Guest Post: Felicia Garcia looks at Councilmember Cedillo’s Opposition to Mobility Plan 2035

November 12, 2015 / / One comment

Since his election in 2013, CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo has lead the fight against bike lanes in his Northeast LA district, first by halting an already approved road diet on North Figueroa, then by demanding that bikeways planned for his district be removed from the new Mobility Plan.

A casualty of that opposition has been safety for everyone, as North Figueroa remains one of the most dangerous streets in Los Angeles.

Today Fig4All’s Felicia Garcia examines his continued opposition to the safety improvements promised in the Mobility Plan.

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For over 50 days, a memorial for Yolanda Lugo-Espinoza has stood on N. Figueroa, and donation boxes to help the family cover funeral expenses have adorned the counter of local businesses along the street. However, this tragic fatality seems to be absent from Councilmember Cedillo’s memory, as he continued his opposition Tuesday to a plan that aims to eliminate traffic deaths citywide. N. Figueroa Street was intended to undergo a reconfiguration shortly after Cedillo took office in 2013 that would have resulted in crosswalk improvements and buffered bike lanes but that city-approved and funded safety plan has been single-handedly stalled by District 1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo.

In a joint Transportation and Planning & Land-Use Management Committee meeting Tuesday to re-examine proposed amendments to the Mobility Plan 2035, Councilmember Cedillo again demonstrated his lack of empathy with the community and those affected by dangerous streets. He is one of 2 council members who has consistently opposed the Mobility Plan. The primary goal of the Plan is to put safety first by eliminating traffic fatalities while encouraging Angelenos to consider alternative means of transportation through adding dedicated bus and bike lanes to the city’s roadways over the next 20 years.

At the initial Mobility Plan 2035 meeting in August, Councilmember Cedillo (whose district includes the Glassell Park, Highland Park and Cypress Park neighborhoods of Northeast LA) attempted to make significant changes to specifics in the Plan. Most notably he requested that the streets in his district meant to be part of the citywide network of protected bike lanes be removed from the Mobility Plan. The Councilman has said his reluctance towards the Plan and his motive for excluding streets in his district is that he must act as “representative for the entirety of …[his] district, not simply 1%”. He refers to anyone who walks, bikes or uses public transportation as the 1%, but in doing so dismisses a large population of his constituents. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the MacArthur Park neighborhood of his district boasts one of the highest percentages of commuters who travel by means other than car – a noteworthy 49.2%. For other parts of Cedillo’s district such as Westlake and Chinatown, those commuting without car make up 48.8% and 25%, respectively.

Many of the residents in Cedillo’s district cannot afford the luxury of owning a car, while others simply choose not to drive. Cedillo attempted to give more insight behind his reasoning at the Mobility Plan meeting stating: “A recent poll in the L.A. Times found that traffic is the No. 1 concern of the people, not public safety, not the high cost of living, not cleanliness of the city.” The poll he refers to was an online survey taken by 1,500 LA County residents. Considering the 2013 Census estimates LA County is home to over 10 million people, this survey focused on a tiny portion (around 0.015%) of the population, with the majority (98%) of the surveys conducted in English and exclusively serving those with internet access. Besides the fact that this survey in no way represents the needs of his constituents, he continues to cite it. He also overlooks one of the main purposes of the Mobility Plan, which is to find new ways to deal with the inevitable traffic that comes with a growing population of Angelenos. In insisting that traffic flow is more important than safety, he expresses his disregard for human life while a candle for hit-and-run victim Ms. Lugo-Espinoza still flickers at a memorial less than 2 blocks away from his Highland Park Field Office.

The Council Tuesday concluded the Mobility Plan 2035 meeting with intent to place changes to the Plan up for vote again next week with a full Council. Neighboring Northeast LA Councilmember Huizar is in strong support of the Plan, citing the 43% reduction in traffic collisions on Colorado Boulevard after safety improvements were introduced in 2013 as an example of how the rest of the city could progress. The majority of the City Council supports the Mobility Plan and commend it for its vision and years of exhaustive outreach unmatched in the City’s history. Meanwhile, Councilmember Cedillo remains insistent that he would not like the Plan to move forward until there can be greater “community input,” leaving his constituents at risk and danger as he stalls implementation of critical roadway safety improvements.

