According to KTLA-5, 19-year old Bryan Hernandez was riding his bike home from work when he was killed early Tuesday morning. His body was found around 2:50 am at the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Peachtree Street in Commerce.
The Tour de France will offer fans more data than ever before, including the ability to track any rider in real time. And not wanting to give the wrong impression, a German shampoo maker will drop its “Doping for hair” slogan just for the Tour.
And speaking of doping, Tour favorite and ex-Tour de France winner Alberto Contador continues to build on his legacy, despite a previous two-year ban for doping.
Thanks in part to support from cyclists, the proposed hit-and-run alert bill sailed through committee in the state legislature by a unanimous vote on Tuesday.
Three Sacramento-area cyclists were injured, one critically, when they were struck by a hit-and-run driver; police were later able to subdue a suspect using a police dog. No offence, but I hope that dog bit the crap out of him.
That Florida cyclist seriously injured after skidding on an alligator carcass faces a long and painful recovery; he suffered a fractured face, broken ribs and clavicle and a collapsed lung when his riding partners ran over him after he hit the pavement.
Toni Adkins joins former LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state Senator Robert Hertzberg and Speaker Emeritus John A. Pérez in endorsing Bradford.
And me, too.
Bradford is a bicyclist himself, and has worked in the legislature to improve safety for cyclists. Including sponsoring the first two attempts at passing a stronger version of the new three-foot passing law, which cleared the legislature before being vetoed by Gov. Brown.
It’s early in the game. But Steven Bradford has my unqualified support, having already proven himself to be an effective legislator.
And writer for ESPN says women’s sports are boring and not worth watching; not surprisingly, women’s cyclists disagree. As does anyone who has watched women’s cycling for more than five minutes, or plans to watch the US take on Germany in today’s Women’s World Cup match.
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Local
Ding dong, LaBonge is gone. LA’s most outgoing cheerleader led summer bike rides, but blocked planned bikeways on Lankershim Blvd, as well as 4th and 6th Streets, and was a driving force behind the unsafe and pedestrian-unfriendly design recently adopted for the new Glendale-Hyperion Bridge.
A writer for the Daily Bruin calls for a Westwood bikeshare hub to give students greater access to LA. Although they will still need safe places to ride.
CiclaValley looks at Sunday’s successful LA River Ride. I had planned to be there myself, but my health issues knocked me on my ass all day.
Streetsblog’s Damien Newton talks with Richard McKinnon of Safe Streets Santa Monica about bringing data to street safety discussions. His group mapped 9,600 collisions over a 10-year period, and discovered less than fifty caused by cyclists.
Police bust a bike riding burglar perusing potentially purloin-able property in a subterranean SaMo garage.
State
A San Diego bike rider suffered minor injuries after he’s accused of running a red light in an early morning crash. The question is whether anyone other than the driver who hit him actually saw the victim go through the light. Because no driver would have an incentive to twist the facts, or anything.
A Santa Cruz cyclist really goes the extra mile — or more like a marathon — by riding back and getting his car to drive an injured bike-riding stranger to his home. Then replacing the man’s fluorescent lights and fixing his faucet and electric switches, as well as buying and mounting a new tire for his bike.
A San Francisco cyclist is on a one-woman mission to stop drivers from double parking in bike lanes. Maybe she could come down here next.
Bagdad by the Bay has become Bicyclists by the Bay, to the detriment of those poor, put upon drivers according one SF writer.
Streetsblog asks if a new bike lane in Orinda is the worst bike lane in the world; the lane directs bike riders to go straight between two right turn lanes, almost guaranteeing a high-speed right hook.
Remarkably, two mountain bikers are relatively okay after plunging 150 feet off a Marin County trail in separate incidents nearly seven hours apart, yet somehow landing in the same spot.
A new bill in Congress would require the DOT to research new technology to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Las Vegas is fighting an epidemic of bicycling fatalities, with seven deaths this year compared to just one last year; four of those have been hit-and-runs. The story advises bicyclists to stay safe by walking across crosswalks, but has anyone ever done a study to determine if that really reduces risk?
Nice piece from Wichita KN, as cyclists surprise a riding buddy who suffered a massive stroke with a custom-made three-wheel ‘bent to get him back on the road. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.
