Tag Archive for bicycle network

Failed bike bill wins in principle, Trump’s war on DEI bike lanes mirrors state’s attack on Forest Lawn Dr, and WeHo sued over Ackerman death

September 3, 2026 / / No comments

Calbike writes that there is victory in defeat for Encinitas State Senator Catherine Blakespear’s SB 569.

The bill would have prohibited the removal of any bike lane without ensuring that whatever follows provides a safe and accessible environment for bicyclists.

Yet the legislature affirmed the general principle behind the bill by adding a budget amendment limiting the application to the Santa Fe Drive project in Encinitas, which motivated SB 569 in the first place.

The budget bill prevents Encinitas from removing the bike lane on Santa Fe Drive, which was built using state General Fund money, unless the city can ensure that bike riders will be as safe without the bike lane as they are with it.

According to Calbike,

In doing so, the underlying principle behind the bill has now been validated by the Legislature: public investment in safe bikeways should have the same presumption of durability we expect from other roadway investments, especially if we expect people to shift how they travel.

The concept underlying SB 569 is bigger than protecting any particular strip of pavement. At CalBike, we see it as protecting the integrity of public investment. A bikeway is part of a network, so removing one segment can cause damage well beyond that block: a comfortable route to a school can suddenly have a dangerous gap, a connection to transit can become inaccessible to many riders, and a network that took years to assemble is often only as strong as its weakest link. When faced with such gaps, many would-be bike riders find the risk intolerable and opt into more car trips.

Which is a lot of words to say that bicyclists rely on an entire bike network to get where they’re going safely, and removing any one segment can make the entire network less safe, and less practical to use.

So even though the larger bill lost in this session, at least the legislature seems to get that bike networks need to be maintained in their entirety. And that losing one link degrades the whole damn thing.

Then again, the same could be said of not building promised bike lanes, which is what Metro is being sued over on the Vermont corridor.

And what the legislature actively prevented on Forest Lawn Drive.

………

Even People magazine has picked up the story of the Trump Administration’s bizarre war on “DEI” bike lanes, as if bikes were part of a secret commie plot to disadvantage white male drivers in favor of trans nonwhite women on bicycles.

The story includes this gem —

In an email statement to NPR, a DOT spokesperson said it “continuously reviews its policies to ensure each promotes safety, efficiency, and common sense.”

“Since nearly 80% of the population uses cars to get to work and their important medical appointments, we are taking a closer look at federal guidance to ensure American families have the infrastructure they need,” the statement said, per the outlet. “This is a common sense approach despite the Left’s belief that everyone should ride a bike to their shoebox-sized apartment to eat crickets to achieve a phony climate agenda.”

I would like it on the record that I, for one, have never knowingly eaten a single cricket, though I do sometimes sleep with my mouth open, so who knows.

Then again, our own state legislature has joined in that same war on bike lanes, DEI or otherwise, by passing legislation at the financial behest of Forest Lawn and Mt. Sinai cemeteries, that will make it difficult, if not impossible, to improve the bike lanes and traffic safety on Forest Lawn Drive.

So it’s not just the right making bizarre decisions to block bike lanes and keep our streets and highways dangerous.

And yes, this tweet from Elmo — no, not that one — pretty well sums it up.

Twitter post

Or this, for that matter.

Twitter post

………

No surprise here, as the family of fallen bike rider Blake Ackerman has filed a lawsuit against the city of West Hollywood, as well as the alleged hit-and-run driver who killed him.

WeHo Times writes,

According to court records obtained by WEHO TIMES, Robin L. Ackerman filed the lawsuit individually and as successor-in-interest to the estate of her son, Blake Adam Ackerman. The complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, names Douglas Morton Adams, the driver accused of striking Ackerman, along with several unidentified government entities and other defendants.

The lawsuit alleges negligence, a dangerous condition of public property and wrongful death. It seeks damages to be determined at trial and requests a jury trial.

The family could have a good case, considering the city’s dithering over building the long-promised protected bike lanes on Fountain Ave that might have prevented his death.

As the lawsuit alleges, the city knew the roadway was dangerous for bicyclists but failed to make the necessary safety improvements.

