My apologies.
I underwent a minor medical procedure yesterday, and didn’t bounce back as well as I hoped. Then again, as my doctors have made clear, there are no minor medical procedures when your diabetic.
The bad news is, the procedure didn’t work, so I’ll have to go through it again today.
Hopefully things will go a little better, and we’ll be back again to catch up on anything we missed today.
Meanwhile, the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition posts the responses to their candidate surveys. Or at least the candidates who bothered to respond.
Which should give you a pretty good suggestion of who to vote for. And who not to.
And ActiveSGV provides their choices on many of the state and local ballot proposals; as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, they can take a stand on initiatives, but are prohibited from endorsing or opposing individual candidates.
Metro buses, trains and bikeshare are all free today, along with a number of other local transit systems, to help you get to the polls.
So get out and bike the vote, already.
I mean, you are going to vote.
Right?
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels.
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The Partnership for Active Travel and Health, aka PATH, wants organizations to sign on to their letter to the COP27 climate conference going on now in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Here’s just a sample.
With COP27 being hosted in Africa, it is worth noting that across the continent walking is already the primary mode of transport for the majority of people. Up to 78% walk every day – often because they have no other choice. And they put their lives at risk the moment they step out of their homes due to roads dominated by speeding cars, missing sidewalks, makeshift crossings and high-polluting vehicles. By 2050, low and middle income countries will own over two-thirds of the world’s cars. With that comes an increasing urgency for even greater investment in safe walking and cycling infrastructure.
For all of these reasons, the Partnership for Active Travel and Health, together with the undersigned organisations, strongly appeal to national and city governments to commit to prioritising and investing in walking and cycling, through Nationally Determined Contributions and integrated and coherent strategies, including plans, funding and concrete actions for:
- Infrastructure – to make walking and cycling safe, accessible and easy to do.
- Campaigns – to support a shift in people’s mobility habits.
- Land use planning – to ensure proximity and quality of access to everyday services on foot and by bike.
- Integration with public transport – to underpin sustainable mobility for longer trips.
- Capacity building – to enable the successful delivery of effective walking and cycling strategies that have measurable impact.
Organizations including UCI, Rails-to-Trails and World Bicycle Relief have already signed on.
It’s also been endorsed by yours truly, even though this organization is just me and a corgi.
Thanks to Colin Bogart for the heads-up.
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Streetsblog talks with Eli Akira Kaufman, Executive Director of the newly renamed Bike LA, formerly LACBC, about the bike coalition’s rebranding.
Our staff and board of directors felt that the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) really did not capture who we are and our mission to support more Angelenos to Bike LA. Basically, the thinking is that LACBC sounds too much like the government agencies we work with (LADOT, LAUSD, LADWP) when we’re actually a community-based nonprofit organization committed to advocating for the rights of cyclists. It had become clear that we needed a name change that made it easier for bike-minded people to find and support our advocacy work much like our sister bike nonprofits Bike East Bay, Bike New York, Bike Austin, Bike Cleveland, Bike Portland, Bike Houston to name a few.
Bike LA is both more accessible and a call to action. We thank everyone for supporting LACBC for the past quarter century and for remaining committed to Bike LA for a Better LA!
Kaufman goes on to address some of the other issues facing the organization — and the rest of us — including the lack of safe infrastructure, seven years after the city adopted the mobility plan that was supposed to transform the way we get around the city.
Although as we’ve learned the hard way, a mobility plan doesn’t do a damn bit of good unless someone actually builds it.
It’s worth investing a few minutes to read the whole thing, because this is one of the leading groups representing you in the fight for safer and more equitable streets in Los Angeles.
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Speaking of Bike LA, we featured this one when it first appeared online last year.
But it’s worth posting again, since filmmaker Yolanda Davis-Overstreet was one of the people honored by the group at Saturday’s Bike Fest.
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This is who we share the road with.
https://twitter.com/WUTangKids/status/1589689500594077696
Thanks to HowTheWestWS for the tip.
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A reminder to mark your calendar for the annual World Day of Remembrance for the victims of traffic violence later this month.
Our founder, Amy Cohen, building a national movement to protect others from her fate (losing a child to a car crash). This is why we demonstrate.
Mark your calendars: World Day of Remembrance, Nov. 20, 2022. #WDoR2022 #SafeStreetSaveLives https://t.co/Mx5AdujbaI pic.twitter.com/G1YO9vIs3s
— Families For Safe Streets (@NYC_SafeStreets) November 7, 2022
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No bias here. A writer for London’s Telegraph lists ten ways MAMILS — Middle Aged Men in Lycra — have just totally ruined bicycling vacations, like replacing lazy lunches of red wine and thick slabs of focaccia with energy gels and protein shakes. As if you can’t just enjoy your holiday and let other people enjoy theirs.
An Indian man stabbed his own brother to death in a bizarre dispute over bicycle parking, after the victim left his brother’s bike outside his house.
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Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman took a deep dive into that racist and otherwise offensive recording of three Hispanic Los Angeles councilmembers, focusing on the “seething anti-Blackness” of CD14 Councilmember Kevin de León; while former Council President Nury Martinez has resigned, de León and CD1 Councilmember “Roadkill” Gil Cedillo still refuse to do the right thing.
South Pasadena’s bike bus was scheduled to return today with trips to two elementary schools, although today’s rain will likely throw a wrench in those plans.
Sad news from Visalia, where a 25-year old man riding a bicycle was killed in a hit-and-run; police are looking for a 31-year old woman who fled on foot when they knocked on her door.
You can find a lot of things when you ride a bike. Like the body a bike rider discovered while riding past a Tulare County orchard; sheriff’s deputies called the death “suspicious.”
Bicycling shares a four minute short film about a blind bike mechanic; Bike Shop: Reza the Blind Bicycle Mechanic premiered at this year’s Bicycle Film Festival in New York City and Amsterdam. As usual, you can watch it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you.
A design magazine remembers the late designer and engineer Mike Burrows as the world’s greatest bicycle designer and the godfather of modern bicycle aerodynamics.
The oldest son of Little People, Big World stars Zach and Tori Roloff is now one of us, after his grandfather gave the diminutive five-year old a special bike small enough for him to ride.
A travel writer offers tips on how to ride a bike to Jenny Lake in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, which offers some of North America’s most spectacular scenery.
A Cleveland bike shop owner says he’s fed up with reckless drivers and dangerous streets after surviving a hit-and-run.
Now you, too, can win the mountain bike that stars in the new feature film 8600FT, which successfully climbed all 8,600 feet of Moab, Utah’s Whole Enchilada trail. Although the rider may have had something to do with it, too.
The New Yorker takes a deep dive into the murder of gravel cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson in Austin, Texas, contending the killing has exposed a lot of dirt in the sport.
Nice piece from NPR telling the tale of a New Jersey man who lost his pharmaceutical marketing job during the pandemic, but saw it as an opportunity to open a bike shop that quickly became a community hub.
Trek is partnering with World Bicycle Relief to raise $2.5 million to provide much-needed bicycles for people in Africa over the holiday season.
Cyclist considers the environmental impact of metal bike frames, concluding that steel beats other materials for protecting the planet.
A new book reports Britain’s King Charles nearly didn’t live long enough to ascend to the throne after he was hit by a bus while riding his bike in the 1960s.
Tragic news from the UK, where a 53-year old man apparently took his own life in a national park, nearly a year after suffering a head injury in a solo bicycling crash that changed his personality.
A British man got tired of getting fired, so he started his own business doing odd jobs using a tandem bike.
French bikemakers are jumping into the ebike field, challenging the dominance of Asian manufacturers.
