Last night took me to a meeting of the LACBC’s Civic Engagement Committee in Downtown LA.
And nearly into the rear end of a delivery driver who cut me off by swerving from the left lane to the curb with no warning.
Then he flipped me off before driving away.
But rude and dangerous bicyclists are the problem, right?
Last Thursday was a very bad day for Moreno Valley bike riders.
In addition to the death of Tracey Gage on Perris Blvd, news is just breaking that another rider has died from injuries suffered in a collision just four miles — and four hours — apart.
In a typically crappy cryptic news story that didn’t even get the name of the victim right, the Press-Enterprise reports that a cyclist was injured in a collision on Moreno Beach Drive near John F. Kennedy Drive; the victim died Saturday evening at Riverside County Regional Medical Center.
The Riverside County Coroner’s office identifies the victim as 63-year old John Nodd of Moreno Valley, and says he was struck by a sedan. They identify the site of the collision as just five feet from Moreno Beach Drive, placing it in or near the crosswalk.
A satellite view shows a six lane roadway with bike lanes on each side on Moreno Beach, and two lanes with a bike lane and turn lanes on Kennedy.
No other information is available at this time.
This is the 67th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth in Riverside County. It’s also the fifth cycling death in Moreno Valley in just over two years, suggesting something is seriously wrong in the city of less than 200,000.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for John Nodd and all his loved ones.
One quick note before we catch up on the news.
The LACBC’s Civic Engagement Committee, which normally meets on the last Tuesday of the month, will meet tonight due to a number of conflicts later in the month.
The meeting will take place from 6:45 pm to 8:45 pm on the mezzanine level of LACBC headquarters, 634 South Spring Street in Downtown LA. The agenda will include discussion of how to elect more bike-friendly neighborhood councils, as well as developing questionnaires for next year’s county elections.
………
UC Berkeley’s SafeTrec looks at the obstacles and advantages in promoting bicycling to airports, including our own LAX. Are LA streets designed to cause road rage? LADOT Bike Blog wants to know your favorite ride; you can find mine here. They also thank volunteers in the recent bike and pedestrian count, even though it shouldn’t be our job, while Will Campbell offers another of his great time-lapse videos of the count. Work begins on long-discussed new bike lanes on Colorado Blvd in NELA. Don’t just ride your bike to work, ride one while you work. A recent ride looks at what the Santa Monica Airport could be. CSUN student is working to make the campus more bike friendly. Bike racks are finally on their way to downtown El Segundo. Cycling in the South Bay offers thanks to those making a difference in local cycling, and says however you ride on PCH, you’ll probably survive. A cyclist is injured in a collision in Santa Clarita Valley on Sunday.
Streetsblog’s Damien Newton and Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious take a look at which bike and transportation bills passed the recent legislative session, and which will wait for next year. What cyclists and raccoons have in common; besides both washing our food, that is. Now that San Diego’s scumbag mayor has resigned, candidates to replace him are still talking bikes; link courtesy of Bike SD’s Sam Ollinger. A San Diego cyclist suffers serious head injuries in a solo fall. A local group plans to bring bike share and better safety to La Jolla; though someone should tell the local press there’s a difference between self-serving and self-service. Cyclists and pedestrians jam the new Bay Bridge bikeway even though it doesn’t go anywhere yet. Transit bus runs over a 9-year old boy’s arm in Sausalito. That’s one way to steal a bike, as a Napa Valley man tries to ride one out of Walmart, but it takes a real schmuck to steal specially made bikes from a Modesto special ed class.
Protected bike lanes benefit businesses four ways. New bike lights promise to be theft proof and indestructible; CNN says this one could save your life. A reporter learns riding to work in Portland isn’t that bad at all; well duh, it’s Portland. Seattle’s leading newspaper comes out in favor of a road diet. Ex-NBA player Richie Frahm takes up bike racing. After a cadet is seriously injured on a university-owned bike, the school buys helmets to loan students. A Philly cyclist says relations with motorists in that city are better than people say. The New York Times looks at the world’s oldest doper. After a car jumps the curb and hits five students walking to school, New York’s Department of Education orders the school principal to send a letter warning about the dangers of walking with headphones — even though none of them were; God forbid they should actually blame the driver for hitting them. Tall bike riding cross-dressing Carolina nuns. The Secret Service is buying bikes.
