Friday afternoon links

February 5, 2010 / / Comments Off on Friday afternoon links

I’ve been working on today’s post, but it’s just taking too long to finish. Meanwhile, work calls. And I’ve just got too darn many good links piling up.

So before I run out the door, here’s today’s links. And check back later this evening for my opus on quantum theory and the state of cycling in L.A.

……..

Local cyclist Todd Munson asks if cars and bikes can co-exist in L.A. — and concludes they can with a little common sense on both sides. GT encounters a 70-year old cyclist who can out climb him on Sepulveda Pass. GOOD discovers the proposed Backbone Bikeway Network, which has now officially gone international. The Wilshire Center Business Improvement District announces its support for the 4th Street Bicycle Boulevard. A Laguna author signs copies of her new book about cycling the canals of France next Wednesday. San Francisco’s new police chief scapegoats the city’s family-friendly Critical Mass, while ignoring dangerous conditions on the streets. San Antonio’s proposed three-foot passing law is about changing behavior and encouraging safer driving habits. After NY officials reject two of his new designs, David Byrne threatens to take his bike rack designs and go home. While L.A. struggles to agree on a 2010 bike plan, Portland is already planning for 2030 — at the equivalent cost of building just 12 miles of freeway. HuffPo looks at bike lanes around the world. A team of celebrities will ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats; no, not the one on Pico with the great pumpkin pancakes. Britain’s leading cycling organization urges riders to report bad drivers. My favorite rural Scotland sometimes bike blogger and author posts a new short story online, which I will have to read over the weekend. Finally, Gary is back to blogging after a long and much missed absence, a trip to Joshua Tree and a new engagement — congratulations and best wishes to both!

Category: General / Tags: , ,

A little this, a little that — Dangerous intersections, Alta out(?), an endorsement and a miracle

February 4, 2010 / / 3 comments

There’s been a lot going on in the local bike world this week. So allow me to catch up with a few items that haven’t made it in here yet.

LAPD wants to know which intersections are most dangerous In a recent post on the LACBC’s website, they noted that LAPD Cdr. David Doan and Sgt. David Krumer made presentation to new bicycle task force working with the department, which included a report on tracking data relating to bicycle traffic incidents.

As part of his presentation, Sgt. Kramer said that he could start mobilizing officers to reduce the number of these incidents if he knew what the most dangerous intersections for cyclists are.

According to the LACBC:

Some of the “tools” Commander Doan mentioned they could start using to make sure drivers are respecting bicyclist safety are stings (similar to the pedestrian stings happening earlier this year), increased uniformed enforcement, and LAPD supported recommendations to DOT on streets and intersections that need to be reworked—including broken or non-existent bike-detectors that leave you forced to run a red light to get home at night and impassable intersections designed without any considerations beyond vehicles.

As a result, the organization is asking cyclists to report what you think are the most dangerous intersections for cyclists, via Twitter @lacbc, on Facebook, or through an interactive Google Map the LACBC has set up.

Officer Bike-Friendly may not be back quite yet. But it’s looking a lot better out there.

………

Alta Design withdraws from L.A. Bike Plan According to LADOT Bikeways Coordinator Michelle Mowery’s report to the Bicycle Advisory Committee, funding for Alta Design’s contract with the city has run out.

As a result, one of the nation’s most respected bicycling design firms will no longer be participating in revising the bike plan, leaving it up to city staff to make revisions based on public comments. She now estimates that the Planning Department will release a revised version in late February or early March — but don’t be surprised if that timeline slips even more due to reduced staffing and city budget problems.

Call me crazy, but when I give an estimate to my clients, I budget in extra time make any necessary changes. And I stick around until the job is done.

Then again, I don’t have to work with the City of Los Angeles.

Update: According to Alex Thompson, Alta says they’re going to finish the job, despite LADOT’s report to the contrary. So what’s really going on, God only knows.

………

Other bikeways projects affected by budget Mowery’s report also indicates that budgetary issues are impacting other projects. While 400 new inverted-U bike racks have been recently installed, contract issues may halt further installations for the time being, and possible reductions in staffing — in other words, layoffs — could cause severe cutbacks in the bike parking program. And the long-awaited Sharrows pilot study, which many cyclists believe has already started, will now be completed by Bikeways staff during their furlough hours, using funding from the Southern California Association of Governments.

………

Consider this an official endorsement As you may have noticed over the past few days, Dr. Alex — the good Dr. Thompson — and I have disagreed about completing the Marvin Braude Bike Path by extending it a few miles north.

Friends do that sometimes.

But that doesn’t change my high opinion of Alex Thompson. He’s one of the city’s leading bike activists, a co-founder of the Bikerowave and one of the prime drivers behind the Bike Writers Collective and the Bike Working Group. And a major pain in the ass to any government official who stands in the way of bicycling in the L.A. area.

