Tag Archive for bicycling

Morning Links: Yet another attack on federal bike funding, workshops on providing park access in LA County

November 3, 2015 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Yet another attack on federal bike funding, workshops on providing park access in LA County

People for Bikes wants you to weigh in to stop yet another attack on US bicycle funding by a pair of GOP Congressmen.

In a world that made sense, conservatives would support bicycling as a far more cost-efficient alternative to driving, requiring significantly less public subsidy while reducing reliance on foreign oil.

But let’s face it, American politics stopped making sense a long time ago.

And just out of curiosity, what the hell does Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer’s bicycle lapel pin have to do with a proposal to raise the national gasoline tax?

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A coalition of LA advocacy groups, including the LACBC, are sponsoring a series of Stakeholder Workshops to take action on improving access to parks in LA County, starting tonight in El Monte.

Parks-reduced

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Local

Long Beach celebrates its second Critical Mass five years after the current LA County Sheriff, then the chief of the LBPD, ordered what was probably an illegal crackdown and confiscation of rider’s bikes. Not only were the citations unfounded and the riders denied their freedom of assembly, but there was no apparent legal justification for impounding their bicycles.

This Sunday marks the 10th edition of Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer, one of the most challenging amateur hill climbing races in the US.

The LACBC is hosting the first 15-mile, family friendly Great Valley Bicycle Roundup on Saturday, November 14th.

Climate Action Santa Monica hosts What a Way to Go — Bike, Bus, Expo! on Sunday the 22nd; it’s a free event, but registration is requested due to limited seating.

Streetsblog LA has several other bike events in their This Week in Livable Streets.

 

State

A man on a bike was critically injured when he was hit by a car in Santa Ana Monday night; there seemed to be a lot of victim-blaming going on, as police said the victim was not in a bike lane, while the driver claimed he “came out of nowhere.” Then again, it’s hard to ride in a bike lane when there isn’t one. And “he came out of nowhere” is usually just another way of saying “I wasn’t paying attention,” since cyclists seldom suddenly materialize on the street.

It takes a real jerk to steal a three-wheeled bike from a disabled San Diego man; the bike was his only form of transportation since suffering a brain injury in a DUI crash 30 years ago.

BikeSD’s Sam Ollinger takes a deep dive into what the organization can do to have an impact on income inequality.

A 16-year old East Salinas boy was killed in a shooting while riding his bike Sunday night.

Cupertino drivers are responding to road construction by attempting to drive in the bike lane, often without looking for bikes first.

Bay Area bicyclists are still waiting for a long-promised bike path to Treasure Island on the Bay Bridge, let alone all the way to San Francisco. This is what happens when they build bridges and roadways without considering anyone other than motorists; it’s difficult, if not impossible, to shoehorn in accommodations for people traveling by foot or bike at a later date.

Petaluma police attempt to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety by reigning in those darn people on bike and foot instead of the ones in the big, dangerous machines.

 

National

Fox News recaps some of the latest developments in the bike world, including fat tired bikes and MIPS helmets. Although someone should tell them Phat Bikes is a brand, not a description, and fat tires can hardly be called “tech.”

Bicycling offers good advice on how to check yourself for injuries after a collision or fall.

Business Insider says the coolest thing in road cycling is multimodal recreational riding, which is riding further than you normally would, then taking the train back.

Wyoming considers establishing a task force to study bike safety improvements and new bikeways in response to an increase in fatalities last year.

Like much of the rest of the country, Baton Rouge LA is experiencing a bikelash as bikes make inroads onto formerly auto-centric streets.

A Pennsylvania driver says he’s really sorry he killed a cyclist, and it was just an accident when he crossed onto the wrong side of the road and ran up onto the sidewalk, dragging the victim 88 feet under his SUV. Sure, that could happen to anyone, right?

A 16-year old Philadelphia bike rider was fatally shot after he and his companion had an altercation with a car full of men in a possible road rage incident; the assailants fired 17 times, which a police captain described as “a lot of shots to fire at two kids on a bike.” You think?

The accused drunk driver who killed a Maryland couple riding their tandem bike over the weekend tried to convince police she just happened to stop when she saw two people lying on the side of the road. Probably because she’d just smashed into them.

 

International

The Department of DIY strikes in Toronto, where cyclists turn a buffered bike lane into a pumpkin-protected lane.

Britain’s Cycling Weekly explores what roadies can learn from mountain bikers.

London’s Evening Standard looks at the new women’s bikewear line Victor and Leap. Is it really feminist to make bike clothes to meet the needs of women, or just finally recognizing that women’s needs aren’t the same as men, and they ride bikes too?

Paris plans a major makeover for the famed Champs-Elysées to make it more human-friendly, including better walkways and “proper” bike lanes on either side. And just in time for Public Bikes’ latest edition.

A South African cyclist understandably loses his love for his favorite mountain ride after he’s beaten and robbed of his $3,000 bike.

 

Finally…

Where else would you put a bike chop shop except in a secret room behind a swinging bookshelf hidden in abandoned house? A turnabout is fair play, as Brooklyn cyclists ticket police cars parked in a bike lane.

And caught on video: An inept Washington State thief spends 17 minutes trying, and failing, to steal a bike before being chased off by police.

 

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

Morning Links: A reminder to lock your bike the right way, more kind people, and citing Cedillo as a bike expert

November 2, 2015 / / 8 comments

There are some sights virtually guaranteed to make any bike rider sad.

Like a lonely wheel still safely secured to a rack, when a thief has made off with the bicycle it was attached to.

SAMSUNG

SAMSUNG

Which is a good reminder to always run your U-lock through the frame and back wheel, then around the rack.

If the lock is long enough, you can remove your front wheel and secure it to the back one and frame, or run a cable lock through the wheels, in addition to a U-Lock or heavy duty chain through the frame.

Always make sure the rack, or whatever object you’re locking it to, is securely fastened to the ground and solid enough to withstand bolt cutters or a saw blade. But even though parking meters fit that description, it’s illegal to lock a bike to one in Los Angeles, unless it has one of the newly approved bike rack attachments.

Whenever possible, lock your bike in a well-traveled public place where it can be seen by people passing by; thieves usually prefer secluded spots where they can work undetected.

And don’t forget to register your bike before anything bad happens to increase your chances of getting it back.

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Still more kindhearted people.

After a Seattle special needs woman had her customized $10,000 bike stolen, the man who bought it for just $250 gave it back to her when he saw her story in the paper.

And when the bike a Delaware man used to ride with his daughter and Downs Syndrome son was stolen, a stranger gave him a new one.

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Local

Richard Risemberg says encountering a wild coyote while riding is nothing compared to dealing with the Greater American Road Hog.

Think he’ll get the point? Highland Park residents set up a Día de los Muertos altar outside the office of CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo to remember the three people who have died on the street since he arbitrarily canceled a planned road diet.

 

State

A pair of writers for the Orange County Register say we should forget expensive transit systems and focus our transportation systems on buses and expanding road capacity. Although they lose whatever credibility they might have had when they cite Gil Cedillo’s absurd critique that LA’s “elitist” bike plan would hurt his underprivileged constituents, even though most cyclists are working-class immigrants, especially in districts like his.

 

National

Horrifying story from Colorado Springs CO, as three people are killed in a random shooting; the first victim was a man riding his bike who begged for his life before being shot.

Wichita KS cyclists like the new downtown road diets and bike lanes; not surprisingly, drivers not so much.

After an Illinois woman was injured in a shooting, she drove herself and two other victims to the hospital — and on the way, hit a hit a bike rider who works for the hospital she was driving to.

