According to KFI radio, the victim was riding east on Avenue L near 42nd Street West in Quartz Hill when he was rear-ended by a 24-year old driver around 10:50 pm Monday.
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to a local hospital, where he died.
The driver remained at the scene, and was not suspected of being under the influence. He was not charged, even though police could not explain why he struck the victim’s bike.
Anyone with information is urged to call Officer M. Averbeck at the CHP’s Antelope Valley Area office at 661/948-8541, or the CHP Los Angeles Traffic Management Center at 323/259-3200.
This is at least the 32nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.
Orange County bike advocate and tandem pilot — or maybe stoker — Mike Wilkinson says he has a brand new ROCKBROS Waterproof Top Tube Bag he’s not going to use.
The bag, with a clear top screen for your cellphone, retails for $19.99 on Amazon. Which means you’ll save taxes and shipping charges, if any.
On the other hand, if you’re the second person to donate, at least you’ll enjoy the warm feeling of knowing you’re helping bring all the best bike news and advocacy to your fellow SoCal bike riders every day.
A lucky group of 30 kids were selected by their school districts to receive the ultimate back to school package on Sunday in an event hosted by the East Side Riders Bike Club and the Hey Leche Foundation in Huntington Park.
Attendees from Compton, Watts, Willbrook and the Huntington Park communities turned out for the event, with families receiving a laptop, $100 grocery gift card and kids getting a free backpack, new shoes and a haircut.
As East Side Riders president and founder John Jones III said, it’s just a drop in the bucket to meet the community’s needs.
But for these kids, it could be life changing.
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Bicycles are emergency vehicles.
Our friend Joni responded on Friday to forward a brief mention of the bike riders who rode through Lahaina in the face of onrushing flames to shout a warning for people to evacuate, as the island’s emergency system remained silent.
here's @washingtonpost article with mention of a man on a bike: “There weren’t police officers with megaphones telling people you need to evacuate, but it was like, literally a shirtless guy, with no shoes on, on a bicycle, screaming, ‘You need to leave!’”https://t.co/6wXRu7AEsr
As many of us have experienced in city traffic, there is no better way to bypass stalled traffic than with a bicycle — something that becomes even more urgent in an emergency, when roads inevitably become clogged by evacuees in motor vehicles.
And there is no better way to navigate city streets to shout a warning, traveling at a human pace to alert people of danger.
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Maybe the writers strike should apply to tweets, or x’s, or whatever the hell Elon insists on calling them these days.
Take The Wire creator David Simon.
Please.
The Emmy-winning author, journalist, screenwriter and producer took to Twitter, uh, X, to complain about getting a speed cam ticket in a New York school zone.
What sort of off-brand city sends me a $50 camera ticket for speeding in a school zone for racing at 36 mph in a 25 zone at — wait for it — 5:40 a.m. in total darkness on a morning in — wait for it — mid-July? Two-word clue: Yankees Suck.
A writer for SF Gate says the lack of a bike path on the west span of the Bay Bridge means it takes “uncompromising quadriceps and a willpower to rival Thomas the Tank Engine” just to ride a bike from San Francisco to Oakland.
Elektrek explains why ebike makers and PeopleForBikes are fighting right-to-repair laws that would allow you to fix your own ebike — or have it fixed by someone other than the manufacturer — over fears of starting fires by damaging the lithium-ion batteries. Then again, where would we be if you could only have your car serviced by the dealer?
Sometimes I feel like I’m beating a dead diabetic horse.
But the physical problems I’ve had for the past few years — from debilitating neuropathy and carpal/ulnar nerve problems to possible damage to my vagus nerve — don’t stem from diabetes, but rather, from going undiagnosed with the disease for over two decades.
Which is why I keep harping on the need to get tested.
Despite having diabetes on both sides of my family, my doctors insisted a healthy diet, lean physique and riding over 300 miles a week meant I had nothing to worry about.
Instead, all that did was hide my symptoms when I could have done something about it, and maybe prevented some of the problems I’m having now.
Or maybe not.
But if you’re overweight or have a family history, or have any of these symptoms — including unexplained weight loss, which is how I finally found it — go to your doctor and demand to be tested.
No, now.
My doctor insisted I couldn’t have diabetes, and only gave in when I put my foot down. Then asked me why I wasn’t dead yet when he saw the results.
So call me a nag if you want. But I don’t want you to have to go through this if you don’t have to.
