rode off on a Singapore cyclist’s self-proclaimed $50,000, Swarovski crystal-studded bicycle while he was busy filming his argument with another man.

And finally, a solution to airlines’ excessive bicycle shipping fees, as a New Zealand pilot puts bike racks under the wings of his Cessna.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: A sad goodbye to Long Beach’s Octavio Orduño, and it’s up to you to Bike the Vote this spring

January 28, 2015 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: A sad goodbye to Long Beach’s Octavio Orduño, and it’s up to you to Bike the Vote this spring

Sad news from Long Beach.

Octavio Orduño, one of the world’s oldest bike riders, passed away recently at the age of 106.

Orduño rode his three-wheeled bike nearly every day, after giving up his two-wheeler at the insistence of his wife — at the ripe old age 100.

Here he is riding on his 104th birthday, captured on bike cam by his good friend and neighbor, former Long Beach mobility coordinator and Calbike board vice president Charlie Gandy.

I don’t even know what to say.

Except we should all be so lucky as to live and ride that long.

Rest in peace, Octavio. You’ll be missed.

………

More on your chance to bike the vote in this spring’s elections.

Flying Pigeon points out how easy it is for a few voters to make a big difference, thanks to LA’s dismal voter turnout. Which could be a big opportunity for bike riders — if we get out and vote for our own self-interests.

With that in mind, be sure to make your reservation for the CD4 Livable Streets Candidate Forum at the Hollywood United Methodist Church on February 5th to meet the candidates in LA’s most competitive district. And yes, I’ll be there, after moving into the district a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the LACBC has developed a list of hard-hitting questions for city council candidates to gauge their support for bicycling in their district.

Can’t speak for anyone else, but I won’t vote for anyone who doesn’t complete it.

After all, let’s not forget that CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo didn’t respond to the LACBC’s questionnaire when he was running for office two years ago, despite promising elsewhere to support the planned bike lanes on North Figueroa.

And look how that turned out.

………

Interesting idea.

Instead of insuring their bicycles, some riders are forming syndicates by agreeing to pitch in to pay for each other’s bikes if they get stolen, so they only have to pay up if something bad happens.

………

Local

A cyclist who lost his leg when a big rig truck cut a corner on Alameda Street now struggles to lead a normal life and support his family.

An OpEd in the Daily News says we should embrace climate change as an opportunity to rethink transportation in LA, and get people out of their cars by making it easier to walk, bike and use transit.

KCRW talks with Streetsblog’s Joe Linton about LA’s proposed bike share program.

Boyonabike joins in on a exploratory ride through east Pasadena to raise awareness of the need for better bike infrastructure. Or virtually any, for that matter.

The Milt Olin Foundation and Yield to Life are sponsoring a fundraising rally against distracted driving next month.

 

State

Yet another bike rider has been killed by a heartless hit-and-run driver, this time in Berkeley.

Oh, please. Despite successful bike share programs around the world, the Orange County Register concludes it just doesn’t work, based strictly on the recent failure of the Fullerton system. Evidently, they think the world ends at the Orange Curtain.

 

National

The conservative AASHTO bikeway guide, the bible for street planners across the country, is slowly moving towards endorsing protected bike lanes.

Cyclelicious offers photos of Viking biking from the East Coast blizzard.

Young professionals come out in force to support endangered bike lanes proposed for Cheyenne WY.

The Oklahoma City council calls for uniform regional bike regulations after turning down a ridiculous reverse three-foot law requiring bikes to stay three feet from motor vehicles.

A pair of mixed-use developments in New Orleans and Baton Rouge are offering their own private bike share programs.

Now that’s what I call a good life. A 93-year old South Carolina woman passed away Saturday; she’d toured Europe by bike shortly after the end of WWII.

 

International

Bike riding is up in Calgary thanks to warmer weather; I’d love to see a bridge like that over the LA River.

London’s Mayor Boris gives the okay to begin work on two protected bikeways crisscrossing the city at a cost of over $88 million.

London planners ask for one bike parking space per bedroom to approve a new residential project.

