Tag Archive for California DMV

New slate of bills stiffen CA DUI laws, completely incomplete killer pathway, and raising funds for LB hit-and-run victim

February 18, 2026 / / No comments

With all of yesterday’s holiday greetings, I forgot all about Mardi Gras for the first time since I lived in Louisiana with the Pirate Lafitte . 

But just like a flat inevitably follows a forgotten spare tube and patch kit, so Ash Wednesday must follow on the heels of Mardi Gras. 

So I hope you’ve gotten the partying out of your system at least for a day or two, and have a good Ash Wednesday if you’re so inclined.

Personally, I’m giving up flipping off dangerous drivers for Lent. 

I give it about three or four days. 

………

About damn time.

CalMatters continues their exceptional series on the ongoing epidemic of traffic violence in California with reporting on a slate of new bills in the state legislature that would finally get tough on drunk, stoned and killer drivers.

I’ll let them fill in the details, but these are the topline highlights.

  • Make vehicular manslaughter a violent felony and increase DUI penalties (SB 907)
  • Close the DMV point loophole for drivers who get diversion after a deadly crash (AB 1662)
  • Ensure deadly drivers don’t get their licenses back as soon as they get out of prison (TBD)
  • Increase DMV points for fatal crashes (AB 1685)
  • Allow prosecutors to charge DUIs as a felony on second offense (AB 1686)
  • Allow prosecutors to charge DUIs as a felony after third offense, increase repeat DUI penalties (AB 1546)
  • Revoke the licenses of repeat DUI offenders for longer (AB 1687)
  • Bar people convicted of serious or repeat DUIs from purchasing alcohol (AB 1605)
  • Mandate in-car breathalyzers for all DUI offenders (AB 1830)
  • Expand law enforcement DUI training (AB 1814)

Now if they’d just do the same thing for hit-and-run drivers.

………

No shit.

The Marin County Bicycle Coalition has a few questions after a 75-year old man was killed riding his bicycle on a “complete” section of the county’s SMART Pathway.

Like why wasn’t the driver charged for running the victim down from behind with a massive SUV, when only some form of carelessness or distract could reasonably explain why the driver couldn’t avoid someone on a bicycle directly in front of him.

It should have at least been a prima facie violation of the state’s three-foot passing law, since the driver trier to go through rather than around him

Then there’s the obvious question of why this section of the pathway is considered complete, when it’s just nine miles of narrow country road with no bike infrastructure or paved shoulder of any kind.

As in zero.

Never mind on a two lane farm road with a 55 mph speed limit.

It’s worth giving the full piece a read, because they raise a lot of the same problems we face down here, despite the more rural setting.

Like how the hell people are supposed to stay active as they age, when doing it puts them in the crosshairs of dangerous drivers.

………

I want to share a press release I received yesterday promoting a crowdfunding campaign to help pay funeral expenses for Lori Ann Carreon.

The beloved 54-year old occupational therapist was killed by a speeding hit-and-run driver while riding her bike just a block from her Long Beach home earlier this month.

The driver turned himself in four days later.

GOFUNDME CREATED FOR LONG BEACH CYCLIST KILLED BY HIT-AND-RUN-DRIVER

Long Beach, CA – Friends and family of Lori Ann Carreon, the bicyclist killed by a hit-and-run driver on Saturday, February 7th, have set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral and memorial expenses.

Carreon was killed while riding her bike just blocks from her apartment in the Bluff Park neighborhood of Long Beach. Carreon, a long-time Long Beach resident and occupational therapist, was a beloved member of the community.

She was hit by a driver going in excess of 60 miles an hour on Second Street while crossing the intersection of Redondo Avenue and East Second Street. The driver fled the scene and turned himself in to the police on February 11th.

The intersection of Redondo Avenue and East Second Street has been the scene of numerous accidents over the years, and residents have urged Councilmember Cindy Allen and Mayor Rex Richardson to take action to make it safer, either by adding speed bumps or a traffic light, but their pleas have so far been ignored.

Long Beach Police have increased patrols at the intersection following the accident and have issued dozens of tickets, underscoring the need for more substantive efforts.

People interested in making a donation can go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-lori-ann-carreon-beautiful-life-and-legacy.

As of this writing, the page has raised $17,500 of the $25,000 goal.

………

This weekend marks the return of Chinatown’s Annual Firecracker run, walk, bike, whatever, for the 48th year.