Sounds like fun. Costumed bike riders take part in the 16th Annual Boston Halloween Bike Ride.

Caught on video: A bike-riding Boston-area doctor is intentionally run down by a road raging driver who had honked and yelled at him to get out of the way.

Tragedy in Maryland, as a couple riding a tandem were run down from behind by an accused drunk driver; their killer is charged with DUI and vehicular homicide.

 

International

Nice thought, as a writer for VeloNews says cycling can be challenging or even painful, but being alive and able to ride a bike is never suffering.

Seriously? After originally facing a charge of attempted murder for intentionally chasing and running down a bike rider, a UK motorist gets a whopping eight months for dangerous driving. That’s like convicting a robber of malicious mischief for shooting a bank guard.

Britain’s largest bike retailer is now offering insurance for cyclists. So why can’t we see something like that here?

Rather than taming dangerous drivers, an Irish police group wants to require bicyclists, walkers, runners and anyone else not safely ensconced in a couple tons of steel and glass to wear hi-viz after dark.

A Welsh driver stopped and got out of his car to make sure he hadn’t killed a cyclist in a collision, then him lying there in the road; fortunately, the victim wasn’t badly injured.

The director of an Israeli road safety group calls traffic deaths the other war that never ends. However, he also calls e-bikes a blight on the land after just one person is killed this year, compared to the seven that die every week from traffic collisions.

An Aussie writer says thanks to a new one-meter passing law, riding to work isn’t as aggravating as expected, while another says stop the hysteria and give sidewalk riders a chance.

Tie me kangaroo down, sport. Yet another Aussie rider was seriously injured in a collision with one.

Inspiring story from Thailand, as an 11-year old boy with no arms is training to join a bike ride in honor of the king next month; he’s riding a customized bike that used to belong to the crown prince.

 

Finally…

The next time you’re bombing downhill, consider that your hydration system could have been part of the military industrial complex. You know you’re a cyclist when you’re buried in full racing kit 60 years after your riding career.

And you have to be a pretty lousy bike thief to be convicted 26 times and banned from owning a bike, being in possession of a bike or advertising a bike or parts for sale.

 

Category: Morning Links, Stolen Bikes and Bike Crime / Tags: , , , ,

Weekend Links: BOLO alert for hit-and-run cyclist, LA unadopts mobility plan, and a Firefly Ball missed connection

October 31, 2015 / / 2 comments

Just stop already.

The LAPD reports that they’re on the lookout for a bike rider who rode away after hitting a 77-year old pedestrian on Glendale Blvd in Echo Park.

The victim was left in the street suffering from a severe head wound; he’s still hospitalized in grave condition two weeks after the collision.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Central Traffic Division detectives at 213/833-3713.

Seriously, bike riders have the same obligation to stick around following a wreck as drivers, both legally and morally.

So do it, already.

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The LA City Council is planning to unadopt the Mobility Plan, less than three months after they passed it.

And supposedly, that’s a good thing.

Confused? You should be.

Apparently the problem stems from three minor changes the council made before adopting the plan, which only served to give greater attention to things that were already in it, according to Steetsblog’s Joe Linton.

However, because they didn’t follow the correct process in amending the plan, they may have given Fix the City, the self-appointed guardians of LA’s auto-centric past, grounds to sue and possibly get the entire plan thrown out in court. Or at least tie it up for years while lawyers fight over every comma and period.

So to head them off, a group of LA’s more progressive councilmembers have put forth a motion to rescind the plan, then re-adopt it sans amendments. Which should remove the basis for the lawsuit suit.

We’ll see.

Meanwhile, you never know what roadblocks anti-bike Councilmember Gil Cedillo and pseudo-environmentalist Paul Koretz will attempt to throw out in order to derail what should be easy passage.

And new Councilmember David Ryu remains a cypher after promising to re-evaluate everything predecessor Tom LaBonge had done, then following in his footsteps by attempting to have certain streets, including the long-promised 4th Street bikeway, removed from the plan.

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Still more big hearts out there.

A group of Veterans Administration employees pitched in to buy a homeless Kansas vet a new bike, after he returned a lost wallet with $400 inside that had been dropped from a female vet’s wheelchair.

And nice move from Specialized, as they replace the bike Dallas a woman was riding when a driver went through a red light and hit her; however, she’s still not able to ride nearly two months later.

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A few quick events this weekend.

Thousand Oaks is holding their first Open Streets event today with Spokes in the Oaks from 10 am to 3 pm. Thanks to Pedego 101 for the heads-up.

The Big Orange Classic Orange County Honor Ride rolls today to benefit Ride 2 Recovery.

The LACBC’s monthly Sunday Funday Ride celebrates Fall-Sedena with a 22-mile guided ride through tree-lined Pasadena.

Planning ahead, there’s a family-friendly group ride with the Biking Bunch scheduled for Culver City on November 15th.

And Finish the Ride makes it’s first appearance in the Valley on December 27th to help you burn off those sugar plums and figgy pudding.

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Local

It looks like that rails-to-trails bikeway that would link the coming Crenshaw Line with the LA River in South LA may actually become a reality, as Metro gets a $15 million grant to begin work on the first phase.

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton takes the LAPD and Clear Channel to task for those horrible pseudo-public safety billboards; he quotes the BAC’s Jeff Jacobberger as saying that using an anti-bike and traffic safety member of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council as a spokesperson for the campaign is like “using Bill Cosby as the face of a campaign against sexual assault.”

CiclaValley highlights the LACBC’s 2nd Annual Firefly Ball, where a good time was had by all. Speaking of the Firefly Ball, someone left a metaphorical glass slipper behind; let’s hope true love finds a way.

 

State

The Orange County Register’s Honk columnist corrects himself, saying it is legal to ride a bike on the sidewalk in some cities.

A San Diego cop was stabbed trying to stop a suspected bike thief; fortunately, he’s expected to make a full recovery. This is why you always want to be careful trying to stop a thief, even a cop can get seriously injured.

San Bernardino County receives $10 million for new bike lanes and walkways.

Milpitas police somehow blame a teenage bike rider for getting hit by a car, even though he was riding in the crosswalk and had pressed for the crossing light.

An Oakland cyclist is in critical condition after being hit by a car on Thursday.

Sad news from Davis, as bike rider was killed in a collision Friday morning; the driver considered swerving around the victim but saw traffic coming, so he aimed for the cyclist instead.

A new bike park is set to open north of Sacramento.

An eight-year old Redding boy wants his stolen bike back; he’s been riding BMX half his life.

 

National

A new study says driverless cars are more likely to get into wrecks, but people behind the wheel are more likely to injure other people than cars that drive themselves.

A reviewer says Elly Blue’s new anthology collection Pedal Zombies is the feminist bicycle science fiction you didn’t know you needed.

Planetizen asks why people hate cyclists; then again, it’s nothing new.

Bicycling offers advice on how to ride with diabetes, and tells how bicycling helped four women beat breast cancer.

This year’s Tour de Fat, which once again bypassed the City of Angels, has raised over $4 million for local non-profits over its 16-year history.

A Minneapolis website complains about pathletes, those athletic cyclists who rudely blow past other riders on a bike path. That may be my new favorite term.

A Michigan official wants tickets torn up for church goers who parked in a new bike lane, and he wants the lane itself removed. Although based on the photo, it looks like a pretty crappy half-gutter bike lane anyway.