This is what you can do when streets are safe. Over 1,200 kids participate in Barcelona’s Bicibús — or bicycle bus — program, taking more than 90 routes to ride their bikes to over 70 schools.
A New Zealand couple with two preschool kids takes part in an ebike trial program, and finds living without a car is a game-changer. In a good way.
An Italian ultra-cyclist aims to be the first person to ride a bike coast to coast across Antarctica, using a fat bike to cover over 1,200 miles in 60 days.
An Indian columnist says bicycles are the future of mobility.
A scandal is growing over Victoria, Australia Premier Dan Andrews 2013 crash that left a 15-year old bike rider seriously injured as his wife was driving the car; they blame the kid for T-boning their car with his bike, though damage to the car suggests otherwise.
Dutch cyclist and 2017 Giro champ Tom Dumoulin is finally relaxing after his retirement, revealing he hated cycling during a challenging 2020 season, despite a seventh place finish in the Tour de France.
Slovenia’s Matej Mohorič walks readers through his victory in this year’s Milan-San Remo, which Cycling Tips suggests may have been the biggest win of the year.
Riding thousands of miles across Europe to draw a giant GPS bicycle across the continent. Presenting the transportation circle of life; thanks to Steven Hallett for the heads-up.
And we may have to deal with getting chased by angry dogs, but at least we hardly ever have to outrun a wolf.
Cyclist surprised by wolf in the Netherlands
byu/harwyseys inDamnthatsinteresting
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
Let’s hope you took advantage of that extra hour over the weekend to catch up on your sleep.
Or maybe your bike just a little longer.
Just remember that the time change seems to have a deleterious effect on people’s driving abilities.
So ride defensively and with a little more caution for the next few days. And make sure you’ve got a set of lights with you if you plan on riding late in the day.
Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels.
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Let’s start with a couple of recent Reddit posts.
First up is a rider who’s tired of fixing flats due to the ubiquitous broken glass coating LA bike lanes.
Rant: I think the constant glass on the road is really messing with my life
byu/marsandsaturn inLosAngeles
Let’s deal with the obvious first.
If you’re still riding in LA without quality puncture-resistant tires, you should get some. I used to suffer flats three or four times a month before switching to Gatorskins, dropping to one or two a year afterwards.
Second, most streets in the City of Angels should be swept on a weekly basis. So if the streets you ride remain covered with glass and other tire threatening detritus — or the bike lanes never seem to get cleaned at all — use the 311 app to complain to the Bureau of Street Services.
More important, however, is this post forwarded by Streets For All founder Michael Schneider.
Once again, let’s start with the obvious.
This is a crime.
If this happens to you, you should immediately called the police and report it as a shooting. This is no less a driveby than if they had used a handgun, and should be prosecuted as such.
Even if prosecutors conclude there isn’t enough evidence to bring charges, it could establish a pattern of behavior in case they do it again. That’s what led to the conviction of Dr. Christopher Thompson in the infamous Mandeville Canyon brake check case.
Second, this would make a strong case under LA’s bicyclist anti-harassment ordinance, which allows a claim of $1,000 or triple the actual damages, whichever is higher.
The law also allows for attorney’s fees, although you’d be hard-pressed to find one who will take such a small case.
But you can file it yourself in small claims court.
One way or another, the shooters shouldn’t be allowed to get away it, or they’ll just do it again to someone else.
And next time, the victim may not be so lucky.
Thanks to HowTheWestWS for forwarding the first post.
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About damn time.
It’s been six long years since I served on the board of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.
And one question that continually came up during board meetings was a proposal to rebrand the LACBC using the then popular hashtag #BikeLA. But there were always holdouts who weren’t sold on the idea, or thought it wasn’t the right time for one reason or another.
Evidently, support finally aligned in recent weeks, as the organization announced their new branding as Bike LA at Saturday’s Bike Fest.
Not only is it a simpler and more self-explanatory name, but it gives the group a much-needed opportunity for a fresh start after a few very difficult years.
LACBC just announced that they are re-branding and will henceforth be known as Bike LA pic.twitter.com/nAwB0mw2oN
— StreetsblogLA (@StreetsblogLA) November 5, 2022
Thanks to Ravener for the tip.
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Another reminder, if we needed it, that the East Side Riders Bike Club is about a lot more than just bikes.
And do a hell of a lot of good in, and for, the community.
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This is who we share the road with.
Every driver on the road is armed and dangerous, whether or not they have a weapon in the car.
Because their car is a weapon.
Driver rams van into Vons storefront in University City after being asked to leave https://t.co/QkDtA5BeQz [Breaking]
— The San Diego Union-Tribune (@sdut) November 7, 2022
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A new video attempts to answer the question of why does riding a bicycle feel so damn good?
Meanwhile, frequent contributor Victor Bale recommends this podcast about the introduction of the safety bicycle, if you’re looking for a good listen.
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No bias here. British residents blasted their local leaders after a new bike lane opened — blocked by lampposts in both directions.
Georgia police busted a man who attempted to escape the cops by fleeing through a Taco Bell lot to avoid being arrested; they caught up to him when he crashed his bike into a curb.
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Good2Go Bikes, a joint project from Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and Pedal Movement, launched recently in the Rancho San Pedro public housing development to provide low-income residents with access to low-cost ebike and e-cargo bike rentals.
The Signal looks at SAFE founder Damian Kevitt and the Santa Clarita Finish The Ride and Finish The Run Halloween events to raise money for bike safety.
A 79-year old San Diego man was seriously injured when he somehow lost control and fell off his bike in Sorrento Valley.
A Las Vegas bike rider was killed, and another critically injured, in a drunken, serial hit-and-run that ultimately involved ten vehicles, and left another seven people injured — including four people from Alhambra.
Arkansas is planning a 500-mile bike path along the historic Butterfield Stage Route connecting Jefferson City, Missouri and Fort Smith, Arkansas.
New York bicyclists ride to the rescue to close the gaps in the city’s composting program by using teenage microhaulers to collect and transport refuse the city doesn’t; in ten years, just one such business diverted nearly a million pounds of food waste from landfills, turning it into 427,000 pounds of compost.
New York firefighters rescued a woman who was dangling outside a 20th floor window to escape a fire apparently started by an ebike battery.
No surprise here. DC business owners and a relative handful of residents have brought out the torches and pitchforks over a proposal for a 2.7-mile bike lane, apparently failing to grasp the concept that bike lanes are good for business, as well as property values. Thanks again to Victor Bale.
A pair of studies refute the accepted wisdom that micromobility doesn’t reduce car travel and emissions, showing that banning e-scooters after dark increased travel times, and that the most recent generation of e-scooters reduce emissions 70% over the lifetime of the scooters.
Bike Radar talks with four people who say their lives have been transformed by ebikes; the site also argues that ebikes could solve a number of problems, including car dependency and transport poverty, but only with “better infrastructure, updated attitudes and government backing.”
So why not hitch an e-trailer to your ebike?
A new Dutch company has opened new low-cost a London bicycle subscription service, identified by a single blue tire, complete with an antitheft guarantee.
A new 250-mile, coast-to-coast Scottish bike path scheduled to open next year promises to add millions of pounds to the local economy.
A hard-hitting piece from a British columnist, who says he prepares for war every time he rides his bike, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Although he could spend a lot less time insisting he’s not one of THOSE cyclists.
Life is cheap in the UK, where a 74-year old driver got just two and a half years for killing one bike rider and seriously injuring another, while blaming the victims for failing to ride single file and “bumping” onto his car. He also failed to mention his recent stroke when renewing his license.
Unbelievable. An Irish railroad worker won an unfair dismissal claim for the equivalent of nearly $4,000 after the railroad fired him, claiming he couldn’t perform his duties — because he was in prison after plowing into a group of women bicyclists while driving at four times the legal alcohol limit, leaving two women with life-changing injuries. Thanks again to Victor Bale.
