It ain’t necessarily so — new study proclaims L.A. one of the nation’s most dangerous places to walk or ride

October 3, 2012 / / 14 comments

This morning, the L.A. Times discovered the unacceptably high rate of bike and pedestrians deaths in this city. Quickly followed by a number of other news outlets.

Only problem is, they got the story wrong.

The study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute looks at bicycle and pedestrian fatalities in New York and Los Angeles, compared to other large cities in the U.S.

They concluded that while bicyclists represent 1.7% in other cities nationwide, they make up 2.8% of traffic fatalities here in Los Angeles. And pedestrians fare even worse, with nearly three times as many deaths on L.A. streets, as a percentage of total traffic fatalities, as in the rest of the nation.

Needless to say, New Yorkers fared even worse, with cyclists making up 6.1% percent of all traffic fatalities, and pedestrians nearly half.

And the media took that limited and misleading information and ran with it, proclaiming — loudly and falsely — that L.A. and New York are exceptionally dangerous places to walk and bike.

The problem is, as stated above, this study only considered these deaths as a percentage of overall traffic fatalities. Which means that if motor vehicle fatalities in those cities — which make up the overwhelming majority of traffic fatalities nationwide — were lower than the national average, it would skew the results and make bike and pedestrian deaths look disproportionately high.

And guess what?

Driver and passenger deaths in New York accounted for just 43.6% of traffic fatalities and 63.6% in Los Angeles, compared to a whopping 86.3% nationwide.

In other words, because fewer people are getting killed in motor vehicles in New York and L.A., it incorrectly suggests that more people who bike or walk are getting killed.

What’s missing from the study is an appendix with hard numbers of how many bicyclists and pedestrians were killed in each city, rather than just a percentage. As well as individual stats for each city that was included in the study, rather than a national aggregate.

Because the one statistic that would allow us to compare apples to apples is the number of deaths per capita for each city.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to access stats for individual cities from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s FARS database today, which would allow us to figure that out. And let us determine whether Los Angeles is really a more dangerous place to ride a bike than Dallas or Des Moines. Or any other city of any size in the U.S.

What I can tell you is that in 2011, Los Angeles County had the lowest per capita bike fatality rate of any county from Santa Barbara to San Bernardino and south to the Mexican border, with the single exception of sparsely populated — and even more sparsely biked — Imperial County.

And the City of Los Angeles had just one bicycling fatality for every 763,940 people who call L.A. home. That’s one for every three-quarter of a million people in this city.

Which sounds like pretty damn good odds to me.

In fact, that compares with one cycling death for every 189,454 people in San Diego. One for every 116,394 in Long Beach. And one for every 69,050 residents of Pasadena.

Don’t get me wrong.

One death is too many. Let alone the four the city has already suffered this year. And nothing in this study, or the press reports that followed, considers the city’s rate of serious cycling injuries, as opposed to fatalities.

But one of that nation’s most dangerous places to ride a bike?

Far from it. At least as far as your risk of dying is concerned.

And study’s authors — and the media who ran with it — would have known that if they’d just dug a little deeper.

Thanks to Harris M. Miller II and Where to Bike Los Angeles co-author Jon Riddle for the heads-up.

Update: Evidently, I wasn’t the only one who had a WTF response to this study and the hype that followed. The Native Angeleno had a similar reaction, as did our friends at Los Angeles Walks, who offer suggestions on how to improve safety for our fellow bipedalists. And L.A. Streetsblog meister Damien Newton looks at the over-the-top — and highly repetitive — media response.

………

On a related note, Pasadena public radio station KPCC responds to the study by asking for your help to map the area’s most dangerous intersections. It’s a great idea.

Although checking out the map Bikeside LA already put together would have been a nice place to start.

………

OC Bike lawyer David Huntsman forwards word of a road raging Dr. Thompson wannabe.

The Press-Enterprise reports that 38-year old Carl Albert Robbins of Temecula “accidently” hit a rider after intentionally swerving at four cyclists riding on Rainbow Canyon Road near Temecula around 8 am Monday. Robbins reportedly drove his car at the riders in the back, then swerved again at the lead rider, hitting the rider’s hand with the car’s mirror.

According to a Riverside Sheriff’s spokesperson, Robbins claimed the riders didn’t belong on the road, but he didn’t intend to actually hit one.

So let me get this straight.

If I try to fire a warning shot past your head, but miss and blow your ear off, it’s just an accident, right?

Evidently the authorities disagreed with Robbins, as well as the paper, booking him on $25,000 bond.

………

A full-time — and apparently very sarcastic — parking lieutenant for LADOT, among his many other jobs, is running for president of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council. Walk Eagle Rock sends word that he doesn’t seem to be exactly bike friendly; you’d think an LADOT parking enforcement official would know not to put a business sign in a bike lane.

And sarcastic or not, suggesting someone light up a joint seems a tad inappropriate for a city official. Let alone a potential NC president.

But maybe that’s just me.

