Weekend Links: UCLA Transpo group honored; Bike the Vote next month and score a Wolfpack Hustle T-Shirt

January 25, 2015 / / 5 comments

Congratulations to UCLA Transportation for winning California’s top environmental award.

The university group was honored for developing a sustainable transportation program that led to a 23% drop in driving to the campus; nearly half of UCLA commuters use alternative transportation.

Just imagine how many more might bike to campus if they only had safer ways to get there.

………

Bike the Vote by riding to the February 5th Livable Streets Candidate Forum to replace Tom LaBonge in LA’s 4th Council District, and get a free Wolfpack Hustle T-Shirt.

Speaking of which, the Times published profiles of the candidates; of the 14 people in the race, only one — Tomas O’Grady — even mentioned bicycles, making him the early favorite in my book.

Meanwhile, 3rd District Councilmember Bob Blumenfield leads his constituents on an eight mile bike ride through the district, including the Orange Line and LA River bike paths.

And the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition posts the first responses to their questionnaire for candidates for mayor of the Rose City.

………

Local

A study of transit users in LA, Atlanta and Minneapolis-St. Paul suggests that making the area around transit hubs more bike friendly could help get more cars off the road.

The executive director of the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance asks if it’s time for a road diet on Hollywood Blvd. The correct response would be yes. Or maybe, hell yes.

Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt goes for an LA bike ride with wife Anna Faris.

Sometimes, you don’t even have to ride a bike, as a man just walking his bike in West Covina is seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver.

 

State

Wait, are they pranking us? The director of California’s traditionally auto focused state transportation agency says they need to consider pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users in planning Complete Streets.

Eighteen teams sign up for this year’s Amgen Tour of California, including eight of the world’s top pro teams.

Bosch opens their American eBike headquarters in Irvine.

Maybe cluelessness is another cause of hit-and-runs. A Santa Barbara driver keeps going after hitting a cyclist; a friend of the victim had to chase her and tell her she’d been in a collision.

Santa Rosa goes to court to preserve the right for cyclists to ride on a bike path through private property.

Bike advocacy jobs open up in either side of the San Francisco Bay.

 

National

Biking while blind through echolocation.

Bicycling looks at the 10 best car-free bike paths in the US, not surprisingly, none of which are located in Southern California.

A Santa Fe sheriff’s deputy ends up using a Taser on cyclist he stopped because the guy looked “suspicious” walking his bike, despite — or maybe because — of its flat tire.

A Wyoming newspaper says educating drivers about the rights of cyclists could save more lives than a three-foot law. Then again, who says they can’t do both?

A Chicago Alderman suggests allowing seniors to bike on the sidewalks; evidently, making the streets safe enough for older people is just too darn hard.

 

International

A British mom uses the power of Facebook to get her autistic son’s stolen bike back.

Germany considers banning drunk bicycling. Or very drunk bicycling, anyway, since the proposed max is well over the limit for drunk driving in the US. Thanks to D D Syrdal for the heads-up.

Huh? A member of a British driver’s group says not only is bicycling dangerous, but without drivers, we’d all be dead. I’m sure that must make sense to someone.

An Aussie paper says cyclists should be required to carry liability insurance. Or maybe jerks who string ropes across routes popular with cyclists should, instead.

 

Finally…

If you’re carrying three kilos of heroin and coke under the hood of your car, make sure your bike rack doesn’t obscure the license plate. Here’s your chance to buy a British bike shop for less than $1.50; most I can scrape together right now is about a buck seventeen.

And when a driver asks if you want him to crash into your bike, the correct response is “no.” A Brit cyclist sarcastically said yes to a road raging driver, who promptly backed his car into him.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: The wages of road rage sin, bike thieves get busy (and get caught), and how car wrecks happen

January 23, 2015 / / 2 comments

Ohio bike lawyer Steve Magas observes that we don’t need to call LA’s bike boogeyman Doctor Christopher Thompson anymore.

In the good ex-doctor’s case, the wages of sin were several years in prison, loss of his medical license and a substantial civil settlement. Just in case you were wondering if road rage was worth it.

………

Bike thieves are in the news this week, as Santa Monica police catch one in the act, and two men are arrested for poaching a Palm Springs bait bike. Less luck in San Diego, where several bikes have been stolen since the first on the year.

………

The CHP lists the 11 most common causes of collisions — 10 of which can be avoided simply by changing driver behavior.

And few, if any, of which probably will be.

………

You’ve got just a few more days left to win this one-of-a-kind, belt-driven titanium bike.

………

Local

Flying Pigeon notes that nothing happened on North Fig until the rabble rose up and demanded action.

LA’s Multicultural Communities for Mobility show how community organizing can help improve health through bicycling.

Ciclavalley offers thoughts on the Valley CicLAvia.

A stretch of Venice Blvd west of Western has been freshly repaved and should soon get the bike lanes called for in the 2010 bike plan.

The LACBC shares photos from Wednesday’s Operation Firefly in DTLA, and announces dates for future light giveaways.

Bikerowave hosts their monthly open house today.

Metro plans to select a vendor for the coming bike share network in LA and Pasadena.

 

State

An Anaheim cyclist was injured in a collision Thursday morning; the driver fled the scene but came back an hour later. And no, that should not excuse the hit-and-run; drivers are required to stop and render aid, as well as exchange insurance information, in the event of a collision.

San Clemente approves plans to upgrade their beachfront bike path.

East Bakersfield gets 20 miles of new sharrows. While I have walked the streets of Bakersfield, I have yet to bike them, sharrowed or otherwise.

