Archive for Streets and Infrastructure

Encino Velodrome robbed; defending bike lanes from ill-considered online attacks

March 15, 2011 / / Comments Off on Encino Velodrome robbed; defending bike lanes from ill-considered online attacks

Thieves gained entry by tearing off roof; photos from Encino Velodrome Facebook page

Move these guys to the top of your list of schmucks who should be caught.

Over the weekend, two or more thieves burglarized and vandalized the Encino Velodrome, a non-profit organization that has served SoCal cyclists for over 50 years.

According to the Velodome’s Facebook page, the thieves peeled back the roof to steal Vittoria Diamante Pro Clincher Tires, as well as Pearl Izumi and Shimano cycling shoes. And trashed the office, spray painted a scooter and left a half-assed tag on a wall.

Do you recognize the work of this artistically impaired tagger?

So be on the lookout for anyone trying to sell those items. Or if you recognize the tag, contact the police right away. And get that loser some art lessons.

And if you happen to have a few extra bucks laying around, or a few free hours, I’m sure they could use a little help to patch the place back up.

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Bike lanes cost $5,000 to $60,000 a mile, while freeways cost $8 million to $65 million — not including maintenance costs. So why not tear down unnecessary freeways and use the money more efficiently?

Speaking of bike lanes, evidently, the New Yorker’s John Cassidy supports bike lanes except when he doesn’t. And he keeps digging himself in deeper, while high profile bloggers and economists around the world call his bluff; some even compare him Tea Party tactics and Gothamist offers a good refutation.

A similar argument is taking place right here in L.A., as local bloggers are high critical of a poorly thought-out anti-bike lane screed from a local university professor who probably should have stuck with her field of expertise. Examined Spoke offers a much needed reality check, while Damien Newton provides a point-by-point refutation for future reference.

Meanwhile, Rick Risemberg explains what L.A.’s bikeway options are, while new bike lanes manifest on Woodman Ave in the Valley.

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Tony Martin of HTC – Highroad takes the Race to the Sun and Radioshack’s Andreas Kloden finishes second. Pro cyclists prepare to boycott the Tour of Beijing — yes, there is one — in a dispute over race radios, while European federations support the ban. And banned cyclist Riccardo Ricco gives up cycling to become a bartender; don’t let the door hit you, dude.

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Help preserve the Wilbur Ave road diet Tuesday evening. LACBC wraps up a report on last week’s National Bike Summit — as does its South Bay affiliate. Bringing back L.A.’s former main street. As long as you’re going to CicLAvia, might as well race over 10 of the city’s toughest hills first; or you could wait another year and tackle the steepest climb in town. CicLAvia is looking for designers and/or developers for a new website. With a little work, a bad buy becomes a great bike. Mark your calendar for Good Sam’s Blessing of the Bicycles on May 17th; while you’re there, you can check out the Bike Wrangler space across the street. Photos from Saturday’s Hermosa Beach St. Patrick’s Day parade. This St. Paddy’s Day, try biking to the bar — but beware BUI. Long Beach celebrates its 103-year old tricycle riding resident.

Danae Miller faces up to 10 years in prison for killing Amine Britel in Newport Beach while allegedly drunk and texting. A new OC park offers cyclists stunning views. The Excutive Director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition steps down, so they’re looking for a replacement; hey, I’m available. Over 4,200 cyclists tackle the windy Solvang Century. A NorCal cyclist sees her life change after suffering a brain injury in a collision with another cyclist. Cyclelicious points out the Road Rage Psalm, which promises that evildoers in their evil devices will be cut off; evidently, God really is on our side.

Speaking at the Bike Summit, NYDOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan says the movement is unstoppable. A Tucson fast food joint is ordered to replace bike parking it removed for a DVD stand. If biking is going to succeed, we need to make it work for everyone — including women. If you want change, try writing a letter. Seventeen times more Americans die climbing stairs than riding bikes every year, so why the scaremongering tactics about helmet use?

Evidently, you don’t have to dress up like traffic cone after all. Courtesy of Witch on a Bicycle, a UK woman is injured when someone strings a wire across a bike path; I’d call that an assault, not a prank. Bike Radar looks at the author of London Cyclist, one of my favorite bike sites. The Flying Scotsman launches a bike safety program for Scottish children. Bike historian David Herlihy’s next book will focus on early TdF winner Octave Lapiz, shot down on Bastille Day while flying for the French in WWI. A review of the Bike Revolution registration program, launching soon here in the U.S. Tokyo commuters turn to bikes as other transportation options fail.

Finally, the Eastsider offers the story of a man who lost his wallet — and the fixie-riidng teenager who brought it back intact. And while we have our problems, there are some things we don’t have to worry about here.

Category: Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , ,

Fight back against blocked bike lanes, SoCal bike crime beat, a brief rant and a long list of events

March 12, 2011 / / 6 comments

It’s not like we have enough of them as it is.

I mean, I can’t speak for you. But few things tick me off more than riding through one of the all-too-few bike lanes in this megalopolis we call home — let alone the even rarer ones that are actually worth using — only to suddenly have to dart into unforgiving traffic without warning.

All because some jerk decided to double park in the bike lane. Or maybe leave their garbage bins in our designated riding right-of-way.

Or my ultimate annoyance, a movie or construction crew that felt a need to place their orange cones in our way on the off chance that someone might actually stray a little too close to one of their precious trucks.

Which makes me want to slap the side of the damn things as hard as I can while I ride by. Something I have only barely managed to avoid doing.

So far.

Fortunately, there are cooler — and wiser — heads in this world.

Take I Block the Bike Lane.

A new nationwide bike safety program, IBBL invites riders to place non-destructive, static-cling stickers on vehicles and objects blocking bike lanes.

And not, as I am often tempted, to tell them what jerks they are. But rather, to start a constructive dialogue that maybe, just maybe, might make the driver think twice about doing it again.

I’ll let Michelle, one of the founders of I Block the Bike Lane, explain the rationale behind the program — and how you can get involved.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s most recent statistics, 603 bicyclists died on US roads in 2009 and another 50,000 were injured in traffic. The state of California is consistently second only to Florida in cyclist fatalities. A new and national campaign is seeking to cut those numbers by making motorists aware of the dangers associated with blocking bicycle lanes.

iblockthebikelane.com is a sticker campaign aimed at driving motorists to a friendly and educational website. At the heart of the initiative are Bike Lane Sticker Teams, who place iblockthebikelane.com easy-peel stickers on vehicles illegally standing or parking in clearly marked bicycle lanes. The stickers are invitations to visit the website, which houses a safety plea from bikers, as well as current bicycle-related news and information.

The campaign also stresses to bikers the importance of riding responsibly and peacefully coexisting with motorists.

Visitors to the website are encouraged to leave comments. One of the goals of the campaign is to foster a constructive dialogue between drivers and bikers, in the hopes that mutual understanding will make everyone feel better about sharing the streets.

As the campaign builds momentum, its organizers are looking for Bike Lane Sticker Team volunteers in cities across the country. Information about participation and sticker orders can be found online at www.iblockthebikelane.com/jointheblst.

I often have guest authors on here because I enjoy offering a variety of perspectives and seeing cycling issues through someone else’s eyes. Even if I don’t always agree with what they have to say.

But this is one program I can get behind without hesitation.

So place your order.

And go out and stick it to ‘em.

Just a quick aside — if, like Michelle, you have something you’d like to share with the biking community here in L.A., California and around the U.S., just let me know. You can find my email address on the About BikingInLA page.

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In the local SoCal bike crime beat, Patricia Ann Izquieta has been sentenced to three years in prison for killing cyclist Donald Murphy while high on prescription medications in a 2009 Newport Beach hit-and-run. And arraignment has been postponed for the woman for allegedly killed Jose Luis Carmona in a drunken hit-and-run while he walked his bike on the side of PCH.

Meanwhile, this somehow flew under my radar, as Jose Luis Huerta Mundo pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence in the death of cyclist Michael Nine in Newport Beach last year, and was sentenced to 360 days in jail on February 7th. However, cyclist/attorney Dj Wheels reports that he was released from custody two days later on February 9th; even if he was credited with time served from the time of his July 21st arrest, that works out to a lot less than 360 days. He may soon be deported, if he hasn’t been already, since ICE had a hold on him pending his release.

