Tag Archive for bicycling

Today’s ride, in which I thank the LAPD

June 17, 2009 / / 3 comments

I try to always be courteous when I ride, and respectful of other people’s rights and safety. All I ask is that I receive the same courtesy and respect in return.

Which doesn’t always happen.

Take today’s ride. My route took my down Ohio through Westwood, before cutting through the Veterans Center on my way to San Vicente.

Just west of Sepulveda, the wide sidewalk along the north side of Ohio is designated as a shared Class 1 (off road) bike path. Maybe it shouldn’t be; it’s not a great place to ride, and many cyclists prefer the street. Personally though, I find it preferable to dealing with the drivers along that stretch who try to squeeze by too fast and far too close.

Besides, I almost feel like we have to use whatever infrastructure we have — however crappy it may be — or our good friends at LADOT will question why we need a new Bike Master Plan — again, crappy though it may be — when we don’t use the infrastructure we’ve got.

So when I came up behind a couple of pedestrians blocking my way, I slowed down and moved as far to the side as possible, then politely said “Bike passing on your left.”

No response. At least not from the guy blocking my way, though the other pedestrian further away seemed to hear me clearly. So I said it again a little louder. This time, he turned around, and yelled at me to “get my fucking bike off the sidewalk and ride in the fucking street.”

Now, I could have responded by pointing out that it’s perfectly legal to ride on the sidewalk in Los Angeles. But the stronger argument seemed to be that he was, in fact, walking on a bike path.

He wasn’t having any of it, though, He pointed to a brief stripe on the asphalt and insisted it was a bike lane. And again told me to get my “fucking ass off the sidewalk.”

Now, most days, I might have just flipped him off and gone on my way. But I’ve challenged myself not to make any rude gestures or swear at anyone — no matter how deserving — while riding for the next three months.*

Yeah, I wouldn’t bet on it, either.

Besides, I was damned if I was going to let some indignorant a**hole chase me off one of the few Class 1 paths on the Westside.

So I walked over to the nearby Bike Path sign, and tapped on the arrow pointing to the sidewalk. He responded by showing me the rare double bird. At that point, it was rapidly becoming clear that I might need to defend myself, so I squared up to him and said, “you got a problem?”

“No,” he replied, “but you’re about to.”

At that exact moment, we both noticed a police car driving by in the opposite direction. And like the idiot he was, he yelled out to them for help. Then as the officers made a U-turn and pulled up next to us, he walked off — leaving me to deal with them.**

They both stepped out of their car and asked what was going on. So I explained the situation as carefully as I could, pointing out the sign indicating this was a bike path, and saying I was just trying to ride safely and courteously when I had indicated my presence. And complaining that it was bad enough dealing with people who aren’t willing to share the road, nodding at the cars that passed by, without having to deal with it on a bike path.

The senior officer nodded, and said, “You know, some guys are just jerks.” And then added, “We’ll go talk to him.”***

So I apologized that they had to get involved, thanked them both, and shook their hands, hoping that my bike gloves weren’t too sweaty yet. Then I rode off, taking extra care to come to a full stop and signal for my turn at the next light.

I just hope the other guy showed them more respect than he did me.

Well no, actually, I don’t.

*And no, I didn’t. Today, anyway.
**Highly abridged version of conversation.
***Ditto.

………

Lovers of bicycle comics can come in off the ledge now — Yehuda Moon is back. Damien Newton fills us in on today’s TranspoComm meeting, which most of the committee evidently considered less important than the Lakers victory parade. The lawyer for the pedestrian-killing Swedish hip hop star wannabe wants us to believe he beat a Hollywood jazz musician to death in self defense. The Cycling Lawyer suggests how to cover your ass since American insurance won’t cover cyclists. Thanks to the other cycling lawyer for calling attention to a plot by drivers to block an upcoming Colorado century ride. London’s cycling mayor thinks mirrors on stop lights could help save cyclists’ lives. Looks like my old stomping grounds are becoming bike-friendly, just a few decades too late to do me any good. Finally, a former downhill champion discovers weed dealing can take you down faster a good mountain bike.

Category: General / Tags: , , , , ,

What to do when you find yourself head over handlebars

June 16, 2009 / / Comments Off on What to do when you find yourself head over handlebars

I recall reading once that the average bicyclist can expect one accident serious enough to require medical attention for every eight years of riding.

By that standard, I suppose I’m ahead of schedule. Prior to the infamous beachfront bee encounter, I’d passed through the ER three times in 27 years of riding. So that brief holiday in the ICU means I should be good for another six years.

You, on the other hand, could be another matter.

