Morning Links: BOLO alert for stolen Cervélo S1, a handful of bike events this week, and a Bird in the hand

October 16, 2018 / / 2 comments

CBS2 news anchor Jeff Vaughn is asking everyone to be on the lookout for a bicycle that was stolen from a member of the station’s charity cycling team.

According to Vaughn, a Cervélo S1 belonging to Erez “Eric” Setty was stolen from outside the Woodland Hills Ralph’s market at 21909 Ventura Blvd on Tuesday, October 2nd at 2:49 pm.

He found security camera footage from inside the market that showed the thief making off with his bike.

The theft has been reported to the police. So if you happen to spot the bike on the street, or see a suspiciously low priced Cervélo S1 being sold on Craigslist or some other forum, contact the detectives at the LAPD’s West Valley Division.

If you’re not sure if a bike is hot, you can check Bike Index’s free nationwide stolen bike registry, which has helped return over 5,000 stolen bikes to their original owners.

I don’t know how the bike was secured in this particular case.

But let this be yet another reminder to never leave your bike unlocked and unattended even for a few moments; even a lightweight cable lock or chain could be enough to deter a thief while you run in for a quick errand.

If you need to lock your bike up for a longer period, use a heavy chain to secure the frame and both wheels, or remove the front wheel and secure it to the frame and back wheel with a heavy U-lock. Or a combination of both.

You can find more tips on how to lock your bike here.

It’s a pain in the ass to carry around a heavy lock with you everywhere you go. But it’s a lot better than coming back and finding your bike missing.

Even if it isn’t a Cervélo.

And if you haven’t already, stop what you’re doing and take a few moments to register your bike for free with Bike Index or some other service.

Before something like this happens to you.

………

Streetsblog’s This Week in Livable Streets offers news of a trio of bike events.

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Local

Curbed looks at the new left-side, parking-protected bike lane on Spring Street in DTLA. And wishes drivers would just stop parking in it.

Long Beach is ranked as the 27th best bike city in the US, even if a pair of councilmembers are standing in the way.

CiclaValley takes a ride up Mount Gleason. Which probably wasn’t named for Jackie.

 

State

CityLab says San Francisco fought the e-scooters, and the scooters won.

Tragic news from Sacramento, where a bike rider was killed in a collision with the driver of a truck.

 

National

Bicycling names the year’s best bike gear.

NPR examines the safety concerns that are rolling into American cities along with the e-scooter rollouts. The best way to improve safety for scooter users is the same as with bike riders — build out an actual network of safe, protected bike lanes.

Life is cheap in Hawaii, where a former Honolulu cop faces a $2,000 fine and up to one year in prison after being found guilty of misdemeanor negligent homicide for the on-duty crash that killed a bike rider; he was acquitted on charges of evidence tampering and filing a false police report.

Curbed asks if New York is ready for the e-scooter revolution. Then illustrates it with a photo of Bird riders on the beachfront bike path in Venice, where they’re prohibited.

Huh? A Louisiana letter writer says Baton Rouge isn’t safe for bicyclists and doesn’t need a bikeshare program, then complains that certain areas were left out. And says he conducted his own survey of how many people ride in the city — while he was driving — then fails to share those undoubtedly accurate stats.

A Miami jury sided with Bell Sports in a $17.5 million lawsuit alleging that the company’s Giro Skyla bike helmet caused a triathlete to suffer brain damage when she fell during a competition; the company’s lawyers allege she failed to follow the instructions in fitting the helmet.

Even sleepy Key West, where many people get around on two wheels, can be deadly for people on bikes; two bike riders have been killed in the last two weeks, and another was airlifted after a crash on Friday.

 

International

Authors Melissa and Chris Brunlett discuss how to turn a car town into a cycling city.

Forget drones, cargo bikes are the future for urban deliveries.

A European website asks if the European Union should be doing more to promote ebikes. Short answer, yes. So should everyone else if we’re serious about fighting climate change.

