So tell your friends, family and fellow riders to sign up now to give bike riders a greater voice in our local communities, and help make LA County a better place to ride a bike for all of us.
As Cerda’s son put it, “If he was on his bike he had a flashlight, his wallet, and that’s it — and his happiness.”
Note: The original story from KNBC-4 said the settlement was for $1.7 million, but later revised it to show the amount as $1.3 million. I have revised this piece to reflect that. Thanks to Opus the Poet for the correction.
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A Camp Pendleton sailor will face trial on felony hit-and-run and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges in the 2014 death of bike rider Philip White.
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Bike lawyer Bob Mionske says most cops are motorists and many see the world from a windshield perspective, which is why they often get the law wrong and blame the bicycling victims.
In a similar vein, New York bike advocates justifiably demand the NYPD stop automatically blaming the person on two wheels.
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Local
Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman rides along with last Sunday’s third annual Unity Ride from Little Tokyo to Watts.
The West Hollywood city council says no go to WeHoGo as the name for the city’s coming bikeshare system.
Alex de Cordoba shares photographic proof that people really are riding bikes in LA. Although someone appears to left their child locked to a Trader Joe’s bike rack.
There’s something seriously wrong when a Seattle bike rider isn’t even safe on the sidewalk from man driving while high. Or maybe low, since he says he was on a depressant.
An Iowa driver faces up to 25 years in prison for running down a cyclist while driving at three times the legal alcohol limit.
Ohio AAA now offers road service for bike riders. So when will SoCal AAA get around to realizing that a lot of their customers ride bikes, too?
Is a possible $500 fine enough to stop Connecticut drivers from carelessly crashing into bicyclists and pedestrians? I didn’t think so.
A DC writer describes the life-changing magic of riding your bike to work. It’s worth the click just for the amazing illustration that accompanies the story.
A New Orleans man faces life in prison for shooting two teenage brothers after they allegedly pushed him off his bicycle; he called a friend to deliver the murder weapon he used in the shooting.
International
The Guardian gives tips on how to fix a flat, even if you don’t have tire levers. Or a spare tube. Or a patch kit.
An Amsterdam man invented bikeshare in the 1960s, even though it took decades to catch on, and his own city never embraced it.
Add daydreaming to the list of motorists’ Get Out of Jail Free cards, as an Aussie driver walks after killing a cyclist because she just wasn’t paying attention.
We already have five shiny new members of the LACBC on just the first full day of the first ever BikinginLA LACBC Membership drive. Which means there’s only 95 more to go to reach our goal of 100 new or renewing members by the end of this month.
So stop what you’re doing, and click on this link to join Southern California’s leading bicycle advocacy organization, and help make LA County a better place to ride a bike for all of us.
Not to mention you’ll get some great bike swag while you’re at it.
And a special thank you to those who have already joined. Or are about to.
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Thanks for the effort, but seriously.
Few things are more important to encouraging bike riding than finding a safe place to park your bike once you get where you’re going.
And few things are so often neglected.
As much as I’d like to, I won’t ride my bike to my doctor’s office because the only bike parking to be found in a several block radius is an old wheelbender rack hidden deep within the parking garage, where a thief would have time to pitch a tent as he leisurely sawed through my lock.
So I drive the three and a half miles, in as much time and with far more aggravation than it would take me to ride it.
I’m reminded of that because David Butler-Cole sent a photo of a series of relatively flimsy staple racks in the underground parking garage at the Target at Santa Monica and La Brea in West Hollywood. Which not only are hidden away where no one is likely to use them, but have clearly been converted to shopping cart parking.
Then again, at least a developer a little further down La Brea had his heart in the right place.
In preparing a retail space on the trendy boutique-lined corridor for rent, they apparently considered the current boom in bicycling, as well as studies showing bike riders spend more at retail establishments over the long run than motorists do, while taking up far less space.
And so, invested in a trio of brand new staple racks before the unit is even occupied.
Unfortunately, they located them so close to the storefront that they’re virtually useless to any cyclists over the age of five.
But I’m sure we all appreciate the gesture.
Right?
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Today’s common theme is open streets.
Streetsblog’s Joe Linton recaps Sunday’s sparsely attended open streets event in Downey, calling it a great event overall.
And while it may not be an open streets event, Monrovia’s bike friendly music and beer-filled festival on the same day doesn’t sound bad, either.