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At a Thursday Community Board meeting, New York’s embattled Prospect Park West bike lanes were supported by 86 people, with just 11 opposed.

But let me get this straight.

People affected by the earthquake in Japan are fighting for their lives right now, while people in Libya are fighting for their freedom. And a bunch of rich people in New York are fighting over a goddam bike lane?

Seriously?

Sometimes it seems like if you’re not pissed off, you’re just not paying attention.

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Metro throws down a challenge for local developers to build a mobile app or mash-up using their transit data; winner could get a cash prize of up to $2000. A kickoff event will be held March 31st, with entries due May 20th.

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Bike Talk airs Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

The next Folk Art Everywhere ride rolls this Saturday from noon to 3 pm starting at Rudy Ortega Park in San Fernando, giving you a chance to tour the Northeast Valley is a fun and easygoing way, while you learn about the Valley’s past and present Native American tribes. Speakers will represent Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural, Pacoima Beautiful and Pukuu Cultural Community Services.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a few days early at the Hermosa Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade beginning at 11 am on Saturday, March 12th along Pier Avenue; you may recognize some familiar faces in the bike parade.

Flying Pigeon and the Bike Oven host the free Spoke(n) Art Ride on the 2nd Saturday of every month; the next ride will take place on March 12th, starting 6:30 pm at 3714 N. Figueroa St. in Highland Park.

Also on the 12th, Long Beach continues their series of workshops for the city’s new Bicycle Master Plan with a bike ride from 10 am to 11:30 am, and a community workshop from 11:30 to 1 pm at the Expo Center (Bixby Knolls)
4321 Atlantic Ave in Long Beach. Additional workshops take place on Saturday the 19th and Wednesday, March 23rd.

Help refine the route for CicLAvia’s planned expansion into South L.A. with a monthly bike ride starting at 1 pm at Trust South LA, 152 West 32nd Street; email tafarai@trustsouthla.org for more information.

Flying Pigeon’s Get Sum Dim Sum ride takes place on the third Sunday of each month; the next ride will be Sunday, March 20 from 10 am to 1 pm, starting at 3714 N. Figueroa St. in Highland Park.

The County of Los Angeles begins a series of 11 workshops for the new 2011 draft Bicycle Master Plan on Tuesday, March 28th from 6 to 7:30 pm at Topanga Elementary School, 141 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd, in Topanga. Additional workshops will be held March 29th, March 30th, March 31, April 4th, April 5th, April 6th, April 11th, April 12th, April 13th and April 14th; click here for locations and times.

There should be an app for that. Metro invites anyone with a good idea to develop useful mobile apps or web mash-ups utilizing their transit data, with a goal of enhancing riders ability to use transit and encouraging more people to go Metro — and you could win up to $2,000 for your efforts. Learn more on Thursday, March 31st from 6 to 7:30 pm at Metro Headquarters, One Gateway Plaza Downtown.

The Santa Clarita Century is scheduled to roll on Saturday, April 2nd with rides ranging from a family ride to a full century.

If you’re looking for something a little more relaxed, visit the free Magical Magnolia Bicycle Touron Saturday, April 2nd from 3 to 7 pm in the Magnolia Park neighborhood in Burbank; be sure to visit Porto’s Bakery for a great Medianoche or Cubano sandwich and Cuban pastries.

The next three CicLAvias will take place on April 10th, July 10th and October 9th. If you missed the first one, don’t make the same mistake again; word is that Lance won’t.

Keep the post-CicLAvia good bike feelings going on Thursday, April 14th with Bike Night at the Hammer Museum, starting at 7 pm at 10899 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood. Free admission, free food, drinks and screenings of the 1986 BMX classic Rad.

The Antelope Valley Conservancy sponsors the 16th Annual Antelope Valley Ride on Saturday, May 7th with rides of 20, 30 and 60 miles; check-in begins at 7 am at George Lane Park, 5520 West Avenue L-8 in Quartz Hill.

L.A.’s 17th annual Bike Week takes place May 16th through the 20th, with an emphasis on bike safety education, and events throughout the city. This year’s Blessing of the Bicycles will take place as part of Bike Week on 8 to 9:30 am on May 17th at Downtown’s Good Samaritan Hospital, 616 S. Witmer Street. And Metro is looking for Bike Buddies to guide inexperienced cyclists on Bike to Work Day; heads-up courtesy of the marathon-training danceralamode.

The San Diego Century ride takes place on Saturday, May 21st with rides of 37, 66 or 103 miles, starting in Encinitas, along with free admission to an expo featuring sports, local cuisine and live music.

L.A.’s favorite fundraiser ride rolls on June with the 11th Annual River Ride; advance registrationis open now. Volunteers are needed now and on the day of the ride, email RRvolunteer@la-bike.org for more info and to sign up.

And mark your calendar for the 2011 L.A. edition of the Tour de Fat on October 9th; unfortunately, Yom Kippur also falls on that date this year, so cyclists of the Jewish Persuasion will have to choose between atoning and having something else to atone for.

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The American Prospect says L.A. could be the next great cycling city, while the city breaks ground on the new West Valley River Bike Path, though not everyone approves. The city finally fixes 4th Street’s infamous Hudson River, yet leaves the pavement looking like a war zone. For anyone who struggled to finish a century, try riding 256 miles in a single day. The City of Covina wants your opinion for its new bike plan; the South Bay is working on a bike plan of its own to connect seven local cities. Long Beach continues to outpace the rest of us, with construction starting on a 3rd Street road diet. Find a bike safety class near you.

The Feds are already greenlighting innovative bikeway designs based on the new NACTO standards. A look at bike commuter trends in the U.S. The National Bike Summit rides in honor of Gabby Giffords. Bike pins are popular in the halls of Congress, let’s see if that translates into votes on the floor. Oregon Democratic Rep Earl Blumenauer says opposing bike lanes is bad politics; please tell that to the guys on the other side of the aisle. Las Vegas is trying to make access to its new transit center bike friendlier; if they really want to make Vegas bike friendly, try turning down the daytime temperatures and taming the traffic a little. Portland cyclists actually get little street icons to show where to trigger a traffic signal. Nine rules for riding in a paceline. Rhode Island considers a vulnerable road user law. NY Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams calls NYDOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan “that transportation insect;” hmmmm, I wonder which of those two is actually making the city a better place to live? Hint: it ain’t the gossip maven.

Developing better aerodynamics on the cheap. After suffering serious injuries in his first bike race, a cyclist sues for $20 million. Once, bike tunnels were built before car tunnels; now they’re nearly forgotten. The Beeb takes a beautiful look at the beauty of the bicycle. London Cyclist once again ranks the top 50 bike blogs, and once again, I’m not on it. Take part in a 115 mile pre-Olympic ride around London this September. Four months in jail for a drunken bike theft and crash while fleeing the police. A Dublin bike counting system can count bikes on the bike path, but not the road next to it. Relatives of a British cycling victim get the support of over half the members of the European Parliament to improve bike safety. Bike shops do big business as people look for alternative transportation after Friday’s earthquake, while the fancy automated bike parking facilities don’t work. Cyclelicious explains what we’re seeing on the news from Japan — and why he’s concerned about it.

Finally, writing for City Watch, a university professor professes a knowledge of economics while demonstrating an auto-centric misunderstanding of street planning, claiming that Angelenos who want more bike lanes need a reality check.

Funny, you’d think an Econ professor would understand that traffic is not a zero sum equation. On the other hand, Zev seems to get it.

And boy, do I know this feeling.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Car vs Bike, Guest Columns, Legal Cases, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , ,

First review of County Bike Plan for Santa Clarita Valley; driver gets one year for LA DUI fatality

March 7, 2011 / / 4 comments

The first draft of L.A. County’s draft bike plan just dropped late last week, and already the first review is in.

Writing for Santa Clarita Valley blog SCVTalk, Jeff Wilson says the plan highlights the current deficiency of biking infrastructure in area, as well as how the plan would go a long way towards correcting that.

Currently there are only 3.3 miles of bicycle lanes in unincorporated SCV. If adopted and built-out completely, the County’s bike plan would add 45 miles of Class I and Class II bike lanes and 101 more miles of Class III Bike Routes in unincorporated SCV.

