Tag Archive for AirTalk with Larry Mantle

Morning Links: KPCC talks Idaho Stop, Timbuk2 party tomorrow night, and the bike side of International Women’s Day

KPCC’s Larry Mantle discussed California’s proposed Idaho Stop Law on his AirTalk program yesterday, with Calbike’s Dave Snyder and auto apologist Jay Beeber, who never met a car-dominated street he didn’t like.

I tried to listen, but turned it off when Beeber’s accusations of hypocritical bicyclists and false equivalency between bikes and cars went unchallenged; unlike cars, bikes don’t kill people.

And bike advocates aren’t being hypocritical when they try to stop drivers from killing us.

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Timbuk2 invites you to party with them at their Venice store tomorrow night to celebrate their new line designed in collaboration with street artist Apexer.

Here’s how they describe the evening.

 

On March 10, SF creatives Timbuk2 and street artist Apexer, will debut their capsule collection at the Timbuk2 Venice shop. This partnership began at a Timbuk2 party in SF last year, where Apexer held a live graffiti session for neighborhood residents and diehard fans of the city’s street art culture. The response was so positive that Timbuk2 took the artwork to most celebrated styles, creating the Timbuk2 x Apexer Capsule Collection.

Decked out in a striking kaleidoscope, textile pattern and sewn in Timbuk2’s very own Mission District Factory, these are sure to be true standouts during your ride through the city. Highlights of the collection include:

  • Classic Messenger Bag – Deemed as Timbuk2’s inaugural design and refined with over 25 years of expertise, this pack truly stands the test of time. Price: $119
  • Tuck Pack – With a spacious interior, a roll-top closure, and stealth pockets, this pack is meant to keep up with any part of your day, from working to cycling and anything in between. Price: $119
  • Mini Prospect Pack – A small silhouette with immense function, this compact roll-top bag won’t weigh you down. Price: $119

To celebrate this dynamic union of West Coast staples, the shop will host a night unlike any other, featuring Apexer himself. He’ll be debuting his indelible collection and offering a limited-run of signed prints of his artwork! Guests will also have a chance to interact with the store’s new installment of Factory 2, an in-store customizer that offers full reign on style, color, and fabric selection as well as a live-video feed of the Timbuk2 Mission District factory where all custom bags are sewn. Look forward to a perfected playlist of funky tunes, beer from Fort Point Beer Company, the ever-so-popular margarita bike blender, and an undeniable Cali spirit embracing let-loose-vibes! Don’t miss out on getting the exclusive first look at the limited-run of iconic bags and RSVP now.

When:     

Friday, March 10, 2017

6pm-9pm

 

Where:                 

Timbuk2 Venice Shop

1410 Abbot Kinney Blvd

Venice, CA 90291

(424) 268-5550

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There were a few stories in the news about women and bicycling in honor of International Women’s Day yesterday.

VeloNews offers their five favorite women’s cycling stories from the past year.

Ella Cycling Tips says it’s time to be bold for a change in women’s cycling, while examining three things they’ve learned from covering women’s racing.

And The Atlantic discusses how the bicycle paved the way for women’s rights.

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The Guardian says Team Sky’s self-proclaimed professionalism makes it hard to accept the amateurish mistakes they blame for doping allegations. Apparently those mistakes include exploding wheels.

A potentially damning investigation into allegations of sexism and thinly-disguised doping in British cycling may be undermined the riders’ code of silence.

Julian Alaphilippe takes the lead in the Paris-Nice stage race, as he attempts to become the first Frenchman to win the fabled race since Laurent Jalabert 20 years ago. More importantly, he also scored two cases of Beaujolais.

Lance says he admires those riders who sacrificed their racing careers by refusing to dope. Unlike him.

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Local

Streetsblog offers a wrap-up on Tuesday’s election; as we noted yesterday, all the races have been decided other than CD1, where as many as 2,000 provisional and late absentee ballots may remain to be counted. Meanwhile, they found the Tesla-driving Cedillo supporter who stole Joe Bray-Ali’s campaign signs.

The Times notes that it’s hard to beat an incumbent in Los Angeles, while My News LA says it’s the same old, same old as all current office holders other than Gil Cedillo breezed to re-election.

CiclaValley provides his own election wrap-up, while calling on readers to support some other HIV/AIDS organizations that don’t waste money on political campaigns unrelated to their mission. The Advocate didn’t exactly offer a ringing endorsement of AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Michael Weinstein either, saying he flushed millions down the toilet on the failed Measure S, money that could have made a huge difference for people fighting the disease.

Redondo Beach rejects plans to remake the city’s waterfront, which included improved bikeways, while booting the mayor who championed it.

 

State

Bike Portland’s Jonathon Maus writes about his brother Joel as he steps into the role of a Fullerton bike advocate.

A Suisun City man confessed to beating his daughter-in-law to death with a hammer after she pushed over his bicycle during a dispute.

Tragic news from San Francisco, where a man suffered life-threatening injuries in a collision with a bike rider as he crossed the street; citing the ongoing investigation, police have not revealed who was at fault.

San Francisco releases plans to remake nine major streets around the area known as The Hub, including several protected bike lanes.

Los Altos residents could be getting their stolen bikes back after police bust a man stealing an $11,000 bike from a garage, leading to a storage locker filled with other hot bikes.

Peter Flax has been busy; after his takedown of the Velominati’s Rules earlier this week, he follows up with a look at the California city responsible for the nation’s first bike lane fifty years ago.

 

National

Houston’s city council has put off a vote on their ambitious new bike plan over concerns about how to pay for it. Or they could use the traditional Los Angeles model, and just not build anything after passing the plan.