A Cleveland editorial board discusses how bikes and cars can safely share the road, while a Pittsburgh letter writer says the solution isn’t to make our streets safer, but to get all those darn bikes off them.

Tampa FL is the latest city to sign on to Vision Zero, at least for bicyclists and pedestrians. The city is also attempting to ensure its planned bikeshare system isn’t just for the rich.

 

International

The most memorable doping excuses in bicycling history.

Your carbon frame may be obsolete in a few years; get ready for graphene.

Ottawa considers a proposal to remove ghost bikes after just 90 days. A local columnist says tone-deaf city officials don’t get that a ghost bike is an accusing finger pointing at them, while another says three months is too short a time. The brother of a fallen cyclist would like to see a permanent bronze memorial installed to remember those who have lost their lives on bikes.

Plans are in place to remove a traffic lane and double the width of a popular London bikeway to more accurately reflect who is using the road, and how.

Caught on video: A Brit cyclist is punched, not once, not twice, but thrice after attempting to speak with a driver who’d just narrowly missed him.

A British writer says riding abreast is often the safest option.

Volvo’s reflective Life Paint doesn’t exactly get a ringing endorsement.

 

Finally…

Evidently, calling a bike thief a criminal shows a lack of empathy and understanding. Do traffic cameras actually have to work to stop scofflaw drivers?

And why choose between riding your bike and making some pretty cool art when you can do both?

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: LA asks drivers to stay after they hit someone; suspect identified in North Fig hit-and-run

October 29, 2015 / / 2 comments

Sometimes I don’t even know what to say.

I mean, their hearts are in the right place. And it’s nice to see an outdoor advertising company give back to the city, after decades of ignoring every law on the books regarding their business.

Although the largesse of Clear Channel Outdoor in donating billboard space to the city couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the new billboard regulations currently under consideration.

Regardless of their motivation, the city teamed with CCO on Wednesday to unveil a new outdoor ad campaign designed to tackle the epidemic of hit-and-run in the LA area, apparently developed without the input of the many people who have been working to solve this problem.

Or anyone with any experience in advertising, for that matter.

The billboards, which will be posted in English, Spanish and Korean, politely ask drivers to obey the rules of the road and stick around after a collision because it might save a life.

Copied from KPCC website

Copied from KPCC website

Sure, that’s really going to motivate someone who just ran down a pedestrian after downing a few too many.

No moral authority. No threat of consequences. And not a hint at LA’s hit-and-run reward system, which pays up to $50,000 for information leading to the conviction of runaway drivers.

Let alone the state’s new Yellow Alert system, which could mean countless more eyes on the street looking for suspect vehicles.

No offense, but I’ve seen harder-hitting ads asking toddlers to switch diaper brands. And don’t get me started on the art direction, which looks like it was done on a PC in someone’s basement.

Hit-and-run is a serious problem, with serious consequences for the victims.

And we seriously deserve something better than this.

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AR-151029487Police have finally identified a suspect (scroll down) in the hit-and-run death of Irma “Yolanda” Espinoza-Lugo as she crossed North Figueroa on September 18th.

They’ve asked the public to be on the lookout for William Armando Portales, described as a 49-year old Hispanic male, 5’ 6” tall and weighing 165 pounds.

And yes, there’s a $50,000 reward for anyone who helps bring him to justice.

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I haven’t gotten involved in the My LA 2050 Challenge Grant Challenge on here, simply because there are so many projects that deserve your support.

It seems like a waste to make them battle it out for public votes, when the goal should be to find funding for as many as possible.

However, one of the more interesting proposals is one to build a bike and pedestrian bridge over Ballona Creek at McConnell Ave, which would help make the bike path a more viable commuter link connecting Culver City with Playa Vista.

Voting ends Tuesday, November 3rd.

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Local

Not many artists get a chance to work in asphalt. LADOT is looking for an artist to provide creative thinking to help reduce traffic deaths; the position will pay $20,000 over two years. Which is about $20,000 more than most LA artists make.

The LA City Council approved a pilot program allowing people to lock their bikes to parking meters in Westwood Village and on some major streets. Assuming the world doesn’t end, it will hopefully spread throughout the city.

There’s only one thing worse than being stopped by the CHP for riding your bike on the 101 Freeway — having them call your mom to pick you up.

Caltrans will be teaming with SCAG and UCLA to host the 2015 California Transportation Planning Conference at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in DTLA this December; advance registration is a mere $400 unless you can manage to form a non-profit or get adopted by a tribal government before then.

Santa Monica’s Breeze bikeshare program — without the quotation marks, please — is set to officially open in two weeks.

Whittier has received funding to purchase land along a railroad corridor to extend the city’s Greenway Trail.

 

State

Newport Beach’s Avocado Avenue gets a road diet, with one lane in each direction and bike lanes with a buffer protecting riders from the door zone.

Eighteen San Diego County law enforcement agencies get nearly $5 million from the state to improve bike and pedestrian safety.

CiclaValley discovers riding in San Diego isn’t the Mayberry-like experience he envisioned.

Palo Alto continues to expand their network of bike boulevards. LA has a bike boulevard, sort of.

The Marin County cycling community remembers bike advocate and Safe Routes to Schools founder Deb Hubsmith, who died of leukemia this past August.

 

National

The majority of bicyclists in the US aren’t spandex-clad roadies, children or urban hipsters, according to a new report.

Already recognized as a gold level bicycle-friendly city, Scottsdale AZ looks to get even better, building on a long history with bikes.

A Denver magazine offers etiquette tips for riding the city’s streets, most of which have nothing to do with etiquette.

The University of Toledo offers students a free bikeshare program.

Formerly auto-centric Indianapolis reclaims its soul by transforming into a bikeable, walkable city. Just five years ago, they had one mile of bike lanes; today they have 90 miles of designated bikeways, including an 18-mile rails-to-trails conversion.

A New York physician reports on a study that shows the severity of bicycling injuries appears to go up after bike lanes are installed, contradicting previous studies; however, he stresses that bike lanes are still beneficial.

Seriously? The Philadelphia Enquirer enquires as to why low-income people use the city’s bikeshare program less than wealthier people. Maybe because they can’t afford it and don’t have credit cards?

A Baltimore bike shop joins REI’s #OptOutside movement in deciding to close on Black Friday. Let me know if any LA bike shops join in; I’ll be happy to promote your shop that weekend.

An Alabama writer asks why white people like Birmingham’s new e-bike bikeshare system so much, in a city that is 73% black.

 

International

British Columbia’s state insurance agency insists on blaming the victim in a bicycling fatality, even though the driver has been charged with driving under the influence, negligence and hit-and-run. The company first claimed the cyclist was drunk or high, then settled on claims that his brakes were bad, that he failed to ride far enough right, and didn’t warn the driver before the driver hit him.

A British bike safety group calls for allowing bike riders to make the equivalent of a right turn on a red light.

Not too shabby. An American cyclist becomes an Internet star in the UK mostly by saying “not too shabby” a lot.

Nice obituary for 86-year old Scottish cyclist Ian Steel, who won the 1951 Tour of Britain, as well as becoming the unwelcome winner of the Eastern Bloc’s equivalent to the Tour de France in the middle of the Cold War.

VeloNews talks with Dutch pro Tom Dumoulin after his near miss at winning the Vuelta.

It’s a painfully small world, as the wife of a New Zealand cyclist happens upon the scene just after her husband is hit by a car driven by a man who knows him.

 

Finally…

When you’re riding with cocaine and marijuana on your bike, don’t go through the damn red light. If you’re going to steal a bike, don’t do it in front of a former college linebacker turned sheriff’s deputy.