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BikinginLA welcomes guest posts on subjects of interest to bicyclists, particularly in the Los Angeles and Southern California areas. If you’ve written something you’d like to share, or have a topic you’d like to suggest, contact us at the email address on the About page.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Guest Columns, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Re-approval of Mobility Plan moves on; Breeze blows into SaMo; Caltrans nixes induced demand

November 12, 2015 / / 3 comments

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.

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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.

Breeze Email-ad-Final

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikeshare, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: BOLO alerts for a bike thief and a stolen e-bike, and a section of the LA River bike path closes

November 11, 2015 / / One comment

Get comfortable. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today.

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There’s a special place in hell for the jerk who pushed an 11-year old boy off the bicycle he just won, then rode off with it after placing a small girl on the handlebars.

It happened on Halloween at Ted Watkins Park in the Florence-Firestone neighborhood. Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Daniel Cerda at the Sheriff’s Department’s Parks Bureau, 213/216-7675.

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The closure of a one-mile segment of the LA River bike path begins on Monday. Riders will be detoured through Griffith Park to avoid construction to add carpool lanes on the 5 Freeway.

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Keep your eyes open for an e-bike stolen from Andrew Yip of BikeSGV, which was used to transport materials for the organization, as well as worn out kids.

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Calbike provides the voting records on bike bills for the every member of the state Assembly and Senate.

If your representative scored poorly, you might want to have a talk with him or her.

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Utah gets the point across when it comes to distracted driving.

Utah-Traffic-Sign

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Local

LAist considers what it will be like to use the coming Metro bikeshare system in DTLA, while Metro wants your help to determine just where those stations should be located.

CiclaValley offers his favorite routes from the Valley to DTLA.

Santa Monica gets its first protected bike lane down the center of Pico Blvd, to provide a safer connection from Santa Monica High School to Main Street. Meanwhile, a writer for the Santa Monica Daily Press considers whether bikeshare and that “bike thingy” on Pico are actually useful developments.

 

State

Talk about getting tough on crime. Road raging California drivers can lose their license for a whole six months for the first offense.

A writer for Orange Coast magazine previews this year’s “super-subversive” Laguna Beach Tour de Coop chicken coop ride. Except it was actually held last Sunday.

A Newport Beach driver pled not guilty to felony hit-and-run for fleeing the scene after critically injuring a 14-year old girl as she rode her bike on the Balboa Peninsula last August.

A cyclist in Newport Beach suffered just minor injuries when he was hit in a left cross collision on Tuesday.

Celebrate the third anniversary of the Inland Empire Biking Alliance in Redding with the BikesGiving Telethon on November 19th.

Bay Area groups are working to get more women on two wheels.

A Redding bicyclist has died nearly a week after he was hit by a car while riding home from work.

 

National

Next City makes the case against eye-searing flashing bike lights. I use two lights; a relatively low-powered light on flashing mode so I can be seen, and a bright light angled down so I can see without blinding others.

Bicycling offers up some classic bike commercials if you have 5:40 to kill.

Smart idea, as Seattle is installing DIY bike repair stations at nine county libraries.

A San Antonio TX man is on trial for killing his roommate because he failed to close the gate after bringing his bicycle into the yard.

A Pittsburgh letter writer seems to be saying it’s a cyclist’s fault that she doesn’t know how to use her mirrors and drives too close to parked cars, while another says sometimes bike riders really are at fault.

Baltimore bike advocates kick off a year-long “I Bike, I Vote” campaign to get bicyclists to the voting booth.

A candidate for mayor of Charleston SC says the most important issue in the campaign is keeping a key bridge for cars only; his opponent says he’s not sold on it either.

Atlanta’s first chief bicycle officer explains how he’s working to turn the auto-centric capitol of the South into a city that serves all road users. Including a road diet on a formerly seven-lane street that provided dedicated space for everyone, while improving automotive throughput and reducing crashes 25%.

A Florida bike thief is under arrest after he was chased down and dragged out of the bushes by a 5’3” mom whose bike he stole; unfortunately, the bike didn’t fare very well.

 

International

Apparently, pro cyclists are popping tramadol to kill the pain of racing. Seriously? When take I it, I can barely walk across the street, let alone ride a bike. And forget about a sprint finish.

Cycling News talks with cycling scion Taylor Phinney, who not only made an amazing comeback from a devastating injury, but became a better person in the process.

Um, no. An unpublished British study claims to show bike helmets turn riders into risk takers. All it really shows is that bike helmets may protect from over-inflated balloons.

Here’s another reason to ride. A study from the UK finds that stronger legs reduce the risk of age-related dementia.