A Connecticut driver faces a negligent homicide charge after left crossing a cyclist, even though the driver said he never saw him. Although the cops suspect the cyclist may have been speeding, based on nothing but speculation.
A new Delaware bill would encourage transit-friendly, walkable and bikeable economic development.
New Orleans plans to narrow the massive neutral ground — aka median, to everyone else — on the city’s Napoleon Ave to make room for a walking path and bike lanes.
International
Two cyclists are competing against themselves and each other, riding a combined 150,000 miles in an attempt to break the year record.
An Ottawa writer gets it, saying there’s so much more to bike safety than just wearing a helmet. Note to Metro News: When you show a photo of a bike helmet, a caption saying it’s a bike helmet really isn’t necessary.
Burundi’s president may be controversial, but at least he bikes the vote. Even if his wife, soldiers and bodyguards had to walk behind him.
Injuries and fatalities blamed on Japanese bike riders have fallen dramatically, but authorities are cracking down on riders because the ratio of fatalities blamed on bicyclists has gone up. So it’s now illegal to hold an umbrella while you ride.
Instead of trying to make a car with two wheels, why not just build a better Korean e-bike?
As we noted last week, today is the last day to voice your support for the proposed California hit-and-run alert system before Tuesday’s vote in the state senate.
Boyonabike says the death of a bike rider in Friday’s Highland Park hit-and-run is another outrage. As was the cancellation of the road diet that might have saved him; Richard Risemberg blames city council overreach for keeping our streets dangerous.
Meanwhile, Councilmember Gil Cedillo, who was single-handedly responsible for that cancellation, says he shares the outrage over this tragedy, and suggests we have to make better choices.
Thankfully, the Danish cyclist critically injured in a collision while competing in the Race Across America is showing some improvement. Something is seriously wrong when someone can’t come to this country to compete without an American driver putting his life in jeopardy.
And UCI, cycling’s governing body, is seriously out of control as they fine an amateur racer for tweeting his objections about a lack of water and neutral support at the amateur national championships, where several cyclists succumbed to heat stroke.
Maybe someone should fine UCI for risking the safety of their riders.
Hats off to a team of Houston cops riding to New York to raise awareness for leukemia and lymphoma, who stopped along the way to save the life of an Alabama driver after he’d gone off the road.
Vermont’s transportation secretary says the recent deaths of three bike riders should be a catalyst to further safety in order to meet the state’s goal of zero traffic fatalities.
Boston gets a new bike counter. Not that we’re going to get one, but where would we put it if we did?
A Connecticut teen steals a $3,000 bike because he got tired of walking. On the other hand, what kind of idiot who leaves a bike like that unlocked on the porch at two in the morning?
A Bethlehem NY boy gets a new bike as a reward for quick thinking after his is destroyed in a collision where he could have been collateral damage.
International
A new Canadian study says those scary reports that bike riding can cause prostate cancer are probably wrong.
A Canadian recreational cyclist offers tips on bicycling etiquette — including advice to ride in the door zone.
Good article from London’s Telegraph, asking why serious bicycling injuries are increasing while fatalities are going down — and at a rate greater than the rise in ridership.
Someone stole a $100 bike 20 minutes after it was donated to a British charity store. They seem to define racing bike a little oddly, though.
The Times of London looks at Dublin’s plans to ban cars from the city center and convert traffic lanes to segregated bike paths. Riots would break out if anyone suggested that here.
A New Zealand paper says if the country’s planned bikeways do what they’re supposed to, everyone wins.
June 25, 2015 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: Metro commits to DTLA bikeshare, US pros swear they’re clean, and $50K reward for fatal hit-and-run
Streetsblog’s Joe Linton says we should let the disparate systems thrive. I wish I could share his optimism; my fear is that multiple, incompatible bikeshare systems will doom them to failure.
And British pro Lizzie Armistead has recovered from her recent collision with finish line photographers, and will be racing in the country’s national championships this weekend.
CiclaValley pens an ode to the 300 volunteers helping to put on Sunday’s LA River Ride. I’m planning to be there, so stop by the main LACBC booth and say hi after your ride.
Malibu’s city council approved the new PCH safety study by a vote of four to zero; as the story notes, the problems will come when it’s time to implement the recommendations over the likely objections of local residents.
Some Redondo Beach residents are declaring the city’s new separated bike lanes, sharrows and reverse-angle parking a failure a whole week after they were officially unveiled.
