Tag Archive for bike lanes

Morning Links: Happy 200th bike birthday, US traffic fatalities jump, and DMV says no parking in bike lanes

February 16, 2017 / / 5 comments

If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t miss yesterday’s guest rant on why motorists hate bicyclists.

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Stop whatever you’re doing, and read this.

Hollywood Reporter editor Peter Flax has written a truly exceptional piece on the 200th birthday of the bicycle. Or the forerunner of the bicycle, if you prefer.

And the star-crossed German inventor who brought it into existence.

What is the soul of a bicycle? Is it a pedal-driven drivetrain? Or is it more elemental than that — a human-powered, two-wheeled machine that must be balanced and steered? These questions seem to underscore the doubts many cyclists have when they ponder Drais’ invention — or a modern e-bike. Is it actually a bike if it isn’t entirely powered by pedals?

Go ahead, I’ll wait.

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If you thought American roads were getting worse, you’re right. After a decade-long downward trend, traffic deaths in the US jumped to an estimated 40,200 last year — the highest total in more than 20 years.

The news is no better here, as California traffic fatalities rose at more than double the rate of the US as a whole.

Authorities blame increased driving, prescription drugs and distracted driving.

Then again, there could just more people of color on the streets. According to a study from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, drivers are more likely to stop for a white person in a crosswalk than they are blacks.

Or if they’re rich, they’re less likely to stop, period.

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Came across this piece from the DMV while researching parking restrictions in bike lanes.

As it says, a bike lane is a dedicated traffic lane, and must be treated like any other traffic lane. That means parking in a bike lane is clearly prohibited, just like it is in an HOV lane, turn lane, or the #1, 2 or 3 lanes.

Remember that the next time you see someone parked in one. Although you might have to explain it to the local authorities.

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More endorsements for LA City Council from Bike the Vote LA, as they call for re-electing Mitch O’Farrell in CD13 and Bob Blumenfield in CD3.

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After most Russian athletes were tainted by charges of systematic doping, they’re recruiting Australian former world track champ Shane Perkins to ride for them.

The UK’s Cyclist Magazine explains everything you need to know about Europe’s one-day classics.

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Local

After years of discussion, Metro approves a budget for a Bike Hub at Union Station.

CiclaValley goes riding in Griffith Park.

The Monterey Park Police Department is the latest to step up enforcement of violations that can lead to serious injuries to bike riders and pedestrians. Observe the usual protocol today; ride to the letter of the law until you cross the city limits.

A new survey says Agoura Hills residents like bike lanes, but they hate traffic.

Redondo Beach considers beautifying the bike path at the north entrance to town with drought-resistant plants, as well as widening it to accommodate more people on foot.

 

State

Even tiny Joshua Tree is about to get its first bike lane. Although putting it behind traditional angled parking is just asking for trouble; back-in angled parking would be much safer.

Santa Barbara police blame a bike rider for colliding with a car, saying he gained too much speed coming out of a driveway; fortunately, he seemed okay other than some road rash.

A Fresno rider calls for improving the relationship between motorists and cyclists.

San Jose’s traffic columnist explains what sharrows are, but misses the opportunity to explain what they mean.

More sad news from Northern California, where a 77-year old man riding a bike was murdered by a hit-and-run driver; it’s the second Sacramento bicycling death in two days. And a Napa man was found dead on the side of a highway in what appears to be a solo bike crash.

Davis police bust the bike-riding mosque bacon draper.

An Oroville man was reunited with the bike and trailer he abandoned on the side of the road when everyone downstream from the damaged dam was evacuated. Although you’d think a bike would have been the best way to get out.

Horrible news from Redding, as a bike rider was shot and killed by a motorist in a road rage dispute. But the man had a concealed carry permit, so that makes it okay, right?

 

National

US News & World Report says ditch your car if you want to save real money. Who even knew they were still around?

Ditching your car could also save your life; heart disease is expected to be a $1.1 trillion dollar problem by 2035, with 45% of Americans suffering from some form. Fortunately, the cure could be as simple as getting more people out of their cars and onto bicycles. Thanks to my brother Eric for the heads-up.

PeopleForBikes looks at my already very bike-friendly hometown, as it prepares to get even more so. Every place I’ve ever lived has made great changes to become bike-friendly only after I left. Maybe I need to leave Los Angeles so it can finally make some real improvements on the street.

Bicycling Magazine looks at the nation’s first glow-in-the-dark protected bike lane at Texas A&M.

West Virginia considers stronger penalties for hit-and-run by making it a felony with up to three years in prison; right now it’s just a misdemeanor.

Sad news from DC, as the founder of the Rails-to-Trails movement has died from acute myeloid leukemia; David Burwell was 69.

The Big Easy demos the city’s coming bikeshare system.

 

International

Life is cheap in Britain, where a star player for the Southampton soccer team faces just a driver’s education class after admitting to careless driving in a collision that left a bike rider with critical injuries; the victim got a equivalent of a $37 fine for going through a red light.

An Irish man with schizophrenia says he doesn’t remember punching a man in his 60s and knocking him off his bike, but he’s very, very sorry.

The Copenhagen-based makers of the Bullitt cargo bike hire an illustrator to turn their cargo boxes into works of art, too.

A Kiwi cyclist was knocked cold in a moped hit-and-run. A she was helmetless, after her bike and helmet were stolen last week.

Caught on video: A Jeep driver cuts off a sidewalk-riding Aussie bicyclist in the right-hand drive equivalent of a right hook. Despite what the story implies, there’s no question who is at fault. And it ain’t the guy on the bike.

 

Finally…

Forget scofflaw cyclists; Millennial drivers are the real road terrors. If you run over protesters, you’re the victim.

And don’t smash mirrors, dude.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Morning Links: An honor from the South Bay, People for Bikes endorses LA measures, and Lompoc shames LA

October 13, 2016 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: An honor from the South Bay, People for Bikes endorses LA measures, and Lompoc shames LA

My apologies for the continued lack of email notifications for subscribers. We’re still working on it.

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Look what came in the mail.

SAMSUNG

As honored as I am, it’s just this side of impossible for me to make it to the South Bay on a Saturday night.

On the other hand, Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson has been killing this year in advocating for bike safety on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

I’m just saying.

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People for Bikes made a couple of endorsements in November’s LA County election.

people-for-bikes-endorsement

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Mike Wilkinson forwards photos from Lompoc, showing a complete, built-out, actual bikeway network connecting every part of town.

This is what he had to say.

Lompoc is a simple town of about 42,000 near Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California Central Coast. My wife and I were there on business a few weeks ago, and we stopped to admire the welcome sign near the city limits. I noticed there was a smaller sign to the left that had a map of the city’s bike routes.

welcome-to-lompoc

lompoc-bike-trail-sign

The map was impressive not because Lompoc has a vast array of bike paths, but because the paths they have make a lot of sense. There is a bike route every few blocks, and most of the routes are continuous, instead of the stop-and-starts routes I see near my home. They are elegant in their simplicity.

It amazes me that a small, somewhat rural town has managed to do a better job with bike routes than many of the big, busy cities in southern California. They may have been motivated by a steady stream of bike tourists traveling through their town on the way up or down the coast. Tourists and their dollars are a legitimate motivation, and the town has responded well. Nice!

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This sign from Brisbane, Australia comes courtesy of B2 H, spelling out how to share a shared path, for those who can’t seem to figure it our for themselves.

brisbane-share-path-sign

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German pro Tony Martin tied a record by winning his fourth world time-trial championship in Qatar. Twenty-two-year old Irishman Ryan Mullen finished fifth in his first worlds by preparing for the heat on a turbo-trainer in a sauna.

