Morning Links: Rail-to-River comes up for a vote, and local universities go bike friendly — but once again, not USC

October 23, 2014 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Rail-to-River comes up for a vote, and local universities go bike friendly — but once again, not USC

We have a lot to catch up on after yesterday’s unplanned absence, so let’s get right to it.

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Local

The plan to turn an abandoned South LA railway into a Rail-to-River bikeway comes up for a vote today.

The LAPD offers tips on protecting your bike following a rash of bike thefts in the Pacific Division.

Bike riders respond to the Times’ recent editorial raising the specter of the mythical war on cars, including one from John Lloyd — aka Boyonabike — saying they have it backwards.

The LACBC’s Colin Bogart offers bike safety tips for young riders, courtesy of First 5 LA.

Bikes are making inroads in LA, even on bike-unfriendly Wilshire Blvd on the Miracle Mile.

LAist looks at Sunday’s beer-friendly Keep LA Beautiful ride with the LA Explorer’s Club.

Win two free tickets to next month’s Los Angeles Grand Prix.

A Glendale letter writer says bike riders should be ticketed just like drivers, neglecting to consider that we already are. And most drivers who break the law aren’t ticketed, either.

 

State

Calbike looks back at the successes and failures of this year’s legislative session, much of which was marred by Jerry Brown’s veto pen.

Thirteen California universities make this year’s list of bike friendly colleges, including UCLA, UC Irvine, Cal State Long Beach, Pomona College and Santa Monica College. But to no one’s surprise, historically bike-unfriendly USC didn’t, despite the massive number of students who ride to and on campus.

A Redlands couple riding their bikes together are assaulted by the passenger of a passing car.

Modesto mother plays detective after her son’s bike is stolen.

The San Jose Mercury News says exercising your dog by riding next to it on your bike is unnatural and cruel.

The driver who allegedly killed a San Francisco cyclist while fleeing from police in a stolen van now faces a well-deserved murder charge.

 

National

Surly is looking for women to help promote their line of non-spandex bikewear.

Lots of people are biking across the US these days. Not many are nine years old and riding to raise money for children with cancer, though.

The Bike League goes for a ride with Cherokee Schill, the Kentucky cyclist who was arrested for the non-crime of riding a bike in the traffic lane. They also invite you to join the I Bike, I Vote movement.

Unbelievable. Intentionally run down a bike rider in New York and flee the scene, and walk away with a whopping $250 fine.

New York is famous for ticketing cyclists for riding on the sidewalk. But it raises some serious questions when most of those tickets are issued in Black and Latino neighborhoods.

The driver who killed an Atlanta fireman training for an Ironman race in New Orleans gets a well-deserved 5-and-a-half years in prison; thanks to Chris Menjou for the heads-up.

 

International

Ontario, Canada considers increasing fines for drivers who door cyclists and use cell phones behind the wheel, as well as approving contraflow bike lanes.

An Ottawa Storify discusses whether ghost bikes should be taken down or left alone.

Road safety improves in Scotland, including a small drop in bicycling deaths and injuries.

Even in the bike friendly Netherlands, police ticket an even gross of bike riders for running a balky red light.

The Tour de France unveils a challenging route for next year’s race, including a finish on the legendary Alpe d’Huez. Meanwhile, British cyclist Lizzie Armistead calls for a minimum wage for female pros.

Sad news, as a Kenyon cyclist is killed while participating in a Philippine stage race.

Road riding is too scary for an Aussie bike gold medalist following the deaths of too many friends.

 

Finally…

The press is up in arms over bike riders hitting pedestrians in New York’s Central Park, but fail to consider that sometimes it’s the pedestrian’s fault. Even John McEnroe is complaining about lunatic bike riders in Central Park.

And in a case of bike-on-bike road rage, a London rider is kicked off his bike by a passing cyclist.

Seriously, no matter how pissed off you are, there’s never an excuse for violence — especially when it dumps another rider in the path of oncoming traffic.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Update: Seven-year old e-bike rider killed by ice cream truck in South LA; driver attacked by bystanders

October 22, 2014 / / 10 comments

Just heartbreaking.

Several media sources are reporting that a seven-year old boy has died after falling under an ice cream truck.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was reportedly riding a motorcycle-style e-bike when he fell under the rear wheels of the truck.

According to KABC-7, he was riding next to the slow moving truck, and possibly holding on to it, before falling for an unknown reason. The LA Times reports that police consider it an “unfortunate accident,” though the investigation is still ongoing.

He was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, but died at 9:15 pm after emergency surgery.

However, in a report on KNBC-4, which is not available online as of this writing, a man identified as the victim’s uncle said the boy was walking his bike next to the truck, rather than riding, in an attempt to catch up to his older brother. And that the truck had been traveling too fast for the neighborhood street.