You see, one thing I’ve learned over the years is that everyone hits the pavement sooner or later. No matter who you are, or how good you are. Or how good you think you are.

Then again, maybe you’re the exception. Maybe some other poor schmuck will take your fall for you, balancing the cosmic books and enabling you to ride off into the sunset accident free.

I wouldn’t count on it, though.

So when and if the day comes when you find yourself getting intimately acquainted with the asphalt, try to learn from my hard-earned experience.

These few tips won’t keep you from getting hurt, but they could keep you from making things worse. And help you get back in the saddle that much sooner.

Stay down

Remember when dad told you to just shake it off? Great advice when you’re six years old and take a tumble; not so good when you’ve just taken a spill that would score a 10 from the Russian judges. Just make sure you’re out of traffic or other danger zones, then sit or lie down until help arrives — or at least long enough to make sure getting up is the right thing to do.

Take a quick inventory

While you’re down there, take a moment to make sure all the parts are still attached, facing the right way and still work properly. Fingers don’t flex? Leg has an odd bend that wasn’t there before? Probably not a good sign.

Assume you’re hurt

After an accident, your body gets flooded with enough feel-good and pain-killing chemicals to stock your local pharmacy. But it’s not every day you can pull off a wipeout worthy of a SportsCenter highlight reel and escape without a scratch. So assume that something is wrong, and you just don’t know it yet. Chances are, you’ll be right.

Listen to strangers

Other people can see what you can’t and they’re probably thinking a lot more clearly. So pay attention if someone tries to tell you that you’re hurt. I once wiped out on a high-speed turn and slid across six lanes of traffic, breaking my elbow and skinning my right side from ankle to chin. I just wanted to get back on my mangled bike and finish my ride; instead, a good Samaritan wisely insisted on driving me to the hospital.

Trust authority

Odd advice coming from an old rabble-rouser like me, but however it may seem at the time, the men and women in uniform really are there to help — and unlike you in your current state, they actually know what they’re doing. So if they think you should go to the hospital, go. Your life just might depend on it; mine probably did.

Be prepared

Never ride without a current ID and emergency contact numbers, as well as your insurance card — or at least your group and policy numbers. And pack a cell phone; you can use it to call for help, or someone else can call for you if you’re incapacitated. Or you could just answer it when your spouse/significant other calls while you’re in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, like I did.

Be ready to help yourself

Accidents have a nasty habit of happening when help is far away and there’s no one else around. So shove a first aid kit into your bike bag, and learn what to do if you or a companion gets hurt. (Hint: an inner tube makes a great sling or tourniquet, and can be used to bind a bandage or splint.) Visit www.redcross.org for a list of first aid courses near you.

Alex notes a new petition asking LAB to rescind Santa Monica’s Bronze Award. Stephen channels LADOT’s Dear John letter to the bike community, and notes that the Bike Plan has no clothes. Streetsblog calls your attention to tomorrow’s Transportation Committee meeting to discuss several major biking issues; Gary reposts the LACBC’s eblast on the subject. Will comments on Specialized’s new pre-fab ghost bike. Travelin’ Local joins in on Bike to School Day. Green LA Girl answers the burning question of where to recycle your old inner tubes. Columbia, MO bans the harassment of cyclists. SF Streetsblog reports on the Mathew Modine sans skid lid controversy. Vermont cyclist celebrate the World Naked Bike Ride, while Boulder’s police chief warns that participation could mark you for life as a sex offender. A San Diego writer quotes Mencken to observe that cyclists don’t need stop signs. And finally, even Seoul recognizes the need for better cycling infrastructure.

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Who runs this city, anyway?

June 12, 2009 / / One comment

Things are starting to get a little scary around here.

Lately, bicyclists have gotten a lot of support from the city council, from the passage of the Cyclists’ Bill of Rights — currently under review by the LADOT, which seems to be where good ideas go to die — to the repeal of the bike licensing program, which, after years of dormancy, had been revived by a few precincts of the LAPD.

Yet as Stephen Box pointed out recently, our elected officials don’t seem to have a lot of authority here in Los Angeles.

Council members repeatedly make motions instructing various city officials to take action. Then those motions are promptly ignored. Consider one of the examples Box cites:

Councilman Ed Reyes of Council District 1 introduced a motion that simply called on the Department of Planning to create a pilot project in his district consisting of a public workshop so that residents, bicyclists, businesses and others could weigh in on bicycle projects such as Bicycle Boulevards, Road Diets and Bike Stations. The input from his district which includes northeast Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium, Chinatown and MacArthur Park, would then be incorporated into the City’s Bicycle Plan.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

I challenge you to scour the proposed new Bicycle Master Plan to find one Bicycle Boulevard, Road Diet or Bike Station, though. Or any indication that such a workshop ever took place.

