Tag Archive for bicycling

L.A. bikes the vote, kneejerk anti-bike bias rears it’s ugly head, and a massive weekend list o’ links

February 23, 2013 / / 3 comments

A busy week of bike meetings and breaking news meant pushing back a lot of stories.

So grab a cup and settle in for a full weekend worth of the latest bike news from L.A. and around the world.

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The LACBC provides responses to candidate surveys from 13 candidates for L.A. city council; surprisingly, some very bike-friendly candidates, such as Odysseus Bostick in CD 11, failed to respond.

Meanwhile, a writer for the L.A. Times offers a one-sided windshield-perspective look at the CD 11 candidates; I thought the Times had outgrown that sort of crap in recent years.

And I’m sick to death of people who don’t ride a bike stating with presumed authority that no one would ever ride from the Westside — or the Palisades — to Downtown when there are riders who do that, or its equivalent, every day.

I make the Westside to Downtown ride several times a month myself. And find it easier, cheaper, faster, more enjoyable — and yes, safer — than driving a car. But it’s so much easier to claim no one would do it than talk to someone who does.

As for the race for L.A. Mayor, Streetsblog offers video interviews from all five leading candidates. And the Times sort of makes up for their misstep above by getting them on the record for their stands on transportation issues, including bicycling.

If you want to do more than just cast a vote to ensure the city’s next leaders support bicycling — or any other city in L.A. County for that matter — come to the the LACBC’s Civic Engagement Committee meeting on Tuesday, February 26th at 6:45 pm at the Johnnie’s Pizza at Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd.

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Has it really been two years since L.A. adopted a new bike plan? The city is making real progress, but anti-bike critics remain.

LADOT considers floating bike lanes for Westwood Blvd, but an LA Observed writer with a terminal case of windshield perspective says those damned bike lanes are going to ruin the streets for the rest of us. Examined Spoke responds, while Boyonabike smells anti-bike bias.

Rampant anti-bike NIMBYism rears its ugly head at the Westside bike lane meeting, as local neighborhood councils and business owners came in with minds already made up and their ears closed. On the other hand, Rancho Park Online offers a surprisingly well reasoned analysis of the Westwood proposal.

Meanwhile, Eagle Rock business owners question whether bike lanes are good or bad for business; that pretty much depends on whether their business can benefit from bike riders’ money. The Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council says keep bike lanes off Lankershim and put them on Vineland, instead; if you want to see a perfect example of irrational anti-bike bias, read the comments — seriously, elitist bike Nazis? And NoHoArtsDistrict tries to get the facts straight.

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In one of the most outrageous cases in recent memory, a Buenos Aires driver runs down a cyclist, then flees with his victim’s body still on the hood of his car for 17 kilometers — 10.5 miles — until he’s stopped at a toll both.

And when the attendant pointed out he had a body on his car, he responded “Does that mean you’re going to charge me twice?”

Thanks to Ralph Durham for the heads-up.

Meanwhile, closer to home, the Glendale News-Press finally reports on last Sunday’s horrible hit-and-run collision in which a cyclist was knocked off his bike and dragged onto the 5 Freeway by the fleeing minivan; I’ve updated the original story.

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Even pro teams are victims of violence these days.

According to Cycling News, the Jamis-Hagens Berman team was on a training ride outside otherwise bike-friendly Tucson when a car pulled up next to them and the driver started swearing at them.

The car then swerved into the lead riders before speeding off, causing the riders to crash; fortunately, no one was seriously injured. And just as fortunately, the team car was following the paceline and managed to get photos of the driver’s license plate.

Hopefully, there will be an arrest — and serious charges — soon.

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KNBC-4 recommends the LACBC’s ‘80s Bike Prom this Saturday, as do I; if I wasn’t still keeping a close eye on my wife thanks to her foot-dragging insurance company, I’d be there myself. Streetsblog is hosting a fundraiser with outgoing councilmember Bill Rosendahl the same night. A Midwestern transplant discovers you can bike in L.A. without dying, and borrows this blog’s name in the process. Here’s your map for April’s CicLAvia to the Sea; there will be a community meeting to discuss it next Thursday. New pavement and bike lanes for Cypress Park. Burbank adopts its new general plan; naturally, the only no vote came because the plan includes a bigger bike network. Universal Studios will fund projects to alleviate Burbank traffic caused by their expansion, and extend the L.A. River bike path they’ve long tried to block. Long Beach wants to help you become a street savvy cyclist.

A La Habra teen is stabbed by two men for his bike. Huntington Beach plans to widen Atlanta Avenue and add bike lanes in both direction; hopefully they won’t follow the murderous OC pattern of striping wide lanes to encourage more speeding drivers. A Coronado driver says yes, it is my job to make you obey the law. Not so fast on those new bike lanes on the Coast Highway in Leucadia. San Diego plans to add bike lanes and sidewalks to fix a dangerous stretch of road in San Ysidro. Temecula’s Sarah Hammer takes gold in the women’s individual pursuit at the World Championships. This has got to be the crappiest name ever for a bike ride; no, I mean literally. Camarillo adds two miles of bike lanes. Cambria riders push Caltrans to fix the damage they did to one of California’s favorite riding routes. Turn any shoes into cleated bike shoes. Cyclists on San Francisco’s King Street are at the mercy of cars once the bike lane ends mid-block. San Francisco police bust a fugitive sex offender for riding on the sidewalk. Supporters of a fallen Oroville cyclist says it’s time to end hit-and-runs.

The man whose name graces my bike says he wants to get back into the business; makes sense since he’s now America’s only Tour de France winner. Not surprisingly, traffic fatalities rose nationwide in 2012. The USDOT questions whether dead cyclists and pedestrians count enough to count. L.A.-style bicyclist anti-harassment laws are spreading nationwide. Dave Moulton says lighter isn’t always better. Ninety members of my old fraternity plan to bike across the county to raise awareness for disabilities this summer. Sorry Wired, fat bikes don’t huck and bikes can’t outrun wolves. Washington considers a $25 fee on the sale of any bike over $500; even the woman who wrote the bill doesn’t support it. A bike rider is killed by a train because a Utah driver couldn’t be bothered to clean the frost off her windshield. Rocky Mountain National Park considers its first off-road bike trails. If you’re stopped for biking under the influence on your birthday, it’s probably not a good idea to celebrate by strangling the cop. A Chicago newsman panics over planned bikeways and bus lanes on the Loop. Now that’s more like it, as an Indiana driver gets 18 years for killing two teenage bike riders after smoking meth. New York plans a crackdown on bike delivery riders. Former Bogota mayor Enrique Penalosa says Gotham could be more livable. A Philly writer wisely suggests that instead of focusing on how to get women to ride, we should consider what works for everyone; Elly Blue says just invite everyone to the party. Bike safety goes down in flames in Virginia legislature. Wannabe Latin pop star Carlos Bertonatti finally pleads guilty in the 2010 drunken hit-and-run death of a Miami cyclist; Bertonatti faces up to 35 years, but it’s unlikely he would have changed his plea if there wasn’t a deal in place.