Paso Robles’ Great Western Bicycle Rally begins this coming Monday.

An apparently invisible Santa Maria cyclist suffers major injuries when he’s hit by an unlicensed driver.

Palo Alto approves plans for two new bike boulevards, the first of 20 planned safety improvements.

The San Francisco Examiner says enforcement of the state’s new three-foot passing law is off to a slow start. Actually, nine citations in the first four months is pretty good; cyclists in other states often complain that police haven’t issued any.

 

National

Former Charlotte mayor and current US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx challenges America’s mayors to improve bike and pedestrian safety.

How to print your own carbon mountain bike.

Honolulu businesses say a new protected bike lane is harming sales, despite numerous studies that say they’re good for business.

Add South Dakota to the list of states considering a three-foot passing law.

The most interesting car at the Detroit Auto Show isn’t one.

A banjo playing musician bikes 1,400 miles along the Mississippi River for a gig in New Orleans.

Grist looks at Louisville KY’s new underground bike park. We can’t do that here because it would disturb the Lizard People.

After a Georgia cyclist is hit by a car while trying to cross a street, he gets a ticket for riding in the street — which is legal in every state in the US.

Miami cyclists demand safety improvements after yet another rider loses his life on the city’s deadly Rickenbacker Causeway; the allegedly drunken hit-and-run driver returned 20 minutes later, reportedly crying hysterically.

A 72-year old Florida woman shoots three times at a man riding his bike home from work in an attempt to scare him, for reasons apparently known only to her.

 

International

Ouch. Calgary cyclists say don’t compare their bike-friendly city to bicycle-challenged Houston.

London’s Evening Standard looks at the latest tech devices that promise to transform your ride. Or you could just, you know, go out and ride your bike.

A Brit cyclist has his $2,500 mountain bike stolen while lying on the street after being struck by an SUV.

We’ve all thought about it, right? A British cyclist argues with a motorist, then gets off his bike and snaps off the driver’s key in the ignition before riding away; police are looking for the suspect.

A 21-year old cyclist rides over 4,300 miles across Egypt in four months.

Great. Now even using a bike bell to alert pedestrians to your presence is considered rude by some Aussies. Personally, I find polite voice warnings work better, anyway, with rude ones when called for.

 

Finally…

Repeat after me: if you’re carrying crystal meth on your bike, don’t ride salmon. More proof bicycling is becoming mainstream, as even Spongebob is doing it.

And Elly Blue asked Twitter users what difficulties they went through when they first learned to ride a bike, then Storified the responses; my own comment wraps it up.

 

Category: Dr. Christopher Thompson, Morning Links, Stolen Bikes and Bike Crime / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Catching up with the local blogs, better PR from LADOT, and BWB at the Kingdom Day Parade

January 21, 2015 / / 4 comments

It’s been awhile since we’ve checked in with some of the local blogs, thanks mostly to my recent move.

And yes, we’re finally making progress.

Most of the boxes are unpacked; the rest are waiting for me to figure out how to manipulate time and space by cramming in more stuff than the apartment will hold.

And maybe even uncover my bike in the process.

Let’s start with the wit and wisdom of Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson, who figuratively dances on the grave of a retiring bike-hating sheriff’s deputy, and celebrates a successful bike ticket legal strategy that resulted victory over the absent officer who wrote it.

Meanwhile, CLR Effect’s Michael Wagner laments the end of ‘cross season, goes riding with the girlz and considers the possibility of biking with a shark fin up your, uh, crack.

Bicycle Fixation has an LA-oriented bike URL for sale.

Better Bike considers whether bike share will come to the Biking Black Hole, which might force Beverly Hills to make the streets safer for any locals and tourists who might actually use it.

And BikeSD says hit-and-run is not the epidemic in our neighbor to the south that it is here, but it’s still a problem.

………

LADOT may not have transformed out streets in the few months since Seleta Reynolds was hired to lead the agency, but they’ve certainly improved their communication with the public, to wit —

Although they did license that music before using it, right?

On the other hand, they seem to have established a temporary bike parking tow-away zone in DTLA. Thanks to Richard for the heads-up.

Bike rack no parking

………

No profiling here.

South LA’s Real Rydaz and Black Kids on Bikes get stopped for Biking While Black — while participating in annual the Kingdom Day parade, no less.

………

Local

A $10,000 reward has been offered in the shooting of a Rolls Royce-driving real estate mogul in Hollywood. Although I wonder if the press would identify the shooter by transportation mode if he’d been walking or driving.

The LACBC and Multicultural Communities for Mobility are partnering in a series of women-led bike rides and workshops dedicated to empowering women to transform their communities; the first is a Pomona Valley Ride this Saturday.

Santa Monica’s bike and pedestrian safety crackdown continues this Friday; enforcement is directed towards all violations, regardless of who commits them. So mind your bike Ps and Qs.

 

State

The board president of the Inland Empire Bicycling Alliance offers advice on how vehicular cyclists and bikeway supporters can find common ground.

A Santa Barbara letter writer complains about a pack cyclists holding up traffic on a local highway; he must have been driving pretty slowly to count the 75+ cars he claims were stuck behind.

Palo Alto plans to make things safer for high school students riding to school.

San Francisco’s Mission Bicycle Company provides a step-by-step example of how to get your stolen bike back.

 

National

Ambulances in my hometown now come equipped with bike racks so injured riders don’t have to worry about their rides.