The 2019 road cycling world championships will be held in the Yorkshire region of by then non-European Britain.

The Giro is finalizing routes for what should be an epic 100th edition.

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Local

Actress Lea Michele is one of us, keeping a bike on the set to ride around the Paramount lot during breaks in the filming of Scream Queens.

Richard Risemberg cites the unreasonable lack of bike lanes on Westwood Blvd as a key reason to support Jesse Creed in his bid to unseat anti-bike lane incumbent Paul Koretz.

Is this the bike rider who was injured in WeHo Tuesday? Seventeen-year old actress Joey King writes on Instagram that her older sister was injured in a collision with semi-truck while riding to work that morning, but thankfully is on the road to recovery.

A Pasadena city council committee voted unanimously to approve funding for the Union Street cycle track, while asking if the long timeline for construction could be speeded up.

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune asks if the 17-mile Emerald Necklace bike trail connecting the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo rivers can ever be built, as plans move slowly forward.

BikeSGV invites everyone to their Spooky Train night ride through some of San Gabriel Valley’s historic districts this Saturday.

A SaMo documentary maker credits a chance meeting with actor Eddie Albert while on a bike ride for his decision to become a filmmaker.

 

State

San Diego’s Bikes for Boobs rolls this weekend to raise funds to help fight breast cancer before it starts.

San Francisco’s DIY bike advocacy group continues to install their own bike lane bollards under the cover of darkness.

 

National

Apparently, sidewalks, parks and bike lanes are the keys to happiness in big cities. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the link.

An Arizona man builds his own DIY sidecar for his dog. Which is exactly what I need to take the Corgi to CicLAvia this Sunday.

People for Bikes is seeking a marketing coordinator to work in their Boulder CO office.

An Oklahoma man who fixes up bikes to donate to kids every Christmas needs fixing himself after he was rear-ended while riding his own bike.

After a New York truck driver injured a bike rider, the NYPD naturally responded by ticketing cyclists; the driver wasn’t ticketed, even though the truck appeared to be too large to legally use on the streets of the city.

 

International

A Canadian writer says it’s depressing to come home from bike-friendly Seville to a poorly thought-out bike lane non-network.

The Alberta, Canada health department has wisely taken down a webpage urging parents not to let their kids ride bicycles, even when they ride with them in a bike lane.

A Toronto report says the city’s cycling strategies must focus on women, who make up less than 30% of current riders. Meanwhile, a female bike shop employee says sexism is part of Toronto’s bike scene, saying bike shop workers didn’t take her seriously, and customers often don’t either. Like pretty much everywhere else, unfortunately.

A writer for the Guardian says London’s new mayor must avoid the mistakes made by former mayor Boris Johnson in building bikeways, and try harder to build a consensus to accommodate pedestrians and other road users, as well.

British TV personality Jeremy Vine records a driver cutting around another car at an intersection, then zooming around the corner directly in front of him. Yet people still justify the driver’s actions and accuse Vine of overreacting.

An Irish writer says cyclists have to be mindful of others, like all road users. Then cites the example of a reckless bike rider who only put himself at risk

Be grateful you live in semi-bike friendly LA, or wherever you may be, as a Critical Mass rider in Minsk is sentenced to two years behind bars on seemingly trumped-up charges.

Once again, Indian authorities humiliate a medal-winning paracyclist by forcing him to remove his leg before being allowed to board a flight.

Bicycles take over Tel Aviv as people leave their cars at home in observance of the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

An Aussie writer celebrates National Ride2Work Day by insisting bicycles don’t belong on the roads, and should be registered if they are, while deflecting legitimate criticism by dismissing it in advance.

 

Finally…

A badly injured bike rider gets the blame for a wreck — with a rabbit. This GoPro-equipped helmet looks oddly familiar.

And if you’re going to flee the scene after a collision, maybe you shouldn’t leave your license plate imprinted on the other car.

 

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

Morning Links: USDOT announces national Vision Zero, London bike lane hate, and bike lanes & gentrification

October 6, 2016 / / 2 comments

Still working on fixing the problem with email notifications for subscribers to this site. My sincere apologies to everyone who may be inconvenienced.

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Now we’re getting somewhere.

The US Department of Transportation has announced their own Vision Zero plan to end traffic fatalities on the nation’s roads.

Although unlike most similar plans — including LA’s — with ambitious, if unrealistic deadlines, the USDOT proposes to eliminate deaths on our streets within 30 years. By which time enough changes may have occurred in our transportation system to make it possible, if not probable.

Even in the face of the apparent massive 10% jump in traffic deaths in the first six months of this year.

As usual, however, the feds are approaching it cautiously, budgeting just $1 million per year for the next three years to fund grant programs to explore the idea.

And even that could go out the window next year, depending on who wins the election.

Thanks to Michael of Racers Who Ride for the heads-up.

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London’s Daily Mail goes off on an anti-bike tangent, calling the construction of bike lanes in the UK — including the city’s popular cycle superhighways — lunacy, while pointing out that they may be busy at peak hours, but are often empty at other times.

Sort of like roads, in other words.

Which are flooded with cars at rush hour, but encourage speeding and aggressive driving with their overbuilt capacity most of the day, and especially at night.

The Guardian’s Peter Walker takes exception, calling the Daily Mail story the latest example of the internet’s propensity for example-free, anecdote-driven, fringe activist memes migrating into the mainstream media.

And noting that London’s bike lanes, which take up just 3% of the city’s streets, have contributed to a 60% increase in bicycling rates, with bikes making up a whopping 70% of rush hour traffic on one busy street.

So if something is bringing London’s traffic to a halt, as the Daily Mail claims, maybe it’s just all those cars.

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Speaking of the Guardian, which seems to be today’s voice of reason, they offer a good examination of whether bike lanes cause gentrification.

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Local

The LA Times warns that Los Angeles County voters defeated a transportation tax measure in 2012, and they could do it again with Measure M, which needs a two-thirds vote to pass.

KPCC’s Take Two takes a look at what to wear when you’re riding a bike and spandex just won’t do, including LA’s own swrve.

Joe Linton previews this weekend’s New Urbanism Film Festival.

An overly modest CiclaValley offers some great bicycling photos.

West Hollywood has experienced a jump in bike thefts over the past few months; the sheriff’s department is still looking for the owners of five bikes recovered from an abandoned property last month.

Bike the Vote LA urges a no vote on Santa Monica’s anti-growth measure LV.

 

State

Huntington Beach police are looking for a bike thief caught on camera lurking under the pier before riding off with a locked bike. What’s shocking about this story isn’t the theft, it’s that Patch is somehow still in business.

San Diego is about to fail its first test for the city’s Climate Action Plan, as the first neighborhoods to prepare plans that fail to meet minimal standards for shifting commuters to biking, walking and transit.

Palo Alto police conclude that a 73-year old bike rider who was killed in an August collision blew through a stop sign before he was hit by a car. As usual, however, there’s no word on whether there were any witnesses other than the driver who killed him.

A Hayward bike rider was found dead next to a freeway onramp, at least five hours after he was the victim of a hit-and-run.

 

National

Bicycling Magazine anoints Charleston, SC as the nation’s worst city for bicycling, a sharp fall from grace after making the top 30 in 2010; they also rank this year’s bicycling hall of shame.

Alternet ranks the 20 things most likely to kill you; as usual, the only advice on how to stay safe on a bicycle is to wear your helmet. Never mind that avoiding collisions through better infrastructure and learning to ride safely is far more likely to protect you than any helmet. Or that you’re over ten times more likely to die in a car.