Once again, a study supports the obvious conclusion that lower speeds and separated bike lanes significantly reduce the risk of cycling injuries. Five lessons from the world’s most bike friendly city, winter edition. How to travel with your Brompton. Looks like next year we can look forward to the Giro d’Eire. A look at the five best Hollywood bike scenes from a Brit perspective, without mentioning Breaking Away, American Flyers or Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. A major failure of education and traffic planning, as English children are banned from biking or walking to school. A New Zealand writer asks if hi-viz makes you a target. Australia, which mandates bike helmets for everyone, also requires bike bells in an apparent attempt to help more angels get their wings. Adelaide police statistics show drivers are at fault in an overwhelming 80% of all collisions; thank God Aussie cyclists have their bells to protect them.

Finally, this is why some people hate lawyers. A defense attorney claims his client wasn’t impaired when she killed a cyclist, but only took the drugs afterwards — apparently to cope with just having killed someone while driving distracted at over 70 mph.

Or maybe you just need a little bike rap to kick off your weekend; the language may be offensive to some, including heavy abuse of the dreaded n-word.

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Thanks to Chris and the gang at the Westwood Helen’s, I no longer have a busted bearing in my bottom bracket. And neither does my bike.

If you’re looking for a great LBS, tell ‘em I sent you.

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

A bad year gets worse, as Redlands bike rider dies from injuries suffered in October hit-and-run

February 19, 2013 / / 2 comments

Last year was a bad one for SoCal cyclists. And now word is coming out that it was worse than we thought.

The San Bernardino Sun reports on a vigil held last night for Laura Lee Jones, who died two weeks ago from injuries she suffered in an October hit-and-run.

The 50-year old Redlands resident, who did not own a car, was riding her mountain bike east on Lugonia Avenue near Grove Street around 6:45 pm on Friday, October 26th when she was hit from behind by a car traveling at an estimated 45 to 55 miles per hour. The car, described as a newer black 4-door sedan with tinted windows, fled the scene without stopping; the vehicle reportedly suffered damage to the front bumper, windshield and roof.

The road narrows at that intersection, with the eastbound side going from two lanes to one just before Grove Ave. However, there’s no word on whether that may have contributed to the wreck.

Jones was in a coma for a month following the collision, and was unable to move or speak for weeks afterward. The paper does not give a cause of death, but says it is unclear if her death was directly linked to the collision.

According to the Sun, the collision is still under investigation; anyone with information is urged to call Redlands Police Dispatch at 909-798-7681.

If the death can be tied to the injuries Jones suffered as a result of the collision, the driver could face substantially increased penalties for the hit-and-run.

If he or she is ever caught.

Simply put, there is never, ever any excuse for fleeing the scene of a collision. Those who do should face mandatory homicide charges if their victim dies, since they callously and knowingly left their victim to die on the streets. And they should automatically lose their drivers licenses for life, since they have shown themselves unfit to be behind the wheel.

Jones’ death increases the final total of 2012 cycling fatalities in Southern California to 75, 10 of which occurred in San Bernardino County — which is about 75 and 10 too many, respectively. Fourteen of those resulted from hit-and-run collisions, with three in San Bernardino County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Laura Lee Jones and all her family and loved ones.

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

Update: Bike rider dragged onto freeway in hit-and-run; win Schwinn bikes for two this month

February 18, 2013 / / 22 comments

Maybe you can figure this one out.

A series of cryptic CHP transmissions suggest that a cyclist — or possibly more than one — was run down by a hit-and-run driver near the L.A. Zoo around 11:30 Sunday. And horrifically, may have been dragged onto the freeway from the collision site on Zoo Drive.

Initial reports indicated that an older tan or white van fled the scene after hitting a security guard while making an illegal turn at the Zoo Drive onramp onto northbound I-5; the guard was reportedly directing traffic from his bicycle.

A few minutes later, however, a report came of a cyclist trapped under a gray Toyota Sienna on the I-5/134 transition. That report indicates the cyclist was hit at the top of the Zoo Drive onramp, then dragged onto the freeway as the van driver fled.

However, there may have been more than one vehicle involved, as the report says the Sienna does not appear to be related to the Zoo Drive traffic collision.

Hopefully, we’ll get more information to clear up the confusion soon.

And hopefully the security guard will bounce back from what sounds like a truly horrifying collision.

Update: Five days later, the story has finally appeared in the local press.

According to the Glendale News-Press, 36-year old L.A. resident Damian Kevitt — not a security guard — was riding west on Zoo Drive when the driver of an older gray Toyota Sienna made a sudden left turn in heavy traffic and struck the rider. 

Kevitt became trapped under the minivan, and was dragged 600 feet — the length of two football fields — as the driver continued south on the 5 Freeway without stopping.

A comment below says the victim ended up in the 2 lane of the freeway, where a motorist undoubtedly saved his life by stopping to protect him as he lay in front of high-speed traffic.

The writer, who identifies himself as a doctor at County Hospital, describes Kevitt’s injuries as the worst non-fatal injuries he’s ever seen. And correctly predicts that he would lose a leg.

The paper confirms Kevitt’s leg was amputated below the knee, and that he suffered a number of broken bones, as well as severe road rash on his chest and back — injuries the commenter described as “bone deep.”

The News-Press says the minivan had a For Sale sign in the rear window, with the partial phone number 213/XXX-0776.

Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP Altadena Station at 626/296-8100.

Best wishes to Damian Kevitt for a fast recovery.

Update 2: A writer claiming to be Kevitt’s uncle posted this on a gun owner’s forum:

Sunday, Feb. 17th my nephew Damian Kevitt was the victim of a hit & run and left for dead on the I-5 Frwy in Griffith Park. He has lost his right leg below the knee and the left is in limbo as to whether it will survive. Both his legs, arms, wrists, and multiple ribs are broken. He has broken and missing teeth and very little skin left. This is the most horrible hit & run I have heard of short of it being fatal. Please help us catch this disgusting person.

I couldn’t agree more. Whoever could do something like this deserves to do serious time.

image001………

Okay, so I’m a little late with this one.

