The law of unintended biking consequences — cities ignore bike safety at your peril

March 25, 2011 / / 5 comments

Just days after four-foot wide speed cushions were installed on a Palos Verdes Estates street, a 65-year old cyclist went down hard.

So hard, in fact, that he was still unconscious a week later. Yet local authorities say they can’t “conclude without a doubt” that the cushions were at fault.

Maybe not.

But it’s highly likely that a jury would — and no doubt, eventually will — conclude otherwise.

And that’s the problem. When what seems like commonsense roadway solutions are applied without consulting the cycling community — or at least, traffic engineers who actually ride themselves — it’s not just your safety that’s at risk.

It’s your tax dollars, as well.

Because the inevitable lawsuits that follow are either paid out of your tax dollars, or through a government insurance policy that’s paid with your tax dollars. And one that can often increase, sometimes dramatically, following a successful lawsuit alleging negligence.

In the Palos Verdes Estates case, Richard Schlickman, described as an experienced cyclist, skidded nearly 80 feet after losing control when he either hit one of the newly installed speed control devices on the 500 block of Via del Monte, or swerved to avoid them.

According the Daily Breeze, an unidentified cyclist who witnessed the incident said the speed cushions were the cause of Schlickman’s wreck.

“I saw him fall and slide down on the asphalt. It definitely occurred at that first speed bump there,” said the cyclist, who did not want to give his name. “I really think those speed bumps are dangerous. You’re going to see more accidents.”

The Daily Breeze goes on say the police believe his speed may have been a factor.

The police report said Schlickman’s wreck was caused by the cyclist’s speeding between 25 and 28 mph, above the 15 mph limit posted near the new speed humps, said Robinson of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department.

However, the photo that accompanies the story clearly shows the 15 mph speed limit sign has a yellow background, rather then the standard white, indicating it’s an advisory, rather than mandatory, limit. Which is something you’d think the local police would understand.

In addition, the sign is located directly next to the speed cushions, providing inadequate warning for cyclists. While most drivers could brake quickly enough to slow down to the recommended 15 mph speed, a cyclist travelling downhill at 25 mph would have a much more difficult time slowing that quickly without losing control. And even then, 15 mph could be too fast for many cyclists to safely traverse the multiple-inch high humps.

So without advance warning of the speed cushions, what would merely be a minor annoyance to most drivers could be a deathtrap to bike riders.

According to the article, the cushions were installed with the best of intentions, as local residents were concerned about speeding drivers, as well as cyclists; in fact, 91% of residents approved the installation.

Maybe the other 9% were bike riders, who could have predicted the inevitable outcome. Had the city consulted with cyclists before installing a device designed strictly for motor vehicles, they most likely would have been forewarned about the obvious dangers.

Instead, an experienced cyclist is suffering from a serious brain injury. And when the inevitable lawsuit is filed, the attorneys will have no problem pointing the finger at those responsible.

Of course, one of the primary factors involved in assessing liability in a case like this is proving that the party responsible knew, or had reason to know, of the danger.

In this case, Palos Verdes Estates clearly failed to do their due diligence in assessing the danger to cyclists prior to installing the speed cushions.

In other cases, such as the dangers posed by potholes and other road hazards, liability often comes down to whether the government agencies concerned were aware of the problem prior to the injury.

Take the rutted moonscape left behind by the so-called Hudson River on heavily biked 4th Street. Bicycle Fixation’s Rick Risemberg has filed numerous requests with the city to have it fixed, which meets the requirement for ensuring they are aware of the problem. And there have already been injuries — plural — to cyclists as a result of those dangerous conditions.

Which means the next cyclist injured there should have no problem proving his or her case. I’ll be happy to testify to the risky maneuvers required to avoid the danger spots, which can easily take down a rider or force them into the path of oncoming cars.

And something tells me I won’t be the only one.

The same thing goes for eastbound Ohio Ave west of Sepulveda Blvd, the West L.A. Bikeway through Westwood Park, and Wilshire Blvd between Westwood and Beverly Hills. All of which I’ve reported myself at one time or another.

And none of which have seen the slightest effort to repair.

Then there’s the intersection of Ohio and Manning Avenues, where frequent running water washes out the asphalt, leaving deep pits in the roadway.

It’s been patched — usually badly — at least a dozen times in the 18 years I’ve lived in this neighborhood. Yet as far as I’ve seen, no effort has been made to identify and repair the root problem to keep the potholes from reappearing a few weeks later.

Which suggestss that the city is well aware of the problem, but chooses not to fix it. And that means you’ll be the one who pays if someone gets hurt as a result.

Whether you’re the one who’s injured.

Or stuck with the tab afterwards.

On a related note, the LACBC has launched the Good Roads Campaign to catalog road hazards and report them to L.A. Bureau of Street Services. They may want to start with the one above, even if it is just a little outside the city limits.