After a deadly year for Wyoming cyclists, the state considers a three-foot passing law, while Indiana legislators introduce not one, not two, but three three-foot bills. And in Nebraska, which already has a three-foot law, cyclists ask for a law requiring drivers to pass cyclists the same way they would a car.

A Kentucky cyclist is intentionally doored by a passenger in a moving car.

New York City considers requiring side guards on large trucks to keep cyclists and pedestrians from falling underneath in the event of a collision, which should be a requirement everywhere.

 

International

A Vancouver letter writer says bike riders should be licensed, you know, like dogs; someone should tell him bicyclists subsidize the streets he drives on.

British cyclists don’t need a bike bell to warn drivers they’re around anymore, as long as the drivers have a Jaguar or Range Rover. But it’s a start.

An Israeli Indiegogo campaign is raising funds for a lampshade for your bike’s tail light, promising to make the light visible from every direction while reducing glare for those behind you.

The bicycling revolution has officially begun in the United Arab Emirates.

Caught on video: The Australian press panics when a “reckless” cyclist “dices with death” by passing slower traffic on a steep downhill. In other words, just like bike riders do everyday, all around the world.

Now that’s more like it. A Japanese man faces an attempted murder charge after stringing a wire over a bike and pedestrian path. On the other hand, Japan is cracking down on drunk, distracted and brakeless riders.

 

Finally…

Caught on video: It’s a sad day when even kangaroos don’t respect bike lanes; there seems to be a rash of ‘roo wrecks Down Under these days.

And a bicyclist miraculously lands on her feet and walks away when her bike is hit by a speeding car; I’m still not sure this one is real.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n3mPBy4uFU

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: Rolls Royce driver shot by bike rider, Times looks at North Fig politics, NFL bike victory lap

January 20, 2015 / / 6 comments

Well, I wanted to live in a more exciting neighborhood.

Friday night, the sirens on the streets and news helicopters hovering above Hollywood signaled something big was up; as it turned out, LA real estate investor Kameron Segal was shot while sitting in his Rolls Royce, just blocks from out new apartment.

Fortunately, he’s expected to survive.

To make matters more interesting, the shooter was riding a bike, described variously as a 10-speed or racing bike.

Evidently, no one involved has ever heard of a road bike.

Or maybe seen a bike in the last 30 years.

………

The Times examines the political conflict over the cancelled North Figueroa road diet and bike lanes, asking if it’s better to aggressively confront an elected official or work quietly behind the scenes.

Personally, I’d suggest all of the above, thank you.

………

In a video that’s gone viral around the world, Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett commanders a police bike to celebrate the Seahawk’s come-from-behind victory on Sunday to secure a spot in the Super Bowl.

Naturally, the Taiwanese animation is just a little more dramatic.

Correction: I initially misidentified the animation as coming from Japan, when it’s clearly identified as Taiwan on the YouTube page. Thanks to James for the correction. 

………

Local

The LA Weekly suggests a cheaper, and possibly better, way to patch LA’s crumbling streets.

Long Beach homeowners complain a new pedestrian path paralleling the beachfront bike path is too damn close to their homes.

El Monte is just the latest area city to step up police enforcement to prevent bike and pedestrian injuries; Anaheim is doing it, too.

KNBC-4 looks forward to March’s first-ever Valley CicLAvia, while the Weekly simultaneously holds their nose and says it’s about time.

You’re invited to ride with the Milt Olin Foundation and Yield to Life on February 22nd.

 

State

A Laguna letter writer says it’s those damn cyclists that make the streets unsafe, not all those angelic, law-abiding drivers. Well, okay then.

Back-in parking is much safer for cyclists and drivers — and so easy an 80-year old could do it.

Ten new bike infrastructure projects will be coming to the Bay Area this year.

Oakland rallies support for that bike rider who was robbed of his wallet after being hit by a truck; it’s worth noting the driver had his stolen, as well.

Natomas volunteers build bikes for 50 kids in honor of Martin Luther King day.

A Fresno-area man is arrested for threatening people with a knife while riding his bike inside a market. And mothers everywhere were proven right when his face did freeze like that.

 

National

City Lab looks at the problems associated with Biking While Black.

NPR says food bikes are crowding into food trucks’ turf.

A Portland company has developed a $50 bike counter that could revolutionize bike planning; LADOT should order a thousand or so.

That hit-and-run Baltimore bishop has checked into rehab after posting $2.5 million bond; these days, that’s the first resort of a scoundrel.

A German cyclist receives a $21 million settlement for the life-changing injuries he suffered when he was hit by a truck in Virginia while on a tour of the East Coast.

A representative of the Bike League sees first hand just how bike friendly Southwest Florida isn’t.

 

International

That UK van driver caught on video attacking a cyclist turns himself in to police, but the victim declines to press charges.

A British teacher quits his job to go on a 5,000 mile bike tour of Europe.

A new bike light projects an image of a bike ahead of you to alert drivers of your presence; the BBC talks with woman who developed it.

Even in The Netherlands, a driver flees the scene after running down eight bike riding teenage girls from behind, sending two to the hospital.

An Aussie cycling fan channels his inner superhero, preventing an inflatable arch from collapsing while using his other hand to catch a bike that was knocked off a team car.

Cadel Evans retires as Australia’s greatest ever pro cyclist.

The bikelash is in full effect Down Under, as a news columnist tells cyclists to get off their high horses since there was this one woman who got hurt when she evidently stepped out in front of a bike — never mind how many cyclists are hit by cars every day. And get off our tall bikes would seem more appropriate.

