My apologies.
I tried a new medication Sunday night, and it didn’t go well. To put it mildly.
So no new post today. Hopefully this will wear off, and I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.
Now get out there and ride a bike.
Weekend Links: Killer drunk driver cops a plea, PVE gets a little bike-friendlier, and your road share is pocket change
That was fast.
Just eleven weeks after Tomas Brewer was killed by a drunk driver, the man who killed him has pled no contest to vehicular manslaughter.
Twenty-three-year old Cruz Tzoc was driving at an estimated 60 mph on Burlington Ave in LA’s Rampart District on April 23rd when he struck a parked car and spun around, sliding into Brewer as he rode on Temple Street, before slamming into a tree.
Tzoc was arrested at the scene with an alcohol level over two times the legal limit. A police sergeant had spotted Tzoc’s speeding car prior to the crash, but was unable to stop him before it was too late.
He had faced up to ten years in state prison, but was sentenced to just six years after pleading to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
He’s likely to get out in half that time.
But his decision to get behind the wheel after drinking ended the life of a budding screenwriter, and sentenced Brewer’s loved ones to a lifetime without him.
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Formerly bike-unfriendly Palos Verdes Estates continues its surprising turnaround, as the city’s Traffic Safety Committee voted to replace the hated signs reading “Bike Laws Strictly Enforced” with “Bicycles May Use Full Lane” and signs promoting the three-foot passing law.
Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson describes the meeting in his own inimitable style.
Meanwhile, a Tustin councilmember explains four reasons why bicycles may use the full lane. But forgets the primary reason — bike riders are allowed to take the lane anytime the lane itself is too narrow to be safely shared with a motor vehicle.
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Today’s common theme is bikeshare, in LA and elsewhere.
Downtown News explains everything you need to know about LA’s new bikeshare program, while CiclaValley crashes the launch party. And the LACBC, which was instrumental in bringing bikeshare to LA, celebrates with photos.
San Diego’s bikeshare system is struggling, as the city’s transit officials refuse to cooperate.
Palo Alto plans to replace its failing bikeshare system with a new smart bike program. But it will still likely fail if they don’t install more than five docking stations.
And Portland informs bike owners that those handy little docks at convenient locations around town are not bike racks.
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Drivers often argue that cyclists don’t pay for the roads, but if road users were charged for the damage they actually cause, we could pay our share with pocket change.
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London Bridge is falling down, and so is the inflatable arch cyclists are supposed to ride under, not into, at the Tour de France.
Belgian race leader Greg Van Avermaet holds a nearly six minute lead in the race, but will probably fall back in the standings when they reach the mountain stages. British riders dominated the first week of the Tour, while Mark Cavendish says Africa will produce a TdF contender in ten years.
Specialized says you don’t know Jacques about the Tour de France. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the heads-up.
Bicycling takes a look at how the race takes a toll on even the fittest riders.
And the peloton came up clean in the Tour’s first unannounced thermal imaging scan for hidden motors; former Lance whistleblower Frankie Andreu says cycling has come a long way, but the sport may never be fully clean.
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Local
Marina del Rey’s stinky Oxford Basin gets a much needed makeover, including a new bikeway connecting to the beachfront Marvin Braude Bike Trail.
CiclaValley looks at the movement to fix LA’s crumbling Forest Lawn Drive, which we mentioned here — and misspelled as Forrest Lawn — the other day.
A moving company wants tips on how to avoid LA traffic. Everyone who says “use a bicycle” please raise your hand.
State
Huntington Beach police are asking for the public’s help to identify a bike and barbeque thief.
As expected, the parents of a 12-year old Oceanside boy killed while riding his bicycle to school last October have filed suit against the driver, as well as two businesses alleged to have contributed to the crash; a lawsuit is expected against the city, as well.
Sixty-six cyclists from the University of Texas rode across the Golden Gate Bridge on their way to Anchorage AK to raise funds for the fight against cancer.
San Francisco’s new bicycling state Assembly member keeps a bike at home by the Bay, and another in Sacramento.
National
Not surprisingly, the US is falling behind other countries when it comes to traffic safety.
Bicycling says you’ve been pumping your tires all wrong. Wait. You mean I have to take that little cap off first?
Vogue lists five surprising ways bicycling is good for your mind and body.
A Portland bike rider is suing after being clotheslined by a Comcast cable that was strung over a roadway.
Hats off to my alma mater, which became the nation’s first high school to be honored as a Bike-Friendly Business.
