July 22, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Man riding bike killed by hit-and-run driver in North Hollywood Monday night; 5th bike rider to die in LA County since end of June
Yet another life has been taken by a heartless coward who didn’t have the basic human decency to stop afterwards.
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was trying to cross Lankershim Blvd south of Arminta Street around 10:55 pm when he was struck by the driver of an older-model silver Dodge Ram pickup traveling south on Lankershim.
He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver continued driving south without stopping.
KTLA-5 reports that the victim was riding outside of the crosswalk, which is absolutely irrelevant since there is no requirement for bicyclists to use one. And just like drivers, they are entitled to move from one side of the street to the other, whether turning, crossing or making a U-turn.
So the question is whether the victim had the right-of-way, which could depend on where the driver came from and how fast they were going.
Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Valley Traffic Bureau Detective Otrosina at 818/644-8036, or Detective Martinez at 818/644-8033.
As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.
This is at least the 26th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the tenth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the fifth we’ve learned about in the City of Los Angeles.
This was the fifth person to die riding a bicycle in LA County in less than a month, and the ninth SoCal bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver since the first of the year.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
July 22, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Petition for red light cam at Fountain and Gardner, build a more livable South Bay, and tell Metro how to improve public safety
Day 203 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
What does it take to create livable and walkable communities?
Join us for an informative and dynamic conversation with special guests from Livable Communities Initiative and Parking Reform Network on policy and planning reforms to create a more livable, affordable South Bay community. We’ll learn from experts in urban planning and parking reform and hear from local organizations engaged in this work. This event will spark real conversations about local reforms that can bring down the cost of living and shape neighborhoods focused around people instead of cars.
Suggested donation of $10 per person to cover event costs.
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Metro is now accepting applications to join their Public Safety Advisory Committee.
Metro is seeking applicants to participate on our Public Safety Advisory Committee which will work to review, comment, and provide input on how the agency can reimagine public safety on our system.
We are looking for individuals who regularly ride Metro and are committed to supporting the agency in fulfilling its Public Safety Mission Statement, to “safeguard the transit community by taking a holistic, equitable and welcoming approach to public safety, in recognition that each individual is entitled to a safe, dignified and human experience.” Metro also seeks to ensure that the perspectives of youth, women, seniors and people with disabilities are represented. Please note, members serving on the PSAC are not required to be U.S. citizens but need to reside in Los Angeles County.
PSAC meetings occur in personmonthly over a two-year term, with the potential for additional outreach, engagement, and subcommittee meetings as deemed necessary.
The PSAC is composed of individuals who can contribute their relevant experience as riders and expertise in:
Racial justice
Equitable transit
Public safety reform
Law enforcement
Victims’ rights
Mental health
Homelessness
Social services
We appreciate your interest in helping us ensure that Metro provides world-class transportation for all.
Applications for Metro’s Public Safety Advisory Committee will be accepted until Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
Twenty-three-year old Autumn Donna Ascencio Romero was hit with charges of with murder, manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, aggravated vehicular homicide, criminal possession of a weapon, leaving the scene of an accident and criminal possession of stolen property.
That last one is because she was allegedly behind the wheel of a stolen car when she “flew” off a bridge at an excessive speed before jumping a curb, hitting the victims and slamming into a police van hard enough to knock it into a jewelry store.
Meanwhile, her 22-year old passenger faces two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
None of which will bring either victim back, of course.
But it’s a start.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
But sometimes, it’s the people on bikes behaving badly.
Elderly Singaporean residents complain that the area outside a market and food center has become a “dumping ground” for disorderly parked bicycles. Although we could also applaud the market for being exceptionally successful at attracting bicycle traffic.
They get it, too. Jacksonville, Florida completed an $11 million road diet, slimming a four lane roadway down to one lane in each direction, along with sidewalks and bike lanes, in part because they expect it to attract business.
A British coroner is criticizing a French investigation into the death of a high-end wine merchant, who was stuck by a driver while on a bicycling vacation in Burgundy, concluding the investigation “by the gendarmerie was inadequate” and finding no evidence the victim and his companions were riding recklessly, as the French cops had concluded.
A museum in Bhopal, India features 30 “luxurious” bicycles that cost more than some cars, including a tri bike with a frame made from a single sheet of carbon fiber with no joints anywhere. Then again, an entry-level car costs less than five grand in India.