Best wishes to Richard Schlickman for a full and speedy recovery. And a belated thanks to Jim Lyle for the heads-up on the Daily Breeze articles.

Update: Jim Lyle notes in the comments that there are now large warnings of the speed humps painted on the pavement; hopefully, that will be enough to keep riders safe.

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I meant to include this link in the recent report on the New York bikelash, as Steve Vance of Stephen Can Plan writes that he’s keeping track of Brooklyn’s bike lane drama as well, because the same fight could soon come to Chicago.

Meanwhile, a Lower Manhattan newspaper goes against the tabloid bikelash to support bike lanes, public plazas and pop-up cafes. Bicycling offers a recap of the New York bikelash, as well as a look at Brooklyn’s upcoming Red Hook Crit. And after 10 cyclists were ticketed for violating a 15 mph speed limit in Central Park, NY officials fall over themselves to disavow it; maybe they’re just making it up as they go along.

.………

The planned CC City Council discussion of a motion to weaken Culver City’s newly adopted bike plan — replacing bike lanes on Washington Blvd with sharrows and allowing the City Council to override the plan — has been postponed while council aides study the proposal.

And LACBC affiliate Culver City Bicycle Coalition hosts their monthly Family Ride this Sunday, March 27th, along with a special ride on Saturday, April 16th to look at improvements for the recent Safe Routes to School grant.

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The LACBC memorializes Mark Bixby, and joins calls for naming the new replacement for the Gerald Desmond bridge — or at least the bike lanes on it — in his honor. And the survivor of that plane crash, cyclist and commercial real estate CEO Mike Jensen, is expected to make a full recovery.

Meanwhile, the annual Long Beach Bicycle Festival that Bixby founded will take place on Friday, May 13th and Saturday, May 14th in Downtown Long Beach. The festivities include the Tour of Long Beach on Saturday, May 14th, with rides of 4, 31 and 61 miles to benefit Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach.

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KCET offers a great history of bicycling in Los Angeles. Architects consider a bike-friendly L.A. Council President Eric Garcetti launches a program offering up to $2,500 for neighborhood improvement projects within his district. LADOT Bike Blog looks at chicanes, my favorite traffic calming method to ride. The LookOut News profiles LACBC affiliate Santa Monica Spoke. Santa Monica is looking for artists to design and build functional bike racks. REI Santa Monica hosts a talk by Dominic Gill, who’s travelled the US on a tandem, inviting strangers to hop on the empty seat; 7 – 8:30 pm Thursday, March 31st at 402 Santa Monica Blvd in Santa Monica. Hearings are announced for L.A.’s proposed new bike ordinance; Writing for Flying Pigeon, Rick Risemberg says the bike parking plan is half-a step-forward. Two former USC students turn college poverty into a booming L.A. based bike business. The conflict between equestrians and mountain bikers that threatened to derail L.A.’s bike plan spreads to Malibu.

How to have a bike lane that requires removing parking, without removing parking. Rancho Santa Fe gets its first bike shop. Long Beach’s biking expats encounter just a little mud on their way to Ventura. San Francisco’s successful Sunday Streets — their ciclavia — offered space for a four-person bike and a three-wheeled piano. The Amgen Tour of California prepares for winter weather on the tour’s opening stages; speaking of which, Tahoe-area artists are invited to create art out of bicycles for an installation in conjunction with the tour. There’s a special place in hell for anyone who’d steal the bike from underneath a man with cerebral palsy; fortunately, there are still caring people in the world to make it right. Marin County improves bike detection at 31 traffic signals. Visalia business owners oppose bike lanes after apparently concluding that cyclists don’t spend money, even though Texas cyclists say biking is good for the local economy.

The feds are looking for feedback on a proposed rule to improve vehicle rear visibility and reduce back-up collisions. How to booby trap your bike to deter thieves. Tucson hosts their second ciclavia this Sunday; Tucson Bike Lawyer says it’s in his neighborhood. If you’re going to assault a cyclist on his way into work, it’s probably better to make sure he’s not an off-duty cop; Digital Dame asks if the driver is a Christopher Thompson protégé. Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer talks bikes. A Vancouver WA city council member displays typical ignorance of roadway economics, opposing a road diet and bike lanes “because bicycles don’t pay gas tax or license fees.” Six bikes worth $40,000 were stolen from Austin custom bike builder KirkLee Bicycles, including one featured in Bicycling Magazine’s Dream Road Bike of the Year competition. Cambridge MA installs free bike repair stations for cyclists.

As London’s large trucks continue to take their murderous toll, a new augmented reality campaign tries to do something about it. The UK cuts gas taxes for motorists, and at the same time, threatens to eliminate a program to encourage bike commuting. Now that’s what I call a fat tired bike. UCI appeals Spain’s decision to clear Alberto Contador on doping charges; 11 major teams consider breaking away from UCI to form their own super league. Riding the 2012 Olympic mountain bike course. Rookie racing phenom Taylor Phinney of BMC Racing withdraws from his first WorldTour race due to continued knee problems. Japanese cyclist Kazunari Watanabe competes despite the destruction of the home he grew up in. A group of seven Estonian cyclists were kidnapped while riding in eastern Lebanon. A Japanese father who escaped the tsunami by bike looks for his family, who were stuck in traffic when the waves hit.

