After spending Thursday night with the LACBC at another successful Firefly Ball, I’m too exhausted to get today’s post online.
So lets take the day off. Go out and ride your bike, and come back tomorrow for an extra large Weekend Links.
Morning Links: LA asks drivers to stay after they hit someone; suspect identified in North Fig hit-and-run
Sometimes I don’t even know what to say.
I mean, their hearts are in the right place. And it’s nice to see an outdoor advertising company give back to the city, after decades of ignoring every law on the books regarding their business.
Although the largesse of Clear Channel Outdoor in donating billboard space to the city couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the new billboard regulations currently under consideration.
Regardless of their motivation, the city teamed with CCO on Wednesday to unveil a new outdoor ad campaign designed to tackle the epidemic of hit-and-run in the LA area, apparently developed without the input of the many people who have been working to solve this problem.
Or anyone with any experience in advertising, for that matter.
The billboards, which will be posted in English, Spanish and Korean, politely ask drivers to obey the rules of the road and stick around after a collision because it might save a life.
Copied from KPCC website
Sure, that’s really going to motivate someone who just ran down a pedestrian after downing a few too many.
No moral authority. No threat of consequences. And not a hint at LA’s hit-and-run reward system, which pays up to $50,000 for information leading to the conviction of runaway drivers.
Let alone the state’s new Yellow Alert system, which could mean countless more eyes on the street looking for suspect vehicles.
No offense, but I’ve seen harder-hitting ads asking toddlers to switch diaper brands. And don’t get me started on the art direction, which looks like it was done on a PC in someone’s basement.
Hit-and-run is a serious problem, with serious consequences for the victims.
And we seriously deserve something better than this.
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Police have finally identified a suspect (scroll down) in the hit-and-run death of Irma “Yolanda” Espinoza-Lugo as she crossed North Figueroa on September 18th.
They’ve asked the public to be on the lookout for William Armando Portales, described as a 49-year old Hispanic male, 5’ 6” tall and weighing 165 pounds.
And yes, there’s a $50,000 reward for anyone who helps bring him to justice.
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I haven’t gotten involved in the My LA 2050 Challenge Grant Challenge on here, simply because there are so many projects that deserve your support.
It seems like a waste to make them battle it out for public votes, when the goal should be to find funding for as many as possible.
However, one of the more interesting proposals is one to build a bike and pedestrian bridge over Ballona Creek at McConnell Ave, which would help make the bike path a more viable commuter link connecting Culver City with Playa Vista.
Voting ends Tuesday, November 3rd.
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Local
Not many artists get a chance to work in asphalt. LADOT is looking for an artist to provide creative thinking to help reduce traffic deaths; the position will pay $20,000 over two years. Which is about $20,000 more than most LA artists make.
The LA City Council approved a pilot program allowing people to lock their bikes to parking meters in Westwood Village and on some major streets. Assuming the world doesn’t end, it will hopefully spread throughout the city.
There’s only one thing worse than being stopped by the CHP for riding your bike on the 101 Freeway — having them call your mom to pick you up.
Caltrans will be teaming with SCAG and UCLA to host the 2015 California Transportation Planning Conference at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in DTLA this December; advance registration is a mere $400 unless you can manage to form a non-profit or get adopted by a tribal government before then.
Santa Monica’s Breeze bikeshare program — without the quotation marks, please — is set to officially open in two weeks.
Whittier has received funding to purchase land along a railroad corridor to extend the city’s Greenway Trail.
State
Newport Beach’s Avocado Avenue gets a road diet, with one lane in each direction and bike lanes with a buffer protecting riders from the door zone.
Eighteen San Diego County law enforcement agencies get nearly $5 million from the state to improve bike and pedestrian safety.
CiclaValley discovers riding in San Diego isn’t the Mayberry-like experience he envisioned.
Palo Alto continues to expand their network of bike boulevards. LA has a bike boulevard, sort of.
The Marin County cycling community remembers bike advocate and Safe Routes to Schools founder Deb Hubsmith, who died of leukemia this past August.
National
The majority of bicyclists in the US aren’t spandex-clad roadies, children or urban hipsters, according to a new report.
Already recognized as a gold level bicycle-friendly city, Scottsdale AZ looks to get even better, building on a long history with bikes.
A Denver magazine offers etiquette tips for riding the city’s streets, most of which have nothing to do with etiquette.
The University of Toledo offers students a free bikeshare program.