To make matters worse, the driver suffered minor injuries after he and his truck were attacked by people in the area who threw bricks at the truck and threatened him with a knife.

According to the man claiming to be the victim’s uncle, the attackers included the boy’s mother.

This is the 74th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 29th in the County of Los Angeles; it’s also the 10th in the City of LA.

Update: The victim has been identified as Jamarion Thomas. Meanwhile, the Times reports that family members dispute the version of events given by the police, as noted above, insisting that he was walking his bike and was too small to hold onto the truck, even if he wanted to.

Update: As this story has developed, it has become clear that Jamarion Thomas was not riding or walking a bicycle when he was killed, since his bike didn’t have pedals. Instead, it was a toy motorcycle powered by a battery.

This does not make his death any less tragic, but it does mean it does not belong among the statistics for bicycling fatalities.

As a result, I have removed his name from this year’s total. That returns the number of SoCal bicycling fatalities to 73 for this year, with 28 in LA County and the 9th in the City of Los Angeles. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jamarion Thomas and his family.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Tour of California finally opens up to women, women’s bike mechanic scholarships available

October 20, 2014 / / 5 comments

Now that’s more like it.

Not only does next year’s Amgen Tour of California finish with a stage from LA Live to Pasadena, it also feature three — count ‘em, three — women’s stage races in addition to a women’s time trial.

If all goes well — and it will — maybe women will finally be allowed to compete on equal terms with the men in a few years. Or at least have a full eight-stage tour of their own next to the men’s tour.

Now if we can just get rid of those anachronistic podium girls.

Note: The original story in the Daily News said the final stage would finish at the Rose Bowl, however that has since been changed to a more generic Pasadena finish. So I have revised this section to reflect that.

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Attention wannabe women wrenches.

And yes, that’s wrench, with an R, before anyone gets overly offended.

A collection of bicycling companies have teamed together to offer 10 full-ride scholarships for women to attend the United Bicycle Institute’s Professional Shop Repair and Operations Workshop.

The scholarships are open to both experienced and aspiring bike mechanics over the age of 18 who are US residents and employed by a bike shop, and will cover the full cost of tuition and lodging for the two-week course.

Better find a bike shop job quick before the November 20th deadline.

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Local

Steetsblog’s Joe Linton analyzes the LA Times Sunday editorial calling on the city to avoid a war on cars.

Cycling Weekly looks at LA’s own Stoopidtall bike.

El Segundo police bust a pair of burglars and recover three “distinctive” bicycles in the process.

Bad news from Norwalk, as a bike rider in his 50s was killed in an apparent drive-by shooting.

 

State

Riding in Big Bear can give you a serious workout combined with great views.

Seriously? The people in charge of the Golden Gate Bridge want to charge cyclists and pedestrians just to use the crosswalk.

The local Sonoma paper says goodbye to Michael Torckler, the Kiwi cyclist who was nearly killed while riding in the area two years ago, as he moves back home after losing his sponsorship.

 

National

Outside Magazine says self-driving cars will be the best thing that ever happened to cyclists. We can only hope.

A salmon cyclist and the driver who hit him could both face citations in St. George UT.

A local TV station says Cleveland cyclists fear for their lives amid a growing bikelash from drivers.

Illegal Central Park bike vendors battle in New York.

A Richmond VA writer responds with surprising reasonableness to anti-bike complaints from motorists.

In a tragedy that mirrors the Milt Olin case, a Florida sheriff’s deputy was found at fault after drifting out of his lane while using his patrol car’s onboard computer and killed a 15-year old cyclist. No word on whether he’ll face charges, unlike the driver who killed Olin.

 

International

Jared Leto goes for a bike ride in Rio.

What a waste. A British student is stabbed to death in a dispute over a bike worth the equivalent of just $145. Although I suppose it would be every bit as sad if the bike was worth ten times that amount.

A Brit bike rider comes within an inch of severing her femoral artery after she’s impaled by her brake lever.

Kiwi bike advocates protest as a driver walks free despite being convicted of killing a cyclist.

The mayor of Seoul, Korea calls for more bike-only roads after the city sees 13,000 bike collisions over a five-year period.

 

Finally…

Someone in a British town posted signs warning “Lycra louts” aren’t welcome there. Bike Snob offers his typical practical yet cynical advise on how to keep your bike from being stolen.

And a letter writer in Alexandria VA bizarrely compares a new city ordinance allowing bikes on the sidewalk to the infamous Reichstag fire that helped Hitler consolidate power in Nazi Germany.

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Update: Bike rider killed in Newport Beach; DUI driver faces murder charge

October 20, 2014 / / 25 comments

For once, the charges fit the crime.

Last night, we linked to news that an Orange County bike rider had been hit by a vehicle Sunday evening. Sadly, the Newport Beach police announced this morning that the victim died later that night.

