Tag Archive for Burbank

OC’s San Juan Creek bike-ped path closed for construction work, and Burbank marks 20 years of Chandler Bike Path

July 18, 2024 / / No comments
Just 166 days left until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025. 

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A few people have already volunteered to write guest posts to help keep this site from going dark when I’m out next month following my shoulder surgery.

So if you’re interested in filling in here for a few days, or joining them in submitting a guest post or two, just email me at the address on the About page above.

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The Orange County Transportation Authority, aka OCTA, announced the closure of the San Juan Creek multi-use path starting today for construction work on a new Metrolink railroad bridge.

Here’s a press release they sent out yesterday announcing the closure. Although a little advance notice would have been nice.

San Juan Creek Bike/Pedestrian Trail to Temporarily Close as Part of Railroad Bridge Construction

The San Juan Creek Trail is scheduled to close Thursday, July 18 to Friday, Aug. 2, with intermittent closures through August; detour maps will be posted

ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority, in coordination with Metrolink, continues progress in constructing a new railroad bridge over San Juan Creek in San Juan Capistrano. As part of the ongoing construction, the adjacent San Juan Creek Trail is expected to close for approximately two weeks beginning on Thursday, July 18.

Cyclists and pedestrians who use the trail are being asked to plan for the closure, follow the designated detour route or avoid the area during the closure, if possible.

During the closure, trail users will be detoured to Camino Capistrano, Del Obispo Street and the Trabuco Creek Trail. Detour signs will be in place. (See the map below for more details.)

The detour is necessary so that construction crews can remove pavement and conduct pile driving to construct the new bridge that will go over the trail. The trail is expected to reopen on Friday, Aug. 2.

However, after the scheduled closure, contractors are expected to continue working in the area, prompting intermittent trail closures through August. During that time, workers will be present to hold back trail traffic for their safety as construction equipment  is moved through the area.

OCTA appreciates the patience of trail users during this construction.

The work is being completed in partnership with Metrolink as part of a $65.6 million project to replace the existing San Juan Creek bridge, which was constructed in 1917, enhancing safety and reducing maintenance costs.

The project is being funded by Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, and a mix of state and federal funds.

For more information, visit octa.net/SJCBridge.

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Burbank will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the popular Chandler Bike Path next month with a free, drop-in event near the intersection of Pass and Chandler from 6 to 8 pm on August 14th.

But what do you mean they didn’t name it after Chandler Bing from Friends, which was filmed at nearby Warner Brothers Studios?

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Caltrans is hosting a pair of virtual meetings today to discuss how to improve safety on the killer highway that passes for Malibu’s main street. So if you ride, walk or drive on PCH, you owe it to yourself to join in to protect your own safety.

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People for Mobility Justice is leading a ride on Saturday to check out the coming the Slauson Ave bike/ped path.

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Police in the UK have forwarded a case for prosecution after a driver’s “ridiculously close pass” of a bicyclist that was caught on video; unlike most, if not all, of the US, video recordings are acceptable evidence for traffic violations and misdemeanors there.

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Maybe it was just a brief PR stunt, but nice to see Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and Emma Corrin arrive on bikes for a Berlin media event.

Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

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It’s now 210 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 37 full months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

Someone sabotaged a Spokane, Washington mountain bike trail by spreading grease on a rock feature, causing at least one rider to slip and fall, while posting a sign alluding to buried spikes hidden along the trail and threatening to return to pour concrete over it — all because the city is expanding trails located inside a local bike park.

An Irish representative to the European Parliament says she is “totally empathic to cyclists,” while insisting that “authoritarian” bike lanes have turned Dublin “into a spaghetti junction of cycle lanes that have divided the city like East and West Berlin.” Um, sure. 

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Local 

If you need a little good news — and who doesn’t these days — Streetblog’s Joe Linton reports the new bike lanes on the east end of Hollywood Blvd are now open and rideable through the Thai Town neighborhood.

Streetsblog also says the three-mile long Vincent Community Bikeway is coming together after over a year of construction work in the unincorporated Vincent area adjacent to Covina and Irwindale.

 

State

San Diego city officials show they have a keen grasp on the issues that really matter, voting unanimously to ban loud music on pedicabs.

A Santa Barbara driver was busted for DUI Wednesday after a collision that left a bike rider with minor lacerations.

Sad news from San Joaquin County, where a man was killed riding his bike north of Riverbank when he was run down from behind by a pickup driver Wednesday morning.

Family members are asking for safety improvements to a Sacramento intersection where an 84-year old grandfather was killed riding in an unprotected bike lane last month.

Trail users are raising concerns over allowing ebikes on a new 22-mile singletrack section of multi-use trail in the Tahoe National Forest after the Forest Service concluded they would have no significant impact; the new unpaved path is part of an eventual 72-mile trail system.

 

National

Forbes says the latest active travel trend is bicycling escapes at top luxury resorts — including the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows right here in Santa Monica.

Helmet use appears to be declining in Utah, despite an increase in bike riders getting hit by drivers; only 1.45% of bicyclists involved in crashes in the state last year were wearing helmets, down from 11.31% just five years ago.

Police in Boulder, Colorado are investigating a suspicious death after a homeless woman was found wrapped in several layers inside an “unusual” bike trailer, although they’re not saying what she was wrapped in or what was unusual about the trailer.

A lowrider bike club in Olathe, Kansas now has nine chapters across the US, including the first located inside a juvenile detention center.

Bicyclists and hikers can finally cross Vermont on a new 93-mile rail trail across the northern part of the state, after the official opening was delayed by epic flooding last year.

A woman was arrested for a killing a Florida man riding a bicycle in a hit-and-run last year, when surveillance cameras caught her driving on a Western Kentucky highway on Tuesday.

Makes sense. A Florida man plans to incorporate the 51-year old Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, aka RAGBRAI, as part of his fundraising ride on a Penny Farthing across the US to combat autism.

Port St. Lucie, Florida is just the latest East Coast city cracking down on juvenile rideouts, taking a zero-tolerance approach to the kids weaving through — and sometimes against — traffic

 

International

Road.cc says yes, bike commuting can lower your risk of early death by 47% — but only if you don’t get hit by a driver, since it also doubles your risk of serious injury.

They get it. Tijuana is repairing a pedestrian bridge used by over 10,000 people a month in the Zona Río, while adapting it for use by bicycles, as well.

“A team of four passionate cyclists” is banding together to save iconic, 80-year old British bespoke bikemaker Mercian Cycles, saying they didn’t want to see it disappear despit entering voluntary liquidation proceedings earlier this year.

A man in the UK was sentenced to life behind bars for murdering a woman by pushing her down a flight of stairs in a fight over a kid’s bike. Yet another reminder that no bicycle is worth a human life. Or life behind bars.

The European Commission may take a look at the importation of America’s massive pickups after a number of advocacy organizations raised concerns that they may be exploiting loopholes to skirt safety and environmental protection regulations.

 

Competitive Cycling

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar is closing in on his third Tour de France title, as he maintained a more than three-minute lead over fellow two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard.

Maybe we need a new jersey color, after Road.cc staffers announced Belgian Remco Evenepoel is the best at doing “keepie uppies.”

 

Finally..

Never led a sad separation from your husband prevent a celebrity bicycling photo opp. And that feeling when a new law banning devices to boost ebike speeds is already having a positive effect before anyone even knows about it.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

5-year old hit-and-run victim declared brain dead, Burbank law firm’s bike giveaway, and speed cams coming to Long Beach

July 12, 2024 / / No comments
Just 172 days left until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Truly heartbreaking news, as the five-year old boy critically injured in a Garden Grove hit-and-run isn’t going to make it.

KNBC-4 is reporting that doctors have declared little Jacob Ramirez brain dead, but his mother asked for another day before she has to let him go.

Jacob was injured when 29-year old Ceferino Ramos allegedly plowed into the family on Sunday as Jacob’s mother and father were riding their bikes, towing their three young children behind in child trailers.

The entire family was initially hospitalized, with Jacob, his father and six-year old sister critically injured, while his mother and eight-month old sister were released the next day.

Let’s just hope his parents donate Jacob’s organs so something good can come from this nightmare.

Meanwhile, Ramos was arrested after being followed by a witness to the crash, after which he had a .22 blood alcohol level — nearly three times the legal limit.

He faces charges that including DUI causing bodily injury and hit-and-run with permanent injury or death; however, if he has a previous DUI on his record, that will likely be upgraded to murder sometime after Jacob is declared dead on Friday.

