Tag Archive for bicycling

Catching up: Bike art, a real Summer of Cycling rider, and driving on meth without a license

July 22, 2013 / / 4 comments

Let’s catch up with the weekend’s news.

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The 5th Edition of the Santa Monica Museum of Art’s popular Tour de Arts is back on August 18th, as art museums in Portland and around the nation embrace bike culture.

Thanks to Robin Cembelest of ARTNews for the second link.

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The Los Angeles Newspaper Group, home to the Daily News, Daily Breeze, Star-News, et al, finally finds a real bike rider to comment for their so-far far disappointing Summer of Cycling.

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A Palo Alto driver who ran down and gravely injured a 12-year boy riding in a bike lane will face only a single misdemeanor count despite driving with a suspended license and meth in his system.

If you ever wondered why people continue to die on our streets, that’s a damn good place to start.

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Police stop an anti-racism protest run in Westwood, but only the bicyclist accompanying the runners gets arrested, for reasons that remain undisclosed; thanks to Dylan for the heads-up. Then again, it was the cyclists riding for peace who got arrested in Inglewood, too; evidently, activism and pedals don’t go together as far as police are concerned. LADOT Bike Blog reports on the department’s progress to the BAC. Outside Magazine rides with Wolfpack Hustle’s Marathon Crash race. Bike lawyer Joshua Cohen will host a workshop on legal and practical issues for bicyclists on Tuesday at Red 5 Yellow 7. After surviving a helmetless fall, a Santa Monica lawyer wants everyone to wear one. Yes, there will be a second annual Clitoral Mass ride on August 24th. New bike racks are coming to downtown El Segundo; thanks to Margaret for the heads-up. Hermosa Cyclery helps provide a special-needs bike for an 11-year old double stroke victim. Long Beach will host a bike-in movie screening of The Triplets of Belleville on Saturday, August 10th. A new coffee and bike shop opens in Agoura Hills. The first of 30 “Need to Know” bike classes in East LA County kicked off in El Monte Saturday.

CLR Effect reports on the Ontario Grand Prix, including some outstanding racing photos. Bike lanes and sharrows are making life easier for Palm Springs bike riders. It really takes some sort of incredible heartless jerk to steal the ghost bike installed for 12-year old Simi Valley bike victim Jacob Sellers; a ride was held Sunday to re-install it. A 25-year old Santa Cruz cyclist is right hooked by a 95-year old driver, who responds by stepping on the gas instead of the brakes. A bike rider is found dead in a Los Banos canal, and may be the cyclist who was reported missing by his family. A San Francisco musician makes his living playing and pedaling a 325 pound piano bike. Another DUI hit-and-run in San Francisco, but this time, it was the cyclist who was allegedly drunk.

Why are BMW drivers such jerks when it comes to cyclists? A Seattle cyclist loses a thumb in a left cross collision with a drunk driver, who was still on the road despite a prior DUI. A Salt Lake City cop says bike riding is only healthy if you don’t have an SUV parked on top of you; no, seriously, thanks for that astounding insight. The Times says my bike-friendly hometown may be the happiest place on earth; hopefully not just because I don’t live there anymore. Evidently, LA isn’t the only city with a hit-and-run problem, as fleeing killer drivers are common in New Orleans. New York police ticket a cyclist for not running a red light, and add two more for not shutting up; best advice, shut up and take the ticket, then fight it later. Police use a Taser and projectile launcher to take down a Delaware driver following a hit, run, bike and swim. A suspected North Carolina drunk driver plows into a building, then hits a cyclist head-on on an off-road bike path.

The comparison between seat belts and bike helmets doesn’t work, but that doesn’t mean you can’t rock a $960 Gucci bike helmet with built-in sun shield. A British celebrity lawyer calls for making helmets and hi-viz clothing mandatory. No, really, that pub owner was just making a really funny joke to his friends when he threatened to kill bike riders, so lighten up already. An Edinburgh surgeon rides 3,415 miles from LA to Boston. It’s been a very good year for UK cycling. Ireland plans on-the-spot fines for scofflaw cyclists, but don’t plan to punish drunk riders; insert mildly offensive drunken Irish joke here. Tour de France champ Chris Froome gives a backhand to an interfering fan, while Garmin-Sharp rider Jack Bauer suffers severe facial injuries falling into barbed wire. A retiring Jens Voigt attacks for the last time in the Tour de France. On the other hand, women riders could do that, too. Meanwhile, 27 more cyclists face doping charges; good thing the sport has been cleaned up, right?

Finally, at best, bicycling is slowing your rate of decay compared to your former classmates. And a UK man doesn’t remember killing his friend and dismembering his body, although that’s the sort of thing you’d think would stick with you. But at least he used a bike to get rid of the body parts.

Category: General / Tags: , ,

OC bike cop run down by driver, Gardena starting to get it, and banning Banning from illegal bike laws

July 18, 2013 / / 5 comments

Evidently, not even bike cops are safe from road raging and/or otherwise wacked out drivers.

According to multiple sources, an Orange County sheriff’s deputy was patrolling on his bike at John Wayne Airport when he went to investigate a collision in the parking garage, and wound up on the bumper of a car driven by 48-year old Rebecca McLaughlin.

McLaughlin had reportedly driven her Toyota Sequoia through a locked parking gate. The wrong way, no less.

She then backed up, aimed her car at the unnamed officer and accelerated, knocking him onto the hood of her Toyota Sequoia and running over his bike. He then wrestled her out of the car after she crashed into a ticket machine, and placed her under arrest.

And no, wrestling the driver out of the car that hit you is not recommended for any riders not in uniform, no matter how tempting it may be.

The officer suffered minor injuries, while his attacker was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, as well as an outstanding warrant.

She’s being held on over a half-million dollars bail.

Evidently, the courts take an assault on a bike riding police officer a lot more seriously than they do the rest of us.

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Gardena police promise better enforcement of traffic laws, but fall short of an apology for illegally ticketing a group of minority riders.

Or shooting one, for that matter.

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Looks like Banning has an illegal law on the books prohibiting bike riders from interfering with motor vehicles or pedestrians in any way.

It shall be a violation of law subject to punishment as set forth herein for any person operating a bicycle to obstruct, hinder, impede or restrict the lawful course of travel of any motor vehicle or the lawful use by any pedestrian of public streets, sidewalks, alleys, parking areas, pathways, or trails in any manner whatsoever. When operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk or other area routinely traveled by pedestrians, such operator shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian.