Celebrate the Cannibal’s birthday with a $17,500 limited edition Eddy Merckx bike.

Egyptian women defy conservative social norms to ride bikes; actually, it doesn’t sound all that different from what women bike riders complain about here.

At least that’s one thing we don’t usually have to deal with here. South Africa attempts to increase cycling despite a rash of bikejackings.

 

Finally…

Evidently, kangaroos have declared open season on cyclists Down Under. You may never have to wash your bike again.

And repeat after me: When you’re carrying a stolen driver’s license and credit card, don’t swerve in and out of traffic while riding salmon.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Bikes could sway the race in LA’s CD4; WeHo candidates debate banning sidewalk riders

January 27, 2015 / / 3 comments

It’s election time once again in and around the City of Angels.

The LA Times looks at the very crowded race to replace Tom LaBonge in CD4, where LA’s pitiful voter turnout and 14 candidates splitting the vote means it could take only a few thousand votes to win the race.

Which means that a single dedicated group — like bike riders, for instance — could be enough to sway the outcome.

Let’s hope the candidates remember that. And that we do, too.

Meanwhile, candidates for the West Hollywood City Council discuss pedestrian safety and whether to ban all sidewalk cycling in the city.

………

Local

Public Radio station KPCC wants to know how you learned the rules of the road. Would that be the legal rules of the road, or the ones we have to live by to survive on them?

UCLA Transportation shares an infographic that makes the case for protected bike lanes.

A man walking on a Santa Clarita bike path is pepper sprayed, then whacked on the head with an unknown object.

 

State

The good news is, it’s not going down; the bad news, it’s not going up. Caltrans’ director assures legislators that the state’s funding for active transportation will remain unchanged for the next two years.

San Diego’s Business Association has discovered a great new way for its members to network and get to know each other: form a bike club.

A Salinas teen receives a national extraordinary courage award for competing on his school’s mountain bike team after losing a leg to cancer.

Nice. After a pancreatic cancer patient on a national bike tour had his bike and equipment stolen in Turlock, locals pitch in to get him back on the road.

A cyclist killed in a rear-end collision on a Sunnyvale highway over the weekend was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, which is likely where the investigation will both begin and end, regardless of any other factors.

 

National

It should come as no surprise to anyone that 75% of people who have had their licenses suspended continue to drive anyway, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Shocking, but not surprising.

People for Bikes offers up five reasons why you should talk your boss into allowing a lunch ride; personally, I usually get my best ideas on a bike.

Bikes are under attack once again in bike-friendly Oregon, as a bill in the state legislature proposes licensing all riders over 18, instituting a mandatory $10 bike registration plan, and barring the use of state highway funds for bike projects.

I don’t even where to start with this one, as a teenage St. Louis-area driver is charged with the hit-and-run death of a man sleeping on a bike path.

Evidently, they take human life seriously in New Hampshire, as the unlicensed driver who killed two cyclists when she plowed into a group of riders while under the influence of drugs gets up to 40 years in prison, with a minimum of 15.

 

International

Next City says cyclists and pedestrians are the best of frenemies, as a Canadian study shows shared paths and sidewalks increase the risk of severe injury. Which you probably already know if you’ve ever ridden the beachfront bike path through Santa Monica.

No. Just no. After a man calls out a bike rider for rolling a stop sign, the rider returns a few minutes later and beats him with a baseball bat.

In an interview with the BBC, Lance Armstrong says if he had to do it all again, he would do it all again.

A cyclist in a UK city suffers two broken fingers when he’s kicked off his bike by a moped rider, something that seems to happen there every January.

A 65-year old woman sets off on a 5,000 mile tour around the British Coast to raise money for charity, and takes her golden retriever in a trailer behind her. Which is exactly what I’d do if my wife ever kicks me out, except she’d probably keep the dog.

Bike riding is booming in Ireland; unfortunately, deaths are on the rise, as well.

Government officials debate whether to pull the cord on Melbourne’s troubled bike share program or exempt it from Australia’s ill-advised mandatory helmet law.