An English soccer fan raised the equivalent of over $30,000 riding 15,000 miles to attend last year’s World Cup in South Africa. Then has his Surly stolen from outside his house.

A Brit paper explains how to stay dry while riding in wet weather. Which should be an El Niño primer for bike-riding Angelenos.

Bicycling has decreased in Ireland, but the percentage of people who use bikes as their primary form of transportation has gone up. Although more off-street bike parking in convenient locations might turn that decrease around.

Botswana’s Minister of Transport calls for everyone to use the roads safely and take responsibility for their behavior, yet the press somehow turns that into a call for responsible cycling.

Now that South Australia is allowing bikes on sidewalks, one city wants to impose speed limits. Which only works for bikes with speedometers, of course. And do they plan on ticketing excited kids who pedal too fast on their training wheels?

Now that’s a big bike ride. Around 600,000 Thais have registered for a nationwide ride in honor of the country’s king.

 

Finally…

Forget tall bikes; what you really need is a half-block long tandem. If you’re going to cut in and out of a group of cyclists while blaring your horn, try to make sure one of them isn’t the country’s prime minister.

And I’ve been trying to figure out how to take the Corgi on my bike. But this probably isn’t the answer.

Dog-Rack

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Please join me in offering a special thank you and Happy Veterans Day to everyone who’s served our country. 

Category: Morning Links, Stolen Bikes and Bike Crime, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Bellflower bike rider killed in August hit-and-run; one-third of LA County bicycling deaths are hit-and-runs

November 10, 2015 / / One comment

Sometimes bad news takes a long time to surface.

That’s what happened Tuesday, as word finally broke that a bike rider was killed in a Bellflower hit-and-run last August.

According to the Press-Telegram, 60-year old Bradley Miller was riding on Lakewood Blvd north of Rosecrans Ave a little after 11 pm on August 18th when he was struck by an unidentified vehicle.

Sheriff’s deputies have little information on the car or the driver, and no details were released on how the wreck occurred.

Anyone with information is urged asked to call the Lakewood Station’s Traffic Office at 562/623-3500.

This is the 67th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 27th in Los Angeles County. Twelve of those have been victims of hit-and-runs, as have nine of the deaths in LA County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Bradley Miller and his family.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: LA’s Mobility Plan up for review today, and a call for to join or renew membership in LACBC

November 10, 2015 / / One comment

The LA Times looks at the city council’s planned revote on the recently passed LA Mobility Plan to stave off a lawsuit filed by Fix the City, the self-appointed guardians of LA’s failed auto-centric transportation system.

It’s worth noting that the story quotes CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo as saying that a recent poll showed traffic, not safety, was the number one concern of LA residents. Even though there have been a number of high-profile traffic deaths in his district since he arbitrarily killed the safety improvements planned for North Figueroa, and attempted to have all bike lanes in his district removed from the plan.

Evidently, the deaths of a few bike riders and pedestrians are a small price to pay to avoid slowing traffic by even a minute or two — and then only at peak hours.

It’s also worth noting that the story begins by describing supporters of the plan as “activists,” rather than just people who want to be able to get where their going safely, and without fear. However they choose to travel.

Yet those who oppose safety improvements are never referred to as car, business or homeowner activists.

And once again, the story fails to correct claims from groups like Fix the City that the plan calls for an increase in congestion and a decrease in air quality and emergency response times. Even though that’s only a worst case scenario in case the plan does nothing to encourage alternative transportation, which is extremely unlikely.

Meanwhile, Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman travels with a group of South LA bike riders protesting Councilmember Curren Price’s plans to exclude the promised Central Avenue bike lanes from the plan.

If you’d like to weigh in on the matter, whether as an activist or just a bike-riding human being, the City Council Planning and Transportation Committees will take up the proposal in a joint session scheduled for 2:30 this afternoon in the council chambers at City Hall.

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I want to pass along the following message from Ishraq Ali, Membership Manager for the LACBC.

Hi there!

We’re in midst of a Membership Drive at the LA County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC)!

The year 2015 has been one of change and growth for LACBC. To start I’m the new Membership Manager looking to build our presence in LA! I’m excited to come onboard and help LACBC integrate equity into all our programs and prioritize outreach in underserved communities.

We’ve had GREAT success, and the momentum is in our favor to make the LA region a healthy, safe, equitable and fun place to ride a bike. Our advocacy efforts have led to the passage of the Mobility Plan 2035 and the creation of the Los Angeles Vision Zero Alliance.