Photo from Ramirez Family GoFundMe page.

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A Burbank lawyer is giving away ten bicycles to “deserving” kids this summer, and looking for nominations.

The Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti is hosting their 3rd annual bike giveaway, and looking for kids who live within ten mile of the accident attorney’s office at 4444 W Riverside Dr #308 in Burbank.

Do you know a special child aged 6 to 17 who goes above and beyond to do something nice for someone else? Or who positively impacts their siblings, classmates, or community? We want to reward these exceptional kids with a brand-new bike, helmet and t-shirt! Nominate a child who you believe deserves this special recognition. Share their story and let us know why they stand out.

Nominate a Child

Winners will be announced on July 26th, so you have about two weeks to get your noms in.

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Long Beach is working to improve safety by installing speed cams as part of a pilot program, with revenue going to first pay for the program, then be used for traffic-calming measures at the affected sites.

Los Angeles and Glendale were also approved for the program by the state in Southern California, along with three NorCal cities.

A bill to permit them on deadly PCH in Malibu continues to move forward in the state legislature.

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Those new bike lanes on Hollywood Blvd are looking pretty good.

Although the tents on the sidewalk remind you it’s still, you know, Hollywood.

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Metro is extending their mobility wallet program, and looking for new applicants.

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Bike Talk is getting pretty high level guests these days, including one of America’s most respected bike scribes, along with one of the country’s leading traffic safety advocates.

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It’s now 204 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 37 full months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

A Portland driver somehow got onto a fully separated and protected bike path alongside the I-5 Freeway, using it as their own personal speedway.

Seriously? Someone in Louisville KY called the cops on an eight-year old kid for riding her bike on the street.

No bias here. A local Conservative leader in the UK calls people who support bike lanes the “active travel Taliban.”

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

A woman crossing the street near New York’s Central Park was struck by a bikeshare rider who allegedly ran the red light; witnesses said she must be from out of town because locals know red lights are meaningless in the city.

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Local 

Los Angeles considers a bold plan to close Wilshire Blvd through MacArthur Park in an effort to reconnect the bifurcated park; the city is ordering a $2.5 million study to decide what we already know — cars don’t belong in parks.

This is who we share the road with, part one. Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer is being sued for wrongful death after killing a pedestrian who was crossing in an Alhambra crosswalk while Klinghoffer was allegedly driving distracted earlier this year.

Mark your calendar for the return of CicLAvia to the Hollywoods, East and West, in another five short weeks.

 

State

Calbike says SB 960, the Complete Streets Bill, has passed out of the Assembly Transportation Committee by a wide margin, but in a weaker form than before it was amended.

Calbike also offers an update on all the active transportation bills still alive in this year’s legislative session. Thanks to Oceanside bike lawyer and BikinginLA sponsor Richard Duquette for the heads-up.

The California Transportation Commission will hold a public workshop next Wednesday to discuss plans for the next round of Active Transportation funding, which was cut by two-thirds to just $200 million this year.

The Orange County Register has more on the 58-year old Irvine man who was arrested on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter and driving while stoned following the death of a man riding a bicycle in Newport Beach two years ago. No word on what the hell took them so long, however. 

This is who we share the road with, part two. A longtime Ontario city counselor has been arrested for hit-and-run and DUI; Jim Bowman has been on and off the Ontario city council for the last 40 decades. Apparently they don’t have effective term limits there. Or someone to take away his keys. 

Some questions just answer themselves. Streets For All founder Michael Schneider asks if the Coachella Valley is too car centric in a Palm Springs op-ed.

Good question. SF Gate wants to know why the streets of San Francisco are still dangerous, ten years after the city adopted Vision Zero. Then again, Los Angeles is only one year behind them in our epic Vision Zero fail.

A San Francisco fitness influencer who works for Apple in Cupertino says he loves his 50-mile, three-hour bike commute to work, even if other people think it’s crazy.

San Francisco merchants get out the torches and pitchforks after learning the city’s nearly finalized bike network plan could result in the loss of “a lot” of parking. Because as we all know, people on bicycles never buy anything, right?

A Berkeley website remembers longtime bicyclist Howard Sutherland, who literally wrote the book on bicycle repair. The site reports Sutherland died peacefully in his sleep; he was 75.

 

National

Gear Junkie says buy your new ebike now, because Biden’s new China tariffs are already raising prices. To which California’s ebike rebate program says…nothing. 

A Las Vegas writer escapes the broiling heat for a bike ride along the Oregon coast.

In a story that sounds like it could have come from Los Angeles, a Chicago program to ticket drivers who park in bike lanes still hasn’t gotten off the ground after 16 months.

Police are looking for an Indianapolis man who offered to mow a woman’s lawn, then made off with her lawnmower and bicycle.

The mayor of Parsippany, New Jersey vowed to improve safety after an eight-year old boy was killed in a collision while riding his bike this week. Just a tad late. But still. 

 

International

Momentum says prioritizing bicycles can save cities money and boost local economies, and also rates the year’s top ten “coolest summer bikes.” Although what makes something a summer bike, as opposed to spring or fall, I have no idea.

No surprise here. Luxury Travel magazine rates the best countries for bicycling, none of which are in North America.

Public bikeshare is making big gains in Canada, with double-digit growth in cities across the country.

An Ottawa, Canada website warns that the city has work to do, as pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists remain at risk from drivers.

In a surprising outcome, an Oxford, England bike rider was acquitted on a charge of causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving — yes, driving — for a pathway collision that resulted in the death of an 81-year old woman, after crashing into her with his bicycle: a witness was criticized for bias by prosecutors for testifying that the victim fell, rather than being knocked over.

Dutch ebike maker Cowboy pulled its new augmented reality ebike racing game after complaints from government officials, including the mayor of Amsterdam, for encouraging riders to race one another on the country’s streets.

German researchers call for more separated and well-built bike lanes to reduce the number of bicycling collisions in the country, where four bike riders are killed and 50 seriously injured each week.

Thor is one of us, as Chris Hemsworth goes for a leisurely bike ride with his wife and kids in Barcelona.

That’s more like it. A British man was sentenced to 22 years behind bars for intentionally ramming a man riding a bicycle in Cyprus with his car, after fighting with him outside a nightclub.

A South African website explores the world’s most bicycle-friendly travel destinations. None of which are Los Angeles.

 

Competitive Cycling

Two-time Tour de France champ Jonas Vingegaard won Wednesday’s stage 11, outsprinting Tadej Pogačar despite getting dropped earlier in the race. Read the first link on Yahoo if Bicycling blocks you. 

Just days after becoming the first Black African to win a stage in the Tour de France, Biniam Girmay won his third stage in a mass sprint at the end of Thursday’s stage 12; Tadej Pogačar continued to lead the general classification by 1 minute 6 seconds over Remco Evenepoel, with Vingegaard in third by eight seconds.

Newly crowned Tour stage win record holder Mark Cavendish was relegated following a mass sprint at the end of stage 12, in what could be one of the final sprints of his storied career.

There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole 11 Enve bikes worth more than $167,000 from the TotalEnergies cycling team at the Tour de France, including the main bike ridden by stage 9 winner Anthony Turgis.

Egyptians are angry after a 19-year old woman was selected for the country’s Olympic team despite swerving into a competitor and knocking her into a cement barrier; she was chosen even though she had received a one-year ban from the Egyptian Cycling Federation as a result.

SoCal’s “most prestigious cycling event” takes place this weekend with the return of the 61st Annual Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix on Sunday.

Escape Collective considers the “weird and wonderful world of American bike racing.”

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can ride the legendary Alpe d’Huez without breaking a sweat. There are many accepted uses for a bicycle, but throwing one at a passing woman isn’t one of them.

And maybe if you wear this, they might get the point.

Or not.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

77-year old man critical after Burbank hit-and-run, scooter injuries triple in just 5 years, and making NYC more car-friendly

January 18, 2024 / / Comments Off on 77-year old man critical after Burbank hit-and-run, scooter injuries triple in just 5 years, and making NYC more car-friendly
Stop what you’re doing and sign this petition demanding a public meeting with LA Mayor Karen Bass to hear the dangers we face just walking and biking on the mean streets of Los Angeles.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

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Bad news from Burbank, where a 77-year old man suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle.

KCAL News reports the crash occurred around 7:20 Tuesday morning near Clybourn Avenue and Oxnard Street.

He was reportedly riding south on the east sidewalk, on the northbound side of Clybourn, and was struck by the driver of an eastbound black sedan as he attempted to cross Oxnard.