………

My good friends at Altadenablog send word that Cher, the original singularly named recording and Hollywood star, apparently hates PCH cyclists.

Or maybe just cyclists in general.

But she swears, cross her heart, that she would never text from behind the wheel. Honest.

We can only encourage her to Cher the road.

Thanks to Century City cyclist and attorney Stanley E. Goldich for the heads-up, as well.

………

It’s been a busy few days in my inbox.

George Wolfberg forwards a link to this New York Times story of a lovely journey by bike through the French countryside.

And he send us another NY Times story from over the weekend saying cities need to lose the helmets to promote bicycling.

Or at least bike share programs.

But lets stop for a moment to consider the claim that Dutch cyclists don’t wear helmets.

Dutch cyclists enjoy some of the world’s best biking infrastructure, and ride relatively heavy, slow bikes that are easy to step off of in the event of a fall.

Most American’s don’t

American bikes tend to be faster, lighter machines that usually take the rider down with them when they go down. And American roads don’t begin to compare with Dutch bikeways, in either quality or separation from vehicular traffic.

Whether or not you wear a helmet is your choice.

Personally, I never ride without mine, bearing in mind that they’re not magic hats that prevent all harm to the wearer; you’re far better off avoiding a collision than counting on your helmet to save you from it.

But let’s stop using the Amsterdam experience to argue against helmet use here. Because it just doesn’t translate from the Dutch.

………

Cyclist Jim Lyle send news that Hermosa Beach has rejected a plan to put bike lanes on Aviation Blvd.

HB City council members claimed the 2 – 3 person Public Works Department had more pressing issues, and couldn’t afford the 10 to 20 hours a month it would take to save cyclists’ lives plan the bikeway.

“Once we pave our streets, let’s talk about bikes,” Mayor Pro Tem Kit Bobko said.

Although you’d think with such a small staff, they might know how many people actually work for them.

………

Finally, my adventure cycling, Iditarod dog sled racing brother Eric offers a heads-up about the 100-year old former French bike racer who set a new 100 kilometer age group speed record.

I plan to race him myself when I turn 100; my brother, not the Frenchman.

Of course, I may have an unfair advantage, since he’ll be 109.

Category: Best of, Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, Injuries and Fatalities, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

News just coming in: Bike rider killed in Corona crosswalk on Sunday

October 2, 2012 / / One comment

The Press-Enterprise is reporting that an unidentified cyclist was killed in Corona on Sunday.

The man was riding south in a crosswalk on the west side of Garretson Avenue at East Grand Avenue when he was hit by an Acura Integra driven by Simitrio Martinez of Corona. According to the paper, he died at the scene.

The Riverside County Coroner places the time of the collision as 8:48 pm, and lists the same time of death, suggesting he was killed instantly.

Neither the coroner or the Press-Enterprise offer any information on how the collision occurred.

The fact that the rider died on impact would suggest a high rate of speed. A street view shows Grand is uncontrolled at the intersection, while Garretson has a stop sign in both directions, making it most likely that the driver was traveling on Grand when he hit the cyclist.

However, that is merely a guess based on extremely minimal evidence.

There is a street light right next to the crosswalk, but there’s no way of knowing if it was working at the time of the collision, or if the rider was using lights.

This should serve as a reminder to everyone to always carry ID every time you ride. I keep my driver’s license in my seat pack, as well as emergency contact information in a small ziplock in my jersey or pants pocket.

And despite their annoying commercials, Road ID or other similar products are always a good idea.

This is the 61st cycling fatality in Southern California so far this year, and the 11th bike-related death in Riverside County; nine of those were a result of traffic collisions, while the other two were a result of health issues that may have been caused by riding.

My prayers for the victim and his family and friends.

Update: The victim has been identified as 55-year old Ignacio Prado Cuevas of Corona.

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

Update: Bicyclist killed in Palmdale collision; 60th SoCal cycling death this year

October 2, 2012 / / One comment

The L.A. Daily News is reporting that a man was killed riding his bike in Palmdale last night.

Details are still very sketchy at this point. However, according to the paper, he was riding his bike south on or near 30th Street East around 9:15 pm, and was hit by an eastbound Chevy Tahoe as he was crossing Palmdale Blvd.

No word on how the collision occurred, whether it took place at the intersection or if the rider, who has not been publicly identified, was crossing the street at another location. And no information is given on whether his bike had lights, or the speed of the SUV that hit him or whether the collision may have been avoidable.

A Sheriff’s spokesperson said the investigation is still ongoing, and that alcohol did not seem to be a factor in the collision.

This is the 60th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, putting us well ahead of this same time last year, when the region had suffered 53 traffic-related bicycling fatalities on the way to a total of 71 deaths for all of 2011.

It also marks the 17th cycling death in Los Angeles County since January 1st, which is an improvement over the total of 19 at this time last year.

My deepest sympathy for the victim and his loved ones.

Update: The Daily News has identified the victim as 19-year old  Raymond Paris Amadea of Palmdale. Still no details on how the collision occurred.