For reasons that probably only make sense to them, the CHP opposes a statewide hit-and-run alert system; you’re urged to voice your support for the bill before Monday.
The bike rider who was deliberately run down by the UC Santa Barbara shooter has filed a lawsuit against the shooter’s parents, as well as the university, the county and the sheriff’s department.
Now that’s more like it. A Florida man gets 20 years — yes, 20 — for the hit-and-run death of a bike rider.
International
A bike thief with a conscience returns the BMX bike he stole and rebuilt, and offers a heartfelt apology to the parents of the bike’s 11-year old Calgary owner eight months after he died in an accident — and exact one year after he first brought the bike home.
Speaking of Calgary, the local police get it, saying of you’re too drunk to drive, you’re too drunk to ride. But if they had to choose, they’d rather see you drunk on two wheels than behind one.
London mayoral candidates says the priority given to motor vehicles in the city has to end. Any chance we could get them to move here?
A salmon cyclist reportedly yelled at a UK pedestrian to get out of the way before slamming into her and riding off, breaking her leg in five places.
A Portland Baptist church isn’t really calling for a cover-up of the city’s World Naked Bike Ride. Your next e-bike foldie could provide turn-by-turn navigation and warn you about potholes. But not, evidently, naked bike riders. Or Baptists.
The problem with sharrows is that they put you right in the path of drivers.
Impatient, road-raging and brake-checking drivers, at times, as cyclist Michael Schinderling learned out the hard way while riding on Fountain Ave in Los Angeles.
The driver first honks, then repeatedly slams on his brakes in front of him. Even though Schinderling was riding exactly where the sharrows indicate he should be.
The big problem with LA’s cyclist anti-harassment ordinance is that it’s so hard to get proof that a driver deliberately antagonized a rider.
But this looks like an open-and-shut case.
……..
Caught on video: Those new Redondo Beach separated bike lanes seem to be working well. Except for curb-jumping drivers who can’t seem to figure out why the traffic lane is green and there are so many bikes in it.
Meanwhile, former pro team leader Bjarne Riis chose to ignore doping by his riders. Or more likely, tacitly encouraged it, if not openly.
Cycling Weekly looks at the best bike tans in the peloton. Dutch police evidently feel the best way to get a new collective bargaining agreement is to delay riders in the Tour de France, thus ensuring it won’t besmirch their country again.
The LA-area’s Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) wants your input on a new regional transportation plan.
State Assemblymember Richard Bloom and two Westside councilmembers say Metro is going the wrong way with plans for a bike share system that will be incompatible with systems opening soon in Long Beach and Santa Monica, and as well as systems planned for West Hollywood, UCLA and yes, the Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills.
The second Tour de Laemmle will roll on July 19th, as Greg Laemmle invites you to ride with him on all or part of a 125+ mile tour of all the Laemmle Theaters.
State
Santa Ana conducts a reverse road diet, forcing long-time residents out of their homes to make room for an added lane and bike lanes on Warner Ave, as the OC Register says evicted residents will have to be made whole.
A bike rider suffered major injuries in a collision with a pickup in Anaheim on Tuesday; a comment on Bike Forums suggests the victim was riding in the crosswalk over the onramp to the 57. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the link.
Big oops from the Bay, as San Francisco retracts a report that a new bikeway saw a 651% jump in bike traffic; the actual figures ranged from a 12% to 62% increase depending on time of day. You’d think someone would have noticed that those numbers seemed just a tad high before sending out the press release.
Oakland is planning to trade traffic lanes for bike lanes, with twelve road diets proposed for the next three years; needless to say, bike riders are thrilled while motorists are worried. Maybe Oakland could explain how the process works to Santa Ana.
The Marin tech exec who viciously beat a driver who clipped him with his mirror has been found guilty of felony battery and misdemeanor assault; he faces up to four years in prison. Seriously, never resort to violence. Period.
Evidently, the penalty in Texas for riding a bike without lights is to get Tased, then beaten after falling off your bike. Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.
Needless to say, Chicago business owners are worried about the loss of parking with the city’s first curb-protected bike lane; Chicagoist asks if it will be good for business. Bikes are usually good for business. And there’s something seriously wrong if your customers won’t walk a few extra feet to do business with you.