Formerly auto-centric Indianapolis reclaims its soul by transforming into a bikeable, walkable city. Just five years ago, they had one mile of bike lanes; today they have 90 miles of designated bikeways, including an 18-mile rails-to-trails conversion.
A New York physician reports on a study that shows the severity of bicycling injuries appears to go up after bike lanes are installed, contradicting previous studies; however, he stresses that bike lanes are still beneficial.
Seriously? The Philadelphia Enquirer enquires as to why low-income people use the city’s bikeshare program less than wealthier people. Maybe because they can’t afford it and don’t have credit cards?
A Baltimore bike shop joins REI’s #OptOutside movement in deciding to close on Black Friday. Let me know if any LA bike shops join in; I’ll be happy to promote your shop that weekend.
An Alabama writer asks why white people like Birmingham’s new e-bike bikeshare system so much, in a city that is 73% black.
International
British Columbia’s state insurance agency insists on blaming the victim in a bicycling fatality, even though the driver has been charged with driving under the influence, negligence and hit-and-run. The company first claimed the cyclist was drunk or high, then settled on claims that his brakes were bad, that he failed to ride far enough right, and didn’t warn the driver before the driver hit him.
A British bike safety group calls for allowing bike riders to make the equivalent of a right turn on a red light.
Not too shabby. An American cyclist becomes an Internet star in the UK mostly by saying “not too shabby” a lot.
Nice obituary for 86-year old Scottish cyclist Ian Steel, who won the 1951 Tour of Britain, as well as becoming the unwelcome winner of the Eastern Bloc’s equivalent to the Tour de France in the middle of the Cold War.
VeloNews talks with Dutch pro Tom Dumoulin after his near miss at winning the Vuelta.
It’s a painfully small world, as the wife of a New Zealand cyclist happens upon the scene just after her husband is hit by a car driven by a man who knows him.
Finally…
When you’re riding with cocaine and marijuana on your bike, don’t go through the damn red light. If you’re going to steal a bike, don’t do it in front of a former college linebacker turned sheriff’s deputy.
And a new GPS-enabled bike compass promises to make bicycling fun again. Riding a bike is, was, and always will be fun, with or without electronic gadgets.
Morning Links: Caltrans takes another step forward; CHP wants to improve bike safety, while cycling deaths up
Let’s start with bike news from a couple of state agencies.
Caltrans moves beyond its auto-centric past by launching a website for the upcoming California Bike and Pedestrian Plan, which promises to guide the department’s efforts for active transportation. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn out like that scorpion trying to hitch a ride across a river.
The CHP has received a federal grant to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety; the department plans to use it for education programs for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. They could start by improving bicycle education for their own officers, who frequently misinterpret bike law.
The CHP also reports bicycling fatalities are up 10.6% in the state this year. My records show a 12% decrease in Southern California compared to this time last year, but news from other parts of the state hasn’t been as good — if you can call 65 SoCal deaths good news. Thanks to Melissa Pamer for the heads-up.
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As Streetsblog notes, this Spanish spot promoting bike commuting doesn’t need subtitles to get its message across.
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Today’s news includes a couple of painful reminders to always ride carefully around pedestrians.
- The University of Delaware student paper offers more details on the pedestrian critically injured in a collision with a bike rider on campus.
- A 62-year old London woman has to have a hip replacement after she’s knocked down by a hit-and-run salmon cyclist.
As most bicyclists can attest, it’s not always the rider’s fault when a collision with a pedestrian occurs; people can be unpredictable and can step into the path of a bike without looking.
But it’s up to you to anticipate that behavior, and ride slowly, safely and defensively around other people, giving them the same space you’d expect from a driver.
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Local
KPCC reports that Union Station has received a state grant to remake its front entrance to be more bike and pedestrian friendly, including a new plaza and Bike Hub.
Three LA intersections make a list of the most dangerous intersections in the US: Eagle Rock Blvd and W Avenue 41, Olympic Blvd and S Bonnie Brae St, and W Temple St and N Beaudry Ave. Your best bet is to avoid them if possible; if not, use extra caution when riding through.
Advocacy group Multicultural Communities for Mobility is hiring a part-time Program and Policy Coordinator.
Members of Santa Monica Forward call on residents of the city to commit to Vision Zero.
State
A petition calls for a flashing crossing walk across a deadly street in Newport Beach.
San Diego becomes the latest city to adopt a Vision Zero; like LA, they’ll attempt to eliminate traffic deaths by focusing on the most dangerous traffic corridors first.