He was also one of the first supporters of this blog, and has encouraged me to become more productively involved in tackling local bike issues.

Yesterday, he announced that he’s running for Community Director of the Mar Vista Neighborhood Council. And while I may not always agree with him, I couldn’t respect Alex more — and I offer him my unqualified endorsement.

Seriously, if you live, work, volunteer, own property or are otherwise connected to the Mar Vista area in some way, he deserves your support.

………

Notify the Vatican — the Mayor and LADOT’s GM support cyclists In a truly stunning development, both LADOT General Manage Rita Robinson and Mayor Villaraigosa showed their support for cycling yesterday, as they tweeted about the need to educate drivers and make the streets safer for cyclists.

Now if they’ll just turn those sentiments into official policy.

………

LAist looks at the dispute over completing the $30 million beachfront bike path. The Rampart Village Neighborhood Council endorses the 4th Street Bike Boulevard. Jeremy Grant looks at the Backbone Bikeway Network; I think it’s brilliant, but there are those who don’t. Just days after the Idaho Stop fails in Utah, Arizona takes up the debate. Iowa cyclists push for a vulnerable user and three foot passing law, while San Antonio considers a three foot rule for all vulnerable users. Cycling contributes $1.5 billion — yes, with a B — to Wisconsin’s economy. A Memphis man is arrested for shooting at a cyclist because he thought the rider was a crackhead; I’m sure that must have made sense to him at the time. Outdated Consumer Product Safety regulations mean your bike could be illegal. Race radios are now banned in US bike races as well as le Tour. A Belfast driver goes on trial for killing one of Northern Ireland’s top racers in an attempt to miss a dog; he probably missed his flight, as well. London 2012 organizers raise the roof on the new Velodrome.

Finally, KPCC’s Patt Morrison is scheduled to discuss the BWG’s proposed Backbone Bikeway Network with Mihai Peteu this afternoon. The show runs from 1 to 3 pm at 89.3 FM; best guess is that Mihai’s segment will run begin around 1:20 pm, and recording of the program should be available on the KPCC website later today.

Category: General / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Much ado about almost nothing — the $30 million Bike Path extension

February 3, 2010 / / 33 comments

Why would a city that’s facing a $200 million budget deficit spend $30 million to extend a recreational bikeway?

With a lot of luck — and $30 million — that arrow could point both ways someday.

Actually, it wouldn’t.

In fact, Los Angeles officials are hoping they can get the job done without spending a dime. Stranger things have happened.

As reported here last week, city officials have begun the process of requesting funds to complete the long-planned final leg of the Marvin Braude Bike Path, from where it currently ends at Temescal Canyon Road to the entrance to the Getty Villa.

What wasn’t reported was the cost — a whopping $15 million each for the approximately two miles of bike lane it would add, due to the need to elevate a significant portion of the bikeway along the beach.

As the esteemed — or in this case, steamed — Dr. Alex pointed out, 30 million dollars would pay for over 1,000 mikes of new bike lanes. Far more than contemplated in the city’s proposed bike plan, and barely enough to meet the needs of the city’s cyclists.

It would also be enough to save funding for L.A.’s neighborhood councils, and maybe even a few of the 1,000 jobs currently on the line in this city.

However, that’s apples and oranges. Or bananas and kumquats, or whatever mismatched fruit more precisely fits your tastes.

Because the funding would not come out of the city budget, or even out of the cash-strapped state’s. And it would not take away from any future funding for bicycle infrastructure, or prevent the installation of a single on-street bike commuter lane.

In fact, the money doesn’t even exist yet. Because the matter currently being considered by various council committees (10-0002-S4) isn’t a motion to decide what to spend the money on, or even to request funding.

All that Council Member Rosendahl has proposed is a resolution asking the Council and the Mayor to go on record as supporting the project. Which will then allow the city’s representatives in Washington to start scrounging around for any funds that may be available for this sort of project.

That’s it.

Even though the country is deeply in debt, there are funds available for things like this, whether as part of the stimulus package, or some other authorization or appropriation bill. And turning it down probably won’t save a penny in the federal budget, because if we don’t take it, chances are, someone else will.

That’s just the way the system works.

It’s not like this isn’t a worthwhile project. While the bike path is used primarily for recreation, opening up this last section will allow cyclists to bypass one of the most dangerous sections of PCH, where riders are forced to share the lane with impatient drivers often traveling at speeds in excess of 50 mph.

In other words, it could save lives — and probably will, if it gets built. And at the same time, open up the coast highway to riders who don’t feel comfortable taking the lane in those first few miles between Santa Monica and Malibu under those circumstances.