July 21, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Car a weapon of mass destruction in East Hollywood, vigil for WeHo bike rider, and Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and…Pee-wee
Day 202 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
One of those resulted in a conviction for a hate crime after Ramirez sucker-punched an employee at a Whole Foods Market in Laguna Beach, telling an officer it was because the man was Black, and “he hated all Black people,” although the conviction was later overturned on appeal.
But maybe it’s time we ask why people with a demonstrated history of violence are allowed to continue operating a potential multi-ton weapon of mass destruction.
Because until we take cars away from violent felons just like we do guns, tragedies like this will keep happening.
Even the corgi honored a request from the family of Blake Ackerman that everyone wear Hawaiian shirts to the vigil for the fallen bicyclist to remember his love for the islands. Photo by Damian Kevitt,
Ackerman’s fiancé Victoria “Torie” Ball was there representing the victim, since his family chose to mourn in private, in what Streets Are For Everyone founder Damian Kevitt described as “a very emotional time for the family.”
The website reports that West Hollywood Mayor Chelsea Byers and Councilmembers Danny Hang and Lauren Meister attended, along with Culver City Councilmember Bryan “Bubba” Fish.
Unfortunately, no representatives of the City of Los Angeles chose to attend, even though the dividing line between the cities is literally the curb on the north side of the street, with Fountain in West Hollywood and the sidewalk in Los Angeles.
According to Kevitt,
“They (Ackerman’s family) thanked us for the work we’re doing–not only remembering Blake, but making sure this moment leads to real change. It’s about more than what happened. It’s about preventing future tragedies.”
Mayor Byers echoed that sentiment. “We’re here holding a vigil for Blake, who died on Fountain Avenue while riding his bike, and we’re vowing to fight for safer streets in West Hollywood and across the region,” she said. “I’m grateful that a council member from Culver City joined us tonight–it shows this is a regional issue. We’re all fighting for a future where people don’t have to risk their lives just to ride a bike.”
Amen to that.
A poster for another fatal hit-and-run was posted across the street from the Ackerman vigil and ghost bike, for a crash less than two weeks earlier, and just block away.
You can just imagine the lessons learned by future school kids as they admire memorabilia from Alamo legends Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, William Travis, and yes, Pee-wee Herman.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
Once again, the LAPD failed to use their hit-and-run alert system, and waited months to tell us a man in his 60s was severely injured when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver, while riding his bicycle in LA’s Pico-Union neighborhood in the early hours of May 28th; there is a standing $25,000 reward for any hit-and-run resulting in serious injuries in the City of Los Angeles.
Nelson Vails, 1984 Olympic cycling hero and the first Black man to win an Olympic medal, says he likes RAGBRAI, aka the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, because it’s just a relaxed ride, and not a race.
More proof cyclists are tough, after Julian Alaphilippe popped his shoulder out crashing his bike on stage 15, popped it back in, and still finished just off the podium — even though he thought he won, except a) two riders finished far ahead of him and the rest of the peloton, and b) Primož Roglič knocked him off the podium in a photo finish.
July 18, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Missing Oregon mtn biker drives himself home, WeHo vigil & rally for safer streets tonight, and Bike Talk talks bike stuff
Day 199 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
He explained his absence, which prompted searches with drones and National Guard troops, by saying he hid his mountain bike so it wouldn’t get stolen, then lost his footing while hiking and slid down a steep embankment. Unable to climb back up, he walked further down to a stream, becoming ill after drinking from it.
He eventually made it back to the trail, then hiked back to retrieve his bike — which was still there — before returning to his car and driving to a friend’s house.
As we reported yesterday, a 73-year old man was arrested by sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday, which gave him plenty of time to sober up if he had been under the influence.
The second part of the memorial honoring Ackerman will take place this evening, with a vigil beginning at 6 pm at Fountain and Gardner, before walking to West Hollywood City Hall for a rally and press conference.
I’ll be there for the first part of the vigil, but will have to skip the rest due to family obligations.
And yes, I’ll be the one with the corgi, and without the Hawaiian shirt.
Twitter post
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Bike Talk talks about opportunities in the New York protected bike lane crisis, a Bike Life buyout for LA street vendors, and suspicions of an “anti-vehicle agenda” in San Diego.
Although that last part sounds a lot like the mythical war on cars.
But sometimes, it’s the people on bikes behaving badly.
Lime Bikes is rolling out a London billboard campaign reminding bikeshare users they’re required to stop at red lights, as if they didn’t already know and just don’t bother.