This is who we share the roads with. A driver in Northern Ireland lost his license for just one year for cutting off a group of bicyclists, causing an experienced rider to fall and fracture his elbow — then telling the riders to fuck off and flashing the bird as he sped away. Sounds like a nice guy. No, really.

A Scottish woman is scheduled to arrive in Berlin on Thursday, shattering the women’s record for riding around the world by a full 20 days.

New York Magazine examines the plans of Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo to reduce the city’s reliance on motor vehicles, saying it could be a guide for Gotham. Not to mention Los Angeles.

Advocates in Switzerland, which recently added bicycling to the constitution, call for the equivalent of a nearly five-foot passing law; similar laws are already in effect in Germany, Ireland, Spain and Portugal.

Police in a town in the United Arab Emirates “improved safety” by confiscating 500 bicycles belong to allegedly reckless cyclists, as well as motorbikes used by unlicensed food delivery people. I think everyone in the city will rest easier know that they’ve removed a few hundred bicycles and their riders from the streets.

Lime’s e-scooters have established a beachhead in New Zealand.

 

Competitive Cycling

Trek-Segafredo team director Steven De Jongh was hospitalized with a concussion after police spotted him lying unconscious in a ravine; his wife had reported him missing for several hours when he failed to return from a training ride.

Cyclist ranks the top ten pro cyclists of the year. For a change, Peter Sagan only comes in third.

Cycling Tips offers photos from the recent Il Lombardia, calling it the neglected Monument.

Canadian university professor Rachel McKinnon became the first transgender woman to win a women’s world track cycling championship in Los Angeles on Sunday; needless to say, conservative news sites did not approve. Meanwhile, VeloNews talks with her about the win, and the objections to it.

At least three bike races have been cancelled by organizers in a Louisiana parish, after it passed an anti-bike ordinance requiring bicyclists to wear fluoro hi-viz and ride single file in groups of ten or fewer.

 

Finally…

One stolen bike is bad, 24 is about two dozen times worse. Nothing like banning hunting after it’s already too late.

And just a quick reminder that…

…is worth two in the bush.

 

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

Morning Links: Open season on bike riders, false equivalency in the other LA, and Hollywood bike rider injured

October 15, 2018 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Open season on bike riders, false equivalency in the other LA, and Hollywood bike rider injured

It’s open season on bicyclists.

A French hunter shot and killed a Welsh mountain biker who was riding in the French Alps, claiming he thought the man was a wild boar — despite his brightly colored helmet.

And despite his colorful bicycle, which wild boars are seldom known to ride.

Thanks Adam Ginsberg and Stefan for the heads-up.

Today’s photo is another reminder of why you never just lock your bike’s wheel to the rack; the thieves not only took the bike, they stripped the tire off the wheel.

………

Seriously, I hate crap like this.

A Louisiana newspaper insists that motorists and bicyclists need cooler heads, drawing a false equivalency after a parish near Baton Rouge passed a series of victim-blaming anti-bike laws.

The laws came in response to a crash that killed a man riding a bike and injured his riding partner. Which local drivers used as an excuse to crackdown on those annoying bike riders, even though the driver was clearly at fault.

The difference is, the motorists are fighting for their own convenience, while the people on the bikes just want to be able to ride without getting killed.

Which is basically the same argument you’ll hear in any public meeting to discuss bikes, anywhere.

Meanwhile, Carlton Reid explains that those annoying people on bikes take the lane because it’s safer, smarter, legal and yes, saves lives.

………

A man appears to have been seriously injured when he was hit by a car while riding his bike in East Hollywood.

Twitter post

https://twitter.com/mpamer/status/1051588334839947264

While no information has been released on the identity of the victim or his condition, later comments in the Twitter thread suggest he may have been a homeless man.

The fact that the entire street was closed for several hours suggests that the police conducted a full investigation, which usually only happens if the victim is killed or suffers life-threatening injuries.

So I hope you’ll join me in offering a prayer for the victim, good thoughts, or whatever you’re comfortable with.