Another example he cites is Council President Eric Garcetti’s request for a pilot project to explore the use of sharrows on Los Angeles streets.

I just happened to be in attendance at the Transportation Committee meeting when the representative from the LADOT Bikeways department was asked for an update. And yes, she said the delay was due to liability concerns — that they were researching what kind of paint to use, so that cyclists wouldn’t risk slipping on wet paint.

Never mind that sharrows have been in place for years in San Francisco, and countless other cities around the world that get far more rain than Los Angeles. Or that they could just pick up the phone and ask UCLA what kind of paint they use, since I roll over sharrows every time I ride through the campus.

And no, I haven’t slipped yet.

Now they’ve delayed the sharrows project for another year. Maybe the council should let the Department of DIY take a shot at it.

Then there was the recent council meeting during which a number of cyclists — myself included — responded to the LAPD blaming the victim in the recent Hummer incident.

The council responded by drafting a motion, signed by a third of the council members, asking the LAPD to report back on “recent bicycle incidents recent bicycle incidents and conflicts between bicyclists and motorists, as well as efforts to increase police officer training related to bicycling activities and applicable regulations and laws.”

The LAPD responded by absolving themselves of any errors in the Hummer case, and concluding that the cyclist hit the Hummer — even though that meant the injured rider defied the laws of physics by backing into the vehicle at high speed, then being thrown forward as a result of the impact. Then, supported by that some representative of the LADOT, they informed the council that cyclists ride in a dangerous manner, and failed to provide information on any other incidents or conflicts.

And they got away with it.

They also seem to be getting away with failing to address the second part of that motion, as well. As you may recall, I attended the recent meeting of the Bicycle Advisory Committee to point out that the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition had developed the Law Officer’s Guide to Bicycle Safety, in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In other words, a national standard for educating police officers about bike laws and investigating cycling accidents, freely available to any police organization.

The committee responded by voting unanimously to look into the MassBike program. One member even took it on himself to reach out to the LAPD, LADOT and the mayor’s office in support of the program.

Today, he received a response from that same LADOT representative, stating that LAPD is “aware” of the MassBike program, and “possibly have implemented some of it into their training.” But that because of budget restraints, it was almost impossible to retrain and staff for such a project now.

If Los Angeles can’t afford a $15 CD containing the full program, or provide a two-hour, self-administered training session without extensive retraining and re-staffing, this city is in a lot worse shape than I thought.

I mean, I’ll pitch in the 15 bucks.

But how we could possibly afford two whole hours of a police academy instructor’s time is beyond me. Maybe the city could request some more bailout funds, or use some of that Measure R funding they’ve promised for bike and pedestrian projects.

And clearly, they could use some help, because they aren’t even sure who is allowed to use a crosswalk in this city.

But all this brings up a bigger question.

If the city council doesn’t have the authority to compel the departments that supposedly work for them — such as the LADOT and LAPD — to respond, who does?

And if the council isn’t running this city, who is?

 

Maybe the solution to biking infrastructure is just better signage. A letter writer in Salt Lake City suggests better planning to help eliminate conflicts between buses and cyclists. The Washington Post hosted a live chat with a local sheriff on the rules of the road. Milwaukee hosts a bike ride to honor wounded warriors. A bicycling Brit pulls a shotgun on a constable, then runs off into the bushes. Finally, a Philadelphia writer ponders how to make the city a cyclist’s paradise, and says riding on the sidewalk is mostly not legal.

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A whale of a ride

June 10, 2009 / / Comments Off on A whale of a ride

June Gloom makes me sick.

I mean that literally.

For reasons I’ve never really understood, the heavy, oppressive cloud cover that lingers over the coast this time of year causes major problems with my sinuses.

So I spend most of the month popping enough aspirin and decongestant fuel a minor meth lab. As well as struggling to cope with blurred vision that makes it difficult, if not impossible at times, to focus enough to read or work on a computer.

So if I haven’t been posting as much as usual, that’s probably the reason. Or at least a damn good excuse, anyway.

That’s also the reason why I can’t tell you whether the older SUV that nearly hit me after running a red light today was a Bronco or a Blazer. Though I could see well enough to observe that the woman driving couldn’t have cared less.

For some reason, though, riding usually makes me feel better. Besides, there was something unusual down in Marina del Rey that I really wanted to see.

Santa-Monica-450

Looking back from the Marina towards Venice and Santa Monica.