Finally, TreeHugger offers 12 ways to carry a dog on a bike — almost guaranteed to make you smile. And after the recent item suggesting a freeway-riding cyclist may have caused a collision on the 110 Freeway, reader Christelle reminds us of this classic Crimanimalz video.

One last note — frequent bike blogger and friend Will Campbell rode out today’s 6.8 earthquake while on vacation in Thailand; only a native Angeleno would take something like that in stride.

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

Surviving 1,100 miles through Alaska’s winter wilderness on two wheels

March 23, 2011 / / 4 comments

My brother is the (slightly) less hairy one.

Long time readers may know that my brother Eric is a veteran of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, finishing the 1,100 mile race through the Alaskan wilderness three times.

Not bad for a man who’s probably the only Ph.d certified particle physicist to compete in, let alone finish, the race.

A fourth time ended in frostbite, a broken leg and a wrenched shoulder, with a long, lonely wait for rescue in sub-zero temperatures. But it didn’t stop him or his team from running it again the following year.

Unfortunately, despite having his best team ever, financial pressures from the current economy have kept him out of the race the last few years.

So if anyone who wants to sponsor a dog team in next year’s race, or is looking for a great speaker with tales of adventure in the Great White North, just let me know.

Then again, if anyone wants to sponsor a humble bike blogger/bike advocate, I’m all ears.

Despite riding throughout this great country, from the swamps of Louisiana through the Rocky Mountain high country and the mean streets of L.A., it never would have occurred to me to follow my brother’s sled tracks from the ceremonial start in Anchorage to the finish line Nome. Especially not in the dead of winter.

And now that is has, I think I pass, thank you.

However, there are others who don’t let little things like snow and ice, sub-zero temperatures or hurricane-force winds stop them from going out for a fast paced mid-winter’s ride.

And you thought your off-season riding routine was tough.

The Alaska Dispatch offers a great recap of this year’s Iditarod Trail Invitational bike race, in which winner Jay Petervary set a course record despite surviving a blowhole — a wind-driven maelstrom of freezing white-out conditions. And yet still only beats second place finisher Aidan Harding, who ran the course blowhole free, by just three hours.

More impressive, his wife finished third and now holds course records for both the northern and southern sections of the trail.

Talk about a family bike ride. Maybe next year they’ll try it on a tandem.

It’s definitely worth reading if you’re interested in the wild side of cycling, and want to vicariously participate in one of the world’s most extreme bike races from the comfort of your computer.

And if it inspires you to go out and try it yourself next year, send me a postcard.

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Here’s a first in the great New York bikelash.

NYPD officers void tickets and apologize in person to cyclists after writing riders up for speeding in Central Park. Of course, the problem with the tickets wasn’t the barely posted 15 mph limit for bikes in the park — despite a 25 mph limit for motor vehicles, which probably invalidates the lower limit.

Instead, the tickets were voided due to a technical issue, because the tickets sent alleged violators to traffic court instead of criminal court.

One citation remains in force for now, for a cyclist cited for doing 28 mph in that 25 mph zone.

Meanwhile, New York Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson says bike lanes are a choice, not a metaphor, while census figures show that bike commuting in New York doubled in the last 20 years, but still lags behind other cities. And the Claremont Cyclist offers his take on some of the sillier comments fueling the bikelash.

Thanks to George Wolfberg for the heads-up on the ticketing stories.

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A CHP report on a traffic collision on the 110 Freeway just south of Manchester Ave suggests that it may have been caused by a bicycle riding on the freeway — in the traffic lanes, no less. L.A. political site Street-Hassle looks at the politics of the Wilbur Ave road diet, astutely suggesting that it would take just one video of an out-of-control cyclist to fire up the opposition. Mikey Wally offers his typically beautiful photos of Sunday’s Wolfpack Hustle L.A. Marathon Crash Race. Bikeside reports on last week’s LAPD Bike Task Force meeting. The Santa Monica Museum of Art is hosting an art-focused Cycle Chic Sunday. Altadena could get a bike boulevard under the new county bike plan. Cal State Long Beach will be honored for its newly achieved bike-friendly status on April 7th. Streetsblog looks at Long Beach’s current effort to update and improve its bike plan. A 61-year old Glendora cyclist will attempt his second cross-country ride to raise funds to fight MS. The Claremont Cyclist calls attention to this weekend’s San Dimas Stage Race.Ventura passes a new bike master plan, though council members warn it may be unaffordable. After a car hits a Chico cyclist, they both leave the scene until police find them together half a mile away in the same car.