………

Pasadena public radio station KPCC picks up the story of LA’s recent designation as America’s worst bike city, as producer and bike commuter Leo Duran says it’s well-deserved.

And only in part because of all the cars parked in the new Spring Street bike lane.

The interview starts at 26:05. Thanks to LA ebike maker CERO Electric Cargo Bikes for the link. 

………

Horrifying video, as a driver appears to intentionally run down a bicyclist; if you look closely, you can see him holding up his cellphone as if he’s recording the crash.

https://twitter.com/CyclingTodayEn/status/1050647261791674374

No word on where the crash occurred or whether the rider was injured, if the driver was charged, or anything else. And no guarantee this wasn’t staged.

Unfortunately, I lost who sent this to me, so I’ll just have to say thank you to whoever did.

………

Local

Life is cheap in Los Angeles, where a hit-and-run driver got a whopping one year behind bars and a lousy $7,500 restitution for killing a five year old boy. And was released on time served.

LAist gives you all the information Angelenos need to Bike the Vote by mail.

Downtown News looks at the completion of the new Spring Street bike lane in DTLA, which will soon be joined by a similar project going the other way on Main Street.

A Calgary writer calls for tourists to spend a weekend relaxing in WeHo, including a celebrity bike tour with Bikes and Hikes LA. Or you could take a weekend bike getaway in Santa Monica.

A Burbank letter writer gives a big thumbs up to the city’s bike lanes.

Ofo continues its slow speed retraction in the US, as it’s accused of premature withdrawal from the Claremont Colleges.

Bird is pioneering a loophole around restrictions on the number of scooters it’s allowed in Santa Monica by introducing direct delivery and daily rentals, saying those shouldn’t count against its limit.

 

State

A 64-year old bike rider is suing a San Diego cop for allegedly using excessive force during a simple traffic stop for running a stop sign; the officer involved insists the other man was aggressive, bellicose and non-compliant, and was taken to a hospital for a psych evaluation after being taken into custody.

Bike advocates say San Francisco is hindering mobility and making streets less safe, hindering mobility and street safety.

A Sonoma paper suggests taking your bike on your next cruise. Or your first cruise, for that matter.

 

National

City planner, urban designer and author Jeff Speck calls for making cities more bike and pedestrian friendly for the good of all humanity.

In a video for Slate, a bike rider says yes, he wears headphones when he rides, and what of it?

Bicycling explains the differences between various types of bicycles.

An Oregon man gets a well-deserved 11 years behind bars for the drunken hit-and-run death of a bike rider; he was behind the wheel despite a blood alcohol level over three times the legal limit when he was arrested a short time later. He claimed he thought he hit an animal, though he never pulled over to check. And being that drunk, he probably wasn’t capable of conscious thought, anyway.

Former pro Scott Mercier says bikes change lives, citing the story of a 12-year old Mexican immigrant in Colorado whose life changed for the better when she was given a chance to earn a bicycle.

A Detroit writer defends the expanding network of bike lanes in the city, debunking arguments against them while saying the debate boils down to whether the streets are for moving cars from out-of-town commuters or creating livable spaces for the people who live there. Los Angeles clearly went with the former when it unceremoniously yanked out the road diets in Playa del Rey after commuters, many from Manhattan Beach, went ballistic.

A racist New York cop says yes, the city’s police are biased against people on bikes and go out of their way to protect deadly drivers.

Bicyclists in a Georgia town are getting clipped by drivers on a sate roadway. So naturally, their solution is to ban the people on bikes from the roadway.

 

International

The bike visibility arms race goes on with the introduction of a new set of front and rear bicycle turn signals. And virtually guaranteed to confuse any motorist.

Treehugger’s Lloyd Alter makes the argument that we should lose the words pedestrian and cyclist.

Hundreds of London bike riders stage a die-in in front of Parliament to demand funding for a protected bike lane network.

Caught on video: An angry British driver can’t manage to wait a few seconds for a bicyclist to pass another rider, even though he was traveling at 25 mph.