That former Illinois congressman who tweeted what sounded like a threat to the president and the Black Lives Matter movement after the Dallas shootings is one of us; he successfully campaigned for his only term in office by riding his bicycle.
In a widely watched case, a Michigan driver faces up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to fleeing the scene after plowing into a cyclist on an organized group ride.
A bike-riding writer for the Columbus Dispatch offers a well-reasoned analysis of the SUV driver in last week’s Doo Dah Parade who, in effect, threatened to kill cyclists unless they obey the law; he says what concerns him most is the public’s lack of concern.
A Massachusetts boy was impaled with a branch after veering off a trail and slamming into a tree; fortunately, he appeared to be in stable condition at a local hospital.
Bicycling under the influence is legal in Massachusetts, though not always the best idea. I know some may argue, but I’d still much rather see a drunk on a bike than behind the wheel. Although the best choice is neither.
New York police find the murder weapon used to intentionally run down a bike rider.
International
A Toronto paper offers advice on how to get over your fears and bike to work.
A Canadian Steely Dan fan nearly missed their Detroit show after paying the toll, then illegally riding through a tunnel across the border; US custom agents were amused, but searched and detained him for two hours anyway.
A mentally ill driver who fatally stabbed a popular British bike advocate following a minor traffic collision has been sentenced to ten years to life in a medium security mental hospital.
Friends and family remember a 75-year old London time-trialing legend who passed away following a May bicycling collision.
Caught on video: A jerk cyclist clips a London bike rider with a far too-close pass, nearly sending him under the wheels of a large truck. Pass another rider at the same distance you’d expect from a motor vehicle, or at arms-length at the very least; if that’s not possible, slow down and announce your presence before passing. Or you could just wait until it is safe.
An Irish business executive pleaded guilty to knocking a cyclist off his bike, then beating and strangling him, for the heinous crime of riding on the sidewalk.
Hiding under your jacket after stealing a pair of bikes will not make you invisible to Chinese police.
Finally…
Suddenly, your bike shorts are fashionable — assuming you’re a woman; guys, not so much. Why walk on water when you can pedal?
And you can thank a mountain pine beetle for your next wall-mounted bike rack.
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As an added bonus to get your weekend started off right, David Wolfberg forwards the latest video from Colombian superstars Shakira and Carlos Vives, for their new song La Bicicleta (Or The Bicycle, for the Spanish-challenged, like me).
Medical researcher died following May bicycling injury in Pacific Palisades
Too often, when a bike rider is injured, the story never makes the news.
And even if it does, we may not learn how it turned out for weeks afterwards. If ever.
That’s what happened in this case, as word has just come in that Dr. Keith Nolop, a 63-year old resident of Pacific Palisades, died on May 31st after suffering head injuries while riding his bike in the Palisades on May 6th.
I’m told told his injuries occurred on Temescal Canyon Road.
No other information is available at this time. There’s no word on whether there was a vehicle involved, or exactly where the crash occurred.
The neighborhood Palisades Post reports he worked as a medical researcher, helping to develop the sinus treatment Nasonex, as well as a groundbreaking melanoma treatment and other highly-engineered cancer therapies.
That’s in addition to writing over 50 peer-reviewed articles and holding several patents.
This is the 47th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 19th in Los Angeles County; it’s also the fifth in the City of Los Angeles since the first of the year.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Dr. Keith Nolop and all his loved ones.
Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: bicycling fatality, Dr. Keith Nolop, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
Morning Links: Bikeshare finally comes to DTLA, and bike-friendly LA city council candidate Jesse Creed
Just a short update today, as my diabetes seems compelled to knock me on my ass following a busy day.
I’ll try to be back tomorrow with a full report for the weekend.
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It’s true.
Los Angeles finally has a bikeshare system.
LA Downtown News takes an early Metro Bike test ride, and finds the bikes comfortable, but with a shortage of safe places to ride them.
A $75,000 grant, matched by $25,000 from Metro, will help make bike sharing more accessible to underserved communities. Note to LA Weekly: That photo from CicLAvia has nothing to do bikeshare; it’s like using a photo of private cars to illustrate a story about taxis.
The LA Times questions whether Los Angeles will embrace bikeshare, while Mayor Eric Garcetti mimics William Mulholland by saying “Here they are. Use them.”
The Times also provides a detailed explanation of how the Metro Bike system works, along with a nifty little bikeshare music video.
The Daily News says Los Angeles has big plans for the bikeshare system to expand to nine regions, starting next year with Pasadena, Venice and the Port of LA.