One good thing about the gloomy weather is that the beachfront bike path is virtually empty on days like this. As a result, this turned out to be one of the most pleasant rides I’ve had in ages, despite my aching head. And the fact that the clouds finally parted by mid-afternoon didn’t hurt matters, either.

Once I got to the Marina, I started walking, since bike riding is forbidden along the north side of inlet. With no idea where to go, I just followed everyone else, scanning the water as I went.

Nothing.

Pelicans-450Well, not exactly nothing. The views were beautiful, and while not exactly sunny, the weather was pleasant enough.

I was making plans to come back another time, when the reaction of the people around me made it clear that maybe I hadn’t missed out, after all. And sure enough, within a few minutes, the water rippled and a young gray whale just barely broke the surface before dipping back underneath.

Unfortunately, he seemed to be shy today.

That ripple in the water is actually a few inches of a 20-foot whale. No, really.

That ripple is actually the top few inches of a 20-foot whale. No, really.

While I was there, he never did more than emit a brief water spout or raise a few feet of barnacled back out of the water. Between his brief appearances and the slow shutter speed of my camera, I wasn’t able to get a decent shot.

But considering that I’ve never seen a free-range whale — let alone one this close to shore — that was enough.

And who knows. If I can make it back again before he packs his bags for Alaska, maybe he won’t be so camera shy next time.

Update: Courtesy of LAist, video of the shy gray whale.

 

Pedicabs may be making a comeback in L.A., if they can get around the ridiculous restrictions. Will samples REI’s new Bike Your Drive iPhone app, and documents a new bicycle land speed record. Brayj shares his response to the new Bike Master Plan. Flying Pigeon discovers imitation really is flattery. The Militant Angeleno notes that Metro could do a better job of indicating bike space on the subway. Rather than banning bikes, New York just resurfaces a popular biking route, making it impossible to ride. Texas’ new safe passing law is just waiting for the Governor’s signature. Two Tulsa cyclists are killed by an apparent drunk hit-and-run driver. A New York cyclist is dragged through Central Park on the hood of an SUV driven by a reporter for the New York Post — and you can guess what that Fox News outlet thinks about bikes. Finally, Marie Claire offers tips for picking up hot bike riders.

Category: General / Tags: , , , ,

A couple of milestones

June 9, 2009 / / 2 comments

180. And 365.

The first represents the weight, in pounds, that I could comfortably lift using my legs on September 11, 2007. But that was before I ran into a swarm of bees as I was riding my bike along the beach the next day.

That led to a couple nights in intensive care, followed by another three and a half months of forced inactivity. And that led to a loss of strength — particularly leg strength — and an unshakable goal to get back to where I was before the accident.

One year, eight months and 26 days later, I finally made it. Not that I’m counting or anything.

Last night at the gym, I lifted 180 pounds for the first time since my accident. And not once, but three full sets of 10 reps — and I felt like I cold have done more.

Which means I have just one goal left to accomplish in order to get back where I was before. I used to be able to climb any hill, anywhere. Then turn around and do it again. And again. Now that I’ve built the strength back up, I want get back the hill climbing ability I used to have.

Hopefully, it won’t take another 20 months to get there.

The other number marks the first anniversary since my mother-in-law — my wife’s stepmother — passed away, one week short of her 96th birthday.

It was a hard loss to take. She was the last surviving member of my wife’s immediate family, and had accepted me into her family from the day we’d met. And I don’t think either of us could miss her anymore.

It seems like it should be a sad day. But there was a year full of sad days before this one, and having lost both of my own parents, as well as my father-in-law, I know the first year is usually the hardest.

Although I’ve always been rather fond of this quote from Oscar Wilde:

To lose one parent… may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.

It’s not that you ever stop missing them. But after awhile, it just doesn’t seem to hurt as much. And it keeps getting a little easier with time, even if that ache never completely goes away.

We also take comfort in knowing she had a very long, healthy and happy life. It was, simply, her time.

It seems strange to me, though, that these two milestones occurred on the very same day. Maybe it’s just coincidence.

But to me, it’s life’s way of saying it’s time to move on.

And today’s another day.