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Local
Both the Los Angeles City Council and Mayor Bass have signed off on the ground rules to implement Measure HLA, which took affect over a year earlier; the measure requires the city to build out the mobility plan whenever a significant portion of a street is resurfaced, which it hasn’t done up to now.
A pair of “fearless adventurers” for The Inertia take an ebike tour across Catalina Island in a single day, saying the 4,000 feet of elevation gain and 360° ocean views make it an adventure you need to experience.
State
The state Senate has approved SB 720, a bill to modernize red light cameras to make it easier for cities to choose to install them; it now moves on to the Assembly.
A new report from Santa Cruz County reveals the county ranks second in California for bicycling deaths and injuries, and fifth for pedestrian crashes and deaths.
Tadej Pogačar claimed his 20th Tour de France stage victory on the famed Hautacam, redeeming himself after losing to Jonas Vingegaard on the mountain three years ago, and reclaiming the yellow jersey with a more than three-and-a-half minute lead over second place Vingegaard.
July 17, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on 73-year old man busted for fatal WeHo hit-and-run, new CicLAvia maps revealed, and we all need a pro-bike guidebook
Day 198 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
Adams is accused of running Ackerman down from behind as on Fountain Ave near Gardner, and continuing west on Fountain without stopping.
Authorities said he was arrested after witnesses and tipsters helped identify his car. WeHo Timescredits Florida resident Shanna Meade with giving investigators a video of Adams’ car and license plate.
Despite the arrest, the case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call LA County Sheriff’s traffic investigators at the West Hollywood station at 310/855-8850.
Unless additional charges are filed, Adams faces a maximum of four years behind bars under California’s lenient hit-and-run laws.
Matt Parker, one of Ackerman’s closest friends, gave a moving statement, while his fiancé and friends wrote personal messages on the freshly painted white bike.
Ackerman had recently returned to Los Angeles to work as associate at DTLA law firm Morgan Lewis. He was likely returning home from a late day at work when he was killed, have just taken up bike commuting and transit use rather than driving.
The ghost bike ceremony was organized by the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition with assistance from Streets Are For Everyone.
A larger vigil will be held Friday starting at 6 pm at Fountain and Gardner, followed by a short march to West Hollywood City Hall for a rally and press conference.
Everyone is urged to attend to call for safer streets in WeHo, and throughout the area.
And yes, I mean everyone.
Today’s photos show the newly installed ghost bike for Blake Ackerman, along with the installation ceremony.
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CicLAvia unveiled the map for October’s Heart of LA CicLAvia, marking the 15th anniversary of America’s largest open streets event.
However, there are two events preceding it, in August and September.
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Good question.
Bluesky post
As I recall, back in the dark ages when I served on the board, staffers at the former Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition — now BikeLA — developed a short guide on how to respond to common objections.
But it really would make sense for someone to pen a handbook with effective arguments against the most common complaints, which would undoubtedly become an instant best seller.
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Call it elder abuse.
Anyone who is still riding a bicycle at 85 deserves better than to be killed by an alleged drunk driver, like this man in Portland, Oregon.
The same goes for an 83-year of British Columbia woman killed by the driver of a semi truck, who played the international Get Out of Jail Free card by claiming he didn’t see her.
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
No bias here. London’s walking and cycling commissioner decries the “antagonism” between bicyclists and motorists on social media, saying it’s “not representative of real life.” But all the Evening Standard wants to talk about is his statement that some bike riders “are idiots” — even though he included motorists in that statement, too.
But sometimes, it’s the people on bikes behaving badly.
Chico breaks ground on a new bike track that will bring state-of-the-art amenities for riders. Presumably without damaging any ancient archaeological artifacts.
National
Walmart has issued a recall of 200 children’s bikes that pose a risk of illness or death due to excessive levels of lead; parents are urged to destroy the bikes sold under the SPPTTY brand.
Two men from Grand Rapids, Michigan are way ahead of schedule on their fundraising ride to Los Angeles to benefit Pedal to the Rescue, a nonprofit on a mission to support the heroes who fought LA’s wildfires, on track to finish the ride in half of the 82 days originally estimated.