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

The terrible tyranny of two-wheel tribal wear

October 1, 2012 / / 17 comments

One day last winter, I found myself riding Downtown to attend an early morning press conference.

And something I’ve learned in recent years is that the press likes to talk to people who look like their preconceived notions of a cyclist.

It doesn’t matter if the guy next to you is the head of a bicycling organization, a professional cyclist or someone who’s been riding for decades. If he or she is dressed in street clothes and you’re in spandex, you can expect the camera in your face.

Since there were things I wanted to say on the day’s subject, I put on my best road gear and set out on a rush hour ride to City Hall.

On the way, though, I noticed an interesting thing.

Despite the chilly early hour, there were a lot of other riders on the road.

Some, like me, were dressed in spandex. Many of whom nodded in my direction as they passed, acknowledging me as one of their own.

Others were clad in jeans or business attire, apparently on their way to work or school. And not one of whom seemed to take any notice of me, as if we were members of two separate species.

More interesting, though, was what happened later that same evening as the situation was reversed.

I had a business party to attend that night, starting just after working hours. And since it was located in an office building on Wilshire Blvd, in an area where parking is virtually non-existent — or unaffordable — during the evening rush, I concluded that riding was once again the most viable option.

So I threw on my jeans and a button-down shirt, along with a semi-professional looking jacket, and set out along the same route I’d taken earlier that day.

Except this time, the situation was reversed.

Many of the bike commuters I encountered threw a brief nod in my direction; a couple even struck up a conversation as we waited for red lights to change.

Yet the spandex-clad riders I passed hardly cast a glance in my direction. The way I was dressed marked me as a member of another tribe.

And that, my friend, is when it finally sank through my thick helmet-covered skull.

I was exactly the same rider on both the morning and evening rides. I was on the same bike and riding the same way. Let alone the same direction.

But I was seen in a completely different manner by different people, strictly because of what I was wearing.

The clothing we bike in isn’t just what feels comfortable as we pedal to our destination, or what will be appropriate once we get there.

It’s what connects us to others like us, identifying us as members of our own cycling tribe. And more importantly, what separates us from all the other self-selected cycling tribes, whispering — or sometimes shouting — in the unmistakable language of bicycle fashion, I’m not like you.

And probably don’t want to be.

Divide, and self conquer.

No wonder we can’t even present enough of a unified front to get the governor to sign a damn three-foot passing bill.

Too often we’ve seen the spandex crowd turn up their noses at the fixie riders in our midst. Or the cycle chic and citizen cyclists, to borrow a phrase or two from Mikael Colville-Andersen of Copenhagenize and Copenhagen Cycle Chic fame, criticizing those who insist on donning specialized bicycling attire instead of regular street clothes, let alone helmets.

Or haute couture and drop dead heels, in some cases.

Then there are the women who wonder why they should have to dress to the nines just to ride a bike. The hipsters who wouldn’t be caught dead wrapped in a skin-tight logo-covered road jersey.

And the great mass of casual riders who just want to go for a bike ride, and don’t know what all the fuss is about.

Or even that there is a fuss.

Of course, there are reasons for what we wear.

When I first started riding, I saw no reason to wear anything other than the T-shirt and cut-off jeans I wore for any other physical activity.

Until a couple of more experienced riders explained that bike shorts and jerseys actually made for cycling would dramatically cut down on the wicked wind resistance that wore me out before I barely got going. Not to mention eliminating those aggravating sweat and chafing issues, while offering the support necessary to help ensure the existence of any potential future generations.

If you get my drift.

And so I rode for over twenty years; eventually the concept that I could ride in something else, even for a quick trip to the market or out for coffee, lost in the deep dark depths of bike days long past.

As my fellow cycling advocates and colleagues can attest, it took me a couple years of riding to various meetings — and the embarrassment of usually being the only one sitting through them just a stretchy microthread’s-width away from near nudity — before I worked up the courage to bike in regular clothes like they did. And dress for the destination rather than the ride.

It just seemed oddly foreign to me after all those years in spandex.

Just as it would to many fixie or casual riders to wear the brightly colored skin-tight attire most roadies wrap around themselves before they hit the road. Even if they would likely be far more comfortable on long rides, as I learned myself so many years ago.

Now I still wear spandex for long, fast rides demanding physical exertion. And jeans and casual shorts and shirts — some made for bicycling, some not — for transportation and more relaxed riding.

The bottom line is, clothes don’t make the bike rider.

It doesn’t matter who you are, how you ride, what you ride, where you ride, or what you wear. Especially not what you wear.

The only thing that really matters that you ride.

The rest is just details.

And once we finally figure that out, once we realize that the one thing that links us all together is more important than all our tribes and differences, we’ll be a social and political force no one can resist.

Not even Jerry Brown.

……..

On a related subject, Melissa Balmer of Long Beach-based Women on Bikes SoCal offers a must-read look at women, bicycling and cycle chic — and whether bike advocacy has to make room, not just for all the many types of women who already ride, but all those who might want to.