A writer for London’s Daily Mail manages to be sexist and anti-bike in the same highly biased column. Town Mouse looks at cycling in the UK through the eyes of a child. Despite the blame-the-victim teachings of Forester and Franklin, incompetent cyclists are a myth. Scot cyclist Graeme Obree sets a bike speed record, but not the one he wanted. A Belfast bike tour promises to show riders the worst of the city’s bikeways. Northern Italy could get a 422-mile bike path; now that’s one I want to ride. After 41-year old Chris Horner surprises the world by winning the Vuelta, will he retire, switch teams or stick with new team owner Trek? The top women’s pros abandon the final stage of the Giro della Toscana because of dangerous conditions — including traffic on the race course. Despite biased reporting, Sydney’s mayor continues to push for a bike cultural center. Fighting a ban on bicycles in Kolkata, nee Calcutta, in broken English. Singapore, where you can be caned for leaving gum on the subway, becomes bike friendly; I’d hate to see what they do to scofflaw cyclists who ride through red lights.
Finally, proof that spandex isn’t required to ride a bike, as a Massachusetts woman rides topless through a neighboring town. And repeat after me — if you’re carrying a mobile meth lab in your backpack, don’t run stop signs. Or ride without a reflector. Or carry a passenger on your handlebars.
Andy Garcia, from MidnightRidazz.com
I’ve just gotten word from the LAPD that a bike rider was killed, and two others injured in a hit-and-run early this morning.
Or rather, the victim most likely died because the driver failed to stop at the scene as required by law and basic human decency.
According to the press release, 28-year old Los Angeles resident Ulises Melgar, 30-year old Mario Lopez of Bellflower and 21-year old Bell Flower resident Luis “Andy” Garcia were riding east on Cesar Chavez Avenue at Mission Road with two other bicyclists at approximately 2:45 am Saturday.
They were rear-ended by an eastbound 2013 Toyota Corolla driven by 21-year old Wendy Villegas, knocking all three off their bikes and into the street.
Villegas fled the scene, leaving her victims lying in the street. She drove to her home, where she told her parents she’d been in a collision, and asked them to call the police.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
Just moments after Villegas ran away, 21-year old Jimmy Marroquin was driving east on Cesar Chavez in a 1994 Nissan Quest. He didn’t see Garcia lying in the roadway and struck him with his SUV, dragging his body a short distance.
Had Villegas stayed at the scene, she could have directed other drivers around the people lying in the street until they could move or help could arrive. Ot at the very least, Marroquin would have been more likely to see the collision and drive more carefully around it.
Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene. Whether he could have survived the initial collision if he hadn’t been struck a second time is a matter of speculation.
However, the other two victims only suffered minor injuries, which suggests that his injuries might have been survivable. Lopez was treated by paramedics at the scene, while Melgar was taken to the ER at USC Medical Center.
Meanwhile, Villegas confessed to police that she had been drinking and left the scene of the collision. She was booked for hit-and-run resulting in injury or death (CVC 20001(a)) and vehicular manslaughter while under the influence (Penal Code 191.5).
In other words, police investigators are blaming her for Garcia’s death.
The collision is still under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact Central Traffic Detective M. Kaden at (213) 972-1837 or Officer R. Cortez at (213) 972-1846; or call the Central Traffic Division’s Watch Commander at (213) 972-1853 during the weekend or off hours.
This is the 66th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 28th in Los Angeles County; that compares to 23 in the county for all of last year. It is also the 12th biking death in the City of Los Angeles, compared to five in each of the last year two years.
That’s nearly two-and-a-half times the city’s cycling death toll for 2011 and 2012, with over three months left in the year.
And horrifyingly, nine of those 12 deaths have been hit-and-runs.