Just to be sure, though, I reached out to some of my contacts at City Hall this afternoon. They assured me that no one has any intention of blowing the entire bikeways budget on this one project, and that the extension won’t move forward unless it receives significant federal funding.

So don’t hold your breath.

This is a long shot. But it’s one worth taking.

………

Update: The L.A. Times has taken notice of the Bike Working Group’s proposed Backbone Bikeway Network, an alternative to the city’s proposed bike plan that uses major arterial streets to connect cyclists to virtually every part of the city. If the mayor and council are truly serious about making this a better city for cycling, they need to take a hard look at this — and ask why their high-cost plan isn’t nearly as effective.

………

The legal process has begun for the hit-and-run driver who ran down popular local rider Roadblock. Will Campbell schedules his upcoming 8 Presidents Ride for Saturday the 13th. GOOD looks at the plans to turn 4th Street into L.A.’s first bike boulevard. Writing on Bob Mionske’s blog, Rick Bernardi looks at the “I didn’t see him” excuse for hitting a cyclist. The cyclist killed in the Bay Area yesterday was a devoted single father living car-free in Los Gatos; the driver has been arrested. The SFPD plans to use Compstat to track cycling collisions — something we should look at here. World Champ Cadel Evans — or Cuddles, as the Trickster calls him — turns up unexpectedly in Palo Alto Tuesday morning. Professional cyclist Tom Zirbel faces a two-year suspension after his B sample tests positive for DHEA.You won’t be calling it the Utah stop anytime soon, as the Beehive State considers — and rejects — the Idaho stop. A well-known Nevada cyclist, racer and bike shop owner was killed over the weekend. Zeke faces a father and child riding head-on towards his car on the wrong side of a snowy the road. Admiration for living car-free in bullheaded car-centric Texas. Presenting the first self-balancing unicycle. Great photo of cowboy cyclists in Tucson’s Old Pueblo. Call it the Rosetta Stone of cycling; the Bicycle Lexicon tell you how to talk bikes in 23 languages. New Zealand employees are urged to swap four wheels for two during Bike Wise Month. Will Sydney’s planned Bike Hub be successful? Half of all bike thefts in England and Wales go unreported. Finally, a teenage Lancashire driver gets nine months for repeatedly attempting to run a cyclist off the road — not realizing his attempted victim was a police inspector.

Category: General / Tags: , , , ,

BAC meets Tuesday — new location, new attention from police brass

February 2, 2010 / / Comments Off on BAC meets Tuesday — new location, new attention from police brass

L.A.’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, appointed by the city council members to advise them on bicycling issues, holds its next bi-monthly meeting tonight — with a promised appearance from high-ranking members of the LAPD.

The LAPD has been meeting with select members of the LACBC, Bikeside, the Bike Writers Collective, Sustainable Streets, LA Bike Working Group, IlluminateLA, the Voice Newspapers and the BAC to improve training for police officers on bike issues and cyclists’ right to the road.

Evidently, my invitation got lost in the mail.

However, this is your chance to voice your opinion on the often-troubled relationship between cyclists and police, as well as the hit-and-run epidemic and whether you get the support you need from the LAPD to feel safe on the streets of L.A. And what you think needs to be done to improve the situation.

Personally, I’m holding out for better training for accident investigators into the unique mechanics of cycling collisions, so they won’t conclude that any more cyclists backed into the cars that hit them. Or that a cyclist could break the laws of physics by falling to the left while leaning into a right turn, as they did in my case.

As well as never again concluding that it’s the cyclist’s fault when a rider collides with a car or truck that just right-hooked him, as recently happened in Long Beach.

Because no cyclist — not you, not me, not any of us — will be safe on the streets as long as the police continue to blame us for the actions of others.

There will also be discussion of the status of bike lane work on Winnetka Avenue, Reseda Boulevard and Rinaldi Avenue, as well as Main Street in Venice. Along with construction of the San Fernando Road Bike Path and extension of the L.A. River Bike Path.

The meeting starts at 7 pm at the Hollywood Neighborhood City Hall Community Room, 6501 Fountain Avenue in Hollywood.

According to BAC President Glenn Bailey:

Three bicycle parking racks are in front of the building on Fountain; there is also wrought iron fencing in the rear that can be used to lock up bicycles. Metro Red Line stations are located at Hollywood and Vine (closest) and Hollywood and Highland, both just a short bicycle ride away. There is also a motor vehicle parking lot directly behind the building (to the north).

I won’t be able to make it this time due to a prior commitment. Although I will be at the City Council Transportation Committee meeting on the 24th, when the theme will be Bike Safety — and we’re promised new LAPD Chief Beck will be present.

But I urge you to attend if you can make it to Hollywood tonight. Because it sounds like this BAC meeting will definitely be worth it.

