Day 153 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
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It’s a busy week here at BikinginLA World HQ, with International Bicycle Day tomorrow, and National Corgi Day on Wednesday.
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No surprise here.
A pair of new studies concluded that bike lanes improve mid-block safety — any kind of bike lane, as a matter of fact, whether separated, buffered or just painted.
Separated bike lanes were the safest, apparently referring the plastic bollard demarcated bike lanes that pass for protected in Los Angeles.
Of course, the problem with any bike lane — aside from drivers who use them as parking or traffic bypass lanes — comes at intersections, where the risk to riders is the greatest.
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You’ve got to be kidding.
The Unbound Gravel race was nearly disrupted by a wild police chase through the countryside around Emporia, Kansas early Saturday morning, when sheriff’s deputies had to block a pickup driver from crashing through the course after he blew through a closed intersection.
At one point, he tried to pass patrol cars attempting to stop him by driving in a ditch, rolling his truck after he crashed into a sheriff’s vehicle when he tried to drive back out — and kept going anyway.
The chase finally came to an end about half an hour after it began when deputies once again spotted the truck, blocking it in and taking the driver and his passenger into custody.
They both face multiple, and well-deserved, charges.
Yet somehow, it all appears to have happened without the participants in the race knowing how close they came to disaster.
Meanwhile, Americans were shut out of the Unbound Gravel podium for the first time, with Kiwi Cameron Jones winning the men’s race, and Switzerland’s Simon Pellaud second, after they worked together on a 50-mile breakaway to capture the win.
New Hampshire triathlete Karolina Migoń won the women’s edition in record time, shaving nearly an hour and a half off the previous best; Serena Bishop Gordon finished second.
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Streets For All is urging you to support a version of Measure HLA in Los Angeles County tomorrow.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday, June 3rd and consider moving a LA County version of Measure HLA forward.
The agenda item is #17 “Equity, Accountability, and the Accelerated Implementation of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan.” You can read the full motion here.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
MOST IMPACTFUL:
Attend the meeting live and make public comment in support of Item 17!
IN PERSON
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025 at 9:30am
Board Hearing Room 381B
500 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
VIA PHONE
Call (877) 226-8163 and enter Participant Code: 1336503. Press 1 to be added to the public comment queue
Can’t make a live public comment?
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
Denver, Colorado bike riders are concerned after the city removed plastic bollards marking a downtown protected bike lane, apparently because someone thought it would be more attractive without them — but increasing the risk of riders crashing into the low protective barriers that remain.
No bias here. The New York Post blames bike lanes for causing gridlock for drivers trying to avoid congestion pricing tolls on the Queensborough Bridge, instead of placing the blame on drivers trying to illegally avoid the tolls.
Seriously? A new study from the UK suggests bike riders could be their own worst enemy, with local politicians blaming riders’ “rudeness” for their own reluctance to support bicycle projects, concluding “nothing we ever do will make cyclists happy.” Which is probably because politicians seldom do enough to begin with.
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Local
LA County sheriff’s deputies busted five high-end bike thieves for the April theft of 337 Ari mountain and road bikes worth a whopping $1.7 million while in transit to Los Angeles; the men allegedly employed a sophisticated scheme to redirect redirecting truck drivers while using box trucks and passenger vehicles to deliver the bikes to waiting warehouses.
Long Beach unveiled the newly remade Artesia Blvd, complete with new bike lanes, crosswalks and 400 trees.
State
He gets it. An op-ed from a Marin County sustainable transportation advocate calls on Caltrans to build new bicycle and pedestrian facilities on Tiburon Blvd on the Tiburon Peninsula, making the case for a multi-modal Complete Street despite the opposition of some residents.
National
Portland is a “cyclist’s paradise,” according to a new study that rated it the most bike-friendly America city; New York, San Francisco, Denver and Minneapolis round out the top five, which could come as a surprise to a lot of people who live and ride in them. Needless to say, Los Angeles didn’t make that list, or the five after that. And probably wouldn’t have made the next ten, either.
A Seattle man defied stage four prostate cancer to take part in the annual Seattle to Portland ride, covering 206 miles in just two days.
A special needs teacher from Glenwood Springs, Colorado resets at the end of the school year by traveling throughout North and South America by bicycle.
A Chicago bike rider was collateral damage when couple cops lost control of their patrol car and rolled it; one officer was hospitalized with a serious leg injury, while the rider was in good condition after being struck by debris while standing on the sidewalk.
This is the cost of traffic violence. An 18-year old driver crossed the centerline on a roadway in Lucas County, Ohio, crashing head-on into a pair of bicyclists; 38-year old Roseann Marie Peiffer, described as “true legend” and “a beloved figure in the local bicycling community,” tragically died at the scene, while the other rider survived with non-life threatening injuries.