Someone should tell them it’s in violation of several state laws, starting with CVC 21200, and including the one that give the state — not local jurisdictions — full authority over traffic regulations.

 Thanks to Chris Kidd for the link.

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Tuesday was the 10th anniversary of the Santa Monica Farmers Market Massacre. I remember listening to the horrific, near-constant parade of ambulances, even though I lived over six miles away off Santa Monica Blvd, as the wounded and dead overwhelmed closer hospitals.

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Streetsblog’s Damien Newton takes on the Los Angeles News Group’s biased Summer of Cycling series. Even having your mother along is no guarantee police won’t pull a Taser on you during a protest ride. No bikes involved, just a driver sentenced to over five years for the allegedly intentional crash that cost two strip club patrons three legs. Actor Seth Rogan sports a sling here in LA after breaking his arm falling off a bike. The Weekly reviews Pedalers Fork in Calabasas, and kind of likes it, I think. A Newhall man has been charged with felony hit-and-run causing injury after turning himself in four hours after leaving a bike rider in the road with a broken back; thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

It nearly happened again, as a bike rider encounters a car on the same off-road bike path where San Diego cyclist Nick Venuto was killed two years ago. A deadly stretch of road in Ramona will be widened, straightened and have bike lanes added; evidently to cut crashes while encouraging speeding. Cambrian bike riders sample eight possible fixes for the Highway 1 road surface Caltrans ruined. A Bay Area bike rider survives traveling by BART. A Petaluma bike thief is found hiding face-up in a river next to the submerged hot bike. A Santa Rosa writer asks where bike riders learn the rules of the road, not comprehending that most cyclists passed the same drivers test she did; that’s not to say better education isn’t needed for both drivers and bicyclists, but get real, already.

Not surprisingly, wealthier motorists are more likely to drive like jerks; certainly matches my experience. The Bike League is looking for a manager for their Equity Initiative. Apple is finally giving you back your Google Maps, including turn-by-turn bike directions. Now your bike can convert to a stroller once you get to your destination. People with far too much money on their hands can spend $400 for a Burley dog trailer. Not surprisingly, bike friendly businesses are doing good business. The Department of DIY wins one for a change, as Seattle decides to make a guerrilla bike lane permanent. A bike-riding writer in my hometown says cyclists who break the law deserve to be ticketed. The cross-country bike rider injured in the Colorado Dark Knight shootings intends to pick up where he left off before being shot. Bicycling is growing in popularity, even in Amarillo. Horrifying video of a crash with a cyclist captured from inside a bus. A Chicago suburb says no to fining parents whose kids don’t wear bike helmets. Is it just me, or does it strain credibility just a tad that a bike rider would run a stop sign in front of the oncoming dump truck that killed him? A South Carolina man is charged with hit-and-run in the death of a cyclist — evidently, without ever making contact with the bike or rider.

The Brit twit who tweeted about running down a bike rider faces charges including failure to report an accident; what, tweeting about it wasn’t enough? The head of British transportation charity Sustrans says slow down, you move too fast. Kill a cyclist while driving a cab, and get a whopping £35 — or $53 — fine. Before you can stop for red lights, you’ve got to have a red light to stop for. Tour de France leader Chris Froome is understandably upset over questions about doping; then again, given the race’s recent history, those questions seem inevitable. The director of the Tour de France brushes off demands for a women’s Tour. An Israeli entrepreneur want to help you electrify your own bike. An elderly Chinese man is charged as a reckless pedestrian in the death of an e-bike rider.

Finally, a Spanish cyclist is wrestled to the ground by a group of women parishioners after riding his bike into a local church waving a gun; not too surprising considering the church is named Los Angeles. And the 11th annual Beverly Hills Cycling Classic will be held today.

No, not that Beverly Hills.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, Law Enforcement, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , , ,

Westfield Century City wants your business. And they have the free bike valet to prove it.

July 17, 2013 / / One comment

Westfield Bike ValetFinally, someone gets it.

Instead of fighting to keep bike lanes and the bicyclists who use them from besmirching their businesses — as merchants on North Figueroa and York Blvd in Northeast LA have done lately — Westfield Century City is throwing open the doors for people on bikes.

The Westside shopping center, which sits at the eastern terminus of one of the city’s most popular bike lanes, wants your business.

No, they really want your business.

As I hinted yesterday, the busy mall is planning a new Bike Station, which will be the first in the city of Los Angeles. And just the second to be found north of Long Beach, following the highly successful Santa Monica Bike Centers.

Now Westfield’s Assistant General Manager Louis Schillace tells me they’re offering a free bike valet service. In fact, it’s already open, with the first signs going up along the eastbound Santa Monica Blvd bike lane on Tuesday.

Just ride up to the valet station at the front of the shopping center anytime between 10 am and 11 pm, and the Valet Ambassadors will issue you a ticket and lock your bike in a secure storage area while you shop, take in a movie or just hang out for awhile.

And did I mention it’s free?

Particularly nice now that they charge motorists a minimum of $1 for parking — which rises dramatically after three hours.

And which doesn’t seem to have done anything to diminish the demand for parking, as both levels of the upscale mall’s massive parking lots are often full.

As someone who’s lived in the area almost as long as I’ve been in Los Angeles, I used to avoid driving to the mall from Thanksgiving to New Years, when the holiday shopping frenzy meant long waits and endless circling for one of the few available parking spaces.

Now the popularity of Westfield Century City’s stores and restaurants, combined with one of the city’s busiest movie theaters, means that parking backlog exists year round, on most evenings and every weekend.

Bike Valet SignWhich is probably why their parking valet is always packed. And why they’re building a new 500-space parking garage next to Gelson’s and the aforementioned AMC Theaters.

But unlike most malls in auto-centric LA, they get it.

They understand that bikes mean business. And that giving people an opportunity to get out of their cars and ride to Pink Taco, the Apple Store or the latest Hollywood blockbuster on a typically perfect SoCal day means fewer cars clogging those parking lots and the streets leading up to them.

And that replacing their old, hidden wheel bender racks with safe, secure and convenient bike parking is the best way to entice us to open our wallets.

Meanwhile, the free — and yes, I can’t seem to mention that enough — bike valet is only the beginning.

In the near future, what Schillace assures me will be a state-of-the-art bicycle facility will provide an even better option for local riders.

The Bike Lockers will be in our secure valet area and heavily monitored. There will be access control to ensure the safety of the bikes. We will have male and female changing rooms with showers available for people who bike to the center and wish to freshen up.

Sounds perfect for people who commute to work in Century City. And once again, the plan is for the lockers to be free, though that may change depending on demand.