Contraflow bike lanes get the Feds official stamp of approval. Driver’s heads just aren’t in the game yet. Loving the Bike looks at the car-light lifestyle. Grist’s Sarah Goodyear says there is no war on cars, except when it comes to scoring political points. Neighborhood greenways are like bike boulevards on steroids; link courtesy of the always excellent Tucson Velo. A Seattle stage actor is killed in a cycling accident. The new Quiznos Pro Challenge won’t be riding through the Colorado National Monument, home of the famed Tour of the Moon course, after all. A Chicago writer says he wants to believe that drivers are afraid of hurting cyclists, and that fear is what makes them angry; Dave Moulton thinks he may have a point. Biking is up 33% in the Twin Cities. Five simple rules for safer bike deliveries. A competitive cyclist in Philadelphia is run down by a speeding hit-and-run driver; he survives thanks to a helmet and landing on a grassy median. Bad advice from the Maryland DMV causes right hook collisions, which police fall over themselves to blame on the cyclist. A Baltimore bicyclist offers a cyclists’ manifesto. South Carolina works to become safer for cyclists. A classic SWSS, as an unmarked patrol car driven by an off-duty Tampa police officer hits an 85-year old cyclist, who just happened to swerve out of the bike lane in front of the car. The owner of the New York Jets is injured in a Florida biking collision.

Innovative designs to prevent residential bike theft. A bill is introduced in Parliament to criminalize dangerous cycling that causes death or injury, despite the countless drivers who walk away with a slap on the wrist after running down a cyclist or pedestrian. Former Arsenal goalie Bob Wilson plans to bike to every Premier League stadium in the UK to raise money for charity. Seville, Spain offers a roadmap to bike-friendliness. An Aussie U-19 cyclist struggles to come back after colliding with a light pole in a racing accident.

Finally, it’s not unusual to see people carry their surfboards by bike around here, but Will Campbell finds someone who took the concept of long board to the extreme. And a visit to New Jersey’s dreaded bike-eating tree.

Category: General / Tags: , , ,

Long Beach cyclist killed in early Friday collision; 19th bike traffic victim this year

March 22, 2011 / / 6 comments

Long Beach authorities released word today that a cyclist was killed in the early morning hours last Friday.

According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, 56-year old Leonardo Antonio Florez died when his bike was rear-ended by a 2009 Ford van at 3:16 am Friday on East Carson Street, just west of Los Coyotes Diagonal.

The Huntington Park driver, who has not been publicly identified, reportedly stopped and dialed 911 while attempting to help Florez.

The Post-Telegram reports that Florez’ bike did not have lights. They also suggest that the delay in announcing the death was due to the hospital’s failure to notify police that the victim had died, even though he passed away the same day.

By my count, this marks the 19th cyclist killed in Southern California traffic collisions since the first of the year; another bicyclist died in an apparent gang shooting.

Florez is also the second cyclist killed in a Long Beach traffic collision in the last two months, while a third rider was killed when he was hit by a Blue Line train in January.

The driver remains free and has not been charged. Anyone with information is asked to contact LBPD Accident Investigations Detective Dave Lauro at 562/570-7355.

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

Why the New York bikelash matters to L.A. cyclists

March 22, 2011 / / 5 comments

New York cyclists are up in arms over a lengthy New York Magazine article tracing the history of the bikelash — the tabloid-flamed controversy over the city’s rapid transformation into a more livable, walkable and ridable Gotham.

While opponents use anecdotal evidence to criticize the bike lanes — indeed, the entire concept of allowing bikes on the streets and/or sidewalks of the city — the data clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the bikeway system.

In fact, New York Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson recently  backed the bike lane argument with a solid set of statistics, including one demonstrating that once separated bike lanes are installed, injuries for all road users decline 40% to 50%.

Unfortunately, facts aren’t enough to win over those who think bikes are the biggest threat this side of al Qaeda. And no, I’m not exaggerating.

Consider this quote from the article — from a former bike shop owner, no less — who clearly needs to increase his meds:

“You know about the cars. You know about that potential danger when you’re crossing the street. You know you might end up a bag of blood and guts and bones. But that is a finite realm of danger,” says Jack Brown, who used to own a bike shop in the East Village. “When it comes to cyclists, that danger is infinite. Cyclists can be anywhere, at any time: on the sidewalk, riding the wrong way down the street. And you have no peace … The anarchy that has been allowed to prevail is astonishing. According to butterfly theory, according to chaos theory, I am sure that the level of emotional and psychological damage wrought by the bicycle far exceeds the damage done by cars.” And then Brown goes there: “It is homegrown terrorism. The cumulative effect is equivalent to what happened on 9/11.”

Not only does he equate the simple act of riding a bike to flying a jet into the World Trade Center, he claims that the harm done by the relative handful of bicycle incidents far exceed the emotional and psychological damage done by the 40,000 +/- deaths caused by cars on American streets each year — let alone the countless crippling and life-changing injuries resulting from car collisions each year.