New York ebike riders are complaining about the NYPD’s crackdown, arguing that giving criminal summonses to lawbreaking bicyclists, rather than traffic tickets, is unfair; meanwhile, a cop dramatically raised the stakes by pulling a Taser on a red light-running bike rider.
International
How a bike can help you live carfree, even in the mountains.
Montreal turned city streets over to the people on two wheels for the 40th consecutive year, offering carfree routes up to 60 miles.
Iceland’s Lauf Cycles is raising its prices due to Trump’s tariffs, which affect components even though the bikes are assembled in Virginia.
A 74-year old British TV chef is riding her bike 450 miles from Land’s End to the White Cliffs of Dover, in hopes of raising the equivalent of $135,000 to help feed disadvantaged people in the south of the country.
Competitive Cycling
Britain’s Simon Yates fulfilled the promise he showed in winning the 2018 Vuelta by coming from third place to crash 21-year old Mexican cyclist Isaac del Torro’s Giro pink party.
Yates took the lead on the penultimate stage with a devastating attack that left the others gasping for breath, while finishing nearly five minutes ahead of the former leader.
Yates also made up for his epic loss in the 2018 Giro, when he cracked on the final stages after leading the race for 13 days, and withdrawing in 2020 and 2022.
Del Torro finished second overall, while capturing the white jersey for the tour’s best young rider.
The first American pope gave the Giro peloton a papal blessing, telling the riders they are always welcome in the church just before they set off on the first-ever route through the Vatican gardens in the race’s 116-year history.
The peloton held a moment of silence before Sunday’s final stage of the Giro to remember the wife of former Dutch cyclist Robert Gesink; Daisy Gesink passed away from an “aggravated illness” just one year after the longtime Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider retired.
You could win Yate’s signed pink jersey. Let’s just hope they washed it first.
Nineteen-year old Brit Matthew Brennan captured the first tour win of what looks likely to be an impressive career, winning the final stage of the Tour of Norway to capture the general classification.
Norwegian cyclist Mie Bjørndal Ottestad won the women’s Tour of Norway, clinching the victory with a win on the second and final stage, with first stage winner Justine Ghekiere taking second.
Finally…
Why settle for ugly bollards when you can have tulips? Why waste your time in some dark warehouse when you can go to a rave on two wheels?
And that feeling when Winnie the Pooh steals your bike.
5/28 Winnie the Pooh DT PHX Bike thief $150 reward
byu/CampSuccessful inphoenix
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin.
Cheating alleged in Lyft’s Metro Bike bid, questioning rescue of Georgia bikepacker, and PCH study comments extended
Day 143 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
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My apologies to everyone who found an unfinished — or unstarted, for that matter — draft of today’s post in your inbox.
And yes, spellcheck, unstarted is a real word.
But’s that’s what happens when have too many windows open on your screen, and inadvertently hit the “publish” button when you try to click on one.
Not for the first time, I might add.
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Now that we have that out of the way —
Today is the unofficial start of the three-day holiday weekend. Which means lots of people leaving work early, and not paying attention to anything but where they wish they already were right now.
Like bikes, for instance.
And long weekends mean parties and barbecues — and a lot of drinking and other forms of imbibing.
So ride defensively all weekend, and assume every driver you see is under the influence of something. Because more than a few probably will be.
I just want to see you back here safe and sound on Tuesday.
And try to take a few moments to remember what this holiday is all about, anyway.
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Raise your hand if you’d be shocked to learn there may have been cheating in awarding the new Metro Bike contract.
Hello? Anyone?
Is this thing on?
Streetsblog reports Metro directors delayed what was expected to be a pro forma vote to award Lyft the contract to operate the city’s docked bikeshare program yesterday — despite a unanimous vote by the Metro Operations Committee to advance the contract.
And after two previous botched attempts at awarding the contract.
But according to LA Public Press, the vote was pulled after allegations were raised that Lyft had inside information giving them an unfair advantage, in violation of Los Angeles ethics rules.
And yes, we have ethics rules, as hard as it is to believe at times.
LA Public Press also reports that Metro was on the cusp of making the change despite limited cost savings that amount to a rounding error in the massive Metro budget.
It’s possible — likely, in fact — that the allegations are an effort by current program operator BTS and unionized Metro Bike mechanics to derail the shift in management.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
And even if it’s not, is it worth risking the bikeshare program as the city prepares to host the World Cup and ’28 Olympics by shifting to a company which has had a spotty record in other cities?
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It’s been a little more than a week since the “miraculous” rescue of Georgia bikepacker Tiffany Slaton after she got lost in the mountains above Fresno, surviving three weeks on wild leeks and melted snow.
But apparently, not everyone believe her story.
According to the Los Angeles Times,
On the other hand, a Redditor had this to say.