Streetsblog’s Damien Newton examines San Diego’s new $200 million bike plan; meanwhile, CiclaValley makes some snap judgments about biking in the city.
New Orleans police have finally identified a suspect in the road rage beating of a La Jolla bicyclist who was visiting the city; friends say the department showed no interest in the case that left the man paralyzed from the shoulders down until they were pressured by California media.
A 12-year old Victorville boy was airlifted with a head injury after he hit a parked car when he was apparently buzzed by a truck. Naturally, the victim was blamed for coming too close to the truck, even though it’s the driver’s responsibility to pass safely.
The Davis newspaper looks at road and track cyclist Jane Eickhoff-Becker and 1930’s six-day race specialist Al Crossley prior to their introductions to the US Bicycling Hall of Fame.
National
Streetsblog calls the proposed federal transportation bill a step backwards, even if it does contain a nod to complete streets.
Nice piece about a Seattle handcyclist using his ‘bent to overcome disabilities following a serious riding wreck and major health issues.
Powerful protest from Boulder CO as cyclists object to the removal of bike lanes by placing bikes on the street splattered with red paint to resemble blood; naturally, they were deemed abandoned by officials and given to the police.
The fight is usually over removing parking to make way for bike lanes, but officials in Austin TX are considering plans to remove a bike lane to make room for parking.
Minnesota authorities plan to respond to the death of a cyclist by installing rumble strips along a highway shoulder, even though many riders say they increase the danger without providing a significant benefit; as one man put it, once a vehicle hits the rumble strip at 65 mph, it’s probably too late.
Formerly auto-centric Detroit now has the fastest-growing rate of bicycle commuting in the US. Needless to say, Los Angeles didn’t even make the top 10.
A popular 60-year old Akron, Ohio man was shot while riding his bike 22 years after his son was shot in the same area.
Heartbreaking story from Ohio as a competitive cyclist suffers a life-altering injury when a driver slammed into him while trying to beat a red light; she was fined just $130 for the wreck that put him in a wheelchair.
New York’s unofficial Department of Transformation is crowdfunding efforts to create their own better bikeways.
A Pennsylvania man faces a vehicular homicide charge for killing a cyclist when he fell asleep at the wheel; he said there was nothing he could do after waking up to loud noises and noticing a bicyclist in front of his car. Nice to see authorities taking this seriously and not treating it as just an accident.
Heather Cook, the former Baltimore Episcopal bishop who killed a cyclist in a drunken, distracted hit-and-run, will spend the next seven years in prison after being sentence to 20 years, with 13 suspended. Thanks to F3nugr33k for the link.
The University of Delaware is the latest college to introduce their own bikeshare program.
A New Orleans bike advocate says everyone deserves to be safe on the city’s streets.
International
Snowy Calgary plans to make clearing the city’s new cycle tracks a priority this winter.
The four leading candidates to replace Boris Johnson as London mayor have all said they would consider changing the law to allow cyclists to go through red lights.
The widow of a British cyclist told the driver who killed him that he should be ashamed of himself for driving a truck a day after his doctor told him not to drive due to sleep apnea.
A cyclist is fined the equivalent of $300 for doing 38 mph in a 20 mph zone in a London park, even though a park official says the speed limit doesn’t apply to bikes. But still, 38 mph in a park? Seriously
An Irish cycling website says a bike-riding, but cyclist hating, commentator should have proof before blaming the victims.
PRI talks to director Haifaa Al Mansour, who has turned her movie about a young girl who upends Saudi society by riding a bike into a novel for young girls.
Finally…
After a co-founder of Mozilla Firefox catches a confrontation between two cyclists on video, he writes a song about it, and sings it badly. Evidently, it’s not possible to ride bikes with a large group of other people without calling it a race, even if you’re a wounded vet.
And now you don’t have to choose between sleek furniture and a place to store your bike; a new line of Chilean furniture is made to hold it for you. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the heads-up.
Category: Bicycle Safety, Law Enforcement, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: bicycling, Caltrans, CHP, just the links, Los Angeles
Update: Bike rider killed in Carson when shipping container falls off flatbed truck
You’ve got to be kidding.
A bike rider lost his life in Carson this evening, for no reason other than he was there.
According to KTLA-5, a man was riding his bike on Santa Fe Avenue near Warnock Way around 5:05 pm Tuesday evening when a shipping container fell off a flatbed truck and landed on him.
He was pronounced dead at the scene; he has not been publicly identified.
The LA Times reports the truck somehow struck a railroad bridge, dislodging the massive container.