Life is cheap in Scotland, where a driver who killed a bicyclist while trying to pass another rider headed in the opposite direction walked without a single day behind bars. At least he’s banned from driving for ten years, though that doesn’t seem to stop some people.

A Scottish man has amassed a collection of over 400 derailleurs from all over the world, noting a bizarre relationship between the bicycle transmission system and repressive dictators.

A London student takes a humorous look at the people behind the handlebars in Florence, Italy.

The report island of Majorca, Spain has created a rating system to guide bike riders in choosing comfortable riding routes.

A South African veterinarian has shifted his focus to building bespoke bikes, reportedly crafting some of the best road and mountain bikes in the country.

A self-described “average bloke” in Australia says he’s going to help out frustrated drivers by riding to work, even if some people call for banning bikes at rush hour.

Japanese authorities have dropped all charges against a mother whose 16-month old son died when her umbrella got caught in the spokes of the ebike they were both riding. Authorities used the case to encourage parents with small children to ride safely.

A Singapore businessman rode over 4,000 mile across 10 countries on a solar power ebike made by his own Chinese factory.

Over 5,400 bicyclists turned out for a mass Hong Kong bike ride, while saying the city isn’t doing enough to improve traffic safety.

 

Competitive Cycling

An English triathlete bounces back from a near-fatal collision just days before last year’s Ironman to compete in this year’s race, despite spending three months in a halo brace to recover from a broken neck.

A Rwandan newspaper profiles the 21-year old rising star of the national cycling team.

 

Finally…

It takes a village to chase down bike thieves. If you can’t find a safe place to run or ride, just build a new island.

And once again, a bike rider is a hero, as a man rescues a woman who fell into a river trying to rescue her dog.

Naturally, the dog got out on his own.

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

Morning Links: LACBC responds to LA worst bike city nod, Englander bails, and who we share the roads with

October 12, 2018 / / One comment

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition offered a response yesterday to Los Angeles being named the worst bike city in America by Bicycling magazine.

Worst Bike City in America Another Mandate to Make LA’s Streets Safer

Reading Peter Flax’s article “Los Angeles is the worst bike city in America” is not a wake up call for LACBC, but we hope it serves as one for some of our leaders. For those that work, partner, and volunteer alongside us, we’re highly aware of the dangers of biking and walking in LA, and care deeply about making our streets safer for all road users. Since 1998, LACBC has steadily grown our advocacy and education efforts around safe streets, with a re-focused commitment to equity and inclusion for the most vulnerable road users over the past three years. And while Los Angeles has seen some progress over our two decade history, having to see our friends and neighbors continue to die on our streets while walking and biking is not something we take lightly.

The October 10 article in Bicycling Magazine makes some excellent points, and speaks to the urgency regarding the state of our county’s streets and sidewalks. Working to advocate for livable streets in all 88 cities in LA County is a difficult task, but one from which LACBC does not shy away. Our team is proud of the framework our Interim Executive Director Janet Schulman and our Board of Directors are providing to the organization, and looks forward to ever-increasing our presence in making Los Angeles a better place to bike. During this time of transition, staff continues to focus on critical mobility justice issues.

As a 501(c)3, the LA County Bicycle Coalition is dedicated to helping our community identify and implement complete street changes that would make our streets safer for people walking and biking. Much of our non-profit’s time is focused on base-building and advocating for policies and practices that encourage safer street design and improve the community engagement process. This is work that takes years to develop and grow, and the programs are transforming Los Angeles’s landscape into one that supports a culture of complete streets.

Like you, we take great pride in being an Angeleno, and we’ll never tire in trying to make tomorrow better than today. We invite you to become a part of the movement for safer streets in Los Angeles, and to volunteer with us in making our streets safer for those traveling around LA County.

It’s not exactly the hard-hitting response we might have wanted. But it may be the best we can hope for as the coalition struggles without permanent leadership after losing two executive directors in the space of a year.

Meanwhile, there’s still no hint of a response from the mayor’s office, or any member of the city council.