A Maine driver is accused of intentionally running down a 10-year old boy on a bike over a dispute with the kid’s mother; unbelievably, the man was released on just $1,000 bail — despite using his car as a weapon to attack a child.
Caught on video: The UK’s “vigilante cyclist” catches a woman texting behind the wheel with two kids in her car. I see something similar almost every time I ride. Like a woman who was steering with her knees as she texted with her kids in the back seat.
Switzerland is telling e-bike riders to slow down, following a rise in single-vehicle bike wrecks due to riders misjudging their speed and stopping times.
India gets its first cycling café in the “Detroit of India” even though the city doesn’t have a single bike lane.
Australian bike riders may soon be allowed to ride on sidewalks in the state of Victoria, but could face on-the-spot fines for using a handheld phone. So what happens if they can’t pay? Are they arrested on the spot?
It takes a bold thief to ride off with a bike cop’s bike as she stood just a few feet away. Caught on video: an Ohio bird defends his territory against a cyclist. Or maybe he just doesn’t like they guy’s taste in bike helmets.
And a new study from the University of Duh confirms that marijuana use impairs driving. Next up, a study confirming that it gives people the munchies, too.
……..
I need to find a better name for the Morning Links, since I seem to be temporally challenged these days. Chain Links is too cutsie, while Bike News seems a little dull.
Meanwhile, Toronto takes action to improve safety, dropping speed limits on residential streets to the equivalent of 18 mph; then again, the city clearly needs help. Of course, enforcement is the key; LA has a 25 mph speed limit on most residential streets, which is almost universally ignored.
Even formerly auto-centric Malibu is making improvements on the deadly coast highway, as the three-year PCH safety study is finally ready for approval by the city council. The plan calls for bike lanes the full length of PCH through the city — except where that would mean the loss of a parking space, of course.
On the other hand, a Montreal writer says we should stop wasting money and road space on bicycles when we can just get on the damn sidewalks, instead.
Streetsblog’s Joe Linton tries to put LA declining driving rate in perspective; evidently, it ties in nicely with the declining national trend, even if traffic planners and LA city council members haven’t noticed yet.
After a too close call, a texting LA driver gives it up and urges everyone else to put their phones down, too.
Just days before an LA man was attacked with a machete in an attempted bike theft, a Pasadena bike rider was punched in the face when he refused to give up his bike to a would-be robber.
San Mateo cyclists and pedestrians could soon get a new bridge over the 101.
The bike-riding COO of Berkley-based GU Energy labs is tired of cleaning up after you. Seriously, shove your trash in a jersey pocket or your seat bag when you ride, and throw it away somewhere besides the side of the road.
Good question. Writing for the Guardian, our own Nate Berg asks if Google’s new bike plan will help riders in the rest of the often bike-unfriendly Silicon Valley.
Just Another Cyclist, aka Ross Del Duca, looks at paying for the roads and the anti-bike argument that just refuses to die.
A new lighted bicycle lock on Kickstarter aims to keep more than your bike safe. Even if they did name it after a leading porn producer.
A Las Vegas cyclist is calling for safer roads and better drivers after his neck was broken in a hit-and-run.
A Texas driver is under arrest in the hit-and-run death of a cyclist riding in a bike lane; the driver claimed he thought he hit a deer on the city street, which is evidently why he sped away so fast witnesses couldn’t keep up with his car. Thanks to Steve Katz for the heads-up.
A Cincinnati resident calls on the city to build out the bike plan when they fix streets. Which is exactly what’s supposed to be happening here, but doesn’t always. Right, Councilman Koretz?
A South Carolina writer says we all have to obey the same rules. Including the bike rider who slammed into a pedestrian after blowing a stop, and left without leaving his contact information. Even if you did stop, it’s still hit-and-run if you leave the scene without exchanging information, regardless of whether you’re on two wheels or four.
An apparently suicidal New York cyclist is blamed for inexplicably swerving into the side of a truck in a fatal collision. Because no truck driver would ever pass too close, right?
A British drivers’ group offers surprisingly good advice on how to share the road with bike riders — including if one cyclist does something dangerous, don’t assume all cyclists do.
An Aussie study says the country’s mandatory helmet law really did reduce head injuries 29%, without noticeably reducing riding rates.