LAist offers a full report from the kickoff event, while noting riders proceeding along Grand Avenue were greeted by multiple signs reading “Bike Lane Closed.”
KTLA-5 offers a video report, including a brief interview with the mayor, in which he says he looks forward to taking one of the bikes out to go for lunch.
KPCC explains how to use the bikeshare system, which is currently only available to pass holders; walk-up users can rent a bike using their TAP card beginning August 1st.
It’s (LA) Time(s) for bikeshare in Los Angeles
A massive fleet of Metro Bikes waiting to be deployed
A crowd of a few hundred people turned out for the event
Metro CEO Phillip Washington addresses the crowd of soon-to-be bike sharers.
LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis looks forward to eastward expansion
Proof that I really was there, courtesy of the Eastside Riders
LADOT GM Seleta Reynolds helps lead the rideoff from Grand Park
Riders like this should be a common sight at LA City Hall and throughout the Downtown area
The loneliest little Metro Bike awaits in front of the Grand Central Market, with the Million Dollar Theater and the Bradbury Building in the background
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If you need a place to ride your new Metro Bike, the LAPD invites you to attend a People and Pets Safety Fair tomorrow at the still-unnamed LAPD Headquarters in DTLA.
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Following the Metro Bike event, I had the pleasure of meeting with Jesse Creed, who’s running against incumbent Councilmember Paul Koretz in LA’s 5th Council District.
Before I even met him, he had my qualified support under the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” doctrine.
But after talking with him, I can remove that “qualified” and say he now has my full support.
I found him to be youthful, energetic, personable and highly engaged, with a clear understanding of the problems facing Los Angeles, and the belief that we can and should do better.
A bike rider himself, his commitment to sustainable transportation goes beyond mere words, including riding his bike for short trips instead of taking the car. And working to represent the entire community to build Complete Streets that benefit everyone, as opposed to arbitrarily blocking them as his opponent has done.
He’s also open to new perspectives. When I recommended a book on how to make government work better, he pulled out his phone and bought it on the spot.
We still face four months of nasty campaigning leading up to this fall’s presidential election, and the inevitable voter fatigue that will follow before LA’s city election finally rolls around in the spring.
But we could do a lot worse than electing Creed to represent the people of the 5th District.
In fact, we already have. And we’re paying the price for it.
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On a related, and belated, note, I’ve been remiss in my failure to note that Josef Bray-Ali, owner of the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop in Northeast LA, now has a fundraising website set up.
If we can elect Creed and Bray-Ali next spring, we’ll be well on our way to making this the livable city it can and should be.
And if #bikeLA finally gets off its collective ass and gets out to vote, we will.
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Once again, construction closes a section of the LA River Bike Path. And for the next three years, no less.
But at least this time, they’re doing it for our benefit, in order to lengthen the path and improve access at Riverside Drive.
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The LAPD has captured a suspect in the string of bike-riding Hollywood parking lot robberies.
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Reuters looks at the South LA lowrider bicycle scene, including a talk with Manny Silva of Manny’s Bike Shop, considered the godfather of lowrider bikes.
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Finally…
Leo Tolstoy was one of us.
Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikeshare, Morning Links / Tags: bicycling, Jesse Creed, Los Angeles, Los Angeles River bike path, Metro Bike Share
Morning Links: Metro Bike kickoff in DTLA, bike-friendly Amoeba, and even Trump can’t stop the Rump
After years of false starts, bikeshare finally comes to Los Angeles today.
Or Downtown, anyway.
The celebration kicks off at 11 am at Grand Park, offering “snacks, live music and good vibes.” And lots of bikes that need to be moved to other locations.
Richard Risemberg questions some of the dock placements, as well as LA’s lack of a connected bikeway network anywhere outside of DTLA, but says, in the words of famed water maven Bill Mulholland, “There it is. Take it.”
Fortunately, given the lack of infrastructure, bikeshare riders have just half the rate of injury as other bicyclists.
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Nice to see Amoeba Music getting on the bike bandwagon.
That would make a perfect place for a bikeshare dock, if and when Metro Bike ever makes it out to Hollywood.
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You can’t spell Trump without rump.
Donald Trump once threatened to sue the organizers of Aspen’s Tour de Rump for trademark infringement for his short-lived Tour de Trump bike race.
Twenty-seven years later, the Aspen race is still going strong, while even the king of comb-overs seems to have forgotten the other one.
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Cycling Weekly offers five talking points from the fifth stage of the Tour de France, while the anticipated battle between Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana still looms ahead in the mountain stages.