As we’ve pointed out before, sidewalks are bidirectional, and there is no right direction on a sidewalk or crosswalk, painted or otherwise.

Anyone with further information is urged to contact Burbank Police investigators at 818/238-3103.

Let’s hope he makes a full and fast recovery.

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A UCLA report indicates scooter injuries saw a huge jump over a recent five-year period, along with a similar increase in severe injuries, according to Santa Monica Daily Press.

With the rise in riding comes a tangential, and substantial, increase in scooter injuries. According to new UCLA-led research, scooter injuries nearly tripled across the United States from 2016 to 2020, along with a similar increase in severe injuries requiring orthopedic and plastic surgery over the same period. The study, published January 9 in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American College of Surgeons, compared national trends in scooter and bicycle industries as well as the implications of these injuries on the healthcare industry…

Scooter-related injuries led to major operative interventions 56% of the time, compared to 48% for bike-related injuries. Scooter riders were also shown to have higher odds of experiencing long bone fractures and paralysis than bicycle-related injuries. Both groups were similarly likely to suffer traumatic brain injuries.

However, the study did not differentiate between e-scooters and regular scooters.

It also doesn’t appear to take into account the rapid growth in e-scooter usage over that same period, which could easily equal or exceed the rise in injury rates.

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A writer for The New Yorker offers an extremely tongue-in-cheek essay on how to make the city more car-friendly, including these notations —

⬩ Every year, thousands of pedestrians (drivers on the way to their cars) are injured or killed at crosswalks. We must remove all crosswalks before anyone else gets hurt.

⬩ Take out the two bad traffic lights under the green one.

⬩ Why do bicycles (slow cars with no windows) have entire lanes dedicated to them? What’s next? Lanes for skipping rope? Hopscotch lanes? Lanes dedicated to pugs with GoPros riding skateboards? Sounds a little silly to me.

It’s well worth the few minutes it takes to read the whole thing, although some items are very Gotham-centric.

Until you realize that it’s not that different than what you hear from some of the entirely serious motoring groups.

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28 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 30 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law, and counting.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

After a Canadian woman was injured by a speeding driver while on a charity ride around Lake Ontario, her insurance company filed suit — not against the driver, who was convicted of killing another victim in the crash, but against the group organizing the ride and her own father, who founded it.

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Local 

The Malibu Times reports that PCH isn’t the only deadly roadway in and around the coastal city, as the area’s popular canyon roadways cause increasing concern. As anyone who has ever encountered a speeding driver taking a wide turn on a canyon road can attest.

Congratulations to Pasadena, as PeopleForBikes ranked the city’s Union Street Complete Streets project as the 6th best new bike lane in the US; Santa Monica’s 17th Street project was rated 16th. Needless to say, Los Angeles didn’t make the list.

A 20-something Kiwi tourist raves that Los Angeles is all it’s cracked up to be, including a bicycle tour around Hollywood and Melrose, which she calls her favorite LA experience.

 

State

After criticizing cuts to the state Alternative Transportation Program budget, Calbike crafts their own alternative People-First Mobility Budget, a transportation spending plan “that gives residents more mobility options, improves health, increases equity, and helps us meet our state climate goals.”

The Press Democrat says the area where a San Jose woman was killed crashing into a fallen tree after failing to negotiate a curve on her bike is known for deadly crashes.

More bad news from Northern California, after a Sacramento driver was arrested for the hit-and-run death of a 55-year-old woman, who died a day after she was run down as she rode her bike.

 

National

Despite receiving just 1.5 inches of snow, New York bike riders faced treacherous commutes after officials failed to clear snow and ice from the city’s bridges. Which also puts a lie to the common myths that no one will ride a bike in the winter, or in bad weather.

She gets it. Former New York transportation chief Janette Sadik-Khan told a local public radio station that “Death and injury on our streets aren’t just unconscionable. They’re avoidable.”

A DC letter writer says the city must step up to prevent more traffic deaths, in the face of the mayor’s “indifference to tackling the carnage on our streets.”

 

International

Shockingly, those little car-tickler plastic bendy posts aren’t enough to keep cars out of a London bicycle superhighway, or keep it from being the city’s most dangerous intersection for bike riders.

More on the nearly eight in ten women who say they experience verbal, physical and sexual harassment and intimidation at least once a month while riding their bikes in London, as more that one in five report giving up bicycling as a result of the abuse.

The hit-and-run epidemic has reached London, climbing to a record high 7,708 incidents in 2021, up 14% from the year before.

The UK bike market is bouncing back from its recent slump, with new bicycle sales predicted to climb 12% this year to 2.1 million bikes, with total sales reaching the equivalent of nearly $1.27 billion.

A new Swedish study says it will take more than better bike lanes to get people on their bikes, as too many of today’s bikeways are geared towards people who already ride, instead of encouraging new riders.

Latvian bike riders younger than 16, and e-scooter riders under 17, will now be required to wear bike helmets.

An African website talks with pro cyclist Kenneth Karaya, the first Kenyon to podium in an ultra-distance race.

Pro cyclist Rohan Dennis was directed to enter his late wife’s funeral through the back door, after he was arrested for fatally running Olympic gold medalist track cyclist Melissa Hoskins as she clung to the hood pf his pickup.

 

Competitive Cycling

Twenty-year old rising Mexican cycling star Isaac Del Toro made a “brilliant” solo attack in the last mile to win stage two of the Tour Down Under.

Twenty-two-year old US national road champ Quinn Simmons is using the Tour Down Under as a springboard to the spring cycling classics, including the Strade Bianche.

The head of the CPA pro cyclists union says they don’t have the resources to defend every cyclist accused of doping, so they won’t help anyone. So you’re on your own if you get busted for putting a little something extra in your water bottle. 

 

Finally…

That feeling when the phrase crappy bike path becomes all too literal. Or when no one knows what the hell those bike lane markings mean.

And how to ride to work without becoming a cyclist.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

Burbank’s Friedman out as Transportation chair, still no stops at deadly SaMo corner, and breaking piggy bank to buy a bike

November 22, 2023 / / Comments Off on Burbank’s Friedman out as Transportation chair, still no stops at deadly SaMo corner, and breaking piggy bank to buy a bike

We’re just two days from Friday’s official kickoff of the Ninth Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Which is a lot better way to use your hard-earned cash than joining in the mad-dash Black Friday consumerist frenzy when you could be riding your bike. 

After donating, of course.

But take a little time to visit your favorite local bike shop for Small Business Saturday, and just buy something, anything, to help ensure they’ll still be here when you need them. 

Just be careful out there. Ride defensively, and try to avoid the malls and other shopping meccas over the weekend, when frenzied drivers will be focused on everything but you. 

Because I don’t want to have to write about you unless you rescue a kitten from a burning building or something. 

We’ll see you back here bright and early Monday morning. 

And seriously, have a great Thanksgiving. 

Photo: State Assemblymember and Congressional candidate Laura Friedman speaks at the recent die-in at LA City Hall. 

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It’s a big loss for traffic safety.

In her time as California Assembly Transportation Committee chair, Laura Friedman has been a champion for safety measures that benefit everyone on our streets, not just people on bikes.

But it was probably predictable, as her campaign to replace Adam Schiff in the US Congress will take her away from Sacramento leading up to next year’s election.

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A little kid should never have to see a ghost bike.

https://twitter.com/BikeBoulderBike/status/1727008409013420276

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REI has marked their highly rated e-cargo bike down 40% off the retail price  to $899.39, $100 less than their previous lowest price.

Too bad potential California buyers still can’t use their ebike vouchers to take advantage of it.

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‘Tis the season.

EF Pro Cycling is out with their holiday gift guide for bicyclists.

Strider Bikes is donating 645 balance bikes worth more than $100,000 to benefit kids in local charities near their Rapid City, South Dakota HQ.

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Local 

No news is good news, right?

 

State

Santa Barbara’s on again, off again State Street bike lanes are back on again, as the city re-striped the lanes in yellow paint, just one year after removing “garish” green bike lanes just 20 months after they were installed. Let’s hope these ones last a little longer. 

Sad news from Salinas, where someone riding a bicycle was killed when they were struck by one driver, then run over by another; no word on whether either driver will face charges.

A Redwood City writer makes the case that authorities should focus on building bike lanes instead of mandating bike helmet use, or whether a victim was wearing one.

A Rohnert Park man was lucky to escape without life-threatening injuries when he was hit by a commuter train after riding through the warning gates. Yet another reminder to never, ever do that. 

