October 28, 2024 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on 50-year old man killed in DUI collateral damage crash while walking bicycle in Rialto; 2-year old boy suffers minor injuries
“Preliminary information indicates the female driver of the Dodge Caravan was driving southbound on Riverside Avenue and was turning left to go east on Etiwanda and failed to yield, [leading] the black Audi to collide with the Caravan,” Sgt. Smith confirmed to KTLA. “[The collision] caused the Caravan to go onto the northeast corner of the sidewalk, striking the pedestrian.”
The victim, identified only as a 50-year old man, died after being taken to a hospital.
A two-year old boy who was riding in the Audi with his father was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, as was the 32-year old driver of the other vehicle; police planned to arrest her for DUI upon her release.
The station oddly notes that the victim’s bicycle did not appear to have suffered significant damage.
Just the person who had been walking it.
This is at least the 45th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
The bike rider, who has not been publicly identified, died at the scene.
Unfortunately, that’s all we know right now. There’s no word on how the crash happened, or any description of the suspect vehicle or the person responsible.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Riverside Police Department at 951/826-8720, or email RMcHugh@RiversideCA.gov.
This is at least the 44th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Riverside County; however, it appears the first one in the county since early May.
Sixteen of those SoCal deaths have been hit-and-runs.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and their loved ones.
October 25, 2024 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Broxton ped plaza soft opening this weekend, and promise of carfree LA Olympic plan short on time and money
Just 66 days left until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
………
The bouncing baby pedestrian plaza on Westwood’s previously nearly useless Broxton Ave is having a soft opening this weekend, apparently ahead of the official opening at some undetermined date in the future.
Local officials have a litany of projects they want to complete ahead of 2028, including adding charging infrastructure and improving Metro stations close to venues, but so far attempts to secure federal funds have been hit-and-miss.
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $3.3-billion list of projects needed to make the Games run smoothly is 5.2% funded. If the money doesn’t come through soon, transit planners predict some critical projects may be scuttled — making it tougher for visitors and commuters to get around town.
Los Angeles has just four years to build the bus lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks necessary to move the hundreds of thousands of tourists likely to arrive for the Games.
And doesn’t even have a final list of the venues where it will take place. Let alone a plan for how to get it done, or the funding to do it.
Which just adds to the city’s long and ever growing list of transportation promises made and not kept.
Or have you forgotten all about Vision Zero and Garcetti’s Transportation Green New Deal? Not to mention the 2010 bike plan, and every failed bike plan that proceeded it.
This city is great at making transportation promises.
But keeping them, not so much.
………
Santa Monica bicyclists will now enjoy concrete protection from motor vehicles and the people driving them on 26th Street.
Twitter post
………
It looks like Culver City’s shortsighted and auto-centric decision to rip out the MOVE Culver City protected bike lanes could cost it nearly half a million bucks.
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A Seal Beach cop had to inform a “well intentioned” letter writer that California bike riders aren’t required to licensed and/or registered, which would take a significant change in state law. And requiring big black license numbers to be painted on little kids bike helmets would be just a tad problematic, for a number of reasons.
No bias here. A Tucson, Arizona woman was killed in a hit-and-run as she rode her bike at 3:30 am, yet the cops somehow decided it was her fault for making an unsafe turn, even though they haven’t talked to the driver because they don’t even know who the hell killed her. Then again, what else would they expect on a road named Speedway?
………
Local
Seriously? The Beverly Pressreports in detail on last week’s Fountain Ave protest demanding a halt to the plans for a lane reduction and protected bike lanes on the West Hollywood street. But somehow apparently failed to notice the larger demonstration held at the same time supporting them.
A San Francisco woman was collateral damage when she was struck by a driver being chased by the cops while riding her bicycle; the driver abandoned the car after hitting her and fled as a passenger in another vehicle, while a third driver drove off in the abandoned car, and was arrested after crashing into a building. I’d say this is yet another example of an innocent person being injured as a direct result of a police chase, but I’m still trying to figure out what the hell happened.
“Vehicle ramming attacks, where a perpetrator deliberately rams a vehicle into pedestrians or buildings, have been increasing around the world in recent years,” the motion reads. “With the city hosting major international events in the next few years … the city should look at ways to safeguard residents and visitors from these types of attacks.”
So, the plan is actually to protect buildings and pedestrians from vehicular terrorists, rather than the more pedestrian form of terrorism we face from the people in the big, deadly machines on a daily basis.
But wait, there’s more.
In addition to safety at events like the 2028 Olympic Games, bollards could also enhance protection for bike lanes across the city.
At least we’re an afterthought, anyway.
………
As if loose dogs aren’t a big enough danger to people on bicycles, a ten-year old kid was bitten by a coyote while riding his bike in Irvine Tuesday morning.
Not surprisingly, it pretty much shows what you might expect.
Mobility habits naturally evolve with age. These habits can be described as a bell curve that follows childhood to adulthood to the third stage of life, going from dependent mobility to independent mobility and back. Many older adults eventually stop driving due to physical or cognitive changes. In fact, AARP data indicates that while 80% of people over 65 are still driving, this number drops sharply to 35% by age 80.
The 50+ Cycling Survey shows that cycling remains an attractive option for those looking to stay active and independently mobile. For many older adults, cycling can be a key mode of transportation for independent mobility, so they don’t have to rely on others or public transportation.
The Los Angeles Times recommends riding a bicycle to Dodger Stadium and locking up at one of the stadiums numerous bike racks for tomorrow’s first game of the World Series, as part of their five ways to avoid parking and traffic headaches — as long as you’re willing to ride up some hills.
This is who we share the road with. After a homeless man was killed by an alleged drunk driver near the Santa Monica Pier last week, the Santa Monica Daily Press says it reflects the growing trend of traffic violence in the LA Area.
A Carpenteria letter writer says organizers of the “the Ride Santa Barbara bike race” — note the key word “ride,” not race — left an “insane” amount of colored stickers and spray-painted arrows on the street near his house, wondering why that’s not vandalism. Um, maybe because they had a permit, and it should eventually go away with weather and wear.
Let’s start with news of a November EPA webinar to discuss a Mexican bicycle-based recycling program.
Something we could easily do here.
EPA webinar:Recyclables Collection Using Source-Reduced Vehicles
On November 13th at 9 am PT, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is offering a free webinar on recyclables collection in México, using bicycles. The webinar will feature an overview of ‘source-reduced’ vehicles, followed by presentations from Hermosillo-based Biciclando and México City-based Bike Recycling MX. Register here.
Thanks to André Villaseñor for the heads-up.
………
California’s two transportation agencies seem to be taking different approaches to the state’s new Complete Streets law.
On the other hand, Caltrans has created a new equity tool in an effort to avoid the highway building mistakes of the past, which bulldozed low income neighborhoods and ignored the needs of anyone not inside a motor vehicle.
In the wake of a Parisian bike rider allegedly murdered by a road-raging driver, Cycling Weekly writes that cars can be weapons, as any bike rider can tell you. Or as I learned the hard way courtesy of my own road-rager, cars are bigger than me, and they hurt.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
