This shouldn’t surprise anyone.
A bi-partisan bill that would have partially legalized the Idaho Stop in California, allowing bike riders to treat stop signs as yields, was killed in the state legislature.
Never mind that most bicyclists — and drivers, for that matter — already do that anyway.
And never mind that it has improved safety in Idaho since being adopted 35 years ago, and was approved in Delaware last year.
The idea that bikes aren’t cars just seems to be too much for the state’s motoring organizations to comprehend, including AAA.
Which is why I haven’t been a member for years.
Meanwhile, AB1755, a bill that AAA could undoubtedly support, continues to move forward.
The bill, which comes in response to a well-known Sacramento runner who was injured by a hit-and-run bike rider, would explicitly extend the hit-and-run statutes to apply to Class 1 bike paths.
Which seems like a law in search of a problem.
While the Sacramento DA couldn’t seem to figure out if the existing hit-and-run laws applied to a bike that, there is nothing in the statute to suggest that it doesn’t.
And CVC21200 clearly states that bicyclists have all the rights and responsibilities of motorists. Which would include stopping following a crash.
Thanks to Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious for the AB1755 heads-up.
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Bike the Vote LA has released their endorsements for the upcoming Culver City council elections, as the city transitions from its auto-centric past to a livable streets future.
The group has endorsed Daniel Lee and Alex Fisch to help continue that transition.
Evidently, council candidate Marcus Tiggs doesn’t want the bike vote, since he didn’t bother to respond to their questionnaire.
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LA’s road diet critics must have been comparing notes.
Just a week after “science-based” advice columnist Amy Alkon complained about being bullied by bicycling zealots, dermatologist and self-appointed urban planner Kenneth S. Alpern trotted out the phrase to describe those who happen to disagree with him.
Furthermore, even Portland has barely reached a 7% bicycle commute rate), and it is to be noted that those of us trying to compromise and encourage bicycle commuting that safely and conveniently works with cars and buses are met with NASTY anger in return from bicyclist zealots who DO NOT represent all bicyclists and DO NOT want compromise.
If nasty anger means not going along with their demands to undo the Venice Blvd road diet and Great Streets project, and comprise means turning every inch of pavement back over to motor vehicles, he’s right.
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Today’s common theme is bikeshare. And e-bikeshare. And even e-scootershare.
Santa Monica says not so fast to an e-scooter sharing startup.
Pasadena is hoping Metro Bikeshare will help it cut greenhouse gas emissions by 83%.
The Bay Area’s Ford GoBike docked bikeshare system will be adding 250 ebikes to their system.
Dockless e-bikeshare is coming to San Francisco, soon to be followed by LimeBike dockless ebikes, which should be coming to Los Angeles as well.
Spin is adding dockless ebikes to their bikeshare offerings.
Dockless bikeshare is helping to increase bicycling diversity in DC by drawing riders from the African-American community.
A Charlotte SC writer says dockless bikeshare is littering the city.
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing is entering the bikesharing market through its partial stake in Ofo and the recently bankrupt Bluegogo. Maybe it can merge them and call it Ofogogo.
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Local
Maybe LA’s auto-centric anti-Vision Zero drivers suffer from Dissociative Commuter Disorder.
CiclaValley reviews 2017 in pictures.
Burbank Realtors team with Bike Angels to refurbish and donate 117 bicycles to local kids.
A meeting is being held tonight to discuss options to replace the Santa Monica pier bridge, including one that would turn the existing bridge into a bike and pedestrian bridge.
State
A pair of San Diego letter writers are up in arms that a mother would dare to ride outside a bike lane with her child. Or maybe not. Thanks to Frank Lehnerz for the links.
National
Get on your bike. New research shows bicycling can reverse age-related heart damage.
Trek is working with Ford on a system that will enable driverless cars to recognize people on bicycles, in hopes of developing an industry standard. Some sort of standard is necessary, since so many companies are working on their own systems; otherwise, bike riders will have to wear 20 different sensors just to avoid getting run over.
On a related note, some sort of sensor can’t some soon enough, since a new study shows that we really are invisible to some drivers, even when they look right at us.
Red Bull offers tips on how to buy a used bicycle. A couple they missed, however: Check it against the Bike Index stolen bike listings, and always meet the seller in a public place — preferably the lobby of the local police precinct. And register it as soon as you complete the purchase.
Maybe you can get that bespoke Serrotta you always wanted after all, if you have a spare $7,600 to $15,000 laying around.
An Oregon woman was convicted of hit-and-run after she sideswiped a bicyclist, then demanded $200 for damage to her car.
Kindhearted Tucson sheriff’s deputies buy a new bicycle for an 11-year old girl after the one she got for Christmas was destroyed in a fire.
While LA drivers fight Vision Zero, New York is busy saving lives, with a 28% drop in traffic fatalities since 2013 — and a 45% reduction in pedestrian deaths.
This is why you don’t lock you bike to street signs. A New Orleans man lost his bike in less than two minutes when a thief unbolted the sign and made off with the bicycle.
International
Bike scribe and historian Carlton Reid discovers the best way to get fit from fast foods is to deliver it by bike.
A photographer catches the moment a Brit bike rider and his dog are soaked by a huge wave as they ride on a breakwater, but somehow manage to stay upright.
Invest the equivalent of $1,900 in a Brit bike startup, and you’ll not only get a piece of the company, you could buy a new ebike foldie for just thirteen bucks and change.
That’s one way to test a marriage. An English couple is touring the world by tandem bike, covering over 62,000 miles over the last four-and-a-half months. Note: As Mike Wilkinson observes below, that mileage figure is just this side of impossible, requiring them to travel nearly 460 miles a day. It’s possible that the paper may have added a zero to the 100,000 km figure they cited.
Caught on video: An Aussie bike rider is run down from behind by a driver who claimed to have the sun in his eyes. And the internet blames the victim for being in the road and accuses him of being a drama queen.
A yarn-bombed bike left outside the prime minister’s residence to celebrate marriage equality in Australia is headed for the country’s National Museum.
Competitive Cycling
Members of Britain’s Team Sky were stopped by police in Adelaide, Australia and lectured on how to ride safely.
Finally…
Don’t ride your bike in the winter, or concerned motorists may report you to the police. If you’re going to carry meth on your bike after midnight, put a damn light on it.
And record-setting French cyclist Robert Marchand retired from competitive cycling.
At 106.
And yes, I want to be like him when I grow up.
