Still no word on launch of CA ebike rebate program, and active transportation bills face Tuesday state senate committee vote

July 7, 2023 / / Comments Off on Still no word on launch of CA ebike rebate program, and active transportation bills face Tuesday state senate committee vote

Like the song says, waiting is the hardest part.

Because there’s still no word on when the California ebike tax rebate program will begin.

At last word, they were expected to launch in the second quarter of this year, which ended last Friday.

The program has already spent a quarter of the allotted $10 million for administration and overhead, leaving just $7.5 million available for ebike vouchers.

It’s being administered by San Diego’s Pedal Ahead, which operates an ebike loan-to-own program for San Diego residents.

Meanwhile, Calbike offers a slightly different version, saying the program was scheduled to have a soft opening in four undisclosed regions last month, before opening statewide in a few months.

They cite a $13 million budget, anticipating it will fund between 4,000 and 7,000 ebike vouchers.

So if the soft openings do happen and exceed anticipated demand, it’s possible there might not be anything left by the time it gets to you.

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Calbike reports five active transportation-ish bills will come up before the state Senate Transportation Committee this Tuesday.

The bills include another attempt to get the Stop as Yield bill past Governor Newsom’s veto pen, as well as bills mandating daylighting at intersections, requiring climate-first transportation planning, and legalizing sidewalk bike riding statewide.

The fifth bill would establish a pilot program for free youth transit.

The link above includes a form to contact your state legislature to voice your support for any or all of the bills.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on rolling.

No bias here. After a little kid was struck by a driver in Wales, Britain’s Sky News reports the ten-year old “cyclist” suffered life-changing injuries. I believe the word they were looking for there was child. 

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

No bias here, either. New Jersey letter writers say a bike rider who is suing a councilmember for the hit-and-run crash that reportedly left him with serious injuries doesn’t deserve a red cent because he ran the red light, regardless of whether the councilwoman fled the scene. And, uh, because he was wearing flip flops.

Bike riders in Barrie, Ontario were fined $180 each for running a stop sign in a community safety zone, as officials stressed “Stop signs are for everyone, including cyclists.” While bike riders should observe the law, they have a much better view of the road and pose significantly less danger to others around them, which should be reflected in any fine, but usually isn’t. Thanks to How The West Was Saved for the heads-up. 

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Local 

Metro has received over half of the $80 million in grants distributed across six SoCal counties by the Southern California Association of Governments Regional Council, aka SCAG; the funding represents the first local distribution of a $237 million state Regional Early Action Planning, or REAP, grant for transportation and housing efforts.

Streetsblog says the new curb-protected bike lanes on Santa Monica’s 17th Street are “amazing;” the bike/ped improvements include Southern California’s first European-style curb-protected intersections.

 

State

The California legislature restored full funding for the state’s active transportation programs, after Governor Newsom had attempted to cut it by half a billion dollars.

CleanTechnica reports fossil fuel companies are spending millions to defeat a pair of climate reporting bills in the state legislature.

Fullerton celebrated the 4th of July with their annual bike parade.

Orange County has received $13.3 million in SCAG grants to fund innovative transportation projects designed to reduce motor vehicle use, including a number of bike-friendly projects around the county.

A built-in tracker on a stolen ebike led San Diego police to a parolee illegally in possession of a stolen shotgun, illegal drugs and the purloined bicycle. Although I’m not sure you can legally posses a stolen weapon. 

A San Francisco woman who has been hit by drivers twice while riding her bike reflects on the differences between biking in the Bay Area and in Belgium, where she is visiting. Like not getting hit by motorists, for instance.

Sacramento is investing $16 million in building more protected bike lanes in the downtown area.

A Rancho Cordova bike shop is asking for the public’s help to bounce back from the challenges of the pandemic, by attempting to crowdfund a quarter of a million dollars to keep it alive until their business can stabilize.

 

National

Bloomberg’s CityLab writes that businesses are learning to love bike lanes as downtown areas continue to struggle, saying the need to rethink urban cores is encouraging business improvement districts to reconsider the wisdom of prioritizing motor vehicles.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission is recalling 84,000 woom ORIGINAL balance and pedal bikes due to a problem with the stem and handlebars, which can detach and cause a fall.