To make matters worse, the victim was not even riding in the street. KTLA says he was on the sidewalk when it fell on him, most likely as the truck was passing him.
Based on the limited description, there was absolutely nothing he could have done to avoid it. The only question is whether the driver struck a support, or if the load was too high to pass under the bridge.
This is the 65th bicycling fatality in Southern California, and the 26th in Los Angeles County.
Update: KABC-7 reports that the coroner’s office has identified the victim only as an Asian male, and confirms that the truck was passing the victim when the load fell off.
According to a witness, a similar wreck occurred the previous day; fortunately, no one was hurt in that one. He blames trucking companies for cutting corners because truck drivers are on strike at the ports of LA and Long Beach.
As a result, the companies are hiring flatbed truck drivers who simply strap the containers on, and who are paid by the load, rather than the hour, encouraging them to take chances.
Today, it may have cost a man his life.
Update 2: The LA coroner’s office has identified the victim as 51-year old Long Beach resident Robert Castorena.
Update 3: BAC member David Wolfberg forwards what appears to be Robert Castorena’s Facebook page.
Meanwhile, the LA Times fills in details about shipping companies and how the collision occurred; the truck apparently scraped the underneath of the railroad underpass, breaking the cables that secured the container.
No word on whether the driver, or the company he worked for, will face charges.
Update 4: Police report the driver may face charges depending on the outcome of the investigation; they appear to be looking into whether the load was too high for the bridge.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Robert Castorena and his loved ones.
Update: West Covina bicyclist killed in (alleged) drunken late-night hit-and-run
For once, there was a cop around when he was needed.
Unfortunately, it came too late for a bike rider in West Covina last night.
Multiple sources are reporting that a bicyclist was killed in a high-speed hit-and-run just before midnight, and the allegedly drunken driver arrested moments later just a few blocks away.
Forty-four-year old La Puente resident Jose De Jesus Ruiz-Villanueva was riding his bike north on the 1100 block of South Valinda Avenue, just above Merced Avenue, at 11:49 pm when he was hit from behind by a car traveling at a high rate of speed.
A police officer who was writing a report at nearby Melinda Elementary School heard the collision, and gave chase as the driver sped away, he stopped the car on Cameron Ave, where he noticed substantial damage to the vehicle.
According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, a second officer went back to the scene, and found Ruiz-Villanueva dead at the scene.
The paper reports he had been on his way to work when he was killed.
Police arrested 25-year old Presley Danielle Rodriguez of Glendora on suspicion of felony driving under the influence causing great bodily injury or death and felony hit-and-run. She was booked on $100,000 bail.
Unfortunately, this occurred in Los Angeles County, where cases like this are usually plea bargained away, leaving the drivers to face little or no jail time.
This is the 64th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 25th in Los Angeles County.
Eight of those 25 deaths have been hit-and-runs.
Update: The driver, Presley Danielle Rodriguez, faces up to 15 years in prison on charges of hit-and-run and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. And for a change, the court appears to be taking this case seriously, increasing her bond to $150,000, $50,000 more than prosecutors requested.
The SGV Tribune reports Ruiz-Villanueva was on his way to work at A-1 Power Sweeping Co in Baldwin Park; his bicycle was his only form of transportation.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose De Jesus Ruiz-Villanueva and his family.
Morning Links: Stephany convicted of 2nd degree murder, KCRW can’t find bike riders to discuss Mobility Plan
No surprise here.
An Orange County jury has found Neil Storm Stephany guilty of second degree murder in the heroin and Ativan-fueled hit-and-run death of cyclist Shaun Eagleson as he rode on the East Coast Highway just over a year ago.
And despite his attorney’s bizarre argument that Stephany can’t be held responsible because he was so high he had no idea what he was doing behind the wheel.
Stephany had been warned following a previous DUI conviction that he could face a murder charge if he killed someone while driving under the influence. Instead he shot up, got behind wheel and did exactly that; he was reportedly found incoherent with fresh needle marks at the time of his arrest.
He faces 15 years to life in prison when he’s sentenced on January 15th.
Despite one juror’s hope that this is a wake-up call for Stephany, it’s a little too late for that.
And for the man he killed.
Thanks to Edward M. Rubinstein and our anonymous OC source for the heads-up.
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Hats off to REI.
While other retailers are forcing their employees leave their families and work on Thanksgiving Day, the Seattle-based co-op will not only be closed on Thanksgiving, but will be shutting their doors on the following day, aka Black Friday. And telling their employees to go outdoors and enjoy themselves.