A New York man gets a slap on the wrist for the drunken hit-and-run crash that killed a man on his bike, getting anywhere from one to four years behind bars, and losing his license for a whole 30 days.

This is the way it’s supposed to be done. DC is building out a complete network of protected bike lanes in the city center, one street at a time.

Kindhearted Florida police buy a new bicycle for a boy after his lunch money and bike were stolen by a bully.

Working for bike safety is no protection from dangerous streets and/or drivers, as a long-time Florida advocate learned the hard way.

 

International

A cyclist describes how indoor cycling has helped him recover following surgery to remove a brain tumor, as he looks forward to getting back on his road bike.

Toronto advocates say doorings have increased nearly 60% in the city since 2014, arguing that the city isn’t doing enough to protect bicyclists.

London’s former cycling czar calls on the mayor to get moving on bike plans, saying political timidity will get him nowhere.

Berlin approves plans for 13 new bike superhighways, with two beginning construction this year. Meanwhile, current plans call for exactly 13 fewer bike highways here in Los Angeles, super or otherwise.

 

Finally…

No, seriously, look behind you before you change lanes, for crying out loud. And screw the Rules, and put your sunglasses on any way you damn well want.

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On a personal note, the Corgi got her 15 minutes of fame following a visit to Amoeba Music in Hollywood yesterday, but failed to buy anything.

 

A little more Sadik-Khan and a lot of links

Following up on last night’s standing room only presentation at Occidental College, New York’s Commissioner of Transportation and Oxy graduate Janette Sadik-Khan — the woman who added 200 miles of bike lanes to the city’s crowded streets, and continues to add lanes at a rate of 50 miles per year — will be a featured guest when KPCC’s AirTalk with Larry Mantle looks at StreetSummit, beginning at 10 am today. If you miss it, visit their site later for a recording or podcast.

And in case you missed last night’s speech — or like me, you got there late and had to watch it on a TV screen in the lobby — I’ve been assured that she will reprise her speech at Saturday’s L.A. StreetSummit 2010 at LA Trade Tech College.

She’ll take the stage promptly at 10:30, so get there by 10 am to make sure you can register and make it inside in time. Then stick around for all the other sessions, including a certain session on bikes and politics at 1pm.

Personally, I’ll get there by 9:45 to make sure I don’t miss out again.

Update: Damien Newton offers a great review of last night’s speech.

And that’s the main difference between the “new” NYCDOT and the “current” LADOT.  While NYCDOT is constantly pushing the envelope, and seeing dramatic success in reducing car dependency; the LADOT has resisted all efforts to change business as usual.  NYCDOT is concerned about moving people, LADOT seems more concerned about political gamesmanship and protecting their jobs and the failed status quo on our streets.  This “goofus and gallant” comparison was in-part inspsiring and in-part depressing.  All you have to do is compare Sadik-Khan’s delighted boast that her department completed 2,000 hours of outreach to LADOT General Manager Rita Robinson’s excuse making that her departmentcan’t afford to send representatives to Neighborhood Council meetings or properly staff Bike Advisory Committee meetings.

As Sadik-Khan talked about how easy it is to make some of these changes, some in the room got a little quesy.  It’s easy to paint bus-only lanes?  Sorry, that takes decades of studies and environmental reviews.  NYCDOT has a goal of fifty miles of new bike lanes ever year?  Well, here in L.A. we can bring a Sharrows pilot program on a couple of streets to fruition a mere three years, and counting, after the city starts studying it.  To be fair, yes, there is an effort out of the Mayor’s office to change L.A. into a transit town in the next decade through leveraging Measure R funds in the “30 in 10” program.  But New York had a more extensive subway system than L.A. will have even under “30 in 10.” As recently as five years ago their city was gridlocked with car traffic and pollution with no end in sight anyways.

I highly recommend reading the full story.

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The LACBC is one of just five groups nationwide to receive an REI/Bicycle Friendly Community Grant. A Metro driver hits a cyclist on Sunset and blames the rider for vandalizing the bus — then refuses to exchange information as required by law. A fresh start between cyclists and semi-bike friendly Santa Monica. When a cyclist locks her bike to a fence at an Amtrak station in Davis, an employee cuts the lock and tosses it over a fence where it is promptly stolen (thanks to George Wolfberg for the heads-up). Women are encouraged to complete a brief 10 – 15 minute survey on cycling to help planners understand why women do — or don’t — bike. Saying “I ride a bike, too” doesn’t mean you’re an expert on cycling. Advice for polite and practical cycling. A driver nearly hits a cyclist after running a stop sign, then tells the rider to “get off the f-ing street.” Brooklyn police are cracking down on cyclists who leave bike lanes, even to pass double-parked cars. A truck driver is nearly charged with hit-and-run after stopping to aid an injured cyclist. A Nashville writer concludes that cyclists are scary. New York’s Police Commissioner aids a woman injured in a collision with a cyclist. A leading Brit road safety group encourages cyclists to ride to the left (our right) in the middle of the block, but take the lane at intersections. The new BMW bike offers proof that cycling is the new golf.

Finally, a new British drivers’ group puts the twit in Twitter. With the motto “Drive more. Drive faster,” they insist bikes are for poor people, speeding saves lives and farms should be paved for parking.

Why do we drivers pay for nice smooth shiny black stuff and then let Lycra wrapped numpties pointlessly pedal on it in their stupid circles?

But before you get too upset, bear in mind that the groups is called the Association of British Nutters. Maybe Tony Kornheiser can open a U.S. branch.