Below, the sponsors offer a schedule of the busy two day event, or rather, a series of events, including bike rides up to a half century, along with how to register and get more information.

WHEN:
February 28-March 1, 2026

  • Sat, Feb 28: 50-mile Bike Ride; 8 a.m. – via Chinatown, LA River Bike Trail, Griffith Park, Burbank, Glendale, Tujunga, La Crescenta, Montrose, La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, Alta Dena, South Pasadena, El Sereno and Lincoln Heights
    • Sat, Feb 28: 20-mile Bike Ride; 8:15 a.m. – via Chinatown, LA River Bike Trail, Griffith Park
    • Sat, Feb 28: 2K PAW’er Dog Walk; 9 a.m.
    • Sat, Feb 28: 3rd Annual Lantern Paw Festival; Blossom Plaza, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; A dog-centered Lunar New Year Celebration from https://www.instagram.com/pawsitivemgmt
    • Sat, Feb 28: Free Festival until 4 p.m.
    • Sun, March 1: 5K Run/Walk; 8:00 a.m.
    • Sun, March 1: 10K Run/Walk; 8:40 a.m.
    • Sun, March 1: 1K Kiddie Run: 9:45 a.m.; includes Kiddie Fun Zone (Carnival Games, Airbrush Tattoos, Pony Rides, Arts & Crafts, Rock Climbing Wall, Activities with the LA Zoo and LA Public Library, Freebies and Giveaways, and much more)
    • Sun, March 1: Free Festival until 1 p.m.

WHERE:
Los Angeles Chinatown Central Plaza
943 N Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles 90012

RUN/WALK, KIDDIE RUN, PAW’er DOG WALK & BIKE RIDE REGISTRATIONS:  $35 – $75

HOW TO REGISTER AND MORE INFORMATION:
• Firecracker L.A. Website: https://firecracker10k.org/
• Registration: https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/LosAngeles/LAChinatownFirecracker
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefirecracker10k
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firecracker10k/
• Twitter: https://x.com/firecracker10k
• Email: info@firecracker10k.org or Call 818-925-8434
• #firecrackerLA; #48years
• L.A. Chinatown Firecracker Trailer/Broll: Chinatown Firecracker 2025 3 minute 06.mov; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXnjkQtweFc

………

Be careful riding river pathways in this weather, for obvious reasons.

Ballona Creek bike path this afternoon. Impassable. Stay out. #StreetPhotography #SawtelleBlvd #BallonaCreekBikePath

— Ted Faber (@snorerot13.bsky.social) 2026-02-17T02:38:50.242Z

………

Joe Linton’s lawsuit over Metro’s failure to implement Measure HLA on the Vermont corridor is kinda headed to court today.

My lawsuit against LACity over #MeasureHLA will be in court next week: Wed Feb 18. But it won't be the big part of my case. There are 3 things I am contesting. Next week is a smaller wonky administrative chunk: asking the judge to nix the city's HLA ordinance. labikas.wordpress.com/2025/10/22/m…

— Joe Linton (@lintonjoe.bsky.social) 2026-02-14T17:46:51.870Z

………

Los Angeles is shamefully giving back millions in hard-won California Active Transportation Program funding, because city budget cutbacks mean we don’t have enough staffing to implement the projects.

And that’s because Mayor Bass and the city council approved massive, unfunded pay increases for police and other city workers.

The City of LA is about to give back millions of dollars of previously won money for active transportation projects because it can’t build things in any reasonable amount of time.

— Streets For All (@streetsforall.org) 2026-02-14T18:21:01.126Z

………

Apparently, LADOT is making up for their lack of staffing by conducting an endless series of surveys, including this one on improvements to Marmion Way.

………

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

This is a perfect example of dangerously impatient driver behavior. On the other hand, this wouldn’t have been a problem if the bicyclists had stuck to a single lane, leaving room to pass safely.

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton updates LA’s bizarre new policy of conducting “Large Asphalt Repairs” instead of resurfacing streets, which amounts to almost the same thing, without triggering Americans With Disabilities Act and Measure HLA requirements.

A Culver City paper is concerned that a proposal to divert funds that voters approved to fix deteriorating school facilities will be used to “force a connection in between through our quiet residential neighborhood.” Never mind that the purpose is to provide a safe alternative to the usual parent drop-off so kids can walk or bike to school. But what’s the safety of a few kids compared to keeping the riffraff and rugrats out of the ‘hood?