TdF rookie Fabio Aru takes control of the Astana team as 2014 winner Vincenzo Nibali falters on the race’s first climb. London’s Daily Mail says the Tour has spectacle, blood and emotion.
Look for more doping revelations, as the World Anti-Doping Agency and cycling’s governing body now have over 200 bags of blood saved from the Spanish Operation Puerto case.
Former Temecula resident Sarah Hammer is a favorite to medal in track cycling at the Rio Olympics.
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Local
A DTLA bicycle boutique is raising funds on Indiegogo and asking for donations of used bikes to create a bikeshare program for homeless people on Skid Row.
Monrovia unanimously approves a new bicycle master plan calling for 3.7 miles of bike paths, 4.2 miles of bike lanes and 18 miles of sharrows; an additional 7.1 miles will be studied for protected bike lanes. Boyonabike calls it an important step, but says much work still remains. Like making sure those sharrows do more than help drivers improve their aim.
A Woodland Hills couple starts their life together with a 55-mile wedding day ride through the Conejo Valley, complete with tux-print cycling jerseys.
State
Red Kite Prayer’s Padraig says if you want to get away with murder, run someone over, then toss a crumpled bicycle next to the body.
This is how Vision Zero is supposed to work. San Diego is making safety improvements to a street where a teenage skateboarder was killed by a hit-and-run driver while skating in a bike lane.
A 79-year old bike rider was injured when he was left-crossed by a Riverside County sheriff’s employee in Rancho Mirage; for once, the CHP suggests the officer may be at fault for going through a no left turn arrow and failing to yield to oncoming traffic.
An Atascadero letter writer employs selective reading to insist that state law bars riding two abreast, citing CVC 21202 as proof. But like most drivers and law enforcement officers, neglects to consider that it does not apply on non-sharable lanes.
A carload of Marin County teenagers was cited for battery and possession of alcohol after shooting a cyclist with a paintball gun.
A Davis cycling instructor says summer is the perfect time to start riding as a family.
National
Clean Technica looks at People for Bikes’ plan to create a Big Jump in bicycling rates in ten select cities in just three years, while the aforementioned national advocacy group wants your help to fix a new Federal rule that could block protected bike lanes.
Google is teaching its self-driving cars to avoid bike riders, predicting it could save scores of riders each year.
Outside says the proliferation of bike and helmet cams is demonstrating the dangers bicyclists face on the streets, though it may not make a difference in the courtroom.
Consumer Reports describes the anatomy of a bike crash, while somehow feeling the need to point out that your brain will probably slosh around inside your skull once you hit the pavement.
Bike racer Neil Bezdek describes the experience of going carless from a roadie’s perspective. Decent story, right up until the last sentence.
A 72-year old Iowa man is about to start a 4,000 mile bike tour across the US, after riding over 18,000 miles over the last four years.
An Iowa paper calls for a ban on texting while driving, after a distracted driver walks with just tickets and a license suspension for killing a cyclist. Of course, even if it is illegal, that doesn’t mean prosecutors will actually do anything about it.
A local paper looks at the Columbus OH jerk idiot driver who apparently thought threatening to kill bike riders was a form of satire.
A Nashville music executive was killed in an apparent solo fall; he was found lying in the roadway next to his undamaged bicycle after somehow losing control during a brief descent.
Caught on video: A New York cyclist records what it’s like to be an UberRush bike messenger for a day.
After years of complaints, the NYPD finally gets serious about cracking down on drivers parking in bike lanes, issuing 1,757 tickets for blocking bike lanes over a five day period, as well as 810 summons for failing to yield to bicyclists and pedestrians.
DC considers capping a rail yard to create space for a park or bikeways.
International
Toronto drivers take a toll on vulnerable road users, as 20 cyclists and pedestrians were hit by cars in less than 24 hours, including a 71-year old cyclist killed when he crashed into a parked van while dodging a left cross; a Toronto cop apologizes for initially blaming the victim.
A Brit bike thief explains how to keep you bike safe from someone like him.
British Cycling gets behind a campaign to open the UK’s trails to offroad riders.
Paris opens the first half mile of what will eventually be a 28-mile network of bike highways crossing the city.
London’s Telegraph asks if Majorca, Spain is the world’s greatest cycling destination. Actually, the best cycling destination is wherever you’re going. Especially if you’re not going anywhere.
Over 150 people rode from the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp to the Jewish Community Center in Krakow, Poland to remember the Holocaust.
Finally…
Music to ride a bike to. If you’re going to steal a bike from an apartment building, don’t stop to have a smoke in front of the entrance afterwards.