Cycling Weekly tests four of the best road bikes for under $2,400, and says you can get a lot more for your money than you could ten years ago. Tell me about it. I spent about that much for a 2014 LeMond, which doesn’t hold a candle to today’s bikes. Although putting a candle on a bike doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Um, okay. Dame Joan Collins — yes, that Joan Collins — pens a confusing “diary” post that starts with complaints about the British prime minister, even though it’s about the invasion of Lime Bikes, or maybe an invasion of immigrants on Lime Bikes, before moving on in truly Trumpian fashion to talk about hard working movie people and telling Ingrid Bergman’s daughter to bugger off.
Um, okay, too. A new Chinese study examines “The nonlinear relationship between built environment and cycling propensity for different travel purposes − based on extreme gradient boosting decision tree.”
Competitive Cycling
Tragic news from Italy’s Giro della Valle d’Aosta, where 19-year old Italian cyclist Samuele Privitera died following a crash on Wednesday’s stage 1; Privitera was a member of the Jayco AlUla World Tour team, owned and managed by Alex Merckx, son of the legendary Eddy Merckx. Stage 2 was cancelled following Privitera’s death.
Day 197 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
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Let’s call this a trial balloon.
For years now, I’ve been calling for an end to hit-and-runs, in a region where nearly half of all collisions end with a fleeing driver, according to a report from LA Weekly that is no longer online.
Although to be fair, the LAPD has consistently said that roughly 33% percent of all collisions are hit-and-runs, based on COMPSTAT data, less than 10% of which ever get solved. In fact, most are never investigated if someone isn’t dead or seriously injured
But either way, it’s too damn high.
While the legislature has worked around the edges to address the problem, those efforts haven’t gone nearly far enough to put the slightest dent into the problem.
So I’m proposing a simplified version of the reforms I’ve been calling for, to see what you think, before I try starting a petition and taking it to legislators and advocacy groups.
You can leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Make the penalty for hit-and-run equal to the penalty for DUI, including fines, jail time and license suspensions, to remove one of the primary incentives to flee.
Anyone who leaves the scene of a KSI crash — Killed or Serious Injury — will automatically have their license revoked by the DMV, regardless of any criminal conviction or plea,
Anyone who leaves the scene of a KSI crash will have their car impounded as evidence once it’s found; upon conviction, the car will be sold and the proceeds donated to a victim’s fund, after any loans or liens are payed off.
Prosecutors should have the option of charging drivers with 2nd degree murder, or attempted murder, for making the conscious decision to flee and leave the victim to suffer the consequences.
That’s it.
It is, admittedly, a tough approach.
But it’s the only approach I’m aware of that will remove the incentive to flee, while making the penalty harsh enough to make drivers think twice. Or three times, even.
And let’s be honest. Anyone who flees a serious crash has already demonstrated that they can’t be trusted to be obey the law, and shouldn’t be allowed on the streets.
And I promise that’s the last time I’m going to use the phrase Mid-City here. Unless it isn’t.
As I recall, the project was originally proposed in those heady days before the pandemic, so it’s been in a works for quite awhile.
The neighborhood greenway will be one of the city’s few examples of a bicycle boulevard, or a series of bicycle priority streets, similar to Santa Monica’s successful Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway, aka MANGo.
It will run on on Rosewood Ave, Formosa Ave and Orange Drive to connect La Cienega and Hollywood boulevards, through a series of diverters, traffic circles and protected bike lanes to provide a low-stress, relatively carfree route through the Mid-City area.
Oops.
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Streets For All says we can do better than an unprotected bike lane on Alameda and Spring streets, and want you to tell LADOT so.
Twitter post
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Here are the full details for today’s ghost bike installation for Blake Ackerman, as well as Friday’s vigil and rally.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
More on the complaints from business owners on Black Mountain Road in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos neighborhood, who somehow don’t think their businesses can survive the loss of just 30 to 40 parking spaces. As if their customers won’t walk a few more feet to visit them, and a safer road for bike riders doesn’t offer the potential to bring them far more customers.
New Mexico’s Picuris Pueblo, one of 21 Native American nations that have survived for centuries in the region, is investing in its own community with the newest bike park in the US, which will open with a competition offering more than $8,000 in total prize money.
The organizers of British Columbia’s Okanagan Granfondo are under fire following a crash killed one man and injured two others when a driver slammed into a group of riders, and organizers allowed the fondo to continue as if nothing happened.
If cycling events for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics remain on the current dates, it could conflict with the Tour de France, forcing the ’28 Tour to start weeks earlier and throwing off the year’s entire cycling calendar.