Among the more exciting aspects of the plan: a Class II bike lane from Castaic to the Newhall Pass along the Old Road (13 miles), a Class I grade-separated bike path along Castaic Creek in Castaic (5.5 miles), and a Class I grade-separated bike path near Highway 126 all the way to the Ventura County line (10.2 miles), which would be a very positive step forward in bike-path-to-the-sea dream some of us cyclists have had.

The 100+ miles of Class III routes aren’t as exciting because they are merely lines on a map. Few or no alterations to roads are permitted (save for signage), and cyclists are expected to ride in the shoulder or in the traffic lane if that is not possible. The plan puts Class III routes on some of the more popular roads outside of town, including Bouquet Canyon and Sierra Highway.

He notes that the plan says it’s essential to that county bikeways connect with bikeways in Santa Clarita, although many of the existing lanes and routes aren’t on roads that go out of town, especially on the west side. And that just because something is on the map, that doesn’t mean it will be built, as other projects in other areas have been given a higher priority.

So what do you think?

Download the bike plan and take a look at the areas you ride — or would like to ride. And let me know what you think.

Or more importantly, attend one of the workshops or respond online.

And let the county know.

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An L.A. man who killed a 72-year old motorist while speeding at 20 mph over the speed limit — and twice the legal blood alcohol limit — gets just one year in jail because his victim may have made an illegal U-turn.

And if Mark David Skillingberg completes his probation without incident, the felony conviction could be reduced to a misdemeanor and expunged from his record.

According to the L.A. Times:

Judge Katherine Mader expressed sympathy for the victim’s family but referenced a probation report that concluded that Skillingberg was not a danger to the community and will learn from the experience.

“Mr. Skillingberg was obviously drunk and he made the decision to drive,” she said. “But he is not going unpunished.”

So let me get this straight.

Someone who gets drunk, gets behind the wheel and takes the life of another human being isn’t a danger to the community. And it’s okay to kill someone, as long as you promise to learn from the experience.

The primary cause of the other driver’s death wasn’t a U-turn — legal or otherwise. It was a speeding drunk behind the wheel.

And how will any of us be safe on the streets as long as the courts refuse to take that seriously?

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WeHo Daily asks if Stephen Box can beat incumbent CD4 City Councilmember Tom LaBonge. The dreaded Hudson River on L.A.’s future 4th Street Bike Boulevard may have finally run dry. The prolific Rick Risemberg asks cyclists to get involved in the Bike Plan Implementation Team to help turn the new bike plan into a ridable reality. Exploring Los Angeles on two wheels, including good advice on using transit and riding safely. Mark your calendar for Bike Night at the Hammer Museum on April 14th. C-Blog thanks a Mercedes driver for the near-miss wake-up call.

Temple City is next up on the list of local bike plans under consideration. Claremont cyclist offers a lesson in cycling lingo. Hermosa Beach cyclists are about to get new artisan bike racks in high traffic areas; thanks to Jim Lyle for the heads-up. A columnist for the Long Beach Press-Telegram says no one uses those new bike lanes, and no one is asking for them; note to Doug Krikorian — if you don’t know anyone who bikes in Long Beach, maybe you need to expand your circle of friends. Orange County gets another ghost bike amid calls for improved bike safety and more sharrows. The OC’s cdm Cyclist interviews Jeff Mapes, author of Pedaling Revolution.

The Bakersfield Californian says if L.A. can embrace bicycling, they can too; let’s not get carried away though — L.A.’s recent bike love still exists primarily on paper, not on the streets. The country’s healthiest and happiest city continues to invest in the bike infrastructure that helps make it that way. Overcoming a fear of bike commuting. Evidently, I’m not the only one who’s dreamed of opening a combination bike shop/brew pub. Placer County will pay you to buy a new bike. Forget cell-phone using drivers; nearly 20% of drivers admit to surfing the internet while they drive. How to ride in the rain. Ten articles for beginning cyclists, including one from our friend the Springfield Cyclist. Bike Biz asks if the bike industry gives bloggers enough love; hey, I can always use a little more. If you want change, write a letter.

The Colorado man accused of attacking a group of cyclists with a baseball bat has been found guilty. Dottie offers her typically lovely look at Chicago’s spring thaw. In a horrifying story, a New York cyclist is arrested, physically abused and thrown in jail for nearly 24 hours for allegedly running a red light. Despite the backlash, New York cyclists are ahead of the curve, says the Wall Street Journal, while Bike Snob says history is repeating itself. The much criticized Prospect Park West bike lanes have tripled the number of riders and slowed speeding traffic — while adding one second to the average commute. The New York Times looks at cyclists who build their own frames. A look at riding in New York from a Dutch perspective. Brooklyn cyclists plan a ghost bike in honor of the victims of unreported collisions. A 13-year old cyclist is attacked after asking a driver who buzzed him to put his cell phone away and look out for cyclists; thanks to Al Williams for the heads-up.

How to tell when it’s time to get back on your bike after illness. Bicycling looks at this week’s Race to the Sun. After 18 months, a Brit water board can’t seem to find a dangerous road hazard, let alone fix it. Turns out that one of London’s most popular — and threatened — cycling bridges could be closed to cars without adversely affecting traffic. Remarkably, an Edinburgh court finds it more credible that a motorist made an emergency stop, then drove off in fear — with a rider’s bike still stuck under his car — than the possibility that the driver hit the cyclist. Rising French star Fabien Taillefer is the latest rider to admit to doping. A Singapore physician calls for banning recreational cyclists from the road. Even the Chinese People’s Daily is reporting on L.A.’s bike plan.

Finally, I received an email from New York music website Break Thru Radio, promoting a new performance video from guitarist Brian Bonz. In a segment they call Hear & There, the site asks their artists to immerse themselves in an unusual environment; Bonz chose New York bike shop Zen Bikes for his song Terror in Boneville.

And thanks to everyone who has sent me the link to the NY Times article about Janette Sadik-Khan; evidently, the Times registration program was created specifically to keep me out.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

The Year of the Bike Plan with workshops in Long Beach and L.A. County, & upcoming events

March 4, 2011 / / 5 comments

Long Beach is hosting a series of workshops and bike rides to update their Bicycle Master Plan and make the city more livable and bike friendly.

Or maybe that should be even more livable and bike friendly.

Because unlike some cities I could name, Long Beach has been successful in building out their previous Bicycle Master Plan — including bicycle signage, bike parking and bike safety awareness, as well as nine of the ten priority bike lanes and routes identified in the plan.

Now they’re inviting you to attend four upcoming workshops — including one this Saturday — to explore innovative new treatments and help craft goals for the new plan:

Through Bicycle Master Plan workshops, community members will have the opportunity to both learn about and experience innovative bicycle facility treatments, including bike boulevards and sharrows, while participating in the planning of an innovative alternative transportation system that serves users of all ages and skill levels.

The Saturday workshops will feature optional neighborhood bike ride designed for cyclists of all skill levels. They will also include a bicycle rodeo for children to learn bike safety skills, and bike valet services.

For more information, contact Courtney Aguirre at 562.570.6667 or courtney.aguirre@longbeach.gov.

Workshop Schedule

Saturday, March 5
El Dorado Park West Senior Center
2800 Studebaker Road
Bike Ride 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Community Workshop 2:30 – 4:00pm

Saturday, March 12
Expo Center (Bixby Knolls)
4321 Atlantic Ave.
Bike Ride 10:00 – 11:30 am
Community Workshop 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Saturday, March 19
Bixby Park
130 Cherry Ave.
Bike Ride 10:00 – 11:30am
Community Workshop 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Wednesday, March 23
Mark Twain Library
1401 E. Anaheim St.
6:00 – 8:00 pm

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Speaking of which, the Year of the Bike Plan continues as L.A. County releases its 2011 Draft Bicycle Master Plan, promising 695 miles of proposed new bikeways throughout the county. It will be interesting to see if it connects with any of the bikeways in the City of L.A. plan.

The plan is available for download, and you can offer comments online or attend any of the 11 workshops around the county.