 

Finally…

Pubic enemy #1: A Florida woman crashes her car while shaving her genitals on the way to meet her boyfriend — with her ex-husband holding the steering wheel, no less. Ride a penny farthing in Bagdad by the Bay and the local weekly will call the cops on you; bet that doesn’t happen when Jay Leno takes one of his antique cars out for a spin.

And pro cyclist Mark Cavendish finally snaps when asked if biking is really, truly 100% clean; well, maybe not 100%. Then again, Stuart O’Grady, like Bill Clinton, only did it once. Honest.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links, Violence & Crime / Tags: , ,

Do something today to make the world a better place

January 19, 2015 / / 2 comments

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

— Dr. Martin Luther King

Enjoy your holiday — assuming you get one — but take a few minutes to remember why we celebrate it. Then do something about it.

I’ll see you back here tomorrow.

 

Category: General /

Morning Links: CicLAvia comes to the Valley, bike confusion east of Barstow, and why our roads are dangerous

January 16, 2015 / / 3 comments

CicLAvia Valley MapThe route for the first ever — but far from last — San Fernando Valley CicLAvia has been announced.

The March 22nd open streets event will follow Ventura and Lankershim Blvds, and be the first of four this year; later stops include Pasadena, Culver City/Venice and the ever popular Heart of LA route.

Th best part is, for those of us south of the Hollywood Hills, Metro’s Red Line will drop you off right to the middle of the route.

………

Adventure Cycling notes that it either is or isn’t legal to ride on Interstate 40 east of Barstow.

According to Caltrans, bikes are banned from the highway, even though the only alternate on famed Route 66 was washed out last year.

On the other hand, signage on the Interstate clearly says bikes are allowed.

Nope. No confusion there.

Thanks to prinzrob for the link.

………

In a touching must read piece, a New York cyclist opens her heart, and her wallet, to the pregnant girlfriend of the man who stole her much loved bike.

………

In another must read, a writer clearly explains why the current rules of the road don’t keep people from dying. In fact, they’re often a contributory factor — including the 85% rule used to set deadly speed limits throughout the US.

And it includes this statement from the executive director of New York’s Transportation Alternatives, which should become the new mantra for every traffic planner and government official.

“It’s completely unacceptable for someone to die in a plane crash or an elevator,” he said. “We should expect the same of cars.”

………

Local

Streetsblog looks at what may be a positive end to the long-running fight over bike lanes on North Figueroa. I’m not holding my breath, but I’m willing to be surprised.

Milestone Rides offers six road safety tips for dealing with angry drivers, noting it’s not if you’ll be harassed but when.

Things are getting serious in the campaign for the March LA city council election. This weekend you’re invited to help canvass for Jose Huizar, one of the most effective voices for bike riders on the city council, on both Saturday and Sunday. Huizar is in what promises to be a tough re-election battle against termed-out county commissioner Gloria Molina.

Somehow I missed this one earlier this month, as Boyonabike discusses bike advocacy and the importance of getting involved to change our streets.

 

State

Calbike looks at the state’s bike bests of 2014, including the hiring of Seleta Reynolds to head LADOT and Tamika Butler as Executive Director of the LACBC.

San Clemente plans to beautify a bike trail along the beach; replacing the guard rail with a planted median should improve safety for riders, as well.

No bias here. After a Palm Springs cyclist suffers major injuries in a collision with a van, all the local paper seems to care about was the road closure.

Wait, what? A Palo Alto commissioner wants a new bike and pedestrian bridge redesigned to make it less of a landmark; maybe what he really means is less expensive.

A San Francisco jury awards $4 million in damages after concluding the truck driver who killed a San Francisco bike rider was negligent in causing her death. Police had brushed the case under the rug, blaming the victim until a member of the local bike coalition found security camera footage that captured the impact — which the SFPD hadn’t bothered to look for. Thanks to John McBrearty for the heads-up.

 

National

Virtual traffic lights on a heads-up display promises to revolutionize driving. Of course, no one else will be able to see them, but who really cares about cyclists or pedestrians, anyway? Thanks to John Montgomery for the tip.

A Nevada video shows how to sell Vision Zero to a skeptical public.

Bike-friendly Colorado gets it. The state’s governor calls for a system of bike trails connecting the entire state. A Colorado professor says drivers think we’re rude if we obey the law and criminals if we break it. And Denver will close a busy interstate highway through the heart of the city to install a new bike and pedestrian bridge.

Cheyenne, Wyoming considers bailing on plans for bike lanes on a pair of busy streets, since people only ride bikes for recreation and no one would ever actually use one to get anywhere.

Now that’s more like it. Nebraska considers a far tougher version of the three-foot passing law, requiring drivers to change lanes to pass a bike rider, or give three feet if that’s not possible.

Evidently, they take traffic crime seriously in the Midwest. A Nebraska driver who fled the scene, leaving left a cyclist paralyzed from the neck, down gets six to ten years in jail, while a hit-and-run driver who killed a Kansas cyclist is sentenced to 11 years on a second degree murder charge.

Even in Iowa, a new apartment building is being designed around the needs of bike riders.

The spin has begun. The Austin TX paper says the cancelation of last Sunday’s national cyclocross finals was a mutual decision between city and race officials to protect heritage trees; USA Cycling’s VP of national events says not so much.

Interesting case from New Jersey, where an appeals court ruled that someone who texts another person when they’re behind the wheel can be held responsible for any injuries caused by the distraction.