And the dope you ordered from your bike messenger may not be the dope you get.
Category: Bikeshare, Morning Links / Tags: Amoeba Records, bicycling, bikeshare, Los Angeles, Metro Bike Share, Tour de Trump
Morning Links: Bike-friendly UCLA nabs the Silver, and Marin grand jury delves into traffic planning
Congratulations to UCLA, which has been upgraded to a Silver Level Bicycle-Friendly University.
It’s great that the university is taking concrete steps to keep bike riders and their bikes safe on campus.
Just too bad LA Councilmember Paul Koretz is dedicated to keeping things dangerous once they leave it.
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A Marin columnist congratulates the local grand jury as they demonstrate why traffic planning should be left to people who know what the hell they’re talking about.
The grand jury, which is clearly unfamiliar with the concept of induced demand, came back with a report criticizing local officials for failing to solve the region’s traffic problems, calling on them to widen roadways to increase capacity.
And failing, evidently, to recognize that the cause of traffic congestion isn’t the width of the roadway, but the number of vehicles on it.
“Based on community feedback and limited funding, focus on those potential improvements that maximize congestion relief and safety. Outside of this project, consider shifting planned budgets for multi-million dollar pedestrian-bicycle pathways toward projects that benefit a larger population.”
Never mind that those “multi-million dollar” pathways benefit public health while providing people with an alternative to joining the great mass of motor vehicles clogging the roadways.
Let them learn from Southern California’s mistake. Turning streets into highways, and highways into freeways does not solve the problem, and only makes the situation worse while destroying the quality of life in the surrounding community.
So if they can’t handle the traffic, the only real solution is to provide residents with a way out of it.
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Business Insider offers a close-up look at Peter Sagan’s bike; he retains the leader’s jersey after four stages.
Dutch rider Tom Doumalin criticizes the long, boring transitional stages in the Tour de France. He should be happy since the race heads back to the mountains today, with a battered Alberto Contador looking vulnerable.
American Evelyn Stevens retains her lead after four stages in the Giro Rosa.
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Local
Writing for the LA Times, Alissa Walker sends a message back in time to describe the utopian, extremely bike and transit-friendly Los Angeles of 2056. We can dream, right?
The LA Weekly looks at the Eastside’s Ovarian Psychos, saying the radical feminist cycling group is taking Boyle Heights back one ride at a time.
Metro is reaching out to low income communities to participate in LA’s new bikeshare system.
A man was shot to death while riding along the LA River, on an unpaved section of the bike path in Bellflower, in what police say appears to be a gang-related attack.
Palos Verdes Estates will discuss replacing the highly biased “Bicycle Laws Strictly Enforced” signs with “Share the Road” signs and signs touting the three-foot passing law at today’s meeting of the city’s Traffic Safety Committee. Nice that they realize traffic laws should be enforced against people who don’t ride bikes, too. But maybe they could go for “Bikes May Use Full Lane” instead of the useless and outdated “Share the Road.”
State
A Riverside woman was lucky to survive with moderate injuries after her bike was clipped by a train.
Atascadero is planning to install a roundabout and separated bike lanes to improve safety near a high school, while providing access from downtown to Atascadero Lake.
Visalia is asking for public input on the city’s first-ever active transportation plan.
At least three witnesses jumped into action to follow a hit-and-run driver who fled the scene after slamming into a Santa Rosa salmon cyclist; the victim suffered road rash, while the driver was busted and booked.
National
Google’s self-driving cars can now recognize cyclists’ hand signals. But how will they respond to the one used the most in LA traffic?
Wired says instead of trying to fool Waze, slow traffic by installing road diets with bike lanes, among other options.
An Austin TX bike rider died when the chain came of his bike and jammed into his wheel, throwing him off his bike. Let that be a tragic reminder to always keep your bike in good riding condition.
An Ohio boy with cerebral palsy is given the gift of freedom and mobility by the local Kiwanis club, in the form of a customized tricycle.
Ohio cyclists — and riders around the world — were up in arms over a driver in the Columbus Doo Dah Parade who featured a crushed bike on the hood of his SUV, with a manikin depicting a cyclist sticking out of the roof, and a sign reading “I’ll share the road when you follow the rules.” Because evidently, he’s the only driver in Ohio who never breaks the law. And because threatening to kill people is always good for a laugh.
The Louisville KY city council votes to reduce funding for bikeways in favor of programs to help keep kids off the streets. Which their vote will accomplish in more ways than one.
An Indiana cycling instructor lists a dozen ways drivers and bike riders can share the road.