If we don’t agree with one and other’s approach could we step back and and try and understand where she is coming from rather than attacking first? Is there something we could learn from each other? Could we find the places where we agree and be cordial in our agreeing-to-disagree where we disagree? If we become known as a movement of great diversity yet united in our good will towards getting women and girls on bikes won’t we be much much stronger and powerful for it?

Seriously. It’s an important topic for anyone who cares about bike advocacy and reaching out to women — and potential bike riders — of all sorts. And not just because she mentions me in it.

So read it, already.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Best of / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Bike rider killed by Metrolink train in Baldwin Park

September 29, 2012 / / 8 comments

Multiple sources are reporting that a man was killed by a Metrolink train while walking his bike in Baldwin Park Friday night.

Carlos Jacinto DeSantiago, a 49-year old Norwalk resident, was walking his bike west on Ramona Blvd at Downey Avenue at 7:28 pm when he stepped under a railroad crossing arm, and walked onto the tracks in front of the oncoming train.

No explanation was given for why he stepped in front of the train, Metrolink #335 on the San Bernardino  line. Witnesses reported that he went under the train after he was hit; Baldwin Park police say he suffered multiple injuries, and was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:01 pm.

With all due respect to the victim, there is no collision easier for a cyclist to avoid than a wreck with a train.

Unlike motor vehicles, which can roam freely throughout the roadway, trains are confined to a set space and a predetermined schedule. All you have to do is stay off those tracks at that time to avoid getting hit.

And the easiest way to do that is to never, ever ride or walk under, around or through the warning gates, or cross the tracks when warning signals are on.

Why DeSantiago didn’t do that will probably never be known.

This is the 59th cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 16th in Los Angeles County. DeSantiago was the second cyclist killed in Baldwin Park in 2012, and the second SoCal rider killed in a collision with a train this year, both in L.A. County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Carlos Jacinto DeSantiago, and all his family and loved ones.

Category: General / Tags: , , ,

San Diego hit-and-run nearly carried live on local TV

September 29, 2012 / / One comment

TV stations in San Diego just missed broadcasting a hit-and-run that appeared to leave a cyclist seriously injured as it happened on Thursday night.

San Diego cyclist Bill Davidson sends word that San Diego’s XETV-6 reported the collision occurred just before 10 pm as news vans were gathered to report on flooding from a broken water main in the parking lot of this shopping center at Rosecrans and Cauby Streets.

Multiple news vans were on the scene BEFORE the collision because there was flooding in the area. They were parked in the shopping center maybe 50 yards inside the driveway. The news crews were still in their vans preparing to do live coverage of the flooding at 10pm when they heard a loud thump. They called 911.  EMT’s on the scene in approximately 6-7 minutes.

Victim appeared to be in his 50’s or 60’s.  He had lights and a reflective safety vest. He was alive and conscious but obviously seriously hurt. No helmet.

Two witnesses. California plate 717229, sliver truck. Mirror on the truck broke off and was lying in the road.

Davidson adds that the reporters said they didn’t hear skidding before the collision, though the heavy insulation on the trucks could have masked the sound. The victim’s bike was resting just steps away, directly in the entrance to the shopping center.

Unfortunately, the story hasn’t been posted online, and there doesn’t seem to be any update on the condition of the victim or whether the driver has been apprehended.

If anyone has additional information, let us know.

……..

Friday’s breaking news kept me from updating this weekend’s events.

However, the big weekend bike news is Carmageddon.

Not that the end of the world is nigh, as cars will once again be banned from from the 405, but that bikes are taking over the streets presumably abandoned by motor vehicles. Streetsblog has all the information you need on the weekend’s three remaining major rides, while ARTmageddonLA starts on Saturday.

And if you’re bold enough to brave the freeways, the 2012 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships will be taking place all weekend at the Home Depot Center VELO Sports Center.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Breaking news: Evidently, Governor Jerry Brown doesn’t care if you live or die

September 28, 2012 / / 16 comments

Once again, Jerry Brown is demonstrating just how out of touch he is with the realities of California streets.

And just how little he cares about the safety of the state’s cyclists.

The California Bicycle Coalition reports that Brown has decided to veto SB 1464, the bill mandating a minimum three-foot distance to pass cyclists. This comes after he vetoed a much stronger bill last year, making him the only governor to veto a safe passing bill twice.

And continuing to align him with Texas Governor Rick Perry as the only jackasses governors to veto a three-foot passing law.

Last year, he offered an excuse that didn’t pass the smell test, claiming a provision allowing drivers to pass cyclists at less than three feet by slowing down to 15 mph — included to prevent traffic jams by allowing drivers to pass cyclists in congested traffic and near intersections — would cause motorists to slam on the brakes to pass riders on highways, rather than simply go around them or wait for a chance to pass safely.

Yeah, that’ll happen.

This time, the reason given for the veto is an irrational fear that the state could face liability for the provision allowing motorists to briefly cross the center line to pass cyclists, but only when safe to do so.

In other words, legalizing what is already a common practice — and putting the onus on drivers to ensure it’s safe first.