West Hollywood is moving forward with the project now, although with the usual glacial speed. But as usual, the decision to move forward comes too late for Ackerman.

………

I recently received a request to add a specialized mountain bike suspension shop in Irvine to our list of bike shops on the Resources page.

However, I’m planning to remove that page, because it’s nearly impossible to keep it current the way bike shops come and go these days. So I responded with a counter offer to allow them to introduce themselves to you.

And yes, I’m open to any other bike shops who want to send me a similar description.

ST Tuned is a mountain bike suspension shop based in Irvine, CA, specializing exclusively in suspension service, tuning, and setup for Fox, RockShox, Öhlins, Cane Creek and DVO. We’re not a general bike shop — suspension is the only thing we do, which means every rebuild, tune, and setup gets the kind of dedicated attention a shop juggling a dozen other services simply can’t offer.

Owner Mike Boon brings over 20 years of experience to every bike that comes through the shop, with a factory-level approach to rebuilds, custom valving, and bushing work. Whether a rider needs a full damper rebuild, a simple sag and setup session, or help troubleshooting a fork or shock that just doesn’t feel right anymore, the goal is always the same: get the suspension performing the way it was actually designed to.

One of the things that sets us apart is our on-trail suspension setup service. Rather than just dialing in numbers in a parking lot, we’ll go out on the actual trail with a rider and fine-tune sag, rebound, and compression based on how the bike feels over real terrain — roots, chunk, drops & jumps, whatever that rider actually rides. It’s a level of setup that’s hard to get anywhere else, and it usually ends with a rider feeling a difference they can’t believe they’d been riding without.

While ST Tuned is based in Irvine, we work with riders throughout Southern California — not just Orange County — and also offer mail-in suspension service for riders further out who want the same level of service without the drive.

Riders can find more information & book a service at sttuned.com or call the shop at (714)213-3083.

………

Sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Murrieta is taking the fight against reckless teen ebike riders a step further, with a new ordinance that penalizes not only the rider, but also the parents of kids who ride recklessly on electric bicycles — even though the problem isn’t actually ebikes, but illegal e-motos and dirt bikes that are inexplicably mistaken for bicycles.

………

Local 

Something to look forward to, as you could be banned from using certain streets during the ’28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a travel network set aside for the exclusive use of Olympic traffic.

As the late, great John Prine said, your flag decal may not get you into heaven anymore, but your Santa Monica library card could get you discounts are local shops, including Bike Attack Electric and Road Runner Sports, among others.

 

State

Something called Fast Food Club lists ten California towns that are “perfect for a long, happy retirement,” many of which are bike friendly. And none of which are Los Angeles. 

Sad news from Kern County, where an ebike rider was killed in Taft on Wednesday when he was right hooked by the driver of a utility truck while riding against traffic on the sidewalk. And yes, sidewalks are bidirectional, and there’s no restriction on which way you can ride, but drivers too often won’t be looking for you as they look the other way for oncoming traffic. 

Police in Redwood City busted a serial bike thief for the second time, after receiving 10 separate reports of bicycle thefts from the Caltrain commuter line, one year after arresting the same man for the same crime.

Sad news from Auburn, where a 41-year old man was killed Monday when he was struck by three separate drivers as he tried to cross a highway on his bicycle.

Still more sad news from Northern California, where a 62-year old man was killed by a driver while riding a bicycle in Hayward on Monday.

 

National

A writer for Cycling West says local bike shops are fighting for their lives amid Trump’s up-and-down tariffs, and competition from direct sales, big box stores and online retailers. Which is why you should ride to your favorite LBS today and buy something. Anything. 

Portland, Oregon is about to experience its own Carmageddon, encouraging motorists to ride their bikes, while at the same time warning bike riders about increased dangers on the streets when the southbound portion of I-5 shuts down for five weeks.

Unlike the Pennsylvania story a little further down, police in Utah got it right, citing a driver for failure to yield after right-hooking a 14-year old kid riding a bike in the same direction as the driver.