………

The Bike Working Group proposes a Backbone Bikeway Network connecting every part of the city as part of their Best Bike Plan; now that’s more like it. LACBC reports on bike sharing, the proposed anti-harassment ordinance and speed limit increases. Damien Newton rides the DIY sharrows and lives, despite LADOT’s trepidations. Will offers his take on saving seconds by jumping the light. Pasadena plans to improve the popular Rose Bowl loop. A Los Gatos cyclist riding on the sidewalk is killed by an out-of-control driver. Bob Mionske says use a gun, go to jail; use a car, it’s called an accident. Bikes menace pedestrians on St. Augustine sidewalks. Three-time le Tour winner Greg LeMond settles his lawsuit against Trek, the former manufacturer of LeMond bikes. DC police order cyclists to get into a non-existent bike lane. Who has the right-of-way when joggers and cyclists meet head-on? An Ohio appeals court ruling concludes cyclists can’t be searched without individual probable cause. Tucson Bike Lawyer gets a new Dutch bike. An overview of the Dallas Bike Trail Network. SFPD once again prepares to take aim at Critical Mass. Winnipeg considers a $17 million, two-year bridge retrofit to protect cyclists and pedestrians; a local driver suggests it’s your fault if he loses control on icy streets and accidently kills you. A Queensland bike repairman suggests mandatory inspections to get dangerous bikes off the roads; I’m sure the extra work he’d get has nothing to do with it. Bicycling is back on the Emerald Isle, and so is bike theft. Motorists hate the new 30 kph (18 mph) speed limit in Dublin’s city center, while everyone else seems to love it. I have no idea what this says, except it has something to do with Lance Armstrong, Trek, Austin racer Bryan Fawley, an 83 kilometer mountain bike marathon called Miles of Discomfort and the Tour Down Under. Finally, the Swedish rapper who beat a Hollywood jazz musician unconscious before driving over him as an off-duty police officer hung on the door, begging him to stop, has been found guilty of 2nd degree murder.

Category: General / Tags: , , ,

To be honest though, some of these bike-haters have a point

February 1, 2010 / / 22 comments

A cyclist waits patiently for the light to change — something some drivers say they've never seen.

I admit it.

I spend a lot of time on here making fun of drivers.

Not all drivers, of course; after all, I’m one myself. Though these days, I find myself spending less and less time behind the wheel, and more on two wheels, two feet or even — gasp! — on a bus, which is how I made it to the last few meetings I attended at City Hall.

Not only did I survive, I actually enjoyed myself. And didn’t have to spend half an hour and the entire contents of my wallet to secure a parking space nearly as far from my destination as I was when I started out.

And not even most drivers. No, I’m talking about that relative handful of intellectual giants who’ll tell you that all cyclists run red lights, despite demonstrable evidence to the contrary at just about any signalized intersection in town.

Sure, stand there long enough, and you’ll see one or more death-defying kamikaze bike pilots blow through the light as if it, and the cars crisscrossing their path, weren’t there. But you’ll also see other riders who’ll wait patiently for the light to change.

Or the ones who complain about dangerous, unpredictable cyclists hogging the traffic lane, as they sit behind the wheel of their Hummers and Escalades applying their makeup and texting.

But they do have a point, up to a point.

I would argue there are more cyclists who safely share the road, observing traffic signals and right-of-way rules, than there are those who don’t. But you don’t have to spend a lot of time on the road to spot a few who seem to push the limits of safety and sanity.

Take the rider I saw this afternoon. Please.

There he was, blithely cruising through heavy traffic on a busy L.A. boulevard, headphones on and riding in the lane with no hands, a shopping bag dangling from one hand. Fortunately, most drivers were going out of their way to give him a wide berth.

Then again, most Angelenos try to avoid crazy people in the street.

Then there was the guy on the mountain bike who was making his way on the wrong side of the same street, like a salmon going upstream to spawn. And just as a salmon dies after spawning, I wouldn’t have wanted to lay odds on his chances of survival.

It’s one thing to take the lane. But seriously, you’re far better off going with the flow of traffic, instead of wondering why all those people are honking and swearing as they swerve around you.

Of course, I’ve seen worse.

Like the guy who took the lane on Santa Monica Boulevard as he rode through Century City awhile back, despite the presence of one of the city’s better bike lanes sitting clear and unobstructed just a few feet to his right — and a long line of unexpectedly patient drivers following behind. That is, until a cab driver tried to slide by him to get to the right turn lane, and had to endure a violent tirade from the rider for trying to pass him in the bike lane. And yes, that’s the same bike lane he had no interest in using himself.

Or there were the two guys I saw blow through a red light last summer, even though that meant worming their way through a crowded crosswalk, as people struggled to jump out of their path.