Finally…
Let’s end on a rare double caught on video, as an Indiana bike rider captures a series of bizarre lights in the sky on his bike cam, which NASA says is probably just lightening. Because they don’t want us to know about the coming alien invasion, right?
It looks like bikeshare is finally coming to Los Angeles.
According to Streetsblog, Metro’s Planning and Programming Committee approved a contract for the first phase of the program, starting with 1,000 bikes in Downtown Los Angeles before hopefully spreading to other parts of the city.
Metro selected Bicycle Transit Systems, operator of Philadelphia’s Indego system. And they pinkie swear the system will be interoperable with the bikeshares in Santa Monica and Long Beach.
The LADOT Bike Blog says Metro’s goal is to allow rentals using a TAP card, so it becomes an extension of the transit system. And calls bikeshare an ideal fit for LA.
Which is true, as long as we have the infrastructure network in place to keep riders safe. And that currently exists only in DTLA.
Meanwhile, Santa Monica has announced their proposed rate structure, ranging from $6 for a one-hour rental to $25 a month for one hour per day of riding. Annual passes start at $119, or $79 for SaMo residents; Santa Monica College students get a discount at just $47 a year.
Looks like I may have to go back to college.
………
Mobility Lab says if we want people to like bicyclists, we all need to slow down, lose our helmets and spandex and buy cruiser bikes.
Screw that.
Despite what some have to say, we won’t win any battles if we turn on ourselves, and say one way to ride a bike is right and every other way is wrong.
We should expect everyone to ride courteously and safely.
Beyond that, there is nothing inherently wrong with riding fast for sport, just as there is nothing wrong with a moderately paced ride to work or a leisurely cruise along the beach.
Our strength comes from working together to support all forms of bicycling, by every kind of rider. Demonizing one form of riding and dividing bicycling into various camps is the best way to ensure we conquer ourselves.
VeloNews talks with Ian Crane, the pro rider who nearly died after a gut-wrenching crash through the window of a race vehicle during last year’s USA Pro Challenge.
Pro cyclist John Degenkolb says dopers are still thriving, and bike racing will never be 100% clean.
A hit-and-run cyclist flees the scene after crashing into an 81-year old woman in a San Francisco intersection. Jerk.
A Sacramento columnist calls for a ban on sidewalk riding after she and her husband are nearly hit by the sort of rider who probably wouldn’t obey it anyway. Meanwhile, a DC sidewalk rider asks why all the hate?
A Montana fixie-riding bike commuter experiences firsthand what it’s like to be hit by a stop sign-running driver.
A new Texas mom on her first outing after giving birth saves the life of a bike rider after noticing him slumped on the side of the road with a massive heart attack.
The family of a bike rider who was killed in a New Jersey amateur race settles a lawsuit against the organizers for $7.1 million; the victim collided with a race referee while riding at 30 mph.
Cute story from Philadelphia, as a young kid on a bike joins a couple of bike cops out on parole, then gets a tour of a fire station.
An LSU fan site says a football player should be banished from the program for beating a man and punching his girlfriend. But evidently, stealing a bike was okay.
International
McDonald’s introduces to-go packaging specially designed for use on bikes overseas. So what are we, chopped liver?
A Canadian boy suffering from a brain tumor gets a new bike after his was stolen.
Calgary’s new bike network comes in under budget after engineers scrap plans for bike signal lights; even so, ridership is already 25% above projections.
Caught on video: Sniggering Brit hooligans film themselves pushing a cyclist off his bike from a passing car. Hopefully authorities will show them just how stupid they were to post it online — let alone do it.
June 18, 2015 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: Bike rider shot to death in LA’s Mid City; LADOT GM Seleta Reynold is new interim VP of NACTO
Anyone with information is urged to contact the LAPD West Bureau Homicide Bureau at 213/382-9470.
Sadly, shootings like this are nothing new.
Most turn out to be gang related in some way, rather than because the victim was riding a bike. And few ever seem to merit more than a few paragraphs in the paper, if that.
Which means she’ll help set the standard for street and bike infrastructure designs throughout the nation.
And hopefully, bring the best of them here.
……..
The plot thickens. That 23-year old pro cyclist cut from the Astana women’s may have been fired over a failed attempt to get her to ride for Kazakhstan in the 2016 Olympics.