Two-hundred-fifty people turned out to honor a Berlin bike rider who was killed when she was run over by a truck driver.
Tens of thousands of bike riders enjoyed a carfree afternoon on a ten-lane Dubai freeway.
Tour de France champ Jonas Vingegaard says he’s “just not bothered” by all the pressure and attention that comes with winning cycling’s premier event, and looks forward to defending his title next year.
Racing Penny Farthings in Prague. That feeling when you steal a bike, but can’t remember where you left it.
And apparently, bike commuting on the marathon course is a no-no.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
Once again, a Southern California driver has left an innocent victim to die alone in the street.
According to multiple sources, a man was killed when he was struck by a driver LA’s West Adams neighborhood late Thursday night.
The crash occurred as he was while riding his bike in a crosswalk at the intersection of Hauser Blvd and Adams Blvd around 11:35 pm.
The victim died at the scene. He’s identified only as a Hispanic man in his 50s, who appeared to be homeless.
The driver fled following the crash; no description was given of the suspect or their vehicle.
Anyone with information is urged to call 877/527-3247.
This is at least the 72nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 23rd that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; he’s also the 13th person killed riding a bike in the City of Los Angeles.
Twenty-three of those SoCal victims have been killed by hit-and-run drivers.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
Thanks to bike lawyer James Johnson for the heads-up.
Before we get started, a quick reminder that Daylight Savings ends this weekend, and it’s time to set your clocks back on Sunday.
Which means it will get dark earlier, and you could find yourself riding in it more.
So pack lights with you, even if you don’t plan to be out that light; I’ve found myself riding in the dark more than once because of a flat or some other mechanical.
And don’t forget that even an extra hour of sleep is enough to throw drivers off their already negligible game. So ride defensively and use extra care for the next week or so.
I don’t want to write about you because some fool couldn’t manage to concentrate behind the wheel.
Photo from Pixabay.
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Writing for CityLab, Harvard visiting fellow David Zipper recounts that US Transportation Secretary Pete recently formed a new traffic safety program “to help countries around the world learn from our best practices in planning and modernizing transportation.”
As if we actually have any.
As Zipper points out,
The US underperformance in road safety is especially dramatical: 11.4 Americans per 100,000 died in crashes in 2020, a number that dwarfs countries including Spain (2.9), Israel (3.3) and New Zealand (6.3). And unlike most developed nations, US roadways have grown more deadly during the last two decades (including during the pandemic), especially for those outside of cars. Last year saw the most pedestrians killed in the US in 40 years, and deaths among those biking rose 44% from 2010 to 2020…
The closer you look, the clearer it becomes that the US traffic safety crisis is not a reflection of geography or culture. It is the result of policy decisions that elevated fast car travel and automaker profits over roadway safety. Other countries made different choices, and they’ve saved lives as a result.
He goes on to add that the US has fallen behind other countries to the point that we hit a 16-year high for traffic fatalities last year, at the same time Japan and Norway posted their lowest fatality rates since the 1940s, when both countries were recovering from the devastation of WWII.
Not surprisingly, there are some pretty obvious reasons for that.
Europe, for example, has created many more car-free and car-light urban neighborhoods than the US. Since motor vehicles play a role in virtually all roadway deaths, their removal from the urban core is a big boost for safety. Meanwhile, countries like Canada and France have embraced automatic traffic cameras — devices that are banned in many US states — to deter speeding and running red lights. Likewise, safe infrastructure enhancements like roundabouts and road diets have been adopted more enthusiastically in other countries.
A widening gap is also visible in car regulations, which have grown relatively stricter abroad. A case in point: The European Union added pedestrian safety tests to NCAP crash ratings over two decades ago, and Japan, China and Australia now conduct them as well. The US still does not.
He also notes that when famed urban planner Jan Gehl first proposed that Copenhagen remake its streets in favor of bicycles to reduce reliance on motor vehicles, he was told they were Danes, not Italians.
Sort of like we’re constantly told this isn’t Copenhagen. Or Amsterdam. Or any other bike-centric city local NIMBYs have vaguely heard of.
It’s worth a few minutes of your day to read the whole thing.
But if you’re short on time today, just commit every word of this to memory —
For the US, this may be the most important road safety lesson from abroad: Many of the best solutions are quite simple. Build slower streets. Penalize reckless drivers quickly and reliably. Use regulations and taxes — on vehicle weight as well as fuel — to nudge the car industry toward smaller, safer models.
Seriously.
Thanks to Molly Timmons for the heads-up.
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We missed this one somehow.
Probably because we weren’t invited, which is apparently what happens when you’re critical of city leaders.
But still.
Los Angeles officials celebrated the completion of the long-planned Chandler Bicycle Connection yesterday, providing a low-stress, protected bikeway connecting the Orange Line Bike Path with Burbank’s popular Chandler Bike Path.
Join us for the celebration of the full funding and opening of next phase in completing the “cyclists’ highway” from Burbank to the West Valley! pic.twitter.com/Rw92woGPRt
— Paul Krekorian (@PaulKrekorian) November 1, 2022
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Former pro Elliot Jackson offers a progress report on the Grow Cycling Foundation, a two-year old program to “provide opportunities for underserved communities to experience all that the bike has to offer” — starting with offering bike training at Inglewood elementary schools and building an Inglewood pump track.
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The LACBC is hosting a pair of Bicycling 101 classes covering Principles of Traffic Law and Riding With Traffic, as well as a short ride exploring landmarks in Downtown Los Angeles.
And don’t forget their Bike Fest fundraiser in DTLA tomorrow.
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Gravel Bike California explores the unpaved side of the Inland Empire.
Gravel Bike California's October Send It takes in some Riverside Gravel traipsing across the Inland Empire with Gravel Pack Riverside:@bikinginla @Metrolink @NinerBikes https://t.co/DchhRfUnKn
— Gravel Bike California (@GravelBikeCal) November 3, 2022
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Of course Julia Roberts is one of us.
Which explains where she gets that famous smile.
@bikinginla Rides A Bike
Julia Roberts' birthday today, October 28. Happy bicycling! pic.twitter.com/hTtqdgVFEq— keith johnson (@keith_johnson) November 3, 2022
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Take a few minutes for a morning mountain bike break.
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A Michigan TV station catches scofflaw motorists driving salmon on the westbound portion of a roadway, which is only supposed to be open to people on bicycles.
An Irish cabbie threatened to run over a bike rider if he ever touches his cab again, after the bicyclist tapped it to ask him not to park in the bike lane.
Sarah Jessica Parker jumped back to avoid a bike rider as she was filming the second season of And Just Like That… on the streets of New York, though it was unclear if the scofflaw rider was part of the show.
Tokyo police are continuing their crackdown on scofflaw bicyclists who get caught blow through traffic lights, ride salmon or ride too fast on sidewalks.
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The New York Times says Los Angeles pedestrians are looking forward to California’s new law decriminalizing jaywalking. Even though most Angelenos have probably never even heard of it yet.
Props to Walk ‘N Rollers founder Jim Shanman, who was named a Culver City Hero by the local edition of Patch. And deservedly so.
Streetsblog offers more on the overwhelming success of the Move Culver City project.
Wealthy San Diego homeowners are suing the city over its plans to spend development mitigation funds equitably throughout the city, arguing that they should be spent right where the structures are built.
Ramona High School’s mountain bike team could see one of its former members on the US Olympic Team in 2024.
Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine is one of us, taking his young daughters for a family bike ride in Montecito.