My prayers and deepest sympathy for Luis “Andy” Garcia and his loved ones.
Thanks to LAPD Central Traffic bike liaison Sgt. Laszlo Sandor for the heads-up.
Ghost bike for Andy Garcia, from MidnightRidazz.com
Update: There are a number of rumors swirling around this case. According to reports, instead of turning herself in, the second driver followed Villegas home and reported her to the police after watching her get out of the car stumbling drunk.
In a second version, there were three vehicles that hit Garcia; the third was reportedly a Metro van, or possibly an official Metro vehicle, which followed Villegas to her home after hitting Garcia.
After checking with the LAPD, both of those versions appear to be untrue. The only vehicles involved in the collision were those driven by Villegas, who fled the scene, and Marroquin, who stopped after hitting Garcia.
Marroquin did not follow Villegas to her home; if he had, he would have committed hit-and-run, regardless of his intentions in following her. And so far, there is no credible report that there was a Metro vehicle present at the time of the collision, let alone that it was involved in the wreck or that the driver tracked her to her home.
I’ve also been told that one of the victims suffered a broken back as a result of the collision, which I have been unable to confirm with the LAPD. They’re looking into it for me, but so far say both other victims suffered minor injuries.
In addition, reports are that it was actually Melgar who was treated and released at the scene, while Lopez was taken to the hospital; he’s the one who reportedly has a broken back.
There will be a memorial service for Andy Garcia Tuesday, September 17th.
You knew it wouldn’t last.
After going nearly two weeks since the last fatal bicycling collision in Southern California, a bike rider was killed in Moreno Valley yesterday.
According to the Press-Enterprise, 56-year old Moreno Valley resident Tracey Gage was riding north on Perris Blvd between Krameria Ave and Northern Dancer Drive when his bike was rear-ended by a car around 3:40 pm; KESQ-3 places the exact time at 3:44 pm.
Gage was struck by a blue Toyota Corolla driven by 19-year old Steven Gomez of Perris. He was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering major injuries.
The street view shows an unobstructed four lane roadway with limited space to the right of traffic, and a 50 mph speed limit. At that speed, a collision is unlikely to be survivable.
Drug or alcohol use does not appear to have been factor. However, that raises the question of why the driver was unable to see a bike rider directly in front of him in full daylight.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Moreno Valley Police Department Traffic Division at 951-486-6900.
This is the 65th fatal bicycling collision in Southern California this year, and the eight in Riverside County; that compares to 53 and 9, respectively, for this time last year. And it is the 4th bike death in Moreno Valley in the last 26 months.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Tracey Gage, and all his family and loved ones.
I can think of worse places to take a break
Congratulations to Santa Monica on the beautiful new Tongva Park, which has quickly become one of my favorite places to stop for a peaceful riding break.
I’m not sure if bike riding is allowed in the park, since Santa Monica bans sidewalk riding. But it’s not prohibited on the park regulations sign.
And there’s secure bike parking near the entrance on Ocean Ave.
………
I haven’t had a chance to mention this weekend’s ride hosted by the authors of Where to Bike Los Angeles yet.
The ride, co-sponsored by the LACBC and authors Jon Riddle and Sarah Amelar, will take riders on a 40-mile tour of the West Fork of the San Gabriel River this Sunday. It features seven miles of single lane, paved roadway closed to automotive traffic, next to a swiftly flowing stream.
Sounds like paradise to me.
Meet at Veterans Freedom Park in Azusa at 8:30 am, rolling at 9.
Or you could take a far less strenuous ride down historic Hollywood Blvd to the popular Sunday Hollywood farmer’s market.
………
News broke on Twitter Thursday afternoon that Governor Brown had signed AB 1371, the three-foot passing bill.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t true. We’re still waiting to see if the bill will be a three-time loser at the governor’s hand.
……..
Undocumented immigrants could soon get California drivers licenses if Brown signs the newly passed bill.
Whatever you might think about immigration reform, making licenses available to everyone could dramatically reduce what the LAPD describes as one of the leading causes of hit-and-run, and help ensure the driver who hits you has insurance.