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Local
TV’s Inside Edition puts a GPS device in a $2,500 bait bike borrowed from Helen’s to see how long it would take someone to steal it. Short answer: not very.
The Eastsider says the removal of flood control barriers on the LA River bike path will take several weeks. And even then, only the west side of the river along Griffith Park will be cleared. Barriers will remain on the east side of the river and only be cleared enough to allow access to an equestrian crossing and pedestrian bridge, apparently leaving the bike path closed indefinitely.
The Echo Park Improvement Association will host a panel discussion this Thursday on Bicycling in LA “from the multiheaded bike god transforming civic politics in LA;” the speaker list reads like a who’s who of LA urban bike advocacy.
Santa Clarita is challenging businesses to get their employees to ride to work on Bike to Work Day on the 19th; the city is also looking for volunteers to help out at the finish of Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California on the 16th.
State
Over 400 Southern California police officers will ride in this year’s three-day, 280 mile Police Unity Tour to remember fallen law enforcement personnel. If any SoCal officers sill need to raise funds, send me a link to your fundraising page and I’ll give you a shoutout.
Writing for the Examiner, Edward Rubinstein says the Amgen Tour of California is coming, so batten down the hatches and prepare for severe weather.
The Times looks at the recent PCH safety study calling for significant improvements for the 37-mile segment of highway through Orange County. And it touches on the real problem; as long as we approach the highway from a city by city basis, rather than improving safety on the entire 37 miles, it will continue to be dangerous and dysfunctional.
Nearly 1,300 Orange County mountain bikers took part in the 50-mile offroad Ride for Rwanda to raise money to buy transportation bikes for people in Africa.
A driver who commutes into San Francisco calls it the car-hating capital of the Bay Area, and says cyclists on busy streets are either road hazards or have a death wish. Although “very few” is not the right answer to his question of whether there are restrictions on what streets cyclists can ride; the correct answer is bikes are allowed on any public streets where motor vehicles are allowed, with the exception of limited access highways where there are alternate riding routes.
A UK mountain biker wants to find the Good Samaritan who stayed with him and looked after his sons when he broke his neck in three places after a jump went bad.
A Glascow writer says she wants to cycle without being a cyclist. Which is sort of like saying you want to drive a car without being a driver.
And to celebrate, I’ve started my own bike challenge.
I’m challenging you — yes, you — to become a member of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition this month. Or if you’re already a member, to renew your membership through this site before the month is over.
Because this marks the beginning of the first ever BikinginLA LACBC membership drive, with a goal of 100 new or renewing members during the month of May.
That’s just over three people a day.
In other words, you and two others.
Or looking at it another way, less than 1% of the people who will visit this site this month. Okay, a lot less.
Get your friends to join. Your co-workers. Your sister. Your brother-in-law. Anyone who rides a bike in LA County, whether you’re a bike commuter, a committed roadie, an offroad rider or someone who cruises along the beach every now and then.
You don’t even have to own a bike, or live here in LA. Just support a better, more livable and bikeable community for all us.
Simply put, the LACBC is the leading voice for bike riders in the City and County of Angels, advocating for safety, equity and justice for cyclists in the halls of government, with elected leaders and before boards like Metro and the Southern California Association of Governments.
Of course, it’s not all about fighting the good fight.
The LACBC is also about doing the right thing. Like handing out over 2,000 free bike lights through their Operation Firefly. Creating a free pocket guide to the rights and responsibilities of cyclists. Doing the job the city should do by conducting bi-annual bike counts. And working tirelessly to pass and defend LA’s new bike-friendly Mobility Plan.
It’s also about having fun, with monthly Sunday Funday rides. The annual Open House and Firefly Ball. As well as various other activities throughout the year, including the upcoming, hugely popular LA River Ride.
Better yet, sign up as part of this membership drive, and you’ll get cool bike swag through an exclusive arrangement with the LACBC, with memberships starting at an ultra-low $20.
So what are you waiting for?
Show your support for the LACBC — and BikinginLA — and sign up today.
Full disclosure: After six and a half years as an LACBC board member, I’ll be leaving the board after the June meeting due to my ongoing health issues; I’m simply not able to devote the time and effort I feel the position deserves. However, I continue to support the LACBC, and will remain a member for as long as I’m able to ride a bike in this city, and maybe longer; in fact, I just renewed my own membership.
This membership drive will be my last official act as a board member before I step down. So please, let’s make it a successful one.