New York bike riders now have a new 5.5-mile protected bike lane between Sunset Park and Dumbo. Insert elephant joke here.

Bystanders in Prospect Park, Pennsylvania came to the rescue when a woman riding an ebike was pinned under a VW bug after she was right hooked, lifting the car off her to free her. Although the local TV station bizarrely framed it as demonstrating the dangers of ebikes and not wearing a helmet, rather than drivers not using their damn mirrors before making a turn. 

She gets it. A North Carolina YMCA cycling instructor talks bike safety in the wake of the recent Milligan University massacre, reminding drivers that the speed limit is the maximum speed allowed, not how fast they have to go, and end with this — “Our roads belong to all of us. Every person using them has responsibilities, and every person using them deserves to get home safely.”

 

International

A bicycling club in Ontario, Canada celebrates their last tandnnmnnffffffsk            em ride of the season for visually impaired bicyclists. Okay, that’s where I fell asleep while typing. Well, one of the places. 

As we mentioned the other day — no, not that one, the other one — a British bike shop specializing in ebikes left customers hanging when they abruptly closed after 34 years, including one customer who paid the equivalent of more than $14,000 for two ebikes that were never delivered.

A writer for France Today invites readers to explore the country’s roads and bicycle routes — and asks French drivers to show a little understanding.

 

Competitive Cycling

Twenty-one-year old British “super-sprinter” Matthew Brennan won his third stage of the Vuelta on Wednesday’s stage 11, as race leader Enric Mas retained his 1:18 lead over Primož Roglič.

British cyclist Lewis Askey won the opening stage of the men’s Tour of Britain yesterday, finishing two seconds ahead of Italian Fillipo Ganna in a sprint finish.

Even Geraint the dog, named for British cycling great Geraint Thomas, turned out to line the course for the first stage of the Tour of Britain.

Nineteen-year old Ezra Caudell of the Modern Adventure Pro Cycling team remains hospitalized with what’s described as “multi-system trauma” after crashing hard with Lotto-Intermarché rider Milan Menten at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic; there’s no word yet on Menten’s condition.

 

Finally…

That feeling when the city paints a bike lane on the sidewalk, even though the same city bans bikes on sidewalks. Or when it’s harder to pedal your bike in rent-burdened neighborhoods.

And seriously, if you’re riding a bicycle after dark with coke hidden in your sock, put a damn light on it, already.

The bike, that is, not the sock. Or the coke.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bike lanes work, protected networks work better; self-hating bicyclist & driver; and bike-riding dog star of World Cup

June 22, 2026 / / Comments Off on Bike lanes work, protected networks work better; self-hating bicyclist & driver; and bike-riding dog star of World Cup

They get it.

A Philippine news site starts out sounding like another pro-car hit piece, asking if bike lanes really work.

As one sits in yet another line of traffic, it is hard not to glance at the bicycle lane beside the road and wonder whether it is actually doing its job. With cars barely moving, the occasional cyclist quietly passes by, prompting a familiar question: Do bicycle lanes really work?

It sounds like a reasonable criticism until one asks a different question. Are we judging bicycle lanes as transportation infrastructure, or are we judging unfinished infrastructure that was never allowed to function as intended?

According to the site, bicycles have gone from being seen as a means of recreation to being considered a vital part of the country’s transportation policy, while usage has increased from 24% to 36% of the country’s households.

The numbers suggest something important: there is demand. The challenge is that our infrastructure has not yet caught up.

International research consistently reaches the same conclusion. Bicycle lanes work best when they are protected, continuous and connected. A painted strip squeezed beside fast-moving traffic is very different from a dedicated lane separated from vehicles by physical barriers. Safety is what determines whether an experienced cyclist rides to work and, more importantly, whether a parent allows a child or an older adult to do the same.

Every study I’ve seen says that bike lanes increase ridership, and protected bike lanes encourage more people to ride more often, while improving safety for everyone on the road.

But what’s missing, as they note, is a completed network allowing riders to travel across and between cities safely. So when people complain that a bike lane isn’t being used, it’s usually a sign that the connections to it are inadequate, or nonexistent.

If you want people to use them, build a network.