Vogue likes the looks of a new collapsible bike helmet that just launched on Kickstarter.

Oregon farmers are fighting plans for a rail-to-trail conversion of an abandoned railway, fearing the presence of bikers and walkers could result in higher crime and complicate pesticide spaying. Which sounds like a great reason to switch to more sustainable farming methods.

Seattle looks into the dangers streetcar tracks pose to cyclists in the downtown area.

Horrifying story from Texas, as a 10-year old special needs boy was set on fire by another child while he was out for a bike ride; he’s currently on life support with first and second degree burns, as well as a lung infection.

An Illinois mayoral candidate says he never wanted to get rid of the requirement for bike lights, even though he proposed an ordinance to do exactly that.

Not surprisingly, the mother of a Chicago woman killed by a flatbed truck while riding her bike last week has filed a lawsuit; the only surprise is that it’s for just $100,000. Thanks to David Wolfberg for the link.

A Boston bike commuter tells motorists I don’t want to die, and you don’t want to kill me.

 

International

Clearly, hit-and-run isn’t just an LA problem, as drivers fled in 13% of Ottawa, Canada collisions.

A new survey shows the overwhelming majority of Toronto residents approve of bike lanes. Although a Toronto website says local bike shops need an attitude adjustment so getting a bike serviced isn’t an unpleasant ordeal for women.

Adweek picks up on the controversy over a British ad campaign that puts the onus for avoiding collisions on the people on two wheels, rather than the ones operating the big dangerous machines. Meanwhile, 87% of people on the street in a very non-scientific London survey say cyclists should have to pass a test before being allowed on the roads. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the tip.

A British researcher is riding across the UK to find out why Brits voted to leave the European Union.

An English writer says every driver should have to spend an hour on a bicycle to qualify for a driver’s license.

Local governments are derailing Scotland’s plans to become more bike friendly and increase bicycling rates.

An Irish writer insists that bike riders need to pay their share for the roads if they want to be taken seriously. Except they already do, of course. And should be anyway, just like anyone else.

Google is employing a virtually army of bike riding women to help get women in rural Indian villages online for the first time. Thanks again to Megan Lynch.

A South African business site says developing a culture of bicycling would counteract congestion in Cape Town, as the city begins work on developing a cycling strategy.

An Aussie lawyer bizarrely argues that a drugged-out hit-and-run driver should be spared jail because it would cause irreparable harm to her 15-month old son. Never mind the irreparable harm she caused the bike-riding mother of three she killed, along with her family.

Singapore has ticketed over 700 bicyclists, ebike riders and personal mobility device operators for reckless behavior since May.

 

Finally…

Chances are, bike riding isn’t doing permanent damage to your lady parts, assuming you have them. And Poland unveils a new bike lane apparently made of luminescent Smurfs.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure, Vision Zero / Tags: , , , , , ,

Weekend Links: A call for bold action on bikeways, and driver high-fives passenger after dooring bike rider

September 17, 2016 / / One comment

My apologies.

We haven’t been able to correct the problem with email notifications yet. So if you’re not getting emails when new posts go up, we’re working on it.

And just keep coming back each day until we get it corrected.

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Nothing like reading an article, and finding one of your own comments cited to support the observations of one of your favorite writers.

Curbed’s Alissa Walker writes that it will take more than bike lanes to make bicycling safe, noting that while cities are “working hard to stripe streets with green lanes and helmeted stick-figure icons,” few have managed to build a continuous, protected and highly visible network of bike lanes.

She observes that US cities need to start with a grand gesture like the plan in Paris to turn a prominent riverfront highway into a grand boulevard for biking and walking, showing that biking is a “vital, valued part of Parisian street life.”

The best way to make biking safer is not to hide our bikes on a “quiet” side street, but to put them on display in the busiest part of the city—a vibrant, active, healthy city.

That’s something LA has yet to do, even though a complete network of bike lanes is called for on many of the city’s major boulevards under the new Mobility Plan.

Instead, we’ve moved the other way, removing major streets from the plan and shunting riders off onto those quieter side streets, where they won’t be seen or heard.

Or probably even ride, since that’s not where they want to go.

Which was what my comment was about.

For all the talk about LA moving past its auto-centric past into a more complete, multi-modal future, it remains just that.

Talk.

Let’s hope that the release of LA’s Vision Zero plan, which is due sometime this month, spurs some real commitment, let alone bold action, on the part of the city.

Because actions speak louder than words.

And right now, when it comes to bicycling, Los Angeles has its hands over its mouth, and fingers planted firmly in its ears.

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Caught on Video: A Chicago driver high-fives one of her passengers after dooring a bike rider, while the cop who responds threatens the victim with a ticket for not riding in the non-existent bike lane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn6YWRW5xog

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Pro cyclist Tom Zirbel set a new American hour record in his final act before retiring, while finishing just short of Bradley Wiggins’ world mark.

A European sports site questions whether Alberto Contador can win another Grand Tour as he jumps to the Trek-Segafredo team; two-time Giro winner Ivan Basso follows him as part of the support staff.

A look at Day One of Mammoth Mountain’s Kamikaze Bike Games.

Cycling Industry News talks with mountain bike legend and bikemaker Gary Fisher.

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Local

Plans for a new and improved LAX include a network of bike lanes to provide safe access to the airport, which currently is extremely unwelcoming for cyclists.

Streetsblog looks at the new report calling for mobility sharing to help remove 100,000 vehicles from LA’s streets in just five years.

CiclaValley goes on a bike date with fellow bicycling parent LA Bike Dad.

The Border Grill’s Mary Sue Milliken writes about riding 300 miles in three days with 100 other chefs to help ensure no kid goes hungry.

Santa Monica Next asks six candidates for SaMo city council about the last time they walked or rode a bicycle.

A Pasadena councilmember asks LA Mayor Garcetti to help kill the much-hated 710 Freeway extension, saying the money would be better spent on a north-south boulevard, more bike lanes and widening other nearby north-south streets.

Bike SGV hosts a women-only bike ride to the Alhambra Farmer’s Market today.

Cycling in the South Bay discovers that most Palos Verdes Estates residents don’t actually hate cyclists, despite the impression given on unsocial media.

 

State

Construction begins on a four-year project to add bike lanes to the Bay Area’s Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

An Oakland driver took bike jacking to the extreme, running down a bike rider with his car, then driving off with his bicycle.

An Op-Ed in the UC Berkeley paper says the city must unite to support bike-friendly street designs.

A passing CHP bike cop helped save the life of a 30-year old Sacramento woman when she collapsed with a heart attack while playing kickball.

 

National

Bicycling explains how a pedal strike can, in fact, start a wildfire. Which is not that different from starting one with a careless swing of a titanium golf club.

An electric vehicle website finds what they consider the perfect bike rack for your new Tesla. Other than obscuring the license plate, which is illegal in most, if not all, states.

Las Vegas Magazine says there’s no shortage of great riding around the gambling mecca.

File this one under you’ve got to be kidding. A state senator from Queens NY says the city should keep cyclists safe by installing traffic signals instead of bike lanes. Never mind that, despite his assertions, bike lanes have been studied and reviewed by the city, and proven to improve safety.

New York cyclists turn out in force to demand safer streets and increase police reforms under Vision Zero.

A Maryland bike thief traded up, breaking into a garage to take a Trek hybrid, and leaving a Huffy in its place.

 

International

Britain’s bike-riding countess is planning a 450-mile palace to palace ride.

An English physician says ebikes really are good for you and your wallet.

British police go undercover on bicycles to nab drivers making unsafe passes; motorists are given the choice of prosecution or a 15-minute lesson in how to pass a bicyclist safely. Thanks to Ed Ryder for the heads-up.