For anyone out there who may not be clear on the subject, pedestrians in the crosswalk have the right-of-way. Always.

Period.

I somehow managed to resist the temptation to chase them down and shove their bikes into the same orifice their heads seemed to occupy.

Yet, if you listen to the comments these drivers make, that’s exactly what we’re supposed to do. They expect us to assume responsibility for every law-breaking jerk on two-wheels.

We’re told that it’s up the bicycling community to make the outlaw cyclists straighten up and ride right. And that’s the only way we’ll earn the respect of drivers, and earn our place on the streets.

Which is absurd, of course.

While I would hope that everyone would learn to ride safely — and use a little common sense while they’re at it — our right to the road is already guaranteed by law. It’s not something that has to be earned, or a consideration given by those who share the road with us.

They’re obligated to share the road, safely, regardless of whether they think it’s safe, or smart. And whether they like it or not.

How someone else rides is no more your responsibility than those who speed, fail to signal or make illegal U-Turns are my responsibility when I’m behind the wheel, or that of any other driver on the road.

And until they get that, I don’t expect their respect.

And people like that shouldn’t expect ours.

………

One of the few things I’ve never experienced on a bike — two flats at the same time, from the same pothole. Creek Freak notes improvements to the Elysian Valley Bike Path. The issue isn’t why more men support vehicular cycling, but why so few women ride. Riding Miami’s life-risking Rickenbaker Causeway, two weeks after another rider is killed. Are bikes expensive toys or serious transportation? A Kiwi Olympian is injured in crossing collision in bike-unfriendly Christchurch. In Copenhagen, even manhole covers are bike friendly. Finally, a reminder that people can’t be put back together after an accident.

Category: General / Tags: , , ,

Today’s ride, on which I was so not invisible, for a change

January 30, 2010 / / One comment

There are days when I feel like I must be invisible, as one driver after another fails to see me. And too often, tries to drive right through me as if I wasn’t there.

Today was not one of those days.

Not a single car in the bike lane, for as far as you can see. Or ride, for that matter.

In fact, it was just the opposite, as one driver after another noticed my presence on the road, waving me through intersections and patiently waiting for me to pass. And I found myself doing the same, signaling drivers to go ahead, and waving my thanks so often that I felt like a beauty queen in a homecoming parade.

And they waived back in return. Like the guy I gave a small nod to, indicating that he should go ahead and make his turn while I waited at the stop sign. Not only did he notice, but gave me a smile and a wave of thanks as he rolled by.

Even pedestrians got into the act.

Like the guy who stood waiting at a crosswalk on a corner, despite having the green light. Maybe he was waiting for a walk signal that never came. Or maybe he was just waiting.

Either way, he finally began sauntering across just before the light changed, forcing everyone else to wait through the green until he eventually made it to the other side.

“Late start,” I grumbled as he walked by. But instead of getting annoyed, he laughed out loud and gave me a friendly wave for waiting.

Don’t ask me why.

Maybe everyone was just in a good mood. Or maybe the DWP spilled a few cases of Prozac in the city’s drinking water. Except no one drinks tap water in L.A.

Or unfiltered tap water, anyway.

Usually when I ride, I make a point of reminding myself to focus on the hundreds, if not thousands, of drivers who share the road safely, rather than the one or two jerks who don’t.

This time, I didn’t have do that.

Because there weren’t any.

Not one right hook. No left crosses. No close passes, rude gestures, insults, honks or near misses.

The closest I came to any kind of incident was the SUV-driving woman who darted out from a side street when she found a brief gap in traffic, only to spot me directly in her path. So she stopped where she was and waited for me to pass, blocking traffic in both directions until I was safely out of her way.

And yes, I waved my thanks to her, too.

Frankly, I’m grateful to anyone who doesn’t kill me. And unlike yesterday, if there was anyone driving dangerously or illegally, I didn’t notice.

It was a very good day.

Which just goes to show that, yes, we do have them. And more often than you might think.

Even in L.A.

………

Jeremy Grant explains how the California Vehicle Code applies to sharing the road, for the benefit of all those on either side who just don’t get it. Here in L.A., 36% of all crashes involve cyclists or pedestrians, yet only 1.2% of Federal transportation funding is spent on bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure locally. The CHP officer who said it’s against the law for a little kid to ride “the wrong way” in a crosswalk tries to explain himself; Damien Newton swiftly and effectively eviscerates his explanation (the comments are good for a laugh, too). The bike-riding jackass who allegedly stole a gold chain off the neck of a 5-year old boy faces charges. Ride your bike to Long Beach next Friday and get 20% off lunch. Lawmakers from my hometown propose a mandatory helmet law for children; the only penalty would be a friendly warning. Maryland is the latest state to consider a three-foot passing law — too late to save a popular rider. A lawyer’s take on why Florida is the most dangerous state for cyclists in the U.S. Over three-fourths of Toronto cyclists want separated bike lanes. Biking New Zealand cops offer advice on how to stay safe with idiots like this running around. Yet another risk on the road — your flashing bike lights could trigger a seizure in a passing motorist. Cambridge police give free lights — and tickets — to lightless riders. In the UK, they use cameras to measure the average speed of passing drivers; unfortunately, they put them in the middle of the bikeway. Finally, the Times asks if Long Beach is “the most bike-friendly city in America.” Uh, no.