South Pasadena wants your input on improvements to the Huntington Drive and Fremont Avenue Corridor, including the possibility of new bikeways.

Baldwin Park has officially opened the 2.3-mile Baldwin Park Greenway, which is slated to expand to five miles in the coming years, allowing people to bypass the area’s busiest streets.

 

State

A Silicon Valley organization changes lives by rebuilding bicycles that are then donated to local charities to distribute to people in need.

 

National

The Velo podcast considers, among other things, the controversial ethics of hi-viz, and getting stalked by Bigfoot while riding through the woods.

No surprise here. The police chief of Greeley, Colorado, crashed into a 15-year old boy on a bicycle while driving his personal SUV, and the cops immediately blamed the kid on the bike for riding out in front of him. Which is entirely possible. But it’s a little strange that the cops never seem to be responsible for a crash, when even they will tell you they’re the worst drivers on the road.

Chicago Streetsblog accuses a candidate for alderman, aka councilmember, of being a Trump-aligned NIMBY who wants to rip out “obstructive bike lanes,” even though the traffic congestion is actually caused by utility construction.

A proposal in the New York State legislature would allow residents to set aside pre-tax funds for transportation, including transit and bike share.

 

International

London bike thieves stole around 40,000 bicycles last year, while the cops recovered a lousy 2%, or about 800 bikes.

After a British writer wrecks a high-end wheel hitting a massive pothole, he’s just happy it wasn’t worse.

Yesterday we mentioned that a man was killed in the UK when he allegedly fell off his ebike and crashed into a stopped police van when the cops attempted a traffic stop; now it turns out he was restrained by the cops as he lay dying — and bizarrely, had a “package” in his mouth that was removed by paramedics at the scene.

Cycling Weekly details a stunning handbuilt Italian Simoncini bicycle frame, saying it epitomizes the aero thinking of the 1980s.

A Finnish couple spent 20 months riding 13,000 miles from Finland to Singapore, passing through a mere 24 countries on a DIY tandem.

Only 30 or so people turned out in Seoul, South Korea, for a chilly Critical Mass, just the 14th in the city. Although it takes courage just to ride on Seoul’s crowded streets.

 

Competitive Cycling

The Visma‑Lease a Bike cycling team is looking for a new title sponsor, even though both firms remain firmly on board, as the costs of remaining competitive on the WorldTour continue to climb.

Mexican wunderkind Isaac del Toro continued his winning ways from his rookie season, winning stage 1 of the UAE Tour in stunning fashion.

The iconic Paris-Roubaix is now officially changing its name to the somewhat more cumbersome Paris-Roubaix Hauts-de-France, a moniker assured to be used by virtually no one who’s not required to.

 

Finally…

Nothing like putting a planter or two in the middle of a bike lane. And your next really expensive bike frame could be a rolling canvas.

But only if you put wheels and stuff on it.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

New bill needlessly rewrites ebike laws, LA ignores Winter Bike to Work, and welcome to the Donald J. Trump NP & bike path

February 17, 2026 / / One comment

新年快乐

新年快樂

새해 복 많이 받으세요

สวัสดีปีใหม่

CHÚC MỪNG NĂM MỚI

Selamat Tahun Baru

Manigong Bagong Taon

And lest we forget, Ramadan Kareem, too!

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay.

………

No bias here.

A new bill from San Ramon State Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan would require owners of Class 2 and Class 3 ebikes to register their ebikes with the DMV, in addition to displaying a license plate and carrying proof of ownership.

They would not, however, have to have to take a driving test or have a driver’s license.

Bauer-Kahan says the so-called E-Bike Accountability Act is needed because there is no accountability for riders on the streets and “on our bike paths where e-bikes are going upwards of 30, 40 even sometimes 60 miles per hour.”

Except anything that can go that fast is already classified as a motorized bicycle or motor-drive cycle, since Class 3 ebikes are capped at 28 mph, and already requires a) a driver’s license, and b) registration with the DMV.

Either that, or they are illegally modified ebikes, or electric dirt bikes that are being illegally ridden on the roads.

Key word there being “illegally.”

So what the hell is the purpose of this bill, since everything it regulates is already required and/or illegal?