Even the experts had questions. Experienced Sierra mountain guide Howie Schwartz didn’t doubt Slaton was lost.
But,
Never mind the Redditors who said she was probably crazy, embellished her story, or looking for a book deal or crowdfunding cash.
Which probably explains why her parents shut their crowdfunding page down. But not until it had raised over $23,000.
Then again, those same doubts also popped up in my own Twitter/X feed.
So what’s the answer? Don’t ask me.
Her story does seem kind of incredible. But the best stories usually are.
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Caltrans uses a lot more words than necessary to say they’re giving you more time to comment on the PCH Master Plan Feasibility Study.
Maybe they had to use them all before the weekend.
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Streets For All shares video of their virtual happy hour with LA City Attorney candidate Marissa Roy.
I never know how much to tip my virtual bartender. Or a Waymo driver, for that matter.
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Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, posts video of the recent die-in on the steps of City Hall.
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Active SGV hosts free two-hour ebike rentals this weekend.
https://twitter.com/ActiveSGV/status/1925644608425410632
Here’s the link if Elon is still screwing up proper embedding of Twitter/X posts.
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Of course a bicyclist who used to be a driver would have no idea what a traffic light is. Especially when it comes to right turns.
Or left.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
Tres shock! New York’s police commissioner says her cops are only targeting reckless ebike riders for six offenses along 14 key corridors; Streetsblog says it ain’t necessarily so.
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Local
Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman reports on the celebratory grand opening of the “transformative” Rail-to-Rail bike/walk path in South LA.
Long Beach is launching a 12-month pilot program allowing both private and shared e-scooters along the shoreline bike and pedestrian path.
State
Palm Springs bike riders demanded action on safety improvements while honoring fallen bicyclists at Wednesday’s Ride of Silence.
The Santa Barbara Independent says the city’s bicycling rates are inching up while bicycling injuries climb, making both bike and Vision Zero goals “distant.”
National
A magazine for lawyers examines the legal challenges facing bike riders injured by distracted and/or reckless drivers. Best advice, document everything and find a good lawyer to walk through your options. Like one of those guys over there on the right.
The Independent lists eight American cities that are surprising great for bicycling. Seven of which actually are. And yes, I’m looking at you, Houston.
The Today Show highlights a dad going viral for his daily bike rides with his seven-year old daughter.
Nice. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed the nation’s first law permitting shared streets, with a 10 mph speed limit and strict rules requiring people on bicycles to yield to pedestrians, and drivers to yield to bike riders. Which is how it should be, anyway.
Salt Lake City is pulling the plug on its ebike incentive program after funding nearly 300 vouchers last year, citing a flat budget for the coming year. But wouldn’t a flat budget mean they could fund everything they did the previous year?
An Idaho dancer says ballet is just like riding a bike. And he should know, since he rides a bike to stay in shape for ballet, mentally and physically.
Damn. A Texas jury gave the parents of an eight-year old bike-riding boy killed by a young man driving a family business truck just at tad more than the $1.1 million they were asking for, awarding them a whopping $80 million. Let’s hope that’s a very valuable family business they’ve got there.
Your next bike parts could come from a Topeka vending machine. Which wouldn’t be the first thing I’ve bought from a vending machine in Topeka.
International
Seriously? London emergency rooms are supposedly buckling because of a surge in demand due to “Lime bike leg,” caused by people trapped by the weight of collapsing ebikes that are “around four times heavier than regular cycles,” while a surgeon warns of “life-threatening injuries.” Call it the modern equivalent of bicycle face.
We know a guy on a bike can beat a someone in a car, but can a London bike rider beat another guy riding the Tube across one of the world’s busiest cities? Would I be writing this if he couldn’t?
A 2,000-mile circular relay ride will connect all 42 Anglican cathedrals in the UK. Or as they call them over there, cathedrals.
A British bike club is proving that age is no barrier to learning how to ride a bike.
Competitive Cycling
Your new US national time trial champs are Emily Ehrlich and Artem Schmidt.
Mexico’s Isaac del Torro continues to lead the Giro, as Olav Kooij of the Netherlands won a mass sprint Thursday with a leadout from Wout van Aert. Meanwhile, a reader named Steven points out that del Torro’s name translates to “laughter of the bull,” which seems oddly appropriate.
A Utah newspaper profiles 23-year old Utah native Natalie Quinn as she fights to rise in women’s cycling — without getting paid, after joining American team Cynisca Cycling midseason when the British team she was on folded. Which pretty much sums up the problems with the current state of women’s cycling.
Kenyan cycling coach Evan Wangai discusses his journey from boda boda driver to pro cyclist.
Finally…
Why line the bike lane with ugly yellow posts when you can have recycled red plastic tulips? Always use a bicycle as a getaway vehicle for your baby gator heists.
And who needs lube when you’ve got…sand.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin.
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