Not a bike lane.

……….

A Canadian website places tongue firmly in cheek, and writes about an “avid cyclist” capable of “hating bikes when he’s driving and hating cars when he’s biking,” while arguing that he may be one of the most intriguing men alive.

Taylor’s dual nature has even led to him yelling at himself. “I was heading home from a ride when I encountered a car blocking the bike lane. I pounded on the trunk and yelled, ‘Bike lane, dumbass!’ Then I realized it was my own car. But hey, I was only parked there for a couple hours. And how hard is it to just go around me? Geez.”

Taylor’s wife, Lauren Smythe, 36, says she knew there was more to him on their first date. “Halfway through dinner I was like, ‘Wow. This fascinating guy hates everyone,’” Smythe recalled they talked until the restaurant closed, exploring Taylor’s many-layered opinions. “He ranted about cyclists going the wrong way on one-way streets, then went right into a rant about cars not giving bikes a full metre of space. Of course, my ‘no hookups on the first date rule’ went right out the window.”

But it seems there’s one thing everyone can agree on.

“Cyclists are insufferable health nuts; there’s just no talking to them. Meanwhile, drivers are just dumb slobs full of hamburgers.”

Taylor says if there’s any hope for improvement, it will come from seeking common ground. “And if there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that we all hate e-bikes.”

Yup.

………

The breakout star of the World Cup in Mexico City isn’t a striker, or a goalie, or even a coach.

It’s a dog. On a bicycle, no less.

As World Cup fever sweeps Mexico City, one of the tournament’s biggest fan favorites isn’t a player, coach or official mascot. Joining Merlin the duck in the pantheon of heart-stealers is Osito, an 8-year-old rescue poodle mix who’s become an unlikely sensation after arriving at Mexico’s opening match perched on the back of a cargo bicycle, dressed in a Mexico jersey, sunglasses and a cap.

As thousands of fans streamed toward the stadium last week for the tournament opener, many stopped to snap photos, pet the dog and post videos online. Within hours, Osito was appearing on international broadcasts and spreading across social media, transforming the bicycle-riding dog into one of the World Cup’s most charming viral stars.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

Bicyclists in Chattanooga are pushing back against a plan to remove a bike lane and widen the existing traffic lanes to “improve safety,” as the city ignores established research showing wider lanes encourage speeding and increase risk to everyone on the road, while narrower lanes slow traffic and improve safety — as do bike lanes.

………

Local 

The ongoing warehouse fire in Boyle Heights has been declared a State of Emergency in Los Angeles, as well as California. The smoke, which has spread all over the city, is highly toxic and could contain a number of dangerous chemicals, which aren’t blocked by an N-95 mask. So your best bet is if you smell smoke, don’t ride. Wait until the wind is blowing in the opposite direct, or they finally put the damn thing out.

 

State

Tragic news from Carlsbad, where a teenager was stabbed following a dispute over an allegedly stolen ebike.

More bad news from the San Diego area, where a 23-year old man riding an e-cargo bike was critically injured when he allegedly turned left directly into the path of an oncoming pickup driver on Friday.

San Diego is just the latest city considering a crackdown on ebikes, banning their use by anyone under 12 and prohibiting more than one rider on bikes that aren’t designed for two people.

Cycling Weekly sings the praises of the mid-ride outdoor coffee meetup, first popularized by Rob Perks of Ventura’s Ocean Air Cycles, and currently mapped out by Long Beach expat Russ Roca on The Path Less Pedaled website.

A Bakersfield bike rider was killed by an alleged hit-and-run driver, who was arrested for felony DUI shortly afterward.

Cycling West goes riding through the hills of the Sonoma County Wine Country.

 

National

A 61-year old woman believes that riding a bicycle has kept her out of a wheelchair by reversing, or at least delaying, her Parkinson’s disease.

This is why people keep dying on our streets. A 47-year old Albuquerque man faces multiple charges, including driving while intoxicated, for killing a 47-year old man riding a bicycle, just five days after he pled guilty to his fourth DUI offense; witnesses said they heard him rev his engine just before cutting between two bicyclists to hit the victim. Just one more example of authorities keeping a dangerous driver on the road until it was too late.