Which makes the feared liability risk as much a fiction as last years brake-slamming drivers.

And this after writing in his veto message that he wanted lawmakers to send him a bill that overcame the problems he cited with last year’s bill. Which the much-weakened SB 1464 did, in spades.

Combine this with Brown’s veto of SB 1310, a bill that would have increased fines for distracted driving by a minimal $10 while adding one point to a driver’s record — after vetoing a similar bill last year — and it suggests that Brown either has no clue what is really happening on our roadways, or just doesn’t give a damn whether we live or die on California streets.

More frightening, Calbike reports that Brown has refused to engage them directly to discuss this bill, or any other aspect of bike safety:

Despite our efforts to engage him directly, Brown has offered no indication of how he views bicycling or expressed any ideas for ensuring the safety of Californians who rely on bicycling as everyday transportation. By vetoing SB 1464, Brown makes clear that he prioritizes legalistic speculation over the safety of Californians.

We’re deeply concerned about what his lack of vision and leadership means for the safety of our streets and roads.

I couldn’t agree more.

And I deeply regret the vote I wasted on him him in 2010.

Jerry Brown was elected to lead all Californians. But he has clearly shown by his actions that he just doesn’t give a damn about anyone who travels on two wheels instead of four.

Once more, we’ve all been Jerry Browned by Jerry Brown. So what’s that saying about fool me twice?

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety / Tags: , , , ,

Money for bikes in Universal plan, bikeway blocking bus layover to be fixed, 4 new LAPD bike liaisons

September 28, 2012 / / 6 comments

Lots of news to catch up today after yesterday’s unplanned day off.

There are days I feel like a rodeo clown, getting up one more time than life can knock me down.

………

In an apparent victory for L.A. cyclists, the massive new Universal Studios project is approved by the L.A. Planning Commission after the company promises to find room for bikes along the L.A. River. Universal promises to contribute $3 million for an extension of the L.A. River bike path along the property, as well as $500,000 for bike lane improvements and $375,000 for bike path planning.

Hopefully, that means they get that a bike path along an improved L.A. River could be a tremendous asset for them, as well as the city. And that encouraging people to ride to the studio could provide a low cost bike boost for their business.

Then again, they could just be throwing money at us in hopes we’ll go away.

………

I’ve gotten an update from Lynne Goldsmith at Bike Metro about the bus layover on Rinaldi Street in Porter Ranch that we discussed last week.

According to Goldsmith, the layover for Line 243 had existed long before the bike lanes were striped, and were not taken into consideration when the lanes were striped. And no one apparently noticed until Michael Eisenberg brought them to our attention.

As a result, we can expect the segment will be restriped soon.

With luck, they’ll narrow the traffic lanes and stripe around the bus layover to maintain the bike lanes through the layover; more likely, the area around the layover will stay as it is, and the city will simply create a break in the bike lanes.

Hopefully they can come up with a creative solution that works for everyone.

And much thanks to Goldsmith for being so responsive.

………

As you may know, LAPD Sgt. David Krumer has been reassigned, and is no longer the department’s bike liaison — much to the regret of anyone who had the pleasure of working with him over the past few years.

With his departure, the department is unveiling a new plan that will place a bike liaison at each of the LAPD’s four traffic divisions. In theory, that should provide greater responsiveness, as you’ll now be able to call someone who knows the local streets and the officers who patrol them.

Whether that works out in practice depends a lot on the officers who will be picking up his load.

And it remains to be seen whether the department will still maintain a central bike liaison at LAPD headquarters to deal with issues that affect the entire city, or riders who have issues that the local liaison can’t or won’t solve.

Or whether the very successful Bike Task Force that has worked to help the LAPD transform itself into one of the nation’s most progressive and bike-friendly departments will continue to exist.

Some of those questions may be answered at 4 pm next Thursday when LAPD invites L.A. cyclists to meet the department’s new bike liaisons in room 374 of the new LAPD headquarters Downtown.

According to the LADOT Bike Blog, the new liaison’s are:

  • Sgt. Thomas Tavares, Central Bureau Traffic Division, 213/972-1864
  • Sgt. Jon Aufdemberg, South Bureau Traffic Division, 323/421-2588
  • Sgt. Emalee Baptiste, Valley Bureau Traffic Division, 818/644-8030
  • Sgt. Chris Kunz, West Bureau Traffic Division, 213/473-0125

You’d be smart to program those four numbers into your phone before your next crosstown ride.

And speaking of the LAPD, they’re partnering with two Downtown bike shops to offer a $5 discount on Kryptonite U-locks.

………

Governor Jerry Brown has just four more days to sign or reject SB1464, the recently passed three-foot passing bill, to make up for the one he vetoed last year.

If he does nothing, the bill becomes law by the end of day Sunday, or maybe Monday, depending on your source. And does nothing to redeem the low opinion many cyclists have of him as a result.

Or maybe that’s just me.

Calbike also notes that we’re also waiting for Brown’s signature on a bill to allow Caltrans to experiment on new bikeway designs.