Washington US Congressman Rick Larsen is one of us, riding his bike as part of a bicycle town hall for a local community.

A Colorado man is recovering after two weeks in the hospital with a broken collarbone, shoulder and damaged skull, as well as “really bad road rash all over his body” after falling off his bike during a fundraising ride to fight human trafficking.

A Minnesota man faces charges for running over and dragging a bike-riding bystander, following a drunken road rage argument with another driver at a Wisconsin riverfront boat launch, while his own young kids were in the car.

Disappointing ruling from a Minnesota appeals court, which dismissed a lawsuit from the father of a 13-year old boy who was killed by a driver while riding his bike to school, ruling that the city, county and school district can’t be held accountable for dangerous conditions on the roadway.

A Youngstown, Ohio company donated 120 bicycles to kids during National Bike Month, part of a promotion promising to donated a bike to a child in need for every sale.

Columbus, Ohio is the latest city to offer residents ebike rebates, with up to 150 vouchers ranging from $500 to $1,200, depending on household income. Meanwhile, Californians continue to wait for what was the nation’s first ebike rebate program when it was originally approved 19 months ago. 

A 47-year old Burlington, Vermont man faces charges after chasing bike riders and pedestrians on a waterfront bike path, and threatening them with a box cutter.

A New Jersey man learns the hard way not to snatch an unattended kid’s bike.

Community members in Covington, Louisiana are asking for prayers for a 17-year old boy who collapsed while riding his bike, and was found unconscious in the roadway.

 

International

More proof life is cheap in the UK, where a speeding, distracted student driver who ran down a Manchester, England milkman riding his bike to work got a lousy 14 months behind bars; the victim was just weeks from retirement when he was killed by the driver, who couldn’t be bothered to slow down or hang up his phone, and shouldn’t have been driving alone in the first place.

A Scottish man has set a new record for riding 250 miles coast-to-coast across the country in 23 hours and 8 minutes.

Thousands of people lined the funeral route for a pair of Welsh teenagers who were laid to rest together, after they were killed in an ebike crash while being closely followed, if not pursued, by the cops.

A new documentary follows the inner and outer journeys of a pair of Indian women as they take part in the London-Edinburgh-London endurance cycling race.

 

Competitive Cycling

After getting dropped yesterday, Tadej Pogacar bounced back to win Thursday’s stage 6, putting himself back in contention at 25 seconds behind the leader.

Like Adam Yates before him, 2022 Giro champ Jai Hindley’s time in yellow lasted just a single day, as last year’s Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard slipped it on at the end of stage 6.

American Neilson Powless is back in polka dots as the Tour’s best climber.

Velo explains the Tour’s confusing team tactics.

USA Cycling has announced their team for the track cycling worlds before they even held the US track championships at Carson’s Velo Sports Center this weekend. Which means whoever wins the nationals risks being left off the worlds team entirely, despite being crowned as the US track champ. Thanks to Steve Fujinaka for calling out what’s been bugging me since learning about the US worlds team.

A Vancouver paper says questions are being raised about safety and oversight in the wake of a teenage mountain biker’s death during a downhill race in British Columbia last weekend.

Bicycling reports that track and gravel champ Ashton Lambie’s latest challenge is taking on sailing’s iconic America’s Cup. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you. 

 

Finally…

Don’t wink at a woman while riding a bike in Ottumwa, Iowa. Now you, too, can join a pot-smoking bicycle club.

And your bike may soon be able to talk to cars.

Although I’m sure many of us would prefer to share a few choice words with their drivers, instead.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin.

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Improving first/last mile connections in Culver City, no safe routes to LA River path, and Metro fail at Union Station

July 6, 2023 / / Comments Off on Improving first/last mile connections in Culver City, no safe routes to LA River path, and Metro fail at Union Station

Culver City-based bicycle training and advocacy group Walk ‘N Rollers wants your input on improving first and last mile bike and pedestrian access to the Culver City E-Line/Expo Line Metro Station.

Please join Metro, LADOT, Walk ‘N Rollers, and BikeLA on Thursday July 13 for an important community planning process! We are seeking participants who live, work and play within a 1⁄2 mile radius of the Culver City Metro Station on the E-Line (formerly Expo Line) to help ensure that future street improvements in the project area create more accessible and safer pedestrian, cyclist and transit rider pathways and experiences.