And a new GPS-enabled bike compass promises to make bicycling fun again. Riding a bike is, was, and always will be fun, with or without electronic gadgets.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Caltrans takes another step forward; CHP wants to improve bike safety, while cycling deaths up

October 28, 2015 / / 4 comments

Let’s start with bike news from a couple of state agencies.

Caltrans moves beyond its auto-centric past by launching a website for the upcoming California Bike and Pedestrian Plan, which promises to guide the department’s efforts for active transportation. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn out like that scorpion trying to hitch a ride across a river.

The CHP has received a federal grant to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety; the department plans to use it for education programs for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. They could start by improving bicycle education for their own officers, who frequently misinterpret bike law.

The CHP also reports bicycling fatalities are up 10.6% in the state this year. My records show a 12% decrease in Southern California compared to this time last year, but news from other parts of the state hasn’t been as good — if you can call 65 SoCal deaths good news. Thanks to Melissa Pamer for the heads-up.

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As Streetsblog notes, this Spanish spot promoting bike commuting doesn’t need subtitles to get its message across.

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Today’s news includes a couple of painful reminders to always ride carefully around pedestrians.

  • The University of Delaware student paper offers more details on the pedestrian critically injured in a collision with a bike rider on campus.
  • A 62-year old London woman has to have a hip replacement after she’s knocked down by a hit-and-run salmon cyclist.

As most bicyclists can attest, it’s not always the rider’s fault when a collision with a pedestrian occurs; people can be unpredictable and can step into the path of a bike without looking.

But it’s up to you to anticipate that behavior, and ride slowly, safely and defensively around other people, giving them the same space you’d expect from a driver.

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Local

KPCC reports that Union Station has received a state grant to remake its front entrance to be more bike and pedestrian friendly, including a new plaza and Bike Hub.

Three LA intersections make a list of the most dangerous intersections in the US: Eagle Rock Blvd and W Avenue 41, Olympic Blvd and S Bonnie Brae St, and W Temple St and N Beaudry Ave. Your best bet is to avoid them if possible; if not, use extra caution when riding through.

Advocacy group Multicultural Communities for Mobility is hiring a part-time Program and Policy Coordinator.

Members of Santa Monica Forward call on residents of the city to commit to Vision Zero.

 

State

A petition calls for a flashing crossing walk across a deadly street in Newport Beach.

San Diego becomes the latest city to adopt a Vision Zero; like LA, they’ll attempt to eliminate traffic deaths by focusing on the most dangerous traffic corridors first.

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton examines San Diego’s new $200 million bike plan; meanwhile, CiclaValley makes some snap judgments about biking in the city.

New Orleans police have finally identified a suspect in the road rage beating of a La Jolla bicyclist who was visiting the city; friends say the department showed no interest in the case that left the man paralyzed from the shoulders down until they were pressured by California media.

A 12-year old Victorville boy was airlifted with a head injury after he hit a parked car when he was apparently buzzed by a truck. Naturally, the victim was blamed for coming too close to the truck, even though it’s the driver’s responsibility to pass safely.

The Davis newspaper looks at road and track cyclist Jane Eickhoff-Becker and 1930’s six-day race specialist Al Crossley prior to their introductions to the US Bicycling Hall of Fame.

 

National

Streetsblog calls the proposed federal transportation bill a step backwards, even if it does contain a nod to complete streets.

Nice piece about a Seattle handcyclist using his ‘bent to overcome disabilities following a serious riding wreck and major health issues.

Powerful protest from Boulder CO as cyclists object to the removal of bike lanes by placing bikes on the street splattered with red paint to resemble blood; naturally, they were deemed abandoned by officials and given to the police.

The fight is usually over removing parking to make way for bike lanes, but officials in Austin TX are considering plans to remove a bike lane to make room for parking.

Minnesota authorities plan to respond to the death of a cyclist by installing rumble strips along a highway shoulder, even though many riders say they increase the danger without providing a significant benefit; as one man put it, once a vehicle hits the rumble strip at 65 mph, it’s probably too late.

Formerly auto-centric Detroit now has the fastest-growing rate of bicycle commuting in the US. Needless to say, Los Angeles didn’t even make the top 10.

A popular 60-year old Akron, Ohio man was shot while riding his bike 22 years after his son was shot in the same area.

Heartbreaking story from Ohio as a competitive cyclist suffers a life-altering injury when a driver slammed into him while trying to beat a red light; she was fined just $130 for the wreck that put him in a wheelchair.

New York’s unofficial Department of Transformation is crowdfunding efforts to create their own better bikeways.

A Pennsylvania man faces a vehicular homicide charge for killing a cyclist when he fell asleep at the wheel; he said there was nothing he could do after waking up to loud noises and noticing a bicyclist in front of his car. Nice to see authorities taking this seriously and not treating it as just an accident.

Heather Cook, the former Baltimore Episcopal bishop who killed a cyclist in a drunken, distracted hit-and-run, will spend the next seven years in prison after being sentence to 20 years, with 13 suspended. Thanks to F3nugr33k for the link.

The University of Delaware is the latest college to introduce their own bikeshare program.

A New Orleans bike advocate says everyone deserves to be safe on the city’s streets.

 

International

Snowy Calgary plans to make clearing the city’s new cycle tracks a priority this winter.

The four leading candidates to replace Boris Johnson as London mayor have all said they would consider changing the law to allow cyclists to go through red lights.

The widow of a British cyclist told the driver who killed him that he should be ashamed of himself for driving a truck a day after his doctor told him not to drive due to sleep apnea.

A cyclist is fined the equivalent of $300 for doing 38 mph in a 20 mph zone in a London park, even though a park official says the speed limit doesn’t apply to bikes. But still, 38 mph in a park? Seriously

An Irish cycling website says a bike-riding, but cyclist hating, commentator should have proof before blaming the victims.

PRI talks to director Haifaa Al Mansour, who has turned her movie about a young girl who upends Saudi society by riding a bike into a novel for young girls.

 

 

Finally…

After a co-founder of Mozilla Firefox catches a confrontation between two cyclists on video, he writes a song about it, and sings it badly. Evidently, it’s not possible to ride bikes with a large group of other people without calling it a race, even if you’re a wounded vet.

And now you don’t have to choose between sleek furniture and a place to store your bike; a new line of Chilean furniture is made to hold it for you. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the heads-up.

bike-furniture

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Law Enforcement, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Stephany convicted of 2nd degree murder, KCRW can’t find bike riders to discuss Mobility Plan

October 27, 2015 / / 2 comments

No surprise here.

An Orange County jury has found Neil Storm Stephany guilty of second degree murder in the heroin and Ativan-fueled hit-and-run death of cyclist Shaun Eagleson as he rode on the East Coast Highway just over a year ago.

And despite his attorney’s bizarre argument that Stephany can’t be held responsible because he was so high he had no idea what he was doing behind the wheel.

Stephany had been warned following a previous DUI conviction that he could face a murder charge if he killed someone while driving under the influence. Instead he shot up, got behind wheel and did exactly that; he was reportedly found incoherent with fresh needle marks at the time of his arrest.

He faces 15 years to life in prison when he’s sentenced on January 15th.

Despite one juror’s hope that this is a wake-up call for Stephany, it’s a little too late for that.

And for the man he killed.

Neil-Stephany-conviction-reduced

Thanks to Edward M. Rubinstein and our anonymous OC source for the heads-up.

………

Hats off to REI.