Schwinn is sponsoring a Valentine’s Month contest for bike lovers, in every sense of the term. Just visit Schwinn’s Facebook page before the end of the month — i.e., February 28th — and share your idea of the perfect rendezvous in their new Perfect Rendezvous Sweeps.

You could win a Schwinn Ladies’ Rendezvous and a men’s 4 One One bike, plus movie tickets and a gift card for your favorite restaurant.

Or two men’s or women’s bikes, if that’s more appropriate.

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That’s one seriously anti-bike animal, as a spooked horse gets loose and trashes a Bassett bike shop, trampling 45 bikes in under a minute. Nearby host families are needed for the San Dimas Stage Race. Exploring Canyon County with the LACBC and the authors of Where to Bike Los Angeles. Modesto police are looking for a strong-arm bikejacker. Napa High School students raise funds to continue a school bike club; every student who joins gets a bike, helmet and cleats if needed.

The judge rejects a plea deal in the Colorado horn-honking road rage case because the victims weren’t consulted; link courtesy of Cyclclicious. Fat bikes are taking over winter riding. Iowa considers a three-foot passing law; hopefully, their governor is somewhat more enlightened than ours. Rockford IL plans to convert abandoned railways into bike trails. Even in Fort Worth, roads go on diets and bike lanes go in. A teenage Massachusetts cyclist talks his high school into forming a one-person bicycling team so he can continue to compete. Evidently, biking to work doesn’t pass the national security test when you’re the new White House Chief of Staff. Drunken Florida driver kills cyclist, then sideswipes three cars before hitting a fourth head-on as he tried to flee.

Canadian man busted for riding a gas-powered scooter disguised as an e-bike. Bristol England police are trying to identify a mountain biker who was seriously injured when he came off his bike; this is why you always carry ID when you ride, right? How to get hooked on bicycling. Somehow, a Scottish boy gets his legs trapped in his bike. Confessions of a formerly arrogant Kiwi cyclist. A New Zealand truck driver loses his license for eight months for playing chicken with some unwilling cyclists, in full view of an off-duty cop who evidently failed to do anything about it for 40 km; thanks to Richard Risemberg for the heads-up. An Aussie driver runs into a cyclist, then gets out and punches him in the face. A British couple are killed by a pickup in Thailand while riding around the world; they had chronicled their journey on the blog Two on Four Wheels. A look at safe cycling in Kuala Lumpur.

Finally, a new laser GPS design promises to improve safety by projecting directions onto the road in front of you. And an Ohio writer asks why waste money on deer crossing signs when animals can’t read and won’t obey the law anyway?

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This might explain that awful grinding noise from my bottom bracket the other day; Chris at Westwood Helen's says my bike will be back on it's feet in no time.

This might explain that awful grinding noise from my bottom bracket the other day; Chris at Westwood Helen’s says my bike will be back on it’s feet in a few days.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Restaurant run down, cyclist collateral damage in Venice police chase; plus major Fat Tuesday linkage

February 12, 2013 / / One comment

A cyclist was collateral damage in a Venice police chase Sunday night.

Police reportedly spotted a pickup driven by a parolee driving too fast the wrong way on a one-way street just off the beach at Venice Blvd and Speedway. Following a short chase, the cyclist was struck at the intersection of Lincoln and Brooks before the truck crashed into the Wurstküche restaurant a few blocks away at Vernon.

Fortunately, the rider is relatively okay; the Times reports that he suffered a broken leg in the collision.

But these chases are getting far too frequent and dangerous.

And the next person to become collateral damage may not be so lucky.

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As hard as it is for me to admit at times, there are other issues besides bicycling in this year’s race for mayor of Los Angeles. Candidate Kevin James offers a detailed position on animal issues for of us who care about the city’s four-footed residents; I’d like to see what the other candidates have to say on the subject.

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Streetsblog posts video of Sunday’s CD 1 candidates debate; I’m told there may be a problem with one candidate’s responses. UCLA’s Daily Bruin looks at Saturday’s ride for more bike lanes in Westwood. Santa Monica’s first complete green street opened on Ocean Park Blvd on Saturday. Santa Monica College gets a spectacular new bike parking lot with space for 400 bikes — and skateboard parking, too. If you’re on probation and in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, maybe you should steal a cheaper bike. Better Bike is back to bug the Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills into becoming less bike unfriendly. Occidental College and NELA want your bike art for a gallery exhibition opening later this month. The Path Less Pedaled offers their typically great photos from their recent trip back to SoCal. The podcast of Saturday’s edition of Bike Talk hosted by the LACBC’s Colin Bogart is available online now. Cyclelicious reveals the face of a bike thief. Learning to ride safely with dead batteries. A cyclist is critically injured by a drunk driver in Fresno. As a cyclist, nothing scares me more than sharing the road with a cement truck; a San Francisco woman lost her life to one on Saturday.

We need more research on the effects of bicycling on the brain. Bob Mionske offers advice on dealing with the door zone. The Bike League forms a new Equity Advisory Council to reach beyond the usual voices. A 72-year old Scottsdale AZ woman is killed by a 20-year old driver in an apparent right hook. A hero Spokane cyclist saves a jogger from her attacker, then rides off without leaving her name. A Colorado woman is fined a whopping $100 after apologizing for running down a cyclist before running away. Chicago Tribune says Gen Yers are falling out of love with cars; maybe I’m younger than I thought. Ignoring all the available evidence, Illinois puts the brakes on a protected bike lane in Chicago by pretending they’re unproven. A Wisconsin man rides over 800 miles to visit friends in New Orleans, then gets run down from behind and killed just miles from his destination. Brooklyn is New York’s most dangerous borough for cyclists for the third year running. Dear Mr. Obama, give us another Ray LaHood, please. Maryland’s proposed mandatory helmet law would make cyclists less safe. A Florida cyclist commits suicide by car; the driver wouldn’t have faced charges if he’d stayed at the scene.

A cyclist is killed by a speeding ambulance in Guyana. A 16-year old UK cyclist tracks his stolen bike four miles through the snow to get it back. Dealing with anti-social cyclists. Sure, you could say one in five Oxford, England cyclists run red lights — or you could realize that means an overwhelming 80% don’t. Brit trucks drivers say bike safety shouldn’t rest solely on their shoulders. London’s Sunday Times says Strava is turning cyclists into dangerous speed maniacs; bike writer Carlton Reid says not so fast. That sound you hear is a Scottish politician backpedalling furiously when it comes to cycling targets. Israel lacks sufficient infrastructure to keep cyclists safe on intercity highways.

Finally, an apparently older writer says the privilege of driving is far too important to test drivers over 80 for cognitive impairment, and somehow equates getting dangerous older drivers off the road to Nazi Germany; thanks to Todd Munson for the heads-up.