………

The Splinster peer-to-peer bike rental program has now gone nationwide, allowing you to rent an unused bike directly from the owner anywhere in the U.S. Or rent yours to someone else if you don’t need it for awhile.

Then again, bike rental seems to be a booming business everywhere.

………

Taggers shoot a bike rider in North Hollywood; the victim is expected to be okay. A study of the York Blvd road diet and bike lanes shows fears that it would kill business were off base. KNBC-4 says this weekend’s Carmageddon is cause for cyclists to celebrate; Streetsblog notes lots of car-free bike activities over the auto-cataclysmic weekend, or check out ARTmageddon with Flying Pigeon on Saturday. The LACBC’s Tall Bike Bobby is back from his tour of the West Coast. Bike Nation will be offering free bike rentals for next weekend’s CicLAvia. LADOT wants your help to pick a new east-west route through the Valley. Richard Risemberg is shocked to find scofflaws on two wheels — and four. The Elite Track National Championships take place in Carson this weekend. An Oregon cyclist was seriously injured in a hit-from-behind collision on Angeles Crest Highway; or make that two, as another rider is severely injured the same night in La Cañada Flintridge.

Did they really have to do a study to prove Caltrans still doesn’t get bikes and pedestrians? A public service will be held October 6th for Newport Beach bike victim Dr. Catherine Campion Ritz. Newport Beach will sponsor a memorial ride to honor the two cyclists killed there two weeks ago; more importantly, they’re raising funds for bike safety — and the city will match donations on a three-to-one basis. When cyclists are dying, there’s no such thing as a bad idea if it could lead to a good one. A new video looks at salmon cyclists riding into trouble in Newport Beach. San Clemente considers a Dutch-style bike plan. San Diego’s airport goes bike-friendly; thanks to @bikeSD for the heads-up — and for giving the airport a good prod. A bike film fest is coming up in Redlands next month. California college cyclists complain about inconsiderate and inexperienced cyclists. For a change, there’s justice for cyclists in Northern California. A Sacramento writer asks why we tolerate the carnage on our streets; why indeed.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood blames 80% of dead pedestrians for their own deaths. Bicycling offers up 25 upgrades for 25 bucks or less. If you’re going to ride with an open bottle of booze in your hand, don’t crash into a police cruiser. Defusing tensions between cyclists and drivers in Colorado. An Idaho woman is dragged behind a bus when the driver pulls out as she’s removing her bike from a rear rack. A hit-and-run Kansas driver is accused of intentionally running down a cyclist he mistakenly thought was a pedophile. New York City urges taxi passengers to look to prevent dooring bike riders. Despite the city’s vast increase in bike lanes, cyclist and pedestrian fatalities are up in New York; a new study shows most are the fault of lawbreaking drivers. A bike riding Gotham father loses his life on the Boulevard of Death. A Texas father is shocked that GEICO would be despicable enough to deny the claim after a driver hits a student cyclist on a Safe Route to School; clearly, he hasn’t dealt with many insurance companies when it comes to bikes. A teenage Texas driver screams at the cyclist he just killed for coming into his lane; witnesses report he was driving recklessly.

Turns out bike lanes don’t create costs for Vancouver drivers. Riding brakeless is blamed in the death of a young Montreal fixie rider. British stats show drivers were at fault in most collisions last year, while just 1% of bike collisions were due to the cyclists’ failure to stop or yield. Britain sees a 9% increase in bicycling fatalities and serious injuries. UK drug users are almost twice as likely to drive under the influence. A bleeding UK cyclist is saved by a baby diaper. A road raging Brit rider punches out a car’s windshield. In a long-held dream for many riders, some British truck drivers will spend half a day riding bikes. Yom Kippur gives Israeli cyclists a chance to ride car-free, but the nation needs to do more to support increasing ridership levels. A former Aussie cycling champion stabs the coach who sexually abused her.

Finally, Bikeyface considers whether bike marketers really do have women figured out.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikes & the Law, General, Law Enforcement, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Guest Post: Urge Gov. Brown to protect your life by signing a law promoting use of safety cameras

September 26, 2012 / / 7 comments

Los Angeles turned off its red light cameras last year, opening the door for scofflaw drivers to blow through red lights when there’s not a cop around.

There were a lot of reasons for that decision, including a lack of enforcement that made payment of fines just this side of voluntary. As well as accusations that they were used to fill city coffers, rather than actually improving safety. 

A new law sitting on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk that could change that. 

All he has to do is sign it to make it law. Then again, he doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to signing traffic safety bills.

The Traffic Safety Coalition is asking you to sign a letter today urging Gov. Brown to approve the bill before it dies on his desk in a pocket veto at the end of the month.

After all, a cyclist who runs a red light might get himself killed.  But a red light-running driver could kill you. Or someone you love.

I’ll let them explain.

……..