An upstate New York man faces charges for tackling and holding down a cyclist who almost hit his dog. As a dog owner, I can understand the sentiment. But, no.
A New York driver intentionally ran down and killed a man on a bike before fleeing the scene. So naturally, the NYPD responds by cracking down on bike riders.
Great idea. A DC bike advocacy group uses a grant to hire five trail rangers to patrol area bike paths.
A Norfolk VA writer says the only thing holding the city back from being a great cycling city is a lack of political will. Which is exactly what’s holding LA back, some areas in particular.
International
Ottawa transit officials rejected plans for cycle tracks in a new rail station design, knowingly putting bike riders at risk. Meanwhile, Ottawa police ticket 323 drivers and tow 29 vehicles for parking in bike lanes and bus-only lanes.
The Netherlands isn’t just a haven for bike riders, it’s also paradise for bike thieves.
Denmark’s royal family is one, uh, four of us, as they go for a family bike ride.
If you’re going to pose as a cyclist and attempt to blend into a group ride in order to sneak across the border into Spanish territory, make sure your stolen passport is in order first.
It took American adventurers Rebecca Rusch and Pat Sweeny four days to pedal up Mount Kilimanjaro, and another two to ride back down, while raising funds to provide 131 new bikes for people in need in Africa through World Bicycle Relief.
Opponents of a Kiwi bike and pedestrian bridge claim it could be dangerously overcrowded, putting users at risk of a human crush. In other words, don’t build it because it might be too successful. And doesn’t any bridge, anywhere, face exactly the same, extremely minimal risk?
A Malaysian woman takes a solo bike tour through Cambodia and Thailand, negotiating the language barrier with had gestures and staying at “love hotels.”
Finally…
Next time you flee the country to avoid paying damages to a Chinese bicyclist, don’t leave your Chinese wife behind. No, seriously, if you’re riding your bike with burglary tools and stolen checks and credit cards, stay off the damn sidewalk.
And how can we possibly top a story about a cyclist who survived a lightening strike thanks to his headphones and penis?
Category: Morning Links / Tags: Bicycle Friendly Universities, bicycling, induced demand, Los Angeles, Marin, UCLA
Weekend Links: Traffic and bicycling fatalities jump, help fix Forest Lawn Drive, and ride-off with Metro Bike
Just a few quick notes before we break for the holiday weekend.
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So much for peak driving, as driving hit record levels, with Americans putting in more miles on the road 2015 than ever before.
Along with it comes a 7.7% jump in traffic fatalities, with bicycling fatalities up 13%, and pedestrian deaths climbing 10%.
But the increase wasn’t just because of the record driving levels. The rate of traffic fatalities also increased to 1.12 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, up from 1.08 the year before.
A genuine nationwide commitment to Vision Zero can’t come soon enough.
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If you’ve ever ridden LA’s Forest Lawn Drive, you know what a challenge it can be to navigate the crumbling road surface.
Cyclist Craig White has started a petition calling on Councilmember David Ryu to fix the roadway to make it safe for people on bicycles.
It’s well worth taking a few moments to sign.
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Metro is looking for people to ride in Thursday’s kickoff event for the Grand Opening of the Metro Bike Share at Grand Park in DTLA on Thursday.
Metro Bike Share is launching with up to 65 stations and 1000 bicycles in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) on July 7, 2016!
Join Metro, the City of Los Angeles and the Downtown community in a celebration at Grand Park with music, snacks, and a chance to be the first to test ride the new bikes for free!
The Metro Bike Share Launch and Ride-Off Event will culminate with a bike ride to experience a new way to see DTLA.
To sign up for the ride-off, select your preferred station destination from the ticket options provided. You’ll be assigned a bike and asked to sign a waiver as a part of the registration process. Please note: Sign ups are first come first served, so don’t miss out. Don’t forget to bring your helmet!
If you are interested in leading a ride group, please email us at marketing@bikeshare.metro.net. Ride leaders get a special Metro Bike Share gift for helping out!
Remember this is a ride-off, so make sure to pick a station close to where you want to end up! We recommend arriving to the event by Metro Rail, bus, or by walking. Plan your trip at Metro.net or use the transit setting on your preferred map application.
Launch Party schedule:
- 11-11:30am – Check-in
- 11:30am – Celebration
- 12pm – Press Conference
- 12:30pm – Ride-off
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Nice piece from Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman, as she stops to help a young man patch his tube, only to discover it wasn’t fixable.
Fortunately, though, he was, as he tells her about the metal rod in his back after recovering from being hit by a car six months earlier.