Date & Time Location Address
03/28/2011, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Topanga Elementary School 141 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, CA 90290
03/29/2011, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Baldwin Park Library 4181 Baldwin Park Blvd., Baldwin Park, CA 91706
03/30/2011, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. A.C. Bilbrew Library 150 E. El Segundo Blvd, Athens Village, CA 90061
03/31/2011, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Fire Station 129 (Association of Rural Town Council Meeting) 42110 6th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534
04/04/2011, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. William S. Hart Park 24151 Newhall Avenue, Newhall, CA 91321
04/05/2011, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Altadena Library 600 E. Mariposa Street, Altadena, CA 91001
04/06/2011, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. East LA Library 4837 E. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90022
04/11/2011, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Las Virgenes Water District 4232 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, CA 91302
04/12/2011, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Ladera Park Senior Center 4750 West 62nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90056
04/13/2011, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Marina del Rey Library 4533 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292
04/14/2011 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Pathfinder Park 18150 East Pathfinder Road, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

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Bike Talk airs Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

GOOD is hosting a fundraising party for CicLAvia from 2 to 7 pm on March 5th, at Atwater Crossing, 3229 Casitas Ave in Los Angeles; tickets range from $20 to $500. As part of the fundraiser, leading L.A. bike activist and Creek Freak Joe Linton will lead a very short, family friendly ride starting at 1:30 pm.

The third LACBC Sunday Funday ride will roll 62 miles through the North San Gabriel Valley on Sunday, March 6th. Lead by board member Alex Amerri, the fast-paced ride for advanced cyclists will explore the area’s architectural and historical highlights; riders assemble at 8:30 am at Parking Lot K at the Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive in Pasadena, with the ride starting at 9 am.

Support City Council CD4 candidate Stephen Box with Tour de Box on Sunday, March 6; a series of three rides starting from different points at 1 pm.

March 8th is Election Day in Los Angeles. Regardless of who you vote for, just get out and do it.

Wednesday, March 9th, the groundbreaking anti-harassment ordinance goes before the City Council Transportation Committee for a final hearing before it goes to the full Council for final approval; meeting begins at 2 pm in Room 1010 of Downtown City Hall, 200 North Spring Street. It looks like Safe Routes to School may also be on the agenda.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a few days early at the Hermosa Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade beginning at 11 am on Saturday, March 12th along Pier Avenue; you may recognize some familiar faces in the bike parade.

Flying Pigeon and the Bike Oven host the free Spoke(n) Art Ride on the 2nd Saturday of every month; the next ride will take place on March 12th, starting 6:30 pm at 3714 N. Figueroa St. in Highland Park.

Flying Pigeon’s Get Sum Dim Sum ride takes place on the third Sunday of each month; the next ride will be Sunday, March 20 from 10 am to 1 pm, starting at 3714 N. Figueroa St. in Highland Park.

There should be an app for that. Metro invites anyone with a good idea to develop useful mobile apps or web mashups utilizing their transit data, with a goal of enhancing riders ability to use transit and encouraging more people to go Metro — and you could win up to $2,000 for your efforts. Learn more on Thursday, March 31st from 6 to 7:30 pm at Metro Headquarters, One Gateway Plaza Downtown.

The Santa Clarita Century is scheduled to roll on Saturday, April 2nd with rides ranging from a family ride to a full century.

If you’re looking for something a little more relaxed, visit the free Magical Magnolia Bicycle Tour on Saturday, April 2nd from 3 to 7 pm in the Magnolia Park neighborhood in Burbank; be sure to visit Porto’s Bakery for a great Medianoche or Cubano sandwich and Cuban pastries.

The next three CicLAvias will take place on April 10th, July 10th and October 9th. If you missed the first one, don’t make the same mistake again; word is that Lance won’t.

The Antelope Valley Conservancy sponsors the 16th Annual Antelope Valley Ride on Saturday, May 7th with rides of 20, 30 and 60 miles; check-in begins at 7 am at George Lane Park, 5520 West Avenue L-8 in Quartz Hill.

L.A.’s 17th annual Bike Week takes place May 16th through the 20th, with an emphasis on bike safety education, and events throughout the city. This year’s Blessing of the Bicycles will take place as part of Bike Week on 8 to 9:30 am on May 17th at Downtown’s Good Samaritan Hospital, 616 S. Witmer Street. And Metro is looking for Bike Buddies to guide inexperienced cyclists on Bike to Work Day; heads-up courtesy of the marathon-training danceralamode.

The San Diego Century ride takes place on Saturday, May 21st with rides of 37, 66 or 103 miles, starting in Encinitas, along with free admission to an expo featuring sports, local cuisine and live music.

L.A.’s favorite fundraiser ride rolls on June with the 11th Annual River Ride; advance registrationis open now. Volunteers are needed now and on the day of the ride, email RRvolunteer@la-bike.org for more info and to sign up.

And mark your calendar for the 2011 L.A. edition of the Tour de Fat on October 9th; unfortunately, Yom Kippur also falls on that date this year, so Jewish cyclists will have to choose between atoning and having something else to atone for.

Category: Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , ,

Reimagining a more livable San Gabriel Valley; dissecting national cycling death statistics

March 4, 2011 / / 10 comments

It’s a simple question, really.

Why should L.A. area cyclists give a damn about a freight transportation project — especially one that would follow the course of the San Gabriel River, the near-mythical waterway that flows well east of Downtown, where most Angelenos fear to tread?

The answer is equally simple.

Because it has the potential to dramatically transform transportation and livability of the east L.A. basin, bringing renewed life to communities currently choked by diesel fumes and roadways gridlocked with big rigs. And at the same time, restoring one of L.A.’s concrete-clad water disposal systems to the natural, free-flowing waterway it was before fears of flooding overwhelmed common sense and drove nature to its knees.

Oh, and it includes a bike path, too.

Rick Risemberg, of Bicycle Fixation fame, wrote me last week to call my attention to a proposed project I had been only vaguely aware of, and to which I hadn’t given more than a few moments thought.

GRID — the San Gabriel River Infrastructure Development project — would replace the current system of loading cargo at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with integrated cargo cranes that would load cargo containers directly onto electric trains, cutting offloading time from 36 hours to two. And at the same time, eliminating the need for thousands of semi-trucks that currently ply the ports and clog SoCal freeways.

The trains would then run through special bunker-strength tunnels placed under the banks of the San Gabriel River up to distribution yards in the Inland Empire, where the cargo would be transferred to trains and trucks for transport throughout the country.

The result would be a dramatic reduction in freeway traffic along the 710 and 605 freeways, virtually eliminating traffic congestion and improving air quality. In fact, traffic could be reduced to such a degree that one or both of the freeways might become obsolete and candidates for removal — greatly improving the livability of an area blighted by massive roadways.

At the same time, a second tunnel could be built for passenger rail, tying into existing Metro Rail, Metrolink and Amtrak railways. Existing high-voltage power lines would also be placed in underground tunnels, freeing thousands of acres of power-line right-of-ways for redevelopment, while pipelines could be included for fresh water and sewage.

And the massive construction project would provide an opportunity to rip out the concrete banks of the river, and return it to the natural riparian basin it was before we felt the need to “improve” it. The result would be a natural riverway lined with parks, wetlands and nature preserves, as well as what would undoubtedly be one of the area’s most beautiful and popular bikeways along the full course of the river.

Yes, it would be expensive. Costs would undoubtedly rise well into the billions, if not more.

But it would provide tens of thousands of good, high-paying jobs in the short term, just as construction of the Hoover Dame did during the last Great Depression. And in the long term, it would result in savings and tax revenues that could far exceed the cost to build it, while providing much needed wildlife habitat and improving the quality of life for every community along its banks.

And it would eliminate the need for the much-debated tunnel under South Pasadena to complete the 710 freeway — which would free up hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for construction costs, while preserving the quality of life in one of the area’s most livable communities.

Of course, getting a massive, expensive project like this approved by today’s small-thinking, auto-centric Tea Party-addled Congress would be challenging, to say the least — even though it would be build largely, if not entirely, through private funding.

Then again, a couple of years ago, I would never have imagined that a bike-friendly L.A. might happen in my lifetime, either.

.………

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released statistics for bicycling deaths in 2009; 630 cyclists were killed in the U.S. and another 51,000 injured. That works out to 2% of all traffic deaths, as well as 2% of traffic injuries, and marks a 12% reduction over 2008.

Contrary to common perception, only one-third of the deaths occurred at intersections, while 72% occurred during daylight hours — though they define daylight as anytime between 4 am and 8 pm.