In a surprising study apparently beamed back to us from the future, the January edition of Accident Analysis & Prevention reports a bicycle simulator lab at Oregon State University revealed bike boxes are the safest form of intersection treatment for bike riders, compared to mixing zones and bicycle signals.
Electrek says all the signs point to a new low-cost bike coming from Rad Power Bikes.
Portland officials respond to the death of a bike rider by routing truck traffic away from a dangerous intersection, after she was right hooked by a truck driver recently. Which is exactly how Vision Zero is supposed to work, unlike in a certain SoCal megalopolis we could name.
They get it. Community leaders in Albuquerque, New Mexico fight for equity and investment on one of the city’s most dangerous corridors, arguing that streets are for people, too.
Members of a bicycling group in Grand Rapids, Michigan, can’t understand who would shoot and kill an 18-year old man as he rode on a local bike path. Or why.
Streetsblog reports drivers crash into buildings an average of 100 times a day in the US, examining the case of a Richmond VA woman who has suffered over $100,000 in damages to her home as a result of five crashes in 15 years.
A second man has been arrested in the bludgeoning death of a 49-year old Florida man, who was beaten more than ten times with a tire iron as he rode his bike; the random attack was part of a crime spree using the same weapon on a number of cars and windows, as well as in the of beating an elderly man.
A suspected serial killer faces charges in the death of a 43-year old Florida woman, who disappeared 31 years ago while riding her cruiser bike.
Momentum examines the efforts of Montreal to make North America’s best bike city even better for people on two wheels.
Meet a 15-year old stunt biker from Kashmir. Although it would be nice if they’d included video of him in action.
That’s more like it. An Aussie driver gets a minimum of five years behind bars for the “despicable and cowardly” hit-and-run death of a 60-year old man riding a bike. Then again, every hit-and-run fits that description.
An Australian man is challenging the settlement he received in 2013, when he was struck while riding his bike when he was just 15 by the man who would become the premier of Australia’s Victoria state a year later; he claims he was ordered to stay quiet and never got a copy of the settlement.
VeloNews looks at pro cycling’s annual game of musical chairs, otherwise known as the men’s WorldTour transfer market.
Cycling Tips discovers there is no cycling route so iconic that Google reviewers won’t trash it.
Bianchi got spanked by UCI, cycling’s governing body, who told them their new Oltre RC bike is okay but the Air Deflector wings designed to channel airflow around the head tube aren’t.
Nothing like stopping by your favorite LBS for a few tubes and a couple skeins of yarn. Or your bike basket beagle biting your breakfast.
And that feeling when you design a 14 passenger bike, but don’t know if it has peddles or pedals.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
Fun thing about diabetes.
High blood sugar makes you sleep. But so does low blood sugar.
And cycling between the two, like I did Tuesday, can knock you out for hours, regardless of whether you’re trying to write something.
Which is why you didn’t see anything here yesterday.
But we’ll more than make up for it today.
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Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers a long list of actionable transportation ideas for incoming CD1 Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, including busways, bike lanes and pedestrian improvements.
Hernandez leadership promises a sea change in the district, where the councilmember she defeated, “Roadkill” Gil Cedillo, earned his sobriquet by blocking virtually every major safety improvement and bike lane in the district, including deadly North Figueroa.
Meanwhile, Linton also offers updates on a handful of new bike lanes in Central Los Angeles, including:
He also points out the missed opportunity on North Spring Street in Chinatown, where the street, which is scheduled for a bike lane in the city’s mobility plan, was recently resurfaced.
Sans bike lane, of course.
https://twitter.com/multimodalLA/status/1587664862607380481
As Linton points out, this is exactly why we need the Healthy Streets LA ballot proposal, which is scheduled for a public vote in 2024.
The proposal would force the city to build out the mobility plan whenever a section of street contained in the plan is resurfaced.
Meanwhile, the city’s alternative proposal, which is based on Healthy Streets but likely to lack the enforcement mechanism of the ballot measure, is due back for a vote of the city council in the next few weeks.
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Culver City has crunched the numbers on the 1.3-mile Move Culver City complete streets project along Culver and Washington Blvds.
And the results have been impressive, to say the least.
Maybe that will encourage Los Angeles to give it a try.
We can hope, right?
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Metro’s Community Advisory Council urges the Metro board to reject the proposal to “simplify” the fare structure, which is really just a massive rate increase for many, if not most, transit users.
Never mind that it’s the opposite of the fare-free transit they promised to study.
The LA Metro Community Advisory Council has prepared this draft letter regarding the impending fare increase proposal, for ratification at executive committee Friday (the framework had already passed at last week's general meeting). pic.twitter.com/6EfywCYDYI
— henryfung@onewilshire.la/bsky (@calwatch) November 2, 2022
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Whittier Blvd’s Esquina Bicycle Shop is hosting a vigil ride for fallen bicyclist Sergio Cordova tonight.
Cordova was killed in a collision at the west entrance to the new 6th Street Bridge last Wednesday.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkeBLvHvrY7/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D
Meanwhile, a crowdfunding campaign for Cordova’s funeral expenses has raised over $9,500 of the revised $15,000 goal.
Thanks to Susannah L for the heads-up.
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The LACBC looks forward to Saturday’s Bike Fest, which has replaced the River Ride as the bike nonprofit’s largest fundraiser.
Time is running out to join #LABikeFest2022 and you don't wanna miss the chance to snag THE ULTIMATE STEVE-O GIFT BASKET!
Get access to our silent auction by purchasing tickets here: https://t.co/pPOD6pf4kl
November 5, 2022
12pm-4pm
Bike Shed Moto Co. pic.twitter.com/0sPGTjYal1— BikeLA (@heybikela) October 31, 2022
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Did someone say handcycling?
Join us THIS SATURDAY for Pasadena's 4th annual Adaptive Sports Festival! People of all abilities are invited to enjoy this FREE, fun-filled day of activities, including handcycling, archery, wheelchair rugby, pickleball, power soccer, tennis & more: https://t.co/w1Nph61YLc pic.twitter.com/Q0Y7WDJPiP
— City of Pasadena (@PasadenaGov) November 3, 2022
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Streets For All will host another virtual happy hour on Wednesday, featuring Glendale Councilmember Ara Najarian.
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Apparently, robots are no more likely to stop after a crash than human drivers are.
Pedestrian Struck by Fleeing Automated Delivery Cart
Westwood Plz & Le Conte Ave
Westwood, Los Angeles
11/02/2022 • 07:14 PMhttps://t.co/GXZ1ZphTQY@paulkoretzcd5 @OfficialNWWNC pic.twitter.com/LrzREyN9qh— Vision Zero Alerts by SFA (@sfa_alerts) November 3, 2022
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Why settle for a mere bicycle, when you could have had an early velomobile prototype?
"September 1928: A man cycling a ‘One-Man Car Cycle’ in a street in the West End of London. (Photo by Crouch/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)" pic.twitter.com/qTz5Z1023q
— Cool Bike Art (@CoolBikeArt1) November 1, 2022
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No bias here. An Arizona letter writer suggests charging anyone over 16 a $150 annual fee to register a bicycle, with a licensing fee for the rider that oddly declines with age. Because licensing and vehicle registration has worked so well to keep motorists in line, evidently.
No bias here, either. One in three Brits wants bikes banned entirely from public roads, while seven in ten think bike riders would be required to carry liability insurance. Apparently because it costs so much to hose our blood off their hoods.
An English man suffered a broken jaw when someone ran up from behind and knocked him off his bicycle. Although in this case, the attack may have had more to do with the fancy dress he was wearing.
A UK TV show promises to explore road rage directed at people on bikes, but looks at the dangers bike riders face on the road, instead, with a hint of anti-bike bias thrown in.