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Sad news from Chicago, as a woman was killed riding one of the city’s Divvy bikeshare bikes, in what is believed to be the first bikeshare fatality in the US.
Thanks to Steve Herbert for the heads-up.
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Long-time reader Fred Davis forwards an excerpt from former New York DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan’s book Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution discussing the fight for bike lanes, and the inevitable bikelash that followed.
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The Guardian traces a cycling path through literature.
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A suspected bike thief was caught on video in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore.
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My formerly sled dog-racing brother, now living in Colorado, forwards news of an Aspen area bike trail being closed due to too much adorableness.
A rider took a photo of three mountain lion kittens on the side of the trail. Which means that mama was undoubtedly nearby somewhere. And not likely to look kindly on anyone getting too close to her brood.
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Have a great 4th of July weekend.
But don’t forget that holiday weekends mean more drunk and stoned drivers on the road. And more people more focused on finding a parking space than looking for bicycles in front of them.
So ride safely and defensively this weekend. I want to see you all back here on Tuesday.
Category: Morning Links / Tags: bicycling, bicycling fatalities, Forrest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, Metro Bike Share, traffic fatalities
Update: Bicyclist killed in Baldwin Park collision Thursday night
Another SoCal bike rider has lost his life, struck by a car in Baldwin Park.
According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the victim, believed to be a 30-year old Baldwin Park resident, was crossing Baldwin Park Blvd on La Rica Avenue when he was hit by a BMW traveling north on Baldwin Park at 9:23 pm.
A helicopter was called to rush him to emergency treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries before it arrived, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 19-year old driver remained at the scene and cooperated with police.
The paper describes the intersection as having stop signs on La Rica, but uncontrolled on Baldwin Park. There’s no word on which direction the victim was riding or if he stopped before entering the intersection, or how fast the driver was traveling.
A street view shows a four lane divided roadway that would encourage high speed travel at that hour.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Baldwin Park Police at 626/960-1955.
This is the 46th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 18th in Los Angeles County. That compares with 34 in SoCal Last year, and 14 in the county.
Update: The victim has been identified as 30-year old James Hernandez, who lived just around the corner from where he was killed.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for James Hernandez and his loved ones.
Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: Baldwin Park, bicycling fatality, James Hernandez, Los Angeles County
Morning Links: Bike race-inspired wallpaper, and bikelash begins to newly bike friendly Caltrans
Just in time for today’s start of Italy’s Giro Rosa and tomorrow’s Tour de France kickoff, a Brit company wants to paper your walls with Tour de France-inspired images.
Great Britain’s Murals Wallpaper offers images of classic bicycles with the headings Grand Tour, Vélo and Peloton.
All that’s missing is Le Doping. Motor and otherwise.
Seriously, if I still had an office, one or more of these would go up as soon as I could have them shipped overseas.
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Now that Caltrans has finally embraced bicycling and walking, the inevitable bikelash has begun.
A writer for the Spectator calls the agency’s 2040 transportation plan more of a social-engineering than transportation-engineering document, complaining that we need to fix the “roads, freeways, and bridges that most of us actually rely on to get places” instead of building bike lanes.
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The Santa Monica Spoke says your voice is needed to get the Feds to count bikes when determining performance measures for our national transportation system.
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Mark your calendar for Bike With Your Dog Day on July 10th.
Seriously, the Corgi would flip my bike the first time she saw a squirrel or motorcycle. Let alone a sandwich lying in the street.
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On the eve of the Tour de France, the Wall Street Journal calls Peter Sagan the rock star of cycling.
French rider Nacer Bouhanni will miss the tour after injuring his hand punching out some loud drunks in the next hotel room.
Nineteen-year old Roseville CA cyclist Neilson Powless is being compared favorably to Lance and LeMond as the future of American cycling. Hopefully more like the drug-free latter than the former.
American BMX rider Amanda Carr will be competing in the Rio Olympics. Just not for the US.
And Cycling Tips remembers a time when Donald Trump didn’t ridicule government officials for riding a bike, but actually sponsored a bike race back when he still had hair.
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Local
Los Angeles Magazine provides an in-depth profile of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti; unfortunately, it barely touches on transportation, let alone bicycling.
Los Angeles offers a $50,000 reward for the person who mistakenly shot a ten-year old girl in the head while aiming for a man on a bicycle in Boyle Heights last month.
LAist wants to know if you live car-free in LA.
Discover Los Angeles rides from Playa del Rey to Torrance Beach along the beachfront Marvin Bruade bike path.
