The survivor of a near fatal collision, Mark has made it his mission in life to keep others from suffering the same fate. And has put his background as a product design engineer and a licensed pro racing mechanic to use to study how bike collisions happen, and how to prevent them.
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Common to physicists and engineers is the requirement to test a product and/or design to total destruction. First we test in computer simulations (via FEA, CFD, or Multi-physics) software, Second; by intentionally pushing well beyond the design limits in real world tests, to produce catastrophic failures.
This is how we learn and improve our designs, and develop an understanding between our theoretical software modeling, and it’s correlation to the physical entity/item/product.
How and why this process is highly relevant to understanding and preventing cycling fatalities follows below.
After countless examinations of police reports, interviews, and scouring though all available data, I started a couple plus years ago with a very simple theory.
IF you ride your bike on roads and streets, with (minimum standard/charged) Ultra Bright Lights, you won’t get hit or killed (from behind at least) by a vehicle. (The bio-psycho-physio-logical “whys and how’s” this works is found in separate articles.)
The theory has seemingly held for over 500,000 bicycle-car related accidents, injuries and deaths in the US over a ten year period. Until this past week, I haven’t been able to find a single verified instance (data collection is ongoing) where a cyclist was hit from behind, while flashing Ultra Bright lights. Half a Million Cycling Injuries and Fatalities (without lights) to 0 (ZERO, with lights). 500,000: 000000.
Even if these numbers could be off by one or two accidents, the long term trend is evident, striking, and alarming.
That statistic changed this past week. Two menwere killed (reported by bikinginla.com) in unrelated “hit from behind” accidents in the Los Angeles area while likely/evidently riding with lights. Begging the question; what made these two different from all the others? What broke down? Is the theory disproved?
So let’s look at the preliminary facts in each of these two fatalities that “broke” the theory.
Each man was riding his bike shortly before, and long after midnight, between roughly 12:00AM and 3:00 AM.
Each man was riding on high speed streets (one on a freeway off-ramp, the other in twisting and turning Fairfax) streets with car sidewalk parking), both without bike lanes.
Each man was Hispanic and over 45 years old.
Each man may have had (only) one bicycle light on the rear when they were hit.
One man was very possibly killed by a drunk/drugged driver.
This is what we’ll call/term “Testing a Theory to Destruction.”
Look at what was necessary to “Break the Theory.” Do you see anything even remotely resembling your riding? NO, of course not. How many of us actually get on our bikes after midnight to take a ride?
You had to have a large number of beyond “Perfect Storm” scenarios in each case to kill these two men. An old pilot axiom is: It’s not the 1st or 2nd mistake that kills you, but the 5th or 6th will.
IF anything, these two (very sad) fatalities PROVE the point. To get hit or injured by a car while riding with Ultra Bright lights, a lot of things have to go wrong, all at the same time.
In Summary; what have we learned?
Don’t ride late at night at all, especially after midnight when even the best of drivers are going to be tired, never mind when drunk-drugged up drivers are going to congregate… after the bars close.
Don’t ride on very dangerous roads that are going to be a problem, even under the best of circumstances. I personally have known the Fairfax area for many decades… and would never ride a bike on it; at least not willingly. IF you HAVE absolutely no option but to ride these streets, take extra precautions. Ride at safe(r) times, with EXTRA Ultra Bright Lights, Don’t ride in black/dark colors, and Still ride at least 5 feet away from parked cars (to prevent getting doored, which is equally life threatening).
Take up the WHOLE lane if you MUST, until it is Safe to move back over to the right. There are some areas I still will only ride the sidewalk.
Be attentive at all times; DON’T BE TOO PROUD to PULL OVER and STOP your bike and WAIT for traffic to pass before crossing dangerous, high speed areas. ESPECIALLY FREEWAY/Highway ON-OFF RAMPS.
Ride with multiple rear lights, (3) three is preferable to “paint” a clear 3D picture in space for a(ny) driver’s mind to immediately identify your location, bearing, and speed. The best lights can be clearly seen and easily recognized from over 1/2 a mile away!!! (in broad DAYlight). Distance is Time, Time is Early Warning, Early Warning is allowing a driver time to plan (rather than milliseconds to react) and hence accident avoidance, and That is Life.
500,000:000002 are still pretty good odds… Especially when Your life is on the line. Play the numbers.
STAY ALIVE! ride ULTRA BRIGHT… DAY and night…
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Stay tuned. We’ll have another post from Mark next week.
June 15, 2015 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: Businesses benefit by trading parking for bike lanes, and new upscale spinning studio in DTLA
A new study from UC San Diego shows what we already knew.
The seemingly endless and nearly universal argument over parking versus bike lanes is no more valid than the mythical war on cars.
According to San Diego’s KPBS, after looking at cities all over the globe, researchers concluded that designing cities for active transportation — in other words, bicycling and walking — resulted in increased retail activity.
Or to put it another way, greater sales. And presumably, profits.
In fact, one study found that people who bike or walk to shop spend up to $200 a month more in a given store than people who drive. And there’s no research that shows removing street parking negatively impacts business, despite the fears of nearly every business owner, everywhere.
Someone should tell that to Gil Cedillo and Paul Koretz.
And the benefits go beyond just retail sales. As the article says,
The report says there is increased business revenue and economic development in cities designed for physical activity. The researchers said prioritizing the needs of bike riders and walkers over drivers can have broad reaching and positive impact on communities, including healthier citizens and a cleaner environment.
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I’m a firm believer in doing all my cycling outside.
However, for those who prefer to ride indoors, for whatever reason, the new BESPOKE Cycling Studio is now open at FIGat7th in DTLA.