While other retailers are forcing their employees leave their families and work on Thanksgiving Day, the Seattle-based co-op will not only be closed on Thanksgiving, but will be shutting their doors on the following day, aka Black Friday. And telling their employees to go outdoors and enjoy themselves.

With pay.

………

A reader forwards this moving piece from a former bike racer suffering from an incurable, untreatable and progressively degenerative kidney disease, and her first tentative step back into cyclocross racing just for fun.

Definitely worth taking a few moments from your day to read.

………

Local

KCRW’s Which Way LA looks at the reactions to LA’s Mobility Plan 2035 in South LA and around Rowena Ave in Silver Lake, but can’t seem to find any bike riders to discuss it with.

A trio of USC students are working on a Bluetooth-enabled bike lock that will be permanently mounted on your bike, and lock by clamping around the rear wheel.

The LA Explorers Club is hosting an LA Noir Bicycle Tour this Sunday, taking riders back to the classic Los Angeles of the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s.

 

State

A group of Santa Ana kids are recognized for their work in bike advocacy at the California Bicycle Summit, while the city is set to receive $11.5 million in bikeway funding.

Bike Newport Beach discusses the need to teach young bike racers how to ride safely on the streets.

A La Jolla mountain bike rider was the victim of a brutal assault while visiting New Orleans, leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down. And neither the police or the Big Easy press seem to give a damn. When I lived down that way, it too often seemed that rather than the City That Care Forgot, it was the city that forgot to care.

San Diego will begin work on the next link in the Bayshore Bikeway around the first of the year, the first of $200 million in new bike projects in the region over the next decade.

Coronado police warn that the annual grace period for student bike violations is ending. Note to CPD: Riding a bike in a crosswalk is legal under California law.

A Redlands bike rider was injured in a shooting as he rode past two men walking in the street.

Sad news from Sacramento, as a man dies eight days after he was hit by a car while riding his bike.

Apparently, bike friendly Davis has a bike parking problem.

 

National

Despite the recent bike boom, visits to bike shops declined 17% from 2012 to 2014.

Uber’s new Uber Rush delivery service is using a fleet of bike messengers to make deliveries in New York City, San Francisco and Chicago in an hour or less.

An engineering professor proposes a bikeshare system for the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Maybe he didn’t want to miss his favorite show. An Iowa rider loses three teeth when he was mugged by a group of men who wanted the TV he was carrying on his bike.

A St. Louis writer says bicycling can be bliss in the city originally built for horses and trolleys.

Science takes a backseat to football at the University of North Carolina, where bikes are banned from parking in front of the Genome Science building on game days.

Key West cyclists team up for the annual four-mile Zombie Bike Ride.

 

International

Go ahead and have that drink. A new study shows that while a third of injured cyclists have been drinking, drunk riders are less likely to get in wrecks and are no more likely to be injured than sober riders.

A Montreal bike messenger poetically says the key to survival is to float like a ghost into the spaces no one else is occupying.

The former head of Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service says the country’s legal system has failed cyclists, and calls for a change in the way bike cases are handled. Meanwhile, the head of roads policing for the British National Police Chiefs’ Council says it’s too risky to commute by bike in London.

The Scottish town of Dumfries puts it’s bikeshare system on hold following complaints that it’s too difficult to use. The story quotes my favorite Scot bike blogger as she helps raise the rabble.

Just as women’s cycling is starting to take off again, Switzerland is dropping their women’s team due to financial losses.

A leftwing German political party wants to encourage biking and walking by eliminating fines for red light violations in the law-abiding country.

The BBC looks at the legal loophole that allows Syrian refugees to cross the Russian border into Finland only if they are on a bike, and the absurd trade in flimsy children’s bikes it has spawned. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.

A Rwandan cyclist was killed in a mid-race collision after he dropped off the back of the peloton.

Seriously? South Australian officials warn that allowing bikes on sidewalks will result in huge costs to local government, as well as lawsuits against cyclists. And Aussie Liberals seem misnamed as they threaten to roll back the state’s 1-meter passing law.

Philippine cyclists flaunt the country’s Carmegeddon to advocate for a piece of the road. Thanks again to Megan Lynch.

 

Finally…

If you’re carrying 64 tabs of Lorazepam, aka Ativan, on your bike, put a damn light on it and stay off the sidewalk. Talk about casting a big shadow; a little ingenuity and elbow grease, and you, too can frighten the neighbors into thinking a rogue elephant is on the loose.

And this is what happens when you don’t have any women — or men capable of thinking with the larger head — in your marketing department.

Colnago-tweet

Category: Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Ask for your $1,100 road rebate, and SGV Bicycle Education Center officially opens

October 26, 2015 / / One comment

The next time someone says bicyclists need to pay their share of the road, ask them to give you $1,100 instead.

That’s the amount a new report says every household pays to subsidize car ownership, whether or not they drive.

Which means, instead of not paying our share, bike riders are dramatically overpaying. Especially those who don’t own cars.

………

Bike advocacy group Bike SGV officially opened the new San Gabriel Valley Bicycle Education Center on Sunday.

Plans are for the center to offer classes for bike riders of all levels, along with bicycle repair courses.

They also intend to go beyond education by offering bike repairs and rentals of donated bicycles. Along with serving as a central point for bike advocacy in the San Gabriel Valley.

The SGVBEC is open Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm inside El Monte’s Jeff Seymour Family Center, 10900 Mulhall St.

………

A paddle out was held Sunday for Logan Lipton, the 12-year old Oceanside surfer killed in a collision while riding his bike to school on Thursday.

………

In a heartbreaking piece, the tragic and needless death of a local rider makes a Pittsburgh woman examine her own mortality, and the real-world costs of our dangerous streets.

Thanks to Matt Ruscigno for the heads-up.

………

Local

A Vancouver website looks at six ways LA is looking beyond the automobile.

A Long Beach cyclist is finishing a seven-month, 3,000-mile trip to the other Long Beach in New York to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research.

 

State

The Victorville city council agrees to cover a $274,000 shortfall to construct a key connector in a proposed regional bike path network.

Oxnard police will conduct a bike and pedestrian safety operation Monday afternoon. Someone should tell them that bicyclists aren’t required to wear helmets unless they’re under 18, though.

Police decide a Milpitas high school student was somehow at fault for a minor collision, even though he was in a crosswalk and the driver admitted he didn’t see him.

The US Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis is preparing to induct its newest class of honorees next month.

A San Francisco writer insists on pitting Millennials against Baby Boomers, saying the city does not consider the needs of older people, and that it’s hard to ride a bike safely when you get older. Even though countless older people do exactly that every day, and if they can’t manage to pedal uphill, an e-bike provides an effective alternative.

 

National

A Portland bike rider finds a hit-and-run driver who injured another cyclist. This is why police need to release information even on hit-and-runs that don’t qualify for a Yellow Alert; we have a lot more eyes on the street than they do.

Casper WY responded to the death of a bicyclist by creating a new bike master plan calling for over 100 miles of street improvements; the city’s first road diet, with bike lanes on either side, opens this week.

More bighearted people, as community members pitch in to replace a bike stolen from an Ohio special needs girl.

A writer for the Nashville paper takes a six-day, 150-mile bike tour through the Great Allegany Passage.

Negotiations have hung up on acquiring a railroad right-of-way that will be part of a Maine to Massachusetts bikeway, eventually lead to a coastal pathway stretching from Maine to the Florida Keys.

A man was critically injured in a collision with a bike rider on the University of Delaware campus. Ride carefully around pedestrians; they’re the only one more vulnerable on the streets than we are, and less predictable.