The Daily Breeze offers an update on the condition of Palos Verdes muralist Steve Shriver, who was critically injured when he was hit by two cars while riding on PCH in Malibu as he was heading home as part of a club century ride.
The paper reports he’s out of the ICU, but no word yet on whether he will suffer lasting injuries.
Pro cycling’s governing body is using a specialized scanner they say is highly effective in examining bikes for hidden motors. On the other hand, if they haven’t uncovered any motor doping after examining over 500 bicycles, is it because no one is cheating or because the scanner’s not as effective as they think?
Cyclists rally around four-time national champion Mark Scott at this past weekend’s Dana Point Gran Prix, organizing a bone marrow drive for Scott, who needs a transplant to live.
And once again, a race moto caused a major cycling crash, as nearly the entire peloton competing in New York’s Red Hook Classic piled into the lead motorcycle after it stalled on the course just seconds after the start of the race.
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Local
Work will finally begin on removing the flood control barriers blocking the LA River bike path, although there’s no timetable for completion.
The head of the LA County Health Agency reacts to being called a faggot while riding his bike. Although it’s unlikely the jerk called him that because he somehow intuited that he was gay; for a subset of indignorant drivers, that’s the term for anyone who rides a bike. Because “real men” drive cars, of course.
Richard Risemberg got cut off by an SUV driver who was clearly in the wrong, but chose not to respond in kind after the driver took it out on him anyway. As he says, it’s an old story, and one we’ve all seen too many times.
Santa Monica will host its first ciclovía on June 5th, with a two-mile route along Ocean, Colorado and Main through downtown SaMo.
Unmapped utility lines and other objects are causing unexpected delays in remaking Carson’s eponymous main street into a Complete Street, adversely affecting businesses along the route.
State
A bill in the state legislature, AB 516, would require temporary plates on all new vehicles. The lack of temporary plates makes it nearly impossible to identify hit-and-run drivers, which is one reason they’re required in many other states.
Santa Barbara appears ready to choose parking over bike lanes, shunting riders off to a side street and away from the businesses that could use their patronage.
A New Orleans man is found guilty of manslaughter for fatally shooting the man who was stealing his bicycle; his ex-girlfriend testified that he beat her with a shotgun while she was pregnant.
International
A cyclist raced a transit user and a driver to downtown Calgary during the morning commute. And as usual, the bike rider won — even though he was just 11 years old.
Caught on video: Usually police look for hit-and-run drivers; a London cop was one as he drove off after hitting a Critical Mass cyclist and destroying his bike.
A track cyclist and bike commuter says she’s had it with riding Down Under after she’s punched by a pedestrian, who said he wouldn’t respect her until she got a license and paid road tax.
Five hundred people applied to take part in last year’s Tibet Challenge, a 10-day ride through the snow-covered peaks of China and Tibet; just 31 were selected. And only nine finished.
A two-year old girl is dead after a speeding driver plows into two separate bicycles in a Bangkok serial hit-and-run; the owner of the car is under arrest on drug charges after turning himself in several hours later, but claims he wasn’t behind the wheel. Don’t watch the video on that link. Trust me.
A Hong Kong man is riding nearly 12,000 miles to Norway on a homemade bamboo bike.
A man was killed in a collision while riding his bike near South El Monte Wednesday.
According to the San Gabriel Tribune, 39-year old South El Monte resident Jose Antonio Resendez was crossing Rosemead Blvd at Rush St at 9:35 pm when he was struck by a car headed north on Rosemead in unincorporated LA County.
No word on which direction Resendez going or who had the right-of-way; he died at the scene around 15 minutes later.
The driver remained at the scene.
The story notes both the bicycle and the car suffered moderate damage; as usual, the victim fared worst in the impact.
This is the 35th bicycling collision in Southern California, and the 11th in Los Angeles County. That compares with 17 in SoCal this time last year, and eight in the county.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose Antonio Resendez and his family.
CiclaValley broke the original story, posting video that clearly shows driver Dennis Reed’s actions.
He also breaks down the story Reed told KNBC-4, finding it somewhat truth-challenged.
Despite Reed’s assertions that the cyclists rode dangerously and attacked him first before the posted video, I’ve seen the entire unedited 20 minute video, which is sure to be offered as evidence in court.
It clearly shows both men riding in a safe and legal manner, even stopping for stop signs and observing the right-of-way. And shows no interaction whatsoever with Reed or his car until he honked, buzzed them and slammed on the brakes after another driver had just passed them safely.