As they describe it,
BESPOKE Cycling Studio offers clients the new carbon blue technology bikes for better performance and for an authentic outdoor ride feel and virtually zero maintenance. This coupled with lightweight performance handlebars with ErgoLoop, aero bars, and 12 degree incline enable multiple user positions and increased comfort levels.
In addition to offering a unique fitness experience for spinning enthusiasts guests at BESPOKE also have access to complimentary shoe rentals, L¹Occitane natural beauty shower amenities, an alkaline water station, and conveniences such as digital lockers, towels, and fresh fruit. Clients can also opt-in to their tailored fit services including preset cycling shoes, weights and bikes that help them sculpt and tone all in an uplifting fast-paced class.
Google wants to turn Silicon Valley into the American Copenhagen with a low-stress cycling network, although plans for Mountain View may be in jeopardy after the city rejected a proposal to expand its office space.
New York plans a bike safety blitz because a pedestrian stepped in front of a bicyclist riding in a bike lane, who didn’t stop after hitting her. After all, it would just be silly to conduct a pedestrian safety blitz.
Just weeks after Secretary of State John Kerry broke his leg riding in France, the US Secretary of Commerce is out of action after hitting gravel on her bike while training for a triathlon.
North Carolina cyclists are urging the state Senate to oppose a provision that would require the state Board of Transportation to approve any road diets.
Thirty New Orleans police officers receive 16 hours of bike and pedestrian safety training to get a better feel for the obstacles both face on the roads.
West London sees a more than 10% increase in bicycling injuries in the last four years — and a nearly 20% increase in injuries to middle-aged men. However, that could be a result of increased ridership. Or out-of-shape blokes thinking they’re better riders than they really are.
This is why throwing tacks on the road isn’t just a prank. A rider in a Welsh Velothon suffers a nasty gash requiring surgery after suffering a blowout.
Keep your credit card handy. Irish riders who blow reds will soon face on-the-spot fines of 50 euros, the equivalent of $56.
The first woman to ride across Africa now plans to pedal across Antarctica via the South Pole.
A Canadian cyclist riding in Singapore is fined $2,500 — the equivalent of $1,855 US — for allegedly brake-checking an angry driver, then throwing his bike onto the hood of the car after the driver bumps his wheel.
Update: Today is Mobility Monday. Call or email your councilmember to today to urge passage of the LA Mobility Plan — without removing streets like Westwood and North Figueroa from the plan.
Richard Risemberg rides Beverly Hills’ virtually useless bike lane and sharrow combo on Crescent Drive that doesn’t go anywhere most bike riders want to go. Unless you want to look over overly ornate over-sized housing for the over-privileged.
Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson says Lance is basically hosed in his upcoming lawsuit. But hints that there may be more serious cheating going on that has nothing to do with bikes.
Been awhile since we checked in with CLR Effect; Michael wonders what a rider was thinking in attempting to make a dangerous left turn off the sidewalk and nearly getting flattened in the process.
Fresno police blame the victim of a fatal collision for drifting into the slow lane, even though the driver who hit him fled the scene. So basically, they don’t have statements from anyone involved, but somehow conclude it’s the victim’s fault.
Cyclists from Lance’s hometown are concerned about a proposal from a Texas congressman to keep gas taxes from being used for anything that doesn’t directly benefit motor vehicles. Here’s a hint: try not to elect people like that in the first place.
St. Paul MN business owners are worried about losing parking spots so bike lanes can be put in. Even though the city promised to replace them around the corner.
A Boston website says bike polo is the coolest, weirdest sport you’ve never heard of. Except you have, right?
A bizarre quirk in NYPD policy means most drivers can’t be charged under the city’s new Right of Way law designed to protect cyclists and pedestrians, because they only send out detectives authorized to do it if the victim is likely to die.
David Letterman says he’s going to leave bicycling to younger men because he doesn’t want to be found in a ditch somewhere. Uh, Dave, women actually ride too these days. And most don’t end up in ditches.
A new Brit study says bike riders suffer a frightening near-miss on the roads an average of every week. Sounds like we have a lot in common.
Yet another British bike rider has been injured by thugs who strung wire at neck height across a bike trail. Meanwhile, a Welsh bike ride is marred by tacks sprinkled in the roadway; one rider was injured after flatting at 35 mph.
Caught on video: Cyclists come the rescue of a London bike share rider who was pulled off his bike in a dispute with bystanders blocking his way.
Aussie police are trying to figure out what happened to a cyclist who was found unconscious, battered and broken on the side of the road; GPS data suggests he was cut off by a car.
Good idea. A car designer has developed a new bike light that illuminates the road on either side, as well as in front, of the bicycle; it’s still over $20,000 short of the $62,598 goal.That odd goal comes from converting $80,000 Australian dollars to US currency.
Palacios had copped a plea after a promise from the judge that he would be sentenced to no more three years in prison; under California law, he faced a max of just four years for leaving the bike riding mother of eight to die in the street, anyway.
Yet another example of people continuing to die because our state doesn’t take traffic crime seriously.
Then again, even if we gave every deadly driver the punishment they deserve, we wouldn’t have any place to put them.
Our anonymous OC reporter was in the courtroom hoping for a conclusion to this sad case. Instead, she writes,
First off, Lopez has the same type of extremely savvy criminal defense team as Hasti Fakhrai-Bayrooti. They only very recently received the probation department’s report & its 13-page addendum, and haven’t bothered to read them yet. Hell, I’ve read them! They’ve been available since Wednesday of last week! At any rate, the judge is unwilling to give any cause for appeal, so naturally he’ll allow the defense time to review. Sentencing is set for next month.
Second, I fucked up by taking way less Kleenex than I needed, going in with no idea I’d be hearing an 11-year-old’s victim impact statement. (Oh, and there were eight statements altogether.)