I can live with that.

I’m usually not one to recommend going to a mall. Let alone actually shopping in one.

But I’d love to see their bike valet swamped with bicycles this weekend, and every weekend to come. Along with an uptick in business to confirm they made the right choice.

And encourage other LA businesses to follow their example.

And while you’re there, be sure to stop at the concierge booth or mall offices and say thanks.

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On the other hand, one of LA’s leading landmarks could stand to show some serious improvement.

Bike advocate Niall Huffman rode to the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday for a show featuring, as he put it, “badass Mexican guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela along with DeVotchka and Lord Huron.” But when it came time to park his bike, he found the situation sadly lacking.

Leading to this email to the Bowl’s management.

To whom it may concern:

I strongly encourage the Hollywood Bowl to re-evaluate how it accommodates the parking needs of patrons who choose to arrive by bicycle. I recently rode my bike to an event, and found the designated “bike parking” (i.e., a railing around a tree next to the Main Gate) to be a joke. By the time I arrived 15 minutes before showtime, the entire outside of the railing was occupied by locked bikes, and I had to hoist my bike and clamber over the railing in order to find a space to lock up. Because the height of the railing interfered with my handlebars, it took me several minutes to figure out how to move the frame of my bicycle close enough to the railing to be able to lock it securely. A picture I took of the designated bike parking area — overflowing with locked bikes — may be viewed at http://goo.gl/7cFVA.

Hollywood Bowl bike parking

I found the whole experience to be undignified and unworthy of the Bowl’s reputation as a world-class live music venue. Beyond this, I am disappointed that the Bowl’s management has yet to see the wisdom of making arriving by bicycle a more convenient experience. Bicycles, after all, take up much less space than automobiles and do not contribute to the pre- and post-event congestion on surrounding streets for which the Bowl has become famous. In a time when the City of Los Angeles is seeking to encourage public transit, bicycling and walking as alternatives to sitting in traffic and making significant investments in improvements for users of these modes, the failure of large destinations like the Bowl to accommodate bicyclists at the end of their trips is holding back the achievement of this worthy policy goal.

This is all very frustrating because it would be remarkably easy for the Bowl to support the proper parking and locking of bicycles. Properly designed bicycle parking can accommodate 8 to 12 bikes in the space it would take to park one car, and standard U-shaped racks accommodating two bikes each can be bought and installed for around $100-200 apiece. Surely there is space somewhere on the Bowl’s property and in its budget for a few dozen of these racks.

If you require more information about how to provide proper bicycle parking, I recommend consulting the Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals’ “Bicycle Parking Guidelines” (available at http://goo.gl/k3KOl), which contains standards for the shape, spacing and siting of bike racks. It would also be a good idea to review the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s guidelines for bike parking (http://goo.gl/vXOBY). It is key that any new bike racks allow for the frame — not just the wheel — of the bicycle to be locked, and that they not require the bicycle to be lifted off the ground.

It is my sincere hope that the management of the Bowl take this problem seriously and work in good faith to address it. I look forward to many more years of riding my bike to events and being treated with the same respect and dignity as any other Bowl patron.

Niall offered the following update on Tuesday:

UPDATE (7/16/13 5:19 pm): I’m told the Bowl provides a sweet bike rack to its employees and that there’s at least one bike commuter in their marketing department who’s working on improving the bike parking for event patrons, including discussing the possibility of having the LA County Bicycle Coalition coordinate a bike valet. Good to hear things may be getting better!

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On a sadder subject, I’ve gotten a report that another bicyclist has died in Pasadena. However, I haven’t been able to get any confirmation yet; let’s hope it’s not true. And offer a few prayers just in case.

Category: General, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Because every child has a right to grow up

July 15, 2013 / / 8 comments

This is so not what I want to write about.

I’ve been working on another post, taking on so-called futurist Syd Mead, who somehow can’t seem to envision a future with bikes in it.

And typically, complains about empty unused bike lanes. Yet in the next breath, worries about cars unable to turn right because of all the bikes blocking their path.

Sometimes they just make it too easy.

But frankly, my heart’s just not in it.

Not tonight.

Because tonight my heart is weighed down by Skittles and tea, bumpers and guns; badly broken by a world where too many children lose their lives before they can get back home.

Yes, I’m talking about Trayvon Martin.

But I’m also talking about Horacio Pineda.

And Alex Romero.

And Danny Marin.

And Shantrel Williams.

And Jonathon Fernandez.

And Jeremy Perez.

And Joseph Parra.

And Roger Lewis.

And David Granados.

And Jonathon Hernandez.

All were 18-years old or younger when the life was crushed out of them by the bumper of a car. Or under a bus or truck.

In some cases, the driver was at fault. In some, the rider.

And in some, we’ll never know.

And those are just the one from Los Angeles County in the last three years. And only those who died in collisions.

The numbers would jump considerably if we added those who died from falls or trains or solo collisions. Or other SoCal counties outside LA.

Or gun violence while riding their bikes.

Like Martin, they had no idea when they left home they’d never return again. Or that the next time their parents and loved ones would say goodbye, it would be forever.

In his case, he went out for some Skittles and an iced tea.

The others were out with friends or running errands. Or just, you know, riding their bikes.

Like many others, I’m troubled by the Zimmerman verdict. Just as I am all the drivers who get off after killing a bike rider, or get just a slap on the wrist while their victims get the death penalty.

Or never face charges at all. If they’re ever found, for that matter.

I can’t say if he deserved to be convicted. I wasn’t in the courtroom; the only evidence I saw was what was presented on TV.

If you really want my opinion — and God knows, I don’t know why you would  in this case — he’s responsible for everything that happened once he ignored police instructions to stay out of it.

But I wasn’t there.

And unless your name is Zimmerman, neither were you.

What I do know is that far too many children are dying on our streets, victims of guns and gangs and cars and predators. And if we are ever to succeed as a civil society, it has to stop.

Now.

The Netherlands were once as car centric a nation as we are.

But the Stop de Kindermoord (stop the child murder) movement led to dramatic changes in transportation and society that gave a higher priority to the lives and safety of children and other assorted human beings.

Because it’s not just children who are dying out there.

It just seems more heartbreaking when it’s a future full of possibilities that’s snuffed out.

We need something like that, right here and right now. Something that goes beyond just traffic to address all the reason parents have to rightfully fear for their children whenever they leave the relative safety of home.

And to keep those children safe from the countless boogeymen and women behind the wheel.

Or behind the trigger.