With pay.
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A reader forwards this moving piece from a former bike racer suffering from an incurable, untreatable and progressively degenerative kidney disease, and her first tentative step back into cyclocross racing just for fun.
Definitely worth taking a few moments from your day to read.
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Local
KCRW’s Which Way LA looks at the reactions to LA’s Mobility Plan 2035 in South LA and around Rowena Ave in Silver Lake, but can’t seem to find any bike riders to discuss it with.
A trio of USC students are working on a Bluetooth-enabled bike lock that will be permanently mounted on your bike, and lock by clamping around the rear wheel.
The LA Explorers Club is hosting an LA Noir Bicycle Tour this Sunday, taking riders back to the classic Los Angeles of the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s.
State
A group of Santa Ana kids are recognized for their work in bike advocacy at the California Bicycle Summit, while the city is set to receive $11.5 million in bikeway funding.
Bike Newport Beach discusses the need to teach young bike racers how to ride safely on the streets.
A La Jolla mountain bike rider was the victim of a brutal assault while visiting New Orleans, leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down. And neither the police or the Big Easy press seem to give a damn. When I lived down that way, it too often seemed that rather than the City That Care Forgot, it was the city that forgot to care.
San Diego will begin work on the next link in the Bayshore Bikeway around the first of the year, the first of $200 million in new bike projects in the region over the next decade.
Coronado police warn that the annual grace period for student bike violations is ending. Note to CPD: Riding a bike in a crosswalk is legal under California law.
A Redlands bike rider was injured in a shooting as he rode past two men walking in the street.
Sad news from Sacramento, as a man dies eight days after he was hit by a car while riding his bike.
Apparently, bike friendly Davis has a bike parking problem.
National
Despite the recent bike boom, visits to bike shops declined 17% from 2012 to 2014.
Uber’s new Uber Rush delivery service is using a fleet of bike messengers to make deliveries in New York City, San Francisco and Chicago in an hour or less.
An engineering professor proposes a bikeshare system for the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Maybe he didn’t want to miss his favorite show. An Iowa rider loses three teeth when he was mugged by a group of men who wanted the TV he was carrying on his bike.
A St. Louis writer says bicycling can be bliss in the city originally built for horses and trolleys.
Science takes a backseat to football at the University of North Carolina, where bikes are banned from parking in front of the Genome Science building on game days.
Key West cyclists team up for the annual four-mile Zombie Bike Ride.
International
Go ahead and have that drink. A new study shows that while a third of injured cyclists have been drinking, drunk riders are less likely to get in wrecks and are no more likely to be injured than sober riders.
A Montreal bike messenger poetically says the key to survival is to float like a ghost into the spaces no one else is occupying.
The former head of Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service says the country’s legal system has failed cyclists, and calls for a change in the way bike cases are handled. Meanwhile, the head of roads policing for the British National Police Chiefs’ Council says it’s too risky to commute by bike in London.
The Scottish town of Dumfries puts it’s bikeshare system on hold following complaints that it’s too difficult to use. The story quotes my favorite Scot bike blogger as she helps raise the rabble.
Just as women’s cycling is starting to take off again, Switzerland is dropping their women’s team due to financial losses.
A leftwing German political party wants to encourage biking and walking by eliminating fines for red light violations in the law-abiding country.
The BBC looks at the legal loophole that allows Syrian refugees to cross the Russian border into Finland only if they are on a bike, and the absurd trade in flimsy children’s bikes it has spawned. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.
A Rwandan cyclist was killed in a mid-race collision after he dropped off the back of the peloton.
Seriously? South Australian officials warn that allowing bikes on sidewalks will result in huge costs to local government, as well as lawsuits against cyclists. And Aussie Liberals seem misnamed as they threaten to roll back the state’s 1-meter passing law.
Philippine cyclists flaunt the country’s Carmegeddon to advocate for a piece of the road. Thanks again to Megan Lynch.
Finally…
If you’re carrying 64 tabs of Lorazepam, aka Ativan, on your bike, put a damn light on it and stay off the sidewalk. Talk about casting a big shadow; a little ingenuity and elbow grease, and you, too can frighten the neighbors into thinking a rogue elephant is on the loose.
And this is what happens when you don’t have any women — or men capable of thinking with the larger head — in your marketing department.
Category: Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: bicycling, Los Angeles, Neil Storm Stephany, Newport Beach, Orange County, REI, Shaun Eagleson