 

National

A new study shows ped-assist ebikes can help seniors and people with disabilities — if they can overcome barriers to riding; meanwhile, Electrek says the two biggest problems with ebikes aren’t even about ebikes, but the risk of theft and the dangers of riding on the streets, instead.

A Utah teen is recovering after a speeding, wrong way driver forced his bike off the road.

Property owners shut down an Idaho bike path, after confusing wording on city maps left it unclear whether or not its a public easement.

No surprise here. NBC News reports Dallas, Texas has the most traffic deaths per capita of any American city. And the primary factor causing fatal crashes is speed.

A Mad City group has given away 10,000th refurbished bicycles, with the latest going to a high school wrestler who was forced to walk five miles to school after his bike was stolen.

Officials in New York cut the ribbon on a new project converting a small street into a bike boulevard, despite an angry protester accusing them of selling out the city.

A Florida judge ruled that Jean Macean is mentally competent to stand trial, despite his “mild intellectual disability,” for the stabbing deaths of a Daytona Beach couple as they rode their bicycles home from the motorcycle Bike Week festivities last year.

 

International

GCN offers tips on how to choose a gravel bike.

Life is cheap in British Columbia, where a 73-year old Vancouver driver walked with a lousy $1,500 fine for killing a 57-year old man riding a bicycle; he saw the victim enter the intersection from the opposite direction, but decided to make a left turn in front of him, anyway.

A blind lawyer has raised concerns over a Toronto bike lane built on the sidewalk, rather than the street, with no clear tactile difference to indicate its presence, which poses significant risks to pedestrians with limited eyesight.

Czech carmaker Škoda’s We Love Cycling website discusses how to prepare your bike for riding on cobbles.

Some bicyclists in South Africa’s Gauteng province are giving up riding due to rising rates of attacks on bike riders, including one fatal shooting and another rider who who survived after being shot twice; even riding in groups of of eight to twelve riders isn’t enough to deter the robbers.

 

Finally…

That feeling when turn your ebike into a solar power charging station. Or when a deer makes you duck.

And let’s end things with a pre-holiday smile, as a South Africa boy breaks open his piggy bank to buy a new bike for a gas station worker he befriended.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

Redlands cycling coach killed in Mentone crash, charity Burbank bicyclist killed in NorCal crash, and Taylor Swift is one of us

August 1, 2023 / / 3 comments

Note: Today’s post covers a number of sensitive stories and tragic events. So no one will fault you if you’d rather just skip it and come back tomorrow. 

……….

Yesterday I wrote that I had heard of a possible second bicycling fatality in the Highland/Mentone area over the weekend.

Sadly, that rumor was confirmed with the news that the victim was well-known Redlands cycling coach Bruce Elliott.

Commenter GregW left word that he saw the crash, which apparently happened when a driver turned into the left turn bay Elliott was waiting in while on a group training ride, striking him head-on.

I’ll update the story when I know more.

Graphics by tomexploresla.

………

Graphic by tomexploresla

As if the past weekend hadn’t been bad enough, news also broke yesterday that 60-year old Burbank-based professional trumpet player and long-distance bicyclist and runner Roy Wiegand was killed riding his bike in Monterey County on Saturday.

Wiegand was on the final leg of a month long, 2,500-mile cross-country ride to raise funds for the Navajo Water Project, to help bring clean running water and solar power to the Navajo Nation, when he was reportedly run down from behind by a pickup driver outside of Salinas.

Wiegand was riding by himself after his riding partner had turned back, opting to take a bus back to LA.

Wiegand leaves behind a wife and two children, after raising more than $28,000 on the ride.

Thanks to Paul Thornton for the heads-up. 

………

More information is emerging about the death of rising junior cyclist Magnus White, who was killed by a driver near his Boulder, Colorado home on Saturday.

The 17-year old national junior ‘cross champ was on a final training ride in preparation for traveling to Scotland with the US team for next week’s world championships in Glasgow.

For those who know the area, White was riding the Diagonal Highway, aka Colorado 119, when he was run down from behind by a 23-year old woman who had drifted onto the shoulder of the roadway where White was riding.

He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Police have ruled out intoxication and speed as factors in the crash, but were still investigating the possibility that the driver’s rightward drift could be explained by distracted driving. Although if speed — legal or otherwise — wasn’t a factor, White would still be alive.

A competitive cyclist since age eight, White had recently expanded his skillset into mountain biking and road cycling, and was planning to speak to representatives of professional cycling teams in Glasgow.

Now he’ll never get the chance.

A crowdfunding campaign has raised over $108,000 of the revised $110,000 goal.

Maybe someday, instead of just giving money, Americans will decided they’ve finally had enough of sacrificing our kids to the four-wheeled god, and demand real changes on our streets.

Maybe someday.

Note to NPR and other American media, White was struck with a car, not by a car; the car did not have autonomy. And several stories have noted that White was wearing a helmet, which only matters if he suffered a head injury since bike helmets don’t protect any other body parts, despite the magical thinking so many media sites seem to suffer from. 

………

Today’s common theme is bike riders getting run down by cops, who will often admit to being the worst drivers on the road.

And are too often right.

A 15-year old boy riding a bike was left crossed by a Chicago cop, who apparently failed to yield to the bicycle traveling through the intersection; needless to say, the local press blamed the victim.

An Indianapolis bike rider was critically injured when a cop responding to a reported home invasion swerved to avoid another car, and crashed head-on into the victim riding in the opposite direction.

………

Streetsblog’s Streetfilms takes a tour of the amazing new cycletracks in Alameda CA.

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Evidently, Tay Tay is one of us, too too.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

The New York Times continues their anti-ebike campaign, arguing that the youth-oriented, ped-assist Super73 ebikes are just motorcycles for children.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two-wheels behaving badly.

Police in Tokyo have recommended that the state minister for eduction should be prosecuted for crashing his bicycle into a woman crossing a street without traffic signals.

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Local 

A bike giveaway by One Bicycle Foundation donated twenty-four new bicycles to former foster kids who are now students at Pasadena City College; LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, a PCC alumni, spoke in support of the nonprofit group.

Streetsblog questions whether the new door-zone sharrows on Slauson Ave in LA’s Del Rey neighborhood are the city’s worst, in a city with no shortage of sharrow shame.

South Pasadena broke ground on a series of “transformative” street improvements to benefit connectivity, including traffic calming devices for the city’s slow streets program.

Traffic deaths continue to rise in Long Beach, despite the city’s Vision Zero program’s commitment to end traffic deaths by 2026.

 

State

There’s a special place in hell for the hit-and-run driver who ran down three Bakersfield kids as they rode their bikes in a left turn lane; two of the children were sent to a local hospital, one with life-threatening injuries.

Six Stanford students rode their bikes across the US, teaching students along the way.

 

National

A senior research scientist for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety writes that smartphones could be more than a distraction behind the wheel with sufficient buy-in from automakers and tech companies, such as an app that can inform drivers when they’re speeding.

A new research study shows the presence of an Interstate highway contributes to a significant increase in pedestrian deaths, which occur disproportionately in Black communities. Maybe because that’s where they built the freeways. And what affects pedestrians usually affects people on bicycles, too.

A Honolulu bike rider was the victim of a violent armed robbery when a man deliberately drove his car into him, then got out and stole the victim’s backpack as he lay in the roadway.

Houston is on pace to set a new record for bicycling deaths, after passing last-year’s already too-high total with the city’s 12th person killed riding a bicycle this year.

As most of us can testify, there’s no better way to leave work pressures behind than going for a bike ride, as President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden did in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on Monday. And no, he didn’t fall off this time.

A Florida woman turned herself in for the hit-and-run death of a man riding a bicycle, after abandoning her car in the grocery store parking lot. And giving herself plenty of time to sober up — assuming she’d been imbibing, of course.

 

International

Momentum says North American cities need to push for more, and more secure, bike parking.

Wired says Specialized’s new $2,800 Globe Haul ST light utility ebike makes up for the loss of VanMoof to bankruptcy, although the dormant Dutch ebike maker may not be completely dead yet.

 

Competitive Cycling

Demi Vollering won the equivalent of nearly $55,000 by claiming the yellow jersey in 2nd Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the biggest payout in women’s cycling — and still just ten percent of what Jonas Vingegaard got for winning the men’s race.

The president of the professional cyclists union spent 5,172 Czech korunas out of his own pocket — the equivalent of about $240 — in an effort to develop a laser-based sensor to keep bike riders from crashing into race motos. As usual, read it on Yahoo if Bicycling blocks you.