Talk about blaming the victim.

As someone who has lost both a relative and a childhood friend to drunk drivers, I can assure you that he is quite mistaken as to which one inflicts lasting emotional harm.

As for psychological damage, I’d point the finger at whatever he’s been smoking.

As proof of the danger posed by cyclists, opponents inevitably trot out the case of Stuart Gruskin, who died as a result of a collision with a wrong-way bike deliveryman.

Needless and tragic as that case was, it was just a single death two years ago. And not caused by a speeding spandex-clad cyclist, or even the city’s notoriously anarchic bike messengers, but by a food delivery rider taking an ill-advised shortcut. And a victim who failed to look both ways when crossing a one-way street.

That compares with a long, long list of New Yorkers killed by motor vehicles last year alone.

It’s enough to make bike lane opponent Louis Hainline, founder of the ironically named — some say Orwellian — Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes, seem relatively rational.

Although it never hurts to have a reminder not to take it all so seriously.

So why does a dispute on the opposite coast matter to riders here in L.A.?

Simply this.

We’ve just finished the battle to get a widely praised bike plan adopted. But right now, those bike lanes, sharrows and bike-friendly streets exist as nothing more than lines on a map.

And if you think New Yorkers are mad, wait until you see the blowback here in the City of Fallen Angeles when we try to take a single inch of road capacity away from drivers to create even a shadow of a complete street.

Because Wilbur Avenue is just the beginning.

Along those lines, cyclists are urged to come out to support completion of the bike lanes on Reseda Blvd, as the final half mile between Roscoe and Parthenia comes up for review by the Northridge South Neighborhood Council.

This one may prove controversial, as it will require the removal of parking on one side of the road for a one-block stretch between Chase and Napa Streets.

And the only thing L.A. drivers love more than an open lane to speed in is a place to park their gas-guzzling SUVs when they’re done. Most local businesses are yet to be convinced that bike riders spend money, too.

The meeting takes place at 7 pm this Thursday, March 24, in the Northridge Middle School Library, 17960 Chase Street.

So make your voices heard.

Because we already have more than enough disconnected bikelanes in L.A. And we need to head-off the L.A. bikelash before it begins.

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Santa Monica Spoke says yes, please to a proposed Michigan Ave Bike Boulevard. LACBC reports on their successful Bike Valet program. Men’s Journal says rides with Jake Gyllenhaal on the streets of L.A., and Ewan McGregor bikes with a cute dog. Glendale offers a children’s bike skills class April 30th. Those new separated bike lanes — the ones that Long Beach columnist Doug Krikorian complained about not seeing a single cyclist on — don’t officially open until April 2nd. A look at Mark Bixby’s final victory as a bike advocate.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says it won’t be easy to get biking or transportation projects funded by a cost-cutting Congress. Advocacy Advance grants are available for state and local biking organizations. NPR points out that it’s often cheaper to tear down outdated freeways than to fix them. Three years, one family, from Alaska to Chile. Portlanders are good, but not great, about using bike lights. Illinois cycling advocates consider legislation to force the state to track dooring incidents. Taking New York’s bike crackdown to ridiculous levels, cyclists are ticketed for violating an evidently fictional 15 mph speed limit. The Wall Street Journal looks at the growing popularity of hand-cranked bikes; thanks to George Wolfberg for the link. Partisan politics and negative perceptions of cyclists take down Virginia’s proposed three-foot passing law. Video tips for riding in the rain, which may come in handy for the rest of the week.

A one year suspended license and community service for driving dangerously and killing an 89-year old cyclist. Italian cycling needs to stop living in the past. Dutch cyclists are being terrorized by little kids in golf carts. A 10-point plan to make bike racing more exciting.

Finally, a London writer says the Mary Poppins Effect only works when riding an upright bike, without a helmet and while wearing a skirt.

Probably counts me out.

Category: Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

A fitting tribute to Mark Bixby, and biking’s (not so) obvious appeal to fiscal conservatives

March 21, 2011 / / 2 comments

More on the death of Long Beach bike activist Mark Bixby and four others in a fiery Long Beach plan crash last week.

Long Beach bike lane opponent Doug Krikorian recalls friendly disputes with Bixby, while Charlie Gandy remembers bike advocate Mark Bixby’s work on the city’s iconic Penny Farthing sculpture. And LACBC co-founder Ron Milam remembers his single meeting with Bixby.

His family asks that donations be made in lieu of food or flowers, while a public Mark Bixby Celebration of Life is planned for 10 am on Friday, Mark 25th.

Personally, I think it would be fitting to name the new replacement for the Gerald Desmond bridge in Bixby’s honor, since he fought so hard — and so successfully — to get separated bike lanes on it.

Meanwhile, the lone survivor of the plane crash continues to make progress, as Mike Jensen recovers from 2nd degree burns on his back and legs.

