The proposal to rescind approval for LA’s new Mobility Plan and reapprove it to head off a lawsuit from Fix the City eked through a combined meeting of the City Council’s Planning and Transportation Committees on Tuesday.
It passed by just a slim five to four vote.
Surprisingly, West Valley Councilmember Mitch Englander voted against it, less than two weeks after he was honored with the LACBC’s Innovator Award at their Firefly Ball.
New CD4 Councilmember David Ryu also voted against it, while the no votes from Gil Cedillo and Paul Koretz were entirely expected.
Councilmembers Mike Bonin, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and Felipe Fuentes voted in favor, with Jose Huizar voting yes twice as a member of both committees.
The measure now goes before the full council at a future date.
On a related note, come back later today when we’ll have a guest post from Fig4All’s Felicia Garcia on Cedillo’s opposition to the Mobility Plan.
………
Santa Monica’s Breeze bikeshare system officially kicks off today, making it the first citywide bikeshare system in Southern California.
If you don’t count San Diego, that is.
………
Caltrans finally acknowledges the concept of induced demand, admitting that increasing road capacity does not decrease congestion, despite the demands of LA drivers.
Too bad it’s a little too late for the billion dollar expansion of the 405 through the Sepulveda pass; that money could have built a lot of protected bike lanes.
………
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from St. Louis CyclingSavvy instructor Karen Karabell.
Today she offers a nice five minute video on the joys of riding a bike, and what a difference it would make if more people felt safe on their bikes.
Karen notes that the piece was the debut effort of filmmaker and transportation cyclist Alison Ehrhard, who she says is passionate about the subject of bicycling.
Then again, aren’t we all?
………
Local
Collision LA offers a fascinating sliding map of the LACBC’s recent bike count.
Multicultural Communities for Mobility will host a number of free bike safety classes over the next few months, starting tonight in East LA.
Bicycling Retailer takes a tour of the high-end, celebrity-filled bike shops in Santa Monica.
Great idea. The Southern California Velo Cycling Club is teaming with Incycle Bicycle Stores to collect food donations for families in need this holiday season.
A Norwalk bicyclist was kidnapped and shot in both legs in an apparent gang attack.
Long Beach receives a $150,000 grant for bike and pedestrian workshops.
CiclaValley continues the tale of his recent ride from LA to San Diego for the Calbike Bike Summit.
State
A San Diego couple hopes security camera video helps someone recognize the thief who stole their bike. Which could be hard, since the TV station somehow failed to include it in their story.
Dozens of volunteers pitch in to help a San Jose bike non-profit move to a new location; the shop provides bikes and maintenance training for needy and homeless people.
Students at Cupertino’s De Anza College can rent one of 50 bikes for an entire semester at no charge; they also have use of a free bike repair station.
San Francisco’s first raised bike lane — possibly the first in the state — is now officially open on Market Street.
National
Bicycling considers how to reframe the story to avoid blaming the victims in bike collisions. Before we complain about the press paying too much attention to bike crashes, let’s remember it was only a few years ago that they didn’t care enough to report them at all.
The Triple Pundit website looks at why the US lags behind other countries in bike commuting.
USA Today ranks the 25 best sports movies of all time. Breaking Away is the only bicycling movie on the list, ranked far below some highly questionable choices.
LA bike tourists Milestone Rides report on a trip to Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park.
A Seattle radio personality who describes himself as an avid cyclist is up in arms over spending a whopping $9,000 in taxpayer money to install free bike repair stations at nine local libraries.
That decorated retired military dog shot by a cyclist in Wyoming received a public military funeral worthy of the hero he was.
Apparently, Houston’s bikeshare system is all about the fun, ‘bout the fun, not commuting.
Pittsburgh bicyclists are calling for greater accountability for drivers in collisions between cars and bikes; as one person put it, “Bikers do not present a life-threatening risk when they have a momentary lapse in concentration.” I wish we could drill that thought into every anti-bike commenter on the Internet.
Evidently, there’s competition among thieves, as New York police bust two bike thieves attempting to steal the same bike, although it’s possible they were working together.
The Washington Post asks if e-bikes are the future of transportation, or just the next Segways.
International
Nice piece from the Guardian on the improving state of bicycling in Mexico City, where a weekly ciclovía opens 35 miles of roadway to bicyclists and pedestrians. Thanks to Steve Katz for the link.
London considers protected bike lanes on the Westminster Bridge leading to the Parliament building. Having walked that bridge, they would improve things for people on the sidewalk, as well.
A British bicyclist has died following a collision with another cyclist. Another reminder to always ride carefully around other people, on bike or on foot; it doesn’t take much to do serious harm.
British police bust a bike theft ring responsible for stealing 48 bikes worth $38,000. Meanwhile, registering it in advance helps a man from the UK recover his stolen bike in just 3-1/2 hours. Seriously, stop what you’re doing and register your bike for free with Bike Index before anything bad happens.
Maybe what you need is a canary yellow, 14 pound Brit foldie.
Caught on video: An apparently lightless Dublin cyclist gets t-boned by a car.
A new line of women’s bicycling panties is made with a quick-dry fabric and built-in chamois to provide comfort under skirts or casual clothing; the Latvian manufacturer is raising funds on Indiegogo.
Smog-choked Beijing wants to get its residents back on bikes to combat an over-dependence on cars.
Finally…
For once, the dispute isn’t over bike lanes vs. parking; it’s bike lanes vs. gravesites. Now you can let drivers know exactly what a three-foot passing distance is.
And caught on video: This is what happens when you take a wide turn and smash into a parked car on the opposite side if the road.
………
On a personal note, if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may be aware that my wife was unexpectedly hospitalized following a trip to the ER on Sunday.
I’m happy to report that she’s back home safe and sound, although she nearly had to go back after she was welcomed home by an overly enthusiastic Corgi. Thanks to everyone who expressed their caring and support; that meant more to me than I can ever begin to say.
Her absence reminded me of this piece I wrote following her heart attack almost three years ago to the day.
It may be the most heartfelt thing I’ve ever written.
And quite possibly, ever will.