The AP says American cyclist Chloe Dygert has overcome overwhelming obstacles to have a shot at another world championship, from undergoing several rounds of surgery for injuries suffered crashing her bike into a guardrail, to heart surgery required to treat supraventricular tachycardia, as well as extreme fatigue caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.

 

Finally…

That’s one way to enjoy a snack on your bike, as long as you can steer with your butt.

And that feeling when you ride in the tire tracks of greatness.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

Bike riders feel like #2 as PeopleForBikes ranks LA 821st in US, and Sunset For All hosts ice cream social next month

June 28, 2023 / / 6 comments

PeopleForBikes is out with its latest ranking of the bikeability of nearly 1,500 American cities.

And needless to say, Southern California has a long, long way to go.

The national bike advocacy group rates cities according to the quality of each city’s bike network, assigning a Bicycle Network Analysis score, or BNA, on a scale of 0 to 100.

The good news, if you can call it that, is that no US city scored lower than a 2.

Provincetown, Massachusetts and Crested Butte, Colorado ranked #1 and #2 overall, respectively, with BNA scores of 88 and 87.

Although I’m sure many LA residents think riding here is #2. And sadly, PeopleForBikes seems to agree.

In fact, you have to scroll past 820 other American cities to find LA in a 39-way tie for 821st, with a pitiful BNA score of 19.

Which puts us in a class with such bicycling nirvanas as Santa Ana, Las Vegas, Laguna Niguel, Raleigh NC, and Krugerville, Texas.

Which probably wasn’t named after Freddy, even if it should be.

Bike-friendly Sacramento suburb Davis ranked #1 among medium-sized cities with a BNA score of 77, while Minneapolis, Minnesota ranked atop the large city listings with a score of 68.

Here in SoCal, Ventura received a BNA of 32, with San Diego 30, Riverside at 21, and San Bernardino an awful 12.

Among other cities in LA County, relatively bike-friendly Santa Monica scored a respectable 52, Burbank checked in at 29, and Pasadena was a sad 16.

Meanwhile, PeopleForBikes highlights Long Beach’s efforts to build a true 15-minute city, with protected bike lanes on every arterial street, and bikeshare docks in every neighborhood. Although the city still has a long way to go, checking in with a BNA score of 37.

But that’s nearly twice as high as its much larger neighbor to the north.

………

Sunset For All is teaming with BikeLA — the former Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition — to host an ice cream social starting at 3 pm on July 8th, with a bike ride to follow at 4 pm.

………

Outside+ is on sale for $1.99 a month for the next year, including the Outside digital network and the new Velo site. No guarantee what happens to your rate after that, however.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on rolling.

No bias here. A San Diego TV station gets the story backwards in a report on the growing memorial to 15-year old Brodee Champlain-Kingman, who died last weekend after a collision in Encinitas; the station warns about the dangers of ebikes, but neglects to consider the risks posed by people in the big, dangerous machines.

No bias here, either. A Maine letter writer opposes plans for a rail-to-trail conversion, bizarrely arguing that “active transportation” is a vague term at best, and that a trail is likely to be too crowded on weekends.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Police in New York are looking for an ebike rider who punched a 72-year old Manhattan man in the face after the victim told him to get off the sidewalk.

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Local 

New stories from Urbanize and Streetsblog examine Monday’s opening of the Venice Blvd Safety and Mobility Project, which upgrades 2.5 miles of existing bike lanes and adds 2.1 miles of dedicated busways, while leaving a few notable gaps. Correction: Originally I had written that the project added four miles of protected bike lanes, and 2.5 miles of bus lanes, which was a misstatement. Thanks to Joe Linton for the correction.

 

State

OC Parks will host an intermediate-level bike ride exploring the newest trails in the recently opened Saddleback Wilderness on July 9th.

The Goleta city council approved plans to use eminent domain to acquire the land for a planned multiuse path, as negotiations continue with landowners to buy the necessary easements.

Montecito bike shop Mad Dogs & Englishmen raised funds to donate 75 bicycles to underprivileged kids, after the bicycle they gave to British Prince Archie sparked an unexpected backlash.

A Bay Area TV station discusses how people taking part in the recent AIDS/LifeCycle ride bonded on the 450-mile, seven-day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Streetsblog says a new physically separated bike lane on the extreme western end of Alameda Island is the first in the Bay Area to get bike lanes right, using a European model.

 

National

An ebike-maker lists ten tips to help you ride your ebike safely. All of which apply to regular bikes, as well. And most of which you probably already know.

A writer for Cycling Weekly says yes, your kid should ride an ebike, saying the right setup can bring joy to your family.

Teams of women participating in the Pedal the Pacific bike rides down the Pacific Coast have raised over $860,000 to fight human trafficking.

The family of a Texas bike rider have filed suit after he was killed by material falling from a construction project while riding in winds up to 40 mph this past March.

Bicycling examines plans to build an advisory lane in Kalamazoo, Michigan, referring to it as an edge lane, which creates a single traffic lane in the center of the street while allowing drivers to move into the bike lanes on either side to pass another vehicle. Read it on AOL if the magazine blocks you. 

New York has cleared the final federal hurdle preventing congestion pricing; the city is now expected to begin charging drivers to enter midtown Manhattan sometime next year. Which should clear the way for Los Angeles to institute its much discussed congestion pricing plan, as well.

Art-pop musician Anohni is one of us, as the 51-year old singer with an eight-octave range rode her bike to talk with a reporter from the New York Times.

Savannah, Georgia multi-disciplined visual artist, jazz vocalist and bassist, full-time professor and elite cyclist Maggie Evans is making a comeback after she was nearly killed last year when a pickup driver slammed into her on a training ride at 64 mph.

 

International

Now you, too, can have your very own solar powered mini-travel trailer designed to be pulled by an ebike, for less than seven grand.

Hundreds of naked and partially clad bike riders rode through the streets of Guadalajara, Mexico to raise awareness of bike safety in the city’s edition of the World Naked Bike Ride.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is practicing Vision Zero in reverse, cancelling plans to improve safety at the intersection where a bike-riding woman was killed by the driver of a cement truck nearly a decade ago.

A bike rider in the UK was lucky to escape without serious injuries when he was robbed at knife point and beaten by a passenger who got out of a passing car to attack him.

Britain’s Parliament will once again consider whether bike riders should be required to wear a helmet, after a Member of Parliament from Rugby introduced the latest attempt.

A new Australian report lists 50 distinct contributory factors leading to bike riders being struck by drivers, along with another 50 leading to near misses; the leading factors are drivers pulling out in front of bicyclists, driver non-compliance with road rules, and drivers failing to give way. Note the key word with all of those is “drivers,” not bicyclists. 

Aussie researchers will examine the prevalence and impact of structural damage in carbon fiber bicycles currently in use by the general public.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cyclist talks with James Gay-Rees, producer of the Netflix eight-episode docuseries Tour de France: Unchained.

WaPo asks the burning question of whether Tadej Pogacar can win the Tour de France after training for the race in his kitchen, a result of breaking his hand in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race.

Five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Induráin says people who think time trials are boring should find another sport to watch.

Australian GQ considers the biggest scandals in Tour de France history, including a certain ex-seven time doper winner who seems to think trans cyclist are cheating.

 

Finally…

That feeling when your new ebike has a built-in chatbot for no discernible reason. If you can’t steal a bike from your own family, who can you steal from?

And who really needs bike wheels, anyway?

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin.

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

Warner Bros actively discourages bike riding, 5 SoCal cities make bike friendly list, and UFO close encounter on an ebike

December 9, 2021 / / One comment

It’s Day 14 of the 7th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Thanks to Anne F for her generous donation to help keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way every day. 

Right now, we’re running a full week ahead of last year’s record pace! So let’s keep it going! 

Any amount, no matter how large or small, is truly and deeply appreciated. And very needed after a difficult couple years. 

So give now via PayPal, or with Zelle to ted @ bikinginla.com. 

Go ahead. We’ll wait. 

………

You’ve got to hand it to Warner Bros, who couldn’t have done a better job of discouraging people from riding their bikes to work, let alone on the studio lot, if they tried.

And from the looks of it, they probably did.

But sure. Let’s just keep Burbank smoggy, congested and deadly.

And we can credit D. Jones with pointing out that WB probably stands for War on Bikes.

………

Congratulations are due to the latest round of cities to make the League of American Bicyclist’s list of Bicycle Friendly Communities, as well as cities renewing their membership or moving up a level.