And especially no bias here, where an Estonian city councillor says he was forced to crash his car into a “verbally and physically aggressive” bike rider in self-defense. Twice.
An Illinois man faces charges for fleeing from police while armed with a flare gun modified to fire shotgun shells.
In a bizarre case, police report a New York man was fatally shot in a driveby while riding his bike on the way to shoot someone else.
A North Carolina bike rider is facing charges after attacking three men with a machete, for no apparent reason.
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Metro will host a virtual community meeting one week from today to discuss the first bus-only lane in the San Fernando Valley, on Sepulveda Blvd.
Glendale approves plans for a lane reduction and bike lanes on La Crescenta Ave, between Montrose Ave and Verdugo Road.
A Santa Monica Redditor asks if there’s an increase in the frequency of “needlessly loud” motor vehicles. Short answer, yes. Longer answer, hell yes. Then again, I live in Hollywood, so my perception may be a tad skewed. Thanks to How The West WS for the link.
Homeboy Industries founder Father Greg Boyle used to be one of us, racing his bicycle towards the sound of gunfire as he worked to reduce gang violence.
San Diego is paying out a total of $420,000 to two women who were seriously injured in separate incidents when their ebikes hit the city’s broken pavement.
A San Francisco salmon cyclist questions why the insurance company for the distracted driver who hit her won’t pay for her injuries or damaged bike; a local paper patiently explains the concept of comparative negligence, and says, in effect, get a lawyer.
A new $2.4 million clean air grant could lead to hundreds of new San Francisco EV charging stations, as well as a fleet of ebike for food delivery workers.
Completing our San Francisco trifecta, a local website presents opposing op-ed urging voters to save both the carfree JFK Drive and Great Highway, and arguing that closing them to motor vehicles was a big mistake.
Surly’s latest cargo bike goes electric.
At last, an e-foldie for everyone with fond memories of their little red wagon.
A new report looks at the ten US cities where bike commuting is growing the fastest. Hint: LA ain’t one of ’em.
A crowdfunding campaign is raising money to publish a new book on Jobst Brandt, author of The Bicycle Wheel and inventor of the bike computer and slick bike tires.
A 68-year old Utah driver was formally charged with ignoring a highway flagman and slamming her car into a pair of competitors in the cycling portion of an Ironman triathlon — yet somehow wasn’t charged with DUI, despite admitting getting stoned earlier.
Billings, Montana is looking for an artist in residence to beautify a local bike path. Although if you have hire someone to beautify it, you probably made it too ugly to begin with.
After a San Antonio, Texas man stole a bike from Target by threatening to use pepper spay on an employee who tried to stop him, he waited nearly six weeks before turning himself in, for reasons only he knows.
A Wisconsin student paper examines why Madison consistently ranks among the nation’s most bikeable cities, where it has comfortably resided for decades.
After a Kentucky Walmart worker had his bike stolen, kindhearted customers not only gave him a ride to work, but went into the store and bought him a new one.
A new lawsuit blames an Atlantic City cop for killing a 63-year old bike rider by cutting him off while driving without lights or siren.
Three years after a highly contentious lane reduction in Alexandria, Virginia, a new report shows it’s led to less traffic while cutting crashes nearly in half.
A 17-year old Virginia driver faces charges for fleeing the scene after a street racing crash that left a bike-riding man with multiple broken bones.
Once again, authorities have managed to keep a deadly driver on the streets until it’s too late. A Virginia man struck and killed a man riding his bike across the street, 11 years after he was arrested for his third DUI for killing a bike-riding woman. But at least he was apparently sober this time.
Road.cc recommends the year’s best front and rear bike lights.
The new Swytch ebike conversion kit features a pocket-sized battery that promises a nine-mile boost.
Who needs carbon fiber when you can lower your carbon footprint through F1-inspired BioFiber.
Bike Radar offers advice on how to keep bicycling from being a pain in the foot.
Treehugger talks with Toronto’s bike mayor, concluding every city needs one. Which is a reminder than LA still doesn’t have a bike mayor.
Montreal announced plans for 124 miles of new bike lanes and ten bike highways, to accommodate a 20% increase in ridership.
Life is cheap in the UK, where a gas truck driver walked without a day behind bars for killing a 22-year old woman riding her bike, despite admitting to carless driving and covering the truck’s side camera with his coat.
A California teenager just months out of high school spurns an opportunity to sign with a Spanish development team, and decides he’d rather race on gravel, instead.
Your next ebike could be “almost as ridiculous as the truck that inspired it.” That feeling when 29″ wheels just aren’t big enough.
And now, you can take your last trip by bike, too.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
Before we get going, remember to clear your schedule for today’s Transportation Committee meeting at 3 pm.
As we discussed yesterday, the LA City Council committee will consider several bike-related issues, including:
You’ll find the full agenda here, along with a link to listen live online and instructions on how to comment.
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No surprise here.
The Eastsider reports a lawsuit has been filed over the recently approved Complete Streets makeover of Colorado Blvd in Eagle Rock to accommodate the planned NoHo to Pasadena bus rapid transit line.
The complaint says, among other things, that the Metro Board of directors violated the state’s open meeting law by failing to follow proper procedures before holding a public meeting on April 28 by teleconference instead of in person. At that meeting, the transit agency’s board approved the rapid-transit bus line between North Hollywood and Pasadena, which would pass through Eagle Rock.
The lead petitioner also accuses Metro of failing to notify him of the meeting. Because apparently, the transportation agency is required to reach out to every single person in the county who might somehow miss the public meeting notice the rest of us seem somehow seemed to find.
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Oh, nothing.
Just a rush hour race between a bike rider on a foldie and a dinosaur on a monorail.
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A Toronto driver was caught on video nearly causing a crash after driving several blocks along a curb-protected bike lane.
Caught on CP24 chopper this morning. Adelaide Construction. Car driver thinks the bike lane is a car lane and almost causes accident
byu/iamoutside1 intorontobiking
A British woman says she nearly fell off her bike after a taxi driver ignored No Stopping signs to cut her off pulling into a bike lane.
If you’re going to ride your bike pulling a freshly burgled safe on a trailer, maybe try to disguise it just a little.
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Caltrans is finally getting around to protecting the bike lanes on the east side of the recently rebuilt Burbank Blvd Bridge. Yet oddly thinks it’s okay to make pedestrians cross ten lanes of traffic, after removing the sidewalk on the north side of the bridge.
Streets For All lists a number of volunteer opportunities to support candidates endorsed by the LA transportation PAC in the last week before Election Day.
A new three-quarter million, 3.7-mile protected bike lane will extend along El Camino Real from San Bruno to Burlingame in the Bay Area’s San Mateo County.
Treehugger considers how drivers can be allies to people on bikes and other nonmotorized traffic.
Bicycling says bike libraries are growing in popularity, with at least 35 current operating across the US. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you.
After the overwhelming success of Denver’s ebike rebate program, Colorado will introduce a statewide rebate program based on the city’s. Meanwhile, California’s ebike rebate system still hasn’t gotten its shit together.
In a story that could come from any city, a Houston paper examines the dangers bike riders face from a disconnected bike network, which forces bicyclists into actions that anger drivers for their own safety. And gives motorists permission to take that anger out on them.
Market Watch says South Dakota is the perfect place to use as a home base if you’re planning to ride your bikes all over after you retire. Because you wouldn’t have to, you know, actually live there if you’re always on the road, evidently.
A writer for Streets MN says Minnesota drivers are usually happy to share the road, unless you want to turn left.
More heartbreaking and horrifying details about the Ohio woman who lost a leg when she was attacked by dogs; she fought the dogs off alone for 20 minutes after she was separated from her group and got a flat on her bike, before succumbing to the attack. Sadly, it’s the dogs who are likely to be punished, rather than the owner who let them run loose in the first place.