Because the most fundamental right of all should be the right of every child to grow up.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , ,

Update: Busted for going too slow? Or Biking While Brown in Gardena?

July 12, 2013 / / 23 comments

Update: Here’s video of the  incident. I wonder how many motorists are frisked or searched for weapons for a simple traffic violation?

Something tells me a white, middle-aged man like me would have have been treated far differently under similar circumstances.

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We’ll hope it was just a mistake.

On Wednesday night, a group of bike riders were on their way for a meeting with the Gardena City Manager when an apparently over-enthusiastic police officer pulled the entire group over. And ticketed them for a violation that didn’t apply under the circumstances.

From the Los Riders Facebook page

From the Los Riders Facebook page

Representatives of the United Riders, made up of members of Los Riders and East Side Riders, were on their way to city hall with relatives of hit-and-run victim Benjamin Torres in their continuing fight for justice in the still unsolved case. As well as  to discuss the issue of ghost bikes following the removal the memorial for Torres.

In the absence of a bike lane or other bicycling infrastructure, they were riding in the right lane, outside the door zone — as they are legally entitled to do — when they were pulled over by a squad car on the 15400 block of South Western Avenue.

According to the Los Riders Facebook page, they were told to sit on the curb while the officer waited for her Sargent to arrive with another four patrol cars in tow.

All for a handful of bicyclists riding slowly  on their casual cruiser bikes.

Maybe too slow for the officer in question, who, after consulting with her superior, ended up citing the group for impeding traffic under CVC 22400.

Yet according to the LAPD, the standard for impedance requires a minimum of five vehicles stuck behind the slower moving vehicle and unable to pass, which was not likely in this case. And it doesn’t apply on roads with two or more lanes in each direction — like Western, for instance — where a driver could simply change lanes to go around the slower vehicle.

Or bike.

Or group of bikes.

In other words, despite the presence of at least six patrol officers, including a police Sargent, they couldn’t come up with a valid violation to cite the riders with.

And it’s pretty well guaranteed that those six patrol cars impeded traffic far more, and far longer, than a group of slow moving bike riders would have.

Meanwhile, the riders eventually got to city hall for their meeting. And ran into Gardena police chief Ed Medrano, who promised to talk with the officers in question.

No word on whether the tickets will be rescinded, however.

Which brings up the question of whether the riders were really stopped by an officer who didn’t understand the law because they were riding too slow.

Or because they were profiled based on their appearance and attire.

That’s not a question I can answer.

But its one I wish I didn’t have to ask.

Thanks to Danny Gamboa and Lynn Ingram for the heads-up.

Impeding Traffi Ticket

Update: The five vehicle standard in found under CVC 21656, which also notes it only apply on two-lane roads; thanks to billsd for the heads-up.

Meanwhile, Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman offers a detailed look at what happened. 

Update 2: According to my records, Gardena has had at least three bicycling fatalities since 2010, including two in the last nine months — a horrible record for a town of under 60,000 people. And all of those were hit-and-runs.

They have far bigger problems than a few bicyclists riding in the traffic lane.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikes & the Law, Law Enforcement / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Things you see while you’re riding, bike-friendly Roaring Nights at the Zoo, and a happy bike riding kid

July 11, 2013 / / 5 comments

Most rides, you don’t see anything out of the ordinary. And others just take your breath away.

I’ve ridden past the hang gliding launch site above Dockwieler State Beach for a couple decades now, and never actually seen one in the air. Until now.

Let alone ridden alongside, so close I could nearly touch it.

Then again, maybe you could do the flying yourself on your next ride.

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This is what happens when I find myself stuck updating recent stories instead of working on my next post.

I get scooped once again by the ever-intrepid Damien Newton of LA Streetsblog.

Then again, this is a story worth sharing.

Roaring NightsBecause there’s a bike party going on at the LA Zoo. And if you’re over 18, you’re invited.

The Zoo’s Roaring Nights program offers live music, a DJ, stand-up comedy, food trucks and — here’s the best part — full bar service. Which means you can enjoy a beer while watching the bears. Or a martini with the marsupials.

Okay, maybe the second best part.

Because the Zoo is going to be LA Bike Central every Thursday for the next three weeks.

They’re encouraging everyone to ride their bikes there and leave their cars at home. Which means you could take a pleasant ride up the LA River bike path to the zoo on a warm and starry summer night. Or thanks to the 7 pm start time, make your way causally through the Griffith park area in relatively light post-rush hour traffic.

And you’ll find a free bike valet once you get there, courtesy of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, along with a special discount on admission for LACBC members.

You are a member, right?

WHEN:         

Thursdays, July 11, 18, and 25, 7:00  – 10:00 p.m.

LINE UP:      

July 11: Live band So Many Wizards; Comedians Rob Gleeson and Jonny Loquasto

July 18: Live band CHIEF; Comedians Francisco Ramos and Helen Hong

July 25: Live band NO; Improv comedy troupe

WHERE:

The Los Angles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027

The Los Angeles Zoo is located at the northeast corner of Griffith Park at the junction of the I-5 (Golden State) and the 134 (Ventura) freeways.

Biking to the Zoo is encouraged, and the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition (LACBC) will provide free bike valet for all of the Roaring Nights events.

COST:

The event is $18 for general admission, and $15 for members of GLAZA, KCRW, and LACBC members.

INFO:

For more information online, or to purchase tickets, please visit www.lazoo.org/roaringnights or call (323) 644-6042.

All events are 18+ and up. No outside food or drink is permitted.

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The carnage continues, as two Highland CA boys are seriously injured when the bike they were sharing was hit by a car after they unexpectedly rode off the sidewalk into the roadway. The six- and nine-year old boys weren’t wearing helmets, despite state law requiring them for anyone under 18.

Meanwhile, Ontario police look for the killer of 17-year old cyclist Horacio Pineda, but have little to go on.

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Patrick Pascal sends word that new bike lanes continue to spread across the city.

LADOT has finally completed the “last mile” of the Sunset Blvd bike lane!  For several years the lane ended at Douglas just west of Elysian Valley Parkway (the main entrance route to Dodger Stadium).  Today the reconfiguration was completed, adding (1) several hundred yards of bike lane from Douglas to Elysian Park and (2) a bus/bike lane continuing to Figueroa (where bike lanes into downtown were recently added).

While this project was modest in scope, it now allows a bicyclist to ride on bike infrastructure all the way from Hollywood to downtown.