SoCal cities to make the list are —

  • Oceanside (Silver)
  • Santa Barbara (Silver)
  • Encinitas (Bronze)
  • Riverside (Bronze)
  • Temecula (Bronze)

Other California cities on the list are —

  • Alameda (Silver)
  • Roseville (Bronze)
  • San Ramon (Bronze)
  • Watsonville (Bronze)

Meanwhile, my Colorado hometown continues to prove its bike bona fides, pulling down the only Platinum rating.

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You see a lot of things while riding your bike. But an up-close encounter with UFOs usually isn’t one of them.

A British woman claims to have had a close encounter of the second kind while riding her ebike, saying she was approached by a fleet of UFOs, with one coming as close as eight feet away, albeit on the other side of a hedge.

Being the friendly sort, she waved at her otherworldly visitors, causing some to instantly vanish, while others came right up to her.

She says they examined her with lasers, before vanishing with a burst of infrared light. Which is a little odd, since infrared isn’t usually visible to the human eye.

But still.

………

Just a few months after reviving his moribund racing career with four stage wins at this year’s Tour de France, British sprinter Mark Cavendish was the victim of a terrifying home invasion robbery, along with his entire family.

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Streetsblog’s Streetfilms examines a successful New York bike boulevard.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes is all too real.   

An English man had to wait three hours for an ambulance in sub-40F degree weather after he was struck by a driver, lying flat on the cold ground after being told not to move due to a possible spinal injury; fortunately, he escaped with just a broken wrist.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.   

The infamous Western Bandit was sentenced to life without parole for a three-year string of bike-born armed robberies along LA’s Western Ave; he murdered two people and shot at several others during the crime spree.

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Local

A trio of state-funded programs to improve recreation equity in the Los Angeles area will help low-income people of color access state parks; one program will bus people to state and county parks and beaches, then show them how to use transit and bike paths to get there on their own.

You can now buy the new ebikes and e-scooters from Santa Monica-based Bird at Target. But you can’t read the article about it from the LA Business Journal without paying for a subscription.

A cast member on The Real World Homecoming: Los Angeles opened up about his recent collision when he was struck by a truck driver while riding his bike in DTLA just before filming started, leaving him with a serious head injury, a broken clavicle, wrist and possibly broken ribs; on a possibly related subject, other cast members had to remove all the alcohol from the set because of his excessive drinking.

 

State

The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition recognized local leaders for their work in the bicycling community at the organization’s virtual Golden Gear Awards.

Speaking of the SDCBC, bike riders of all ages are invited to join the group’s 4-mile, holiday-themed ride through Balboa Park tonight; participants will receive a set of bike lights courtesy of Lyft.

Finishing our San Diego trifecta, the city is considering banning fast food restaurants near transit stations, in part to protect bike riders and pedestrians; naturally, some people don’t approve.

Fresno police are looking for the heartless coward who fled the scene after seriously injuring a man walking his bike across a bridge; fortunately, the victim is expected to recover.

 

National

The Bike League has teamed with autonomous vehicle artificial intelligence provider Argo AI to develop a detailed set of guidelines for makers of self-driving cars to protect bike riders on the roadways, including mapping local infrastructure and laws, and expecting typical bicyclist behavior while being prepared for uncertain situations.

City Lab reminds business owners that not all holiday shoppers drive, and that studies show bike lanes are good for business. Meanwhile, the site also examines why infrastructure costs more in the US than virtually anywhere else.

New research shows you should exercise more as you grow older, rather than less, as most people assume. And bicycling is one of the best ways to do it.

Don’t plan on using your new federal tax rebate on one of the new ebikes from Harley-Davidson, since only one of the company’s Serial 1 bikes comes in under the $4,000 cap. And that’s if the bill can pass the Senate, which is far from a sure thing.

The Seattle bike cop caught on video rolling his bicycle over a protester’s head during last year’s protests was suspended for a whole seven days without pay, after the city’s police watchdog found he used excessive force, and acted without reasonable discretion and professionalism.

Denver residents want some temporary roundabouts removed after several bike riders have been injured by drivers; they were installed as part of the Slow Streets program, but never removed when roads were reopened to cars.

New signs along Colorado roads will remind drivers about the state’s three-foot passing law. We could use a few of those here in California, too. And by a few, I mean a few hundred thousand.

Kansas City newspaper readers share their thoughts on bike lanes. And in a pleasant change, the paper didn’t share the bike-haters point of view.

A Texas man will spend the next five years behind bars after repeatedly violating his probation for the hit-and-run death of a bike rider in 2008; the judge said she only wished she could sentence him to more.

Lake Wobegon, where “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average,” may have been a mythical creation of folk humorist Garrison Keillor, but the Minnesota bikeway named after it may soon be part of the US Bicycle Route system.

Nice story from Indiana, where a couple has biked through all 50 states in their 57 years of marriage; they got married just eight months after meeting on a blind date.

The dark side of the bike boom reared its ugly head in Virginia, where bicycling fatalities are up over 75% this year.

‘Tis the season. Members of a St. Petersburg, Florida organization donated 117  bicycles for police to distribute to kids in need.

Florida sheriff’s deputies didn’t have to look far to find a hit-and-run driver, busting one of the department’s own dispatchers for the crime that left a bike rider seriously injured. And yes, it was captured on security cam.

 

International

Bicycling offers their recommendations for the best bike trips in 27 categories from around the world. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you.

Cycling News explains the difference between road and touring bikes. That’s easy. I ride the former, and my adventureneering brother rides the latter.

Toronto finally removed construction fencing blocking a bike lane and forcing riders into unforgiving traffic, which had remained in place for months after work was stopped.

A former Spanish monk built a sprawling cathedral almost singlehandedly, using recycled bricks, car tires and bicycle wheels as his materials; he died at age 96, in his modest quarters in the building he built by hand.

The bike boom is threatening to go bust in Bengaluru, India, where all the parking is dedicated to cars and motorcycles, and none for bicycles.

Bangladeshi students across the country staged a bicycle protest on Wednesday to demand safer streets and justice for the victims of traffic violence.

 

Competitive Cycling

British cyclist Tom Pidcock has set his sights high, with plans to win world titles in cyclocross, mountain biking and road cycling next year, after just two years on the World Tour and elite levels. Although some of the other riders may have something to say about that.

Cycling Tips says October’s Into The Lion’s Den has gone from the year’s richest crit to a PR disaster, after none of the winners have received their share of the promised $100,000 prize money; race founder Justin Williams of the L39ion of Los Angeles cycling team is urging patience, promising that everyone will get paid.

 

Finally…

If it doesn’t have pedals, it’s just an e-scooter — no matter how cute and tiny it is. Building your own gravity bike out of scraps.

And raise your hand if you want a bike-based mobile donut shop in your own town.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

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

Funds pour in to improve safety on dangerous Sunset & Santa Monica, and new Burbank protected bike lane

June 29, 2021 / / Comments Off on Funds pour in to improve safety on dangerous Sunset & Santa Monica, and new Burbank protected bike lane

Let’s start with an update on Thursday’s lead story.

Sunset4All has raised nearly $7,000 of the $25,000 goal towards LA’s first public/private partnership to force encourage city officials to build protected bike lanes and other safety improvements on Sunset and Santa Monica Boulevards, through East Hollywood, Silver Lake, and Echo Park.

Every donation is being matched dollar for dollar this week, so that $7,000 really represents $14,000 to help keep bike riders safe on a dangerous corridor that’s way down on the city’s priority list.

So if you’ve got a few extra bucks, open your wallet and give what you can.

Because if this is successful, this kind of public/private partnership could come to your neighborhood next. And help improve safety where you ride.

………

Burbank’s Hollywood Way is now graced by a new partially curb-protected bike lane.

https://twitter.com/pjrocks/status/1409702511179563012

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Video of the Nairobi Critical Mass proves that bicycling really is a worldwide phenomenon.

Thanks to Stormin’ Norman for forwarding the video.

………

That feeling when a cough lozenge makes up for forgetting your bike’s front thru-axle that somehow caused a flat to your rear tire.

………

Local

Streets For All is hosting another of their virtual happy hours, this time talking with UCLA distinguished professor and parking meister Donald Shoup on July 14th.

A couple dozen people turned out Saturday to ride in support of union organizing efforts for the workers who serve the Metro Bike program, which is operated for Metro by Bicycle Transit Systems.

KCRW looks at the volunteers behind Koreatown’s Bicycle Meals, who ride to feed the area’s homeless people.