The LACBC is hosting a pre-4th of July Sunday Funday Ride through the Westside this weekend.
Palos Verdes Estates officials promise they’re already working on plans to improve safety for cyclists in the community.
State
Bike-friendly Newport Beach city councilmember Tony Petros will step down at the end of his first term.
KPBS asks how blocking bike lanes is good for the environment, as plans for San Diego’s North Park neighborhood call for widening roads to alleviate congestion.
Celebrate the 4th with a little Mammoth Mountain downhill, on skis and two wheels.
An off-duty Santa Barbara cop interrupts his bike ride home from work to stop a racially charged knife attack on a homeless man.
A Fresno bike shop relocates to nearby Hanford after the owner gets fed up with break-ins at the former downtown location.
No bias here, as a San Jose paper says Atherton is about to be invaded by hundreds of bike riders.
San Francisco cyclists call for safer streets at a meeting of the city’s Vision Zero committee, after two bike riders were killed in separate hit-and-runs last week; one of the victims was remembered as a rising star in the tech world.
In the wake of the deaths, San Francisco’s mayor announces 57 new high priority Vision Zero projects.
CamelBak teams with local groups to give away 80 kid’s bikes and helmets in Petaluma.
National
People for Bikes is taking applications for a new program to double or triple bike ridership in select city neighborhoods while reducing crashes. I’d like to nominate Hollywood, thank you. That leaves nine others.
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and Washington DC, still have contributory negligence laws that keep cyclists from recovering any damages in a crash if they’re found just one percent responsible.
Portland’s bikeshare system will offer adaptive bikes for disabled riders starting next year.
A Washington appeals court rules that bicycles are an integral part of the state’s multimodal transportation plan, so cities must make streets safe for bike riders. Now if we can only get California courts to follow their precedence.
More bighearted cops, as Fairbanks AK police replace an autistic man’s stolen bike.
Colorado authorities widen the shoulder of a highway after a cyclist was critically injured while riding on the fog line; fortunately, the victim is slowly recovering.
A 15-year old Nebraska boy tows his lawn mowing business in a trailer behind his bike.
San Antonio TX is facing a lawsuit for diverting funds from a transportation sales tax to build sidewalks and bikeways.
Good news from Kalamazoo, as the most seriously injured survivor of the hit-and-run DUI wreck that killed five riders and injured four others is released from the hospital.
The Boston Globe looks at the ritual of installing ghost bike memorials. Which are needed far too often, there and here.
Caught on video: New York’s 8th Street bike lane is consistently filled with everything and everyone but bike riders.
Pastors of Black churches in DC’s Shaw neighborhood continue to fight plans for bike lanes. Evidently, African Americans must not ride bikes to church in DC. Then again, they might if they had a safe way to get there.
A CNN reporter samples the coffee-infused business bikewear from the Ministry of Supply.
Santa Monica’s CycleHop is one of three companies still in the running to build the planned New Orleans bikeshare system.
International
This is why you have to lock up a ghost bike. A Canadian man simply walks off with one, claiming he didn’t know its significance. On the other hand, he probably did know it didn’t belong to him.
Windsor, Ontario’s mayor enjoys his first bike ride to work so much he promises to keep riding over the summer.
Former Brit pro David Millar ranks the world’s ten best places for a bicycling vacation. Surprisingly, he puts Boulder and Aspen CO number two, ahead of Tuscany and anywhere in France, while Maui checks in at number ten.
UK fashion designer Paul Smith discusses his lifelong love of cycling, as well as his new line of bikewear.
Bike riders aren’t always the good guys. A BBC presenter is the victim of a racist attack after she intervenes with a bicyclist who was telling an Asian man to go home. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with the UK these days?
Vice offers photos of Berlin’s brutal Bike Wars competition, which one of the founders describes as a destruction derby with bicycles.
The Guardian asks if inter-city bikeways like Germany’s coming bicycle autobahn could revolutionize our daily commute. I’d settle for a decent bikeway connecting Los Angeles with itself. Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.
An Aussie woman is in critical condition after colliding with a bicyclist.
Finally…
Maybe if you didn’t call it the Loop of Doom it might go better next time. Probably not the best idea to throw a knife at — let alone try to shoot — the bike-riding acquaintance you owe money to.
And whatever you do, don’t slap a fireman if he tells you to stop your bike.
Just… don’t.
Thanks to Helper for the link.
Category: Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: bicycling, bikelash, Caltrans, Los Angeles, Murals Wallpaper, Tour de France