 

International

Bikes are making a comeback on the crowded streets of Central America. So is bike-friendly former Bogota Mayor Enrique Penalosa, who was re-elected to the post after 14 years in the politcal wilderness.

The CBC investigates whether cyclists should be required to have licenses. Must have touched a nerve; at last count, there were over 450 comments in less than 24 hours. Although being Canadian, many were excruciatingly polite.

Once again, cyclists are heroes, as an Ottawa man jumps into a river to save the life of an 83-year old man who had fallen in.

Caught on video: A British bike rider captures a helmet-cam view as he’s hit by a right-turning car. Although rather than slowing down as he approaches the intersection, he forces a couple of jaywalking pedestrians to run out of his way. And he probably wouldn’t have been hit by the car if he had waited for them to cross.

A 71-year old English woman has died after going over her handlebars in a collision with another cyclist while riding on a bike path. Another tragic reminder that bike paths can be dangerous places, even if there aren’t any cars.

Dutch racer Theo Bos expresses his gratitude to the United Arab Emirates woman who not only paid for his medication after a fall, but drove him back to his hotel, and stopped at a restaurant to buy him food on the way; she said any Emirati woman would do the same.

A new video from Australia’s Tasmania state puts the1.5 meter passing distance — the equivalent of a five-foot passing law — into perspective.

A new one meter, or three foot, passing law goes into effect in South Australia, so police naturally warn cyclists instead of drivers. Meanwhile, an Aussie rider tests it out and gives drivers a passing grade.

A Kiwi writer says do like the Dutch and get on your bike, even if it could be safer.

A 28-year old man is riding across India to spread a message of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation.

An elderly Chinese man publicly beats and humiliates a bike-riding boy who accidentally ran into him on his way to school.

 

Finally…

Palm Spring seems shocked to see local homeowner Leonardo DiCaprio riding a bike around the city. Probably not the best idea to post a photo of yourself flipping off the cops while standing over a stolen police bike on your Facebook page.

And why bother riding your bike when you can use it to clean up before bed?

 

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

Weekend Links: Scary head-on GMR driver, bikes for the zombie apocalypse, and a beer keg messenger bag

October 24, 2015 / / 7 comments

Halloween is just a week away. So let’s start with something scary.

Like an SUV driver coming around a blind curve on the wrong side of the road on Glendora Mountain Road after an ill-advised pass, courtesy of Ron.

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Washington Bikes spells out what I’ve been saying for years, with 13 reasons why you’re going to need a bike when the zombie apocalypse starts.

You can practice for the days of flesh-eating doom with Walk Bike Glendale’s 4th Annual Zombie Walk tonight.

………

Forget a messenger bag. What you really need is this Timbuk2 keg-carrying backpack.

………

Local

DTLA’s new and still unnamed bikeshare system needs a General Manager. Why shouldn’t it be you?

Frogtown’s Spoke Bicycle Café wants your help to expand into a full-fledged restaurant, microbrewery and coffee roaster along the LA River bike path; they’re trying to raise $25,000 via Indiegogo

Talk about not getting it. A Santa Monica coffee shop owner strikes gold by having a Breeze bikeshare station placed directly in front of her business, and freaks out over the loss of one or two parking spaces. If people aren’t using the bike racks next to her business, despite the city’s boom in bicycling, that should tell her something. But probably won’t. Thanks to David Huntsman for the heads-up.

Santa Monica moves towards its own Vision Zero plan.

The Ride 2 Recovery will be wheeling into SaMo today if you want to help welcome the wounded vets at the end of their week-long ride down the coast.

Say goodbye to the iconic Sixth Street Viaduct today from 2 to 10 pm, with free bike valet courtesy of the LACBC.

Don’t forget the Grand Opening of the San Gabriel Valley Bicycle Education Center, complete with costume bike train, on Sunday.

 

State

There may still be time to get to Santa Barbara for its third annual Open Streets event today, offering two miles of beachfront boulevard free from cars.

An Oakland bike rider gets a $2.5 million settlement after she was hit by a left-turning bus just after escaping from another one.

 

National

Can a little green paint improve the lowly and much maligned sharrow? Probably not.

A website on governing looks at the Complete Streets movement spreading across the country.

A Spokane city councilman claims it costs $63,500 to paint one mile of bike lanes; he’s right, as long as you include all engineering costs and expenses to repaint the entire roadway after repaving. In other words, it’s impossible to break out the relatively minor cost of bike lanes from roadwork that would have been done anyway.

A member of the Denver Broncos is raffling an autographed, custom Broncos Trek to help make Colorado children better readers.

Nice. A 98-year old Wisconsin man gets one last bike ride on a three-wheeled rickshaw.

This is the cost of traffic violence. A Boston researcher killed while riding her bike this past August was part of a team that just announced a major breakthrough in using stem cells to grow a new thyroid.

Boston bike advocates are ambivalent about the possibility of an Idaho stop law.

Streetfilms looks at DC’s protected bike lanes, while African American churches in DC are joining in a fight to preserve 75 street parking spaces used primarily on Sunday. Instead of bike lanes that would be used every day, and could help fight obesity in the community.

A League Cycling Instructor in Virginia — not a Licensed Cycling Instructor, thank you — says forget better lights, electronic turns signals and bike lanes, just learn how to ride more safely.

A New Orleans man is under arrest for intentionally running down a bike rider he suspected of trying to break into his car.

 

International

Let’s face it. Pro cyclists are just flat out better riders than the rest of us.

A group of international scientists will run and bike to Paris from both poles to demand action on climate change; although people coming from the South Pole have a hell of a lot further to go.

Even drivers are more comfortable on streets with protected bike lanes, as a Toronto survey shows.

Caught on video: This one is tough to watch, as a UK cyclist shares a first-person helmet cam view of his epileptic fit while riding a mountain bike.

Despite the headline, a British lawyer’s comments about Chinese President Xi Jinping had absolutely nothing to do with his two-wheeled mode of transportation.

A 19-year old Brit career criminal stole a car, blocked the path of a bike rider, then get out and attacked him before intentionally ramming two taxis as he made his getaway; he got three years for his efforts.

Perth, Australia is about to get its first bike boulevards. Although for some reason, the rendering still shows cars tailgating the bikes.

Life is cheap in Singapore, as a speeding taxi driver gets a whopping two weeks behind bars for killing a slow-speed salmon cyclist; at least he’s banned from driving for the next three years.

 

Finally…

Maybe the answer is bike therapy, or it could be better riding through hypnosis. You don’t have to understand Spanish — or maybe Portuguese, despite what the story says — to enjoy seeing bike thieves get punked; thanks  to Brian Dotson for today’s language lesson.

And now you too can buy your very own ice bike from Hammacher Schlemmer for just $2,500, plus shipping and handling.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Amgen ToC route announced, Stephany trial goes to jury, and the state of cycling in Santa Ana

October 23, 2015 / / One comment

Looks like they’re going backwards.

Reversing their usual north to south route, next year’s Amgen Tour of California will start in San Diego and end in Sacramento; the race will also include four women’s stages as part of the UCI WorldTour this year. Other SoCal legs include South Pasadena to Santa Clarita, and Thousand Oaks to Santa Barbara.

Word has it bike riding former UCLA and NBA star Bill Walton is particularly stoked about the San Diego start.

………

Our anonymous Orange County correspondent reports the Stephany DUI murder trial went to the jury today, but no word on whether they reached a verdict; if not, deliberations will resume next week.