The My News LA story above has more details on the impact statements.
Maybe the judge could make those three years seem a lot longer by making Lopez read those statements again every day he’s behind bars.
Yeah, I can see why the city council so wisely determined that keeping an extra lane for cars was more important than providing safe access for people on foot.
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Long-time bike racer Steve Tilford says Dr. Christopher Thompson, who went to prison for brake checking two bike riders in Mandeville Canyon, doesn’t belong in jail.
He feels a better punishment would be sentencing the good doctor to community service in an under-served community, like LA’s low-income Chesterfield Square. Although he’s not the first one to suggest that; I’ve though the same thing myself more than once.
He lost his license to practice medicine following his conviction in this case. So he couldn’t have served as a physician anywhere, no matter how desperately needed.
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Nice profile of injured painter and pro cyclist Taylor Phinney, along with his parents, former pro and Olympians Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter. From Lululemon, of all places.
Wait. There’s never been a black women’s pro cyclist? New York music teacher Ayesha McGowan hopes to be the first.
And top ranked women’s cyclocross racer Sanne Cant can’t following a solo fall after she was cut off by a tractor while training.
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With all the bad news about college fraternities these days, it’s nice to see members of my old frat riding from Long Beach to DC to raise awareness for disabled people.
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My apologies for the late notice, but you may still have time to catch the Women’s History Ride, departing from Grand Park in DTLA at 10 am sharp. As the ride leader put it,
There are so many more amazing bike-riding chicks than I thought: lawyers, librarians, doctors, and the original Midnight Ridazz. I’m panicking about forgetting any of these amazing ladies!
The Orange County Bicycle Coalition is offering a Cycling Savvy course on June 19th and 20th, emphasizing legal cycling in traffic, bike handling skills, and concluding with riding in traffic on a tour of Irvine. You can register here.
LADOT GM Seleta Reynolds says public and private partnerships are the key to eliminating traffic deaths and developing a realistic transportation package, and everyone must be invited to the table.
KPCC provides a good look at the debate over providing sidewalks on both sides of the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge, noting that the public was engaged — and ignored. They also report on LA’s bizarre policy of only fixing streets that don’t really need it; way too many bike riders are taken down by hidden bumps and holes in roads that should have been fixed years ago.
Evidently, Long Beach has caught ciclovía fever, as plans are already in the works for another Beach Streets Open Streets event.
Evidently, local cities do a crappy job of explaining the benefits of a road diet, as Temple City residents are the latest to freak out about a proposal to remove a traffic lane and add bike lanes.
The new captain of San Francisco’s Park Station vows a crackdown on scofflaw cyclists, apparently believing people on two wheels are a greater risk to the public than scofflaws on four.
A San Francisco cyclist is the victim of a double road rage assault, in cartoon form.
Sausalito continues its efforts to discourage bicycling tourists, instituting a $2 to $3 charge to park a bike in the city — after removing all the bike racks from downtown. Evidently, they’d prefer that all those tourists clog the streets with cars, not bikes. Or just spend their money somewhere else, which is what I’ll be doing.
Seriously? A former San Diego bike rider says you don’t have a right to put his family at risk by riding a bike on the winding roads of California’s Reno-adjacent Nevada County. Or he could, you know, just slow down and drive safely.
Bike lawyer Bob Mionske says despite what bike haters insist, it’s the motorists who are getting a free ride, not bicyclists. Nice to see Bob back with VeloNews where his column originally started.
Writing for Strong Towns, a traffic engineer says members of his profession show a conscious indifference to pedestrians and cyclists, which he aptly calls the very definition of gross negligence.
A Portland bike rider who suffered a broken back in a collision with a pickup files a $21 million suit against the city, alleging a too-narrow bike lane contributed to the death of one rider and injuries to nine others.
Kentucky proposes toughening the penalties for drunk driving, making a fourth lifetime conviction worth five years in prison; previously, prior convictions were forgotten, if not forgiven, after five years.
Caught on video: Pennsylvania cyclists argue with a cop who hit a cyclist while attempting, and failing, to pass a small group of riders; oddly, a woman feels the need to jump in and defend the scofflaw cop against the big bad bike riders.
New York residents lash out against proposed “deadly” bike share stations, even though there hasn’t been a single fatality in roughly 18 million rides.
The New York press blames the bike rider when a woman is seriously injured after apparently stepping in front of a cyclist riding in a bike lane. On the other hand, the jerk should have stopped, just like any driver would be required to under similar circumstances.
A new British study shows women cyclists are twice as likely to be subject to harassment and dangerous driving than their male counterparts. Yet another answer to the eternal question of why more women don’t ride.
Fast Company offers yet another look at how Copenhagen became a cycling paradise, noting bikes usually win when the city calculates all the social costs involved with investing in roads or bike lanes. Maybe LA should give that a try some time.
Five lessons from the world’s biggest bicycling conference Down Under, including global cities are about people, not transport. Something LA clearly still needs to learn.
If you’re going to use a bike as a getaway vehicle, don’t lose half the loot as you ride away. Caught on video: In case you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to ride a BMX bike through an abandoned NFL stadium.
But maybe a dangerous roadway should share the blame.
According to BikeSGV, Rosemead Blvd in the Wittier Narrows area where Ruiz was killed is dangerous by design, with speeds often exceeding the posted 50 mph limit. Never mind cars zooming off the Highway 60 offramp, which he was trying to cross when he lost his life.
A bill before the state legislature would turn control of a 2.6 mile segment of the boulevard over to the county, the first step in a possible badly needed Complete Street makeover.
Let’s hope this tragedy is enough to get much needed changes made.
Zeferino was simply trying to tell the officers they had detained the wrong men when they opened fire after he dropped his baseball cap, allegedly because they thought he was trying to remove something from his waistband.
