He was transported to Chino Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver remained at the scene following the crash.
The crash remains under investigation, and there’s no word on how the crash may have occurred.
A street view shows a two lane road on the 5100 block of Philadelphia, with a center turn lane and bike lanes on either side, expanding to four lanes on the next block east.
This is at least the sixth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.
January 31, 2020 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Proposal for bike-friendly Hollywood Blvd, where to ban cars from LA streets, and a bigger Bird hits Los Angeles
However, the plans don’t call for protected bike lanes, or closing the boulevard entirely to create a pedestrian plaza at Hollywood and Highland.
If approved — and it still has a long damn way to go — they could create the first east-west bike lanes in Hollywood.
And no, sharrows don’t count.
They could also improve safety for the tens of thousands of tourists who visit the street every day, while improving livability for the rapidly growing residential population in Hollywood.
O’Farrell reports that $4 million in funding has already been secured for the project, which could go a long way towards making it a reality.
The LA Times throws down the gauntlet, saying if the Bay Area city can close one of its largest and most iconic streets to motor vehicles, Los Angeles can do it, too.
The vehicle comes with “autonomous damage sensors” that are designed to detect potentially dangerous maintenance issues. It has puncture-resistant tires, an anti-tipping kickstand and “enterprise level anti-theft encryption.” And its design minimizes exposed cables and screws.
“The absence of excessive exposed screws helps create a sleeker design while also reducing injuries and vandalism,” the company said in a statement. Bird said this feature will also help with safety (which makes sense considering some scooter haters like to cut brake cables).
The site says the company is introducing the scooters in San Francisco, then eventually rolling them out to other cities.
Evidently, they forget to tell that to their LA-area staff.
A writer for Mashable tries out a $4,000 ebike for a year, and is surprised to learn it’s heavy, and can replace a car, but only in good weather. Never mind that lots of people ride ebikes and regular bikes year ’round, in all kinds of weather.
You’ve got to be kidding. Life is really cheap in Wisconsin, where a hit-and-run driver got a lousy three months behind bars for the drunken crash that injured a bike rider; he hit the victim as he was driving to another bar, and blew over twice the legal limit when he was arrested.
Nice gesture from a New Orleans Mardi Gras krewe, which is hosting a block party to call for bike and pedestrian safety at the site of the drunken crash that killed two bike riders and injured several others during last year’s Mardi Gras celebrations.
Still more sad news, as British cyclist Josephine Gilbert was killed last week when she was struck by a truck driver while riding in the UK; the 25-year old rider was called an inspiration by her teammates. She becomes just the latest in a long line of professional and amateur racers killed or seriously injured by drivers in recent years.
Finally…
It may be broken English, but “Abandoning boy to death” drives the point home better than the more pedestrian “hit-and-run.” If you want to keep passing as a blind beggar, leave the SUV at home.
And this is who we share the roads with. And yes, it’s pretty much the definition of an entitled driver.
Motorists act this way because they know there's no real punishment for it in the United States. pic.twitter.com/Y0F4YsSiCQ
January 30, 2020 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Driver charged in fatal El Cajon hit-and-run, who we share the roads with, and get the damn location right, already
Police found him hiding in the bushes after abandoning his car, possibly to avoid being taken into custody for a number of probation violations for previous convictions.
Didn’t work.
But that’s just one more example of the penalty for hit-and-run not even coming close to matching the severity of the crime in this state.
The jury also ruled there was malice in the case, considering that after running over the two women, the driver pulled the mother’s body out of the road, then backed up her pickup and parked it on a side street, pretending to police she wasn’t involved.
Note to world — whatever else you may or may not think of them, cops aren’t stupid.
He then went home and refused to respond to sheriff’s deputies, later denying he’d been drinking, despite being found passed out in the bathtub the next morning.
Instead, he told the victim the next day that he’d had to rush home after the crash because he was suffering from vomiting and diarrhea.
Sure. Let’s go with that.
Deputies couldn’t enter his home to arrest him because a hit-and-run that results in property damage is just a misdemeanor.
Even if it destroys an entire car, and gives the driver plenty of time to sober up from his, uh, diarrhea.
Just another example of how California’s lenient hit-and-run laws don’t fit the crime.
No overreaction here. Police in San Angelo, Texas shut down an entire neighborhood because a man on a bicycle refused to pull over when they tried to stop him for the crime of…wait for it…riding salmon. After finally tracking him down, police searched him and found an empty baggie with drug residue and a pipe. Which any good lawyer should be able to get tossed as an illegal search and lack of probable cause.
Talk about not getting it. The same day Coral Gables, Florida declared a climate emergency, they shot down a proposed bike lane. Evidently, they’ve been mentored by the LA City Council.
International
The US isn’t the only country where bicycle and pedestrian deaths remain high, despite an overall decline in traffic fatalities. Pedestrian deaths are on the rise in the UK, as well, while bicycling fatalities have shown a modest decline even as bicycling rates have remained stagnant.
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.