 

With a nod to Arthur C. Clarke, Streetsblog questions whether L.A. sharrows are just science fiction, while Portland explores buffered bike lanes. Also from Streetsblog, more proof there’s safety in numbers, and a suggestion that following the rules of the road isn’t just for drivers. New Orleans is working on an interactive bike map that will include road conditions, as well as recommended routes. Vancouver cyclists get directional signs, just like real drivers. Two Calgary riders end up in the hospital after colliding on a local bike path. A 10-year old Colorado cyclist impales himself on his brake lever, which the local reporter evidently can’t tell from a handlebar. Also in Colorado, a woman who killed two cyclists while driving under the influence of morphine and barbiturates — and without her glasses, no less — gets sentenced to three years. REI offers a free iPhone app that lets cyclists track, view and share their routes. Brits can ensure their bikes against loss and liability, instead of hoping you’re covered by homeowners, renters or car insurance like we do here. Finally, an Oregon cyclist questions his own self-righteousness.

Category: General / Tags: , ,

Submitted without comment — they drive among us

June 4, 2009 / / 2 comments

A bit of web surfing the other day brought me to this.

Nothing too exciting. Just a nice little letter to the editor thanking a New Jersey Congressman for co-sponsoring The Complete Streets Act of 2009.

No, the interesting part came in the comments. Particularly three people who felt the need to share the biking wisdom they had evidently acquired through countless miles behind the wheel.

After all, who knows bike safety better than a driver?

I was going to offer my own comments. But really, what I could say that could possibly compare to this wisdom:

AviationMetal wrote:

I have some Safety Tips to share with the bicyclists:

1) You should have a bell on your bike to warn pedestrians. Shouting ‘on your left!’ is what the racers do when they leave the bell off to save weight.

2) Buy a rear view mirror for your bike. They have new mirrors now that mount to the handlebars with a Velcro strap, so you don’t need to carry a wrench to keep it adjusted. When you see a car in your mirror, move as far right as possible.

3) Wear a reflective vest

4) Buy lights for your bike. Even in daytime, lights add visibility, especially if you are riding in tree shade or if the sky is overcast. Blinking lights are better for daytime use, steady light at night.

5) Buy a basket for your handlebars. Even if you don’t carry anything, a basket will absorb impact if you crash. And you shouldn’t carry a bag in one hand while riding a bike.

6) Stop and look both ways before crossing any street, even if there is no stop sign.

7) Stop and wait for cars and trucks to go by before pulling out at any intersection or driveway.

8 ) Do NOT exceed 25MPH. If you go faster than 25MPH, you are racing your bike, and if you still have the owners manual that came with your bike, the warranty says ‘warranty void if the bike is raced’.

9) Wear Gloves. Cycling gloves are fingerless gloves to protect your palms if you fall off your bike. If you fall, you can break your fall by putting your palms down on the pavement.

10) Wear a helmet. I don’t put wearing a helmet #1 on the list, because it’s your last ditch protection after you fall from the bike. These other tips I gave prevent an accident, so you might not have to use your helmet.

11) Make sure the bike is the right size for the rider, and handlebars and seat are adjusted properly.

12) Make sure the bike has working brakes.

wooffie wrote:

Those were pretty good bike safety tips, and cost the taxpayers $0!

A couple more that are very important:

13. Ride WITH traffic, not against it. Pedestrians should walk against traffic, bikes NEVER. Riding against traffic is KID STUFF, grow up and pedal right!

14. NEVER PASS A CAR ON ITS RIGHT SIDE–THAT’S ITS BLIND SIDE–you’ll lose that one.

15. Drive like you would drive your car, only farther to the right. Anything else makes drivers nervous, and that could spell trouble for you. Keep everything calm.

16. Don’t be a wiseguy and go zipping past cars on the right at intersections and go through red lights. Obey traffic laws like the rest of us, and we will be much much less likely to hit you! We need you to be predictable, so we can stay the heck away from you – you’d like that, right?

17. Cars rule the road. Just keep that in mind and don’t cop an attitude, and everybody will stay cool and safe.

18. This is the best bike safety site I’ve ever seen http://bicyclesafe.com/

ugoddabekidding wrote:

Great safety tips. Here’s a couple more:

19) Men, don’t wear those stupid looking tight fitting biker outfits. They distract me from driving as I LMAO. Women, feel free to keep wearing them. It’s still distracting, but in a nice way.

20) Wearing a pointed aerodynamic helmet with attached rear view mirror is equivalent to wearing a pocket protector.

21) If there is a shoulder, ride as far to the right as you possibly can. If you like to ride with your wheels on the white line, do so at your own risk. I could never understand why bikers ride so close to traffic when there is a wide shoulder available.

22) If you like to ride two and three bikes abreast, the wise biker will always be as far away from traffic as possible while letting his friends take the risk of getting a vehicle enema. It is the responsibility of car and bike drivers to be safe, but the risk rests mostly on the bicyclist.