Today’s photo, like yesterday, represents the massive fail of being named America’s worst bike city. And the repeated failures on behalf of city leaders that brought us to this point.

Maybe we’ll just keep using it every day until they finally do something about it.

………

Speaking of the city council, the only Republican on the panel, CD12 Councilmember Mitch Englander, announced he’s leaving the city council at the end of the year.

He becomes the second councilmember in recent years to blow off the people who elected him in favor of a higher paying job in the private sector.

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This is who we share the roads with.

A Florida man was driving 100 mph in a 40 mph zone when he plowed into another car and sent it into a man walking his dogs on the sidewalk.

And was so drunk he didn’t even realize he’d suffered a compound wrist fracture, with the fractured bone breaking through the skin.

Blood tests afterward showed he had an alcohol level of .28, three and a half times the legal limit.

He had two previous arrests for DUI in Florida, as well as four DUI convictions in a ten year period in Virginia, along with another three for driving with a suspended license, earning him a whopping one year of probation.

He’s now facing charges of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, DUI causing serious bodily injury and reckless driving.

Just one more example of authorities going out of their way to keep a dangerous drunk driver on the roads until it’s too late.

And on the other side of the world, the passenger in a New Zealand contractor’s truck can be heard on video urging the driver to run over a bicyclist on the shoulder of the roadway.

The owner of the company responded by calling it “extremely embarrassing.”

Never mind how embarrassed he should be that his employees were stupid enough to post it online.

………

Local

L.A. City Councilmember José Huizar officially opened the new left-side Spring Street parking protected bike lane with a ribbon cutting in DTLA.

The LA Daily News reports on the ghost bike installation for Roberto Perez, the victim in Sunday’s Sun Valley hit-and-run. Now if we can just find the heartless coward who left him to die in the street.

North Hollywood residents will have more time to weigh in on the planned widening of Magnolia Blvd through the NoHo Arts district after people questioned whether it meets LA’s Vision Zero goals; you now have until November 26th to comment.

CiclaValley looks back at the recent NACTO convention in Los Angeles.

 

State

Orange County rapper Innate followed up last year’s solo album with a 5,000-mile bike ride across the US.

The California Coastal Commission has given its blessing to plans for a lane reduction, bike lanes and Complete Streets makeover of the Coast Highway 101 through Leucadia.

San Francisco’s new mayor shows what can happen when the mayor isn’t running for president, moving to speed up work on a pair of safety projects on Market Street. Maybe LA’s mayor could take notes the next time he has a layover at LAX.

JUMP is looking to hire a Market Entry Project Manager in San Francisco.

 

National

Bicycling repeats what we’ve been talking about all week. If you want to fight climate change, leave your car in the garage and ride a bike.

Three bike riders tell Bicycling what Coming Out Day means to them, and why it matters. I’ve had a number of deeply closeted friends over the years, and have seen close up the damage living a double life can do. And the relief that comes with coming out.

Singletacks talks with the executive director of Little Bellas, an organization dedicated to mentoring young girls on mountain bikes.

Outside talks with the professional race car driver who helped Denise Mueller-Korenek shatter the land speed record for a human-powered bicycle.

An Oregon FedEx driver is going on trial for failing to yield in the death of a bike rider; the case hinges on whether a bike lane continues through an intersection. But it’s still just a traffic citation, rather than a criminal case.

A Seattle TV station questions whether it’s really the best bike city in the US. On the other hand, a Seattle weekly doesn’t mince words, saying Bicycling is dead wrong about the city’s first place finish.

My hometown is just one of four Colorado cities that made Bicycling’s list of the 50 best bike towns in the US.

A Denver TV reporter bikes to work live on camera, then learns from angry viewers that the state didn’t actually legalize the Idaho stop, they just made it so individual cities could if they want. And so far, Denver doesn’t.

Residents of an Ohio city are unhappy with plans to relocate a bike path in front of their homes. Even though studies show it will make their property values go up.

Akron, Ohio is right sizing the city’s streets by removing lanes and installing bike lanes. And without the near riots that accompanied LA’s attempts to do the same thing on the Westside.