Penalties are going up for drivers in the UK who use their phones behind the wheel.

A Scottish farmer was fined for camouflaging a pipe running across a roadway after a bike rider was injured when he crashed into it.

The lawyer for a meth-using Aussie driver says it wasn’t really her fault that she killed a cyclist, because she might have been taking a nap at the time.

 

Finally…

You, too, can operate your own pop-up pedal-based bike bar. Are you really a pro cyclist if you have to pay to join the team, let alone actually race?

And why rush your pregnant wife to the hospital in a speeding car when you can go by cargo bike?

 

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

Morning Links: Redondo’s bike speed limit may be illegal, and SF Critical Mass rider pleads out in assault case

June 28, 2016 / / One comment

It seems Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson is no fan of bike lanes.

But what he hates even more is stupidly illegal regulations.

Like the one on the relatively new protected bike lanes in Redondo Beach, which, like on the Strand in Hermosa Beach, restrict bicyclists to a measly eight mph speed limit.

Except, as someone on his site pointed out, it would appear to be in violation state laws. So hold on to that one in case you get nailed by a radar-toting South Bay cop for going nine in an eight mile per hour zone.

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A San Francisco bike rider will get probation and anger management classes after pleading guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism for attacking a car during a Critical Mass ride last year.

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NPR says authorities will be on the lookout for motor doping at this year’s Tour de France, using thermal imaging devices.

Cycling Weekly says pro cycling isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, as three young riders have retired in the last six months.

Team USA cyclists are relying on high-tech training tools to get ready for the Rio Olympics.

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Local

Plans for the LAX-adjacent Metro stop include a bike hub with showers and parking for 150 bikes, as well as protected bike lanes on nearby Manchester Blvd.

A man riding his bike outside his home was one of two people killed in separate Compton shootings.

A Santa Monica architect calls the city’s Breeze bikeshare an unqualified success.

 

State

San Diego is a hub for bespoke bikes.

Construction begins on new bike lanes in Chula Vista, at the possible expense of some eucalyptus trees.

Sad news from Newman, where a 65-year old bike rider was killed by a 17-year old driver in a left cross crash; his nephew describes the victim as “just a cool guy.”

Drivers say they seldom see a bicyclist using the bike lanes after a San Jose road diet, even though ridership has nearly doubled.

Streetsblog says outrage over bike deaths isn’t enough, especially when city employees — and the police — don’t seem to care.

San Francisco residents were lucky no one was injured when an apparently drunk driver went on a hit-and-run rampage in the Lower Haight district.

An Antioch bike rider was killed in a collision with a train Sunday afternoon.

 

National

Wired gets all science-y to explain why added mass on your wheels is your worst enemy. But only when you accelerate.

A Las Vegas man is riding 4,000 miles in 70 days to fight cancer, despite losing his left femur to Stage 2 Ewing’s Sarcoma.

The 10 best gonzo bike rides in Colorado for your next trip to the Mile High State. Which takes on a whole new meaning these days.

A Colorado driver faces charges for vehicular homicide, hit-and-run and DUI in the death of a bicyclist Saturday; she was already on probation for driving while impaired, and had another DUI arrest in Texas just three years ago. Nice job of keeping a dangerous driver on the road until she kills someone.

An Ohio driver faces multiple lawsuits for killing two cyclists and injuring three others, after being acquitted of vehicular homicide by claiming the sun was in his eyes, and it was the bike riders’ fault for not wearing hi-viz.

A Massachusetts advocacy organization urges charges in the fatal dooring of a bike rider last week, while a bike-hating Boston columnist responds by going on a bizarre anti-bike Twitter rant.

A stoned Massachusetts driver still managed to rear-end a cyclist, despite a cop’s best efforts to pull him over.

Jennifer Aniston’s husband is one of us, as Justin Theroux Read trades his motorcycle for a bicycle in NYC.

A Philly writer says drivers, walkers and cyclists can all get along, even if she feels like an avatar in a video game when she takes to the city’s streets and trails.

 

International

Momentum offers advice on how to safely pass a bike rider.

Brazilian police want charges filed against 14 people for the collapse of a Rio elevated bike path that killed two people in April.

Calgary small businesses are learning to love bike lanes after discovering the value bicyclists bring to the marketplace.

A Winnipeg writer says wearing a bike helmet will improve your safety, but passing a law to mandate them won’t.

Tennis star Novak Djokovic is one of us. Or at least he would be if he hadn’t been banned from his bike at Wimbledon for reckless riding.

More fallout from the UK’s ill-advised exit from the European Union, which could mean a big jump in British bike prices.

Nearly 100 people in Malta swapped their cars for bicycles to commute to work this month in the tiny island republic.

Something’s seriously wrong when a photo of a Dutch bike rider in an Aussie airline ad violates the country’s helmet law.

The bighearted people at a local bike shop replaced a tandem bike stolen from a blind and autistic New Zealand man.

 

Finally…

When store employees stop you from buying two bikes with a stolen credit card, don’t try to grab another one on the way out — and don’t punch the cop who tries to stop you. If you’re carrying crack, dope and a pipe in your sock, seriously, don’t ride salmon.

And if you want to confuse drivers, just hang a bike from a tree.

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A special thanks to ReaniMac for getting my Macbook up and running again in less than an hour, after a bad hard drive cable put me out of business over the weekend. If, as Steve Jobs famously said, computers are the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds, they’re my LBS.

 

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

Weekend Links: Cowboy catches bike rustler, Expo bike path really does need signage, and lots of LA bike lane news

June 11, 2016 / / One comment

No need to round up the posse.

In the best story of the day, an Oregon cowboy rides to the rescue when a women sees someone stealing her bike. He saddles up and chases the thief down, lassoes him like a calf roper and holds the outlaw at bay until the sheriff arrives to take him away.

Good thing for the thief they don’t string up rustlers anymore.

Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

………

The other day we linked to a story about the new Expo Line bike path, in which Streetsblog’s Damien Newton pointed out the need for better signage.

An email I received this week points out just how much it’s needed.

Have a Google peek at Metro’s Division 14 yard, where Expo line train cars go to sleep at night.

Last Saturday night, a group of about two dozen cyclists may have been traveling westbound on this path. Upon approach to the “terminus” of the path where it effectively dead-ends at Centinela, they may or may not have crossed the street and continued westbound.

After crossing Centinela, they may have proceeded down a newly paved driveway. It is clearly not a bike path, but as mentioned in Mr. Newton’s Streetsblog post, the signage for the bikeway is rather lacking, and confusing when it is present, so it’s not unusual for cyclists to be shuffled off the Expo path onto a Class II facility, or a high-volume arterial, or whatever this long, long driveway was. The sudden shift in facility type is recognizable as par for the course for Los Angeles bikeway “planning.” Adding to the confusion was Metro’s gigantic graphic M on the side of the overpass for the tracks, indicating Metro property. (Although I envision it as M for Militant.)*

As it turned out, the driveway funneled the cyclists through a small, sleepy parking lot. Continuing forward, the riders rolled past parked cars, with no humans to ask for directions and no signs pointing to the continuation of the bike path.

And then even the parking lot ended. Or, better put: It was easy enough to roll forward, but the only unimpeded path was RIGHT INTO THE CAVERNOUS TRAIN SHED, where the majestic, shiny new Kinki Sharyos slumbered on the tracks, oblivious to the sudden burst of awe and terror and alarmed cussing emanating from the cyclists. This was clearly not an extension of any Metro bikeway; nowhere along its length is the Expo bike path so brightly lighted as that shed.