She adds,

In closing, Stephany’s lawyer was adamant and clearly believed his own words, but his argument just wasn’t very compelling. Plus I think Juror #11 wanted to smack him.

………

She also offers a few uncensored thought on the state of bicycling in Santa Ana.

Civic Center Drive has fresh new stripes for, I suppose, a buffered bike lane. The “buffer” is skinny and there are no bike graphics yet, and the placement of the dashed lines is so random I don’t even know if it can possibly conform to the MUTCD.

Also, a fucktard swooping into the semicircular driveway in front of the courthouse and CUT ME OFF and when I yelped, he was all, “What? I didn’t hit you!” Well, true, and the ONLY reason he didn’t hit me while he was failing to yield, failing to signal, and failing to make a proper right turn from the correct lane position is because I have three separate braking mechanisms, all of which I immediately engaged so that his criminal maneuver wouldn’t put me on a goddamn gurney. Maybe all the new visual clutter induced vertigo in his head?

During the 2-hour lunch recess, I rode around and despaired at the wobbly sharrowed path on 3rd Street. And the complete absence of sharrows on, say, narrow-laned Broadway, or anyplace they’d actually be useful on. And the insufficient bike racks. (Ya wanna rack in front of, or at least anywhere near, City Hall? Well, TOO BAD FOR YOU, PAL).

It’s like Santa Ana is just slapping bike & ped infrastructure down wherever it happens to fit, whether it will be functional or not. Kinda like the way God slapped together the platypus from leftover spare parts He had lying around, except that critter works just fine, whereas the hodgepodge of bike stuff in Santa Ana is nothing but frustration.

Downtown Santa Ana makes downtown LA look like a dream world.

………

More big hearts out there.

A Texas boy gets a new bicycle from a local bike shop after his was destroyed in a collision; $1,000 that was raised to replace his bike will now be given to the crossing guard who was injured saving his life.

And police chip in to buy a Charlotte NC boy a new bike after he was injured in a crash.

………

Just a day after lamenting that Timbuk2’s new MuttMover messenger bag was too small for the Corgi, the company tweeted back that they have a bag large enough to carry a 40 pound dog.

Or more precisely, had one, since it’s no longer listed on their website.

Looks like the Corgi will have to keep waiting for her first bike ride, dammit. Then again, I’m not sure how well I could ride with 30 pounds of doggie ADD on my back, anyway.

………

Local

CiclaValley reminds us about next Thursday’s Firefly Ball to benefit the LACBC. You are going, right?

LADOT Bike Blog looks at the Mobility Hubs planned for the LA Area, with 13 primary hubs at major transit stations in Hollywood, DTLA and Long Beach, and 85 satellite in the same areas. Now what we need are safe routes to ride to and from those hubs.

A Calabasas teenager starts a mountain bike team to encourage other local students to get out and ride.

 

State

Writing for Streetsblog CA, Roger Rudick says judges and prosecutors should be shown the door if they refuse to treat murder by car like murder, and cites Hayward judge Michael Gaffey and Los Angeles DA Jackie Lacey as prime examples. Couldn’t agree more.

Cyclelicious offers recent bike photos in the news.

A San Diego county supervisor discusses his vision for a barrio to barrio bike path due to open next year that will connect to another new bikeway circling San Diego’s South Bay.

A Carlsbad writer questions whether the city went too far in installing 100 bike racks in the downtown area. Chances are, he didn’t raise the same question when car parking went in.

Both people suffered major injuries when someone on a motorized bike hit a pedestrian in Desert Hot Springs Thursday evening.

An ad campaign from Airbnb urging San Francisco to spend hotel taxes on bike lanes, among other things, to fight a local ordinance limiting hotel taxes appears to have blown up in their faces.

Marin County firefighters are calling for bike donations to assist victims of the Valley Fire in Lake County.

Tour de France vet Andrew Talansky will lead a two-day fundraising ride for the Napa County Bicycle Coalition.

A new Modesto road diet and bike lanes are nearly complete and already being used.

Twenty children will get recycled bicycles as part of a giveaway program to encourage cycling in bike-friendly Davis.

 

National

Turns out using hands-free devices is even more distracting than we thought; it takes as long as 27 seconds for a driver to turn his concentration back to the road after sending a text using voice commands.

Mashable says e-bikes are the solution to a sweaty commute. Or you could, you know, just ride slower.

A man sets off on a cross-country bike ride after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, just two months after he participated in the ALS Challenge. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

Caught on video: A Portland bike rider is accused of plowing into a pedestrian after riding through a bike signal.

Phoenix calls on drivers to look twice for bikes. Forget twice; it would make a huge difference in safety if every driver just looked at least once.

Construction begins on the final link in an off-road bike path along I-70 from Denver to Glenwood Springs, 160 spectacular miles away through the Colorado Rockies.

A St Louis woman says even though she’s been riding a bike for 10 years, she’s still terrified to ride to work.

A Michigan bike rider was found partially submerged in a ditch after a witness had earlier seen him walking his bike bleeding from a head wound, though the rider assured him he was okay.

It’s a sad commentary on today’s world when a Minneapolis Krav Maga studio feels the need to offer a three-hour course in bicycle self-defense to ward off attackers. Even sadder that I want to take it.

 

International

An Ontario writer argues against allowing cyclists to ride abreast, citing studies showing cyclists are more aggressive in groups. Note to the clueless: human beings are more aggressive in groups, whether they’re riding bikes, driving cars, or watching a football game. And it’s still possible to ride in a group without riding abreast.

An Irish writer says Dublin cyclists are lawless to the point of sheer arrogance. Except for her, of course.

Oslo, Norway announces plans to be the first city to ban cars entirely from the city center.

A New Zealand professor says lower speed limits won’t solve everything, but they will improve safety, while also increasing livability and encouraging people to walk and bike. Lets hope our local officials are listening.

 

Finally…

For all you doubters out there, here’s proof Lance didn’t have to dope to win races; he admitted under oath that he won a $1 million bonus after the Coors Light team was paid off to let him win in 1993. This is not what Twitter is for, as a Florida driver tweets that he just killed a man after hitting a 16-year old pedestrian — complete with a photo of the body.

And caught on video: Ride across the Brooklyn Bridge with the world’s angriest cyclist, complete with endless rants about effing morons; not even a bride escapes his ire.

Category: Bike Events, Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: Daily News finally gets it, and possibly the next-to-last report on the Stephany DUI murder case

October 22, 2015 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Daily News finally gets it, and possibly the next-to-last report on the Stephany DUI murder case

I’ve never been a fan of the LA Daily News editorial department.

Remember the laughable Summer of Cycling?

But a new editorial about the dangers of walking in the City of Angels shows they finally get it, at least when it comes to travel on two feet.

Virtually everything they write also applies to riding a bike, so let’s hope this marks a permanent change in attitude towards everyone not encased in tons of metal, as they put it.

………

Our anonymous Orange County correspondent offers what promises to be the penultimate report on the murder case of self-described drug counselor Neil Storm Stephany in the heroin-fueled DUI death of cyclist Shaun Eagleson.

Courtroom C37 (Stephany case) was jurorless today as the attorneys wrangled over striking some testimony from the record. Whatever the outcome, both sides expect to present closing arguments tomorrow morning. Stephany waived his right to be present. I think he’s bored with the whole thing.

Yesterday, the People played a video of Stephany’s interrogation in which he admitted he’d gone to the court-ordered First Offender Program after his first DUI. When asked what he’d learned, he replied, “Nothin’, they really don’t teach you anything.” He also opined that the classes were just a “racket” for the government to make money. A few minutes later, when asked directly, “Did they say it’s dangerous?” Stephany answered, “Yeah.” Subsequent similar yes or no questions were all answered in the affirmative.