At this meeting, we will workshop and gather input on the proposed First/Last Mile Project List for street improvements around the Culver City Metro Station on the E-Line.

Space is limited – Please RSVP here by July 7. bit.ly/CCExpo1stLastMile

Date: Thursday, July 13, 2023
Time: 6 – 8pm
Place: Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels.

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This.

In the six years I’ve lived in Hollywood, I’ve yet to find a safe, comfortable route to the LA River Bike Path that doesn’t involve a bus or car.

It will never reach its potential until it’s easy to access by anyone from any part of the city.

………

Another lost opportunity in the City of Angeles, as Metro’s plan to improve bike and pedestrian access to Union Station, as well as improving the forecourt to the station, appears to be in jeopardy as grant funding expires. 

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London and Paris aren’t the only cities where bikes are taking over the morning commute.

More proof that if you build it, they will come.

Twitter post

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on rolling.

No bias here. A New Jersey cop says yes, “Lance” is allowed to take the entire lane, though he doesn’t really recommend it, while conceding that drivers who yell “Get out of the way!” are wrong.

Talk about not getting it. The Jerusalem Post writes that high-end Canyon bikes will come with embedded V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) tech to prevent crashes by notifying other bike riders to their presence — apparently assuming the real danger to bike riders comes from other people on bikes, not the people embedded in the big, dangerous machines.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

DC police are searching for a bike-riding man accused of sexually assaulting two people.

A 73-year old Edinburgh woman was left badly bruised when she was struck by a hit-and-run bike rider as she stepped out of her home; the man refused to identify himself before riding off.

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Local 

West Hollywood announced that construction is underway on the new bus priority lanes on North La Brea Ave in the city, with work set to begin yesterday.

Registration is now open for the Santa Clarita Halloween edition of Finish The Ride and Finish The Run.

Streetsblog says new El Monte buffered bike lanes offer a safer route to two transit stations for the area’s working class bicyclists.

 

State

Two men completed a 550 mile bike ride through Central California, following the path of a legendary 1966 farmworkers march.

Authorities in San Diego blame an ebike battery for “possibly” starting a fire that caused $50,000 damage to a condo in the Serra Mesa neighborhood.

For a change, both bike riders and business owners approve of a $10 million plan to improve safety on a Bakersfield street.

Sad news from Stockton, where a 73-year old woman was killed by a driver while riding her bicycle.

 

National

New Smith bike helmets will call for help if you’re in a crash.

Best Reviews offers advice on the best dog bicycle leashes to ride with your “high-engery” pooch, while failing to mention that the AKC recommends against it for small to medium-sized dogs.

A Washington newspaper offers advice to drivers on how to avoid a right hook. Short answer, don’t turn in front of people on bicycles.

Streetsblog wants to know why a Chicago-area street Google calls bike friendly isn’t getting any bicycle upgrades in a new streetscape improvement project.

Ohio state troopers blame a 15-year old bike rider and the design of a bike path for a fatal crash, and not the 91-year old driver who hit a kid riding in a crosswalk.

After a 38-year old Kentucky man was run down from behind by a hit-and-run pickup driver, police quickly conclude that speed wasn’t a factor in the crash, but drinking probably was. Although if the driver had been going slower, the victim might still be alive. So maybe what they really meant is excessive speed wasn’t a factor. Thanks to Glenn Crider for the link.

 

International

They get it. Momentum casts more dirt on the sharrows grave, saying they used to make sense in theory, but are now useless and possibly dangerous in practice. Although I’d say they can drop that “possibly.”

A science site says a runner expends more energy than a bike rider, even when they’re traveling side-by-side.

Life is cheap in Montreal, where police say it was just an oopsie when a truck driver ran over a 53-year old man who fell off his bike, and just kept going without stopping.

Earth.org writes that Hong Kong residents are missing out on the benefits of bicycling when the city ranks 84th out of 90 cities worldwide for bike friendliness. Then again, Hong Kong isn’t exactly friendly to its own residents these days under new Chinese management.