Bad road design may have been a contributing factor in the case of the allegedly drunken, hit-and-run Baltimore bishop who killed a popular cyclist last month. And the city’s new draft bike master plan calls for cutting the red tape and getting serious about bike improvements — especially with intoxicated prelates careening around the streets.

 

International

An Australian writer who doesn’t ride a bike says outrage over the anti-bike Family Feud question is misplaced, while a cyclist responds with eight annoying things a bike hater might say.

A road raging Singapore cyclist is lucky to get off with a light charge after throwing his bike at a car; of course, no reason is given for why he might have been so angry with the driver.

 

Finally…

If the police catch you in the act of cutting the cable on a key-operated bike lock, don’t tell them you forget the combination. An Aussie family of four and their two dogs travel 3,700 miles by bike along the country’s coast, subsisting on what they could forage along the way — including road kill.

And caught on video: a Brit cyclist is knocked off his bike by a van, then attacked by the driver; police are looking for the victim to investigate the case. Be patient, it get’s interesting about 50 seconds in. And thanks again to John McBrearty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRMf6HftCzM&feature=youtu.be&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGRMf6HftCzM%26feature%3Dyoutu.be&has_verified=1

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bike Events, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Justice denied and threats against cyclists, and it’s time to give up some of that good bike blood

January 15, 2015 / / 6 comments

Sometimes there seems to be a common thread in the day’s news.

This time, it’s a tale of threats and justice denied. At least, if you’re on a bike.

In a must read from Colorado, a cyclist describes the collision that totaled his bike — and nearly totaled him — when he was rear-ended by a driver doing an estimated 35 mph.

Yet when an officer from the highway patrol showed up, he had apparently decided what had happened before he even got out of his car. And gave the rider a $24 ticket for not getting the hell out of the way of the truck that hit him.

Then there’s the case of a Virginia driver who was convicted on two misdemeanor counts after buzzing a group of cyclists, then threatening them with a gun.

Yet despite threatening the lives of five innocent people, he walks away without even a single day behind bars.

And don’t even get me started on the schmuck who robbed an Oakland bike rider as he lay unconscious in the street after being hit by a truck; the victim’s mother says a heart defect has compounded his injuries and left her son clinging to life.

Hopefully they’ll catch the thief, lock him up and shove the key where the sun don’t shine.

Then there’s the idiot who tossed tacks on a busy Portland bridge popular with bike riders for the second time this week.

It may not sound like a big deal.

But a sudden flat can cause a cyclist to lose control and fall, possibly resulting in a serious injury. Or worse, if it causes him or her to fall in front of oncoming traffic. And even a sudden swerve after spotting the tacks in the roadway could be dangerous.

Police tend to treat incidents like this as a simple prank. When they should be investigated as an assault. Or at least an attempt to intimidate — if not terrorize — people exercising their legal right to ride a bike.

But at least authorities are taking the case of the drunken hit-and-run Baltimore Bishop seriously, holding her on $2.5 million bond.

………

Red Kite Prayer urges you to perform a life saving act by donating blood, and putting those bulging bike riding veins to good use during National Blood Donor Month.

I couldn’t agree more.

I used to donate on a regular basis until health issues forced me to stop, losing count at somewhere north of five gallons of my own high test A-positive over the years.

Way north. Because after awhile, how much just didn’t matter anymore.

What did matter was that it was, perhaps, the only entirely selfless thing most of us will ever do; all you’re likely to get out of it is a good feeling and a cookie or two.

I have no idea what happened to that blood, who might have gotten it or why; I can only trust that it went to people who needed it. And hopefully made a difference.

With the exception, that is, of a single pint that went to my own wife before her own major surgery.

Thankfully, she came through with flying colors.

But showed no more interest in riding a bike than she had before.

………

San Francisco bike bag and clothing maker Mission Workshop is opening up on Sunset Blvd in Silver Lake.

………

No. Just no.

………

A new website and Twitter account promises to cover all things bike in the San Fernando Valley.

………

Local

Richard Risemberg looks at the proposal for five blocks of complete streets on North Figueroa.

KCET will air a report on last December’s South LA CicLAvia next Wednesday.

Been awhile since we’ve heard from the Department of DIY, which took it upon itself to remove sand blocking the usually bikable shoulder on Lincoln Blvd. Seriously, it shouldn’t be up to bike riders to keep our streets safe to ride.

Congratulations to Cindy Decker of Performance Bike in Long Beach on winning one of ten Women’s Bicycle Mechanic Scholarships; the winners were selected from over 800 applicants nationwide.

 

State

Orange County pulls the plug on Fullerton’s less than successful bikeshare program, which cost taxpayers $800 a ride.

Apple could be planning to take on GoPro with a more aero cam that can be mounted on a bike helmet. And would undoubtedly connect to your other Apple gear.

How slow can you go? Marin County is reducing the speed limit on a popular bike path to just 10 mph to cut down on conflicts with pedestrians.

 

National

Note to world: Racism ain’t funny. And yes, “jokingly” accusing black people of riding stolen bikes is racist. Especially when biking while black is still a problem in this country.

You may be able to tour Mesa Verde National Park on a rented bike next time you go.

Nice story from my home town, as two bike shop owners pitch in to replace a little girl’s stolen bike.

Four Texans are under arrest for running a high-end bike theft ring; one member stole $70,000 worth of bikes in seven cities.

VeloNews calls Sunday’s rain-delayed national cyclocross championships a disaster.

If you build it, they will ride. Bike traffic is up 81% in a single year after a protected bike lane was installed on a Minneapolis bridge.