The riders in front slowed considerably, and very briefly stopped as the slower riders rolled up. There was an immediate chorus of solid consensus: “Let’s get out of here!”

In fear of possible detention by the Sheriff’s deputies, the group rolled westward out the only open shed door, and then dismounted to squeeze through a break in the perimeter fence.

It was a heck of a learning experience. The cyclists now know better, and Metro is doubtlessly re-evaluating its security measures.

*That may or may not be a reference to the Militant Angeleno.

………

Lots of bike lane news today.

As we noted yesterday, the long-delayed MyFigueroa Complete Streets project on South Figueroa will finally break ground this summer, with completion projected for next March.

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton attend the opening of the new Fairfax Blvd bike lanes.

The popular Second Street Tunnel, home to LA’s first semi-protected bike lane, is under an emergency closure for repairs after tiles fell from the ceiling; officials hope to reopen it to bike and vehicular traffic by Monday.

Meanwhile, the LA Weekly’s Hillel Aron offers a good look at the problem of LA sheriff’s deputies harassing bicyclists who are riding legally in the city’s Bus Only Lanes.

………

The National Transportation Safety Board has announced it will investigate the Kalamazoo bicycling crash that took the lives of five riders earlier this week. It’s almost unheard of for the NTSB, which usually investigates plane and train disasters, to investigate a traffic collision — and it’s the first bicycle crash they’ve investigated in 30 year. Thanks to Ed Ryder for the heads-up.

The four surviving victims are improving, now ranging from serious to good condition.

CBS News offers photos of all nine victims.

The son of one of the victims wrote on Facebook that he forgives the driver, and hopes the man will make it his mission in life to educate others about the causes of events like this.

A Michigan public radio station asks if the roads are wide enough for bikes and cars. They are if people on four wheels remember they’re operating big, dangerous machines and drive accordingly.

………

Pro cycling’s failing financial model means several teams could go under for lack of sponsorship, jeopardizing the future of the WorldTour. This is the end result of cycling’s ongoing doping scandals, as many backers are choosing to back away from the sport.

British endurance cyclist and Trans-Am Bike Race competitor Lee Fancourt says he fell off his bike due to dehydration, then passed out under a tree for 27 hours before resuming the race. Meanwhile, another competitor in the race is crowdfunding a new bike after hers was stolen just three days from the start.

Does anyone really care about disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis’ efforts to retaliate in court against disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong? I didn’t think so.

………

Local

KCBS-2 talks to the West Hollywood bike rider nearly run off the road by a tour bus earlier this week. I understand anchor Jeff Vaughn, who helps introduce the story, is a pretty decent cyclist himself.

The New York Times explains how to spend a weekend in LA by utilizing Metro trains and the coming Metro Bike system. Although that would be a very expensive bikeshare ride to the Eastside, where no docking stations are planned for the foreseeable future.

It’s not every day a sasquatch crashes a South Pasadena city council session to promote the 626 Golden Streets event at the end of this month.

Claremont is planning to convert a section of the famed Route 66 along Foothill Blvd into a bike-friendly Complete Street.

A busy bike weekend gets a little busier, as Chatsworth will host the annual COLT Bike Rally and Health Walk through the historic San Fernando Valley horse country on Sunday. No word on whether there will be any bike rustler roping demos.

CiclaValley says it will be a weekend of highs and lows, with Saturday’s Santa Clarita Ride of Silence honoring Rod Bennett, followed by Sunday’s LA River Ride.

 

State

San Diego plans to trade nearly 500 downtown parking spaces for nine miles of protected bike lanes over the next 20 years. Naturally, merchants prefer the few customers they might lose due to less parking to the many they might gain if people felt safe walking and biking there.

Work is moving forward on a 21-mile inland bike trail in North San Diego County, although a money shortage will leave it with a two mile gap for now.

A Ventura man is under arrest for knocking an acquaintance off his bicycle, then punching and kicking him.

 

National

It’s not unusual to find things when you ride a bike. But an Arizona woman’s cremated remains, not so much.

Caught on video: A security camera catches a Phoenix hit-and-run in horrifyingly graphic detail as the rider goes tumbling over the car; the writer for the automotive website Jalopnik says it looks like the wreck may have been intentional.

NFL legend Brett Farve is one of us, preparing to take part in a Wisconsin ride this weekend on bike custom made for him by Trek.

That New York bikeshare rider who was unceremoniously taken down by the police when he crashed a presidential motorcade was on his way to a hook-up. And pumping Call Me Maybe through his headphones.

Treehugger says language matters when talking about bike and car crashes, after a New York bike rider is first blamed for her fatal crash, then exonerated in later press reports. I always take crash reports with a massive grain of salt, especially initial reports, since they often reflect a bias against bicyclists.

Caught on video 2: A New York driver — with a clergy placard in the window — drives down a separated bike path barely wide enough for his car, while flashing his lights at a cyclist to get out of his way. And they call bike riders entitled?

Atlanta launches their bikeshare system with just 100 bikes at 10 stations, expanding to 500 bikes at 50 locations by the end of the year.

The war on cars has officially begun, as a scruffy-faced Florida bike rider was spotted shooting at cars on a highway.

 

International

Canada’s Ontario province considers stiffer penalties for drivers who run down vulnerable road users.

Toronto passes a watered down bike plan.

There’s a special place in hell for someone who would steal a specially adapted bike from a one-armed British cyclist.

It’s now officially faster to ride a bike in Belfast than to drive a car.

You don’t have to speak Norwegian to grasp the idea behind this video, in which a driver is incensed that he’s stuck behind a large group of spandex-clad cyclists and unable to pass. Although in all fairness, the riders could have shown a tad more courtesy. Thanks to Erik Griswold for the link.

 

Finally…

Nothing like accidentally entering a triathlon. Now you can fight the power on your very own Public Enemy 29” BMX bike.

And if you think you’re more likely to be run off the road by the driver of an expensive car, you may be right. And there may be a reason for that.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: Bike lanes get blame in West Hills, East Side Riders profiled, and Bev Hills goes auto autonomous

April 13, 2016 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Bike lanes get blame in West Hills, East Side Riders profiled, and Bev Hills goes auto autonomous

Somehow bikes always seem to get the blame.

Even when they’re nowhere around.

In yet another horrible sacrifice to LA’s car culture, a woman and her adult daughter were killed, along with their dog, while attempting to cross Roscoe Blvd in West Hills Monday night.

Yet instead of blaming the dangerous drivers who residents say speed through the intersection, the Daily News points the finger at a recent road diet, saying westbound Roscoe was narrowed to provide a buffer for cyclists.

Except it wasn’t.

That road diet, like every other road diet, was done to slow those speeding drivers and improve safety for everyone. Bike lanes are just a tool to accomplish that; providing a buffer for people on bikes is just an added benefit.

Which means the problem isn’t the bike lanes.

It’s the culture that says it’s okay to drive 10 miles, or 20, or even 30, above the 40 mph speed limit, then cut over at the last second when the roadway narrows.

Police say the driver wasn’t intoxicated, and wasn’t talking on his cell phone. So the question is how fast was he going, why didn’t he see the two women and their Labrador retriever in a zebra crosswalk, and why he couldn’t stop in time.

And why in God’s name is a 40 mph speed limit allowed in a residential neighborhood to begin with.

There may be a lot of factors that led up to this tragedy.

But bike lanes isn’t one of them.

Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the heads-up.

………

Bicycling Magazine offers a great interview with John Jones III, founder of the East Side Riders bike club, who is using bikes to change Watts for the better.