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The LACBC’s Eric Bruin’s and Boulevard Sentinel bike lane hater Tom Topping talk road diets with KPCC’s Larry Mantle, with a cameo by Flying Pigeon’s Josef Bray-Ali at the end. Speaking of Flying Pigeon, their popular Spoke(n) Art ride takes place this Saturday, and they say we should call them neighborhood greenways, instead. Bicycling is thriving in South LA, even if NPR and the Bike League are just starting to catch on. That universal access playground they’ve been building on the bike path in Santa Monica is finally ready to open. West Hollywood wants your online feedback for their new Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Plan. Free bike safety classes are coming to Santa Monica and LA. Pasadena’s Municipal Services Committee rejects the city’s proposed bike plan, telling designers to come back with something more ambitious — including an east/west cycle track; Boyonabike calls it a sea change. LA Magazine offers a brief, mostly positive review of Calabasas bike café Pedalers Fork.

A Santa Barbara bike rider is killed in a late night collision; initial reports blame the victim. Professional mountain biker Matthew Slaven was shot in a Santa Cruz robbery on Monday. Santa Rosa becomes the latest city to pass an LA-style vulnerable user anti-harassment ordinance; thanks to murphstahoe for the heads-up. Is a bike path a success if most cyclists won’t ride it? A Palo Alto man is arrested for masturbating during the local fireworks show — while riding a bike, no less; the last line of the story is classic. A Donner Lake pedestrian was killed by a cyclist allegedly biking under the influence at 4th of July ceremonies. Dangerous days in Sacramento, as cyclist is intentionally rammed in a road rage attack, and another dodges a bullet fired by an angry driver.

The Bike League looks at Ride 2 Recovery through the eyes of a wounded warrior. A Texas right hook is caught on dashcam video. From wannabe Texas A&M yell leader to bike thief; can’t wait to see the inevitable Lifetime movie. A drunk hit-and-run driver is arrested for running down a seven-year old St. Paul cyclist. Now that they need cyclists’ votes, formerly anti-bike New York mayoral candidates are falling over themselves to be bike friendly. Evidently, the NYPD thinks bikes are more dangerous than cars. A Delaware rider is arrested for biking under the influence after crashing into a police cruiser. Famed open-source software developer Seth Vidal is killed in a North Carolina hit-and-run, his killer turned himself in on Tuesday; thanks to Monet Diamonte for the link. A speeding driver gets 7 years for killing a Florida man walking a bike.

Dogs chase bicyclists, so why wouldn’t a Yukon wolf, who stuck around to chew on the bike after the rider wisely bailed. A pair of experts put relative road risks in context while offering a polite smackdown in response to a paper’s call for licensing bicyclists. Calgary cyclists feel safe on the city’s new downtown cycle track. A UK cyclist is killed when he’s hit by a van during a local road race. A philosophical take on road raging anti-bike Twitter users, who somehow don’t seem to know what they’re saying. Wrong way Brit driver injures pedestrians before crashing into bus, so of course, it has to be the bicyclist’s fault. A writer for London’s Guardian says there’s no ethical case to be made for mandatory helmet laws. Meanwhile, London’s Mail manages to correct itself; the original headline located RAGBRAI in Idaho and called it a race, but at least they got the fact Lance will be riding there right. Pro rider Mark Cavendish is doused with urine — from a bottle, thankfully — during Wednesday’s Tour de France time trial; somehow, that didn’t make it into this otherwise all-inclusive animation explaining Le Tour in great, and very cute, detail. An international cycling classic just concluded in both Italy and great obscurity; no one even noticed an American won. I’m liking this guy more all the time, as newly installed Pope Francis calls on neophyte priests and nuns to give up fast cars and, yes, ride a bike; a Columbian priest actually takes him up on it. An Aussie man is told to stop buying stolen bikes, even if he is doing it for the right reasons. An Australian cyclist dies six months after he fell from his bike.

Finally, how could you not love this photo from the recent Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, courtesy of Red Kite Prayer‘s Patrick Brady? And yes, it gets bigger with a click.

How-To-Win-Races-And-Influence-People.sm_

Seriously, if you’ve forgotten the sheer joy of riding your bike, that smile is guaranteed to remind you.

I want to be like him when I grow up.

Category: Bike Cam Video, Bike Events, General / Tags: , , , , , ,

South LA Peace Love and Family Ride, closing of Passable Atlas, and Long Beach Sunday Funday

July 6, 2013 / / Comments Off on South LA Peace Love and Family Ride, closing of Passable Atlas, and Long Beach Sunday Funday

Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

The Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee meets at 7 pm on the first Tuesday of each even-numbered month; the next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6th at the Hollywood Neighborhood City Hall Community Room, 6501 Fountain Ave.

CD4 Council Member Tom LaBonge hosts his annual Tour LaBonge each Wednesday through August 17th.

Today, July 6th, the South L.A. Peace, Love and Family Ride for Childhood Obesity rolls from the corner of Manchester and Vermont at 8:30 am, with a family-friendly fair from 9 am to 5:30 pm.

On Saturday, July 6th, the Red5 Yellow7 Gallery hosts the closing of Passable Atlas, an exhibit by artists Sean Deyoe and Nathan Snider recreating four years of The Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Moment in Time, a weekly Wednesday night bike ride exploring far-flung areas of the city. The exhibit will be followed by a Special Passage ride beginning at 8:30 pm at 4357 Melrose Ave in the HelMel Bicycle District.

The LACBC hosts their popular series of Sunday Funday rides on the first Sunday of every month. This month’s edition is the All Ages Sunday Funday Long Beach Ride: Bike Local, Shop Local hosted by board member and Long Beach native April Economides on Sunday, July 7th. The easy family ride offers a tour of Southern California’s most bike-friendly city. Meet at Fremont Elementary at East 4th Street and Termino in Belmont Heights at 10:15 am, rolling at 10:30.

Monrovia’s Gem City Grill will be the site of Sunday’s Rock 2 Recovery fundraiser for our Healing Heroes, a 21-and-over benefit for Ride 2 Recovery, from 6 pm to 11 pm at 115 E. Olive Ave.

Wednesday, July 10th, the City of Alhambra is hosting a celebration of the much hated and unnecessary proposed extension of the 710 Freeway. The Eastside Bike Club invites you to join them in crashing the party to show that bikes are a viable form of transportation — and one that doesn’t need massive, community-destroying freeways. Meet at the El Sereno Parklett, 4910 Huntington Drive in El Sereno; time to be announced.