New York is reworking streets and intersections, and adding 50 miles of protected bikeways, as part of its push to reduce traffic deaths — something LA will have to do if the city’s newfound commitment to Vision Zero will ever be more than a vague promise.

 

International

British authorities search in vain for a cyclist who may have been swept out to sea by a rogue wave.

An Irish writer says it shouldn’t be a matter of us versus them when 80% of cyclists have a drivers license and one in five drivers ride a bike.

Italian soccer team Cesena will wear pink this Sunday to honor legendary cyclist Marco Pantani.

More progress, as an African team will compete in the Tour de France for the first time this year, after participating in last year’s Vuelta.

An Aussie columnist says bike licenses are worth trying to curb bike-born bullies; after all, it’s worked so well to stop bad behavior by motorists. Or maybe it’s the drivers who really are arrogant.

 

Finally…

The bikelash is alive and well in Down Under, even popping up on the Aussie version of Family Feud. Your new Bern could bear the mark of Wu Tang.

And caught on video: Probably not the best idea to steal an unattended Philadelphia police bike; they tend to take that shit seriously.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Aaron Paley talks CicLAvia; a visionary from the past; and a pedal-by fooding in Seattle

January 13, 2015 / / 2 comments

Clif BarLet me start with a quick thank you to my friends at Clif Bar for sending me samples of their two new flavors.

Personally, I preferred the Berry Pomegranate Chia flavor, though the Nuts and Seeds wasn’t bad, either.

Even though I’m not on my bike these days — something I hope to change in the next few weeks — both came in handy during my recent move, giving me the energy I needed to get through all the packing and heavy lifting.

And their whole grain formula helped avoid the sugar crash that can come with other energy bars — even more important for a diabetic like me, since it can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels.

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Local

LA Weekly talks with Aaron Paley about the founding of CicLAvia, which he says was a turning point for the city.

The bike route improvement project along PCH in Malibu is nearly complete, and expected to finish later this month.

The Long Beach Post looks at the LACBC’s successful Operation Firefly to give bike lights to lightless low-income riders.

Flying Pigeon hosts their popular monthly Get Sum Dim Sum ride on Sunday.

Streetsblog, the LACBC and Los Angeles Walks will host a forum on livable streets for the candidates to replace Tom LaBonge in LA’s Council District 4 — which I just moved into — on February 5th. So yes, this would be an appropriate time for candidates to start sucking up to me showing their support for bicycling.

 

State

Governor Jerry Brown reveals himself to be a true visionary stuck in the past, viewing more efficient cars as the solution to cutting gas use in the state while ignoring alternative transportation, including bikes.

The San Diego Bicycle Coalition looks back on a very successful year for bicycling in our neighbor to the south.

The San Francisco Fire Department is urged to stop opposing safety improvements designed to slow traffic.

Caltrain will increase bike capacity on six of their trains. Eventually.

Turlock is working to make life safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

 

National

Making road designs safer for people in cars could be killing the rest of us.

The Bike League talks with Bekka Wright, the artist behind the popular web comic Bikeyface.

Bicycling provides good advice on protecting your vision when you ride. Personally, I use a pair of prescription sunglasses from San Diego’s Sport Rx.

Distracted driving costs a man in Minneapolis a year in jail; on the other hand, it cost the bike riding mother he hit her life. As more proof of how non-seriously traffic crime is taken in this country, he will get out of jail some weekends to fulfill his National Guard obligations.

The amazing Katie Compton defends her national cyclocross title for the 11th straight year. Jeremy Powers took the men’s title for the second year in a row, although he’s holding up the wrong finger to suggest he’s number one in the photo accompanying the story.

New York’s bus system will soon start using radar to alert drivers to people and objects hidden in their blind spots, including bike riders.

Nice. A New York man is riding from the Big Apple to LA, with stops to volunteer in 20 cities along the way.

A Florida cyclist watches, splayed out on the street, as the driver who hit him picks up his bike, throws it on the sidewalk and drives away like a heartless jerk.

 

International

Cargo bikes are gaining traction with businesses around the world — including a very cool three-wheeler from UPS.

The insanity goes on, as a Canadian driver continues her lawsuit against the three teenage cyclists she hit — including the family of one she killed — for the emotional trauma it caused her. Seriously, there ain’t a pit in hell deep enough.

A Toronto rider describes what it’s like to be subjected to catcalls from men, and it ain’t pretty.

A member of the British Parliament says thoughtless cyclists need to watch out for pedestrians. But also calls for better infrastructure to keep cyclists and pedestrians safe.

Britain starts a new ad campaign to get women more active, including a nice one encouraging women to get on their bikes, in shape or not.

Turns out bicycling in Mumbai doesn’t mean taking your life in your hands after all.

 

Finally…

Caught on video: A cyclist rides through São Paulo with a gas can and a watermelon on his head. A travel website actually encourages drivers visiting Portland to run “entitled, grade-A cyclist douchebags” off the road.

And a Seattle cyclist is the victim of a pedal cab-by fooding.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: New hope for North Fig and Santa Monica Blvd; bike rider attacked on San Gabriel River trail

January 12, 2015 / / 5 comments

Maybe bike lanes on North Figueroa aren’t dead after all.

According to the LACBC, discussions with Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s office have yielded a number of safety improvement options for a five block stretch of the roadway — including a possible road diet and bike lanes.

Of course, a five-block bike lane unconnected to a longer bikeway, let alone a network of lanes, won’t do anyone much good.