The average age of cyclists killed and injured on the streets has gradually risen over the previous 10 years to 41; cyclists under the age of 16 accounted for just 13% of fatalities and 20% of injuries. Seven times more men were killed than women, and four times as many men were injured.

Forty percent of fatalities involved alcohol use; surprisingly, 28% of the cyclists who were killed had been drinking.

California had more than it’s share of fatalities, with 99 cyclists killed; 3.2% of the total 3,081 traffic fatalities. That works out to 2.68 bicycling fatalities per one million residents, which places us in the top ten most dangerous states per capita. Yet that pales compared to Delaware and Florida — which once again ranks as the nation’s deadliest state to ride, with 107 cycling fatalities — at 6.78 and 5.77 fatalities per million residents, respectively.

Main, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and the District of Columbia had no bicyclists killed in 2009.

Just in case you’re thinking about moving somewhere a little safer.

.………

Rick Risemberg endorses bike advocate Stephen Box for L.A.’s 4th Council District, with some reservations. LACBC calls on cyclists to bike the vote, offering survey responses from some of the city’s council candidates. Grist says the new bike plan shows the cabbie who ran Mayor Villaraigosa deserves a big, fat tip, while the National Resources Defense Council says the plan paves the way for a greener Los Angeles. The L.A. Times endorses the bike plan, though that might have carried more weight before the council vote.

Tree Hugger offers a list of bike Twitter accounts to follow; Joe Anthony’s Bike Commute News and Long Beach expats PathLessPedaled were the only Southern Californians to make the list. A bike ride a day could keep the doctor away. Utah shoots down a proposed Idaho Stop bill. While New York police continue to crack down on cyclists, they continue to ignore far more dangerous behavior by drivers; the Wall Street Journal says Gotham cyclists really aren’t that bad. Protected bike paths increase riding while easing congestion. The New York assemblyman who proposed a law requiring license plates for all cyclists has wisely withdrawn his bill. Fairfax VA’s bike coordinator position is under attack as a “political statement position.”

Finally, a ban on biking London’s South Bank is reversed, and considerate cyclists are now welcomed. And a British drivers’ organization says kids should glow in the dark; maybe we should require anyone under 16 to wear a flashing neon sign that says “Don’t Hit Me.”

After all, there’s obviously no point in asking drivers to pay attention.

Category: Best of, Injuries and Fatalities, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Riverside cyclist killed by train; more on the new bike plan and press conference

March 2, 2011 / / 5 comments

Somehow I missed this one while I was tied up with the bike plan this week.

According to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, a 26-year old Riverside man was killed on Tuesday when he was hit by a train.

The cyclist, who has not been publicly identified pending notification of next of kin, was riding with his girlfriend on Adams Street east of Highway 91 while they waited for a train to pass. After the train had gone by, he rode around the crossing arm barriers and directly into the path of a second train coming in the opposite direction.

He died in a local hospital several hours later, after suffering head injuries and broken bones; according to the Press-Enterprise, it was the 3rd similar incident in the last two years.

Evidently, some people think that’s funny.

Update: The victim was identified as 26-year old Roberto Garcia.

.………

A few photos from today’s press conference and rally to celebrate the City Council’s unanimous passage of the new bike plan.

LACBC board member Scott Moore poses with a very happy 4th District Councilmember Tom LaBonge.

There was a great turnout of cyclists, as well as the press.

Cyclists of every description were in attendance.

This is what the bike plan is really about — so kids like Sammy Newton will enjoy a much safer and more livable L.A. than the one we know today.

.………

More on yesterday’s passage of the new bike plan, and Wednesday’s rally to celebrate it.

CD 11 Councilmember Bill Rosendahl offers a letter of thanks to the bicycling community for their work on the bike plan, while KCET talks with him about making it a reality.

LADOT Bike Blog provides a great recap of Wednesday’s rally and press conference, as does LACBC. KABC-7 reports on Wednesday’s rally, and has the exceptional good taste to lead off by talking with yours truly, while Streetsblog offers a photoblog of the day’s highlights. Josef Bray-Ali offers a look at the City Council session — including video — as well as the BPIT (Bike Plan Implementation Plan) meeting that followed, and offers some great photographs. Highland Park Patch gets Josef’s take on the plan, while Mar Vista Patch says it’s designed to wean us off our dependency on cars, while calling for more of those “bike friendly logos.”

Richard Risemberg says the door zone matters. GOOD provides an in-depth examination of what the new plan means. City Maven says doubts remain about the city’s ability to fund the plan; then again,  there’s also some question whether the city’s deficit-reduced staff has the manpower to pull it off. The Daily Bruin looks at how it will affect the UCLA area. KPCC’s Larry Mantle talks with LADOT’s Michelle Mowery and LACBC’s Jen Klausner in advance of Tuesday’s Council vote.

And Bikeside astutely notes that the plan has to be about more than bike lanes.

.………

CicLAvia is looking for volunteers and working with neighborhood councils to ensure success, while Lance Armstrong tweets his plans to join in on the next one April 10th.

.………

What’s your vision for reinventing Highland Park’s York Blvd? Thursday Twitter chat #bikeschool interviews L.A.’s own car-free Joe Anthony, aka @ohaijoe. CD4 candidate Stephen Box is hosting a series of campaign bike rides on Sunday in advance of Tuesday’s vote. Glendale’s new bike count offers a chance to improve safety. Burbank is planning a bike tour of the Magnolia Park area on April 2nd. Long Beach meets Thursday for another workshop on that city’s new bike plan. Felony hit-and-run charges have been filed against a Patterson woman who killed a 27-year old Northridge native, who initially claimed she had hit a dog. Bike lanes are planned for a dangerous intersection where cyclist Lauren Ward was killed last November.

Tucson Velo goes car light. A cyclist prepares to shatter records for the Iditarod Trail Invitational bike race — 350 miles through the Alaskan wilderness in the dead of winter. Trial begins for the Colorado driver accused of attacking two cyclists with a baseball bat. Chicago’s newly completed bike count could help make the city friendlier to bike riders. A Memphis police officer plans to create an indoor bike park. Removing traffic capacity can actually improve traffic flow — unless drivers act selfishly. Why North American driver seem to sympathize with road rage. How to light yourself up for nighttime riding. Panasonic offers a new e-bike to help keep your kids fat and out of shape.

Finally, it turns out that New York’s infamous War On Cars is a myth, and that cyclists won’t have to worry about their proposed bike license plate law after all.

And your word for the day: bikelash.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , ,

A unanimous vote, a new bike plan for Los Angeles, and a reminder why it’s needed

March 1, 2011 / / 4 comments

Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose. Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.

This afternoon, I sat in City Hall and watched as L.A.’s City Council unanimously passed a widely praised new bike plan. Tonight, I got a call from a friend who got clipped by a car on her way home.

The more things change, the more they stay the same, indeed.

I got up early to take the 1 to 1.5 hour bus ride downtown, arriving to find the council chambers filled to overflowing with Teamsters. They were there, I’m told, to support a proposal to disincorporate and annex so-called city of Vernon — the city where businesses outnumber residents and local government seems more akin to a fiefdom operating on a code of omertà.

The long, passionate discussion meant it was well after noon before the room emptied out enough to let us in. And because of the late hour, we were at risk of being pushed off to another day.

As a result, Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, who has championed the plan from the beginning, made a simple request. He could hold the quorum together long enough for a vote on the motion if we agreed to limit comments in favor of the plan to just 10 minutes.

I looked around the room, counted the cyclists — including several members of the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, as well as the LACBC and Bikeside — and decided that mine could wait for another day.

I’ll let others fill you in on the nuts and bolts of the hearing. But there were a few standout moments.

For instance, Bikeside’s Alex Thompson lead things off by knocking it out of the park, saying this plan makes L.A. competitive with any other city in the U.S. — better, even, than the widely praised plans of New York and Chicago.

Flying Pigeon LA owner Josef Bray-Ali said the plan includes propoals to document “the trail of blood on our streets.” And said that this information needs to be collected and made public.

The LACBC’s Alexis Lantz stated that our streets are currently biased against those too young or too old to drive, as well as those who choose not to. This plan, she said, will create complete, healthier streets, and she noted that the support of the council would be critical to its implementation.