Maybe this will let us all find out what really happened. And explain why an innocent man was shot to death by the people sent to help him — literally at the drop of a hat.
And why the DA doesn’t seem to care.
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Calbike says good things are happening for bike riders in the state legislature, including bills that would increase funding for active transportation, and allow riders to attend bike traffic schools to reduce traffic tickets.
The average LA driver spends over $3,600 to get to work and back; 59% of Angelenos would use bike share if it was available in their neighborhood. That’s about $3,600 more than the average bike commuter spends.
San Diego’s plans for a $200 million bicycle network are over before they even start, according to the San Diego Free Press, which accuses the county association of governments of doubling down on the failed transportation policies of the last 50 years.
NorCal’s Tour de Manure returns for the seventh time. Insert crappy bike pun here.
A road raging driver intentionally sideswiped a Colorado Springs cyclist, knocking him out of his first pro triathlon. Note to the Gazette: The race is still on, he just won’t be competing in it. Big difference.
Chicago’s 400-pound Puppet Bike has been entertaining people for 11 years; the bike is so heavy, two additional cyclists have to help tow it for distances more than a few blocks.
Baton Rouge LA has a dysfunctional bikeway network; less than half of the city’s bike paths connect to another. Sort of like another LA I could name.
The Palm Beach Post asks, but doesn’t answer, whether the rewards of bike riding over age 70 outweighs the risk. Seriously?
International
As Ontario cyclists get the equivalent of a three-foot law, Alberta tells bicyclists don’t hold your breath.
Vancouver’s Chris Bruntlett writes about the pain of bike theft. And how the fear of theft influences where and how we ride. I often choose to walk instead of ride for trips under two miles, because it’s not worth the hassle of carrying a heavy U-lock and field stripping my bike.
A Montreal letter writer bemoans the behavior of her fellow bike riders, saying they don’t behave as well as riders in Copenhagen. On the other hand, Copenhagen has streets and laws designed around bikes; Montreal doesn’t. Or LA, for that matter.
Someone sabotaged the driveway of a popular Brit helmet cam safety campaigner with drawing pins.
A UK personal trainer plans to ride the entire Tour de France route on a chopper bike. Note to CTV News: There’s a bike difference between riding the Tour de France route and actually competing in it.
An Israeli city bans e-bikes in some areas, while the country’s police want to require permits for their riders.
A former Manchester United goalie gets off with 12 months probation for deliberately turning his car into a bicyclist during a Sidney, Australia road rage dispute. Would the courts have been as lenient if he’d used a gun instead of a car? Either way, it’s still assault with a deadly weapon. Thanks to Simon for the heads-up.
Finally…
With the right skills, you can do anything on a bike, or to it, as the eighth annual Bike Smut exhibition of two-wheeled erotica makes painfully clear. A Cleveland man gets released from jail once he sobered up after being busted for being drunk and sans pants in public — and promptly steals a kid’s bike on his way out.
Now BAC Vice Chair Glenn Bailey sends a photo showing that even if you manage to get where you’re going, there may be nowhere to park your bike once you get there.
Even if there are bike racks in front.
Yes, everyone has to be somewhere. And I have genuine sympathy for anyone forced to live on the streets, for whatever reason.
But city officials wouldn’t permit anyone to pile up their belongings in the street if it meant no one could park there. And they shouldn’t tolerate anyone blocking all the bike parking, either.
Maybe we need a new law to prohibit anyone from blocking bike racks in such a way that bicycles can’t use them.
But then we’d have to find someone willing to enforce it.
Never mind that the overwhelming majority of riders using major arteries will be adult bike commuters, or that children aren’t likely to be on them long enough to have any significant impact on their health.
The beauty of the 2010 LA bike plan, which has been subsumed into the Mobility Plan currently nearing adoption by the city, is that it was designed with bike-friendly streets on quiet neighborhood byways ideal for children and families, as well as bike lanes on major streets for bike commuters and shoppers.
Yes, all our bikeways should be safe for anyone of any age.
But arguing against bike lanes on major arteries because breathing the air is unsafe for kids is just a straw man for someone who doesn’t want bike lanes taking up space his car could be using.
And never mind that the air inside their parents’ car could be worse than the air outside it.
The man who supervised the design of Long Beach’s beachfront bike path has passed away at 86.
State
San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood is getting protected bike lanes over the objections of some local business owners. Except where they’re needed most, of course.
A Bay Area driver drips with sarcasm after observing a bike rider stop at a stop sign. Anyone who says they’ve never seen a cyclist stop at a stop sign isn’t paying attention.
Napa officials are wisely following the route bike riders and pedestrians already take, and building a pathway there under a major highway.
Firefighters rescue a bike rider after she apparently rode off a trail into a Modesto canal; she’s in critical condition after being unresponsive for 40 minutes.
Sacramento residents raise nearly $11,000 for a popular chef who was left for dead by a hit-and-run driver while riding home from his restaurant. And they’re not done.
National
A bike rider in my hometown is dead after a driver apparently fell asleep behind the wheel, then woke up to see a truck pulling a boat in front of him. So naturally, he swerved into the bike lane and hit the cyclist, instead.
A Wisconsin driver faces a negligent homicide charge for somehow killing two cyclists, even though they were riding on the shoulder of the roadway separated by rumble strips.
A former men’s Iron Man champ returns to competition in Missouri. But this time as a woman, two years after her sex reassignment surgery.
Due to a quirk in the law, a Kentucky driver was allowed behind the wheel despite nine — yes, nine — previous DUIs; he now faces a murder charge for killing a cyclist while allegedly driving drunk yet again. Drunk driving should have a lifetime limit of two strikes and you’re out; a third offense should land the driver behind bars. Period.