Support is growing for a two-way protected bike lane on New York’s Central Park West.

The NYPD responds to Streetblog’s Freedom of Information request on its decision to “close critical Manhattan bike lanes” during last month’s United Nations General Assembly by telling them, in effect, to mind their own business.

He gets it. A Maryland university professor says the cities of the future should be built for people on two wheels.

 

International

A Canadian writer explains that there are good reasons why you don’t need a license to ride a bike.

European bike makers, bicycle tourism companies and nonprofit organizations have banded together to form an organization representing 650,000 workers to “unite all the private sector voices in cycling, behind one vision, in one structure.”

If you build it, they will come. London opened three new quiet ways across the city, as newly released figures show bicycling in the UK capital increased 8% last year. Los Angeles has no idea how much bicycling went up or down last year because they’ve never bothered to measure it.

Britain’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents says traffic planners should consider the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, children and older people to improve safety.

British bike hero Sir Chris Hoy says it’s time to end the “us versus them” attitude between drivers and bicyclists. No shit. Especially since most of the latter are also the former.

A writer from the UK suggests that the 30-mile Sellaronda in Italy’s Dolomites may be the most beautiful bike route in the world.

 

Finally…

Why mountain bikers should be glad summer is over. And the forgotten era of women’s bike racing in the ’90s.

No, the 1890s.

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

Brother of state legislator killed in Buena Park bike collision on Monday

October 11, 2018 / / One comment

Another Orange County bike rider lost his life on Monday, in what was an exceptionally deadly two days for SoCal bicyclists.

The Orange County Register reports, almost as an aside, that the 52-year old brother of California Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva was killed riding his bike in Buena Park.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Darlington Avenue and Artesia Boulevard when Raymond William Jaso was hit by the driver of a pickup around 6:18 pm.

No other information is available at this time.

Jaso was homeless following a longtime battle with alcoholism; he recently began drinking again after walking away from a county-run treatment program.

It’s not clear if that may have contributed to the crash.

His homelessness, and struggles with alcohol and mental health issues, should do nothing to diminish the tragedy of Jaso’s life or death.

Quirk-Silva writes movingly about the loss of her brother.

Twitter post

Jaso’s death follows fatal collisions in Oxnard and Sun Valley on Sunday and Monday, as well as a second Orange County death in Stanton on Monday.

This is at least the 40th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in Orange County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Raymond William Jaso and all his loved ones. 

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

Ebike rider killed in Stanton crash; driver left scene before returning

October 11, 2018 / / One comment

This has been a deadly week for SoCal bicyclists.

In the wake of two previously reported fatal collisions in Oxnard and Sun Valley on Sunday and Monday, two other riders lost their lives in Orange County on Monday.

The first of these occurred near the intersection of Cerritos and Magnolia avenues in Stanton around 1:50 pm.

The Orange County Register reports 79-year old Anaheim resident Tam Nguyen was struck by the driver of a car while riding his ebike. He was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center, where he died sometime later.

The driver, who has not been publicly identified, stopped in a nearby parking lot before returning. Police do not believe he or she was under the influence.

There’s no word on exactly where the crash occurred, which street Nguyen was on, or how the crash happened.

A street view doesn’t help, since we don’t know where the crash took place.

Nguyen was initially unidentified at the time of his death. Which should once again serve as a tragic reminder to always carry some form of ID when you ride.

This is at least the 39th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in Orange County.

Update: Peter Flax points out that Cerritos was recommended for a Complete Streets makeover, but rejected due to political concerns. 

Twitter post

He also points out that it is the same street where Debra Gresham was killed two years ago. 

Let’s hope Orange County is held accountable for not fixing it. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Tam Nguyen and all his loved ones. 

 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: LA wins best bike cities race to bottom, the beauty of bicycling, and update on SaMo bike crash

October 11, 2018 / / 5 comments

Bicycling is out with their bi-annual ranking of the best bike cities in America.

Needless to say, Los Angeles didn’t win.