Momentum says New York’s plan to offer a bounty on drivers blocking bike lanes could be a lifesaver. And help put bike riders’ kids through college.
Heather Graham is one of us, as the actress takes a romantic cruiser bike ride through New York with her boyfriend.
Cycling Weekly revisits the recent Philly Bike Expo, with its focus on diverse bike builders and their bikes.
Planetizen goes back to the basics to define bike infrastructure, and how to overcome objections to it.
The Guardian offers tips on buying an ebike, as two-thirds of Brits consider biking to work to cut transportation costs.
It takes a major schmuck to steal a bike from an English park ranger after he stopped to help an injured mountain biker.
The head of British Cycling was forced to step down, three weeks after announcing a misguided greenwashing sponsorship by Shell Oil, as well as advising people not ride a bike during the queen’s funeral, which was later rescinded.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged climate activists to be more creative and avoid endangering others after a recent protest delayed first responders from getting to a bike rider stuck under a cement mixer.
They get it. A physician in Nepal says the future belongs to bikes — if we can make it safer and more user-adaptable.
Tokyo police are stepping up their crackdown on scofflaw bicyclists.
The Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for their second class of inductees. Which doesn’t mean they’ll accept second-class inductees.
Evidently, knighthood is no protection from bike thieves. That feeling when the caste system applies to bikes, too.
And the road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but at least you can ride there (click for the full image).
#BicycleHalloween pic.twitter.com/hCbWXiwvcv
— Cool Bike Art (@CoolBikeArt1) October 31, 2022
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
No bias here.
The LA Times’ Steve Lopez writes about a $2 million bike lane to nowhere that the Los Angeles LGBT Center was forced to build by the city’s dysfunctional rules.
Except the short curb cut isn’t a bike lane, and probably never will be.
A short half-block long, it took about 18 months to complete and cost roughly $2 million, and yet it is not marked as a bike lane and does not connect to one.
“It’s a bike lane to nowhere,” said Stephen Burn, general manager of building services at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, which was required to complete and pay for the project as a condition of approval.
Burn apologized for calling it a stupid waste of time and money that delayed the opening of badly needed supportive housing and social services, but no apology was necessary. He said he honestly wanted to pull his hair out at times when dealing with various government agencies, and after he shared the details, I wanted to pull my hair out.
And needless to say, the story is already being used by bike lane opponents.
A $2 million 150-foot "bike lane to nowhere" symbolizes L.A.'s outrageous dysfunction: "A short half-block long, it took about 18 months to complete" & "is not marked as a bike lane & does not connect to one." https://t.co/LvVv3Dzz4H
Vote for @RickCarusoLA, not more of the same.
— Amy Alkon (@amyalkon) October 29, 2022
But longtime advocate Alissa Walker clarifies that, regardless of what Burn was told, the added space was created for cars as the result of a longstanding city policy.
If you look at new buildings all over the city you’ll see developers forced to do the same type of road widening projects. It has nothing to do with bike lanes. @LATstevelopez, come walk Barrington to see some of the most egregious examples https://t.co/W4FVUPPk6o
— Alissa Walker (@awalkerinLA) October 29, 2022
I also wish it was true that Caltrans actually had the power to force the city to add bike lanes on state routes but Gavin Newsom killed the best version of that in 2019. There’s a different complete streets policy in place now but it’s brand new https://t.co/AYNSIB0I4P
— Alissa Walker (@awalkerinLA) October 29, 2022
So yes, as Lopez points out, it’s a perfect example of LA’s dysfunctional government in action. But seriously, it’s not our fault this time.
If only Lopez had looked at the lack of safe bike lanes leading up to the new 6th Street Bridge, instead.
Thanks to Victor Bale for the heads-up.
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I’ve been biking more to get out of the house, exercise, and just enjoy the city. But literally each time I’ve gone into the street a driver has yelled at me!
I try to avoid riding in the streets, but the bike lanes are few and far in between and aren’t that much better. You often have trash cans in the bike lanes, people leaving their car doors open, random debris, and when you don’t have to deal with that you still have cars speeding past you with the closest thing protecting you being a thin line of paint that couldn’t even stop an ant from crossing it! I don’t even have to get into how bumpy and packed the sidewalks can be.
So when I do get in the streets it’s because that is unfortunately the best route. Yet no matter how much I ride on the shoulder, check behind, in front, on the sides, above me, etc… I always have a driver either honking or yelling at me for going too slow.
I’m worried that someone might get really angry with me one day and try and run me off the road…
I’m just frustrated and wish biking in this city was safer. We have the perfect weather to bike in. Why isn’t L.A a bikeable city?
Why, indeed?
Thanks to HowTheWestWS for the heads-up.
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Streets For All is asking you to support for several proposals at Tuesday’s meeting of the LA City Council Transportation Committee.
Sunset4All explains how to participate in the meeting.
The Sunset4All item is back on the transportation agenda for this Tuesday (11/1) at 3 PM. If you haven’t voiced your support please write in and or attend the virtual meeting.
Item #3 (22-1072) – Sunset4All To call dial 669-254-5252, meeting code 161 750 5079, #, #, and then hit *9 to raise your hand. Here are Talking Points. If you’re not able to call in, then use the links below to make public comment on the council file in advance at the buttons below.
Thanks to Keith Johnson for the tip.
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When you cast your vote in CD5, maybe consider who actually cares enough to show up.
LACBC invited both candidates for cd-5 to ride the district and discuss safe streets. Only one showed up. Why? Doesn’t Sam Y. Care about safe streets? @KatyYaroslavsky @lacbc @StreetsblogLA @LADemocrats @midcitywest @bikinginla pic.twitter.com/Q7wQaE3GZ8
— Taylor Nichols (@Taylor_Nichols7) October 31, 2022
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Horrible news from Ohio, where a popular local bicyclist lost a leg when she was mauled by dogs.
A reminder that you could end up with more than just a simple bite on the leg from that dog that chases you whenever you ride by.
An AWFUL dog attack in Ohio today… a well known cyclist, Eva Simons, lost her leg after being attacked by 3 pit bulls. This occurred out in the country in, we believe, Vinton County, OH- a very rural area. She was mauled, and lost her left leg below the knee. More details later
— Steve Magas (@OhioBIkeLawyer) October 31, 2022
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A new amphibious ebike claims to be the future. Although I’m not sure how much latent demand there is for a combination ebike, boat and built-in camper.
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Someone sabotaged a Seattle bike path by spreading screws across it. Although someone else came up with a brilliant way to clean up the mess.
I am down here now dragging around a giant magnet. Also found some on the low bridge bike path. pic.twitter.com/58j3sXt55W
— Grant Slatton (@GrantSlatton) October 28, 2022
A writer for Daily Kos complains “dumbasses working in public health and espousing concern for future generations fired me over bringing a bicycle into their national meeting” at a Tacoma, Washington convention center.
A rideout of up to a couple hundred teens on bikes took over the streets of Boston, before allegedly stealing $350 of merchandise from a 7-11.
Toronto police are looking for a bike-riding suspect who followed a young woman and sexually assaulted her twice after she got off a bus.
If you’re going to rudely shove a wheelie-popping bike rider out of your way, try not to follow the move with a faceplant.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkLzV2EO60z/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=c9cbdc5e-dc53-4d6f-afa9-07fb1097f1e9
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Save this one for future reference. Streets For All founder Michael Schneider lists the common complaints we’ve all heard from people opposed to bike lanes, and details effective arguments to overcome them.
Patch reports a bike rider was rushed to a trauma center after they were struck by the driver of an RV at PCH and Coastline Drive in Malibu Sunday afternoon.