The 18 participants in this year’s Remember the Removal bike ride returned to their starting point in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, after retracing their ancestors’ original 950-mile journey in the infamous Trail of Tears 188 years ago.

A 23-year old New Jersey man faces charges for fleeing the scene after killing two teenagers walking an ebike on the side of the roadway; he initially stopped after hitting the 17-year old boy and girl, before leaving them to die in the roadway.

You’ve got to be kidding. A 67-year old masters bicyclist and former three-time Olympian and two-time canoe slalom world champ was arrested for vandalizing the reflecting pool in Washington DC; David Hearn says he stopped  in the middle off a 52-mile ride to examine the algae and paint peeling off the bottom of the pool, and merely reached in to touch the peeling paint when he was arrested.

A Florida ambulance company and the local cops went into overdrive to blame a victim who was struck by an ambulance in emergency mode while walking his bike across a street, then struck by another car, saying he ignored the siren and crossed against the light, while wearing dark clothes with no light on his bike, and cops claimed they observed a “dripping alcoholic beverage” in the wreckage of the bicycle afterwards. The only advantage of getting hit by an ambulance driver is you usually don’t have to wait for emergency care.

More tragic news from Florida, where a ten-year old boy was struck by two drivers when he allegedly rode his bike into traffic trying to escape “some incident” at a Circle K with his brother; doctors say if he wakes up from a drug induced coma, he would likely require full-time care and be unable to live independently. A crowdfunding campaign to help with his medical expenses has raised over $28,000 of the $30,000 goal.

 

International

In a moving essay, a Canadian woman says watching the Tour de France got her through the first three weeks after her bike-loving husband suddenly died of cancer at just 36.

It turns out that Irish investigators didn’t have a warrant when they seized a old Trek bicycle worth about $57 that a cop had loaned to an elderly neighbor during the pandemic, after the bike had sat in police storage for some time; the cop received a €270,000 settlement — around $390,000 — after he was suspended for the incident.

Japan’s roadside umbrella stands are facing jeopardy now that the police are enforcing a ban on riding a bicycle with an umbrella attached to the handlebars, which could result in a fine of 3,000 yen, or around $19.

 

Competitive Cycling

Your new national elite women’s road race champ is Kate Courtney, the reigning UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Champ, who held off Lauren Stephens in a sprint to the finish line at the USA Pro Road Championships in Charleston, WV on Sunday.

British cyclist Tom Pidcock, who now calls tiny, landlocked Andorra home, won the final tuneup prior to the Tour de France in his new home country, the second edition of the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica, topping Spain’s Carlos Verona and American Sepp Kuss.

Twenty-five-year old Australian cyclist Sarah Gigante had another operation to adjust the hardware holding her surgically reconstructed femur, ten months after she shattered her leg in a training crash in what had been her breakout season.

British ultra-endurance cyclist Sarah Ruggins shattered the record for riding the length of Europe, riding over 3,700 miles in just 13 days, 20 hours and 27 minutes, and beating the old record by three days and 32 minutes.

 

Finally…

Who knew there was an “Oscar” for the best Italian bike tourism route? How to trick a bike counter.

And that feeling when a new bike park uncovers a long lost 137-year old cemetery.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

No ID on victims or suspect in PCH DUI crash, LA’s most dangerous intersections, and grand jury says San Diego bikeways ain’t cutting it

June 16, 2026 / / Comments Off on No ID on victims or suspect in PCH DUI crash, LA’s most dangerous intersections, and grand jury says San Diego bikeways ain’t cutting it

Still no ID on the two people killed by a suspected drunk driver on PCH in Ventura County on Thursday.

The victims were riding in the bike lane on SoCal’s killer highway, just north of Ventura, when they were run down from behind.

There’s also no word on why investigators concluded the unnamed 24-year old Oxnard man was under the influence. Or why he was arrested on suspicion of murder.

It seems odd that we haven’t learned anymore by now, particularly since he was scheduled for an initial court appearance yesterday.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

But in the meantime, at least Hoodline showed the good taste to reference me.