The video began with the phlebotomist’s difficulty in finding a usable vein to draw blood for a tox exam; she eventually has to return with a smaller needle. An officer then brings in paperwork for Stephany’s 30 day temporary license for the DMV! (Which, of course, the suspect ended up not needing.)

Several tests were off camera, in the hallway. The DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) administering the tests can be heard issuing the typical instructions and telling Stephany to stay upright. During the Romberg test, he fell asleep standing up, and failed to find his nose in ten attempts. The DRE terminated testing for Stephany’s own safety; he’d nearly fallen through an open doorway into the police supervisor’s office.

Stephany clearly remembers a collision, but repeatedly stated that he didn’t know what he had hit. When prodded, he said he thought he’d hit a car. He had stopped his pick-up very briefly, but then punched the gas when he saw people running toward him. (This corresponds to the descriptions provided by the horrified witnesses.) When asked why he hadn’t stayed at the scene, he admitted that he knew it was a probation violation and he would be in trouble.

When asked “What does it feel like when you do heroin?” Stephany began crying, and answered honestly through the sobs. In the courtroom, Eagleson’s family appeared unmoved.

After the officer left the tiny room at the conclusion of the interview, Stephany rustled through his empty pockets, perhaps trying to find his confiscated Suboxone.

………

Celebrate the grand opening of the San Gabriel Valley Education Center this Sunday with a spooky Halloween Pet and Costume Bike Train.

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Bike SGV sends word that the City of Duarte is hosting a public meeting to get input from people who live or bike in the city on their new draft bike plan, next Wednesday from 6:30-7:30 pm at the Community Center at 1600 Huntington Drive.

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Wesley Reutimann sends word that anyone who lives or works in South Pasadena is invited to volunteer with the local organizing committee for next year’s Amgen Tour of California start in the city. If you’re interested, email Samuel Zneimer of the City Manager’s office at SZneimer@SouthPasadenaCA.gov.

Next year’s race could also make it down to San Diego for the first time since 2013.

………

Local

Richard Risemberg takes issue with the recent private meeting between the LACBC’s Tamika Butler and CD1 City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, calling for Butler to release the full details of the discussion to ensure transparency. Of course, if she did, she’d never get another meeting with him, or any other elected official.

CiclaValley visits North Figueroa, where Cedillo’s continued intransigence has helped keep the street deadly.

County Supervisor Hilda Solis announced plans to convert Rosemead Blvd near the Whittier Narrows into a Complete Street to improve safety for everyone.

The Eastside Bike Club will offer their annual El Sereno Día de Los Muertos altar to honor bicyclists who have died in the last year.

UCLA’s Be a Green Commuter offers up eleven awesome bike costumes for Halloween.

A student was hit by a minivan while riding on the campus of Loyola Marymount University.

The new Ted Baker London store will be the only place in the US where you can buy the Brit designer’s rose-hued bespoke Quella bike.

 

State

A Fullerton cyclist suffered head trauma when he was hit by a car Wednesday morning; fortunately, he’s expected to survive. Note to Fullerton police: Why the hell would it matter if the victim was in the crosswalk? Bike riders are allowed to cross the street, crosswalk or not. Thanks to Kathi Bloom, who came upon the scene shortly after the wreck, for the heads-up.

Also in Fullerton, a former gang member was shot with a pellet gun while riding his bike in a park; he continued riding to a hospital to get help.

The California Bike Summit starts in three days in sunny San Diego. Having attended the first one in LA, I strongly recommend going if you can make it.

A man was shot by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer after he allegedly got off his bicycle and approached the officer with a knife. For some reason, the LA Times — which usually knows better — identifies the victim only as a bicyclist in the headline, rather than, say, a man, as every other source seems to do. Thanks to David Wolfberg for the link.

A former Lompoc competitive cyclist and newly minted BMX racer suggests yoga to take the pain out of bicycling.

A Salinas cyclist was fatally shot after he was chased by two men, apparently in front of multiple witnesses.

Oh, the poor cars! Menlo Park votes to remove parking spaces to make room for bike lanes.

A San Francisco cyclist was right hooked by a driver who fled the scene; it will be hard to find the suspect since the car didn’t have any plates. That’s a major problem these days; too many cars travel California streets with no plates thanks to loopholes in the law and lax enforcement.

Los Altos cracks down on “reckless” riders after two cyclists are injured in solo falls. Note to the other LA: It’s not speeding unless the bike riders are going faster than the posted limit.

Next City looks at Davis, where a remarkable 23% of the population bikes to work; UC Davis has banned cars from the campus for 48 years.

Sad news from Redding, as a bike rider was killed in a left cross when a driver failed to yield while making a left turn.

 

National

Universal Sports, the channel that broadcasts the Tour de France, Amgen Tour of California and the USA Pro Challenge, will cease to exist next month. No word on what NBC, which owns Universal, will do with the rights to those races.

Bicycling reviews Timbuk2’s new Muttmover messenger bag, which is designed to do exactly what the name implies. Unfortunately, it’s about 10 pounds too small for the Corgi.

Bicycling also offers advice to cyclists planning their first tattoo. Which pretty much applies to anyone considering tatts, whether or not they’ve ever been on a bike.

Despite panicking press reports, construction of a new protected bike lane in Denver has not snarled traffic.

A previously convicted flasher was arrested in Iowa for riding a bike with his genitals hanging out of his shorts; he tucked them back in when an officer stopped him, which was taken as evidence that he was doing it on purpose.

That cyclist riding cross-country on one of New York’s Citi Bike bikeshare bike was punched in the face for no apparent reason by a bike-hating Oklahoma driver.

The University of Illinois student newspaper takes a he said/she said look at the conflict between bicyclists and pedestrians on campus.

Tragic news from New York, as a police officer was fatally shot while chasing a bike thief; the killer was arrested several blocks later with a gunshot wound to his leg.

 

International

A Montreal university study says bikes are the best way to arrive at work alert and on time.

A new survey shows 75% of Brits support investing more money in bicycling; even people who never ride a bike think funding should be increased.

One more reason to ride a bike: A researcher in the UK says diesel fumes are messing with bees ability to smell flowers.

A British solicitor says commercial drivers shouldn’t hesitate to blame the victim in a collision with a cyclist.

Caught on video: Get a handlebar-view look at what it’s like to ride a bike at rush hour in Dublin.

New Delhi held its first car-free day today, while encouraging people to take to their bikes to lower pollution.

Bicycling is gaining in popularity in running-obsessed Kenya.

A writer for the Australian says South Australia’s new equivalent to the three-foot passing law will make the roads more dangerous, even though that hasn’t happened anywhere else. He also says he gets bicycles, then proceeds to prove he doesn’t.

Now you, too, can tour Antarctica by bike for a mere $75,000.

 

Finally…

No matter how much a student driver angers you, don’t bust out a window with your U-lock and shower a three-month old baby with glass. The Internet is lighting up in response to video of a boy knocking a girl off her bike with a basketball after she tells him to fuck off. Remarkably — or maybe not, given the nature of online comments — some actually say she deserved it.

And yes, blame those damned green-loving, environmentally friendly, non-driving Millennials for the sad state of our roads.

Not the people in massive, multi-ton trucks and SUVs.

Or even the bee-killing Volkswagen drivers.

 

Category: Bike Events, Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,
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