I’m glad to admit I was wrong when I said this would most likely be a case of he said/she said, and that Glendale police would probably wash their hands of the matter.
They deserve credit for taking this case seriously, along with the DA’s office for filing charges.
However, while I couldn’t have more respect for Don Ward, I think he’d be the first to tell LAist writer Matt Tinoco there’s a whole city full of bike advocates and activists working to make this a safer and more inviting place for all of us to ride our bikes.
And you should take your blood pressure medication before reading the comments, especially from this apologist for the driver.
That’s followed with the collaborative community celebration Gear Up! to kick off Bike Month on Sunday, May 1st. Events include a bike swap, free helmets and bike repair, music, bike art and local food.
Thanks to Cynthia Rose for the reminder.
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At first glance, it just seems like an interesting, artful shot.
But after taking it in, you’ve got to wonder what message is AAA’s Westways Magazine, a publication for Orange county drivers, sending with a rusted out bike within easy crapping range of a pelican?
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Sometimes, it’s not.
Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the cover photo.
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Speaking of Mike, he also forwards this new promotional video from GoPro, the first in a new series called Beyond the Race – An Inside Look at Competitive Cycling.
We’ll let Mike offer his take on it.
The first GoPro produced “Beyond the Race” episode features a serious road biker taking off on a morning ride and imagining he’s engaged in a bar-banging sprint to the finish. The video alternates between his passionate ride along a beautiful coastline (Oregon?) and up-close and personal GoPro footage of some very real and very serious professional bike races.
Walter Mitty fantasies are no doubt enjoyed by many road bike enthusiasts, so GoPro’s first episode is sure to hook them. However, the 2:17 video was so short and so shallow that it almost felt like a tease. Even with its shortcomings, that tease is enough to make me to wait anxiously for the next episode, and it may entice others to do the same.
New videos are scheduled to be posted every other Thursday.
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Local
A writer for the Times says since she’s become a bike commuter, she’s noticed how frequently and needlessly drivers honk at her. And says don’t do it. Just… don’t.
UCLA’s bikeshare share system is expected to open this fall, and will be compatible with systems already open or planned for Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. While the campus is bike friendly, what will happen when those riders venture out into Westwood Village and beyond, where Councilmember Paul Koretz has actively blocked bike safety improvments?
CiclaValley captures on video what it would be like if Griffith Park’s Mt. Hollywood Drive is ever opened to cars. Seriously, that’s three mentions of him in a single post; if you’re not checking out CiclaValley every morning, you should be. Okay, make that four. No, five.
Once again, Santa Monica is cracking down on violations that can affect bike and pedestrian safety, regardless of whether they’re committed by drivers, bicyclists or pedestrians.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is leading Bike to Work Day rides with eight of the city’s eleven supervisors. Yet here in LA, if any city councilmembers will be riding to work that day, they’ll be doing it on their own; we should have organized rides like that with our elected officials, too. And not just one day a year.
Lance asks the court to throw out the Feds’ $100 million lawsuit against him, a day after the US asked for a summary judgment against him. But then, that’s just the usual legal maneuvering and probably doesn’t mean anything.
Oahu HI installs new bike lanes to improve pedestrian safety. It’s often overlooked that bike lanes can improve safety for everyone, not just the people on two wheels.
Yet another bighearted cop, as a Michigan officer buys a new bike to replace one that was stolen from an 11-year old boy last week.
Like business owners almost everywhere, Chattanooga businesses oppose city plans for a road diet and bike lanes on a major street. And like virtually everywhere else, they’ll probably fight to keep it and the added customers and sales it will bring in.
The Department of DIY strikes again, as bike riders in Florida’s Siesta Key take it on themselves to improve bike safety in the tourist resort.
Florida police blame a bike rider for colliding with a patrol car that was blocking the sidewalk he was riding on, saying he just crashed into the car while trying to go around it. Sure, that’s credible.
International
Montreal has seen a dramatic spike in bicycling casualties, with deaths up 50% and serious injuries climbing 43%. And as usual, police are quick to blame the victims.
Caught on video: When a Malta cyclist confronts a truck driver following a too close pass, the driver gets out of his cab and tries to kick him in the head; oddly, the same two people had another confrontation a few months earlier.