 

LACBC founder Joe Linton offers a reasoned critique of the new Bike Master Plan, and Curbed LA notes the anger among bike bloggers; meanwhile, Zach at LAist points out that here in L.A., paint on the street doesn’t seem to be a priority. Mikey Walley joins the chorus of cyclists decrying Santa Monica’s bronze award from the LAB; Metblogs picks up the story. In the wake of the crash that almost cost Denis Menchov the Giro, VeloNews explains who decides what’s safe. Reuters covers those fashionable New York cyclists. A workshop by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition helps cyclists trim risk. And finally, a Miltipas police officer employs his vast experience with accidents he’s observed — and yes, heard about — to note that the majority of accidents are the bicyclist’s fault. Yeah, no bias there.

Category: General / Tags: , , , ,

At the BAC, good things come to those who wait

June 3, 2009 / / Comments Off on At the BAC, good things come to those who wait

Eighty percent of success is just showing up.

— Woody Allen

Sometimes, it seems like the other 20% involves just sticking around long enough. At least, that’s how it seemed last night, at the meeting of the city’s Bike Advisory Committee.

Other than the council members themselves, there was only a small turnout — most of whom were there to discuss the many failings of the Bicycle Master Plan. And most of whom left — some in anger and frustration — once the committee turned to more mundane matters.

It wasn’t like I didn’t have anything to say on that subject. But after hearing all the other comments on the subject — and the DOT’s representative swearing she didn’t know anything about it — I didn’t think they really needed my two cents.

Besides, considering the state of the economy these days, that may be my retirement fund.

I was actually more interested in one of the last items on the agenda — a motion from the council that had been submitted in the aftermath of the recent Hummer incident, and eventually signed by six of the 18 council members:

Numerous incidents have been reported relative to bicycle and vehicle collisions and aggressive motorists (sic) attitudes to law-abiding people riding bicycles. Complaints have also been raised regarding the treatment of bicyclists by the Los Angeles Police Department. It is critical that the City respond to these situations and respond appropriately.

I THEREFORE MOVE that the City Council direct the Los Angeles Police Department to report on recent bicycle incidents and conflicts between bicyclists and motorists, as well as efforts to increase police officer training related to bicycling activities and applicable regulations and laws.

It was the last part in particular that interested me. Especially since LAPD had already found itself blameless in the Hummer incident.

When the time came, I spoke in support of the resolution, pointing out that it wasn’t just a problem here in L.A. Cyclists nationwide have complained about police officers who are unfamiliar with the laws regarding bicycling and the rights of cyclists, as well as institutional bias against cyclists — or in favor of motorists, depending on your perspective.

Then I pointed out that Massachusetts recently became the first state to require that police officers receive specialized training in bike law, as part of their new Bike Safety Law. And asked why that curriculum couldn’t be adapted for use in training officers at our own police academy.

Evidently, the committee members agreed. They voted unanimously to endorse the resolution, and to put the MassBike program on the agenda for the next committee meeting in July.

Afterwards, I emailed a link to the MassBike site to 4th Council District representative Larry Hoffman, who forwarded it to the rest of the BAC, as well as the mayor.

So, a small victory. But a victory none the less.

And one worth sticking around for.

 

If you’re missing a bike on the Westside, the police may have found it in a Venice Garage. Alex Thompson joins the chorus condemning Santa Monica’s bronze award from the League of American Bicyclists. Matt joins in on the other chorus, complaining about the failure of the new Bike Master Plan. Stephen Box questions why LADOT’s redundant bike map business stimulates the economies of Portland and Seattle, while Timur examines the maps that currently exist — and there are more than you might think (good to see you back!). Bike Girl wonders where you keep your bike(s). A writer for the Times rides the L.A. River bike path, evidently holding his nose the whole way. Even Iowa cyclists get sharrows; maybe LADOT can ask them what kind of paint they use so we can get some here. Bicycling’s biking lawyer examines whether cycling is a privilege or a right. And finally, just wait until Rush Limbaugh hears about this — Bike Portland outs the new SCOTUS nominee as a closet cyclist.

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The L.A. Bicycle Master Plan — Imagine a great city. Or not.

June 2, 2009 / / 3 comments

Recently, I was going through my files, and stumbled across the this:

Thomas-Guide-Cover

When I moved back to Los Angeles — the city of my birth — a few decades back, my mother sent me the old 1951 Thomas Guide they’d used when they lived here. Why she kept it, I have no idea. Nor do I really know why I never bothered to look at it until a few weeks ago.

Inside, I found a few hand-written notes marking places our family had lived before I was born, as well as the usual lines and markings people make on maps, indicating routes they had taken and places they’d been.