We have this thing we implemented with the police, the sheriff’s office, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee, called Life Lanes. Basically, it means gang members know not to bother folks on bikes around Watts. We went out and talked to gang members and told them, “You’re gonna see people who don’t look like us riding through here, people from different ethnic groups—don’t mess with them.” And we told law enforcement, “You’re gonna see people from outside the community riding through here—protect them.” And everybody listened! …

Now we ride through some of the projects, and folks don’t bother us. Some of the people in our club are in gangs, but when we’re on bikes, they get a pass from other gangs because they know we’re doing something good for the community.

Nice to see one of LA’s unsung bike heroes get the attention he deserves.

………

Beverly Hills, which fought the Purple Line subway extension tooth-and-nail, is now planning an autonomous vehicle program to solve the first mile/last mile problem with a fleet of self-driving cars once it opens in 2026.

Never mind that they could solve a lot of that by just putting bike lanes on Santa Monica Blvd.

Thanks to John Dammon for the link.

………

Cannondale pro cycling team leader Jonathan Vaughters discusses the future of pro cycling in the US.

CNN offers an extensive profile of Lance Armstrong and the movie The Program, calling him a tragic hero.

And see the grueling Paris-Roubaix from the cyclists’ perspective.

………

Local

Streetsblog says Metro bikeshare really is coming to DTLA. Meanwhile, West Hollywood wants to know where you’d put stations for their coming system.

Downtown News looks at plans for protected bike lanes on Spring and Main in Downtown LA.

Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell is one of us, as she tweets about how she loves riding her bike along the beach.

St. Vincent Meals on Wheels is hosting their 21st annual Walk/Bike-A-Thon on Sunday the 24th, including a 10 mile ride along the beach to raise funds for Meals for Wheels. Maybe you’ll see Shay Mitchell there. Or maybe not.

 

State

Concern for equity reaches the state level, as bills in the state legislature would shift priority for transportation funding to disadvantaged communities to ensure everyone has access to safe walking, biking and transit infrastructure.

Streetsblog looks at how the San Diego Association of Governments falsely sold a package of highway expansions under the promise of improving the environment, while kicking bike and walking projects down the road.

The Voice of San Diego says a recent road diet on the Coast Highway in Oceanside marks the end of the road for the car-only highway. We can only hope.

A gofundme account has been established for a Bakersfield 6th grader who was seriously injured in a collision while riding to school on Monday.

Classic bicycle fans from 29 countries took part in last weekend’s three-day Eroica California bike fest in Paso Robles.

San Francisco Streetsblog asks if new paint and phased traffic signals are enough to keep bike riders safe on a dangerous intersection.

A Bay Area website recommends five stunning destinations you can ride to from San Francisco.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is looking for a part-time graphic designer.

 

National

The Atlantic says the absurd primacy of the automobile in American life is insane.

A new study from the University of Duh discovers drunk bike riders are more likely to be injured than sober ones. No, really, they needed a study to figure that out.

The next time you head to Ikea for a bookshelf, you can pick up a unisex, belt-drive bicycle, too. No word on whether you have to assemble it yourself.

Seattle’s Transit Blog tells drivers to relax about cyclists blowing through red lights.

Robin Leach, of the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous fame, calls gambler Dan Bilzerian’s successful $1.2 million bet a “dangerous and nearly impossible ride” through the brutal Mojave desert. Even though countless other cyclists have done it for free.

A Chicago couple quit their jobs to travel 4,000 miles across the US on just $6,000.

Charleston cyclists call for a trial bike and pedestrian lane over a bridge to be made permanent since it’s the only safe and, so far, legal route over the river; the local paper says so far, so good.

Louisiana considers a vulnerable user law with real teeth, establishing a $2,000 fine and three months in jail for injuring a bicyclist, pedestrian or motorcyclist, and up to $5,000 and five years in prison for killing someone who isn’t in a motor vehicle.

 

International

The Times recommends a three-day mountain bike, llama and rafting tour of Peru’s Sacred Valley.

Modacity’s Chris Bruntlett writes in praise of the upright bike.

A Toronto bike blog imagines how treating traffic collisions like we do aircraft or marine disasters, where human life has absolute priority, would change our driving culture. Thanks to Chuck Castillo for the tip.

A British opposition MP says there’s a real gap between the government’s words and their actual support for cycling.

A Brit woman says she was just driving alone minding her own business, giving a man walking his bike plenty of passing room, when he just randomly picked up his bike and threw it at her car for no apparent reason. Sure, that seems credible. Let’s go with that.

Now that’s refreshing. After a London cellist hits a woman riding her bike while on his way to rehearsal — in front of an Aussie actor and recording star, no less — he takes full responsibility and tells other drivers to slow down.

Once again, someone has sabotaged a bike trail in the UK, this time stringing fishing line at neck level on a pathway popular with children.

A Brit bike rider says today’s focus on sportives, carbon frames and Rapha kits is sucking the life out of cycling.

All the world is a bikeway, and all the men and women merely cyclists marking the 400th anniversary of the Bards’ death.

A Malaysian writer says it’s hard to grow cycling in the country if there aren’t any races and little or no support at the club level.

An Aussie driver says the equivalent of a three-foot passing law wouldn’t be necessary if they weren’t such a bunch of Neanderthals behind the wheel. Maybe they should pass a law protecting cyclists from kangaroos, too.

A Chinese man is under arrest for allegedly riding his bike up to a car, taking his clothes off, and lying under it to pretend he’d been hit by the driver and demanding compensation. But can someone please tell me what being naked has to do with it?

The 82-year old founder of the world’s biggest bicycle maker is now the poster boy for Taiwanese bicycling; oddly, he didn’t take up bicycling himself until he was 73.

 

Finally…

Yes, you can draw a bike from memory, but you probably can’t ride it. If you’re going to ride off with an $11,400 bike from a bike shop, make sure it has pedals on it first.

And you’re not a bike rider, you’re a member of the Federali terrorist group.

 

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

Morning Links: Downtown bike lanes draw new brewery, new bollards on Vineland and a new LA Bike Fest video

March 30, 2016 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Downtown bike lanes draw new brewery, new bollards on Vineland and a new LA Bike Fest video

Just a few short years ago, DTLA was a ghost town after dark. And wasn’t much better during the day.

Now, according to the founder of Modern Times Beer, it’s becoming “one of the most walkable, bike-friendly urban centers in the country.” Which is why the company plans to open a brewery, vegan restaurant and specialty coffee shop in the booming South Park neighborhood.

Just more evidence that bike lanes improve livability. And bikes are good for business.

Now if only the rest of the city would get the message.

………

Maybe Vineland Ave is turning into LADOT’s testing ground.

CiclaValley offers video evidence of the new bollards that have been added to keep drivers out of the bike lane, which started out as a plain buffered lane before being painted green in sections, and now bollards.

Hopefully they’ll take the lessons learned there and apply them to other bikeways, new and existing, throughout the city.

………

A new video promotes May’s Los Angeles Bicycle Festival, with a Kickstarter campaign attempting to raise $3,500 by the end of April.

………

A writer for London’s Telegraph says pro cycling has some safety lessons to learn, because there’s been too many collisions with motorbikes in pro cycling over the past 12 months.

Meanwhile, a pro cyclist says it’s time to limit the number of motorcycles on the course and teach their riders how to operate around the peloton; the Daily Mail says that may be easier said than done.

………

Local

Metro’s planned bikeshare system could break new ground by making it a genuine part of the transit system, with transfers to and from buses and trains.

Glendora announces plans for an 11.5 mile network of urban bike and pedestrian trails along the San Dimas, Little Dalton and Big Dalton Washes.