The Traffic Safety Coalition, a national not-for-profit grassroots organization with a chapter in California, is encouraging biking advocates to sign a letter to Governor Brown in support of Senate Bill 1303 (“SB 1303”), legislation that has passed both chambers of the California legislature and is currently awaiting his signature before the end of the month.  If the Governor does not sign the bill within the next 5 days, the legislation is vetoed and will not become law.

SB 1303 reforms the use of traffic safety cameras (more commonly known as “red light cameras”) to encourage a focus on safety as a reason to use cameras rather than other motives.  The letter can be viewed and signed on the Coalition’s website at www.trafficsafetycoalition.com/caletter.

As you will read in the letter, for a number of reasons SB 1303 is a step in the right direction for the dozens of communities across the state that use traffic safety cameras to effectively and efficiently enforce our most basic traffic safety law – red means stop.   The bill does a few things:

  • It requires communities to make decisions about the placement of cameras for the right reasons – i.e., for safety reasons only and not for purposes of generating revenue.
  • It makes it easier for people to get cleared of wrongful tickets
  • It promotes transparency and public awareness by implementing strict signage requirements requiring the posting of signs alerting drivers of photo enforcement technology within 200 feet of an intersection

As municipalities across California continue to struggle with budget cuts, enforcement of basic traffic safety laws often must take a back seat to serious crimes and other community safety matters.  Through photo enforcement, local law enforcement has a tool that can help ensure traffic safety while law officers spend their time on more pressing matters – and the numbers prove photo enforcement is effective.

More than 50 communities in California currently use traffic safety cameras to make their roads safer.  For example, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, fatal red light running crashes are down 62% in San Diego, 55% in Bakersfield, 53% in Sacramento, 44% in Santa Ana, and 34% in Long Beach.  All of these are well above the 24% average reduction in fatal red light running crashes in 14 of the largest cities in the U.S. using cameras.  In fact, studies show that between 2004 and 2008 over 150 lives were saved in those cities thanks to cameras, and a startling 800 more lives could have been saved had every large city in the U.S. been using them.

The Traffic Safety Coalition is proud to work to support this technology with more than two dozen bike and pedestrian advocacy organizations across the country.  Our partners include the Alliance for Biking and Walking, Ride of Silence, California Bicycle Coalition and California Walks.  In addition to supporting the use of safety cameras, the Coalition has worked with its partners to support 3-foot passing legislation and Complete Streets bills.

The effective use of safety cameras isn’t just a matter of catching drivers who break the law.  It’s also about deterring the illegal and dangerous behavior that puts cyclists at risk every day.  On your bike, you aren’t protected by a steel shell when someone runs a red light.  Consider signing the letter to urge Governor Brown to do the right thing and help keep California roads safe for everyone.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Guest Columns / Tags: , , , ,

1400 words worth of time-wasting bike links to ruin any hope of Tuesday pre-High Holiday productivity

September 25, 2012 / / 3 comments

Consider this my attempt to eliminate any Tuesday productivity.

No, really.

I’ve been saving these links up since last Friday; this was actually going to be last night’s post until breaking news got in the way.

And yes, no matter how long I’ve been working on something, word of a fallen rider will always take precedence over everything else.

So grab a cup, sit back and limber up your clicking finger. Because I can’t be responsible for any missed rides due to strained trackpad finger.

………

First up, a quick reminder that the LACBC’s Civic Engagement Committee will meet at 6:45 pm tonight at the Pitfire Pizza at 2nd and Main Downtown, across from the new LAPD headquarters, to discuss electing more bike-friendly political leaders.

And please accept my personal apology for scheduling this meeting on Yom Kippur. The committee regularly meets on the last Tuesday of every month, and like an idiot, I failed to check the calendar until it was too late to reschedule.

Which I guess gives me something to atone for the next time I go to confession.

G’mar Chatimah Tovah

………

If you haven’t read this one already, take a look at this must-read Slate article, as a self-admitted scofflaw jerk cyclist looks at the psychology of why so many drivers hate us.

No, really. I’ll wait.

………

Back already?

Family and friends remember the life of fallen cyclist Sarah Leaf; when will we decide that too many good people have died in our automotive holocaust?

The back-to-back cycling deaths shine a light on Newport Beach’s deadly track record. Collision statistics suggest the city is a risky place to ride; despite what the story says, 45 collisions through the first nine months of 2012 does not represent a decrease from 57 in 2011 — it actually projects out to a sizable increase for the full year. Orange County’s cdmCyclist says we’re facing a cycling tsunami and it’s time to do something.

………

UK bike scribe Carlton Reid nails it in asking why some misguided politicians and paid pontificators demand that cyclists behave before we get bike paths.

The demonisation of cyclists needs to end. It would help if politicians and journalists recognised that cyclists are not one homogenous group and the sins of one should not be reason to impugn all.*

On the other hand, a writer for the Guardian, which is usually very supportive of cycling, takes a back-handed slap at cyclists in discussing a government minister who went off on security police officers who wouldn’t let him ride his bike through the gates of 10 Downing Street.

Braying at the police may go down well among those fellow cyclists who think the rules do not apply to them, but it is at odds with the requirement for whips to put leader and party first at all times.