And I thought I had a close call with a Big Blue Bus recently; this guy nearly lost his head.

Happy Mardi Gras! Throw me something, mister!

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , , ,

A brief observation on walking the dog, as it relates to dangerous drivers and surviving on two wheels

February 11, 2013 / / 2 comments

Let’s talk dog walking.

Or rather, walking the dog as it relates to dangerous drivers. And how that relates to riding a bike in the swirling cesspool of human interaction we call traffic.

Seriously, could you run over this smiling face?

Seriously, could you run over this smiling face?

Take what happened last week.

I was walking the Corgi a few blocks from our home, after dark, during rush hour traffic. The last building on the block we were on featured that 1960’s style covered parking in which the front of the building overhangs the parking spaces, with the sidewalk passing between the driveway apron and the parking spaces.

As we were strolling in front of the building, a car pulled up on the side street in front of us, barely paused at the stop sign, then suddenly pulled onto the wrong side of the busy street we were walking along and turned left, making a shallow U into a parking space just in front of us.

Fortunately, I was able to pull her back in time and took a quick step back myself, allowing the driver to zoom by without hitting either of us.

I was not, however, able to control my own reaction, calling him a jackass as we walked past and rounded the corner.

Moments later, though, the driver came running up after us on the dark side street we’d turned onto. As he approached, I moved the dog behind me and balled my fists, prepared to defend myself against the jerk who’d just threatened our safety.

Since we rescued the then four-year old Corgi a few years ago, we’ve developed an interesting dynamic. She’s taken it upon herself to protect my wife, and more than once has shown signs that she would fight to the death to defend her — even standing up to a coyote over twice her size that dared to walk through our urban neighborhood.

On the other hand, she’s also made it clear that she trusts me to protect her, lowering her guard when I walk her in a way she never does with my wife alone. And I take that trust very seriously.

Threaten my safety with your car and I’ll be pissed. But God help you if you endanger my dog.

What happened next caught me completely off guard, though.

He apologized.

He said he hadn’t seen us, and was sorry if he had frightened my dog. Never mind that he’d scared the crap out me.

No apologies for the dangerous stunt he had pulled — and probably not for the first time, since he appeared to live in the building. And no explanation how it was that he failed to see a grown man and a light colored dog on a well-lighted sidewalk.

I was still too angry to politely discuss the situation, so I simply accepted his apology, shook his hand and turned away to walk home, shaken by the close call.

The very next night, I was once again walking the Corgi when we ran into another, all-too-common situation.

We were alongside a large apartment building on a busy side street when a driver entering the parking lot paused to let us safely cross the driveway. However, that left the rear of his car extending out into the traffic lane, much to the chagrin of the driver behind him who was forced to briefly pause in his mad dash through the residential neighborhood.

So needless to say, that second driver leaned on his horn, blasting an angry rebuke that anyone might have the audacity to stop in his way, with no idea why it washappening.

In other words, he was more than willing to let someone else run us over if it meant he didn’t have to slow down for even a moment.

Never mind that he could have simply gone around the other car. Which is exactly what he did after treating us to his rage-filled car horn soliloquy.

And never mind that his honking could have startled the driver ahead of him, possibly leading to tragic results.

And there, in a nutshell, is the problem on our streets. Or one of them, anyway.

Too many of today’s drivers have lost any sense of the danger their vehicles pose to others. They feel entitled to their place on roadway, and have little or no fear of the reckless stunts they pull, having gotten away with them too many times in the past.

Even though getting away with it doesn’t mean it’s legal. Or safe, for that matter.

The problem is, you can only get away with something until you don’t. At which point, it’s too late for anything but the too-often tragic consequences.

Then there’s the sense of entitlement, to use that phrase again, that allows some — not all, but far too many — drivers to feel they have a right to move unimpeded along the streets. And that anyone in their way, be it other motorists legally slowing or stopping for a turn or to let a pedestrian pass, or a bicyclist in the lane in front of them, is committing some offense by delaying their progress by even a second or two.

I see it every day on the busy street in front of my building, as some speeding jerk lays on his horn because a car is stopped in the left lane, legally, to make a turn. Or slows down to safely make a right, rather than taking the corner at a dangerously high speed, as too many do.

Even though using a horn for any reason other than a safety warning is against the law.

And don’t get me started on the drivers who see a car stopped ahead of them, then whip around on the right or left without considering that there may be a reason why they stopped. Other than the other driver just felt like it, that is.

Like maybe a pedestrian or bicyclist crossing the street.

Which is why I politely refuse any invitation from a driver to cross an intersection in front of them unless I know for a fact that every other motorist in the shares their courtesy and inclination.

And yes, before you say it, there are countless reckless, self-entitled jerks on two wheels — and two feet — as well.

The difference being that a reckless cyclist or pedestrian poses a danger primarily to him or herself, while reckless drivers pose a danger to everyone around them.

There may be hope, though.

Some drivers get it when they see the potential consequences of their actions. Like the driver who apologized for nearly running down the Corgi and I.

Though whether that will keep him from pulling the same stunt next time remains to be seen.

Then there’s the valet driver I had a brief conversation with in Santa Monica last week.

I was riding past a large hotel on Ocean Ave when a car exited the parking garage right in front of me. And as too often happens, another car followed closely behind him, on a collision course with my bike.

So I yelled out a warning, and the driver came to a sudden stop just a few feet from my right.

He caught up to me at the next light, waiting to make a right as I sat on his left to go straight.

“Dude,” he called out, “I wasn’t going to hit you. I do this all day long, every day.”

“Yeah, but how do I know that?” I responded. “I don’t have any choice but to assume you don’t see me.”

“Oh.” He sat for a moment, letting it sink in.

“So, you’re just doing what you have to do to stay alive. Okay, I get that.”

The light changed and I rode on as he turned away, a little more hopeful than I’d been just a few moments before.

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Speaking of Santa Monica, still no response seven days later to the complain I filed about being forced to share a bike lane with a Big Blue Bus.

And that’s frightening.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, Roadway Courtesy / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Busy bike weekend — Ride Westwood, Ocean Park Green Street, Ride 4 Love and Ride Figueroa

February 8, 2013 / / Comments Off on Busy bike weekend — Ride Westwood, Ocean Park Green Street, Ride 4 Love and Ride Figueroa

Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK; this week features the estimable Colin Bogart, Education Director for the LACBC.

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.

A new support group is forming for people who have been involved in a bicycle collision. Everyone is welcome to share your experiences, gain insight and understanding into your emotional state and develop new coping strategies. The group will meet Saturdays from 11:30 am to 1 pm at 6310 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 401. Current LACBC members receive a discount. To learn more, contact Aurisha Smolarski at 323/203-1526 or email aurisha.smolarski@gmail.com.