But at least it’s a step in the right direction, and it opens the possibility for further improvements.

That is, assuming the councilmember is sincere in working with bike riders, after giving cyclists the cold shoulder after taking office and accusing bike advocates of bullying in an open council session.

And leaving them feeling jerked around — if not stabbed in the back — during the process of needlessly examining, then killing, what was already a fully approved, funded and shovel-ready project.

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Meanwhile, it looks like bike lanes on Santa Monica Blvd survive for another day.

After a vocal turnout by bike riders at Tuesday’s city council session in the Biking Black Hole, the proposed Beverly Hills Greenway appears to have gained traction (pdf, scroll down).

As usual, local advocacy website Better Bike offers the most complete recap of the day’s events, as well as reviewing local coverage of the story — including a highly biased piece from the Beverly Hills Courier that should have been printed on yellow stock.

Or maybe toilet paper.

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Allyson Vought forwards word of a bike rider who was assaulted by a pedestrian on the San Gabriel River bike path in Seal Beach earlier this month.

The man reportedly stepped into the pathway and punched the cyclist in the face hard enough to knock him off his bike, then proceeded to pummel him severely before casually walking away. The victim was discovered by another rider crawling up the rocky embankment leading to the river, bleeding from the face, head, arms and legs.

Disturbingly, police never showed up in response to the 911 call, even though riders followed the attacker for over 20 minutes.

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Once again, you can win a ride with Laemmle Theaters president and LACBC board member Greg Laemmle.

Just explain why you want to ride with Greg, and you could win free entry to the 2015 Climate Ride, and $2500 towards your fundraising requirements, along with an Unlimited Laemmle Movie Pass for the rest of this year.

Not a bad deal.

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When is it too muddy for cyclocross?

When parks officials in Austin TX, home of this year’s national championships, decide to postpone the final day’s events because of wet conditions; stunned riders who refused to leave the park were threatened with arrest.

Donations are being raised for competitors who hadn’t budgeted for the extra day.

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The New York Times looks at Baltimore’s allegedly drunken and texting hit-and-run Bishop; thanks to George Wolfberg for the link.

The Baltimore Sun reports she was charged with manslaughter, hit-and-run and DUI, after blowing nearly three times the legal limit. As of Friday, she was in custody, being held on $2.5 million bond.

Meanwhile, a local letter writer says shock does not excuse the moral depravity of refusing to stop after hitting someone. Well put.

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Local

LA’s long promised bike share system could actually come to DTLA next year, with the first test stations opening as early as October of this year.

Santa Monica police are expanding patrols looking for violations that threaten the safety of cyclists, regardless of whether they’re committed by drivers or bike riders.

The Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition offers a questionnaire for candidates in the city’s mayoral race; they’re also participating in a forum for mayoral candidates on the 14th. The LACBC should have a questionnaire for candidates in LA’s council elections soon.

Milestone Rides hosts a session on Bike Touring 101 at Stan’s Bike Shop in Monrovia on Saturday the 17th.

 

State

The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition names Long Beach-based folding bike maker Tern as their Community Partner of the Year for the company’s support of the city’s CicloSDias open streets event.

San Diego’s bike share program is about to put 1,500 bikes on the streets.

Davis police recover 69 stolen bikes, but need to find the owners so they can press charges.

Sadly, a Folsom fireman is fighting for his life after being struck from behind by a bike rider while out running on a pathway.

 

National

The new Close Call Database tracks driver-on-cyclist hate. I’m afraid I’ve lost track of who sent me this link, so please accept my apologies and thanks.

A Portland cyclist says bicycling won’t change the symptoms of menopause, but it does make it more fun.

Bicycling contributes over $3.1 billion — that’s billion, with a b — to the economy of Washington state.

You’ve got to be kidding. An Oklahoma City councilman proposes a three-foot passing law — except this one requires cyclists to keep three feet from motor vehicles.

A Tulsa man dedicated the last two decades of his life to the belief that every kid should have a bike; sadly, he passed away last week.

A Chicago cyclist explains why bicycling tends to be less popular among African Americans. And how it helped rescue his own life.

Bad enough when a cyclist is killed in a collision; even more heartbreaking when a 74-year old PA man dies nine months after he was hit by a car.

The Washington Post offers a thoughtful examination of why cyclists break traffic laws, which basically boils down to trying to stay safe on roads that weren’t designed with us in mind. Thanks to LACBC board member Patrick Pascal for the heads-up.

 

International

A new rain-proof riding jacket will indicate your turns for you. And your bike can now keep you upright, no matter how clumsy or balance challenged you may be.

A Canadian study shows helmet use doesn’t impact your overall risk of injury while riding a bike, since they only protect against head injuries. The study, evidently conducted by Obvious University, concludes the biggest injury risk factor cyclists face is… wait for it… getting hit by a car.

A Brit cyclist is convicted of punching another rider in a fit of bike rage, then doing it again to someone else just nine months later.

Increasing cycling rates could save at least 80 lives a year in Stockholm.

The seat and handlebars vibrate on a new bike from the Netherlands when fast moving objects get to close; on most LA streets, that could make it a virtual mobile sex toy.

Firefighters pedal bikes to the blazes in Varanasi, India. But do they get to make siren noises when they ride to the rescue?

The debate over scofflaw cyclists rages on, even in the UAE.

New Zealand’s national women’s cycling championships was nearly decided by a poodle peloton pile-up.

 

Finally…

You can now buy a ridable bike for the equivalent of just $10, as long as you don’t mind if it’s made of cardboard. Nothing like a bike rack on the back of your Lamborghini.