In a brief comment, the governor of Hawaii mentions seeing people escape by bicycle from the infernos on Maui.
Another reminder that your bicycle may be the most reliable form of transportation in an emergency.
Unfortunately, I can’t find it online, but I’ve also heard some of the survivors mention in news reports that they first learned of the fire in Lahaina from people riding their bicycles through the city shouting warnings to evacuate.
There’s no way of knowing how many lives they might have saved. Or even if they were able to make it out safely.
But it’s one more example of bike riders as heroes.
However, this is not an “e-bike emergency” that can be solved by limiting or over-regulating people who use e-bikes. An elite bike racer was killed in San Francisco earlier this year, and an experienced teenage cyclist — a Junior Men’s National Champion— was killed by a driver in Colorado just this week while riding a regular bike; no amount of skill or education can save a person on a bike from a careless driver or our outdated and unsafe infrastructure.
Pinning the blame on e-bikes obscures the real problem. For example, 2022 was Oakland’s worst year for road fatalities in over 10 years, with 35 deaths. That included 15 people killed while walking and at least three people killed while riding bikes. None of the people riding bikes was on an e-bike, yet Oakland, like most California communities, is suffering from a surge in traffic violence.
They go on to counteract anecdotal arguments, however tragic, with the facts regarding ebikes and street safety.
NHTSA data show California highway fatalities trending upward since 2010, long before e-bikes became popular.
Deaths of people riding bikes declined 8% between 2020 and 2021, as the number of people riding e-bikes increased, according to the Office of Traffic Safety. During that same period, OTS reports pedestrian deaths increased by 9.4%.
Many more pedestrians die in traffic collisions than bike riders (1,108 vs. 125 in 2021, according to OTS). Safety for vulnerable road users is an emergency that won’t be solved by regulating e-bikes.
IIHS data show a 55% increase in people on bikes dying in traffic collisions from 2010 to 2021. Despite recent hysteria about teens on e-bikes, most of those who died (90%) were aged 20 or older. During this period, deaths of bike riders under 20 decreased by 90%, while fatalities among those over 20 increased by 400%.
The groups — which include Streets For All, BikeLA, Active SGV, Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition and the San Diego Bicycle Coalition, among several others — call on the state to increase funding for the Active Transportation Program, and support the expansion of quick-build bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
I’ve seen similar stats from all over the US, including right here in Los Angeles.
This is telling. People who walk and bike to commercial areas spend more income more often than vehicle drivers. London and New York City and Toronto have similar statistics. https://t.co/0F9x83kUaS
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
A Santa Cruz letter writer says an ebike almost killed his friend, who ended up with his knee fractured in three places, and asks why an ebike was on a crowded sidewalk — never mind that the rider fled the scene. Aside from the fact that no one ever died from a fractured knee, the problem wasn’t the type of bike, but rather why it was being ridden on the sidewalk. Although it’s probably a safe bet that there wasn’t a safe bike lane next to it.
This is who we share the road with. A pair of men are facing murder charges for the street racing death of an innocent woman in South LA last month, who was just crossing the street when they slammed into her.
Life is cheap in New Mexico, where a 33-year old man will spend just six years behind bars after copping a plea for fatally stabbing a 70-year old man in a dispute over a bicycle. As we’ve said many times before, no bicycle is worth a human life.
An Illinois man received a record $9 million jury verdict after he suffered a brain injury from going over his handlebars, while riding on a bike path that had been inadvertently torn up by trucks from the local utility.
A Detroit man faces up to 30 years behind bars on a pair of felony charges for the alleged drunken crash that killed a man riding an ebike; police found “full and empty alcohol bottles as well as a cooler filled with ice and full beer bottles” in the driver’s truck. But once again, the type of bike the victim was riding had nothing to do with the crash.
Huh? A man from New York state was killed when his bike was struck by a driver on a Florida causeway, who somehow hit the right side of the victim’s bike as they were both traveling in the same direction on the two-lane bridge.
International
I want to be like him when I grow up. An 80-year old American man hopes to ride for at least another decade, after winning the hearts of Scottish spectators by finishing first in his age group in a Glasgow fondo.
I didn’t bounce back after a trip to the doctor in today’s heat and humidity, and wrangling the corgi for her first official outing as a diabetic alert dog.
Yet more of the myriad joys of diabetes — little things take a lot out of me, and it takes me longer to recover from a simple bus trip than it used to take for a century.