Experience a mini-ciclovía or live out your Indy Car fantasies when organizers open the Long Beach Gran Prix course to the non-motorized public for a whole hour and fifteen minutes next Tuesday.

 

State

A Fullerton bike rider was struck by a hit-and-run driver after he tried to flee on foot from a cop who tried to stop him for an equipment violation.

A 37-year old transient was charged with murder in the stabbing death of 51-year old cyclist Sidney Siemensma on an Irvine bike path this January, as well as a separate charge for child pornography. Despite initial fears, it wasn’t a random attack; the two men were acquaintances who reportedly had an altercation that led to the stabbing. Thanks to Ed Rubinstein for the heads-up.

Chris Horner and Kristin Armstrong headline next week’s Redlands Bicycle Classic.

The Feds approved a grant for a new six-lane bridge, including sidewalks and bike lanes, over a deadly Oxnard railroad crossing.

Kindhearted Oakland police pitch in to give an 11-year old girl a new bicycle after her father was arrested for threatening her and her mother, just one week after he was released from prison on a previous domestic violence conviction.

 

National

Popular Mechanics explains how Ford’s recently patented automatic kickstands would work, allowing you to ride without ever putting your foot down. If you could manage to even get going with that much weight on your rear wheel.

The president of California’s Sustainable Trails Coalition says it’s inevitable that federal policy will be changed to allow bicycles in the nation’s wilderness areas. Possible, yes; inevitable, no.

A pilot protected bike lane through downtown Seattle will be extended and made permanent, with planter dividers replacing plastic posts.

A writer for the Wall Street Journal takes a stroll across the suddenly popular Brooklyn Bridge, and says it’s almost impossible for people on foot to avoid straying over the thin white line separating the bike and pedestrian sections, leading to abuse from riders who find their way blocked.

A St. Louis driver fleeing a traffic stop runs a stop sign, jumps the curb and hits a man riding his bike on the sidewalk. With three little kids in his car, no less.

A writer for HuffPo says New Orleans’ efforts to become bike friendly after Hurricane Katrina allow her to keep riding to work even though she’s nine months pregnant.

An Athens GA website explains why Complete Streets are good for everyone.

We only have to dodge LA drivers. In Florida, bike riders have to dodge BB guns and sword-swinging drivers.

 

International

A Canadian writer says cycling’s real image problem is that it’s just too much fun.

Cyclists in Victoria, British Columbia call for faster implantation of planned protected bike lanes to improve safety.

Make your reservations for Montreal’s French-flavored weekend long bike festival this May, including a 30-mile ride on closed-off streets that typically draws 25,000 people.

Britain’s government wants to increase biking and walking, but the country’s leading bike advocacy group says the plan won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on without adequate funding.

Cyclelicious looks at a British study that says driving really does make you fat. And illustrates it with a slightly dated traffic photo from Wilshire and Alvarado, right here in LA.

Working with computer simulations, Swedish researchers conclude bike helmets reduce the risk of concussion 54%.

National Geographic talks with Scottish BMX ace Danny MacAskill.

If you want to impress the Aussie press, try carrying a couch across Melbourne on your bike.

 

Finally…

How to be a dick at your local bike shop. Why wait for a train to pass when you can grab your bike and hop on board?

And is it really risking your life to ride from Los Angeles to Las Vegas when you have a half-dozen bikes, two chefs, a masseuse, stunt drivers, doctor and a bike mechanic?

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Bike lanes on WeHo’s Fairfax, news from the ‘cross Nats, and bike riding kung fu Buddhist nuns

January 11, 2016 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Bike lanes on WeHo’s Fairfax, news from the ‘cross Nats, and bike riding kung fu Buddhist nuns

scholar_womens_44276c94-aece-4b4e-8573-e68d4cdda98f_1024x1024Just one more week to help someone you know win a new bicycle. Read more about our first-ever bike giveaway and suggest who deserves to win a free bike from Beachbikes.net.

Even if that person is you.

………

Fairfax Ave could soon have a continuous bike lane from Hollywood Blvd to Melrose Ave.

West Hollywood is moving forward with plans to place bike lanes on that city’s section of Fairfax between Fountain and Willoughby Aves, transforming this…

Fairfax south of Santa Monica

Fairfax south of Santa Monica

…into this.

Fairfax south of SaMo 2

The lanes would connect with existing bike lanes on Fairfax north of Fountain, as well as planned lanes between Willoughby and Melrose in the City of LA. The WeHo website suggests they might even extend below Melrose; however, that would likely require removing parking from the narrow, small business-lined street.

Which isn’t likely to happen given the city’s risk-averse culture.

Still, it’s nice to see a little coordination between the two cities to provide a badly needed north-south route for bike riders in that part of town.

Thanks to the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition for the link.

………

The amazing Katie Compton wins her 12th national cyclocross championship; Jeremy Powers only has nine more to go after winning his third straight men’s title.

Cyclocross Magazine offers full coverage.

………

Local

Santa Monica will create a new coastal zoning plan, taking into account the new bikeshare program, as well as future sea level rises due to global warming.

The Daily News looks at Winnetka’s five-year old Girlz Gone Riding mountain bike club, which has grown to include chapters in San Diego and the Inland Empire. Note to Daily News: 1,000 Facebook members sounds impressive, but chances are, they’re no more real than Facebook friends.

 

State

An Oxnard cyclist was critically injured in a broadside collision Sunday afternoon.

A musician’s cross-country bike trip from West Virginia to Santa Paula inspires a web series and a new album.

Palo Alto’s My City Bikes is trying to encourage people to save money and stay fit by riding bikes.

 

National

NPR looks at Kurt Searvogel, the new holder of the year record.

A bike-riding TV news producer says older riders need to encourage the next generation of bicyclists.

The Austin TX Ghisallo Cycling Initiative, named after the patron saint of cyclists, teaches older adults to ride three-wheel bikes to provide them with better health and greater mobility.

A Mississippi physician bikes the route of the Underground Railroad north to Canada.

Orlando FL gets its first sharrows. Which work a lot better for wayfinding than they do for improving safety or encouraging drivers to share the lane.

 

International

In a shameful assault, a Canadian man rode his bike past a group of Syrian refugees attending a Vancouver welcome event, and pepper sprayed at least 30 men, women and children.

If you build it, they don’t always come. A bikeshare program operated by a British rail system has averaged only one rental per station every six days.

Remarkably, all five candidates for London mayor have endorsed banning cars from one of the city’s busiest, and most polluted, streets, as well as implementing an Idaho stop law. Maybe we could get the losers to run for office here.

A road raging Brit bike rider is confined to a curfew for attacking a driver who allegedly passed too close. Seriously, keep your anger and your fists to yourself, no matter how much you think the other party might deserve it. On the other hand, if a bike rider is smashing in your window and threatening to kill you, you may not have given “ample room” after all.

Now that’s a good dog. A British police dog sniffs out a stolen mountain bike worth over $4,300.

This could be the last year for the Tour of Oman.

Officials of the United Arab Emirates get on their bikes to encourage their citizens to bike to work this Tuesday, though some of those citizens say the streets of Abu Dhabi are too dangerous to ride.

Adventure Journal relates the story of Polish cyclist Kazimierz Nowak, who twice rode the full length of Africa in the 1930s as the world was building up to global war.

A Kiwi expat competes in 14 mile time trial on Friday and goes a 46 mile bike ride on Saturday, then gets married that night.

The death of a young bike-riding mother leads to a campaign for more and safer bike lanes in the Philippines.

A Singapore cyclist offers a whopping $10 to forget the whole thing after crashing into a three-year old and knocking out his tooth.