A Swiss skiing champion will compete in RAAM with a defibrillator in his chest after a heart condition kept him from making it to the starting line last year.
And the schmuck man who presided over pro cycling during the worst of the doping era threatens to sue over a report that says he presided over the worst of the doping era.
Victims’ relatives call it insensitive as Kern County tells bike riders to see and be seen so they won’t be roadkill. Once again putting all the responsibility for safety on cyclists, rather than the people in the big, dangerous machines.
A Portland paper questions if the city can really eliminate traffic deaths by 2025 with a proposed Vision Zero plan. Vision Zero is about the journey, not the destination; even if traffic deaths can’t be eliminated, everyone benefits from the effort to try.
Caught on video: A Texas truck passenger faces a misdemeanor charge after hurling at a bike rider. A pipe, that is.
New York’s mayor signs a bill requiring side guards on all city trucks and garbage trucks to keep cyclists and pedestrians from getting trapped underneath. Every truck, everywhere, should be required to do the same.
Cars have been banned from much of New York’s Prospect and Central Parks. Now we need to do the same for Griffith Park.
A London expat builds a 500 pound — currency, not weight — bespoke bamboo bike.
After receiving the heart of a fallen cyclist, a British transplant patient decides to honor him by keeping the heart cycling with a 342-mile bike tour.
A Dutch suburb shows bikes and cars can peacefully coexist, as long as you banish cars from the city core.
A new Swedish study says most injuries in car bike collisions come from hitting the pavement, so the solution is better crash avoidance and separating bikes from traffic.
A reader sends word that Hermosa Beach is backing up its commitment to bike safety.
Literally.
A married couple were exploring the new bikeways on Harbor and Herondo linking Redondo Beach and Hermosa when they came upon some odd markings on the street next to a new bike lane.
Photo by Allison Sheridan
A quick look online confirmed they are reverse-angled parking spots, designed to improve bike safety by increasing visibility for drivers as they pull out of the spots (scroll down to pages 26-29). Although I neglected to ask just which street they were on.
I’m told these could be the first reverse-angle parking in the South Bay. And one of the few anywhere in the LA area.
So hats off to Hermosa for reversing the usual risky angled parking to help keep riders safer.
Update: A comment from Margaret says the street is Herondo; this is what it used to look like. And Vince points out that the south half the street is actually in Redondo Beach, so they should get credit, as well.
Thanks to Margaret for the heads-up and the correction.
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Philip Young of the San Diego Wheelmen forwards a series of annual reports from the San Diego Medical Examiner examining the causes of deaths in the county for the years 2011 through 2013; he notes the 2014 report hasn’t been released yet.
Although my records indicate a higher bicycling fatality rate for each year — twelve in 2011, eleven in 2012 and eight in 2013.
I haven’t had a chance to dig through the reports to figure out the reason for the discrepancy yet. However, they may classify bicycling fatalities more conservatively than my records; I include anyone who was riding or walking a bike at the time of their death, including solo falls and bike-related medical conditions, as well as traffic collisions.
Update: Ed Ryder sends word that SWITRS shows 15 bicycling fatalities in 2011, which makes more sense.
I track fatalities primarily through news reports, as well as other sources, so my records may undercount the actual totals if the death of a cyclist never makes the news; that often happens if the victim dies several days or weeks after a collision.
The real question is, why does the Medical Examiner’s report undercount bicycling fatalities for that year by over 50 percent?
Twenty-three-year old Astana women’s pro Anna Solovey has been canned by the team for “unprofessional behavior;” she was previously banned for two years for doping before she was even in her 20s.
Pasadena gets that intersections are dangerous places for bike riders; the city is painting a new bike lane that remains green all the way through the intersection of Marengo and Orange Grove.
CiclaValley tells you why to get excited about the upcoming LA River Ride, set to roll on the 28th. And if you’re not too worn out from the River Ride, join CICLE, the Bike Oven and Metro for the Spintacular Fireworks Neighborhood Ride later that day.
State
Dozens of Santa Ana homes will be demolished to widen a dangerous Santa Ana street, including wider medians and sidewalks. And yes, bike lanes. I guess performing a road diet and keeping the houses would be out of the question in auto-centric OC.
A writer for People for Bikes says you don’t have to give up your car to live mostly car-free. I’ve put less than three hundred miles a year on mine for the last five years.