Now is a great opportunity for us to grow and strengthen our numbers as we head into 2016.

Support us today and get a special one year complimentary e-subscription to Momentum Magazine! We also have a special limited edition of our #bikeLA members’ shirt!

bikeLA group

Support us at the premium level and represent LACBC with these limited-quantity shirts.

Its through your support that we can continue to do our advocacy, education and community work! Join and support our work today!

If you have questions or thoughts to share, email me at membership@la-bike.org

#bikeLA

Ishraq

Membership Manager

The LACBC is the leading voice for LA’s bicycling community, working with city and county leaders on a daily basis to improve the riding environment for everyone on two wheels.

It’s only through your membership that they have the strength to make all our voices heard.

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Local

Streetsblog pulls back the curtain on pricing for Metro’s coming bikeshare system in DTLA; most commenters seem disappointed that the plan doesn’t offer true integration with the tap card system. Although I’m glad to see there’s a walkup option that doesn’t require advance membership.

CiclaValley takes on the challenge of Sunday’s Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer hill climb.

Breitbart looks at how Santa Monica’s Breeze bikeshare system will work. Although what the US Department of Transportation has to do with it is beyond me.

Tonight is your last chance to turn out in support of a proposed bike park in the San Gabriel Valley.

 

State

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton talks about Calbike’s legislative report cards with Campaign’s Director Ryan Price.

Santa Barbara’s new draft bike plan is called deeply disappointing, as the city avoids making the hard choices between bikes and cars.

Somehow I missed this story on bike theft at an Oakland BART station, which explains why even a heavy U-lock can be worthless in protecting your bike. Thanks to Gil Solomon for the heads-up.

 

National

Bicycling suggests bike commuters should use Strava to provide data for city planners, and offers advice on how to get back on your bike after having a baby.

Bob Mionske says killer drivers are seldom held accountable, and Vulnerable User Laws can form the middle ground between giving killer drivers a walk and sending them away for years. As if to prove Mionske’s point, a Maryland man won’t face charges for running down a bike rider on the shoulder of a roadway; instead, he got three tickets worth less than $300 each, with a possible two points against his license.

Sixteen female bike industry executives met with federal lawmakers to discuss the transportation bill and other issues facing the bike industry. Nice to have women’s voices represent the traditionally male-dominated bike business for a change.

How Minneapolis is encouraging kids to bike and walk to school.

A political commentator for CNN attempts to lose her fear of bicycling with just her second ride through the streets of Manhattan.

Two Miami men are dead after the driver of a stolen car slams into a bicyclist before the car crashed into a tree and burst into flames.

 

International

VeloNews catches up with the newly retired Jens Voigt, who says he’s leaving pro cycling in good hands.

A writer in Saskatoon says people ride to work even in winter because they’re commuting just like anyone else.

London’s Guardian newspaper unmasks Mexico City’s Peatónito, a cape crusader fighting for pedestrian rights and safety on the traffic-clogged streets.

The Guardian examines fatality stats to determine how bike riders get killed in England and Wales, pointing out that you’re almost as likely to get killed falling off a ladder. The story adds that four pedestrians were killed in collisions with cyclists in the UK in the last year.

Evidently, it’s a Guardian kind of day, as another writer continues the recent theme of windshield-perspective hatchet jobs, portraying even 71-year old bike riders as out to terrify those poor, innocent drivers by being dangerously out of control. Must be strange driving over there if lightless kamikaze hands-free cyclists doing wheelies from all sides is really a problem.

A Welsh cyclist with a long history of substance abuse gets 14 months for threatening two people with a knife while “out of his mind on drink and drugs.” Call me crazy, but it seems like his mode of transportation is the least important part of this story, despite the headline.

Jerusalem police give a new bike to a 13-year old boy who was recently stabbed while riding.

Bike paths are coming to several communities in Dubai, which is on track to add 550 miles of cycle tracks by the end of the decade.

A group of 35 Aussie cyclists are riding through New South Wales to call for the equivalent of a three-foot passing law, including some of the country’s current and past elite riders.

 

Finally…

Apparently, cyclists aren’t the only dopers after all. A simple photo of Beyoncé looking hot while posing with her bike blows up the Internet.