It turns out that three-foot passing laws aren’t unenforceable after all, as Chattanooga police develop an ultrasound device that measures exactly how close a car comes to a bike.
In what may be the smartest cross-country tour yet, a group of Harvard and MIT students are riding across the US to get kids interested in science.
Bicycling is under attack Down Under, as an anti-bike government minister forces the removal of a busy protected bike lane in Sydney, apparently because it replaced on-street parking five years before.
While the rest of the media ignores the city’s Mobility Plan — let alone Councilmember Paul Koretz’ attempt to wrest Westwood Blvd from it — UCLA’s student newspaper reports on Koretz’ unceasing efforts to remove bike lanes, if not bikes, from the boulevard.
After singlehandedly killing planned bike lanes on Santa Monica Blvd — along with the study that insiders say would have shown no additional risk or traffic delays — Koretz has now confirmed to the Daily Bruin that he wants to remove plans for a protected bike lane between the UCLA campus and Wellworth Ave, one block below Wilshire.
To justify his efforts, he sites fears that bike lanes in this area would remove parking spaces and turn lanes. Even thoughcurrent plans don’t call for removing a single lane or traffic spot.
Is that smoke rising from his Dockers?
He also expresses fear that emergency response times could be delayed by the imaginary removal of those parking spots and turn lanes. But without a single traffic study or input from the fire or police departments to support it.
Or anyone else other than the wealthy Westwood homeowners and struggling business owners who seem determined to keep bikes from besmirching the city-owned street they seem to claim ownership to.
Never mind that people on bikes will continue to ride the boulevard in ever increasing numbers as long as it remains the only direct route between the Westwood offices, the UCLA campus and the coming Westwood Expo Line State.
“For the sake of the quality of life of that part of Westwood Village, and the safety of those who travel to and through it, that section should be removed from the plan,” Koretz said in the statement.
Koretz concludes that he continues to work for “safer and less disruptive” routes for the over 3,000 people who bike to campus everyday.
Just like OJ continues to search for the real killer.
And with the same results.
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Newly elected City Councilmember David Ryu comes out strongly in favor of a walkable and bikeable Glendale-Hyperion Bridge in a letter to the Public Works Committee.
Of course, the question is whether his opinion will matter in the apparent effort to rush a flawed designed through the council before he can take office.
The matter is scheduled to go before the full council at 10 am Tuesday, before Ryu takes office at the end of the month.
They caused a brief Twitter flap by reporting LADOT Executive Officer Bruce Gillman’s comment that Vision Zero is “not a citywide initiative.” Which left many to wonder, myself included, just what level of death was acceptable in which neighborhoods.
At least one LA visionary isn’t very visionary when it comes to bike lanes.
The founder of Zócalo Public Square says building a bike lane to the farmers’ market won’t build a great city, preferring a focus on ports and jobs. Never mind that many low-income workers rely on bikes to get to those jobs.
And evidently, the mayor’s Great Streets program is a secret plot to forever ruin the City of Angels by installing bike lanes.
Amazing how the neighborhoods north and west of traditionally bike-unfriendly USC have a 20% bike mode share. Imagine how high that could go around bike-friendly UCLA if a certain councilmember who claims to support bicycling actually did.
Concerns are rising that the bike share program in Santa Monica — and Long Beach — will be incompatible with Metro’s planned program projected to eventually spread countywide. That can has been kicked down the road since discussion of the SaMo and Long Beach plans first began.
Santa Monica’s Cynergy Cycles is hosting a series of bike skills workshops every Thursday and Saturday through August 1st. And they want your feedback on how they can be more involved in the cycling community. Be sure to tell ‘em you found the survey on BikinginLA.
State
More on the Ventura County Grand Jury saying more needs to be done to improve bike safety, while pointing the finger at drivers who don’t understand bike laws.
Now you can get a heads-up display on your sunglasses telling you when and how much to eat. Because apparently, we’ve been doing it all wrong for the last 100 or so years.
A writer for Vice offers advice on how to be a cyclist without being a dick. Although it usually seems to take one to write about how to not be one.
A conservative Canadian cyclist says Wisconsin’s governor isn’t waging war on bicyclists, and we should all just ride on the damn sidewalk like he does.
Life is cheap in Texas, as a teenage driver gets deferred adjudication for killing a cyclist after allegedly blowing through a stop light at twice the speed limit; if he completes probation, he won’t even have a conviction on his record. His victim, on the other hand, will still be dead.
Nice story from Illinois, as a cop raises $1,700 through a crowdfunding site to buy a cyclist a new bike after his was destroyed in the collision that nearly took the rider’s life. Meanwhile, a New York rider gets a used bike from a Daily News reader after hers was stolen.
A Michigan judge makes the punishment fit the crime, banning a woman from owning or using a cell phone for two years for killing a bike-riding mother of two while driving distracted; however, she only gets 90 days in jail. Something tells me the cell phone ban will be the tougher punishment.
New protected bike lanes in Pittsburgh recorded over 24,000 trips in May. Just imagine how many trips a safe route through Westwood could record.
A bike-riding Miami boy was collateral damage when three gunmen fired on a crowded basket ball court. The 10-year old victim was shot in the leg; fortunately, no one else was hurt.
In a story that is equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring, an 80-year old Montreal man will ride the same route he walked as a child looking for his parents after surviving Auschwitz.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Bay are teaming up to make a movie about the Rwandan national bike team founded by Jock Boyer, the first American to ride in the Tour de France.
Finally…
Wait, you mean bike riders aren’t the only ones who blow through red lights? Now cars aren’t the only ones with air bags. It can only be a matter of time before newspapers report on bike riders who failed to don an inflatable vest.