The BAC’s Jeff Jacobberger pointed out that bikeways have already been placed where it’s easy, so now it’s time to put them where it’s hard, which may mean removing parking or a lane of traffic.

New Chair Jay Slater says the BAC stands ready to work with the city to implement the plan, insisting that it should not go the way of the failed 1996 bike plan. And outgoing Chair, and current Vice Chair, Glenn Bailey quoted William Mulholland, saying “There it is. Take it;” noting that we can’t turn back the clock, but we can educate drivers and cyclists to take back the streets.

Then there were the dueling comments from cyclists who support allowing mountain biking in city parks, and the equestrians dead set against any mode of parkland transportation with wheels instead of legs.

In the end, the plan was adopted, with a motion by Councilmember Tom LaBonge that the issue would be studied and that nothing in the plan would change existing policies in the meantime.

Although it should be noted that virtually every horseman and horsewoman, as well as a couple representatives from the Sierra Club, insisted that they support cyclists who ride for transportation; it’s just recreational riders in city parks that they oppose.

Which of course leads to the question of whether horses in the park are recreational, or if they’re used for transportation.

Then there was the comic relief provided by two commenters appearing on video from the Valley City Hall, who seemed to think that a three-foot passing law had miraculously been included as part of the plan. And insisted that no driver could possibly pass a cyclist at such a dangerously extravagant distance.

So if you get buzzed riding in the valley, you can start there in your hunt for suspects.

Meanwhile, Council President Eric Garcetti noted that he’s supported bikeways since he was seven years old, and takes pride in the design standards included in the plan that say Los Angeles embraces bicycling.

And Rosendahl said the plan isn’t the final word, and that if changes are necessary, “I’m not leaving; if the people re-elect me, I’ll be here for another five years.” He also suggested that once the plan is built out, “If you get me a safe place to ride, I’ll get on that bike.”

With that, LaBonge had BAC Chair Emeritus Alex Baum — the only remaining original member of the BAC, appointed by the late, great Mayor Tom Bradley — call for a vote on the motion. And it carried unanimously, with all 12 members voting in favor.

As for my remarks, I had intended to point out that the adoption of the bike plan wasn’t the end of a long and difficult process.

Rather, it’s the beginning of an even longer and more difficult one. Because now it’s up to all of us to ensure that the lines on that map turn into paint and signs on the street, and that it doesn’t end in failure like the last one.

I was also going to ask that we use this plan as a springboard to accomplish something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Or last year, even.

That the city commit itself to zero bicyclists killed on our streets by 2020.

It wouldn’t be easy. It would take education, enforcement, and genuine commitment from the Mayor, City Council, LAPD, LADOT, Street Services and Planning, as well as the entire cycling community.

But it is achievable. And using this plan as a springboard, we could make the last bike death in this city the last bike death in this city.

As for my friend, she was shaken up, but it sounds like she’ll be okay.

And when she called the police, they took her seriously, and sent a patrol car to her home to investigate what they said was a clear case of a hit-and-run.

And that alone is a big change.

.………

Read more about the bike plan from Streetsblog LA, the LACBC, NBC4 LA and the L.A. Times, and follow the Twitter feed for the plan.

.………

Celebrate the passing of the bike plan when Mayor Villaraigosa plans to sign it at a rally and press conference on the steps of City Hall on Wednesday, from 9:30 am to 10 am.

.………

Mark your calendar for March 9th, when L.A.’s groundbreaking new bicycle anti-harassment ordinance is scheduled for a final hearing with the Transportation Committee before moving on to the full council for adoption; more information as it becomes available.

.………

Two other brief notes:

Frank Peters of cdmCyclist reports that agreement has been reached to ensure that bike lanes will be included on the soon-to-be-rebuilt Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach — and that they won’t be cut from the plans, even if it comes in over budget.

And Road.CC says that Brazilian banker Ricardo Neis, who was recorded plowing down dozens of cyclists participating in the Porto Alegre Critical Mass, will be charged with attempted murder.

Clearly, Brazil gets it.

And evidently, Caltrans — and L.A.’s leadership — is starting to.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , ,

Dear New York: Can we have your Dept. of Transportation Commissioner? Please?

February 28, 2011 / / 2 comments

What sadly passes for a writer at the New York Post calls NYDOT Commissioner Jannette Sadik-Khan a “psycho bike lady” and an “incompetent, overpromoted, overzealous bureaucrat.”

And that’s just the beginning.

This time, it’s because of a plan to convert the city’s 34th Street from a throughway to a Complete Streets busway. Although based on the paper’s highly biased coverage of biking news, it could have been about any number of other issues.

Sadik-Khan is recognized across the country as one of the nation’s leading transportation planners — willing to confront NYC’s addiction to the automobile and return some small portion of the streets to the people who actually live along and use them, rather than the machines that have long destroyed the city’s quality of life.

Yet the Post continues to fan the flames of self-righteousness over any attempt to take a single inch of roadway away from overly entitled motorists in order to actually improve the city’s over burdened streets.

And God forbid that the city’s residents should have viable alternatives to driving. Or pleasant and safer places to live, walk and bike — or just be, for that matter.

But evidently, they couldn’t care less how many people are killed or injured by motor vehicles on New York streets, or how poor the quality of life is along them, as long as they can speed from New Jersey to Long Island without stopping along the way.

And you thought yellow journalism was dead.

So here’s an offer.

Los Angeles has been without a General Manager for our Department of Transportation for the past several months. And we’d like Ms. Sadik-Khan to come home every bit as much as the Post’s writers would like to get rid of her.

So if they can convince New Yorkers it’s better to wallow in their own traffic and smog than actually do anything to improve it, we’ll gladly take her.

Please.

Meanwhile, in an amazing outbreak of enlightened self-interest, Toyota proposes building 250,000 kilometers (roughly 155,000 miles) of Japanese bike lanes in order to ease congestion and reduce the risk of collisions with bikes.

And as it turns out, the secret to happiness could be as simple as commuting by bike.

Maybe the Post’s writers should try it sometime.

.………

Video shows the aftermath of a horrifying, apparently intentional attack in which a driver plowed through the full length of a Critical Mass ride in Porto Allegre, Brazil, injuring over a dozen riders; the vehicle involved was later found abandoned, but no arrest has been made.

The driver reportedly felt threatened because cyclists were banging on his car, yet cyclists report that he was driving aggressively before his attack on the riders.

Here’s a thought: if you feel threatened by cyclists, just turn at the next corner and get away from them. Somehow, watching them bounce off the hood of your car as you drive through several blocks of bikes would seem to weaken that argument just a tad.

But that’s just me.

Meanwhile, posters on a gun forum seem to find it pretty damn funny; then again, they’re posters on a gun forum.

Thanks to Will Campbell for the tip.

.………

In an ironically appropriate crash, a drunk driver smashes into a sober living facility in South L.A.; as long as his SUV is already in one of the bedrooms, he might as well check in.

No word on whether Charlie Sheen was behind the wheel.

.………

Make a trip downtown Wednesday morning to witness Mayor Villaraigosa signing the — hopefully — newly approved bike plan in front of City Hall. Sign up as a Bike Buddy to guide less experienced riders on Bike to Work Day this May; I’m seriously considering it even though my usual commute is from my bedroom to the living room. A reminder about GOOD’s fundraising party to benefit CicLAvia this weekend. Jim Shanman, a founding member of the Culver City Bicycle Coalition, looks at a possible Westside bike share program. Adventures in bike commuting: Matt Ruscigno finds himself with 40 minutes to get five miles to the airport on a broken bike, and makes his flight anyway. Chinatown is catching bike rack measles. Here’s your chance to ride through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Palm Springs police catch a bike burglar after a brief chase. San Diego kicks off a new anti-obesity campaign, including emphasis on safe bike paths and walkways. A grieving father sets off on a cross-country ride to promote awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. A San Jose cyclist is critically injured after losing the hit-and-run lottery; thanks to Rex Reese for the heads-up. The North American Handmade Bicycle show moves to Sacramento next year; Cyclelicious has links to coverage of this year’s show in Austin over the weekend. Experience the Amgen Tour of California, without the inconvenience of actually having to ride it.