But they’re sure making Los Angeles look bad.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, General / Tags: , , ,

Today’s missing links

January 29, 2010 / / 3 comments

More on Wednesday’s Council meeting to discuss the proposed anti-harassment ordinance. Stephen Box looks at the proposal, along with the discussion of bike sharing and the Transportation Committee’s hearing on raising speed limits, for City Watch. And KNBC covers the proposal, and quotes yours truly.

………

Culver City holds a workshop on their new bike plan Saturday from 10 am to 1pm.

………

Enci Box, actress, cyclist and too sexy for public radio? Evidently, we should be glad Dr. Alex no longer rides shirtless through Beverly Hills. Dr. Alex also takes the Times to task for failing to search their own archives. GT rides a near-impromptu century in memory of a friend who died in a frightening cycling accident last year. Will Campbell offers proof that some cyclists run red lights and some don’t, and stares down an aggressive idiot driver. Investing in walking and biking could save lives; maybe if all those people would live longer if they’d stop complaining about bikes and start riding one. Some ride out of choice, some ride out of necessity. Touring San Diego by cycle chic. A new study shows hands-free cell phone laws don’t reduce crashes. How to remove a stuck seat or handlebar stem. Creating better bike parking in three two easy steps. Most UK drivers think they’re better than the other drivers on the road. Paris will roll out two-way bikeways this year. Add this to the helmet debate: Pro cyclist Matthias Kessler wasn’t wearing his when he was critically injured in a freak accident after a cat ran across his path. Finally, for those who want to be cycle chic but aren’t willing to give up functionality — or a chamois — Castelli presents an online fashion show.

Category: General / Tags: , ,

Evidently, we should be glad there’s such a low turnout in local elections

January 29, 2010 / / 7 comments

Back when I was in college, one of my Political Science professors gave a lecture about low voter turnout in the U.S.

He pointed out that far more people turn out to vote in formerly totalitarian countries, because they understand the true value of the freedom we take for granted.

Then he flipped through a few surveys, highlighting the percentages of people who hate blacks, Jews, gays and other assorted minorities. As well as those who believe the moon landing was fake and the Earth is flat.

His point was that a lot of people don’t vote.

And maybe we’re better off for it.

Case in point, the 91 and counting comments that followed the brief story on the Times website about the proposed bicyclist anti-harassment ordinance. The overwhelming majority of which were of the standard “I’ll respect bikes when they (choose one or more of the following): respect the law, stop for red lights and stop signs, signal, stay on the sidewalk, stay off the sidewalk, get out of the lane, get out of my way, get a life, grow a pair, and/or stop wearing those ugly clothes.”

I read ’em so you won’t have to. You can thank me later.

Take these two, for example, which pretty much sum up the tone of today’s conversation (and yes, I’ve left the spelling and punctuation exactly the way I found it):

Im a fireman. Experience has shown me that SPANDEX AND HEAVY STEEL DONT BELONG ON THE SAME ROAD!!!!!! Common since. Legislation is not going to change physics! Ride at your own risk!

Posted by: Steve | January 28, 2010 at 11:06 AM

Bicyclists are full of it. There are legally obligated to follow the motor vehicle code. However, I see them run stops signs, run redlights, and make sudden lane changes without signaling all the time.

If bicyclists want respect, they need to follow the rules of the road.

Posted by: Stump Barnes | January 28, 2010 at 11:09 AM

Then there was this one:

Here’s some ideas how to get people to be more vehicle friendly with cyclists;
1.Get cyclists to be more courteous with vehicles & pedestrians
2.Get cyclists to start opeying all driving laws
2. Require all cyclists to install I.D. licence plates on their bike’s so they can be identified when they either break a law, cause an accident, or start somesort of road rage.

Cyclists are known to be rude, obnoxious, law breaking jerks for the most part. They use strong profanity, they spit, they flip you the bird, and they provoke fights, knowing that they can easily get away because they can’t be identified. They seem to have all City Officials on their side, and since they are not wasting gas or polluting the air, they get away with just about anything. What’s it going to take to get Officials to wake up and realize that the root of the problem is the cyclists themselves.