Life is cheap in Australia, where a former Australian football star walked with a lousy $1,500 fine for the hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a bike rider, leaving the victim with a series of bolts and plates in his neck, and suffering from constant headaches and flashbacks.

The Sydney Morning Herald says bicycling can be a great way to enjoy overseas cities, even if it’s a dismal experience in most Australian cities.

 

Competitive Cycling

Aussie Jai Hindley took the first mountain stage of the Tour de France, along with Adam Yates’ yellow jersey, by staging a stunning solo finish on stage five; an Australian news site applauds the preparation that led to a “brilliant” move in the Pyrenees.

Velo says Jonas Vingegaard’s “rocketship acceleration” over the stage’s final summit left his chief competitor Tadej Pogačar reeling and 53 seconds down. But it’s still a long way to Paris.

Former Paris-Nice champ Luis Leon Sanchez was the latest notable rider to withdraw from Le Tour, crashing out with a broken collarbone on stage four.

USA Cycling announced the American team that will compete in the Track World Championships next month.

I want to be like him when I grow up. A 95-year old man is preparing to compete in the cycling events in the biennial National Senior Games, and offers advice on how to stay in shape, physically and socially.

 

Finally…

Now you and your bike can both have mullets. It can make for a crappy ride when there’s a toilet in the bike lane.

And now you, too, can use a common traffic cone to stop a self-driving car in its tracks.

Twitter post

My apologies to anyone who can’t see the Twitter video; I haven’t been able to find the original on TikTok.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin.

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Louisiana city bans walking and biking at night, and ten months and counting for LA city Healthy Streets alternative

July 5, 2023 / / One comment

I sometimes use myself as the poster boy for diabetes, warning about the dangers of diabetes and the need to monitor yourself if you’re at risk. 

Now AARP is offering a list of “sneaky” signs of diabetes, from mood swings to chronic yeast infections, blurred vision and unexplained weight loss.

The latter of which was how I knew I had it before I was diagnosed, when I dropped from a muscular 200 pounds to a scrawny 150 in a matter of months. 

So use the two or three minutes out of your day it will take to read it. 

Because you don’t want this shit. 

Seriously. 

………

Unbelievable.

In an effort to control crime, a Louisiana town has banned biking and walking from 11 pm to 4 am.

That’s right. The city of Kaplan has installed a permanent curfew on anyone using the streets without a motor vehicle for most of the night, while leaving enforcement to the discretion of individual officers.

According to the local police chief, the ban is intended to stop burglary and drug dealing.

Because as everyone knows, no one ever uses a car to commit those crimes.

Hardy told News 10 the curfew is to stop people from walking into others’ yards and stealing. In addition, police want to control the drug activity that occurs at night.

“The chief noticed a big influx of bicycle traffic during the night and people walking around,” Kaplan Mayor Mike Kloesel said. “It’s not usually a good thing when that happens. So in order to prevent any issues and problems, the chief asked the council to institute a curfew. They agreed.”

In other words, when people start walking at night, or gathering together on their bikes, the chief thinks criminal activity is afoot.

But as others have pointed in response to this article, the ban is likely targeted at young people with a little extra melanin content.

Whether it is actually legal is up to debate. The courts have held curfews to be legal throughout American history.

But one targeting just some people who can’t afford a motor vehicle, or choose to use their own legs to get around, seems highly questionable.

And a lot will depend on the actual enforcement.

Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels.

………

Promises made, promises…broken.

Unfortunately, in one of Elon Musk’s latest boneheaded moves apparently aimed at destroying Twitter, the company is now blocking people from seeing tweets without a Twitter account. 

So I’m going back to using a screenshot of tweets, with a link back to the original. 

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Los Angeles saw a massive turnout for Friday’s Critical Mass.

Unfortunately, the video isn’t available on another site, so you may be out of luck if you don’t have a Twitter account.

Twitter post

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Don’t forget Saturday’s Ice Cream Social and Family-Friendly Bike Ride sponsored by Sunset For All and BikeLA, nee Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, at Pazzo Gelato on Sunset Blvd.

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Good idea.

The good people at Bike Talk work hard to bring you all the latest LA-area bike news. And they deserve your support.

