Nickelson’s obituary describes him as an old soul, known for “his kindness, funny quick wit, free spirit, his mischievous smile and compassion for humankind.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Accident investigator D. Kim of the Huntington Beach Police Department at 714/536-5666.
This is at least the fifth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Orange County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Adam Nickelson and all his loved ones.
January 29, 2020 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on CA bike deaths set 25-year high, bicycling cop pays dangerous driver a visit, and bike video captures Kobe crash conditions
The NHTSA analyzed the data for the state, and found more bicyclists died in traffic collisions in the years from 2016 through 2018 than any other three-year period since Bill Clinton took office.
And that’s a long damn time ago.
Needless to say, LA County once again led the way for the entire state, with an average of 35 deaths per year in that same three year period, compared to a little less than 25 per year from 2006 to 2008.
Also needless to say, the best way to stop people from dying on the streets is to lower the damn speed limits.
Which would require repeal of the deadly 85th Percentile Law, and legalization of speed cams to enforce it.
And that can’t happen soon enough.
Thanks to John McBrearty for the heads-up.
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A bike-riding LAPD cop describes going to visit a reckless driver who nearly ran down a pair of bicyclists at Ohio and Veteran in Westwood.*
And for a change, it has a happy ending. Well worth a short six minutes of your day.
Thanks to Zachary Rynew for the heads-up.
*Exactly where I used to ride both coming and going at least three or four times a week before we moved to Hollywood.
Streetsblog is hosting a Transportation Town hall in CD12 next month; both regressive incumbent John Lee and progressive challenger Loraine Lundquist have been invited, but only Lundquist has confirmed so far.
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Once again, the Marines have decided to some military stuff on Camp Pendleton — like helicopter operations, according to the base — which will mean shutting down the bike path for the week of February 10th.
However, people on bikes are allowed to ride I-5 through the base, while cursing the Marines for forcing them out there.
The Las Pulgas Road Bike Path (aka Old Pacific Highway Trail) in the area of Camp Pendleton will be closed February 10-14 from 7:00 am – 6:00 pm for military operations. Freeway shoulder access will be open during these times. @bikinginlahttps://t.co/lZhLfgUW7J
Robert Leone also forwards opportunities for San Diego bike riders to get more involved, courtesy of the San Diego Bicycle Coalition.
This Tuesday, January 28th from 5:30pm to 6:30pm at our office downtown (300 15th St. San Diego, CA 92101) we will have a presentation from Susan Baldwin on Measure A. She will highlight the importance of smart growth and how crucial this is for the San Diego region. Learn more here. We invite you to join us and learn more so that you may make informed decisions when you vote.
This Wednesday, January 29th at 6pmthe Draft Active Transportation Plan (ATP) for the City of Chula Vista will be presented at a specially scheduled Safety Commission Meeting in the Council Chambers. Click here for the agenda.Click here for the Draft ATP. The address is 276 Fourth Ave. Chula Vista, CA 91910.
Next Monday, February 3rd, 2020 at 2pm the City Council members from the City of San Diego will vote on the Budget Priority Memos they each submitted Friday, January 10, 2020 to the Mayor’s office. Click here to see what they submitted. If you would like to attend and speak, please join us. There will be a lot of people who plan to attend with their requests. The more we can speak up for cyclists the better!
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It may not have been easy, but Bicycling once again proves there’s no such thing as a theft-proof bike lock.
Then again, as one cop put it, all you really have to do it make easier for a potential thief to steal someone else’s bike instead.
The Altor SAF lock claims to be the ultimate in bike security. This huge u-lock is certainly tough against many common tools used by bike thieves. Test Editor Dan Roe took the lock outside to see just how long it would take to cut through the lock. pic.twitter.com/TWqhTB1fwq
But this pretty well sums up what you need to know.
Every word he says in the documentary feels either lawyered to death or endlessly rehearsed over countless solitary bike rides…because he’s still halfway between victimhood and martyrdom in his own mind.
Touché.
To paraphrase an old country song, how can we miss him if he won’t go away?
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps going on.
This is who we share the bike paths with. A 70-year old Santa Cruz woman was busted for her third DUI after driving the wrong way on a local bike path. Just one more example of government officials keeping dangerous drivers on the roads. Or bike paths.
Congratulations to New York, which came out on top with the least impact in a ranking of the climate impact of 100 metropolitan regions, followed by the Bay Area. Los Angeles ranked a surprisingly good 34, scoring high for bike use — no, really — and transit, but losing significant points for vehicle miles traveled.
Mourners released balloons on Tuesday in honor of Deondrick Rudd, the Louisiana bike rider who was killed by street racing brothers last weekend; Rudd was preparing to propose to his girlfriend on Valentines Day. Don’t do that. Mylar balloons can short power lines, causing fires and blackouts, while latex balloons pose a risk to birds and wildlife once they come back down. And they always come back down.