………
In a dramatic turnaround, Beverly Hills agrees pedestrian and bike safety are important considerations on the soon-to-be reconfigured Santa Monica Blvd. And that cyclists have a key place on the corridor.
Okay, so where is the real Biking Black Hole, and what have they done with it?
………
Good news from Colorado, as US cycling legend Dale Stetina is awake, off the ventilator, walking and talking after suffering a critical brain stem injury in a solo fall caused by an out-of-control driver two weeks ago.
………
A boring bike and pedestrian count in Watts. SoCal Cross season starts in DTLA in two weeks. So far, so good for the planned Virgil Ave road diet. KPBS looks at NELA bike shop Coco’s Variety Store. LA hotels embrace the car-free trend; sort of, anyway. Santa Monica approves plans for Bergamot Station, including 15 bike and pedestrian paths. You’re invited to ride around the Santa Monica Airport this Sunday to consider what it could be if it’s not an airport after 2015; I vote for building the region’s only closed-course road bike circuit around the perimeter. Santa Clarita invites artists to design bike racks for the community center.
Santa Maria cyclists get a new bridge bike path. The cost-plagued new Bay Bridge suffers expensive flaws on the bridge’s bike path, as well. Santa Rosa squabbles with homeowners in an exclusive development over access to a bike and pedestrian path. Prosecutors decline to file charges against a Truckee woman who allegedly killed a pedestrian while riding under the influence.
Wheel guards could save cyclists from large trucks, so why aren’t they required in the US? Bicycling Magazine solves your bike commuting dilemmas. The Wall Street Journal looks at office-friendly bike commuting attire; it’s about time women had cycling jeans, too. New bike lights promise to be unstealable and indestructible; on the other hand, Intel wants to light up your clothes. Elly Blue says salmon cycling is a sign something is wrong, and bicycling can make everyone happier. New GPS trackers could find your stolen bike. Greg LeMond is getting back in the bike business at next week’s Interbike in Las Vegas. Seattle’s City Attorney says it’s better not to write tickets at the scene when a vulnerable user is injured. A New Mexico driver is arrested for the hit-and-run death of a cyclist, seven years after he was convicted of vehicular homicide in another case; I’d politely suggest he should never be allowed behind the wheel again. After a Colorado driver hits a bike rider with his truck, he rushes the boy to a doctor — but drives off with his bike. Turns out Lance Armstrong’s lies are protected speech, but his Olympic medal isn’t; protected, that is. Ohio bike lawyer Steve Magas looks at the numbers behind last year’s bike crashes. A Pittsburgh cyclist tells the driver who hit him “I did you a huge favor by not dying.” Nicole Kidman is pressing charges against a NY paparazzo who crashed into her on his bike. Miami musician Carlos Bertonatti gets 12 years for the drunken hit-and-run death of a cyclist.
Women pro cyclists issue a manifesto demanding equal treatment starting with the Tour de France; about damn time if you ask me. Then again, it’s also time to stop making women’s gear so girly. Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s war on bikes needs to end. Mountain bike trials specialist Martyn Ashton suffers life-changing spinal injuries in a failed stunt. A Brit woman leaves a note asking for her bike back after it’s stolen, and gets it back with an apology. An English Premier League player is tracked down by Twitter users after challenging the cyclist he hit to find him despite the foreign license plates on his car. A British fundraiser for Jewish charities gets off for killing a bike riding great-grandmother with her Porsche. Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins nearly quit the 2012 Tour midway after an attack by teammate Chris Froome. A fallen Prague cyclist gets a unique memorial. Maybe things really are changing in Iran, as the country gets its first female triathlete. An Aussie cyclist wants to change his guilty plea for killing a 71-year old woman with a push during a road rage dispute. Chinese horse trainers do their best work by bike.
Finally, keep cool on those hot rides with your own handlebar mounted mister. A Florida man takes a pickaxe to his newly purchased bike because he doesn’t like all the Trek logos on it; call me crazy, but weren’t they there when he bought it? And Dear Abby says you really should know better.