 

State

A 33-year old San Diego man broke his ankle when he was right hooked by a bus driver, after coming off the sidewalk into the crosswalk.

Santa Barbara-adjacent Goleta wants to hear from you about whether they should invest in a bikeshare system. Which can and should be answered with a resounding yes.

Sad news from Hayward, where police are looking for the hit-and-run pickup driver who killed a 55-year old man riding a bike.

Legendary bike mechanic John Stein is hanging up his wrench after more than four decades serving Redding bike riders.

 

National

A new Kickstarter project promises to let you check your tire pressure with a swipe of your smartphone. As long as you don’t mind a big round bulb on your valve stems.

Even Las Cruces, New Mexico has installed popup bike lanes in an effort to get people safely outside while they study how to improve bike and pedestrian safety throughout the city. Unlike a certain megalopolis to the west, with roughly 40 times the population.

A Western Colorado bike shop just gave a $10,000 check to a shelter for homeless teens; the shop resells donated bike and gives the proceeds to the shelter, while donating some bikes to homeless kids.

An Evansville, Indiana community college partnered with a local school district to give away 280 bicycles, along with locks and helmets; the annual program has given away over 3,500 bikes over the last 15 years.

Cambridge, Massachusetts shelved plans for nearly five miles of separated bike lanes after local residents chose the convenience of streetside parking over the safety of people on two wheels.

The New York Times offers a reluctant rider’s guide to bicycling.

Life is cheap in Pennsylvania, where an unlicensed drunk driver got just two to four years behind bars for killing the rider of a motorized bicycle in a left cross collision.

After years of watching the Tour de France together, it became more than just a bike race last year when a man’s DC-based father was dying.

After tomorrow, Virginia bike riders will finally be able to legally ride side-by-side, while drivers will be required to change lanes to pass them if the road doesn’t allow for a minimum three-foot passing distance.

An 1,186-mile bike ride from Fredericksburg, Virginia to Miami as teenagers in the ’70s helped bond three friends for 50 years.

 

International

Pink Bike looks at the year’s best mountain bike helmets.

Treehugger takes a look at the how and why of traffic calming.

An English woman is honoring her dying husband’s last wish by selling his prized bicycles to raise the equivalent of $6,200 for the cancer ward that cared for him.

Scottish bicycling deaths surged to a seven-year high as roads emptied and bicycling boomed during the pandemic.

Seoul, Korea will test child bike riders and provide a safe cycling certification, which provides a discount on the city’s bikeshare system.

A Singapore-based artist takes a zen-based look at bicycling.

Bicyclists in Hong Kong celebrate California’s lowrider bicycle culture.

 

Competitive Cycling

Once again, the third stage of the Tour de France was marred by crashes, which took down Caleb Ewing, Peter Sagan and Primož Roglič, who lost significant time on the leaders.

Geraint Thomas somehow finished the stage after a team doctor popped his separated shoulder back into place, while Robrt Gesink was forced to abandon the race; Mark Cavendish was lucky to avoid injury in a crash that trashed his bike.

Yet another crash may have knocked 27-year old Australian cyclist Jack Haig out of the Tokyo Olympics later this month.

A photographer for Peloton captured a gripping image of Ewing on the ground, surrounded by teammates.

The manager of French cycling team Groupama-FDJ calls for rule changes to prevent the sort of chaotic, crash-ridden stage finales seen Monday’s stage before someone gets killed.

Cyclist looks back at what may have been the Tour’s toughest stage ever, marked by a legendary ride by Lucien Buysse nearly 100 years ago.

SoCal’s own Coryn Rivera will represent the US in a grueling ride up Mt. Fuji in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Red Bull profiles French 2019 world downhill mountain bike champ Myriam Nicole.

 

Finally…

Who needs streets to evade the cops, when you can drive on a bike path? Your next retro chic ebike could do its own shifting.

And who really needs hubs, anyway?

………

Thanks to Michael W for his annual donation to help support this site, and keep SoCal’s best bike news winging your way every morning. 

Donations are always welcome, regardless of size or reason. 

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

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

Injured Encinitas bike advocate wins $11 million settlement, SaMo crashes drop 50%, and boring street racers into quitting

March 10, 2021 / / 2 comments

It’s the very definition of tragic irony.

In December of 2018, the executive director of advocacy group Cardiff 101 Main Street was run down by a driver while riding her bike on the sharrows on the North Coast Highway in the Leucadia neighborhood of Encinitas.

Exactly where she had long fought for safety improvements, including a road diet and bike lanes.

Roberta Walker, a longtime bike and pedestrian advocate, and former professional snowboarder, suffered multiple catastrophic injuries that left her survival in doubt for some time after she was placed in a medically induced coma.

This week, she settled a lawsuit with Encinitas for a whopping $11 million to cover past and future medical expenses, as well as what will likely be years, if not a lifetime, of rehab.

Although something tells me she’d gladly give up every penny to avoid those injuries and have her old life back.

Her lawyer argued that the sharrows were a dangerous condition of public property and a direct cause of the crash, in which she was run down from behind by a pickup driver.

Which, sadly, is about as good a description as any for far too many sharrows.

Thankfully, that won’t be a problem much longer.

The long-awaited project began preliminary construction activities last month and features traffic calming measures, buffered bike lanes, raised medians, roundabouts and enhanced crosswalks.

“One profound irony of this accident is that Ms. Walker herself had advocated for a dedicated bike lane in multiple City Council meetings,” (plaintiffs’ attorney Ed) Susolik said.

There’s no word on whether the driver ever faced charges.

Or even got a ticket for nearly killing someone riding legally, exactly where she was supposed to be.

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Santa Monica saw a 50% drop in traffic collisions over the last year as more people stayed home during the pandemic, and a 70% reduction in drunk driving due to the closure of restaurants and bars.

The city also repurposed street parking for al fresco restaurant dining, and built another 18 miles of protected bike lanes — which equals half of all the bike lanes built in Los Angeles in the 2019/2020 fiscal year, despite being just a tiny fraction of LA’s size.

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Apparently, the Burbank Police Department plans to bore street racers into giving it up.

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Today’s common theme is a host of new bikes, e- and otherwise.

Who wouldn’t want an ebike inspired by the legendary Caroll Shelby?

When you need your powerful ebike camouflaged for hunting.

A 24-year old Irishman created a new ebike designed to replace your car, and turned to Vietnam for manufacturing.

Or maybe you’d rather have a cross between a teeny tiny car and a throttle controlled adult e-tricycle.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

After London cop carelessly cut off a bike rider, the officer made a U-turn and came back — to lecture the guy on the bike.

It’s a sad commentary when even carfree British streets aren’t.

https://twitter.com/drewsonix/status/1368659207424258049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1368659207424258049%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Froad.cc%2Fcontent%2Fnews%2Fcycling-live-blog-9-march-2021-281561

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Tragic news from the UK, where a bike rider is on trial for allegedly jumping a red light and slamming into a 73-year old man walking home from work; the victim died days later as a result of severe brain injuries suffered in the crash; bicyclist turned himself in after initially fleeing the scene. Yet another reminder that pedestrians are the only people on the street who are more vulnerable than we are. So ride carefully around them, dammit. And stick around after a crash. 

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Local

LADOT is planning safety improvements to a 1.2 mile segment of San Vicente Blvd east of Beverly Hills when the street is scheduled to be repaved this June; options include a separated or parking protected bike lane.

Metro is hosting a virtual bike repair and flat fixing class this Saturday.

 

State

A San Diego bike rider was lucky to survive when he swerved suddenly to avoid a garbage truck in a parking lot, and was impaled through the neck and jaw by a hook hanging from the front of a pickup.

UC Santa Barbara talks with geography professor Trisalyn Nelson, who created BikeMaps to allow bike riders to report trouble spots after yet another too-close call on her bike.

Authorities identified the victim of Saturday’s Turlock hit-and-run as a 44-year old Turlock man; police are looking for the driver of a charcoal gray Mercedes sedan with visible damage to the front and/or side.

Streetsblog is looking for freelance help in San Francisco.

A Gold Country bike columnist says unless you make a living on it, your bike is a toy, so have fun on it. Evidently, he’s never heard of bike commuting or transportation riding. Which doesn’t mean he’s not right about the fun part.

 

National

The Verge looks at the growing DIY ebike movement, citing the birth of Rad Power Bikes as a prime example.

Tragic news from Phoenix, where a 22-year old man was collateral damage when a shootout erupted between a group of people standing in a field as he was riding by on his bike.