I spent hours combing through every page, as if it was a personal message from beyond the grave, connecting me to a personal history I’d been too young to remember.

It also connected me to this city’s past. And as I looked through it, what struck me most was something that had long-since disappeared from L.A.’s streets — the many routes of a rail and streetcar system that had once connected virtually every inch of the metro area, as well as extending out to Orange, Riverside and San Bernadino Counties.

The legendary Red Cars of the Pacific Electric Railway, and the Yellow Cars of the Los Angeles Railway.

Thomas-Guide-2

It was, at one time, one of the finest interconnected mass transit systems in the world. Yet this particular map was notable for capturing a period that marked the rise of the freeway and the rapid decline of the Red Cars.

Thomas-Guide-3

Within another 10 years, the final passenger line was discontinued, and the Pacific Electric Railway would cease to exist — perhaps the biggest mistake Los Angeles has ever made, as we now spend billions of dollars to recreate a pale imitation of this once vibrant system.

Now the city is on the verge of another mistake rivaling the dismantling of the Red Cars.

At a time when L.A.’s bicycling community is growing stronger than ever before, and cyclists are demanding a greater voice in the political process, the city has tried to sneak out the much delayed Bike Master Plan by releasing it to neighborhood councils rather than letting cyclists see it — even those who have been deeply involved in the process.

Of course, cyclists soon got wind of the plan, since some serve on their neighborhood councils. And the overwhelming response was that the city had failed once again.

Instead of the bold plan that had initially been expected from the famed Alta Planning + Design, we got an underwhelming, water-down map completely lacking in vision.

No bold thinking. No bike boulevards — let alone bike boxes or even sharrows. No commitment to complete, livable streets that serve all users, rather than just moving vehicles in and out with ever decreasing efficiency. And most of the suggested new bike lanes, at least here on the Westside, came under the heading of “Proposed but Currently Unfeasible.”

It’s been suggested by members of the LADOT that Los Angeles is built out, and there’s no more room to accommodate bikes. But if New York — one of the most crowded and built out cities in the world — can dramatically increase their network of bike lanes, Los Angeles certainly can.

So instead of capitalizing on the momentum provided by the bike community and a rare opportunity to rethink, not just the nature of L.A. transportation, but the very nature of Los Angeles as a more livable city, we get yet another failure of leadership.

A failure that begins at the top, and works its way down through the bloated bureaucracy that actually runs L.A.

 

Liz points out the need for yet another ghost bike, as a cyclist is killed by a DWP truck in the Valley. While Los Angeles can’t figure out how to build, let alone pay for, biking infrastructure, Glendale proposes building a bike corridor using federal stimulus money. Bicycling Magazine reports on how L.A.’s DIY cyclists take the creation of infrastructure into their own hands — something likely to become more common, given the failure of the Bike Master Plan. Stephen Box joins the chorus commenting on LAB’s tarnished bronzes. JHaygood decides to take his kids to school in a Chariot. Flying Pigeon sponsors back-to-back dim sum rides. UBrayj casts a vote for the League of Bicycling Voters. And in Texas, the Safe Passing Bill is on the way to the governor’s desk.

Category: General / Tags: , , , , ,

An idea whose time has come — the L.A. League of Bicycling Voters

May 29, 2009 / / 8 comments

I’ve spent the better part of the last four months focused on politics here.

Not that I had planned to, of course.

But it’s clear that things aren’t going to get better for cyclists around here until we start electing more politicians who clearly support our right to ride safely. And the longer I waited for someone else to step up and ask the candidates about bicycling issues, the more it became clear that our local cycling organizations, such as the LACBC, had no intention of getting involved in the recent elections, even on an impartial basis.

So I did.

To be honest, I didn’t really expect anyone to take me seriously. After all, I’m just a pissed-off biker with a blog.

But much to my surprise, the candidates did. In fact, four of the six CD5 candidates responded to my request for comments in the primary, as well as both candidates in the general election. And three of the eight SD26 candidates did responded, as well.

On the other hand, the press didn’t. With the exception of Damien Newton at Streetsblog and Zach Behrens of LAist — both of which I highly recommend if you don’t already read them — I was unable to interest any media outlet in getting this information out to a wider audience, so that voters could make a more informed choice.

Throughout this whole process, though, I kept wishing that it was more than just me doing this, and thinking how much more impact we could have with an actual organization behind us. One that could host candidate forums and debates, endorse candidates and truly influence the political process.

And maybe even get noticed by the local press.

Then one day, I stumbled on this.