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Writing for Commute by Bike, conservative bike advocate Tom Bowden points out that every dollar spent on properly designed bike infrastructure can ultimately defund $10 in automotive infrastructure.

And he nails it when he writes —

As long as we keep on putting so much emphasis on helmets as the most important safety issue, we perpetuate the myth that cycling is inherently dangerous. Cycling is not inherently dangerous, cars are inherently dangerous to cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. But all this helmet focus does is place the responsibility for safety on cyclists, rather than on the root cause of the problem, which is unsafe driving.

As Bowden points out, when you look at it rationally, biking isn’t a liberal or conservative issue.

Bicycling offers a common sense solution to many of the problems we face, from over-crowded streets to high gas prices. And rather than the wasteful spending some conservatives would suggest, spending on cycling and bike projects can provide benefits that far outweigh their nominal costs.

As Portland’s mayor points out, Portland’s entire biking infrastructure cost as much to build as just a single mile of freeway construction. Let alone what it costs to put a car pool lane on the 405 through Sepulveda Pass.

There was a time when I called myself a conservative, until the political winds shifted far right of where I stood. But even in these Tea Party times, it makes far more economic sense to invest less money to move more people more efficiently — without reliance on expensive foreign oil.

Which should make support for cycling and for bicycling infrastructure a no-brainer.

Wherever you stand on the political spectrum.

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KPCC reports on the proposed bike anti-harassment law. Gary reports that Santa Monica’s proposed Michigan Avenue Bike Boulevard could move a step closer to reality at Tuesday’s SaMo City Council meeting. And he argues that if the city wants people to buy local, bike racks matter, while Rick Risemberg looks at efforts to get bike parking around L.A. Next time you’re riding up Nichols Canyon, keep an eye open for Hatfield’s chef and co-owner Quinn Hatfield. A visit to Pete’s Lemonade Stand to talk bikes and sample a Breezer folding bike. Ride through Camp Pendleton to support wounded service members this Saturday. Streetsblog interviews LACBC and CicLAvia board member Stephen Villavaso about San Francisco’s Sunday Streets. Streetsblog’s Damien Newton and Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious report on the past weekend’s Transportation Camp.

Where’s the disconnect in getting more people of color on their bikes? Tucson delays efforts to cut back on bike parking. After riding 1,100 miles to win the Iditarod Trail Invitational in record time, Jay Petervary sets his sights on RAAM. Denver gets its first coffee bar by bakfiets. A biking blue-blood inventor and entrepreneur in Cleveland. The Columbus Dispatch offers a rare balanced and accurate accounting of how to share the road. A video tribute to winter cyclists in Minneapolis. Keeping up the pressure to get Vermonters out of their cars and out in the open air. Evidently, some New Yorkers like their bike lanes, regardless of what the wives of some U.S. Senators may think. Unlike other transit systems attempts to limit bikes, Washington DC’s Metro wants to quadruple the number of bike commuters on their trains; a writer reminds the Washington Post that it’s really not that hard. Just four counties in Florida account for 7.5% of all the cycling deaths in the U.S. The Lovely Bicycle asks why we’re surprised by the anti-bike backlash.

After a local paper argues that Toronto’s famously anti-bike mayor may not be so bad after all, a writer says yeah, right. The Brazilian banking equivalent of the Good Doctor who drove through a recent Critical Mass ride will be charged with attempted murder.

The New York Times looks at London’s Boris Bikes. Five tips on how to get your bike stolen. Cyclists are accused of hijacking public process. A UK MP proposes a bill targeting cyclists who kill or injure pedestrians, even though only 3 such deaths have been recorded in the last 10 years. More Welsh cyclists are getting ticketed for riding on the sidewalk; bike advocates say it just shows more infrastructure is needed. Servicing Dutch F-16s by bike. More springtime cyclists does not always mean more cyclists. HTC-Highroad cyclist Matt Goss tops the UCI rankings after his dramatic victory in the Milan – San Remo classic on Saturday. Speaking of UCI, at least some pro teams are threatening to leave in dispute over race radios. North American cities offer evidence for Aussie’s that more infrastructure spending results in rising riding rates. A recent comment points our attention to Bishop’s Path Racers of Christchurch NZ, dedicated to restoring classic, and building custom, path (track) bikes; those bikes on their site are damn pretty. Japanese cyclists send bikes to quake-hit Tohoku. Fuel shortages and a lack of visitors mean bikes are back in a formerly popular Japanese tourist town. On vacation in Thailand, Will Campbell offers proof of Bangkok bikeways, even if they do have 90 degree turns. Ten more places to ride your bike before you die.

Finally, Bike Radar asks if dangerous cyclists put us all at risk. And a rider who crashed the marathon course with Wolfpack Hustle on Sunday gets a little help from a few of the 300 riders who came out in the pouring rain.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in Sunday’s L.A. Marathon — and especially to those who accomplished the nearly superhuman feat of finishing despite the record downpour.