July 12 Bicycle Flyer_finalOn Friday, July 12th, Zócalo Public Square will host a panel discussion entitled Will the Bicycle Kill the Car, hosted by L.A. Times transportation reporter Laura J. Nelson. The panel will include LADOT bicycle coordinator Nate Baird, Art Center College of Design director of advanced mobility research Geoff Wardle, and Move LA executive director Denny Zane; oddly, a discussion of the future of bicycling doesn’t include anyone from any of the area’s bicycling advocacy organizations. The free event starts at 6 pm at Grand Park, across from City Hall at 200 N. Grand Avenue.

The High Desert Cyclists invite you to join them in biking to San Buenaventura State Beach on Saturday, July 13th. Choose from three rides ranging from 35 to 80 miles, followed by a post-ride barbecue, free for members.

Women riders are invited to take part in the Beach Babe Bicycling Classic in Long Beach on Sunday, July 14th, with rides of 15 and 36 miles starting and ending a Shoreline Aquatic Park in Long Beach.

Saturday, July 20th, the City of West Hollywood is hosting a Bike and Walk Workshop to gather community input on making friendlier streets, leading two simultaneous tour groups around town to point out areas for improvement and collect feedback. Meet at City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm; RSVP to Georgia Sheridan at gsheridan@weho.org or call 323-828-6357 by July 15th.

Anyone willing to make the trip to the Bay Area may want to head to Oakland’s Jack London Square on Saturday, July 20th for the third annual Pedalfest, a free celebration of bikes, cycling, food family and fun; the event takes place from 11 am to 7 pm. Thanks to prinzrob for the heads-up.

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Civic Engagement Committee meets at 6:45 pm on the last Tuesday of each month. This month’s meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 30th at the Johnnie’s Pizza at 5757 Wilshire Blvd at Museum Square. The meetings are open to everyone, and you don’t have to be an LACBC member to participate; email bikinginla at hotmail dot com to be added to the discussion list.

Here’s your chance to bike the famed Las Vegas strip and the surrounding Las Vegas Valley, with the 6th Annual RTC Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo Pinarello on Saturday, September 21st. The event will offer routes for riders of all levels, from a 17-mile ride to 60-mile Metric Century and a 103-mile Gran Fondo; the longer rides will visit the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Lake Mead.

CicLAvia returns to an expanded version of the original Heart of LA route on Sunday, October 6th.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , ,

Virginal new bike lanes on Washington, Rowena lanes are here to stay, and RIP to a 95-year old bike racer

July 3, 2013 / / 2 comments

Ran into a pleasant surprise on Monday’s ride. Or over it, more precisely.

I’ve been watching the repaving of eastbound San Vicente Blvd in Brentwood the last few weeks, anticipating the smooth asphalt and newly repainted bike lane that greeted me on my ride back from the South Bay.

What I wasn’t expecting was the new pavement I discovered when I left the Marina bike path on Washington Blvd, extending from Oxford on the west to Lincoln on the east. However, the real surprise was the virtually virginal new bike lane extending the whole way on both sides.

This on a street I ride on a regular basis, making my way a few blocks from the bike path to Abbot Kinney, as in the video below. And one where there was room to ride between the door zone and the traffic lane to the left — but which left me feeling at the mercy of speeding and/or drivers not content to share a lane that waas nearly wide enough for two cars.

Granted, I only rode it a short distance.

But for the first time ever, I didn’t feel like I had to fight for my space on the road. And riding on Washington felt, well, wonderful.

………

The results are in on last week’s prematurely called community to discuss the results of the Rowena road diet and bike lanes, just 90 days after they were installed.

Despite the usual bike hate — some from the usual quarters — word from Councilmember Tom LaBonge’s office is the road diet is here to stay, though it may see some “improvements.”

As long as he doesn’t try to improve it like he did on Spring Street, where LaBonge helped lead the Hollywood attack on the green bike lanes.

Thanks to Patrick for the heads-up.

Update: Velobakery offers a great recap of the Rowena meeting — including the observation that only one person spoke out against bike riders, despite what the other stories might have implied. Thanks to grrlyrida for the link.

Update 2: I’ve received a new PDF from CM LaBonge’s office correcting his position on crosswalks with flashing lights, and replaced the link at the top of this section with the new PDF.

Meanwhile, things may be changing in Pasadena in the wake of the recent death of Phillip O’Neill. Boyonabike reports that a new coalition has been formed to push the city to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians, and work for complete streets.

Pasadena is already one of the area’s most livable cities. Except when it comes to its streets.

If they’re smart enough to listen to the people who live and work there, it could be, as he says, the next great walkable, bikeable sity in SoCal.

………

If you haven’t read it yet, stop what you’re doing and read this viral blog advice to motorists, You’re Going to Kill Someone.

Do it now. I’ll wait.

………

Is South LA about to become bike-friendlier? Downtown’s Broadway is about to undergo a massive road diet to make room for people. Newly elected Councilmember Mike Bonin will replace outgoing Councilmember Bill Rosendahl as chair of the Transportation Committee, which should bode well for the city’s cyclists and transit users. Better Bike looks at the former Biking Black Hole’s baby steps to become bike friendlier. Burbank riders will soon get a new bike path — not lane, thank you — connecting the Lake-Alameda bike path to the Burbank Metrolink station. The LACBC invites you to an all-ages Sunday Funday ride in Long Beach this weekend. A Murrieta man is riding 10,000 miles to carry his father’s ashes to China. A Fresno writer asks why police concluded investigations based solely on the testimony of the one with the most to lose. Fresno residents say we’re the ones not sharing the road.

Bicycling’s Bod Mionske offers advice on how to take — or start — a bike traffic school. Surly suggests some things you might not need on your next ride; I’d argue that gloves matter, as anyone who’s ever had road rash on their palms could attest. The Christian Science Monitor says there’s a bike boom going on, in great length and detail. They may be right, as even Sioux Falls holds a ciclavia. Denver cyclists try out a temporary protected bike lane. Lance can’t ride the Tour anymore, but he can ride RAGBRAI. In a horrifying collision, seven bike riders are injured — three seriously enough to require life flight — when a group of 13 bicyclists on their way to Santa Monica are rear-ended by an Arkansas motorist. Dallas police are being sued for running down and killing a bike rider for not wearing a helmet. Minnesota AAA is now offering roadside assistance for bicyclists; no word on whether they oppose bike safety legislation like ours does. After his tandem is stolen, a blind New York rider is deluged with bike offers. Panic in the streets of New York, as Gothamites discover they’re at the mercy of uninsured bike share riders — and helmetless ones, too. In an apparent attempt to troll for web hits, the NY Times calls for a dialogue on bicycling and those ugly bikes clogging the streets. Meanwhile, the Times declares an end to car culture; a Houston writer says it ain’t necessarily so. Steve Martin — yes, that Steve Martin — gets his wallet back after losing it while riding in Pennsylvania. DC area Black Women Bike group raises the profile of cycling. Three years for a hit-and-run Virginia driver who had been drinking the night he killed a bike rider. Clearly, you can carry anything on a bike, even a stolen air conditioner.