When Austin, Texas, passed a mandatory helmet law, a group of cyclists banded together to successfully fight it. And when the city considered it again a few years ago, these cyclists came back together — and the League of Bicycling Voters was born.

According to League President Rob D’Amico, not only were they successful in defeating the helmet law once again, they also helped create the mayor’s Street Smarts Task Force (scroll down) and have been instrumental in delaying a major planned development until changes were made to accommodate safe cycling. They’ve also played an active role in influencing the political process through bicycle political forums and volunteer work, as well as highly sought endorsements, and helped elect bike-friendly candidates in the last election.

And yes, the local press takes them very seriously.

As a non-profit 501c(4) organization, they’re limited in the amount of money they can spend in support of a candidate, but plan to form an associated Political Action Committee, which will allow them to raise and spend significant amounts of money to support — or fight — political candidates and causes.

Clearly though, much of their success comes from a membership that reaches across all aspects of the cycling community, with board members drawn from other bicycle organizations such as the Austin Cycling Association and the Yellow Bike Project.

Imagine what we could do here with an organization made up of cyclists from across the spectrum, representing groups ranging from the Midnight Ridazz to La Grange, as well as the Wheelmen, C.I.C.L.E, LACBC and the Bike Writers Collective. As well as any and every other group, club and non-affiliated rider on the streets.

An organization that could speak with authority and command respect from our elected officials, and get political candidates to address biking issues as an integral part of their campaigns. And wake the enormous sleeping giant of bicycling voters.

I’m in.

Now who’s with me?

 

Stephen Box takes on Metro, and the driver who forced his wife off the road. Streetsblog reports that our council actually wants to get cyclists more involved in bike planning, and leaks the city’s top-secret bike plan. The author of the Pedaling Revolution hits L.A. this weekend. Bicyling reports on L.A.’s DIY bike scene. A New York court protects cyclists by ruling that bicycling is a leisure, rather than sporting, activity. And finally, a Chinese inventor ignores classic advice and reinvents the wheel.

Category: General / Tags: , , ,

An idea whose time has come — waking the sleeping giant

May 27, 2009 / / Comments Off on An idea whose time has come — waking the sleeping giant

Here it is, over a week later, and we still don’t know who won Los Angeles 5th Council District. And from the looks of it, it may be a very long time before we know for sure.

But one thing is certain. Whichever candidate is ultimately declared the winner, we should have another friend on the city council. That’s because both candidates addressed local cycling issues as part of their campaign, and each pledged to support bicycling as an integral part of the overall transportation plan.

But something else is also clear.

As important as this election was, only a handful of eligible voters even bothered to cast a ballot. In fact, it’s a pretty safe bet that more L.A. cyclists voted for the loser of American Idol last week in last weeks’s election.

And that has to change.

The cycling community is the sleeping giant of local politics. Based on statistics provided by Bikes Belong, up to 38% of all Americans ride bikes — which means that as many as 3.8 million residents of L.A. County may get around on two wheels at least part of the time.

Even if we use the significantly lower estimate of 12.4% of Americans who ride bikes, that still makes cyclists one of the largest potential voting blocks in L.A. politics — certainly larger, and potentially more powerful, than many of the special interest groups who currently hold sway at City Hall.

And yet, we still can’t get sharrows. Let alone the respect we deserve from the LADOT — or the LAPD. Or our fair share of transportation funding.

It’s time to wake to that giant up.

Lately, some L.A. cyclists have been trying to flex their political muscle. And our government leaders are finally starting to take notice.

But we need to do more.

You only have to take a look at the streets of this city to understand the kind of cycling city Los Angeles could be — a potential that lead Bicycling magazine to name it a Future Best City for bicycling. And you only have to ride those streets to realize how little has been done.

If you’re not pissed off yet, maybe you should be.

Next up: Waking the sleeping giant. And taking back our government — and our streets.


L.A.’s best-named bike shop now offers an American-made alternative to Dutch cargo bikes, and a Pasadena firm introduces its new commuter bike. Gary nearly gets hit over the weekend, even while walking his bike. The Eastside’s Random Hero rides the Marathon route. An Oregon writer offers a half-baked attack on the Idaho Stop Law. Dublin officials support cycling, as does London’s mayor, who barely survived a recent exploratory ride. A recent incident in Boulder, CO offers a reminder of why we all have to be careful on off-road paths. A New York writer insists that cyclists should be licensed and insured, while an Examiner writer asks why we can’t get insurance. New Zealand police say there’s nothing suspicious about finding a dead cyclist in a ditch. And finally, New York’s latest Broadway hit may not win a Tony, but seems to be winning fans.

Category: General / Tags: , , , , ,
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