Biking our way to a better economy. Urban Country eviscerates the argument that bicyclists must obey the law if we want to share the road. A look at Major Taylor, one of the greatest racers of all time, who broke the color barrier in cycling 20 years before Jackie Robinson was conceived. A medical study shows spending on bikeways returns 1.2 to 3.8 times that amount in healthcare savings. Over 3,700 cyclists take on the Chilly Hilly ride on Seattle’s Bainbridge Island. Kansas shoots down a proposed three-foot passing law, while Georgia considers one of their own. Rising numbers of Chicago cyclists points to the need for more protected bikeways. Ohio’s Bike Lawyer Steve Magos says it’s time to criminalize negligent driving; he’s right.

If there really is a war on cars, the cars are winning. A British motorists organization calls for a mandatory helmet law, rather than just asking their members not to hit us. But at least they have the sense to pull an anti-bike rant from one of their columnists and say her services will no long be needed; those Brits are so polite, aren’t they? Edinburgh cyclists create their own DIY map of off-street bike paths, patterned after the famous London Tube map; thanks to Evan Garcia for the links. A look at bike parking in Amsterdam; and to think we’re happy to get a lousy bike rack. Proof that population density has nothing to do with cycling rates. A Sydney paper looks at the rising numbers of video cams on bikes.

Finally, Colorado’s proposed legislation to ban the Blackhawk bike ban failed thanks to the actions of the state’s Republican House Majority Leader; maybe it’s time to point out that cyclists spend a lot of money in her state, which can easily be spent elsewhere.

And a New York legislator proposes hanging a $25 license plate off the back of every bike in the state; and yes, that includes children, evidently. But why stop there? Let’s confront the menace of scofflaw pedestrians by forcing everyone to hang a set of numbers on their ass.

Category: Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Cyclist killed in Long Beach Tuesday night; depth of human compassion runs shallow

February 3, 2011 / / 10 comments

In what is turning out to be a horrible year for SoCal cyclists, a 48-year old Long Beach rider was killed Tuesday night.

According to the Long Beach Post, Fernando Santiago was riding through the Los Coyotes Traffic Circle when he was struck by a car entering the circle from Lakewood Blvd around 7:31 pm. The driver stopped to render aid and was released at the scene, though authorities say charges may be pending.

It’s hard to imagine any circumstances under which the driver would not be at fault in the situation described by the Post; anyone already driving or riding within the circle would have the right-of-way, and vehicles entering from the side would be required to yield.

As is often the case in cases like this, the depth of human compassion runs incredibly shallow in the comments to the online story.

Most blame the victim simply for being there, ignoring the driver’s responsibility to operate his vehicle in a safe and legal manner. After all, it’s your responsibility if you get hit, just like it’s a bank’s fault if it gets robbed.

And yes, that was sarcasm.

Never mind that another human being lost his life, the sympathies of the readers seem to rest squarely with the poor, traumatized driver:

Sad
I feel bad for the driver of the car. Due to the irresponsible decision of a bike rider he will have to deal with this the rest of his life and I am sure be sued.

david631
c’mon, riding a bycycle at 7 pm into the traffic circle. I’ve lived in LB all my life and dread using the Traffic Clr. I hope the driver of the car get’s through this thing ok…

Don’t get me wrong.

I would be devastated if my actions lead to the death of another person, whether I was behind the wheel or in any other circumstances.

But at least the driver went home that night, and his family won’t have to figure out how to go on without him.

.………

As long as we’re in Long Beach, the anti-bike backlash rears its ugly head even in articles that have nothing to do with bicycling.

In comments to a story about possible teacher layoffs due to the same budget problems experienced by virtually every California school district, readers blamed “wasteful spending” on bike lanes for the district’s budget problems. Never mind that the City of Long Beach and the local school district are two distinct governmental bodies, with separate budgets and tax sources.

They might as well complain about spending in New York for budget issues in Des Moines.

Phil
I’m very glad we will be laying off teachers. We don’t need that many teachers anwyway…we need the new bike lanes going to downtown so cyclists can feel comfortable! April, that’s it, we need to be more green, that’s the answer.

Phil (again)
At least LBUSD is planning for the tax increases not to be extended. I think the tax payors of CA are sick & tired of paying for the out of control spending of politicians at every level…local, state, & federal. I don’t think the extensions will happen, nor should they! Not as long as our money is being wasted on projects like bike lanes instead of hiring enough police, keeping all of the city’s fire trucks in service, adequately funding our schools, fixing the roads, and othe essential services that local government is responsible and should be spending my money on. If there’s any leftover after the governments obligations of providing the essential city services have been met…then go ahead, waste it on a bike lane!

LB Native
Who cares from where the money comes or what grant? I agree with Phil – who needs teachers or public safety officers if we have beautiful bike lanes… oh, and turnarounds up and down Vista, presumably for bicyclists, also. And, while we’re at it, let’s spend millions of dollars to test the feasibility of taking down the breakwater. We may or may not spend the millions more to actually do the job, but we can spend money to see if it’s feasible. Who needs teachers?

Phil
Hey John G., I cited the bike lanes as symbolic of the wasteful spending of our local politicians. There are countless others I could’ve used. However, standing corrected by you, let me correct myself and say that the bike lanes are not stupid spending by the local guys, it’s stupid spending by the federal guys. I stand corrected. I’m sure the teachers feel much better about being laid off now! I’m sure all of the people paying for auto repairs caused by the roads in this city, the police chief who’s trying to protect us all with an insufficient number of officers, and the firemen without equipment they once had all feel better now that know the bike lanes are from federal grant money!

sandy
And how much to put bike lanes on Broadway? Out office is off Broadway and we rearely see any bikes except on the sidewalk and thats only one or two a day. But who needs teashers anyway?

So there you have it.

Bike lanes, and presumably the cyclists who ride them — or not, as the commenters suggest — are responsible for all the problems in Long Beach. I’m only surprised that they didn’t blame cyclists for rising skin cancer rates and the turmoil in Egypt.

Odd though, that the people complaining loudest about teacher layoffs seem to be the ones who evidently paid the least attention when they were in school.

And as for that last comment, I think she pretty well answered that question herself.

.………

Flying Pigeon suggest that as long as city leaders are planning to turn Figueroa into a complete street, they should extend it to the complete street, suggesting a road diet for the under-utilized Highland Park stretch. Because poorer neighborhoods — and the people who live there — are every bit as important as the one Eli Broad wants to move his artworks to.

.………

L.A. considers requiring more bike parking and better standards in new developments. You have four more days to contribute your ideas on how to improve Burbank’s North San Fernando Blvd; it would undoubtedly upset some Long Beach people to know bike lanes are in the lead. L.A. County plans to upgrade former singles haven Marina del Rey; maybe they could improve the bike path there while they’re at it. The controversial Wilbur Ave road diet takes center stage in a debate between the candidates for the 12th Council District. Evidently, even militant Angelenos can find serenity on the L.A. River Bike Path. Will’s bike cam captures proof of who was at fault in a traffic collision. Delivering Super Bowl pizzas in OC by electric bike. The owner of a Surf City bar that served 72 drunk drivers says stop picking on me — and those are just the ones who got caught.

A call for bike safety and traffic calming on San Diego’s Torrey Pines Road. Discover our neighbor to the south with the 2011 San Diego Century Bicycle Tour. The CHP reopens its investigation into the death of a Los Altos cyclist, who they blamed for inexplicably turning into the wheels of a semi-truck, whose driver had been involved in two previous deaths. San Francisco’s Ceasar Chavez Street will undergo a road diet to improve bike and pedestrian safety. The brother of Giants outfielder Nate Schierholtz pleaded guilty of hitting a cyclist, a pedestrian, two cars and a light pole in a drunken hit-and-run. Problems arise with a planned BMX bike park in the Kern Valley.

Bicycling tells you how to perfect your pedal stroke. Tips for riding from a 70-year old racer. It wasn’t bikes that caused this traffic congestion. Cycling the Sundance Film Fest. Colorado’s House approves a bill that would require an alternate route if bikes are banned from any street; am I the only one that envisions cyclists shunned onto dangerous, crappy alleys and backroads? The Chicago rider who swapped his car for a bike in last year’s Tour de Fat continues to ride through this week’s record-breaking storm; in the wake of the storm, it’s nice to know bike life goes on. Reconsidering Rahm Emanuel’s bid for mayor of Chicago based on his support for cycling. A lawyer claims the driver who nearly doored a cyclist, resulting in her death, shouldn’t be charged for driving with a suspended license because “the key was not in the ignition” at the time. Two more cyclists have been killed in the nation’s most dangerous state for bicyclist and pedestrians; wait, make that three.