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Oceanside bike lawyer — and BikinginLA sponsor — Richard Duquette talks ebike instruction, safety and insurance on the Bike Fitness Coaching YouTube channel.

In both English and Español, no less.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on rolling.

Nothing to see here. A Portland man organized a small protest against the city’s bike network by parking their cars in a bike lane. And kept an unholstered gun on his center console when a bike rider tried to talk to him about it.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Bikes get the blame, even when no one is riding them, as a loose bike was blamed for causing a four-car crash on an Utah highway.

A 64-year old Singaporean bicyclist faces charges from climbing onto a bus and beating the 73-year old driver for passing too close to him. Seriously, we’ve all been tempted, but violence is never the answer.

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Local 

Metro is now capping daily and weekly fares, which could end up saving you money if you have a complicated commute. Or not.

The LAPD is investigating after a 38-year old man was shot by an unknown assailant while riding his bicycle in Sun Valley on Friday.

State Senator and Congressional candidate Anthony Portantino hosted a Glendale bicycle safety event last week in collaboration with Walk ‘n Rollers, the Automobile Club of Southern California and Glendale Community Services & Parks.

 

State

Still no word on when California’s ebike rebate program will launch.

There was good news from Ventura, where an eight-year-old boy was found safe after he disappeared while riding his bike on Sunday; he was returned to his family after being found on the bike path next to the 33 Freeway with another boy, who had also been reported missing.

Sad news from Shasta County, where a 38-year old woman riding a bike was killed in a collision, when an elderly driver rear-ended her after drifting onto the shoulder of the road Monday night; the CHP said neither drugs of alcohol were factors in the collision. Then maybe they can explain why the driver couldn’t keep his car on the road, and why he shouldn’t be charged for that.

 

National

Wheel Tales still has space available for a guided bike tour through Oregon’s Cascade Mountains departing July 16th, including an ascent over McKenzie Pass.

That feeling when you come eyeball-to-eyeball with a bear while mountain biking on a Utah trail.

Heartbreaking story from Utah, where a man killed a bike ride in a hit-and-run, then killed himself as the cops closed in.

Colorado Public Radio offers advice on how to start riding in the state, “even if you’ve felt excluded before.”

The Daily Beast introduces guerrilla bike activists installing their own DIY bike infrastructure on Chicago streets. Let’s hope it stays on the ground longer than similar efforts in Los Angeles, which usually get removed by city officials within days. 

A Minnesota man found himself riding solo around the world at just 17-years old when his riding companion ran out of money and patience after a few months of riding through Europe; now he’s on his way home after two years and 20 countries.

This is who we share the road with. A Kentucky man was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide for the hit-and-run death of a man riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, while allegedly driving with a suspended license, under the influence and with an open container in his pickup.

Vermont’s governor is one of us, as he plans to ride the entire length of a new 93-mile rail-to-trail conversion the first day it opens.

Heartbreaking news from Philadelphia, where a kid’s bike can be seen abandoned on the sidewalk following one of the country’s latest mass shootings, which killed five people and injured two others, although it’s not clear if the bike belonged to any of the victims.

 

International

Your next ebike could be a Beamer.

Mark your calendar for September 21st, when the international Partnership for Active Travel and Health, aka PATH, hosts an online symposium on Walking and Cycling: Effective Actions Essential to Reaching the Climate Goals; they’re also looking for organizations who want to highlight their efforts.

Momentum Magazine recommends 21 ways to keep you motivated to keep riding.

Bike Radar explains everything you need to know about concussions. Which you’ll probably suffer if you keep riding, if you haven’t already. Lord knows I’ve had a few. 

He gets it. A writer for Cyclist says there’s no excuse for badly designed bike kits.

Nothing to see here. A bike lane along the Vancouver seawall was overcrowded with bicyclists over the weekend, after the city ripped out bike lanes through the park that would have provided an alternative to the congested bikeway.

A British woman says she told off the “scumbags” who stole her daughter’s bike, tracking them down herself and grabbing it back after police reportedly refused to help.

French bikemaker Cycles Peugeot, which hasn’t been associated with the carmaker for more than a century, has unveiled a new line of “digital” ebikes ranging from a futuristic urban commuter to a long-tail cargo bike, and a front bucket bike. But as for what makes them digital, I don’t have a clue.