And if you’re going to get high and ride your bike, try to remember to put lights on it first — and don’t assault a deputy when he tries to stop you.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Guest Columns, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: Savvy cycling in OC, keeping bike theft petty, and riding with the Ovarian Psychos

November 9, 2015 / / One comment

One quick scheduling note before we get started, as the Orange County Bicycling Coalition is holding another bike safety class later this week.

Orange County Bicycle Coalition

Cycling Savvy: Safe and Legal Cycling Class

Location: Jax Bicycle Center in Irvine

Thursday, November 12 6-9PM

Saturday, November 14 8-3PM

$75 for 3-part course

http://ocbike.org/education-ts101/

https://register.cyclingsavvy.org/groups/socal

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Local

The LA Times looks at how the effects of Prop 47 are helping to keep petty criminals on the streets, including a meth head bike thief. Although they get one thing wrong; it was the state legislature that increased the threshold for felony theft to $950, prior to the passage of Prop 47. Thanks to Gil Solomon for the heads-up.

Better Bike offers a ice a nice reflection on the LACBC’s recent volunteer bike and pedestrian counts in the LA in three very different area, with very different results.

Los Angeles broke ground Saturday on a new two-acre park at the confluence of the LA River and Aliso Creek in Reseda, including a three-quarter mile bikeway which will eventually connect to the LA River bike path.

A reporter for the LA Times gets a new perspective on the city by riding with the Ovarian Psychos.

La Cañada Flintridge votes to create a greenbelt along Foothill Blvd, with a bike lane on one side and a bike path on the other.

A Santa Clarita woman made her getaway by bike after overpowering a person at a market to steal a bag of groceries. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.

 

State

Who says a bunch of kids can’t accomplish anything? The state has approved a $2.37 million grant for a sidewalk and protected bike lane submitted by a group of Santa Ana teenagers.

Security cameras caught a man riding his bicycle through a playground full of kids at an Escondido elementary school with a stolen rifle slung across his back, and two more guns in his bag.

A 90-year old San Diego driver hit a pedestrian, 12 parked cars and a bicycle before continuing on to crash into a fire hydrant.

An Oxnard cyclist was seriously injured in a collision Sunday night.

 

National

The Texas driver who killed four people when he plowed through a crowded street at last year’s SXSW music festival has been sentenced to life without parole after being found guilty of capital murder.

Bystanders team up to save the life of an Illinois cyclist after he has a heart attack. It may not seem like it sometimes, but there are a lot of good people in this world.

Bikeshare continues to spread across the US; Pennsylvania’s Lehigh University is the latest college to open their own system.

 

International

A new foldie is specially made to fit in crowded apartments.

A British Columbia mayor is more open to improving bike safety after experiencing a dangerous riding route himself. Getting elected officials out on bikes is often the key to winning them over; maybe Paul Koretz and Gil Cedillo would finally see the light if we could get them to ride Westwood and North Figueroa with us.

Caught on video: Take a heart-pounding ride down the slopes of Whistler BC.

The Guardian tries out that glow-in-the-dark spray-on paint from Volvo, and decides it’s not such a bright idea.

A pair of British transportation consultants say “bleedin’ obvious” solutions aren’t necessarily the best way to improve road safety.

One British borough has seen a 250% increase in bicycling over the past eleven years.

London’s Design Museum will celebrate the evolution and symbolic power of bicycles.

Cycling Weekly looks at the central climb on Italy’s il Lombardia bike race, the last of the five one-day Monuments each season, where a museum at the top honors the Madonna del Ghisallo as the patron saint of bike riders. Call me superstitious, but I never get on a bike without my medal in her honor.

Turkish women call for improving the country’s streets for women riders.

Zambia’s sports minister says cycling should be embraced for physical fitness, as well as sport.

Yet another tack attack Down Under, as at least 40 Aussie cyclists had their tires punctured by tacks while on a ride to protest whoever has been spreading them on a secluded road for the last year.

Kiwi men are three times more likely to ride to work than women, and the gap continues to grow despite a nearly $300 million investment in bicycling infrastructure.

A new Filipino romantic coming-of-age film aims to inspire viewers to reduce fossil fuel emissions by taking up bicycling.

 

Finally…

Apparently, the solution to conflict between bicyclists and motorists isn’t safer streets, it’s mindful conflict resolution mediation. Scientists somehow conclude that walking to a transit station is healthier than just walking, or bicycling for that matter.

And a Canadian study that says the way to reduce bicycling injuries is to ride like a woman; somehow, I don’t think that will help.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Events, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,
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