How not to fix your bike. British motorists want bike riders to wear helmets and pay for the road; in other news, the bear does shit in the woods. Two UK bicyclists are killed by a truck on a roadway riders are encouraged to avoid whenever possible; they were on the first day of a cross-county bike tour. Brit bike share users may soon be able to don paper helmets. An Irish rider is nearly decapitated by a rope strung across the roadway; less a prank than an anti-bike terrorist attack. Welshman Geraint Thomas rode 90 Tour de France miles with a cracked pelvis. Why women don’t ride the Tour de France; actually, there’s another race going on right now. Remarkably, the cab driver who killed Kiwi pro cyclist Burry Stander will not face charges.

Finally, rest in peace to Gordy Shields, the record-setting 95-year old San Diego bike racer who passed away on Sunday following complications from a recent surgery. He may not have died riding, but if anyone deserves a ghost bike, that man does.

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

Update: Goodbye to bicycling’s best friend on City Council; Gardena hit-and-run, and Kevitt sent to rehab

June 28, 2013 / / Comments Off on Update: Goodbye to bicycling’s best friend on City Council; Gardena hit-and-run, and Kevitt sent to rehab

Best wishes to outgoing City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, who is being honored by the L.A. City Council today in his final council session.

In many ways, the city’s recent upswing in bicycling can be traced back to Rosendah’sl stepping forward in the wake of the infamous Mandeville Canyon brake check that sent Dr. Christopher Thompson to jail for deliberately injuring two cyclists.

It was Rosehdahl who famously declared “Car culture ends today.” And shepherded the creation and passage of the city’s groundbreaking bicycle anti-harassment that has been copied by cities throughout California and around the country.

Not to mention bringing then new LAPD Chief Beck to meet with bicyclists in the council chambers, leading Beck to promise the department would do better — eventually becoming one of the nation’s most bike-friendly police departments.

Those a just a few of the highlights of a man who has been the best friend bike riders have ever had on the L.A. City Council.

And one who will be sorely missed.

Best wishes, Bill.

But don’t go too far. This city — and the cycling community you’ve worked to protect — still needs you.

………

A Gardena cyclist was severely injured in a hit-and-run Wednesday night.

The collision occurred about 9:50 pm on the 1000 block of El Segundo Blvd as the victim, identified as Gardena resident Jessie Dotson, was riding to work. He was rushed to a County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in extremely critical condition with head injuries.

Police are looking for a 40 – 50 year-old Latino man in a dark colored compact vehicle, with damage to the front windshield and a 5 in the license number. Anyone with information is urged to call Gardena police at 310/217-9600.

Sounds like prayers, good wishes or whatever you’re comfortable with are in order.

Thanks to Jim Lyle and Lois for the heads-up.

Update: Not surprisingly, the victim in this case, Jesse Dotson, died of his injuries three days after the collision, on Friday, June 29th. According to the Daily Breeze, despite the description given above, police arrested 22-year old Vanessa Marie Yanez on suspicion of manslaughter, perjury, filing a false police report and felony hit-and-run. 

In other words, they threw the book at her.

Something about this case must have really pissed someone off.

………

Semi-bike friendly Councilmember Tom LaBonge offers an update on Damian Kevitt, the Zoo Drive hit-and-run victim who lost a leg — and nearly lost his life — after being dragged onto the 5 Freeway. He reports Kevitt continues to make progress after being ransferred to the Rancho Los Amigos National Rehab Center in Downey for intense physical therapy.

Meanwhile, the city continues to offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the heartless coward who left Kevitt bleeding in the street.

………

Cannondale offers a free digital magazine to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Tour de France; the Cannondale Gazette is also available for download on iTunes, Android and Kindle.

………

Streetsblog offers advice for Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti’s first 100 days in office. Is anyone really surprised that bikeshare won’t come to L.A until next year at the earliest? Downtown’s Broadway could get a “dress rehearsal” road diet. Metro plans to spread CicLAvia outside L.A. Celebrate Bastille Day with the Beach Babes Bicycling Classic in Long Beach. A new combination bike and coffee shop opens in Agoura Hills. Red Kite Prayer celebrates cycling’s iPhone moment. Fallen San Diego bike racer Jackie Dunn is remembered as a kind and caring person. How to report an idiot driver. Marin County is up in arms because two preteen mountain bikers rode off after startling two equestrians, leaving them and a horse injured; jerks, yes, but I’d be more upset if they were adults. Making sense of a Fresno-area cycling tragedy a year later. For the right bike and rider, a good kickstand can be a good thing.

Artistic Cycling is the hot new sport. How to beat the heat on hot summer rides. An Ohio man gets a $5000 fine and five years in prison for killing a cyclist while under the influence. A Maine cyclist was killed by being sucked under by the slipstream of a passing semi-truck. Tickets for cyclists have gone up 81% in Brooklyn since New York’s CitiBike bikeshare program opened; not surprisingly, CitiBike users don’t want to ride uphill. Meanwhile, a New York cyclist is ticketed for riding a bike. Someone stole a tandem bike from a blind East Harlem cyclist. An automotive website says NY police are focusing more on pedestrian deaths, and that’s a good thing. The Wall Street Journal’s wicked witch is back for more bike hate; read the annotated Cliff Notes version instead. Evidently, life in Gotham is cheap as a judge calls the death of a four-year old killed by a teenage driver fleeing police “a mistake;” yeah, I’d say. Vastly over-estimating deaths and citing a discredited study to argue in favor of bike helmets. Video shows a cyclist wasn’t responsible for the collision that killed him, despite a long distance mistaken analysis. No bias here, as a DC cyclist is blamed for causing the collision that put him in the hospital — even though video evidence proves he didn’t.