The UCLA Bike Coalition and the LA County Bicycle Coalition invite you to join in the West Area Community Ride – Ride Westwood! on Saturday, February 9th at 10 am for a fun community ride to showcase existing and future bike facilities in the Westwood area. Did I mention a light breakfast and lunch will be provided?

Don’t miss the official grand opening of the new Ocean Park Complete Green Street in Santa Monica this Saturday. Santa Monica Spoke and the City of Santa Monica kick things off at 11 am in the Community Room at 502 Colorado Ave with cinnamon rolls, coffee and a review of the city’s Bike Action Plan, followed by pizza and a look at plans for the Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway. That’s followed by a 1:30 pm ride to nearby Ocean Park Blvd for the official ceremony, including live jazz and ice cream from Peddler’s Creamery, between 5th and 6th on Ocean Park.

Caltech Bike Lab is hosting a pair of free bike repair classes on Saturday, February 9th at their location on East California Blvd in Pasadena; evidently, the actual street address is a closely guarded secret. Basic Bike Maintenance and Repair will be discussed from 11 am to 1 pm, with Advanced Repair: Bearing Assemblies (aka How to Make Your Wheels Go Faster!) from 3 pm to 5 pm.

Also on the Saturday the 9th, the East Side Riders Bike Club is combining their Ride 4 Love with a ride for social justice in honor of hit-and-run victim Benjamin Torres. The ride kicks off at 12:30 pm at W.L.C.A.C., 10950 South Central Ave, riding to the site where Torres was killed in Gardena, before riding on to Gardena City Hall and back to the starting point. Highly recommended for a great cause.

Flying Pigeon is hosting  the monthly Spoke(n) Art Ride on Saturday, February 9th. The ride assembles 6 pm at 3404 N. Figueroa St, departing at 6:30 pm for a tour of Northeast LA galleries. The ever popular Get Sum Dim Sum ride follows on Sunday, February 17th.

On Sunday, February 10th, the LACBC invites you to join in on the Ride Figueroa to explore and promote planned bike lanes on Figueroa and Colorado in North East L.A. The ride meets at 10:30 am, rolling at 11 am, at Greayer’s Oak Part at Figueroa and Marmion Way; followed by a candidate forum for Council District 1 to replace bike-friendly Councilmember Ed Reyes at 1 pm at Herrick Memorial Chapel Lower Herrick Room at Occidental College.

L.A. Planning and LADOT kick off a series of public hearings on implementing streets in the new bike plan with the Northeast LA Bike Lanes Public Hearing on Wednesday, February 13th from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the Los Angeles River Center & Gardens, California Building, 11214 W. Exposition Blvd.

In an apparent attempt to increase divorce rates among cyclists, or possibly assuming that bike riders can’t get dates, L.A. Planning and LADOT will host the Central Area Bike Lanes Public Hearing on Thursday, February 14th — aka Valentines Day — from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the Caltrans District 7 Building, Room 01.040, 100 S. Main Street Downtown.

Flying Pigeon isn’t the only group hosting brewery rides these days, as Brewcyclers provides a beer doubleheader with a ride to Brew-Ligion Brewhouse and Aftershock Brewing Co on Sunday, February 17th. The 30 mile loop kicks off at Brew-Ligion, 39809 Avenida Acacias in Murrieta at 8:30 am, rolling at 9 am.

Also on Sunday, February 17th, the Eastside Bike Club rides to Stan’s Bike Shop in Monrovia, recently purchased by Eastside bike advocate Carlos Morales. The slow, family friendly ride meets at the new parklet at 4910 Huntington Drive N, rolling at 10:30 am.

If you’re as tired of cyclists and pedestrians being left to bleed in the streets as I am, mark your calendar for Tuesday, February 19th when the LAPD reports back to the Police Commission on hit-and-run stats requested by the city council; the meetings usually take place at 9:30 am at the new, officially unnamed police headquarters across from City Hall at 1st and Main.

Stand up for bike lanes on the Westside as L.A. Planning and LADOT host the West Area Bike Lanes Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 19th from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the Medina Parking Enforcement Office, 11214 W. Exposition Blvd at Sepulveda Blvd.

The Orange County Bike Film Festival screens from Wednesday, February 20th through Monday, March 11th; times and locations vary.

The series of bike lane public hearings wraps up on Thursday, February 21st as L.A. Planning and LADOT host the Valley Area Bike Lanes Public Hearing from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the North Hollywood Regional Branch Library, 5211 Tujunga Ave in North Hollywood.

C.I.C.L.E. hosts the family-friendly Wild, Wild West Ride through Chatsworth on Saturday, February 23rd, in partnership with Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch Englander. The easy, eight-mile ride meets at the Chatsworth Depot Metrolink Station at 10 am, returning at 1:30 pm.

LACBC will host the city’s first Bike Prom from 8 pm to midnight on Saturday, February 23rd, at the American Legion Hall Post 206, 227 N. Ave 55 in Los Angeles. Similar events have been very popular in other cities, so this could be the bike social event of the year — get your tickets early.

Also on Saturday the 23rd, the annual L.A. Chinatown Firecracker Bike Ride will offer a 20-mile route along the LA River for families and casual riders, and a more challenging 30-mile on city streets for more advanced riders. The LACBC will provide a free bike valet.

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 at Johnnie’s Pizza at Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd on Tuesday, February 26th; this will be the last meeting before the March elections. You don’t have to be an LACBC member to participate; email bikinginla at hotmail dot com to be added to the discussion list.

Registration is open for the 2013 UCLA Complete Streets Conference on Thursday, February 28th at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 120 South Los Angeles Street Downtown.

The Encino Velodrome begins an intensive six week introduction to track racing on Wednesday, March 6th, starting at 7 pm and continuing weekly through April 10th. Sessions cost just $10 each, or $50 in advance; 17301 Oxnard Street in Encino.

This should be a major party, as the infamous semi-official Wolfpack Hustle Marathon Crash Race takes place on St. Paddy’s Day, Sunday, March 17th, starting at 3:30 am at Tang’s Donuts, 4341 West Sunset Boulevard. Better start training now in case there’s green beer at the finish line.

Make your plans for the Malibu 7-Canyon Ride on Saturday, March 23rd with rides of 100 miles, 100 kilometers and 50 miles. The fully supported ride will begin at Zuma Beach, and pass through Latigo, Encinal, Decker, Mulholland, Little Sycamore, Yerba Buena and Deer Creek Canyons, with over 9,000 feet of climbing on the century ride. Early bird pricing is available through February 16th.