Someone is groping and harassing women riding on Phoenix bike paths; one woman was punched in the face by a homeless man.
Bike commuting in the DC area jumped 450 percent in just three years, while auto commuting has remained steady; now another area county plans to ramp up their bike network.
International
Twelve reasons why you should take a foldie when you explore Cuba. Which is sort of legal for Americans these days. Visiting Cuba, that is.
A group of 17 friends will team together to finish the epic ride a UK man had planned before he was killed in a collision earlier this year.
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is riding his new bicycle on his Bulgarian set as he recovers from knee surgery.
Reckless Japanese bike riders can now be required to take safety lessons, and can face steep financial liability for injuring others.
Finally…
Caught on video: Eating behind the wheel is one thing; eating cereal out of a bowl is another. Eight years old may be just a tad too young for a naked Brit bike ride, by about a decade or so.
June 15, 2015 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: Businesses benefit by trading parking for bike lanes, and new upscale spinning studio in DTLA
A new study from UC San Diego shows what we already knew.
The seemingly endless and nearly universal argument over parking versus bike lanes is no more valid than the mythical war on cars.
According to San Diego’s KPBS, after looking at cities all over the globe, researchers concluded that designing cities for active transportation — in other words, bicycling and walking — resulted in increased retail activity.
Or to put it another way, greater sales. And presumably, profits.
In fact, one study found that people who bike or walk to shop spend up to $200 a month more in a given store than people who drive. And there’s no research that shows removing street parking negatively impacts business, despite the fears of nearly every business owner, everywhere.
Someone should tell that to Gil Cedillo and Paul Koretz.
And the benefits go beyond just retail sales. As the article says,
The report says there is increased business revenue and economic development in cities designed for physical activity. The researchers said prioritizing the needs of bike riders and walkers over drivers can have broad reaching and positive impact on communities, including healthier citizens and a cleaner environment.
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I’m a firm believer in doing all my cycling outside.
However, for those who prefer to ride indoors, for whatever reason, the new BESPOKE Cycling Studio is now open at FIGat7th in DTLA.
As they describe it,
BESPOKE Cycling Studio offers clients the new carbon blue technology bikes for better performance and for an authentic outdoor ride feel and virtually zero maintenance. This coupled with lightweight performance handlebars with ErgoLoop, aero bars, and 12 degree incline enable multiple user positions and increased comfort levels.
In addition to offering a unique fitness experience for spinning enthusiasts guests at BESPOKE also have access to complimentary shoe rentals, L¹Occitane natural beauty shower amenities, an alkaline water station, and conveniences such as digital lockers, towels, and fresh fruit. Clients can also opt-in to their tailored fit services including preset cycling shoes, weights and bikes that help them sculpt and tone all in an uplifting fast-paced class.
Google wants to turn Silicon Valley into the American Copenhagen with a low-stress cycling network, although plans for Mountain View may be in jeopardy after the city rejected a proposal to expand its office space.
New York plans a bike safety blitz because a pedestrian stepped in front of a bicyclist riding in a bike lane, who didn’t stop after hitting her. After all, it would just be silly to conduct a pedestrian safety blitz.
Just weeks after Secretary of State John Kerry broke his leg riding in France, the US Secretary of Commerce is out of action after hitting gravel on her bike while training for a triathlon.
North Carolina cyclists are urging the state Senate to oppose a provision that would require the state Board of Transportation to approve any road diets.
Thirty New Orleans police officers receive 16 hours of bike and pedestrian safety training to get a better feel for the obstacles both face on the roads.
West London sees a more than 10% increase in bicycling injuries in the last four years — and a nearly 20% increase in injuries to middle-aged men. However, that could be a result of increased ridership. Or out-of-shape blokes thinking they’re better riders than they really are.
This is why throwing tacks on the road isn’t just a prank. A rider in a Welsh Velothon suffers a nasty gash requiring surgery after suffering a blowout.
Keep your credit card handy. Irish riders who blow reds will soon face on-the-spot fines of 50 euros, the equivalent of $56.
The first woman to ride across Africa now plans to pedal across Antarctica via the South Pole.
A Canadian cyclist riding in Singapore is fined $2,500 — the equivalent of $1,855 US — for allegedly brake-checking an angry driver, then throwing his bike onto the hood of the car after the driver bumps his wheel.