So get tested if you’re at risk or have a family history of diabetes, and do whatever it takes to avoid getting it, because diabetes sucks in more ways than you can count.
As usual, we’ll be back tomorrow to catch up on anything we missed today.
Frequent contributor David Drexler woke this morning to the painful death throes of a e-scooter being murdered by a battery thief for its metaphorically still-beating heart yesterday morning.
Here’s how he describes it.
At the VEO scooter corner cross from my place, I heard the sit-down scooter chirping for a long time—went to the window and recorded this video.
He used a crowbar to crack open the battery compartment and removed the battery and then pushed the poor thing to the ground.
To me this was like ripping someone’s heart out and then kicking them to the ground.
He had some remorse and picks the scooter back up, but it’s officially dead as he walks off with the battery!
I have been sad all day about this.
That scooter did not deserve to die like that!
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Comedian Trae Crowder rode his bike to record a podcast at a new studio near his home, and can’t figure out how and where to stay safe on the way.
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A Novato man has been arrested for the second time in four days, charged with stalking, making threats, hate crime offenses and committing a crime while on bail, which followed an earlier racially charged incident in which he allegedly tried to ram a man riding a bicycle while shouting racial slurs.
People for Mobility Justice is hosting a 14-mile bike ride this Saturday to gather input for quick build projects to improve several South LA corridors for pedestrians, cyclists, scooters and transit users.
This is who we share the road with. A 33-year old Illinois driver faces hit-and-run and DUI charges for fleeing after he struck a light pole, then veered into the opposite lane and killed a 64-year old man riding a bicycle, while driving with a BAC nearly three times the legal limit.
A writer for Streetsblog responds to the New York Times one-sided, fear mongering series attacking ebikes and their teenaged riders with four guidelines for spotting a bad ebike article, starting with blaming ebikes and/or their riders for the drivers that hit them.
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to nearby Riverside University Medical Center suffering from severe injuries, and died shortly later.
The driver of a Kia Optima remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
Unfortunately, that’s all we know at this time.
A street view shows a painted bike lane on Alessandro, running between the two through lanes and a right turn bay. However, we have no way of knowing at this time if that may have contributed to the crash in any way.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Riverside County Sheriff’s Moreno Valley station at 951/486-6700.
This is at least the 31st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in Riverside County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and their loved ones.
Ebikes.org ranked the nation’s 100 most scenic cities to see by bicycle, by combining Instagram hashtags and bike-related Google search volume with bikeability ratings, the number of road biking trails, and average yearly sunshine.
And Los Angeles came in at a remarkably mediocre 52. Then again, even our weather barely made the top 25, as far as they’re concerned.
So start tagging those Instagram posts from the City of Angels. Because it may not improve the weather, LA’s scenic beauty or make this city any more bikeable.
But at least we can boost our Insta rank.
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Maybe PeopleForBikes isn’t completely on our side, after all.
In other words, they want to keep forcing you to send your ebike back to the manufacturer — or at least your local dealer — rather than allowing you to fix it yourself.
The group says it’s a matter of safety, and recommends recycling ebike batteries instead.
Never mind that it would be a simple matter to require bike owners to recycle spent batteries, and that batteries aren’t the only thing on an ebike that might need fixing.
The paper implies — whether mistakenly or through inartful editing — that bike helmets are required to ride on sidewalks, trails, parks and bike paths. And fails to mention that helmets are required for all Class 3 ebikes and mopeds.
No bias here, either. After a Bath NY man became just the latest bike rider run down by police, the local sheriff reminds bicyclists they have to use lights and reflectors after dark, rather than consider the deputy who rear-ended the victim might be at fault.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
Colorado Public Radio answers a listener’s question about the proper etiquette for driving behind a bicyclist on narrow, twisting mountain roads. Short answer, be patient, follow at a safe distance, and only pass when it’s safe to do so, giving a minimum three-foot passing distance. Besides, there’s a good chance the person on the bike can navigate curves better than someone in a car, anyway.
An Ohio boxer is riding his bike across the state to raise funds to keep his gym open and fund scholarships for low-income participants, in memory of his nephew killed by gun violence. Which is a very passive way of saying someone was shot to death.
August 7, 2023 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on LA Times remembers philanthropic Burbank bicyclist Roy Wiegand, and LA wants your input on Forest Lawn Drive
One quick note: I am now on Bluesky, in response to the increasing toxicity on Twitter/X, thanks to an invite from Todd R.