It may be illegal to park in a Houston bike lane now, but that doesn’t mean it actually stops anyone.

Chicago’s Goose Island beer is marking the release of their new 312 Lemonade Shandy by giving away new bicycles to anyone who can find one of 50 giant lemons hidden throughout the city on — you guessed it — March 12th, aka 3-12. And they make damn good beer, too.

The bike shortage induced by the bike boom induced by the pandemic has made its way to Bowling Green KY, home to the fighting WKU Hilltoppers.

Armed robbers are targeting New York delivery riders to steal the expensive ebikes they need to do their jobs.

 

International

The family of British motorcyclist Harry Dunn say they’re offended by an offer from American spy Anne Sacoolas to do community service for the wrong way hit-and-run that took his life, after she claimed diplomatic immunity to flee the country. Although you have to wonder about American intelligence services if they can’t figure out that Brits drive on the other side of the road.

A bike chain in the UK is facing well-deserved criticism for laying off 300 workers and shifting the rest to zero guaranteed hour contracts in an effort to slash costs, despite booming business from the bike boom.

 

Competitive Cycling

Vincenzo Nibali, who should know, says turn off those bike computers and power meters during a race and ride on instinct, like Strade Bianche winner Mathieu van der Poel.

Rouleur previews the upcoming Giro, the first of the three Grand Tours.

 

Finally…

Business up front, party in the back — a DIY mountain bike with a mullet. That feeling when the cops have you dead to rights for stealing a bike from a disabled person, and you somehow think you can do better in front of a jury.

And when you want to learn how to make a bicycle, among other things.

In Japanese.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a damn mask, already. 

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

Low bike goals in new LADOT strategic plan, proposed retail bike registration requirement, and new Burbank bike path

February 5, 2021 / / One comment

LADOT has released their updated Strategic Plan for 2021.

I haven’t had a chance to dig into it yet. But at first glance, the section on bike planning and implementation could use some major improvement.

While it’s good news that the city is finally getting around to working on the Neighborhood Enhanced Network — one of three comprehensive bike networks in the city’s mobility plan — completing just one major active transportation project per year sets an extremely low and unambitious bar for the city.

Click to enlarge

 

At that rate, it could be decades before we’ll finally have a safe route across the city. Or through your own neighborhood, even.

And that vague term doesn’t even guarantee that the “major active transportation project” will include bikes at all.

To be fair, Los Angeles Department of Transportation continues to be dramatically understaffed and underfunded, a situation that’s not likely to improve anytime soon, given the city’s precarious financial state.

Meanwhile, biking and walking continues to take a backseat to funneling ever larger amounts of motor vehicles through our already overstrained streets.

And don’t even get me started on the largely forgotten Vision Zero program, which has been pushed so far back on the list of priorities it risks falling off entirely.

While the commitment to major active transportation projects vaguely resembles the long-promised Backbone Network of bikeways on major streets, there’s no mention of the Green Network promised in the 2010 Bike Plan, which was subsumed into the mobility plan.

The idea was to have one network leading into another, giving riders the ability to travel in their own neighborhood, through the local community, and across the city.

Instead we’re left with vague promises, as LADOT continues to set the bar so low they have to be careful not to trip over it on the way out every night.

Thanks to Kent Strumpell for the heads-up.

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Saturday’s virtual meeting of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition will include discussion of a proposal to require retail sellers of new and used bikes to register them for the buyer with Bike Index.

Although that would be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce.

A better option would be to offer some sort of tax benefit to encourage bike shops to do what some are already doing — register their bikes when they take them into inventory, then transfer the registration to the buyer if the customer wants.

Thanks to Joe Linton for the tip.

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Okay, so you may not get much of a workout. But who wants to be the first to ride it today?

Thanks to Chris Buonomo for the heads-up.

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Nice.

Pastor William S. Epps of South LA’s Second Baptist Church joined with over 50 bicyclists representing the Inner City Cycling Connection on Martin Luther King Day to pray for “healing in African American communities throughout Los Angeles.”

According to a statement issued by ICCC, the group’s members “cycle through a city where the neighborhoods have changed just like the terrain, we push and pedal towards the mountain top…we have our eyes set on the promise land and every muscle we burn, we are assured and filled with hope [that] the day of equality and justice are not just a dream. We pray for the courage to continue to stand up for justice, reconciliation and truth.”

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This is the cost of traffic violence.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going. 

No bias here. A British city councilor says segregated bike lanes are shortsighted because they’ll get too crowded and put residents at risk, and e-scooters are dangerous to cars. No, really.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly. 

West Virginia police bust a bike-riding shoplifter after a circuitous chase. It seems like a straighter route would have made for a more efficient getaway. But that’s just me.

What a jerk. A bike rider in Brussels is accused of intentionally kneeing a five-year old little girl because she didn’t get the eff out of his way fast enough. And it looks even worse than it sounds.

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Local

Congratulations to Arlo Day; the five-year old daughter of actors Leighton Meester and Adam Brody is one of us now, after her mother taught her to ride a bike.

 

State

Calbike is asking you to sign a petition calling for biking and walking to get a fair share of the federal transportation budget.

Bad news from San Diego County, where man riding in an El Cajon bike lane suffered a severe head injury when he was struck by a motorist turning into a driveway; no word yet on whether his injuries are life-threatening. Although someone should tell the San Diego Union-Tribune that it was the driver, rather than the car, who was responsible for the crash; it took them until the last paragraph to even mention that the car had one.

There’s something seriously wrong when a 14-year old Fresno boy can’t ride his bike with a friend without getting accosted and shot; fortunately, he’s expected to survive.

They get it. Pedestrian advocacy group Walk San Francisco says Slow Streets should be made permanent. And not just in San Francisco, please.

Some Modesto parents are complaining about what they consider a heavy handed response by police in crackdown on unruly teens participating in last weekend’s Ride Out.

 

National

Make your own DIY vibration-detecting bike wheel lights.

Who needs winter bike gloves when you have USB-chargeable, heated handlebar plugs?

Bicycling says hold off on that hot shower after a freezing bike ride. Read it on Yahoo if the magazine’s paywall locks you out.

A Portland bike club was honored by USA Cycling as the nation’s Best Community Builder for 2020.

Utah’s version of the Idaho Stop law sailed through the state House, which voted overwhelming to allow bike riders to treat stop signs as yields; the bill’s sponsor said allowing riders to treat red lights as stop signs was too controversial to include it in the bill.

Bike riding has become a favored family activity in pandemic era Houston.

America’s first Bike City, joining cities like Paris and Copenhagen in receiving the designation from international cycling’s governing body, is…Fayetteville, Arkansas?

Streetsblog wants to know how New York plans to install 10,000 bike racks in two years, when they haven’t been able to consistently meet the previous goal of just 1,500 a year.

 

International

Welcome to Vancouver, the bike theft capitol of Canada.

No surprise here. The American hit-and-run driver who fled the country after killing 19-year old London motorcyclist Harry Dunn, claiming diplomatic immunity, was working for an American intelligence agency at the time of the crash.

The British government sets a goal of half of all trips in cities and towns to be done by walking or bicycling by the end of this decade.

Someone please get these people some bikes. Despite the massive increase in bicycling driven by the coronavirus bike boom, Derry residents have the lowest access to a bicycle of anywhere in Northern Ireland.

If you build it, they will come. New figures from the Paris government show that six out of every ten people using the city’s popup bike lanes are new to bicycling. Yet another example of exactly what Los Angeles is missing out on by failing to install a single popup lane during the pandemic.

Ped-assist ebike fires doubled in Singapore last year, even as the overall rate of fires declined.

That’s more like it. An Aussie truck driver got four years behind bars for killing a bike rider after he was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and leaving the scene of a collision; the judge rejected the driver’s claim that that he didn’t know he’d hit anyone, finding it “totally lacking in credibility.”

 

Competitive Cycling

The iconic, seven-day mountain bike BC Bike Race is launching a new five-day gravel race; the inaugural race of The Gravel Explorer, or BCBR Gravel, is set to roll at the end of September.

Cycling Weekly offers a comprehensive overview of the bikes being ridden on this year men’s and women’s WorldTour.

UCI will attempt to improve safety by requiring better finish line barriers, and assessing the safety of “super tuck” descents.

 

Finally…

That is one seriously funky looking ebike. Your next ebike could have a hydraulic drive instead of a chain.

And is that enough notice for you?

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a damn mask, already. 

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