This is who we share the courtrooms with. A woman received a more than $4 million judgement after she was struck by a driver while walking in a Santa Monica crosswalk four years ago, suffering permanent injuries; the defense shamefully argued she threw herself in front of the car in a suicide attempt — which might have been more credible if the driver was doing more than 25 mph. Thanks to Andrew Goldstein for the link.
Carlsbad is focusing on schools and collision hotspots to improve safety for standard bicycle and ebike riders after declaring a local emergency.
This is who we share the road with. A 68-year old woman is fighting for her life after she was run down by a hit-and-run driver while pushing her three-year old grandson in a San Jose crosswalk; the boy is recovering from his injuries. Thanks again to Victor Bale.
Sentencing was postponed for a Fairfield man who was convicted of second-degree murder and hit-and-run in the death of a 52-year-old man riding a bicycle last October; he faces 15 to life on the murder count, and two to four years for fleeing the scene.
Sonoma County is investing half a million in climate resilience funds in building new bikes.
Sad news from Sacramento County, where a woman riding a bike was killed in a collision in North Highlands early Sunday afternoon.
NBC News reports on the spreading use of speed cams, and the rise of road raging drivers who don’t like getting caught breaking the law.
A diabetic journalist says he lost 40 pounds and brought his blood sugar down to a sub-diabetic level within eight months after taking up bicycling — and has kept it off and under control for the four years since. If only it was that easy for all of us.
A Portland woman says stop telling her to be safe when she rides a bike, and learn how to drive safely around bike riders, instead.
A 68-year old Utah woman could face multiple charges after she ignored a flagger and crashed into two people competing in the cycling portion of the St. George Ironman triathlon, resulting in serious injuries to both; she failed a roadside drug test, and admitted using marijuana before the crash.
The new advisory bike lanes are now open in my bike-friendly Colorado hometown.
Sounds familiar. Oklahoma bike and walking advocates say the city isn’t doing enough to improve safety. Sort of like a certain megalopolis we could name.
A nine-year old Michigan boy is raising the alarm and warning his neighbors after his dream bike was stolen.
That’s more like it. A 65-year old Ohio man was sentenced to a mandatory 14 years behind bars, with the possibility of another four years, for the hit-and-run death of a 13-year old boy; he claimed the damage to his truck was from hitting a mailbox, and that he only ran over the boy’s bike after someone else knocked the kid off it.
NPR looks at the rising rate of ebike battery fires in New York, blaming the problem on the use of refurbished batteries and mismatched chargers.
Philly bike riders turned out for a Día de los Muertos, while calling for safer streets.
HuffPost says Pennsylvania Republicans are taking a bill to permit safer bike lanes hostage in an effort to strip Philadelphia’s progressive DA of his powers.
A Birmingham, Alabama man faces multiple charges for a one-man crime spree that included a fatal shooting, carjacking and a hit-and-run that killed someone on a bicycle — all in just one hour.
The bike boom isn’t over, even if it’s lost a little steam, as Shimano says demand is still above pre-pandemic levels despite signs things are cooling down.
Vancouver bike riders are calling on the city to reverse plans to remove a bike lane from a park and return the roadway to pass-through commuters, although a planned protest ride was called off due to an atmospheric river.
A London man was somehow able to get his bike back after it was stolen by three muggers in a London park, despite suffering head and face injuries in the attack.
A British cop who co-founded a program to place undercover cops on bikes to catch careless drivers who pass people on bikes too closely now rides to relieve arthritis pain that threatened his career.
A UK safety expect calls it “a bit daft” for bicyclists to ride in the middle of the traffic lane, despite recently changes to the country’s Highway Code allowing them to do just that, when there’s a perfectly good bike lane they could be using. Of course, the problem is that the “perfectly good” bike lane usually isn’t.
Paris may be making great strides in becoming a biking city, but someone should tell the local cops, who are stopping bike riders and insisting they should wear reflective clothing in anticipation of the fall time change.
Writing for Travel + Leisure, a woman suggests that biking through Sicily is the best way to discover small towns, delicious food and local culture.
The rise of bicycle taxis in eastern Zambia is creating business opportunities for young people, while allowing passengers to ride for a fraction of the cost of a regular taxi.
There’s a special place in hell for a Philippine man who faces a charge of “frustrated homicide,” after repeatedly stabbing a neighbor using a knife disguised as a ballpoint pen in a dispute that began with a bicycle blocking his path.
Melbourne, Australia bike riders were left feeling deflated when the local government passed a one-year pause on building bike lanes; The Guardian asks if it’s a bikelash, or just plain old NIMBYism.
Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard won his second Tour de France of the year, outsprinting his competitors to win the Tour de France Singapore Criterium on Sunday, after winning the three-week Grand Tour earlier this year.
French magazine Vélo lists the finalists for the prestigious 2022 Vélo d’Or award, including, for the first time, a separate category for women cyclists. And no Americans made the short list, of course.
Former Paris-Roubaix champ Sonny Colbrelli is reluctantly calling it a career after he collapsed with a heart attack moments after finishing the opening stage of March’s Volta a Catalunya.
Cycling Tips looks back on the legacy of Brian Robinson, whose Tour de France stage wins set the stage for decades of British cycling success.
Dan Martin, the only Irish cyclist to win a stage in all three of Grand Tours, reflects on “crashing for a living, doping, retirement and writing a book through 100 hours of Whatsapp voicenotes.”
Your next bike could have ABS brakes, for the low, low price of just eleven grand. When witches ride bikes instead of brooms.
And I think I’ve found my next bike.
Or at least the bikemaker, anyway.
Thanks to Norm Bradwell for the tip.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
When the new 6th Street Bridge opened in July, there were predictions that someone would be killed on or near the bridge, due to the limited protection for people on bicycles.
Sadly, those predictions have now come true. Unfortunately, though, we don’t have many details at this time.
All we know is that Sergio M. Cordova was killed Wednesday, October 26th, while riding his bike near 6th Street and Mateo, just two blocks west of the bridge.
No word yet on Cordova’s age or residence, or how the crash happened.
A crowdfunding page created by his family describes him this way.
If you knew Sergio, you knew he absolutely loved cycling through all parts of LA, discovering new sights and routes as well as spending time with family. A fan of Batman, The Dodgers, and most recently the Packers. He loved his niece and nephews so much. He took great pride at his work and was beloved by so so many.
Photos from GoFundMe.
The campaign to pay Cordova’s funeral expenses has raised over $4,100 of the modest $5,000 goal in just one day.
Meanwhile, his death screams out the need for protected bike lanes in both directions leading to the popular bridge. Or we can expect this to keep happening in the days and years to come.
A ghost bike will be placed soon.
This is at least the 71st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 22nd that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.
Cordova is also the 12th person killed riding a bike in the City of Los Angeles in 2022.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Sergio M. Cordova and all his loved ones.
Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the heads-up.
This doesn’t sound good.
The LA County Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station announced a two-hour closure of a roughly half-mile section of PCH in Malibu.
The section from Heathercliff to Bonsall was shut down after the driver of a vehicle transport carrier hit someone riding a bicycle yesterday afternoon.
Closing the entire roadway in both directions for a crash investigation suggests the victim may have suffered serious, potentially life-threatening injuries; police usually don’t close the road entirely unless there’s a death or possibly fatal injuries.
Let’s hope that’s wrong in this case and they’re okay, whoever it is.
Thanks to Victor Bale for the heads-up.
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Maybe the Healthy Streets LA initiative is having an impact already.
LADOT unveiled the first of what they’re calling their new BLAST program, starting with the newly completed protected bike lanes on San Vicente.