Photo from Ekaterina Bolovtsova on Pexels.

………

We finally have a little news from the City of Angels, as the LAPD says crashes are up 5% with a nice round 750-crashes so far this year, largely due to distracted drivers.

Although they also blame people on ebikes and e-scooters for blowing through red lights, and illegally using sidewalks. And, of course, they warn pedestrians to stay alert, rather than telling scooter riders to stay the hell off the sidewalk.

KABC-7 reports the the most dangerous intersections this year have been:

  • Figueroa Street and 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles – 11 crashes so far in 2026
  • Highland Avenue and Pat Moore Way, near the Hollywood Bowl – 6 crashes so far in 2026
  • Century Boulevard and Main Street in South L.A. – 5 crashes so far in 2026
  • Sherman Way at the 170 Freeway entrance in the San Fernando Valley – 5 crashes so far in 2026

No word on where the most dangerous sidewalks are.

………

In a hard-hitting report, a San Diego grand jury says the city is not meeting its own ambitious climate goals.

Shocking, I know.

According to Streetsblog,

The new report, Shifting Gears, arrives at a moment when San Diego is trying to reconcile two competing realities. On one hand, the city has adopted ambitious goals. The Climate Action Plan calls for 10% of all daily trips to be made by bicycle by 2035. Vision Zero commits San Diego to eliminating traffic deaths and severe injuries. The Bicycle Master Plan Update is meant to create a safer and more connected network. On the other hand, San Diego remains a city where the automobile remains king. While the report itself is not binding nor enforceable, it validates San Diegans’ concerns and recommends a path forward.

Safety and connectivity remain the two biggest barriers preventing more people from choosing to bike. A recent city survey of more than 2,000 riders found that “traffic safety concerns” and “gaps in the bike network” were the first and second most frequently cited barriers to bicycling.

The report cites a disconnect bike network, where bike lanes suddenly start and stop, leaving bicyclists to confront freeway on and off-ramps on their own.

Something I can attest to from my time there four decades ago. Apparently, some things never change.

They also cite a lack of maintenance, particularly on the city’s protected bike lanes.

It’s worth taking a few minutes to read, at least the Streetsblog summary, if not the full grand jury report. Because San Diego may have its issues.

But they’re lightyears ahead of Los Angeles.

……….

Seriously?

The head of the Luxembourg Police National Road Traffic and Safety Service warns that bicycling injuries continue to climb in the Duchy. So bicyclists should be careful around cars.

Drivers, as you were.

In fact, the only advice he has for drivers is to look before you open the door to avoid dooring bike riders. But it’s still the bike rider’s fault, even when the driver is at fault.

Motorists can prevent this by looking over their shoulder as they open the car door. But Faber believes that cyclists also share the responsibility to avoid this type of accident.

“Of course, if there’s a collision, the driver is actually to blame,” he said. “But to prevent it from happening in the first place, the cyclist must remain alert at all times and allow for the possibility that other road users might make mistakes,” he said. In practical terms, this means reducing speed and increasing their distance from parked cars passing parked cars.

And of course, he tells bicyclists to wear hi-viz and a helmet. Drivers, just look over your shoulder when you open the door to make sure there’s not someone wearing a helmet and dressed like a reflective clown riding too close to your door.

Because you don’t want to hurt someone, even if it’s their fault.

………

French TV talks with American activist Shannon Galpin, who played a key role in exfiltrating the Afghan women’s cycling team following the return of the Taliban.

Which, translated from politese, means she had to get the women, and some men, out herself after UCI stopped helping with the mission, which has been ongoing since 2021.

Thanks to Megan for the heads-up.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps going on.

Residents of England’s Northumberland County make the same complaints about a new protected bike lane you could hear in any American city, from “it makes the road more dangerous,” to the work came “out of the blue” and “the money should have been spent on something more important,” because “it was never that dangerous for bicyclists, anyway.”

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Ohio lawmakers are considering revising the law to close a loophole, and make it possible to charge someone with vehicular homicide if they kill someone while riding an ebike.