Posted by: Dave Reynolds | January 28, 2010 at 10:12 AM

Dave, have you ever considered that if you’re running into so many rude, obnoxious, swearing, spitting, finger-flipping, fight-provoking, law-breaking jerks, that maybe, just maybe, the cyclists aren’t the problem?

Just a thought.

Anyway, after reading all those comments, I was truly shamed, realizing for the first time what dangerous scofflaws we cyclists must be. And understanding that, yes, these people are right to harass us because we pose such a risk to their two+ tons of glass and steel.

I mean, I might actually dent the bumper and get blood on their shiny paint and stuff.

So when I set out to ride today, I took notice of the drivers around me, hoping to learn from their example how to properly assume my place on the road.

Imagine my surprise.

Three of the first four drivers I saw ran stop signs. Not just a rolling stop, mind you — that’s what the fourth one did — but full blown, not slowing down don’t care if you’re in the way I’m coming through anyway stop sign running.

And for the first 1.83 miles, I didn’t see a single driver use a turn signal — and yes, I did make a note of it, because it was so surprising when someone finally did. And no, he wasn’t the first one to turn or make a lane change.

Far from it.

Then there were these four rocket scientists of the road.

I encountered the first two as I sat waiting at the front of the intersection for a light to change, just to left of the right turn lane. Next to me was a small utility truck, which kept inching forward. So I gestured to the driver, pointing out the “No right turn” sign directly ahead of him. Evidently, though, it doesn’t apply to small utility trucks, because he made his turn anyway.

Then the SUV behind him pulled up to the light. Unlike the previous driver, she waited patiently in the right turn lane until the light changed. Then went straight, nearly forcing me into the car on my left before she cut in front of both of us and sped off down the road.

But not before giving me the finger.

Although, to be fair, that was after I called her a jackass. Which I thought showed remarkable restraint, given the circumstances.

Then there was the driver in the Escalade, who saw me signal to move left into the traffic lane. And responded by speeding up to cut me, forcing me to jam on my brakes to avoid rear-ending the parked car ahead of me. Because there just wasn’t room for a massive Escalade and a bike in the same lane at the same time.

The real winner, though, came when I pulled up behind a car that was stopped at a stop sign, waiting patiently for a woman to cross the road. So the driver behind me crossed the yellow line onto the wrong side of the road, passing us both, then blew through the stop without slowing down — forcing the pedestrian to dodge out of his way.

So yes, I can easily see why all these people think we’re such dangerous, law-flaunting outlaws, undeserving of equal protection from law enforcement, since that right is reserved for real, law-abiding, gas-guzzling Americans.

I take comfort, though, in knowing that most of these self-proclaimed traffic law experts probably won’t be voting in the next election.

Oh, and Dave?

“Licence” is usually spelled with an “s.”

I’ll let you figure out where to put it.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Best of, Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, General / Tags: , , , ,

Rosendahl to Council: Car culture ends today

January 27, 2010 / / 5 comments

Just two weeks ago, L.A. City Council Member Dennis Zine said he didn’t know if L.A.’s car culture was ever going to change.

Today, Transportation Committee Chair Bill Rosendahl begged to differ.

In a powerful statement before the full council, Rosendahl said “The culture of the car is going to end now!” He reminded his fellow council members about the harassment cyclists face on the road, as well as the lack of support riders have received from the LAPD in the past. “We’re going to give cyclists the support they should have been getting.”

“This is my pledge to the cycling community.”

L.A. City Hall in January.

The subject at hand, which drew similar support from many of the council members in attendance, was a motion requesting the City Attorney to draft an ordinance prohibiting the harassment of bicyclists.

It didn’t take long to realize that this wasn’t going to be business as usual.

The first sign came when Council President Eric Garcetti noted that this matter had already been heard by both the Transportation and Public Safety Committees, which would normally mean no more public comments. But as Damien Newton had predicted, he quickly deferred to Rosendahl’s request to allow the handful of cyclists in the room to speak.

But first, Rosendahl and Public Safety Committee Chair Greig Smith agreed to what Damien called the three-step process, in which LADOT and the City Attorney will work with local cyclists to determine what the ordinance can and should contain, without conflicting with existing state traffic regulations. Then they will report back to both committees before drafting the actual ordinance, which will be subject to final council approval.

Transportation Committee Chair Bill Rosendahl addresses the council.

I argued against the extra step, since the City Attorney would, by necessity, determine what can legally be included in the ordinance during the process of drafting it.

But Rosendahl had already made it clear that he wouldn’t allow the process to drag on. He agreed with Smith to hold a joint session of the two committees to consider the recommendations. And pledged to have an ordinance drafted and ready for approval by the end of March.

That’s March of this year, in case you were wondering.