The 60-year-old ultra marathoner and cyclist was refueling after traversing 2,500 miles on his bicycle in 25 days and in the process raising $26,000 to help improve access to clean drinking water for the Navajo Nation.
Wiegand ventured through San Francisco and Yosemite and braved 110-plus degree heat in Death Valley and Las Vegas. He enjoyed stunning vistas in Arizona and New Mexico and stayed at the homes of friends and strangers alike, his posts showed…
In the last few years, he had dedicated much of his time to philanthropic causes, most recently working with the water advocacy group DigDeep to raise money for the more than 700,000 American Indian and Alaskan Native people who lack access to clean, reliable water in the United States.
Funny how killer drivers always seem to take the best of us.
As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance safety for all and improve active transportation infrastructure, LADOT is planning to upgrade the existing bike lanes on Forest Lawn Drive to protected bike lanes between Zoo Dr and Avon St. Take the survey here: https://t.co/v5ZLdk60W7pic.twitter.com/BzEYFCXjl2
Let’s share a little Seattle bike joy from my friends at West Seattle Blog, as a huge mass of people take off on two wheels for a questionably named ride.
Driving home from vacay just now and see this dude riding in the shoulder of I-90 outside of Coeur d'Alene w an “Armed Cyclist” jersey, safe passing flags, dozens of taillights. Absolutely epic. pic.twitter.com/d2PAcWruqa
Is this the result of people tossing unloved and abandoned bikes into the water, or drunk tourists not watching where they’re riding?
Did you know? Every year, between 12,000 and 15,000 bicycles are recovered from the canals of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city's water authority, Waternet, uses a special claw on a crane installed on a barge.
Thanks to the incomparable Patt Morrison for the heads-up.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
This is who we share the road with. After someone apparently riding a bicycle was injured in a collision at LA’s West Grand Ave and Vista Del Mar, the couple posting the video to Citizen observe the aftermath of the crash, and you can hear the man say “This is why you stay in the bike lane.” Never mind that he apparently has no idea what caused the crash, or why the victim may or may not have been in a bike lane, but automatically assumes the bike rider was at fault. I’m not sure if the link will work; unfortunately, I can’t embed the video. Thanks to Margaret W for the link.
Streetsblog’s Joe Linton, who understands these things a lot better than I do, takes a deep dive into the complicated, wonky subject of freeway mitigation, which requires Metro to take active steps to offset any increase in driving on future freeway, under California law. And hopefully, he’ll correct me if I didn’t explain that right.
More on Manhattan Beach’s decision to crack down on teenage ebike riders who violate traffic laws, instituting a zero-tolerance approach to scofflaw ebike riders. Although that sounds like illegally biased enforcement, unless the same zero-tolerance applies to motorists and pedestrians, as well as regular bike riders; if not, that could get all the tickets tossed if the kids get a good lawyer.
Anchorage, Alaska took a number of steps to become more bike friendly, approving measures to allow bike riders to treat stop signs as yields, as well as eliminating requirements for lights and brakes and noise signals, and for children 16 to wear helmets; the city also eliminated penalties for jaywalking.
The Michigan woman accused in the DUI killing of two people participating in a fundraising bike ride across the state has had her trial postponed until October; it had been scheduled to begin today.
Katie Archibald overcame grief over the death of her romantic partner, mountain biker Rab Wardell, to lead Britain to gold in the team pursuit, dedicating the win to Wardell.
August 4, 2023 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Bike lanes as parking lots, BikeLA hosts Florence Firestone Community Ride, and riding a bike with a sofa on your head
The good news is, there’s not much bad news today.
After a week’s worth of news about crashes and fallen bicyclists, today offers a welcome and much needed emotional respite.
So kick back with a steaming cuppa coffee or a nice cold drink.
And enjoy some happier bike news heading into the weekend.
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That feeling when your new protected bike lane becomes a parking lane.
Speaking of which, the new La Brea bus and bike lanes apparently make great idling spots.
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BikeLA is hosting a community bike ride in the Florence Firestone neighborhood this Sunday, as part of the Department of Public Health Vision Zero project.
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A New York man rides a bike with a sofa balanced on his head.
And yes, he looks to be the same guy who recently rode a bikeshare bike with a flatscreen TV on his head.
Anyone old enough to learn the ins and outs of physical intimacy from The Joy of Sex may wish this one had been approved.