Actually, they seem to blame the truck itself, since there’s no mention anywhere in the story that it had a driver. Or whether the seemingly self-driving truck remained at the scene.
The victim, identified only as a 65-year old man, was taken to an unidentified hospital, where he died of his injuries.
No word on how the crash may have occurred.
A street view shows North Azusa is a narrow one-way street in a commercial district, with on-street parking and two lanes going north. There are stop signs on Sixth, but no traffic controls on Azusa at the intersection; Sixth is a narrow un-laned street with parking on either side.
January 27, 2020 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Input wanted on improving access to Santa Monica Expo Line station, and yesterday’s ride out honors Kobe Bryant
The project could be in jeopardy after one business owner in the area complained. Even though it was designed with input from the local business community.
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Hundreds of bike riders from across the city turned out for the decade’s first ride out.
And paused along the way to honor former LA Laker Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday morning, along with his daughter and seven other people.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7zD9ivn3b1/
Now:: 100’s of Bike Riders Racing Down Streets All Over L A In Remembrance Of Death Of Kobe Bryant Stopped At Melrose / Vista Just Now.. pic.twitter.com/DSvVVhM6QT
The Red Car Bridge is now officially open, providing a bike and pedestrian alternative to the nearby Glendale-Hyperion Bridge over the LA River between Atwater Village and Silver Lake.
An op-ed in the LA Times says ebikes may be the greenest form of transportation in human history. And questions why cities aren’t taking advantage of that. No, regular bicycles already claimed that title a long time ago, even if ebikes do offer a number of advantages.
Bicycling catches up on the story of a San Diego man who rode his bike 1,426 miles across the US to meet the parents of a 32-year-old Navy flight surgeon, after receiving the service member’s heart to save his life. Thanks to Victor Bale for the link.
Over 80 percent of drivers admit to road rage, while nearly half of all drivers are armed, legally or otherwise. And the other 20% are probably lying. Thanks to Erik Griswold for the tip.
Dylan Herrick; photo from San Diego Seals Twitter account
I’m told his death was also recently confirmed by a family member.
Herrick was reportedly riding a black beach cruiser while ghost riding another bike, holding the second bike with his right hand as he rode. According to the police, neither had lights or reflectors, despite the late hour.
Neither drugs nor alcohol were suspected of being a factor in the crash.
This is at least the 79th bicycling fatality in Southern California last year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in San Diego County, all of which occurred in the City of San Diego.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Dylan Herrick and all of his loved ones.
Thanks to Phillip Young for his efforts to confirm this story.
Now we know that 27-year old Dylan Herrick died as a result of the crash.
I’ll followup with the long-delayed story over the weekend. Because like every fallen bike rider, he deserves to be remembered, even if it’s two months late.
Photo is fallen bicyclist Dylan Herrick.
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In better news, we now have a new advertiser over there on the right.
I wish safety training like this wasn’t necessary. But until we have safer streets and better infrastructure, it’s vital to know how to keep yourself safe out there.
As a result, I’m providing them with an ad on this site for the next few months. Use the code bikinginla, and you’ll get a 25% discount on the training sessions.
At the same time, I’ll also get small amount for each person who signs up.
Check it out, and let me know what you think.
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Here’s evidence that it’s possible to show a little humanity in the worst situations.
If it’s real, that is.
A man storms into store, accusing a customer at the counter of stealing his custom-built bicycle, and demands it back.
But when the customer tells him he bought the bike for $10 to get to work, the man quickly changes his tune, and says he can borrow it for now. Then says he can keep it once he finishes the bike he started building when the first one was stolen.
But there’s more than a few red flags to suggest this one may have been staged, which is why I’m not embedding the video here.
San Jose is focusing on a number of Vision Zero improvements this year to fight the rising tide of traffic deaths in the city. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is making room on the shelf for Vision Zero, right next to the city’s dusty mobility plan and the 2010 bike plan it subsumed.
PeopleForBikes announces their latest list of community grants, none of which are in California. Hate to say it, but their name just looks awkward jammed together into one word like that. Says the guy from BikinginLA.
New York City’s notoriously anti-bike crusading reporter demands to know why ebike riders should be required to wear helmets, but other riders aren’t. Maybe because most bike riders don’t go over 25 mph on a routine basis. And bike helmets aren’t designed for those kinds of speeds, anyway.
Puducherry, India — population just under 250,000 — becomes at least the sixth Indian city to get a bicycle mayor. Los Angeles, with a population twelve times larger, still doesn’t have one. Or any other sort of mayor devoted to improving bicycling in the city.
January 23, 2020 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Bike the Vote LA voter guide for CD10 race, your very own little pony trike, and another Peloton parody
Outgoing LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, considered a shoo-in by most pundits, rates a surprisingly low C+ on the survey compiled by a number of the Southside’s leading bike advocacy groups.