Caltech Bike Lab teams with C.I.C.L.E. to offer a series of free defensive cycling classes; the next ones take place on Sunday, April 7th and Saturday, June 8th at Caltech Y, 505 S. Wilson Ave in Pasadena. RSVP to bike@cicle.org with the date you want to attend.

The Classic Gran Fondo San Diego rolls on Sunday, April 14th, starting and ending in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood. If you go, make sure your taxes are done first, since they’re due the next day.

The next CicLAvia rolls out on Sunday, April 21st from 10 am to 3 pm, following a new route from Downtown to Venice Beach — or as Yo! Venice! puts it, from Dogtown to Downtown — along Venice Blvd. Future events will follow Wilshire Blvd from Downtown to Fairfax on Sunday, June 23rd, before returning to an extended Downtown route on Sunday, October 6th.

Registration has opened for this year’s LA River Ride, to be held Sunday, June 9th, starting and ending in Griffith Park. If you haven’t done the River Ride, I highly recommend it; if you have, then what are you waiting for?

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , ,

Yesterday’s ride, in which I nearly left a Big Blue load in my pants

February 5, 2013 / / 14 comments

Talk about scaring the crap out of a guy.

I was returning home from a quick ride along the coast, riding in the bike lane on eastbound San Vicente Blvd when I was Jerry Browned by a Santa Monica Big Blue Bus.

No warning.

I hear a large vehicle coming up on my left. And next thing I know, there’s a bus actually sharing the bike lane with me — without slowing down.

Not only did I not get a three-foot passing margin, thanks to our governor’s two-timing veto pen, but my position in the middle of the bike lane meant the bus passed me at less than an arm’s reach before I bailed to the right.

In a sense, I was never in any real danger; the whole thing was over and I was safe — scared to death, but safe — in less than a second, tops. But another foot or two to the right, and I might not be here now to complain about it.

And no, I haven’t filed a complaint with the bus company yet.

But trust me, I will.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Cam Video, Car vs Bike / Tags: , , , , , , ,

January was a good month, hero San Diego cyclist, Colorado bans bike ban and BMUFL comes to DTLA

February 4, 2013 / / 6 comments

Just a few quick notes to start the week.

………

There’s good news on the safety front, as January saw just two bike riders killed in the Southern California region.

While even one fatality is one too many, this is notable because January has been one of the worst months for cyclists over the past few years, with seven cyclists killed in 2012 and nine in 2011.

Maybe it was the unusually cold and wet weather that kept all but the most committed bike riders off the road for much of the month. Or maybe motorists are finally getting used to looking for riders sharing the road with them.

Or perhaps it’s just a fluke. Although it seems to have continued into the first weekend of February, when we were blessed with near perfect riding weather.

And that’s not to say that riders aren’t being injured; I’ve seen multiple reports of riders seriously hurt, both in collisions with vehicles and solo falls throughout the region.

But whatever the reason, let’s hope it continues. After the carnage of the last few years, with over 70 riders losing their lives in the seven county region each year — including unacceptably high fatality rates in Orange and San Diego Counties — we could definitely us a break.

Hopefully a permanent one.

Thanks to Eric Griswold and Ralph Durham for the heads-up.

……..

A San Diego cyclist is being hailed as a hero for rescuing a 14-month old toddler from the collision that killed his nanny.

The anonymous rider was one of the first people on the scene following the fatal collision, and noticed the child dangling from the straps of his stroller underneath the vehicle. So she freed him from the straps and pulled him away from the SUV, where he could get treatment for injuries including multiple fractures and a ruptured spleen.

Of course, it raises questions why police have not taken action yet when they say the driver ran a red light — in fact, she allegedly hit the nanny and child while they were walking with the light in the near crosswalk, pushing them across the intersection to the opposite crosswalk.

And initial reports indicated the driver said she looked up at the last moment and saw them in her path, which is about as close to a confession to distracted driving as you’re likely to see.

The SDPD has a reputation for blaming cyclists for collisions while ignoring violations by drivers. Let’s hope that doesn’t extend to pedestrians in this case.

Yes, there’s reason to show sympathy to the driver, who reportedly had just given birth herself in the previous 24 hours.

But maybe that’s why she shouldn’t have been on the road to begin with.

……..

Good news from Colorado, where courts have ruled that bikes cannot be banned by local governments.

The historic mining town of Black Hawk, which has sold its soul to legalized gambling in recent years, banned bikes from the only street connecting local highways. Effectively preventing riders from passing through the city, and blocking a long-popular riding route that I’ve taken myself many times before gambling was legalized in the area.

The reason the tiny, 100-resident town gave sounded almost reasonable, as they cited the high number of oversized tour buses on the narrow mining-era streets, saying it was in the riders’ best interest to avoid the area.

Even if they had to be forced to do so.

Of course, what that really translates to is that bikes slow down tour buses and make drivers actually pay attention, so let’s get them out of the way so gamblers can lose their money and fill city coffers that much quicker. And don’t even consider limiting the size of buses so they don’t pose as great a risk to humans who happen to be in the vicinity.

Fortunately, rational minds ruled on the state level, as the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that bicycles are a matter of state concern, and that local governments can’t ban bikes from any roadway unless there’s an alternate path available within 450 feet.

……..

Finally, hidden in the middle of that fisheye helmet cam grab blow is a blurry sign reading (Bikes) May Use Full Lane.

No big deal, really. Especially since it’s lost in the construction site at 7th and Figueroa in Downtown LA, where it’s unlikely to be seen by virtually anyone at the intersection.

But it’s the first one I’ve seen in the City of Los Angeles.

And hopefully, far from the last.

Bike May Use Full Lane Sign

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

Pigskins and Pedals (Super Bowl) Sunday Funday Ride, a Brewery Ride and free Mountain Bike clinic

February 2, 2013 / / One comment

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.

A new support group is forming for people who have been involved in a bicycle collision. Everyone is welcome to share your experiences, gain insight and understanding into your emotional state and develop new coping strategies. The group will meet Saturdays from 11:30 am to 1 pm at 6310 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 401. Current LACBC members receive a discount. To learn more, contact Aurisha Smolarski at 323/203-1526 or email aurisha.smolarski@gmail.com.

Flying Pigeon will host their monthly Brewery Ride on Saturday, February 2nd, starting at 3404 N. Figueroa St and rolling three miles to the nearby Eagle Rock Brewery. The ride assembles starting at 6 pm, rolling at 6:30 and returning around 8:45 pm.