Good idea. French children between six and eleven years old can get a “bicycle passport” showing their proficiency on a bicycle, after completing a course offered by the country’s government.

Bike “activists” are paving the way for a safer, less polluted and more bike-friendly Milan, Italy.

Pink is one of us, as the singer went on a 20-mile family bike ride through Austria’s Wachau Valley.

 

Competitive Cycling

Saturday’s first stage of the Tour de France left fans seeing double, as twins Adam and Simon Yates outsprinted the peloton to take first and second for their respective teams.

Dutch fan favorite Fabio Jakobsen escaped a crash near the finish of Tuesday’s 4th stage of the Tour de France with nothing more than massive road rash, even if his bike suffered a fatal injury; Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen won the stage, while Britain’s Adam Yates held onto the yellow jersey.

CNN reports the riders are approaching the Tour with more caution than usual following the death of Gino Mäder on the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse.

2015 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal got busted for littering, with a $500 fine and 25-point penalty for tossing “something” away outside of the designated refuse zone.

Cyclist calls for the return of the combination jersey for the best overall rider at the Tour de France.

Forty-year old Dutch great Annemiek van Vleuten continues to hold the pink leader’s jersey in Italy’s Giro Donne, as chief competitor Elisa Longo Borghini flew off the road on a tricky descent Tuesday.

Forty-three-year old Goa, India cyclist Sundaram Narayanan won the self-supported Trans Am Bike Race, completing 4,225 miles across the US in 25 days, 15 hours and 4 minutes.

Great road cycling courses were announced for the Paris Olympics, which will start and end at the Eiffel Tower, while men and women will complete on the same 20-mile time trial course through the streets of the city.

American paracyclist David Berling has sued the International Paralympic Committee, alleging it has failed to act on allegations of widespread unfair classification, in which competitors lie about the extent of their disabilities to improve their chances of winning.

Tragic news from British Columbia, where a mountain biker was killed during a provincial cup race on Sunday.

The National Track Cycling Championships are coming to the Velo Sports Center in Carson this weekend. It’s too late to register online, but you can register in person the day before each event.

 

Finally…

Now you’ll have to watch out for drivers coming from left, right, front and back — and above. Always wear hi-vis and a helmet when you ride the ferry.

And who among us hasn’t ridden a bicycle standing on the seat and handlebars with a flatscreen TV on your head?

@murield107

#Only in New York #Brooklyn #fyp 45′ TV on his head #riding bike #fyp #StrongNeck

♬ original sound – Muriel D

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin.

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Person killed by cement truck driver in Ontario crash; a bicycle likely belonging to the victim seen underneath the truck

July 1, 2023 / / Comments Off on Person killed by cement truck driver in Ontario crash; a bicycle likely belonging to the victim seen underneath the truck

A person was killed in a collision with a cement truck in Ontario Friday morning.

And there’s a strong likelihood that the victim was riding a bicycle.

According to KTLA-5, the victim was apparently in the crosswalk on Archibald Ave at the onramp to the eastbound 60 Freeway in Ontario when he or she was struck by the driver of a cement truck turning onto the ramp around 8:35 am Friday.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, died at the scene.

The driver told CHP investigators he believed the person was in the crosswalk at the time of the crash; an aerial view showed a tarp a few feet from the crosswalk.

When the driver pulled over a short distance later, there was a bicycle visibly lodged under the truck.

While it hasn’t been publicly confirmed that the victim was riding a bike, it seems pretty farfetched to conclude that the driver coincidentally ran over a bicycle and a pedestrian in separate incidents at nearly the same time.

If this is confirmed, it will be at least the 23rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and all their loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

74-year old road bicyclist killed in apparent solo fall near Ojai; first Ventura County bicycling death this year

June 30, 2023 / / Comments Off on 74-year old road bicyclist killed in apparent solo fall near Ojai; first Ventura County bicycling death this year

This is now how we wanted to start the holiday weekend.

According to the Ventura County Star, an older man was killed in an apparent solo fall while riding a road bike near Ojai Friday morning.