Our bayside neighbor to the north is second, the same position San Francisco held last time.

My hometown slid up to third, while Seattle was a surprising choice for the top pick among America’s best bike cities after ranking fifth in 2016.

Then there’s LA.

The City of Angels, which ranked 24th on the best bike cities list last time around, didn’t come in quite so high this time.

In fact, LA didn’t make the list at all.

Then again, simply not making the list would have been an improvement for a city that was rated as the worst bike city in America.

That’s right, we’re number one on Bicycling’s list of America’s best bike cities. From the bottom.

An honor, if you want to use the term, that is well-deserved as city leaders have seriously backslid in their support for bicycling in Los Angeles.

Let alone safe streets.

This is what Peter Flax had to say on the subject, after he was asked to write the story for Bicycling.

Los Angeles should be heaven for cyclists. The weather is beyond dreamy—downtown L.A. has gotten less than four inches of rain so far this year. The city is an enormous, mostly flat grid of wide boulevards with plenty of room for smartly placed bike infrastructure. The traffic is literally the worst in the world, making it all the more reasonable to cover shorter trips by bike. The metro area boasts postcard-perfect oceanfront riding and spectacular climbing in legendary spots like the Malibu hills, Palos Verdes, and the San Gabriel Mountains. Every day, I see hundreds of people pedaling around town with smile on their faces, despite the challenges the city throws at them.

That’s the good news.

It all sounds quite lovely until you start to contemplate all of the cyclists who have been killed—and ask yourself why. In the past five years alone, more than 180 riders in the metropolitan area have been killed by people driving motor vehicles. During the last three years that national crash data has been compiled (2014-2016), only three U.S. states have seen more cyclist fatalities than just L.A. County—Florida, New York, and California as a whole.

The roads themselves are a disaster. The cruelest irony is that the city is spending money on them. But instead of investing in the quality infrastructure, millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent to pay out civil lawsuits brought by severely injured cyclists or the families of killed riders. The sad truth is that in L.A., it’s more politically expedient to pay seven-figure civil damages than to fix all the crappy roads and build the infrastructure that keeps people from getting hurt or killed.

 

There’s more, sadly. A lot more.

Looking to sustain L.A.’s broken and ineffective transportation system are a cadre of well-funded organizations like Keep L.A. Moving, who are fighting any safety project that might remove a single driving lane from the urban grid. In their minds, one or two cyclist fatalities a month are acceptable collateral damage to keep a big car-centric city properly lubricated…

This angry populist rebellion resonated far beyond the borders of Playa del Rey. L.A. City Council members saw the political might wielded by angry motorists. So did Mayor Garcetti, who has aspirations for national office and wants to shy away from unpopular controversies. And since the bike lanes in Playa del Rey got ripped out, the already glacial pace of making streets safer practically came to a stop in L.A.

It’s not exactly pleasant to read.

But it’s worth your time, because Flax nails it, accurately calling out the multitude of problems we face. And the shameful lack of political support for making the changes we so desperately need.

Maybe this will serve as a wake-up call for our bad publicity-shy public leaders. Or maybe embarrass them just enough to actually do something.

At least enough to get us back onto the list. Even if we have to settle for the 50th spot, as America’s worst best bike city.

Which would be a hell of an improvement over where we are now.

Meanwhile, Long Beach did make the list, checking in at 27th, up one from their previous ranking.

Here’s the methodology Bicycling used to determine the rankings.

Thanks to Al Williams for the heads-up.

………

It was a busy day for Peter Flax; if the last story left you feeling down, take a few minutes to read his take on everything that’s beautiful about bicycling.

Trust me, you’ll feel better.

………

Sort of good news.

In answer to yesterday’s request for more information about a bike crash at 23rd and Navy in Santa Monica, City Manager Rick Cole responded that the victim was “severely, but not critically injured.”

Not exactly good news, but better than we had feared.

Let’s keep out fingers crossed for a full and fast recovery.