And if you thought playing Jingle Bells on a bike was something special, how about a veritable bike orchestra?

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Thanks to John Hall for a generous donation to support this website.

Your generosity is what allows me to keep doing this.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Doublespeak in NELA, SaMo guide to Smart Cycling, and an ex-Bond bikes in the ‘Bu

January 8, 2015 / / 9 comments

Orwellian doublespeak lives in Northeast LA.

LA cyclists staged a ride and die-in in front of CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s Downtown condominium on Sunday to protest Cedillo’s flip flop — to put it nicely — on his campaign promise to support bike lanes on North Figueroa, as well as his depiction of cyclists who want a safe place to ride as “bullies.”

According to the story in the Eastsider, Cedillo spokesman Louis Reyes responded by saying the councilmember wants to improve safety for all residents, not just a single segment.

Except that studies have repeatedly shown that’s exactly what a road diet and bike lanes do, slowing traffic and improving safety for everyone. And that is what the already-approved 2010 bike plan calls for — and what cyclists are asking for.

Reyes went on to depict Sunday’s demonstration as the “tyranny of the minority.”

To paraphrase a popular movie, he keeps using that word, but I do not think that means what he thinks it means.

Someone is being a bully in this case, but it doesn’t seem to be the bike riders.

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Local

LAPD is looking for a bike rider who’s been groping women on a Canoga Park bike path.

CycleHop, the bike share vendor selected for Santa Monica’s planned program, has systems operating in Phoenix and Tampa, with others scheduled to open in Orlando and Ottawa.

Santa Monica produces a Smart Cycling guide (pdf) and gets it mostly right, including instructions to take the lane on narrow streets. But implies that cyclists can’t use left turn lanes unless there’s a bike box, and equates not wearing a helmet, and texting while riding — both of which are legal — with riding while intoxicated, which isn’t. And should note that sidewalk riding is banned in Santa Monica, not everywhere in the state.

The former Bond, James Bond rides his bike in Malibu.

 

State

Surprisingly, AAA embraces parklets.

Now that’s progress. Irvine approves a traffic plan study that will look at all forms of transportation — including bikes — rather than just motor vehicle traffic.

Bikes seem to be the new getaway vehicle of choice as a San Diego bank robber is the latest to ride from the scene of the crime.

San Jacinto Valley cyclists are devastated by the death of a popular rider who fell ill at a family Christmas gathering.

San Francisco’s BART transit police are using predictive policing to deal with a spike in bike thefts.

A San Rafael nonprofit donates 65 bikes to at-risk kids.

 

National

Turns out most people like protected bike lanes. And dedicated bike traffic signals are a hit with riders.

Someone spilled — or intentionally scattered — thumb tacks on a popular Portland bike route.

A Portland cyclist has started a Go Fund Me account to pay for a bait bike program to fight bike theft, while a local college is using GPS to catch thieves.

Denver drivers are increasingly turning away from cars in favor of alternatives, including bikes.

They get it. The Lubbock TX paper says bicycling would be beneficial for community and local college.

A Missouri legislator thinks your bike is dangerous, and wants to require cyclists to carry liability insurance.

A Chicago Good Samaritan uses a jack to lift a truck off a bike rider until paramedics arrived.

Now that’s serious bad luck, as a Chicago cyclist has his bike stolen at the police station while reporting a stolen iPhone.

A bike-hating DC columnist suggests bike riders should have their own paths through the woods. And then have to get off their bikes and find alternate transportation once they reach city limits.

A South Carolina driver argues than no one will ever use a bike path to commute to work simply because she won’t. And neither will her husband, so that settles it.

After ranking as the nation’s second most dangerous city for cyclists in 2012, Tampa Bay is finally getting it’s act together.

Evidently, it’s still a crime to bike while black in Fort Lauderdale.

A brain-injured man is riding across Florida to raise awareness for medical marijuana.

 

International

A new rain-proof riding jacket will indicate your turns for you.

A 64-year old British Columbia woman is arrested for allegedly booby trapping a popular mountain bike trail.

Evidently, bicycling is the new Fountain of Youth, according to a study from the UK. But you already knew that, right?

The rules have finally been changed to allow pro cycling teams to be punished when their riders dope. It’s been an open secret that many, if not most, teams tacitly encouraged their riders to cheat during the doping era. Not that anything like that would happen now, of course.

The BBC reports on Volvo’s proposed bike safety system, and new anti-theft bike pedals.

Brit bike riders are urged to watch out for trucks’ blind spots. Instead of, you know, urging drivers to watch out for bikes.

Irish cyclists call for the equivalent of a three-foot passing law, and urge motorists to act like one already exists.

A Western Australia police official calls out motorists for a lack of tolerance when it comes to bike riders, while an Aussie pub shows an apparent lack thereof after turning away a group of Lycra-clad riders.

A former bike hater finally gets it, and urges Kiwi drivers to make room for cyclists.

 

Finally…

Caught on video: A Florida bike rider is verbally harassed by a road raging driver; seriously, if you’re in that big a hurry that you can’t let a bike slow you down long enough to pass, why would you get out of your truck to yell at the rider? A Connecticut man is suing New York City for $60 million not forcing him to wear a helmet when he rented a Citi Bike; clearly, he was incapable of choosing to wear one himself, even before banging his head.

And a Brit stockbroker is fired after tweeting a joke about hitting a cyclist and leaving the scene; naturally, a petition has been started to get his job back.

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Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,
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