And an Olympic track cyclist manages to make toast with just the power of his legs. If he can make bacon and coffee to go with it, we’ll be on to something.
The city council Public Work’s committee votes to send the one-sided sidewalk plan for the Glendale-Hyperion bridge to the full city council without a recommendation, as committee members complain about the rush to approve the plan before outgoing councilmember Tom LaBonge leaves office at the end of the month.
As Streetsblog’s Joe Linton notes in the article above, the council’s history of deferring to councilmembers’ whims preferences for items in their district means we’ll probably see yet another unanimous vote of the council in favor of the auto-centric design, while members pay lip service to the need to protect and serve the non-driving public.
If the council leadership has any real integrity, it will move to delay a vote until David Ryu, the new 4th District representative, takes office.
Ryu is on record as preferring a road diet on the bridge, with bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides, rather then the unsafe design currently being rushed through.
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The Ventura County Grand Jury looked into bike safety, and concluded what we already know — most bike fatalities are the result of driver errors, and that the public needs to be educated on bike law.
Oh, and helmets.
Speaking of which, Bell has introduced the first sub-$100 helmet designed to protect against rotational injuries.
Pro cyclist Roman Kreuziger denies the doping charges that could lead to a four year ban if he loses his appeal. And Brit cycling champ Nicole Cooke says there’s a moral vacuum in sports administration, as Lance and the current FIFA scandal shows, but women’s bike racing doesn’t have to follow suit.
The new semi-green bike lanes on Westwood Blvd on the UCLA campus have plenty of markings, but don’t go very far. Councilmember Paul Koretz is bravely leading the fight to keep those bike lanes from besmirching any pavement off campus.
The 57-year old grandfather riding cross-country to honor his wife, who suffers from pancreatic cancer, and raise funds for cancer research rolls into Santa Monica.
A letter to the SGV Tribune shows there’s always some indignorant grouch who just doesn’t get CicLAvia, no matter how popular it is with the people who actually get off their ass and go.
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Tamika Butler writes about the 545-mile journey that lead her to become the Executive Director of SoCal’s leading bike advocacy group. Meanwhile, the LACBC offers more information on those free bike safety classes being offered around the county this summer. Did I mention the classes are free?
A Santa Ana city councilperson helps lead the push for active transportation improvements in Orange County; she says she won’t ride on the streets after being hit by cars twice.
San Diego cyclists are urged to speak up on Friday to preserve plans for protected bike lanes on the city’s most dangerous corridor.
Ralph Durham forwards word that Sunnyvale has released a draft feasibility study for the proposed Four City Steven’s Creek Trail; comments are due by the 10th. And let’s all wish Ralph auf wiedersehen for his move to Munich next month.
A Bay Area lawyer says bike riders who hit pedestrians could be covered for liability by their homeowners (or renters) insurance.
A Truckee driver was cited for injuring a bike rider in a left cross. As he should be, for a change.
National
A website lists seven high-tech inventions for modern cyclists. Including the Camelback Podium Ice water bottle, which I can personally vouch for; just add a little ice and it keeps water cold for hours on hot summer day.
An Oregon cop responding to an emergency call hit a bike rider, who was not seriously injured; the officer admitted going through a red light, but somehow couldn’t avoid hitting a cyclist despite going just five mph. Really?
A salmon cyclist gets the death penalty in Phoenix, as the arrest of a wrong way bike rider on outstanding warrants starts a chain of events that leads to his death behind bars.
Life is cheap in Michigan, as a 23-year old driver plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge for killing a cyclist while driving distracted. So what the hell does it take to make it a felony?
The New Orleans edition of the World Naked Bike Ride rolls through Bourbon Street next weekend. The only place where a line of naked bike riders isn’t likely to seem odd.
A Louisiana man is in critical condition after falling off his bike while riding next to train tracks; he was unable to completely roll off the tracks before a train came.
International
A UK town builds a new cycle path to improve safety; a local official riding it immediately falls into a ditch.
A Scottish woman is convicted of killing an experienced cyclist while driving distracted; she deleted the record of her cell phone call in an attempt to hide the evidence. Meanwhile, fellow countrywoman Town Mouse writes about how good it feels to be back on her own bike after a visit to the States.
A drunk father of six is killed when he mistakenly rode his bike onto a busy Irish freeway; a sign warning cyclists not to enter may have been removed for construction work.
A South African court rules a electric company is liable for the injuries suffered by a cyclist who rode into a low-hanging power line. Warning, the description of his fellow riders trying to save him from electrocution is simply horrifying.
This is the sort of crap bike riders have to deal with far too often.
After an 81-year old bike rider was killed in San Bernardino recently, police investigators determined that the victim was at fault.
Even though he had legally taken the lane, which was too narrow to share because of drifted sand, and was riding abreast, which is not not forbidden under California law.
And even though his bike was well lighted, and should have been clearly visible to the driver who hit him from behind, and who could have easily changed lanes to avoid him.
So evidently, it’s legal to kill bike riders in the Inland Empire, even when they’re riding within their rights.
The victim’s family asked the Executive Director of the Inland Empire Biking Alliance to talk to the detective in charge of the case.
What follows is a recount of the conversation from their Facebook page, reprinted with permission, which reads more like an Abbot and Costello routine.
Note: The name of the detective has been withheld to spare him well-deserved embarrassment.
Time to bring your blood to a boil. Our ED was asked by the family of William Easley (killed when hit from behind in SB) to represent their grievance with the police report putting William at fault. The traffic commission determined that the primary cause of the collision was Easley’s violation of CVC 21202. They contest that because he was riding two abreast, that is why he was hit.
Here is the abbreviated exchange between Mark and SBPD.
Mark: It is not illegal to ride two abreast and I have a letter from CalTrans stating such.