He also reminded the audience about a planned Transportation Committee session scheduled for February 24, in which cyclists will have a chance to speak with new LAPD Chief Beck. This is a chance to change, not just car culture, but that of the LAPD as well, he said, stating that future graduates from the police academy will receive training in bicycle law — including a copy of the Cyclists’ Bill of Rights.

In remarks a little later, Council Member Ed Reyes, co-sponsor of the motion, added that indifference has usually been the best a cyclist could hope for from the LAPD after being harassed or assaulted.

Fellow Transportation Committee member Paul Kortez suggested that it wasn’t enough to defer to the state to address the problem, saying the city needs to find a way to address harassment in its own laws and do whatever it can to put a stop to it. “We need to send a clear message,” he said.

When the floor was opened to comments, a brief parade of cyclists spoke about the problems they’ve faced on the road.

The LACBC's Aurisha Smolarsky offers her comments.

David talked about being harassed on the streets, while Iain told the council about an incident in which he was injured after being harassed by a driver — only to be told that by a police officer that it was his fault because he was riding with traffic.

Siku spoke of an incident in which she was buzzed by a driver, who yelled “Do you want to die?” at the next red light. And Michael, who described himself as a businessman, homeowner and taxpayer, cast it as a civil rights issue, saying he had been harassed by both drivers and the police.

In fact, every cyclist who spoke — including Aurisha of the LACBC, as well as myself — told of being harassed by drivers on the streets of L.A.

Rosendahl concluded the discussion by listing what he believes should constitute harassment under the proposed ordinance, including:

1. Knowingly throwing a projectile or discharge at or in the direction of any person riding a bicycle;

2. Threatening any person riding a bicycle verbally or by use of his/her vehicle for the purpose of injuring, frightening or disturbing the person riding the bicycle;

3. Knowingly placing his/her vehicle within 3’ of a bicyclist while passing or following;

4. Making physical contact with a bicyclist from a moving vehicle or the roadway either by physical person or use of an implement;

5. Knowingly placing a person riding a bicycle in concern of immediate physical injury;

6. Knowingly engaging in conduct that creates a risk of physical injury or death to the person riding a bicycle.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Evidently, the council members agreed, voting 13 to 0 to approve the measure.

Afterwards, Eric Garcetti came up to me and offered his personal assurance that he will stay on top of this measure, and use his position as Council President to keep it moving forward.

And we can’t ask for much more than that.

Read more, including a wrap up on the Council’s discussion of the bike sharing proposal, on LA Streetsblog; LAist sums up the bike sharing discussion, as well.

……..

The Trickster offers an update on New Zealand’s cyber-bully Hummer Driver, who offers a half-hearted apology for threatening to kill cyclists — but only after the police get involved.

……..

Six cities that could go car free, including one right here in California, courtesy of Curbed LA. Designing better cities for bikes. Mixed results on Portland’s bike boxes. Boston Biker loses it after getting doored by a passenger bailing out in traffic. Virginia is the latest state to consider a three-foot passing law. New York cyclists are ticketed for delivering fried dumplings on the sidewalk. The great Hasidim v. hipsters debate goes on, and on — literally, this time. If bike lanes can tame New Dehli’s traffic, just imagine what they could do here. A UK driver is convicted of killing a rider competing in a time trial; as usual, she claims she never saw him. Brits petition the Royal Mail to let posties keep their Pashleys. Disgraced former Spanish cycling boss threatens to dope and tell. An Edinburgh cyclist hits a white van at 20 mph; maybe the driver thought he was a pothole. Finally, a great examination of how to fight biased — or just uninformed — police enforcement. And perhaps the best last line of any bike quote, ever.

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

Breaking news — Rosendahl calls for extending the Marvin Braude bikeway

January 27, 2010 / / 3 comments

Is Bill Rosendahl the biking community’s new BFF?

The 11th District City Council member, who represents most of the Westside, recently sponsored a motion to have the City Attorney’s office draft an ordinance banning harassment of cyclists in Los Angeles — a motion that goes before the full city council on Wednesday.

Now Rosendahl has proposed another motion — apparently seconded CD5 Council Member Paul Koretz — to request federal funding to extend the north end of the beachfront Marvin Braude Bike Path. The extension would add a little less than two miles to the bikeway, from where it currently ends at Temescal Canyon Road to the intersection of Coastline Drive and PCH near the entrance to the Getty Villa.

Aside from adding to one of the area’s most popular and scenic bike routes, this extension could also contribute to the safety of cyclists by providing a way to bypass one of the narrower sections of PCH, where riders are forced to share a lane with drivers often traveling well in excess of 50 mph. And open up the coast highway to countless cyclists who aren’t comfortable taking the lane under those conditions, and now turn back at that point.

Now if Rosendahl could just do something about all the pedestrians on the bike path.

Category: Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , ,
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