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

Charge filed in death of 8-year old OC cyclist; dissecting New York’s anti-bike backlash

March 19, 2011 / / One comment

According to the Orange County Register, the driver will be charged in the heartbreaking death of 8-year old Andrew “A.J.” Brumback in Westminster last January.

Anita Sue Cherry of Westminster is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on a charge of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence, with a maximum sentence of one year in jail. She reportedly was looking down as she went through the intersection and collided with A.J., who was riding to school with his sister.

According to the paper —

Misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter may be charged when there is “ordinary negligence” or the failure to use reasonable care to prevent reasonably foreseeable harm to one’s self or another, according to DA’s spokesperson Farrah Emami. A person is negligent if he or she does something that a reasonable, careful person would not do (ed: or fails to do something a reasonable person would do) in the same situation.

If you missed it before, Louise Larsen writes movingly about the near-silent death that occurred just outside her door.

And yes, it is every bit as sad as it sounds.

.………

An excellent piece by Streetsblog founder Aaran Naparstek examines the roots of New York City’s bike lane backlash, finding that the sustainable streets called for by NYDOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan have become a reality:

  • Traffic fatalities are at a 100 year low
  • Bike commuting is increasing 25% a year
  • Travel times for select bus routes have decreased 20%
  • New York voters prefer the new, carless Times Square by a 2-to-1 margin
  • The supposedly controversial Prospect Park West bike lanes enjoy an astounding 78% approval rating

So who is behind the anti-bika lane uproar and the calls for Sadik-Khan’s head? Naparstek points the finger — exactly which one is unclear — at a tabloid press desperate for a story, ambitious political climbers and a governmental class for whom a free city parking placard is the ultimate entitlement.

It’s amazing how something so successful and enjoying so much support can be turned into an apparent controversy when the right people are fanning the flames.

Definitely worth a read.

Meanwhile, another city poll shows that the city’s bike lane program enjoys the support of over half of all New Yorkers, with just 39% opposed. Interestingly, the older the people responding, the less likely they were to support cycling infrastructure; Republicans don’t seem to like it much, either.

And Bike Snob looks at the backlash in his own unique way.

Then again, sometimes it’s cyclists who are the worst enemies of infrastructure projects.

.………

Bike Talk airs Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

If you hurry, you can still make Rapha’s ride to raise funds for victims of the Japan earthquake; the L.A. ride begins at 8 am today, Saturday the 19th, at Bike Effect, 910 Broadway Suite 100 in Santa Monica. Donate a minimum of $10 and Rapha will match your donation. Note to organizers — a little advance notice would be nice.

Ride 13 miles to the peace march in Hollywood on Saturday, March 19th; the ride begins at 11:30 am at Bici Digna, 1850 S. Main Street.

Also on the 19th, Long Beach continues their series of workshops for the city’s new Bicycle Master Plan with a bike ride from 10 am to 11:30 am, and a community workshop from 11:30 to 1 pm at Bixby Park, 130 Cherry Avenue.

Crash the L.A. Marathon course with Wolfpack Hustle’s car-free race to the coast under the biggest full moon in nearly 20 years; registration starts at 3 am at Tang’s Donut at Sunset and Fountain in Hollywood, and the ride rolls at 4 am.

Flying Pigeon’s Get Sum Dim Sum ride takes place on the third Sunday of each month; the next ride will take place at 10 am on Sunday, March 20, starting at 3714 N. Figueroa St. in Highland Park.

The final workshop for the new Long Beach Bicycle Master Plan takes place from 6 to 8 pm at the Mark Twain Library, 1401 E. Anaheim in Long Beach.

On Monday, March 28, the City Council of Culver City will consider a motion to amend the city’s recently adopted Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan to replace planned bike lanes on Washington Blvd with sharrows and allow the council to override the approved bikeway designations based on economic and safety considerations. The hearing will take place starting at 7 pm in the Council Chambers of Culver City City Hall, 9770 Culver Blvd.

The County of Los Angeles begins a series of 11 workshops for the new 2011 draft Bicycle Master Plan on Tuesday, March 28th from 6 to 7:30 pm at Topanga Elementary School, 141 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd, in Topanga. Additional workshops will be held March 29th, March 30th, March 31, April 4th, April 5th, April 6th, April 11th, April 12th, April 13th and April 14th; click here for locations and times.

L.A.’s Department of City Planning will hold a hearing on expanding requirements for bicycle parking on Wednesday, March 30th at 1 pm in Room 1010 of L.A. City Hall, 200 North Spring Street.

There should be an app for that. Metro invites anyone with a good idea to develop useful mobile apps or web mash-ups utilizing their transit data, with a goal of enhancing riders ability to use transit and encouraging more people to go Metro — and you could win up to $2,000 for your efforts. Learn more on Thursday, March 31st from 6 to 7:30 pm at Metro Headquarters, One Gateway Plaza Downtown.