SBPD: It is not stated to be legal either
Mark: But it’s a substandard lane due to the sand (see picture below) and riding two wide allows for the rider to control the lane which is his right to do so
SBPD: Doesn’t matter. If he had been riding in front or behind other rider he would not have been hit
Mark: What if it were a car that been hit behind?
SBPD: He is not a car and must adhere to bike laws.
Mark: He’s still a vehicle and has a right to the lane. Why couldn’t the driver have simply change lane?
SBPD: He didn’t see him.
Mark: Why didn’t he see him? Didn’t the cyclist meet and exceed the required lighting for a bike?
SBPD: I don’t know and yes he had lights that were visible
Mark: So he didn’t even know if it was a car because he “didn’t see it”? But the fact that he was NOT paying attention is in your opinion NOT the primary cause?
SBPD: Correct
Mark: So where in the law is it ok to not see things while driving?
SBPD: It happens that’s why it’s an accident.
Mark: So your telling me that if a cyclist is not to the right as far as practicable, it is ok to hit and kill them as long as you say I didn’t see them?
SBPD: If Easley had not been riding 2 wide he would not be at fault.
Mark: I don’t care just about the fault. What scares me is you are setting a precedent that it’s ok to run over bikes and peds from behind if they are just a few feet out of what YOU DETERMINE as practicable.
Mark: What about CVC 21750 the 3′ Law? This is a clear violation of it.
SBPD: True but it’s not the primary cause therefore not applicable.
Mark: Then why aren’t we allowed the lane, since we are acting as a vehicle?
SBPD: Because your not. You have bike laws.
Mark: But we are also required and have the same rights as a car.
SBPD: You can’t have it both ways. You can’t pick and choose which laws you wish to follow. Either your under bike laws or motor vehicle laws.
AT THIS POINT MY MIND IS BLOWN
Mourners gather at the scene of the fatal collision; note how the sand reduced the ridable portion of the roadway.
HE stopped the meeting after this exchange:
Mark: How far in the lane was Easley?
SBPD: 7.5′
Mark: Wait a second. How wide is the lane?
SBPD: 20′ (actually 19′)
Mark: That gives a lot of room
SBPD: How wide is a Honda?
Mark: 6′ at best. He still has 12′ to clear him.
SBPD: I’m not going to go back and forth all day with this. We determined the primary cause
We all know the flawed logic in all this and we could hash this for hours with arguments. There was back and forth with CVC and hypotheticals earlier, that got nowhere.
I cannot express the level of frustration here. The shear power of this decision to undermine our right to the road and the danger it poses to all vulnerable users as now we are “just an accident” if you didn’t see us.
The family asked us to offer a rebuttal to the final police report, which I agreed to do. After that, it’s up to the family to decide whether they wish to pursue suing the insurance company. In a weird turn, the unlicensed driver was driving a car with insurance on it from his wife.
All of which raises the question of how can we ever be save of the roads if the police don’t understand the laws regulating bicycling.
And refuse to enforce them even if they do.
……..
Local
A magazine editor attempts an apparently death-defying commute from the Valley to UCLA over the Sepulveda Pass. Without the aid of spandex.
More bike lanes at Cal Poly Pomona may come down to the same old argument over removing parking. Never mind that improving bike access and safety could reduce the need for it.
BikeSGV will offer free bike safety classes in El Monte the next four Saturdays; click the link for classes in other cities around the county in coming weeks, as well.
A North Dakota driver faces a negligent homicide charge for killing a bike-riding triathlete last August while he was taking selfies as he drove; he deleted the photos in an attempt to hide the evidence.
A lawsuit says a Chicago area cop ran down a bike rider with his patrol car, Tased him, then shot him in the foot — all in a case of mistaken identity. To make matters worse, the rider is still sitting in a jail cell facing a battery charge resulting from the altercation two years later.
In a failure of the medical system, a 16-year old bike rider died two weeks after he was treated and released by the hospital following a rear-end collision.
All bike thieves suck. But it takes a real jerk to steal a customized bike from a Winnipeg man who had his leg amputated.
Ontario cyclists now face fines up to $500 for riding without a light; the good news is, drivers now have to give bike riders a one meter — 3.3 feet — passing distance, and face a $1,000 fine for dooring.
That road raging UK driver who threatened to break a bike rider’s neck and eat him for breakfast just happens to own a chain of upscale coffee shops that offer cycling workshops. But no need to boycott because he says he’s very sorry. No, really.
But in a major WTF moment, they interviewed outgoing Councilmember Tom LaBonge, discussing his support for bicycling, while acknowledging in passing that some bike advocates would disagree with that assessment.
Or how about, virtually all bike advocates would disagree.
While LaBonge has been a supporter of recreational riding, including completion of the LA River path, he seems unable to comprehend that some people have an actual need to get from here to there on the streets of LA, on two wheels and in one piece.
Like Paul Koretz and Gil Cedillo before him, LaBonge has personally halted plans for vital bikeways contained in the 2010 bike plan that was unanimously approved by the city council.
Which means he was for it before he was against it.
But LaBonge agreed with at least one neighborhood group that bikes belong on nearby Vineland instead, a quieter street that parallels Lankershim. Although the real issue isn’t giving cyclists a more serene street to ride, but rather, preserving traffic lanes and street parking along the dangerous boulevard.
Never mind bike riders need to go to the same places drivers do, and that shunting them aside merely forces them to ride further and bypass places where they might otherwise do business.
Local residents objected, not to plans for a bike boulevard, but the idea of traffic lights at Highland and Rossmore that would allow riders to cross the busy streets safely, fearing that drivers would use the quiet side street to bypass busier streets on either side.