Meanwhile, a pair lesser known candidates, Channing Martinez and Aura Vasquez, lead the way with their support for non-automotive transportation and Complete Streets policies.
Hopefully, the other candidates will garner enough votes to deny Ridley-Thomas an outright victory in arch, and force a runoff that with get both candidates on the record, for better or worse.
Full Disclosure — My personal interactions with Ridley-Thomas have all been good, which is why I’m surprised to see him score low here.
On the other hand, I’m tired of career politicians using the LA City Council as a soft place to land after getting termed out of other jobs.
Let’s hope whoever gets elected will be committed to safer streets in the long-ignored district.
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Here’s the ultimate proof you can carry anything on a bike — your very own two-pony semi-covered tricycle for the equivalent of just $5,900, sans ponies.
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Peloton continues to populate YouTube parodies. Like this one, for instance.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes is all too real.
Streetsblog says San Francisco needs a bicycle mayor. LA just needs to listen to its own already appointed, and usually ignored, Bicycle Advisory Committee.
Seriously? Daytona Beach police are trying to drive down bike and pedestrian deaths by focusing on the potential victims rather than the people in the big, dangerous machines, explaining that there’s no point in focusing on drivers, because they usually don’t see the victims until it’s too late. Which couldn’t possibly be a reason to slow down and pay attention to the road in front of you, could it? Or why it remains the fourth most dangerous city in the state.
Orlando, Florida’s mayor has a plan — or rather, multiple plans — to shed its reputation as the nation’s deadliest city for pedestrians. But as the story says, “…pledging something and doing something are very different, especially when it comes to the multifaceted challenge of making our streets safer.” As we in Los Angeles know all too well.
When you’re already a twice convicted Florida felon, probably not the best idea to ride your bike with a fully loaded 9mm, crack, weed and oxycodone, along with a full face mask and $644 in cash. Just saying.
January 22, 2020 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: Killer road-raging SoCal drivers, and parolee charged in Escondido death of fallen cyclist Kevin Lentz
They drive among us.
A couple of bizarre non-bike road rage incidents illustrate just who we share the roads with.
Anurang Chandra could face multiple counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon after three of the boys were killed when their car went off the road and slammed into a tree.
Seriously, people, just chill already.
Motor vehicles bring out the worst in far too many people. Myself included.
One of the many reasons I quit driving was that I may be Bruce Banner on my bike or in a bus, but you wouldn’t like me behind the wheel.
Jamison Connor faces ten charges, including vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run and driving under the influence, as well as drug and weapons violations.
He also faces a single count of child endangerment for allowing his four-year old son to sit unrestrained in the car as he fled the scene after — allegedly — killing Lentz.
Never mind the meth and loaded semi-automatic police found in his pickup when they busted him.
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Unlike Los Angeles under current international Climate Mayor Eric Garcetti, the former Climate Mayor is making great strides in reimagining the streets of Paris and the city as a whole.
What does a “quarter hour city” mean? A #Paris that’s even more dense, mixed & connected. How? Wider sidewalks. New 100% bike streets. School yards become weekend gardens. Intersections reinvented as neighborhood squares. Car parking converted into bike parking. And MUCH more. pic.twitter.com/8wjLMdk9aG
In a story that could be a ripped from the headlines look at LA’s own mayor, Fast Company says there’s a “big disconnect between what mayors want in terms of street design and what they’re actually willing to support to make it happen.” Except virtually no one in LA is writing headlines about the mayor’s failure to support his own Great Streets, Complete Streets and Vision Zero programs. Except yours truly, of course.
A New York congressman swears he supports bike lanes, despite a racially charged King Day speech accusing them of causing gentrification. So he says bike lanes cause gentrification, and he supports bike lanes. Which would seem to suggest he supports gentrification, too.
Apparently, getting a driver’s license suspended in Florida is the end of life as we know it. While most of us can empathize with someone who can’t afford to pay a traffic fine, there are valid alternatives to driving that lots of people actually use in real life.
A writer for the Daily Mail complains about the sexual harassment women like her face riding London’s Tube, and says women on bicycles don’t have it any better. Seriously guys, just knock it the fuck off, and start treating women like human beings for a change.
Girls riding bikes isn’t news. Unless you’re in Karachi, Pakistan, where it’s discouraged, if not actually prohibited. But some brave girls are doing it anyway.
Wilson was taken to San Diego’s Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Nelson reportedly veered his car into the bike lane, slamming into Wilson’s bicycle before fleeing the scene; there are no word on whether he stopped or slowed down before speeding away.
He abandoned the damaged car on Sloane Canyon Road, and was arrested after a police helicopter crew spotted him hiding in the bushes.
He’s being held at the San Diego Central Jail on $50,000 bond on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run, and expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon.
Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP’s El Cajon area office at 619/401-2000.
This is at least the third bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in San Diego County; two of those three deaths have been hit-and-runs.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Kevin Wilson and all his loved ones.