The victim, identified as 74-year old Ojai resident Michael A. Chambliss, was riding east on Rancho Drive west of Del Norte Road, just west of the Ojai city limits, shortly before 10:45 am when he somehow lost control of his Bianchi Infinito, and fell to the street.

He was taken to an Ojai hospital after paramedics attempted to revive him, where he died sometime later.

A street view shows numerous cracks and potholes in the pavement, any of which could have caused the fall.

It’s also possible that he suffered some sort of medical event, or that the crash could have been caused by a passing motorist.

Unless someone witnessed it, we may never know.

Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP’s Ventura-area office at 805/662-2640.

This is at least the 22nd  bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Ventura County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Michael A. Chambliss and all his loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Pasadena ebike rebates start tomorrow, Americans know wider highways won’t fix traffic, and LADOT wants your input

June 30, 2023 / / Comments Off on Pasadena ebike rebates start tomorrow, Americans know wider highways won’t fix traffic, and LADOT wants your input

Today marks the start of a four-day holiday weekend for many people, myself included. 

Which means the drinking and driving is likely to start early today, and continue through Tuesday.

While riding a bike remains the best way to get to the fireworks and other festivities, you’ll want to watch out for distracted and drunk drivers, because chances are, they won’t be looking for you. 

So ride defensively, stay safe, and come back here bright and early on Wednesday to catch up on anything we may have missed over the weekend. I’ll be around if there’s any breaking news in the meantime, so make sure you’ve signed up for email alerts near the end of that long, long blue column on the right if you haven’t already. 

And have a great 4th of July!

As for the photo up above, it’s a sad day when even clowns aren’t safe on the streets, judging by the residue by the curb near my apartment.

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Pasadena will begin its ebike rebate program for city residents tomorrow.

Meanwhile, California’s nascent program, which was supposed to be launched by today, remains nowhere to be seen.

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A new study of registered voters across the US shows that two-thirds of Americans know widening highways doesn’t solve traffic problems.

Even if government officials and transportation agencies — like Metro — don’t seem to get it.

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Good question.

The Highland Ave survey considers the section from Franklin to Santa Monica, so it doesn’t go up to the Hollywood Bowl, or down to the subway on Wilshire.

The survey for Culver Blvd covers the street from Berryman Ave to Centinela west of the 405.

https://twitter.com/streetsforall/status/1674463066866561037

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A brief thread from Richard Masoner of Cyclicious fame effectively frame the problem of shared responsibility in a world of distracted drivers.

https://twitter.com/cyclelicious/status/1674470650331926529

https://twitter.com/cyclelicious/status/1674472139620225024

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Gravel Bike California’s latest epic takes you riding on Mendenhall Ridge in the Angeles National Forest, by way of Metrolink.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on rolling.

A New Orleans advocacy group is teaming with the local bikeshare to give away bike helmets to promote bike safety in the city with the country’s highest per capita bicycling death rate. Except that’s just more victim blaming in the guise of safety, because it doesn’t do a damn thing to get the people in the big dangerous machines to sober up or pay attention to the road and people ahead of them.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Yes, Fox News was right about naked men participating in annual Body Pride Ride as part of an all-ages Seattle Pride parade, but a photo of children walking past naked bike riders comes from the London World Naked Bike Ride in 2017, instead. But they wouldn’t want to mention that since the Naked Bike Ride is a protest about climate change, not gay pride. 

A pair of British ebike riders shot up a number of parked cars, for no apparent reason.

Awful news from Germany, where a former Olympic gold medalist cyclist was convicted of sexually abusing a child.

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Local 

BikeLA, nee Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, is looking for auction items for their upcoming LA Bike Fest, in case you or your company has anything of value you can donate. Maybe I can give them an autographed copy of this blog.

 

State

The California Transportation Commission — not Caltrans — announced the latest round of 134 active transportation projects for the Active Transportation Program’s (ATP) Cycle 6, including projects in LA’s Boyle Heights, National City and Tehachapi.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will now offer bicycle safety classes in lieu of citations for scofflaw ebike riders. Once again putting the onus for safety on the potential victims, rather than the people in the big, dangerous machines.  

While the San Diego media has fanned the flames of driver anger over the new bike lanes on Park Blvd, bicyclists complain that the painted lines on one block don’t offer any protection.