The Department of DIY opens a branch in Guadalajara. UK figures show a 3% increase in bike-related deaths and injuries. More on the birth of the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain. Champion Brit cyclist Victoria Pendleton says she’d like bigger boobs, even if they wouldn’t be aerodynamic. Edinburgh considers solar-powered lighting to entice cyclists and pedestrians to use canal pathways after dark. Bike paths not only save energy, now they can generate it. An Indian driver mows down four pedestrians, killing one, then kills a cyclist in a successful attempt to flee the scene. Critically injured Aussie racer Amber Halliday continues to improve and could be moved to a rehab facility within days. An Aussie driver is fined a whopping $600 for causing a cyclist to fall by dragging him by his handlebars.

Finally, a Georgia legislator says drivers licenses are unconstitutional because they interfere with your right to travel, because, you know, there’s no viable alternative to driving everywhere.

And remember, you’re not stuck in traffic, you are traffic.

Kung hei fat choi!

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , ,

Let’s not let oversized, inefficient SUVs get in the way of much needed bike lanes on Main Street

January 26, 2011 / / 10 comments

A proposed road diet could turn this...

Let’s talk road diets.

Or more precisely, let’s talk about the one LADOT proposes for Main Street in Venice.

Following the disastrous reception the Wilbur Avenue road diet generated in the Valley last year, with motorists outraged by the loss of their high-speed, cut-though commuter route — regardless of the benefits or safety for the people who actually live there — LADOT has gone out of their way to engage the public on Main.

And yes, in advance, this time.

Go figure.

Unlike Wilbur, where the arguments for and against the road diet took place after it was installed with no public notice, LADOT reached out in advance in an attempt to build support beforehand. But this time, instead of drivers complaining about the loss of a through lane slowing them down, or having to find an alternate route to one that was never intended as a cut-through commuter route, the complaints came from cyclists who didn’t like the plan’s specifications.

Valley, meet Venice.

And this...

That negative response from some people was surprising, because the road diet merely takes the street design that already exists in the Santa Monica section and extends it south to the Venice portion between Navy and Windward Circle.

So if you want to see what a difference a road diet can make, just take a ride between Windward Circle and Pico Blvd. Or vice versa.

Night, meet day.

I usually bike Main at least once a week; more in the summertime when the crush of tourists and locals out for a little sun make the beachfront bike path virtually impassible for anyone wanting to move above a slow walking pace.

And yes, like most of the bike lanes in Santa Monica, they’re far from perfect. More than once I’ve found myself dodging flung doors and swerving to avoid drivers casually pulling into and out of parking spaces, with no concept that the narrow band of paint on the street next to them might possibly suggest the presence of bikes.

Into this.

After all, why would anyone expect to find bikes in a bike lane?

But despite the fears expressed by some, I’ve never had any problems — with drivers or police — moving out of the bike lane when necessary to avoid obstacles real or imagined.

When time allows, I give a little signal — not quite a full extension of my left arm to avoid confusion that I intend to make a turn, but more of a three-quarter point to the left to suggest that I’m just coming out a little. Then I give a quick wave when I pull back over to thank the drivers behind for giving me a little space.

And I find drivers on the narrowed Santa Monica section far more willing to concede a little road space than on the wider, higher speed stretch to the south.

In fact, the stretch of Main between Rose and Abbot Kinney (called Brooks on the map) is the only road I ride regularly where I legitimately fear for my safety. Between impatient bus drivers, motorists hell bent on remaining well north of the speed limit and clueless beachgoers cruising for free parking — yeah, good luck with that — I’ve probably had more close calls there than anywhere else.

I’ve learned to ride aggressively there. I take the lane and keep my speed above 20 mph, merging into the flow of traffic. Yet still cringe as drivers blow by at over twice my speed, and bus drivers ride my ass so they can lurch to a stop just a few feet up the road. Or sometimes crowd me out if I continue past Abbot Kinney where the road gets narrower.

Which makes me wonder why anyone would prefer the dangerous, bike-unfriendly situation we have now to the much calmer, though admittedly not perfect, situation just a few blocks north in Santa Monica.

As it turns out, that’s not really the case.

For the most part, even most of those who oppose the current plan don’t advocate doing nothing. But other proposed solutions, such as traffic calming or separated bike lanes, while they might be preferable, aren’t viable in the current budget crunch and would require years before they could be implemented, while the proposed plan requires nothing more than a little paint and can be implemented almost immediately

That leaves advocates doing complex math to divide up the street to come up with a better solution, debating the merits of a 10 foot motor vehicle lane and 6 foot bike lane, as opposed to the proposed 11 foot vehicle lane and 5 foot bike lane.

LADOT prefers the 11 foot lane to accommodate all those wide buses, fearing that a rider traveling near the outer edge of the bike lane could risk getting mirrored by a passing bus. And having had sufficient experience with bus drivers in that area, I would contend their fears are well-founded.

I won’t reargue the merits of the various widths and configurations; you can find virtually every possibility debated in the comments on Damien Newton’s always excellent coverage of the story. Although as noted above, I have a strong preference for anything that will keep those bus mirrors away from my head.

But here’s the thing.

The entire debate hinges on the width allowed for parking, and the risk posed by the swinging doors of oversized SUVs.

LADOT’s plans call for a 5’ bike lane next to a 7’ parking lane — which means that all those Hummers, Escalades and Navigators so popular in L.A. would offer only a few inches of clearance if perfectly parked, or actually extend into the bike lane if parked like most people do in the real world. And their massive doors would block virtually the entire bike lane when carelessly flung open.

To some, that’s reason enough to kill the road diet and live with the dangerous situation we already have, preferring the devil we know to the one we know just up the street.

But consider this.

According to a study from San Francisco, 85% of all vehicle doors extend less than 9.5 feet from the curb.

Which means we’re concerned about the problem posed by just 15% of drivers who have more money than sense, and are willing waste their resources on the biggest, most expensive, least efficient and most dangerous-to-everyone-else private vehicles on the road.

Then consider that such a vehicle would have to be parked next to the bike lane, and occupied, at the exact moment you pass by. And just happen to fling open a door at exactly the wrong time.

That’s not to say it can’t happen. It happened to me on Abbot Kinney just last year.

But I would contend that the risk is a hell of a lot smaller than the danger posed by the speeding and frequently distracted drivers just a few blocks down the street.

As Joe Linton points out, with or without bike lanes, many — if not most — cyclists will continue to ride in the door zone, preferring the perceived safety zone next to the parked cars to what they see as the scarier, if actually safer, space further out into the lane.

So here’s my suggestion.

Let’s take a foot from the center turn lane, narrowing it from 10’ to 9’, as Linton proposed in his comment above, and add 6” to the bike lane on either side.

But then take it a step further.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no requirement that any car be allowed to park anywhere and everywhere. So let’s ban those massive SUVs and other oversized vehicles from parking along the curb on Main Street.

Do as other cities around the country have done for decades, and paint a line on the street 6’6” from the curb — wide enough to accommodate all but the widest cars and trucks — then ticket any parked vehicle that crosses it.

That will not only effectively ban big vehicles from parking there, but also force all other drivers to park close to the curb without encroaching on the bike lane.

They can find parking somewhere else. Call it their penance for buying a massive motorized behemoth like that to begin with.

After all, if you can’t ban an inefficient SUV in environmentally conscious Venice, where can you?

Yes, there’s a lot of room for improvement in the plan.

But even if we build the road diet exactly the way LADOT proposes, it will make the southern section of Main Street significantly safer than it is now. And provide a more livable, complete street that will benefit everyone who lives, works or goes to school nearby, while encouraging more people to venture out onto their bikes.

So lets try to improve the plan.

But not kill a good project simply because it’s not a perfect one.

.………

Before I forget — again — a friend of a friend is planning a new line of handmade bike accessories, and would like your opinion on exactly what cyclists might want. So please help me make it up to her by taking a couple minutes to complete this quick survey.

After all, it’s not like I’ve been distracted lately or anything.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , ,
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