If you can call a flimsy plastic bollard protection.
New bike lanes on San Vicente Blvd are ready thanks to the hard work of @LADOTofficial, @BSSLosAngeles, @Midcitywest, & @PICONC2. The BLAST program, a new City project, will develop new bike lanes with street resurfacing––making it easier & faster to expand our bike lane network. pic.twitter.com/GtguUqKEtY
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) October 27, 2022
The program marks a new effort to coordinate operations of the Bureau of Street Services with LADOT, which both bike and government advocates have been demanding for years, if not decades.
It appears to mimic Healthy Streets LA by implementing bikeway projects as streets are resurfaced, though it lacks the initiative’s enforcement mechanism to require implementation after resurfacing.
It also doesn’t necessarily follow the city’s mobility plan, let alone the 2010 bike plan.
LADOT provided this plan for the BLAST project for Windward Circle in Venice – impressive! Two-way protected bikeways, painted curb extensions and more! pic.twitter.com/l6da11aN6w
— StreetsblogLA (@StreetsblogLA) October 27, 2022
Streetsblog also notes that these projects will happen after termed-out LA Mayor Eric Garcetti leaves office at the end of this year, after overseeing a dramatic drop in implementing bike lanes.
Though the next 24 bikeway projects sound like they will be great, note also that Garcetti presided over a precipitous decline in new and upgraded bikeway mileage pic.twitter.com/xe2sKZAO7E
— StreetsblogLA (@StreetsblogLA) October 27, 2022
Just one more reason so many of Garcetti’s former supporters will be happy to see him go.
Myself included.
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Turns out singer, songwriter and producer — and Billie Eilish brother — Finneas is one of us.
Although, as usual, we only learned about it after he crashed his ebike and pulled a major endo, shattering his elbow and collarbone.
But he insists he’ll be back in time for his sister’s show at the Forum in December.
— FINNEAS (@finneas) October 27, 2022
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Gravel Bike California takes a ride up Mt. Lowe Road in the Angeles National Forest.
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No bias here. A Berkeley letter writer trots out the usual town versus gown conflict, complaining that a new bike lane supported by university students will kill local businesses, to the detriment of longtime residents. Never mind that studies show bike lanes are good for business, even if they require removing parking spaces. And chances are, the university was there long before she lived there, and will be there long after she’s gone.
No bias here., either. New York’s MTA says they need to see proof that bike riders will use bikeways on city bridges before they’re willing to build them. Which is nearly impossible to demonstrate when riding a bike on most bridges is dangerous and illegal.
A New York bike rider captures what it looks like — and sounds like — to get hit by a red light-running driver while recording other red light-running drivers. And gets left lying in the street afterwards.
And a road raging driver in a $230,000 Bentley subjected BBC host Jeremy Vine and a couple other bicyclists to punishment passes, and called Vine him a dick, when Vine called him on it.
https://twitter.com/theJeremyVine/status/1585159290137956352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1585159290137956352%7Ctwgr%5E3392dffb763723f955cc091df3cfd6d7a9fb248d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Froad.cc%2Fcontent%2Fnews%2Fcycling-live-blog-27-october-2022-296887
Police in Gloucester, England are looking for a man who fled by bike after robbing a local shop armed with a crowbar.
A British man who fled by bicycle after fatally stabbing another man, and attempting to flee the country disguised as a woman, has been sentenced to just seven years behind bars.
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Malibu-based fat tire e-bikemaker SONDORS is the first US ebike brand to file an IPO, although the prospectus reveals the company has shown a loss for the last two years, and may not be able to meet its financial obligations if it can’t secure adequate funding.
Here’s your chance to name San Diego’s new mini bike lane sweeper. And yes, Sweepie McSweepface is probably taken.
Um, no. A 62-year old Poway man was seriously injured when a driver crashed into his bike; sheriff’s investigators said the rising sun could have been in the driver’s eyes — even though the crash was nearly an hour after sunrise.
Sad news from Los Banos, where a 19-year old woman was killed when her bike was rear-ended by a motorist, allegedly while riding after dark without lights or reflectors.
More bad news, this time from San Mateo County, where an 80-year old retired Stanford water polo coach was killed when he crashed his bike into a street sweeper parked on the side of the road Tuesday afternoon.
San Jose reached a 25-year high for pedestrian deaths, with 29 people killed walking the city’s streets; no word on how many of the 54 people overall killed in traffic collisions were riding bikes.
An Oakland website asks candidates for mayor how they would improve street safety, after 11 people were killed on city streets this summer; one councilmember is calling for increased police enforcement — despite his own DUI arrest — and turned down funds for a seven-mile bikeway.
A new study examines disparities in bikeshare use among lower-income residents and people of color in three US city, examining why they use the services less than wealthier and whiter residents.
Bike USA is recalling their Punisher adult bicycle helmets for failing to meet the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s standards for positional stability and impact attenuation.
An Oklahoma man was sentenced to ten years behind bars for the shooting death of a man riding a bicycle; he was driving the car when the victim was shot by another man, who was sentenced to life last week.
Misdemeanor charges have been filed against a white Milwaukee man who was caught on video grabbing a young Black man by the neck after accusing him of stealing his friend’s bikes; the 25-year old victim reportedly has the mental capacity of a five-year old. Although it appears the man may have been right about the stolen bikes.
A new 58-mile greenway will allow bike riders to travel from West Michigan, through Indiana to Chicago without setting a wheel on the roadway.
There’s a special place in hell for anyone who could flee the scene after killing a 13-year old Ohio kid riding his bike; a suspect is on trial for hit-and-run and vehicular homicide, as well as possessing coke when he was arrested the next day.
Kindhearted cops in New York’s Hudson Valley bought a new bike for a teenage boy after his was stolen.
New York will develop a comprehensive Greenway masterplan for the city’s bike and pedestrian infrastructure for the first time in three decades.
A Franciscan brother has founded a campaign to get Queens bike riders to use lights after dark — and stay off the sidewalk and stop for red lights — after returning home to care for his Jewish mother.
Momentum offers a biking guide for your next trip to the Big Easy.
This is why people keep dying on our streets. A Louisiana woman pled guilty to negligent homicide in the hit-and-run death of a bike-riding man — eight years after killing a 15-year old boy as he was riding his bike. Just another example of keeping a dangerous driver on the road until it’s too late. Again.
Miami is lowering the speed limit on the city’s deadly Rickenbacker Causeway to improve safety for bike riders, after several fatal crashes in recent years. Although lowering the limit just 5 mph, from 45 mph to 40 mph, may not make as big a difference as they might hope. Particularly when so many drivers ignore it anyway.
There’s something seriously wrong when a Florida man still rides a bike at 82 year old, only to be killed by an SUV driver.
Off-road.cc explains the meaning of singletrack.
Cycling Weekly addresses five textbook mistakes to avoid when you take your riding inside.
Don’t mind me. I’ll just be applying for this assistant bike shop manager job in Edinburgh. You know, the one in Scotland.
A bike rider in England’s Surrey County calls it the worst place in the world to ride a bike. Meanwhile, riders in cities around the world are shouting “Hold my beer!”
British officials were warned last year that removing plastic bollards from a bike lane would leave it in a substandard condition; now two bike riders have been killed in separate incidents in the past six months.
The route for next year’s Tour de France was announced yesterday; Rouleur says it’s all about the mountains.
The 2023 women’s Tour will feature eight stages, including a finish atop the legendary Tourmalet.
That feeling when you call the cops on your own 14-year old sister for stealing your son’s bike. Or when your relationship can survive BMX racing, but not reality TV.
And you won’t be hearing alleged Hitler aficionado Ye, nee Kanye, in Peloton classes anytime soon.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