………

Speaking of bad news, I somehow missed the news that an unidentified bike rider was killed in Stanton on Monday. The driver initially fled the scene, but returned a short time later.

I’ll try to catch up with the story later today.

………

The Los Angeles Fire Department offers a video profile of LAFD’s bike-riding paramedics at LAX, who use their bicycles to respond to emergencies faster than they could by motor vehicle.

Twitter post

………

Local

Curbed’s Alissa Walker says the best way Angelenos can support climate action is to stop driving so much. And support improved transportation and density.

Streetsblog says California needs more bike diversion programs, after Bike SGV’s Andrew Yip helped a poor immigrant get into one when he faced a choice between a $240 fine or jail for riding on the sidewalk.

 

State

A writer for Medium says today’s hipsters have a long way to go to match San Francisco’s mustachioed high wheeled cycling fanatics of the 1890s.

 

National

The good news is bicycling fatalities in the US declined 8.1% last year. The bad news is they’re still too damn high, with an average of over two deaths a day, every day.

Lucky us. A new study shows, on average, every 13th driver that passes you on your bike is driving distracted.

Forbes says shared mobility data offers an opportunity to reshape cities.

Cycling Industry News refutes ten bike fit myths. I can personally testify to #4; bicycling is the only thing that held my balky right knee together as long as it did. Even now that I’ll need to get it replaced in the coming weeks, I can still ride with minimal pain, which is more than I can say about walking. Or sitting.

Speaking of that best bike cities list, Portland received its worst ranking ever, coming in at number five. Which is still 19 spots higher than LA ever has.

A Grand Junction CO newspaper urges donations to a Colorado high school marching band that was stiffed by an annual bike tour. If you’ve got a few extra buck lying around, there are worse things you could do with it.

A Chicago bike rider and a pedestrian were injured when a teenage boy hopped behind the wheel of an unlocked car and speed off, crashing into several parked cars in the process.

Caught on video: A Chicago bike rider complains about private parks security racing down a multi-use path in an SUV to chase riders around tight corners — especially when the ones being chased can simply turn around to get away.

A Massachusetts city has removed their requirement for bicyclists to hug the curb, allowing bike riders full use of the lane, like other city’s in the state.

A long list of drivers are still allowed in New York’s Central Park, months after they were supposedly banished.

 

International

Cities around the world are facing the question of how to adapt to an aging population, and what an age-friendly city would look like — including safer streets, improved transit and making bicycling accessible to older people.

A new foam liner from Vittoria and Tannus promises to replace your tubes and make your tires puncture proof.

A “secret” cyclocross fondo through the British Columbia countryside is gaining in popularity, despite being unannounced and not having any maps.

Putting the “mounted” back in Mounted Police, Canada’s famed Mounties are learning that patrolling by bicycle helps officers improve community relations and stop street crime.

An annual London charity ride takes you up to 90 miles from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle to raise funds for The Prince’s Trust. The perfect royal ride for the Anglophile in your life.

File this under you’ve got to be kidding. Just riding a bicycle through a chain of outdoor malls in the UK could result in prison time, thanks to a recent court ruling.

Understanding your Emotional Quotient can improve your performance on your bike, according to a British lecturer.

CityLab says Paris could be a model for how cities can combat climate change, as the city works to reduce motor vehicle use.

Dutch phrases you need to know to ride a bike in the Netherlands.

No bias here. A Reuters story says Africa is locked in traffic as the “poor man’s transport,” aka the bicycle, is ignored. Which feeds into the narrative that people only ride bikes because they can’t afford to drive, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

 

Competitive Cycling

Nebraska resident and new US cycling team member Ashton Lambie has gone from riding Kansas backroads to setting a world record in the 4,000-meter individual pursuit.

French cyclist Sylvain Chavanel reveals what he learned in 19 years in the pro peloton.

 

Finally…

Who needs an SUV when you can have a Sports Utility (e)Bike? That feeling when the city steals your bike to replace the rack.

And keep an eye on Craigslist; someone stole Geraint Thomas’ Tour de France trophy.

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