 

Finally…

A bike for people who aren’t ready to give up the car. The world needs more bike riding kung fu Buddhist nuns.

And go ahead and fire it up; a new study shows weed won’t affect your ability to ride a bike.

Though you may want to pack more munchies for the ride.

 

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

Morning Links: gofundme for HB bike victim, bike lane and salmon cyclist signs in Santa Ana, and more CicLAvia

October 20, 2015 / / One comment

A gofundme account has been set up for the victim in last week’s Huntington Beach bicycling collision, who passed away over the weekend.

I’m told that his name won’t be officially released until his parents can arrive here from Mexico to identify the body.

………

Last week, our Orange County correspondent mentioned in passing that she’d spotted what looked like the initial markings for a bike lane near the Santa Ana courthouse.

Now Mike Wilkinson sends confirmation that the lanes are going in. Along with signs telling salmon cyclists to turn around.

Santa-Ana-bike-lane-1 Santa-Ana-bike-lane-2

………

A reader writes to share her post-CicLAvia experience with an aggressive driver.

CicLAvia was its usually flurry of fantasticness that was over too soon. By 3pm, I was already commiserating with a friend about jonesing until the next one! You know the feeling, kind of like late Christmas morning.

But. But then. CicLAvia was over. And the road closures had created hordes of people operating vehicles under the influence of rage which doesn’t subside immediately when those barricades come down.

I was mashing westbound on 3rd Street, approaching Olive and minding the countdown timer. Despite what I, as a slowpokey old woman, consider a scary amount of speed, there’d be no time for me to clear the green. I braked at the yellow. The sedan behind me did not. Instead, the driver passed me on the left and shot into the Third Street Tunnel. How he didn’t sideswipe the vehicle in the designated left turn lane, I will never know.

Technically, the driver didn’t hit me; he hit the cardboard Militant Angeleno crossbucks protruding from under the flap of my Chrome bag. There was a single, loud THWIP as the cardboard bent and smacked my left flank. I knew immediately that my art project had been damaged, but didn’t feel the welt forming until I’d cleared the tunnel, and couldn’t pull off my dress to verify until I got home. The wound can barely even be called that; it’s just superficial, no broken skin and it won’t scar.

If I hadn’t already had a bad feeling about this driver, I would have been in the middle of the lane, exactly where I was supposed to be. I’d be writing this from the hospital, or not at all.

And no, I didn’t report it. I was hot and sweaty and tired, and had no information to give the police. I’m not even certain of the driver’s gender. “Mid-sized silver-grey sedan, last seen heading west.” Yeah, that’s helpful. Besides, the LAPD has made it crystal clear that hit and runs are too difficult to investigate, and an incident so minor that it doesn’t warrant reporting will serve only to divert resources away from solvable crimes. Also, I didn’t feel like explaining to an officer who should already know that it’s 100% legal for a cyclist to be in the left lane at that location. I was on a one way street and fixing to turn left onto Flower, and even in a car it’s fucking suicide to try to get over into the left lane. In the tunnel it’s impossible, and upon emerging, the two lanes immediately split into five.

Earlier in the day, I’d gotten rear-ended at the Mandatory Dismount Zone, and that collision was merely hilarious. It would’ve been awesome to have a rear-facing camera to have recorded the expression on the apologetic perpetrator’s face! But alas.

At least the event was fun from start to finish!

………

Local

KPCC recaps Sunday’s 5th Anniversary CicLAvia, where a good time was had by all.

The LA Times notes that thousands of cyclists, skaters and pedestrians turned out, but still insists on calling CicLAvia a bike festival.

The Times also seems shocked that white people would support the Black Lives Matter movement at CicLAvia. Wait. Who says CicLAvia is a liberal event? Or do they suppose that conservatives would never set foot on a bike, let alone set foot on foot?

CiclaValley offers a good summation of Sunday’s CicLAvia. Seriously, does anyone realize just how hard it is keeping all those damned internal caps straight?

Getting people out of their cars and onto feet and bikes at CicLAvia not only improves moods, it results in a noticeable reduction in air pollution, according to a UCLA study.

And yes, there will be another CicLAvia, although you may have to wait awhile, as it returns to the Valley next March.

In non-CicLAvia-related news, KPCC looks at LA’s ban on locking bikes to parking meters, which is largely ignored by riders and cops alike, and how the ban could be lifted in Westwood to address the area’s acute shortage of safe bike racks.

 

State

A San Diego salmon cyclist is lucky to survive a head-on collision with just a broken arm after reportedly veering out into traffic; police suspect she may have been drinking.

BikeSD’s Sam Ollinger tells the story of the organization’s birth and its efforts to create a world-class bicycling city.

Injuries have tapered off at a Marin County bike park six weeks after opening.

 

National

Volkswagen cheats on emissions tests, and USA Cycling could pay the price. And at the same time the group is getting competition, no less.

Unbelievable. A driver flees the scene after killing a Utah handcyclist, and will have charges dismissed in just 36 months if he pays a measly $2500 in court fees and writes an apology to the victim’s family. Evidently, life is really cheap in the Beehive State.

A pair of mountain bikers ride into a dispute over overuse of wild trails in their attempt to ride all the rideable Colorado mountains over 14,000 feet elevation.

A Kansas letter writer insists that highways are meant for cars, and there’s nowhere to pass groups on cyclists who take the lane on the one he drives, even though it has both a right lane and a left lane.

A Houston bike rider gets screwed twice; once by a deputy constable who hit him while responding to a call, and again by a law that limits his compensation to just $100,000, forcing him to pay his medical expenses out of pocket.

A Texas bike rider called both 911 and his wife before passing out after suffering five fractured ribs, a broken left fibula, a partially collapsed lung and some nasty road rash when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver.

Congratulations to Anderson IN, which just conducted a road diet to give the city its first bike lanes. Although that’s got to be the widest damn center turn lane I’ve ever seen.

A Massachusetts driver is charged with fleeing the scene after killing a motorized bike rider he described as a dear friend; he reportedly got out and looked at his friend before driving off, promising a witness he’d be right back.

 

International

Six large international cycling events team together to form the World Association of Cycling Events. Yet somehow, they leave out CicLAvia, which should serve as proof to the Times that it isn’t a just bike event.

A British driver suffering from sleep apnea was told by his doctor not to drive the day before he killed a bicyclist.

There’s a special place in hell for the thieves who stole a British boy’s bike while he was being treated by paramedics after falling off a scooter.

Dublin thieves steal 14 bikes a day.

A 12-year old Australian boy is the latest bike rider to suffer a slashed neck because some asshole — and I use the term advisedly — strung a rope across a trail. Note to The Age: Attempting to decapitate someone by stringing a rope between two trees may be a lot of things, but a prank, it ain’t.

An Aussie developer rejects claims that an improved bikeway will encourage investment along the corridor. After all, that’s only been shown to work around the world, so why would anyone expect it to work there?

An Australian writer insists the Dutch don’t go far enough to make cities bike friendly, and that urban centers should be redesigned to make bikes the default mode of transportation.

An 18-year old British bike rider passes through Thailand four months after leaving London on an around the world journey.

 

Finally…

You could ride your next bike lying down. Or maybe you’d prefer a chainless bike with the seat set next to the handlebars. Or you could build a one-of-a-kind bicycle that’s like no other, except it looks suspiciously like a lot of other four-wheel pedal cars.

And a Brit writer criticizes cyclists for unfairly criticizing her for unfairly criticizing cyclists. But not all cyclists.

Got that?

 

Category: Bike Events, Injuries and Fatalities, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,
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