A San Luis Obispo weekly looks at the effort to build a bike path along the California coast, which has been ongoing since the ’70s.

Caltrans plans to improve safety along El Camino Real in Redwood City, including adding bike lanes, by 2028. And just hope no one gets killed in the next five years, apparently.

No surprise here, as vandals and bike thieves have targeted Stockton’s nonprofit bikeshare fleet.

 

National

A new movie tells the story of a 12-year old bike thief who is none too happy when her estranged dad re-enters the picture. Although it might be pushing it to expect the bike community to have sympathy for a bicycle rustling waif.

GearJunkie offers a primer on the carbon fiber found in bike frames and other assorted parts.

Bicycling says the US Bicycle Route System is now even cooler with the addition of new routes, including its first ferry ride. Although you may be out of luck if the magazine blocks you, since it doesn’t appear to be available anywhere else. 

A 69-year old California man has spent the last two years riding back and forth across the US to raise funds for the Challenged Athletes Foundation to provide prosthetics for Paralympic athletes. And has high praise for Nebraska drivers.

Heartbreaking story from Detroit, where a man was found not guilty after his three dogs attacked and killed a nine-year old girl as she rode her bike, then began eating her leg; the law requires a person to know their dogs were dangerous before they can be held responsible. Maybe he didn’t know they were dangerous, but he may have starved them.

An artist in Lansing, Michigan has designed a series of artistic leaf-shaped bike racks. Which aren’t likely to be used, because a) they don’t look like bike racks, and b) they appear to be just bolted to the sidewalks, meaning they could be unbolted, too.

Boston plans to build a bike lane on the city’s Boylston Street, and parts of Beacon and Berkeley, to address safety concerns for bicyclists in the Back Bay, although some residents bicker about losing parking spaces. Meanwhile, Back Bay NIMBYs bizarrely warn someone is likely to die because of the protected bike lanes, even though protected lanes have been shown to improve safety for all road users. This story has been brought to you by the letter B.

Maybe there’s hope yet, as teams of architects and designers reimagine what New York streets could be without cars.

New York’s fire department is cracking down on ebike shops selling and storing unsafe lithium-ion batteries.

 

International

A new interactive game invites you to ride a ghost bike to the afterlife to save lost souls. Although in this case, the ghost bikes are magical couriers who ride between the world of the living and the world of the dead. It still sounds like it’s in very poor taste, though, given what ghost bikes represent in the real world. 

Downtown Vancouver has introduced a summer-long free bike valet. Which is a service that every city should offer. 

A British Columbia family ditched their SUV for an environmentally responsible e-cargo bike, and haven’t looked back.

Transgender comedian Suzy Eddie Izzard is one of us, taking to the streets of London wearing a miniskirt on a bikeshare bike.

British bike riders raise understandable concerns after discovering that the bike racks at a new Aldi store can simply be lifted out of the pavement.

The Connexion examines the French love of all things bicycle, dating back to the nineteenth century.

Parisian Mayor Anne Hidalgo enters the emerging conflict between ebike and e-scooter users and people on foot, not by cracking down on electric micromobility, but with what Streetsblog calls a common-sense plan that includes taking still more space from drivers.

An unlicensed Scottish driver was arrested for the hit-and-run that killed a noted local bicyclist in Ibiza, Spain; police found his abandoned Jeep three miles from the crash scene.

 

Competitive Cycling

The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay calls Belgium’s Wout Van Aert the Bo Jackson of the Tour de France, but the paper insists on hiding the story behind its draconian paywall. Am I the only one who is less likely to subscribe to any publication after being confronted by their paywall?

Czech carmaker Škoda’s We Love Cycling previews the competition for the Tour de France’s green sprinter’s jersey sponsored by the car brand.

Velo says riders preparing for the Tour de France are pushing for more safety measures in the wake of Gino Mãder’s death in the Tour de Suisse, arguing that “the worst-case scenario is really scary.”

 

Finally…

Who could have imagined that a wheel-less, tread-operated bicycle could be horribly inefficient? That feeling when the first ebike with built-in AI is as weird as it sounds.

And this looks like my pre-4th beer run.

Twitter post

Thanks to Jon for the heads-up.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin.

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