A Toronto councilor is ticket for running a stop sign that doesn’t exist. In a rush back to the 1970s, the UK pledges to focus more on road building and less on active transportation. The case of a British woman who tweeted that she had knocked a cyclist off his bike — and actually did — has been referred to prosecutors. A Bath paper asks why there been another wave of bike hate; seems to be a worldwide phenomenon. A Brit researcher says bike helmets aren’t a no-brainer after all. Sometimes patient drivers are as annoying as the other kind; I often try to wave drivers around to get ‘em off my ass. Seven reasons to visit the bike-friendly Venice of Belgium. Oops; a court orders former pro cyclist Michael Rasmussen to pay over half a millions pounds after he sued his former team for firing him.

Finally, how many times do we have to say it? If you’re riding with an entire mobile meth lab in your backpack, stay off the damn sidewalk, already. And don’t throw your bike at police when they try to stop you for riding salmon.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , , ,

Happy anniversary to me, support the Rowena road diet, bike bills move forward, and a hot mess o’links

June 27, 2013 / / 7 comments

Maybe somebody should bake me a cake.

Remarkably, it’s been six years since I started this blog, mostly in an effort to blow of steam in response to the city’s unforgiving streets and uncaring leaders.

I had no idea I’d still be writing it over half a decade, 1413 posts and well over a million page views later. Let alone where it would take me.

Or that those mean streets would be a little safer, with bikeways that actually go somewhere, and plans for more. And with more bike riders on them. Along with city and county leaders who actually support them, and us, most of the time.

As opposed to those who say they do.

Back in those dark days, it was hard to find stories about bicycling in the press.

But as you can see from the links below, that’s changed, too.

………

Come out to support the Rowena road diet in a special evaluation meeting—  held just 90 days after its implementation — at 5 pm today at the Silverlake Community Church; nice of them to hold the meeting at a time most people won’t be able to attend.

Let alone demand results when it’s still too early to tell.

………

AB184, which would extend the statute of limitations in hit-and-run cases, moves on to the Senate Appropriations Committee, while the three-foot passing bill unanimously clears a final committee vote before moving on to the full Senate.

And, based on previous experience, a possible third veto by our bike-unfriendly governor who’s likely to Jerry Brown us once again.

………

Both Streetsblog’s Damien Newton and Melissa Balmer of Women on Bikes SoCal politely ask the owners of the Daily News, Daily Breeze, Press-Telegram and Star-News, et al, not to do a hatchet job on us in their Summer of Cycling series.

Based on the tone they’ve set so far, I wouldn’t count on it.

………

The Westside’s incoming and outgoing councilmembers join forces to fix a dangerous intersection on the Expo Line Bikeway, while a groundbreaking ceremony will be held Thursday at 2 pm for the accompanying Westwood Neighborhood Greenway. Flying Pigeon describes Sunday’s Wilshire CicLAvia as a Sea of Tranquility; works for me. Anti-bike bias is preventing a more pedestrian-friendly North Figueroa. Where’s the controversy over the First Street green bike lane; doesn’t Hollywood film in Boyle Heights? L.A.’s much vaunted Bike Nation bikeshare program won’t hit the streets until 2014, at best. Metro profiles a streets maintenance helper who’s biked to work through the mean, truck-laden streets of the City of Commerce for the past 10 years, which trumps anything I’ve done here on the Westside. You’re invited to the 3rd annual South LA, Peace, Love, and Family Ride & Fair 2013 on Saturday, July 6th. A fundraiser will be held for Ride2Recovery to support wounded vets Sunday, July 7th at Gem City Grill in Monrovia. Zócalo Public Square will host a discussion titled Will the Bicycle Kill the Car? at Grand Park on Friday, July 12th; odd that they’d talk about bicycling without inviting any bicycle advocates. Claiming the sun was in his eyes doesn’t absolve a driver for running into a cyclist, after all. Bike SGV will host a Bike Train BBQ and Celebration on Sunday, June 30th. The Pomona Valley Bike Coalition invites you to bike and hike Fish Canyon Falls this Saturday. CLR Effect has had it with salmon cyclists and cell phone talking girls with one hand on the handlebars.

The Newport Beach Bicycle Master Plan Oversight Committee —NBBMPOC? Would that be pronounced Nubbumpoc? — meets at 5 pm on Monday. The San Diego Velodrome honors fallen cyclist Jackie Drake. San Diego’s Imperial Beach will soon get a bike path adjacent bikeway village. NYDOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan urges bold action to remake the streets of San Francisco. Probably not a good idea to crash into a motorcycle cop making a traffic stop. A planned bike path around Lake Tahoe moves another mile closer to completion. Sure, an Oroville man killed three people with a shotgun and set their bodies on fire in a stolen car, but at least he rode a bike back from the dump site.

The Bike League looks at laws requiring bike riders to use separated bikeways. People for Bikes offers advice for successful group rides. Rutger’s famed bicycling professor John Pucher says riding in Seattle is worse than Manhattan. A Seattle public radio station asks if bikes could be part of the answer in disaster; all I know is, zombies can’t eat your brains if they can’t catch you — or if you’re wearing a bike helmet, for that matter. Turns out my hometown is first runner-up for most bike-friendly city in Colorado; tell ‘em to call me if they ever want to be #1. An Iowa man survives 28 years in the Marine Corps only to be killed riding his bike. A writer bizarrely claims 100-mile group rides represent the Chicago’s craziest bicycling subculture; dude, it’s only crazy if you’ve never done it. A Chicago bike lawyer discusses whether you need insurance when you ride. Maine cyclists decry a pro-motorist bias. Seriously, do we need a stock report on the car brand driven by a hit-and-run driver embedded in a story about his New Jersey bicycling victim’s death? Bike funding is under attack once again, this time in Pennsylvania.

Bicycling is up an estimated 7% worldwide. Trek gets back into big time bike racing, buying the RadioShack-Leopard team for next year, which means we can now pronounce it trek instead of lee-o-pard. Aside from the headline, a Vancouver writer makes some good points about scofflaw cyclists. A sidewalk-riding Canadian cyclist faces hit-and-run charges in the death of a pedestrian. A London writer asks why drivers are in such a hurry to kill bicyclists. In the face of a nearly 20% increase in cycling fatalities over the last five years, it’s time for real government action in Scotland. Bicycling collisions are up an alarming 64% in one Indian state. An enterprising Japanese bike thief auctions bikes off before stealing them back.

Finally, a bike-hating victim-blaming Charleston writer claims you’re more likely to die commuting by bike, so let’s not do anything to make it safer or encourage it; actually, your risk of dying in a car is nearly twice as high on a per hour basis, so maybe we should stop encouraging that, instead. Meanwhile, Toronto police says doorings are like a sunny day.

And there’s nothing like flatting in the hood on the way back from CicLAvia.

Category: Guest Columns, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,
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