Another writer asks if you’ve experienced absurd, self-righteous anger, even if you didn’t take it out on a cop.

………

Philipe Gilbert is your new men’s 2012 road bike world champ, attacking with just 2.2. km to go to win the race, while Marianne Vos wins for the women to cap a near perfect year.

And UCI reveals long past due plans to sort of boost women’s professional cycling. But really, they’re mostly serious about actually kind of doing something this time.

………

LADOT posts the agenda for next month’s BPIT meeting. Bike lanes come to Grand Avenue. Christin Zeisler says goodbye to her bike, but not to riding, after being hit by a shuttle van last week; police are still looking for a suspect, but don’t seem to be too hopeful given the limited evidence. Santa Monica and Malibu schools celebrate non-motorized transportation with Bike It! Walk It! Day on October 3rd and 5th; wouldn’t that make it Days, then? Writing for Orange 20, Richard Risemberg says L.A.-area cycling is building momentum; Beverly Hills, not so much. The Source asks if bike escalators should come to Los Angeles; only if we want to stop treating bike riders like second-class citizens, and why would anyone want to do that? Arnold and daughter ride in Santa Monica, where a planned replacement bridge promises better access to the pier. According to the CHP, there’s been a “slight” 48% increase in Topanga Canyon traffic collisions over the last three years. Boyonabike continues his look at the Pasadena bike plan. Carson is home to the 2012 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships starting this Thursday. The rich get richer as Long Beach cyclists will soon get three new bike boulevards. Bike Talk talks ProWalk ProBike, while Streetsblog’s Streetfilms looks at the associated National Women’s Bicycling Summit.

The Orange County Register names the county’s top three bike shops, as well as the county’s three best bike paths. A San Diego cyclist looks back on a year of car-free commuting after trading her car for a bike at last year’s Tour de Fat. San Diego cyclists get their first green lane. A 103-year old Ontario bike shop is still going strong. A Santa Barbara man gets about seven months for embezzling 13 bikes worth $42,000 as a former employee of Bicycle Bobs. San Francisco cyclists celebrate the 20th anniversary of Critical Mass. A 79-year old Sacramento cyclist dies four days after he was hit by a car after allegedly failing to yield the right-of-way, which I’m sure has been confirmed by witnesses other than the driver, who could have an inherent interest in blaming the victim; thanks to George Wolfberg for the heads-up.

So if USADA’s case against Lance Armstrong is so strong, why aren’t they sharing the evidence with the UCI?  Speaking of which, Congress considers reforming USADA, but claims that has nothing to do with Lance. American cyclists have gone from no bike insurance to actually having real options. Former Long Beachers The Path Less Pedaled look back at last week’s Interbike show in Las Vegas, while the national Streetsblog Network says maybe it’s time to say vaya con dios to Las Vegas. A Portland study suggests cyclists make better customers in the long run. An unusually honest Portland man buys a stolen bike for $40, then returns it to its rightful owner. Colorado endurance athlete survives a lightening strike while riding — with a heart rate 30 points higher than usually fatal. Nearside street signals could cut down on those idiots who stop in the middle of the intersection, let alone the crosswalk. Gisele Bundchen bikes in Beantown. New York opens its first Bike Friendly Business District. The Wall Street Journal offers a field guide to spotting cyclists; and yes, it’s been done before — repeatedly. Texas cyclist rides 10 miles with a kitty on her tits. A Baton Rouge writer says bikes should be banned from a busy main road, rather than expecting drivers to use it safely.

A panel of British MPs considers ways to get more people biking, while Brit bike advocates debate whether the country’s roads are too dangerous for cyclists; the nation’s Transport Minister says fear of cycling is holding them back. UK authorities seize parked bikes in anticipation of a political convention; actually, they might have a good reason for that. An Irish county considers banning bicycles from public parks, evidently willing to force toddlers to learn how to ride their bikes on busy streets. The afore mentioned George Wolfberg also sends a link to this story about a three day, 100 mile tour of Luxembourg; and yes, I want to ride it. Hong Kong frowns on bike commuting; you’d think they’d realize that encouraging cycling gets cars off their crowded streets. New Zealand cyclists ask for a little space and tolerance from motorists.

Finally, a truly big-hearted UK driver tells the seriously injured 12-year old cyclist he just ran over “I hope you haven’t dented my car” before driving off and leaving him to bleed in the street; the schmuck later turned himself in.

And you might enjoy these photos of the fountain that suddenly sprouted next to my building this afternoon. As someone else pointed out, bikes seldom lose control and sheer off fire hydrants.

Although to be fair, the car pictured above didn’t hit the hydrant; the driver just had the misfortune of running over it after someone else ran off the road and knocked it into the street.

*For reasons that have never been adequately explained, the apparent misspelling are correct on the other side of the Atlantic — two countries divided by a common language and all that, which doesn’t actually appear to have been said by anyone. So feel free to claim it for yourself if you’re so inclined.

Category: General / Tags: , ,
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