According to the police report, 30-year old Fountain Valley resident Shaun Eagleson was riding west on East Coast Highway just east of the Los Trancos entrance to Crystal Cove State Park when he was rear-ended by a pickup truck around 5:03 pm.

He was taken to a local trauma center for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries at around 9:45 Sunday night.

The driver, identified as 23-year old Neil Storm Stephany of Huntington Beach, fled the scene, but was arrested shortly afterwards near the intersection of Newport Center Drive and East Coast Highway. He was taken into custody on charges of including Felony DUI (causing Great Bodily Injury), Hit and Run, Narcotics Possession and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; bail was initially set at $100,000.

The charges were later amended to include one count of murder, based on Stephany’s previous DUI conviction. According to the press release,

Further investigation revealed that Mr. Stephany has a prior conviction for Driving Under the Influence.  In California, a previous DUI conviction, and the subsequent required alcohol education, is considered an adequate indicator to suggest “implied malice” in subsequent DUI arrests involving the death of another party.  That fact, combined with Mr. Eagelson’s passing, lead Newport Beach Police to change Mr. Stephany’s booking charges to include 187 PC – Murder.  Mr. Stephany is currently being held without bail.

 

Yes, they even revoked his bail.

And they added one more thought that can’t be repeated enough.

Driving Under the Influence is a serious crime, with the potential for tragic and fatal consequences.  It is also completely preventable. The Newport Beach Police Department urges all members of the Community to make responsible decisions and to avoid getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, or prescription medications.

Newport Beach police are still investigating the case; anyone with information is urged to contact Investigator Eric Little at 949-644-3746 or elittle@nbpd.org.

Nice to find a police department and prosecutors that take traffic crimes seriously for a change. Let’s hope they don’t plead this one away.

This is the 73rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 15th in Orange County; that compares to 12 in the county for all of last year. And it’s at least the eighth fatal bike collision in Newport Beach in just the last five years.

Update: The Orange County Register reports Stephany has an extensive criminal record, with prior convictions for felony assault, possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to sell, in addition to the prior DUI.

He is also currently facing a charge for domestic violence.

With a background like that, it’s possible that a murder conviction in this case could be his third strike, resulting in life in prison.

Update 2: A fund has been established to help pay funeral costs; in just one day, it’s already raised over half of the $15,000; thanks to Olivia Eagleson and Chris Nguyen for the link. 

Meanwhile, Corona del Mar Today reports that Neil Stephany was formally charged with murder, as well as felony counts of hit and run causing permanent injury or death, and possession of a controlled substance, identified as SUBOXONE sublingual films.

Chris Nguyen also says in his comment that Shaun Eagleson was an avid reader of this site, which makes this one even more personal and heartbreaking for me.

Update 3: The following comment appeared on the original story about the collision on the Corona del Mar website; if true, it raises a lot of very uncomfortable questions. Thanks to Jeffrey Fylling for the tip. 

I think this accident could be prevented and this was the fault of Laguna Beach Police and paramedic. I was following the driver who hit the bicyclist and killed him, from Laguna Canyon in Laguna Beach and I noticed that he drives out of control. Immediately I contacted 911 and gave his license plate number, but 911 kept me waiting for 6 minutes and asking not important questions and finally they told me since you reached the Newport Beach we have to transfer to Newport Beach department. Instead of wasting time they could send immediately someone to catch this guy before he kills someone. But they didn’t and I saw that the driver hit the poor bicyclist. I pull over and contacted for paramedic it took for them about 10 to 15 minutes to show up and they were not at rush at all. I told them to hurry up the bicyclist is bleeding from head. And I don’t know with having so many closer trauma center why they took him to Mission Viejo Hospital which end up that young man dye at age of 30? big question for me….. who is really responsible for his death Laguna Beach Police, Paramedic or both?

Update 4: Sandra Eagleson, the wife of the victim, describes just how much she has lost as she becomes a widow at just 31 years old. Meanwhile, the OC Weekly details Stephany’s priors; I’m told by someone with knowledge of the case that he has “fuck the police” tattooed on his forehead, along with a swastika on the back of his head.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Shaun Eagleson and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Frank Peters, Patrick Pascal, Lois and Jeffrey Fylling for the heads-up.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: A rough weekend for bike riders in San Diego and Orange Counties; the Times talks war on cars

October 19, 2014 / / 4 comments

We’ve got a lot of news to get to after a busy weekend.

But if you don’t like reading about the bad things that can happen when people on two wheels share the road with those on four, skip the next two sections.

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Too much bad news from San Diego this weekend.

No three-foot passing distance here, as a bike rider suffers a broken arm when he’s clipped by the foot peg of a passing motorcycle.

A San Diego cyclist is seriously injured when a car veers into the bike lane he was in while riding next to friends competing in a triathlon.