The Santa Clarita Century is scheduled to roll on Saturday, April 2nd with rides ranging from a family ride to a full century, and a free expo and entertainment throughout the day. All rides begin and end at the Valencia Town Center, 24201 Valencia Blvd.

If you’re looking for something a little more relaxed, visit the free Magical Magnolia Bicycle Tour on Saturday, April 2nd from 3 to 7 pm in the Magnolia Park neighborhood in Burbank; be sure to visit Porto’s Bakery for a great Medianoche or Cubano sandwich and Cuban pastries.

The fourth installment of the LACBC’s popular series of Sunday Funday rides takes place on Sunday, April 3rd, with the Crosstown Traffic Sunday Funday Ride led by board member Greg Laemmle. The 28-mile ride will assemble at 9:30 am the Westwood Recreation Center, 1350 South Sepulveda Blvd, and explore routes from the Westside to Downtown, with a stop for some of L.A.’s best coffee and tamales.

Get a head start on CicLAvia on Sunday, April 10th with the 2011 edition of Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer, a 10 stage race up some of the city’s steepest hills. Competitors will assemble at 7:45 am at the intersection of Sunset and Griffith Park Blvds.

The next CicLAvia will take place on Sunday April 10th, with two more to follow on July 10th and October 9th. If you missed the first one, don’t make the same mistake again; word is that Lance will be there.

Keep the post-CicLAvia good bike feelings going on Thursday, April 14th with Bike Night at the Hammer Museum, starting at 7 pm at 10899 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood. Free admission, free food, drinks and screenings of the 1986 BMX classic Rad.

Celebrate tax day with the second annual Streetsblog fundraiser at Eco-Village on Friday, April 15th from 6 to 10 pm at 117 Bimini Place; suggested donation is $20, but L.A. Streetsblog editor Damien Newton no one will be turned away.

The Antelope Valley Conservancy sponsors the 16th Annual Antelope Valley Ride on Saturday, May 7th with rides of 20, 30 and 60 miles; check-in begins at 7 am at George Lane Park, 5520 West Avenue L-8 in Quartz Hill.

L.A.’s 17th annual Bike Week takes place May 16th through the 20th, with an emphasis on bike safety education, and events throughout the city. This year’s Blessing of the Bicycles will take place as part of Bike Week from 8 to 9:30 am on May 17th at Downtown’s Good Samaritan Hospital, 616 S. Witmer Street. And Metro is looking for Bike Buddies to guide inexperienced cyclists on Bike to Work Day.

The San Diego Century ride takes place on Saturday, May 21st with rides of 37, 66 or 103 miles, starting in Encinitas, along with free admission to an expo featuring sports, local cuisine and live music.

L.A.’s favorite fundraiser ride rolls on June with the 11th Annual River Ride; advance registration is open now. Volunteers are needed now and on the day of the ride, email RRvolunteer@la-bike.org for more info and to sign up.

And mark your calendar for the 2011 L.A. edition of the Tour de Fat on October 9th; unfortunately, Yom Kippur also falls on that date this year, so cyclists of the Jewish Persuasion will have to choose between atoning and having something else to atone for.

.………

The always excellent Walk Eagle Rock spots a new one-block bike lane on Fair Park Avenue that could mark the beginning of a local bike network. Bike racks finally invade the lost province of Chinatown. After surviving a road raging driver on the streets of Santa Monica, Gary says unless real action is taken to make our streets safe, another Dr. Thompson is inevitable. Writing for HuffPo, CicLAvia board member Aaron Paley invites everyone back for its return on April 10th. Clearly, the Daily News gets it, as they call for a crackdown on people who phone or text while driving. Forty-seven year old Raul Alcala, one of the most exciting cyclists I’ve ever seen compete, will take part in this year’s Redlands Classic — 25 years after he placed second with the legendary 7-11 team. The recent collapse of Highway 1 in Big Sur isn’t expected to affect the upcoming Amgen Tour of California.

New Mexico moves forward with a possible five-foot passing law. It’s tuxes and tweed for the 2nd annual U.S. Brompton championships. Bike share reaches Owensboro Kentucky. Tennessee cyclists enjoy a tour from the grizzlies of the Memphis Zoo to the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA; maybe one day the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Dodgers, Galaxy, et al, might figure out that some of their fans ride bikes, too. A Georgia legislator thinks you have an inalienable right to be a habitual offender.

The UK’s new independent forestry panel fails to include mountain bikers. Scottish police receive lessons in how to ride, even if it is as easy as, well, riding a bike. Riding in the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Road.cc says Northern Ireland’s proposed mandatory helmet law is dead in the water, at least for now. Mark Cavendish will compete in this weekend’s Milan – St. Remo classic on a McLaren.

Finally, biking can apparently boost your bowels. And don’t worry about a little nuclear fallout this weekend; Ann Coulter says it’s good for you.

Good luck to Amanda Lipsey in her first L.A. Marathon.

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