Develop your mountain biking skills on the first Saturday of every month as CORBA offers a free Introduction to Mountain Biking Skills Clinic at Malibu State Park. This month’s session takes place today, February 2nd, from 9 am to 1 pm.

The next LACBC Sunday Funday ride rolls this Sunday, February 3rd with the aptly named Pigskins and Pedals: A Sunday Funday Tour of L.A.’s Historic Football sites. Meet at the world famous peristyle entrance to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 3939 S. Figueroa Street, at 9:30 am, rolling at 10 am for a tour of the city’s pervious — and possibly forthcoming — Super Bowl sites. The ride is free for LACBC members and a guest; discount memberships are available at the start of the ride.

The UCLA Bike Coalition and the LA County Bicycle Coalition invite you to join in the West Area Community Ride – Ride Westwood! on Saturday, February 9th at 10 am for a fun community ride to showcase existing and future bike facilities in the Westwood area. Did I mention a light breakfast and lunch will be provided?

Caltech Bike Lab is hosting a pair of free bike repair classes on Saturday, February 9th at their location on East California Blvd in Pasadena; evidently, the actual street address is a closely guarded secret. Basic Bike Maintenance and Repair will be discussed from 11 am to 1 pm, with Advanced Repair: Bearing Assemblies (aka How to Make Your Wheels Go Faster!) from 3 pm to 5 pm.

Also on the Saturday the 9th, the East Side Riders Bike Club is combining their Ride 4 Love with a ride for social justice in honor of hit-and-run victim Benjamin Torres. The ride kicks off at 12:30 pm at W.L.C.A.C., 10950 South Central Ave, riding to the site where Torres was killed in Gardena, before riding on to Gardena City Hall and back to the starting point. Highly recommended for a great cause.

On Sunday, February 10th, the LACBC invites you to join in on the Ride Figueroa to explore and promote planned bike lanes on Figueroa and Colorado in North East L.A. The ride meets at 10:30 am, rolling at 11 am, at Greayer’s Oak Part at Figueroa and Marmion Way; followed by a candidate forum for Council District 1 to replace bike-friendly Councilmember Ed Reyes at 1 pm at Herrick Memorial Chapel Lower Herrick Room at Occidental College.

L.A. Planning and LADOT kick off a series of public hearing on implementing streets in the new bike plan with the Northeast LA Bike Lanes Public Hearing on Wednesday, February 13th from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the Los Angeles River Center & Gardens, California Building, 11214 W. Exposition Blvd.

In an apparent attempt to increase divorce rates among cyclists, or possibly assuming that bike riders can’t get dates, L.A. Planning and LADOT will host the Central Area Bike Lanes Public Hearing on Thursday, February 14th — aka Valentines Day — from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the Caltrans District 7 Building, Room 01.040, 100 S. Main Street Downtown.

Flying Pigeon isn’t the only group hosting brewery rides these days, as Brewcyclers provides a beer doubleheader with a ride to Brew-Ligion Brewhouse and Aftershock Brewing Co on Sunday, February 17th. The 30 mile loop kicks off at Brew-Ligion, 39809 Avenida Acacias in Murrieta at 8:30 am, rolling at 9 am.

Also on Sunday, February 17th, the Eastside Bike Club rides to Stan’s Bike Shop in Monrovia, recently purchased by Eastside bike advocate Carlos Morales. The slow, family friendly ride meets at the new parklet at 4910 Huntington Drive N, rolling at 10:30 am.

If you’re as tired of cyclists and pedestrians being left to bleed in the streets as I am, mark your calendar for Tuesday, February 19th when the LAPD reports back to the Police Commission on hit-and-run stats requested by the city council; the meetings usually take place at 9:30 am at the new, officially unnamed police headquarters across from City Hall at 1st and Main.

Stand up for bike lanes on the Westside as L.A. Planning and LADOT host the West Area Bike Lanes Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 19th from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the Medina Parking Enforcement Office, 11214 W. Exposition Blvd at Sepulveda Blvd.

The Orange County Bike Film Festival screens from Wednesday, February 20th through Monday, March 11th; times and locations vary.

The series of bike lane public hearings wraps up on Thursday, February 21st as L.A. Planning and LADOT host the Valley Area Bike Lanes Public Hearing from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the North Hollywood Regional Branch Library, 5211 Tujunga Ave in North Hollywood.

C.I.C.L.E. hosts the family-friendly Wild, Wild West Ride through Chatsworth on Saturday, February 23rd, in partnership with Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch Englander. The easy, eight-mile ride meets at the Chatsworth Depot Metrolink Station at 10 am, returning at 1:30 pm.

LACBC will host the city’s first Bike Prom from 8 pm to midnight on Saturday, February 23rd, at the American Legion Hall Post 206, 227 N. Ave 55 in Los Angeles. Similar events have been very popular in other cities, so this could be the bike social event of the year — get your tickets early.

Also on Saturday the 23rd, the annual L.A. Chinatown Firecracker Bike Ride will offer a 20-mile route along the LA River for families and casual riders, and a more challenging 30-mile on city streets for more advanced riders. The LACBC will provide a free bike valet.

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 at Johnnie’s Pizza at Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd on Tuesday, February 26th; this will be the last meeting before the March elections. You don’t have to be an LACBC member to participate; email bikinginla at hotmail dot com to be added to the discussion list.

Registration is open for the 2013 UCLA Complete Streets Conference on Thursday, February 28th at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 120 South Los Angeles Street Downtown.

This should be a major party, as the infamous semi-official Wolfpack Hustle Marathon Crash Race takes place on St. Paddy’s Day, Sunday, March 17th, starting at 3:30 am at Tang’s Donuts, 4341 West Sunset Boulevard. Be sure to wear green — or better yet, ride a kelly green bike festooned with shamrocks and leprechauns.

Make your plans for the Malibu 7-Canyon Ride on Saturday, March 23rd with rides of 100 miles, 100 kilometers and 50 miles. The fully supported ride will begin at Zuma Beach, and pass through Latigo, Encinal, Decker, Mulholland, Little Sycamore, Yerba Buena and Deer Creek Canyons, with over 9,000 feet of climbing on the century ride.

Caltech Bike Lab teams with C.I.C.L.E. to offer a series of free defensive cycling classes; the next ones take place on Sunday, April 7th and Saturday, June 8th at Caltech Y, 505 S. Wilson Ave in Pasadena. RSVP to bike@cicle.org with the date you want to attend.

The Classic Gran Fondo San Diego rolls on Sunday, April 14th, starting and ending in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood. If you go, make sure your taxes are done first, since they’re due the next day.