A New Jersey woman is recovering from a concussion, cuts and bruises, and a man is facing criminal charges, after she told the man and his girlfriend to slow their ebikes down, and he responded by getting off his bike and punching her in the head. Even though the bikes look like electric motorbikes, it looks like his bike has pedals, so they may actually be ebikes. Or not.

………

Local 

The US House Appropriations Committee approved less than half of the $2 billion in transportation funding LA officials are requesting for the ’28 Olympics, all of which Metro plans to use for buses, with no crumbs left over for active transportation, apparently.

A writer for the Los Angeles Times joined a group of people walking 28 miles from Alhambra to Long Beach, passing through Monterey Park, Commerce, Vernon, Maywood, Bell, Cudahy, South Gate, Lynwood, Compton and Los Angeles along the way.

LADOT wants to know what you think about alternatives to building a gondola to Dodgers Stadium that might actually work.

 

State

This is who we share the road with. Even a coyote joined in as police chased an ebike rider across multiple cities in Orange County, before police busted the rider in Santa Ana. And even though the suspect was clearly riding an e-moto, we still got the blame.

A newspaper in Davis makes the argument that bicyclists roll through stop signs because of road design, rather than lawlessness, questioning whether traffic control signs designed for motorists really make sense for people on bicycles.

 

National

Sixty-six-year old ultracyclist Joe Barr set a provisional world record for riding the full length of Route 66, covering 2,448 miles, along with a whopping 68,897 feet of climbing in 10 days, 12 hours and three minutes.

A local Utah celebrity known as “Bicycle Brent” is back on his stuffed-animal festooned bicycle, despite being struck by the driver of a semi-truck, which dragged him a short distance; remarkably, the 70-year old man with cerebral palsy was conscious and breathing when first responders got to him.

Yeah, maybe it’s time. Bicyclists in Duluth, Minnesota are invited to “Bike for Science” to gather real-world riding data to update the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s bicycle facilities design guide, which is based on data collected in the 1980s. Which, for anyone unclear on the concept, is, like, a really long time ago, okay?

The best friend of a fallen New York bicyclist demands action against illegal vehicles on the street after he was killed by a man on stand-up electric scooter, arguing that “better street design” is not “some kind of mystery.”

Four young men who have overcome problems like substance abuse, legal troubles and emotional struggles are planning to ride 500 miles across Georgia to honor the founder of their youth home, who road 1,200 miles from Vidalia, Georgia to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1961 to help raise awareness and support for the newly established youth home.

 

International

Life is cheap in England, where a tree surgeon got a whole 16 months behind bars for dumping a load of asbestos in the middle of a narrow lane after being turned away from the local landfill; a 66-year old grandfather lost a quarter of his skull when his bicycle hit the debris and punctured a tire. And no, you don’t want to see the pictures.  

London Penny Farthing riders set four Guinness World Records, including for the largest and smallest rideable big wheelers. Although I initially left out the “h” in “Farthing,” which would have made for a much more interesting set of records. 

Londoners are worried that the bikeshare system wasn’t properly disinfected after some of the bikes may have been used in the city’s World Naked Bike Ride. Don’t click on the second link if you don’t want to see male genitalia hanging out. 

The Daily Mail says a Freedom of Information request shows the UK’s first bicycle street is being used by just half the 3,000 daily riders Cambridge city leaders suggested.

Bicyclists in Manilla are calling for the city to build more bikeways as more people are riding due to limited public transportation.

 

Competitive Cycling

A German cycling race was disrupted when an elderly woman on a mobility scooter rode into the peloton, sending riders flying and causing a massive pileup.

Road.cc features a stunning photo of Belgian Liam Slock sliding foot-first across the finish line at Switzerland’s GP Gippingen, after suffering from premature celebration.

 

Finally…

Seriously, don’t flee from the cops when they try to pull your bike over for multiple vehicle code violations — and don’t try to punch them out when they finally stop you. Whacking a cop with a bike pump is not one of the recommended uses for it, even if you are 86-years old.

And that feeling when you pedal “America’s Weirdest Bike” 2,000 miles — to highlight a tax form.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
 
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