London-based creative agency Airside designed this homage to the 1970s sex manual The Joy of Sex for a Transport for London poster contest. It didn't win the contest, but here it is, for you to enjoy in the privacy of your own home. pic.twitter.com/jcUHNz3iQg
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A Portland cop, apparently ignorant on bike law, admonished a woman riding with her kids for taking the lane, telling her to ride to the right by weaving around parked cars. Just to be clear, you are far safer riding in a straight line in the traffic lane, than weaving around parked cars to ride next to the curb. And any cop who doesn’t know that needs retraining.
Bicycling offers advice on how to stay safe riding your bike in bad weather. More than once I’ve found myself riding out a thunderstorm or the occasional tornado lying in a wet ditch. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t appear to be available anywhere else, so you’re on your own if the magazine blocks you.
Bicycle Colorado is offering a free, 75-minute interactive course for motorists to improve their ability to drive safely around pedestrians and bicyclists. Now we just need that to spread to the other 49 states, and get insurance companies to offer incentives for taking it.
President Biden ignored Thursday’s drama with his predecessor in DC, and drew a crowd on another Delaware bike ride. Although apparently, only presidents are allowed to wear bike helmets.
Born on this day, August 4, 1898: Ernesto Maserati, automotive engineer and racer, shown here (right) taking a spin in 1941 with brothers Ettore and Bindo.#BicycleBirthday#BOTDpic.twitter.com/eMsGIjR0BI
A memorial service will be held at 2 pm this Sunday at The University of Redlands Memorial Chapel for the well-loved phys ed teacher, who was also captain of Don’s Bikes Race Team, and mentor to bicyclists with Big Wheel Coaching.
Elliott’s family requests contributions to a crowdfunding campaign in lieu of flowers, with the funds to be split between the nonprofit Bikes for Kids Foundation and Grand Teton National Park. At this writing, it has raised over $9,400 of the modest $12,500 goal.
Wiegand was riding alone after his riding partner had turned back, when he was right hooked by a 25-year old pickup driver while riding in the designated bike lane in the same direction.
He was on the last leg of his 2,500-mile Roy’s Ride fundraising ride to benefit the Navaho Nation, and bring clean, running water to impoverished households on the reservation.
There’s no word on any charges for the driver, even though the CHP said the driver made an “unsafe” turn.
Which is putting it mildly.
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Don’t hold your breath waiting for congestion pricing on Los Angeles roadways, as numble reports we still have four years to go before we’re likely to see anything.
August 2023 LA Metro congestion pricing study update by @markvalli. 3 concepts: Santa Monica Mountains, Downtown and I-10 West. Updated estimates for revenue and speed if HOV3 and low income are exempted, and concept locations for toll points. In year 5 of 9 year process. https://t.co/UuSOmvEslGpic.twitter.com/xKBi9O0LxU
A member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Ramsey comes to the organization from Sacramento civil engineering firm GHD, where she served as Active Transportation Project Manager, “developing innovative mobility options, Complete Streets plans, and corridor studies for local and regional agencies throughout the state.”
Let’s hope she finds her footing fast, because we definitely need help.
Unfortunately, though, teenagers get killed on regular bikes, too.
The question left unasked by the Times and other news outlets — let alone unanswered — is whether they’re getting killed or seriously injured at a higher rate on ebikes than on regular bikes.
Until the Times can answer that question, it’s all just noise.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
It’s finally happened. A 16-year old Las Vegas boy was killed when he struck a wire booby trap, possibly set by a homeless man, while riding with his older brother and friends. Various booby traps have been set on roadways and trails around the world, but to the best of my knowledge, none have been fatal — until now. Let’s hope that whoever set the trap faces a murder count, if not terrorism charges.
Sad news from Modesto, where a 79-year old man was killed in a hit-and-run while riding his bike; police booked the driver on charges of felony hit-and-run causing death and vehicular manslaughter, after she originally stayed at the scene before denying any involvement and driving off.
The New York Timesexamines the practical effects of the VanMoof bankruptcy filing, after the company ceased to exist virtually overnight, leaving owners of the Dutch ebikes unable to get repairs and unsure if the bike’s app-based software will continue to work.
Former President Trump is being arraigned today on conspiracy charges, but all Fox News seems to care about is President Biden going for a leisurely Delaware bike ride instead of hanging his head in shame over his son’s alleged misdeeds.
Bicycling offers an update on the condition of Dutch cyclist Amy Pieters, who suffered a severe brain injury on a training ride with the Dutch national team two years ago, and still faces a very long road to recovery. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you.