The next CicLAvia rolls out on Sunday, April 21st from 10 am to 3 pm, following a new route from Downtown to Venice Beach — or as Yo! Venice! puts it, from Dogtown to Downtown — along Venice Blvd. Future events will follow Wilshire Blvd from Downtown to Fairfax on Sunday, June 23rd, before returning to an extended Downtown route on Sunday, October 6th.

Registration has opened for this year’s LA River Ride, to be held Sunday, June 9th, starting and ending in Griffith Park. If you haven’t done the River Ride, I highly recommend it; if you have, then what are you waiting for?

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , , , , , ,

Two sides to every anti-bike story — maybe we’re not two-wheeled pack-riding psychopaths after all

February 1, 2013 / / Comments Off on Two sides to every anti-bike story — maybe we’re not two-wheeled pack-riding psychopaths after all

If it seems like there must be more to the story, there usually is.

Take this one from Woodside, near Palo Alto, in which a motorist reported to the police that a group of about 50 cyclists surrounded his vehicle after he had passed them, punching and kicking his window and mirror. And evidently, for no apparent reason.

Those crazy cyclists.

Fortunately, Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious was as curious about the cryptic story as I was, and dug a little deeper to get the answers.

And found them on the discussion list of the Bay Area’s Alto Velo cycling group, where witnesses reported that the driver of a full-size Dodge Ram diesel pickup truck had deliberately brake-checked riders and run them off the road, blown diesel soot into their faces, and run stop signs to get away from them.

After passing one large group of cyclists, he got out of his truck to start something — then quickly got back in when he realized he was outnumbered by something like 50 to one.

Then called the police to report the altercation he started.

Which is kind of like a bank robber calling police to say the security guard was rude to him while he was making of with the contents of the vault.

Unfortunately, unless someone managed to capture his actions on video, it’s likely to end up as just another case of he said, she said, as police are usually reluctant to dig any further to get to the truth in a situation like this.

Which means a dangerous, aggressive and violent driver is likely to remain on the roads to threaten someone else’s life another day.

That’s not to say the riders are automatically blameless. Maybe one or more of the cyclists said or did something to provoke his wrath.

Like occupy space on his planet, for instance.

But nothing short of brandishing an automatic weapon — or maybe a small rocket launcher — would be equivalent to attacking a group of riders with a multi-ton truck.

………

LADOT will try to keep cars out of the bike lanes on Sepulveda with an application of Botts’ Dots; no, not the gummy candy they sell in theaters. L.A. finally learns to play nice with other cities when it comes to bike lanes. What does it take to get cyclists off the sidewalk and into the bike lane? By the time you read this, Pasadena will have its first bike boulevard, and L.A. still won’t. Caltech Bike Lab offers free bike repair classes this Saturday. CORBA is offering a free mountain bike skills clinic at Malibu Creek State Park this Saturday, and the first Saturday of every month. The Times explores the L.A. in a Day bicycle tour from Bikes and Hikes L.A. Santa Monica is remarking the beach bike path in an attempt to bring a semblance of order from decades of chaos. Malibu has $14 million to spend on PCH improvements, including bike lanes on the west side of town; unfortunately, where they’re really needed is on the east side. South Bay beach cities are getting healthier, in part because of bicycling.

California bike advocates are asking our governor to step up his support for biking and walking, which has been somewhat lacking up to this point. Calbike sets a bold agenda for 2013. The 2nd Orange County Bicycle Film Festival screens at the end of February. Bike lanes and sharrows should be coming soon to the Coast Highway following a unanimous vote by the Encinitas City Council. Cyclists give Caltrans a June 1 deadline to fix a botched repaving job on PCH above Cambria. Santa Cruz police bust five bike thieves in a single week — one of whom stole a bike as he was leaving jail on another charge. UCSF offers a mini-course on the Medicine of Cycling. A San Francisco supervisor says it’s time to do something about the bike theft epidemic. San Francisco’s new bike strategy could make it one of the nation’s top cycling cities. The owner of women’s pro Team TIBCO was seriously injured in a left cross collision last weekend.

Not surprisingly, people who bike or walk to work enjoy their commute more. Sometimes your legs come around, sometimes they don’t; either way, you usually get where you’re going. A New Mexico truck driver loses control, hears a thump and drives off, leaving an injured cyclist in his wake; no point in stopping to see what he hit, right? Aspen considers a 14 mph speed limit. Somehow, a Topeka driver manages to hit a salmon cyclist traveling in the same direction on the opposite side of the road. When you’re riding around the world, take a pass on El Paso. What good are bike lanes if Dallas motorists drive all over them? LSU police are ticketing cyclists in response to a whopping 27 bike and/or pedestrian collisions last year — and evidently, ignoring the other 587 collisions that didn’t involve either. A passing hero on a bike saves a Boston-area girl from drowning. Over 15,000 cyclists and pedestrians were injured in New York traffic last year, with 155 killed. Brooklyn businesses are up in arms over the loss of a single — yes, one — parking space to make room for a bike corral; if the success of your business depends on a single parking space, your problems go way beyond parking. Before you try to steal a bike, make sure you know how to ride it. A ban on U-turns across DC’s Pennsylvania Ave bike lanes suggests authorities are taking bike safety seriously. Rural Virginia lawmakers say their roads just aren’t wide enough for a three-foot passing law; far safer to let drivers buzz cyclists, right? A 16-year old cyclist is seriously injured in a Ft. Lauderdale hit-and-run. A Florida man gets his fourth DUI in the last 15 years, this time, thankfully, on a bike.

Exterior air bags could protect cyclists and pedestrians; not likely if they’re just an expensive option. Two Whistler BC drivers threaten cyclists in separate incidents. The criminal justice system is failing British cyclists; then again, the same could be said just about everywhere. Britain’s cycling minister tells bike riders to give it up, because the UK will never be like Denmark; but at least they have one, right? Danish pro Michael Ramussen is the latest to admit a career of doping on his way out. Children who walk or bike to school learn and retain more. A new monument will honor a Prague bike activist and others killed on the city’s streets. Aussie authorities let Twilight’s Robert Pattison off with a warning for riding without a helmet; want to bet anyone less famous would have gotten the ticket? Touring Kuala Lumpur’s largest city by bike. A writer says Japan needs a mandatory helmet law, but not for the reasons you’d think. Singaporeans have taken to bicycling, but will they ride to work?

Finally, what to wear the next time you’re riding with the crew of the Enterprise. And Lance Armstrong’s stepmother calls him a hypocrite, while Charlie Sheen says he’s “kind of a douche.” And Sheen should know.

Then there’s this, the very definition of heartbreak, courtesy of Martyn Jones.

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Category: Car vs Bike, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , ,
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