An Aussie cyclist attacks a car in a case of bike rage, for no apparent reason. Something tells me there’s another side to this story. But regardless, never resort to violence, ever. Period.
A Vietnam vet and his wife return to tour the country by bicycle, welcomed as friends despite being former enemies.
The budding screenwriter came to LA to break into the business; next week his family will come to take him home.
Correction: This piece initially misidentified Brewer’s hometown as Gloucester, England, rather than Gloucester, MA. I apologize for the error; thanks to Phillip, Jay, Sean and Yawfle for the correction.
And needless to say, the possible solutions — and the willingness to actually do something about it — vary from one town to another.
Like Laguna Beach, where the city manager questions removing or reducing lanes or parking; nice to know a parked car could have more value than a human life.
According to the report, it’s a black, 2015 Fuji Transonic 2.5; the serial number has been removed, so they’re asking for distinguishing characteristics to identify the owner.
If you know someone whose bike has been stolen recently, pass the word along. It would be nice to see the owner get their bike back for a change.
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Even the judge is mad as a 19-year old Michigan driver is somehow allowed to plead down to a misdemeanor for killing a cyclist while high on drugs, resulting in a maximum six months in jail.
His comments are worth considering, since they apply to so many people who injure or kill others while driving impaired, distracted or aggressively.
“You don’t get it,” Alexander said. “You destroyed a life, you destroyed a family and you destroyed another life, yours. You don’t care. You just don’t care.”.
“You just think this is a little inconvenience,” Alexander said. “I don’t think you have any understanding of what you did. You took a life, you took a life and I don’t think you care.”
Maybe it will sink in for someone, somewhere.
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Still more bighearted people, as a Portland bike shop owner receives a $5,000 carbon bike after being selected as National Retailer of the Year. And promptly gives it to a 15-year old autistic kid.
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Local
CiclaValley recaps Tuesday’s meeting of the Metro Bicycle Roundtable. Which I can attest was actually more of a semi-circular arrangement.
Vin Diesel gives his latest co-star a BMX dirt bike for her 30th birthday. Then takes her ax-tossing.
The annual Tour de Cure Ship to Shore ride to benefit the American Diabetes Association rolls through Long Beach this Sunday. As a diabetic American, I’ll have to take part myself one of these days.
State
Coronado plans to reward bike riders of all ages with gift certificates and theater tickets for riding safely and following the law. Although they might improve safety a lot more if they rewarded motorists for driving safely around bicyclists and pedestrians.
After suffering serious injuries in a Fresno hit-and-run, a physician and life-long cyclist says bicyclists have a right to the road, and asks if we can all just get along.
A Berkeley bike rider is suing the city and several civic employees, alleging they were aware of dangerous road conditions that led to his injuries when he hit a pothole.
Portland biketavists are joining the Department of DIY to get their point across, from dropping orange cones to mark bikeways, to shaming drivers and posting signs to slow them down.
After supporting a billion dollar transportation tax last year, Seattle cyclists are understandably pissed off that promised bike lanes through the downtown area have disappeared from the implementation plan.
Bob Mionske looks at the case of the Michigan rider illegally convicted of impeding traffic, and the $10,000 pro bono legal brief that got the $200 ticket dismissed on appeal.
After a witness proves them wrong, the NYPD finally gets around to correcting their report that said a woman was riding her bike against traffic when she was struck by a car; the witness also says the driver lied about the victim running a red light.
A North Carolina TV station offers a reality check for calls to license, register and tax cyclists; one commenter says riding a bike on the road “is dangerous, not too logical, actually disrespectful to every auto driver the roads were designed for.” But really, it’s bike riders who think they’re entitled, right?
A Florida mom is raising awareness of bike helmets for kids after her son suffered a skull fracture and brain hematoma that went undiscovered for two days, nearly costing him his life.
International
Experts say the Rio bike path that collapsed recently, killing three people, was destined to fail and should never have been built in the first place.
Vancouver disability advocates say plans to remove parking spaces near the city’s General Hospital to make room for protected bike lanes would make it too difficult for people to access healthcare services. Evidently, it’s the only major hospital in North America without onsite parking or drop-of zones.
The new law school dean at the University of Windsor, Canada walks the walk by riding his bike to work and meetings at the courthouse, year round. Shouldn’t that be pedals the pedals?
A Toronto columnist aptly observes that traffic tie-ups due to road construction are just a fact of life, but a project to test bike lanes on a busy street has everyone up in arms.