Instead of explaining that the planned traffic lights would be a demand lights that would only work if someone pushed a button on the side of the road, or that traffic diverters would keep motorists from driving more than a few blocks on 4th — or any of the other options that would have improved safety and livability for everyone along the corridor — LaBonge simply killed the whole thing.
And before the less auto-centric David Ryu can replace him.
That’s not to say LaBonge isn’t a likable person, or that he’s not the closest thing to a cheerleader the City of Angels has had in years. In fact, he’d be the perfect choice to replace the late Johnny Grant as the honorary mayor of Hollywood.
But he’s been a mediocre and unpopular councilmember at best, which is one of the primary reasons his protégé Carolyn Ramsay lost to Ryu in the recent council race to replace him.
And he has been the enemy of anyone forced to ride the unwelcoming streets in his district. Something KPCC should have considered before allowing LaBonge to celebrate himself on the air.
Let’s hope Ryu will revive some of those projects LaBonge sent to an early death.
And that KPCC will do something like this again. But talk to a few more real bike advocates first.
……..
Pasadena police estimate attendance at Sunday’s CicLAvia at just 40,000, which would make it the lowest attended of any CicLAvia.
However, as Henry Fung points out, that’s most likely an estimate of the crowd at any given time, rather than the attendance for the full day, as people came and went throughout the day. The actual attendance was probably two or three times that.
The question is what effect his injury will have on current international negotiations, including efforts to rein in Iran’s nuclear program.
On the other hand, who goes out for a bike ride with a motorcade, including physician, in tow?
Thanks to George Wolfberg for the second link.
……..
Bike Radar tries out that Hövding inflatable bike non-helmet, which surprisingly enough, seems to actually work.
Although if you watch carefully, the side of her head impacts the mattress before the helmet moves around to protect it. Which could result in serious injury if you don’t happen to fall on bedding.
The Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee meets tonight at the Hollywood Neighborhood City Hall, 6501 Fountain Ave; you can find tonight’s agenda here. The BAC is the only official voice in the city government for bike riders, even if most LA cyclists don’t even know it exists. Correction: earlier I misidentified the location of the meeting; the address above is the correct location.
Architect Michael Maltzan’s squiggle is turning into a new 6th Street Viaduct, complete with circular bike ramps to lift riders up to the crossing while providing views of LA.
David Beckham teaches his three-year old daughter how to ride a bike. And without training wheels, no less.
State
Orange County rescue teams had a busy day on Sunday, as they came to the aid of three mountain bike riders injured in separate incidents.
A 68-year old Los Angeles woman suffered a serious head injury when she was hit by a cyclist while crossing a street in Del Mar. Let’s hope she makes a full and fast recovery. And always give pedestrians the right-of-way; they’re the only ones on the street more vulnerable than we are.
An Oceanside road diet and roundabout designed to improve safety for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians has received a third engineering design award. Awards are nice, but the real test is whether it reduces conflicts and collisions.
Competitive mountain biking is spreading throughout California high schools; the Union-Tribune offers a nice look at a budding team from an Escondido high school.
Goldenvoice, the company behind the Coachella music festival, has offered to pay the maintenance costs for the Coachella Valley’s planned 50-mile bike and pedestrian path.
San Luis Obispo police bust a bike burglar in a stolen van after a brief chase; inside they found six high-end bicycles valued at over $40,000 stolen in a break-in at a local bike shop.
San Francisco officials hope to get a change in state law to allow speed cameras to automatically ticket speeding drivers. LA should get behind the bill, as well; we’ll never meet Vision Zero goals if LA drivers continue to be allowed, if not expected, to speed with impunity.
Yes, it’s upsetting to get into an argument after crashing into jaywalking pedestrian. But don’t pull out a knife and stab the other man multiple times; a Seattle man faces assault charges for doing exactly that.
Wyoming police are on the lookout for a suspected hit-and-run driver who injured a bike rider, but that doesn’t stop him from venting on Facebook. Seriously, anything you say on social media can and will be used against you in a court of law.
Houston cyclists were involved in at least 950 vehicle collisions in a 12-month period since the city approved a three-foot passing law; at least 213 of those were hit-and-run. Clearly, hit-and-run is not just an LA problem.
A Minnesota driver warns about the dangers of distracted driving, after serving a whole six months for the death of a bike riding mother pulling her two daughters in a bicycle trailer; he’ll serve another three months in each of the next two years.
This is why so-called pranks aren’t funny. A 72-year old Ohio bicyclist was blinded in one eye when he was shot with a paintball gun by a passenger in a passing car; a 20-year old man faces a felony assault charge in the case. This is also one more example why you should always wear eye protection when you ride.
In a bizarre twist of fate, a North Carolina cyclist considers giving up bicycling after he’s the victim of a hit-and-run, five years to the day after he was severely injured in another hit-and-run while riding.
International
Sad news from up north, as an impaired British Columbia driver plowed into a group of three cyclists, killing two, as well as a passenger in his own vehicle.
Vancouver’s move to better bike infrastructure has resulted in a doubling in ridership since 2008.
An Edmonton man gets his knickers in a twist after he’s denied entry to a bike co-op on a women and transgender night.
Prepare to get pissed off. An Ottawa judge rules a driver not guilty of hit-and-run because he was… wait for it… too drunk to know he’d hit a bike rider. He also got off on a separate drunk driving charge because police allegedly violated his rights when he was arrested.
An Aussie woman writes about what it’s like to live with a cyclist and worry about her partner’s safe return. Which is why my wife doesn’t want to know what happens on my rides anymore.
When a Toronto man left his $2,500 Dutch cargo bike at the airport, a maintenance crew tossed it in the trash; fortunately, a worker rescued it and returned it to its owner. Does a wrist-held smartwatch come under the ban for using hand-held devices while driving?