Once again, a Facebook page is accused of inciting violence against bike riders, this time in New Zealand; operators insist it’s not a hate site, despite the death threats to cyclists. Well, what the hell did they think would happen?

 

Finally…

In today’s nod to literature, an ode to a nun on a bike. And for those of us who are cash-challenged, the next edition of English bike scribe Carlton Reid’s excellent Roads Were Not Built for Cars will be published online for free.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Weekend Links: UCLA Transpo group honored; Bike the Vote next month and score a Wolfpack Hustle T-Shirt

January 25, 2015 / / 5 comments

Congratulations to UCLA Transportation for winning California’s top environmental award.

The university group was honored for developing a sustainable transportation program that led to a 23% drop in driving to the campus; nearly half of UCLA commuters use alternative transportation.

Just imagine how many more might bike to campus if they only had safer ways to get there.

………

Bike the Vote by riding to the February 5th Livable Streets Candidate Forum to replace Tom LaBonge in LA’s 4th Council District, and get a free Wolfpack Hustle T-Shirt.

Speaking of which, the Times published profiles of the candidates; of the 14 people in the race, only one — Tomas O’Grady — even mentioned bicycles, making him the early favorite in my book.

Meanwhile, 3rd District Councilmember Bob Blumenfield leads his constituents on an eight mile bike ride through the district, including the Orange Line and LA River bike paths.

And the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition posts the first responses to their questionnaire for candidates for mayor of the Rose City.

………

Local

A study of transit users in LA, Atlanta and Minneapolis-St. Paul suggests that making the area around transit hubs more bike friendly could help get more cars off the road.

The executive director of the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance asks if it’s time for a road diet on Hollywood Blvd. The correct response would be yes. Or maybe, hell yes.

Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt goes for an LA bike ride with wife Anna Faris.

Sometimes, you don’t even have to ride a bike, as a man just walking his bike in West Covina is seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver.

 

State

Wait, are they pranking us? The director of California’s traditionally auto focused state transportation agency says they need to consider pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users in planning Complete Streets.

Eighteen teams sign up for this year’s Amgen Tour of California, including eight of the world’s top pro teams.

Bosch opens their American eBike headquarters in Irvine.

Maybe cluelessness is another cause of hit-and-runs. A Santa Barbara driver keeps going after hitting a cyclist; a friend of the victim had to chase her and tell her she’d been in a collision.

Santa Rosa goes to court to preserve the right for cyclists to ride on a bike path through private property.

Bike advocacy jobs open up in either side of the San Francisco Bay.

 

National

Biking while blind through echolocation.

Bicycling looks at the 10 best car-free bike paths in the US, not surprisingly, none of which are located in Southern California.

A Santa Fe sheriff’s deputy ends up using a Taser on cyclist he stopped because the guy looked “suspicious” walking his bike, despite — or maybe because — of its flat tire.

A Wyoming newspaper says educating drivers about the rights of cyclists could save more lives than a three-foot law. Then again, who says they can’t do both?

A Chicago Alderman suggests allowing seniors to bike on the sidewalks; evidently, making the streets safe enough for older people is just too darn hard.

 

International

A British mom uses the power of Facebook to get her autistic son’s stolen bike back.

Germany considers banning drunk bicycling. Or very drunk bicycling, anyway, since the proposed max is well over the limit for drunk driving in the US. Thanks to D D Syrdal for the heads-up.

Huh? A member of a British driver’s group says not only is bicycling dangerous, but without drivers, we’d all be dead. I’m sure that must make sense to someone.

An Aussie paper says cyclists should be required to carry liability insurance. Or maybe jerks who string ropes across routes popular with cyclists should, instead.

 

Finally…

If you’re carrying three kilos of heroin and coke under the hood of your car, make sure your bike rack doesn’t obscure the license plate. Here’s your chance to buy a British bike shop for less than $1.50; most I can scrape together right now is about a buck seventeen.

And when a driver asks if you want him to crash into your bike, the correct response is “no.” A Brit cyclist sarcastically said yes to a road raging driver, who promptly backed his car into him.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,
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