Her family pleads for the driver to come forward, as a hit-and-run victim remains in the ICU with a traumatic brain injury a week after she was run down by a heartless coward. A fund established in her name has raised $13,000 out of a goal of $25,000.

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Then again, the news from Orange County isn’t much better.

A 13-year old Huntington Beach boy is seriously injured when he’s hit by not one, but two Mercedes cars.

An Orange County cyclist suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a suspected drunk driver while riding on PCH Sunday evening. Thanks to Jeffrey Fylling and Lois for the heads-up.

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News for all you low riders, as BentRider reports on Recumbent Cycle-Con 2014; thanks to LA BAC member David Wolfberg for the tip.

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Scary news when it comes to painted bike lanes, as a recent UK study shows they don’t make any difference in drivers’ passing distance. If the drivers even notice them.

On the other hand, a new survey shows overwhelming support for London bikeways.

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Local

The LA Times says it will take strong leadership to put cyclists, pedestrians and transit users on an equal footing with drivers in order to avoid a war on motorists. Maybe it’s time we all dropped the phrase “war on cars/drivers/motorists,” since the only victims of this mythical war are the ones on foot or two wheels.

The LA Register correctly points out that cyclists aren’t legally required to carry ID — although it’s always a good idea to have something with you, just in case.

Bike the Vote LA offers a bike oriented voter’s guide, but wisely avoids endorsing our bike-unfriendl, and anti-hit-and-run reform governor.

 

State

I want to be just like him when I grow up. An 80-year old Mission Viejo man rides 80 miles on his 80th birthday — and one more for good measure.

Newport Beach’s proposed Bicycle Master Plan goes before the city council.

Two-hundred brightly lighted cyclists celebrate Cycledelic in Palm Springs.

Just a little bias here, as the San Francisco Chronicle claims a proposition in the city’s upcoming election will put buses, bikes and pedestrians on the fast track while moving cars to the slow lane.

Over 100 Stockton riders turn out for the fifth annual San Joaquin Bike Festival.

 

National

Utah’s Bamboo Cyclist gets four years for running a non-bike related Ponzi scheme.

Laramie WY, where I used to get run off the road by pickup driving cowboys on a regular basis, is now among the top 10 towns for bike commuting, with a nearly 7% mode share.

Evidently, the life of an Iowa cyclist is worth less than the bike he was riding under current state law.

Good idea. A new Michigan law requires driver education courses to include instruction on bike and motorcycle laws.

A fire hose came loose from a Toledo fire truck on an emergency run, and yanked off the rear wheel of a bike while it was being ridden down the street; fortunately, the rider escaped with scrapes and a broken leg.

Arterial streets make up just 15% of New York roadways, but account for over half of the city’s bike and pedestrian collisions. I suspect the same thing would hold true here.

A writer for the New York Times says if cities want to encourage bicycling, they need to lose the emphasis on bike helmets.

A prominent New York investment banker doors a cyclist, then throws his business card to the limo driver and takes off running.

Evidently, Charleston police have a habit of blaming the victims in deadly bicycling collisions, regardless who is actually at fault.

 

International

Unbelievable. A UK milkman continued on his route after running down a bike rider. And gets a measly £3,000 fine — the equivalent of just $4,800.

Bicycling hits the mainstream as leading British fashion designer Ted Baker unveils his line of haute bikewear. Though I’ll pass on the hip-brushing sport coat paired with above-the-knee shorts.

Zac Efron celebrates his birthday by biking through the streets of Amsterdam.

Sounds like fun. A new bike tour promises to take you through the former East Germany from Berlin to Dresden.

Bicycling is gaining popularity in Delhi, despite the city’s deadly streets.

Tragically, the New Zealand cyclist who rode into a pothole suffered a broken neck, but may owe his life to the dog who stayed with him and barked for help for seven hours. Now that’s a good dog.

Fall is tweed season, even in Jakarta, Indonesia, which hosted its first ever tweed ride — attracting even the Norwegian and Danish ambassadors.

 

And finally…

Maybe she’s got long ears. An Austrian cyclist warming up for a time trial is shot by a hunter who mistook her for a hare. ‘Tis the season, as zombies on bikes take over Key West.

And a new Aussie study shows how to benefit from wheelsuckers.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Bike rider dies following Montbello collision on Thursday

October 17, 2014 / / 3 comments

More bad news.

Word is just coming in that a bike rider has died after being struck by a car in Montbello yesterday.

Seventy-one-year old Julio Fuentes Mendoza was riding on Lincoln Ave around 6 pm when he was hit by a vehicle. He was taken to County USC, where he passed away sometime today.

The driver remained at the scene; no other details are available at this time.

A ghost bike ceremony will be held at the site on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get the exact time and location of the ceremony in advance.

This is the 72nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 28th in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Julio Mendoza and his loved ones. 

Thanks to Carlos Morales of Stan’s Bike Shop for the heads-up.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,
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