Never mind that the DMV can’t seem to manage their current workload just licensing drivers and motor vehicles, so this would require untold millions in additional staffing and resources, unless we want to watch the DMV slowly grind to a halt, as if it isn’t already.

Not to mention that the idea of registering bicycles has already been studied to death, and found to cost more to do than it would bring in to the state.

The practical effect of this bill would be to virtually halt all sales of Class 2 and 3 ebikes, at a time when the need to replace motor vehicles with some other more viable form of transportation is greater than ever.

This appears to be nothing more than an asinine political stunt to score points with the ebike-hating crowd.

Or looking at it in the kindest possible light, a sincere attempt by someone who is hopelessly uninformed, and has not bothered to look at the laws already on the books before submitting needless and ill-conceived legislation.

Let’s hope her peers in the legislature see through it, and give this bill the swift death it so richly deserves.

………

My hometown newspaper offers photos from my bike-friendly hometown’s apparently very chilly 19th Annual Winter Bike to Work Day.

Which is about 19 years longer than not-so-very bike-friendly Los Angeles, which doesn’t celebrate it at all, for reasons that will forever escape me.

Then again, thousands of bike commuters turned out in Denver, too.

And even frosty Anchorage, Alaska had a small but significant turnout, which exceeded LA’s zero by roughly infinity, if I’m doing my math right.

It’s funny how cities in cold-weather climates can manage to encourage people to bike to work in the middle of winter, while normally sunny Los Angeles seems to buy the dual myths that biking to work just isn’t practical here, and no one would ever ride a bike in the winter.

Then again, those chilly cities also offer decent bike infrastructure that provides those people with safer places to ride, making winter bike commuting much more practical.

Or maybe Los Angeles just doesn’t want all those people on bicycles clogging up the streets, and impeding the God-given right of motorists to use their handheld smartphones without, you know, actually killing someone.

Usually.

………

Um, okay.

Legislation passed by the US Congress last year and signed into law by President Trump gives the National Park Service three years to complete a study of turning the Los Angeles coastline into a national park.

According to the Santa Monica Daily Press,

The study, required by Public Law 117-328, examines coastline from Will Rogers State Beach to Torrance Beach, including areas around Ballona Creek, the Baldwin Hills and the San Pedro section of Los Angeles. The public comment period runs through April 6, 2026.

Which means it could soon cost you $15 to $20 a day, or $80 a year, for the privilege of riding your bicycle on the beachfront Marvin Braude bike path, which will inevitably be renamed the Donald J. Trump Bike Path.

Same with commuting along Ballona Creek, where the proposed extension will inevitably be halted once it starts requiring federal tax dollars from a bike-averse administration.

And if you think maintenance is bad now, just wait until the job is turned over to the DOGE-gutted park service.

But whether or not you agree it’s a terrible, horrible, very bad, no good idea, you now have two months to get your comments in.

According to SMDP,

The National Park Service is seeking feedback on five questions: what nationally significant cultural and natural resources should be protected, what role NPS should serve, what concerns exist, and general comments.

Comments can be submitted online at parkplanning.nps.gov/LosAngelesCoastal or mailed to National Park Service, Denver Service Center, Attn: Los Angeles Coastal SRS, One Denver Federal Center, Building 50, Denver, CO 80225.

A second virtual public meeting is scheduled for March 11 at 6 p.m. Pacific time.

………

Now you, too, can turn your bicycle into entryway art like Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling, just by hanging it from the rafters.

Or, uh, parking it in the hallway.

………

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

There’s a special place in hell for whoever deliberately doored a Yorkshire man in his 80’s as he was filtering past stopped traffic on his ebike, leaving the victim with multiple fractures.

No bias here. A Conservative member of the British House of Lords not only says there’s too much London road space dedicated to bike lanes, but there’s no corresponding space dedicated to cars. But subtract all the bike lanes in the entire city, and it would still leave the overwhelming majority road space dominated by motor vehicles.

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

Speaking of a special place in hell, police in New York are looking for a bike-riding man who put a 70-year old man in a headlock and punched him in the face following a dispute in the city’s Gramercy neighborhood.

………

Local 

Kindhearted strangers came together to raise more than $9,000 for a Los Feliz family, after some schmuck stole an adaptive tricycle from their nine-year old boy with Down’s syndrome and autism.

Look for these three Croatian guys in 2028, when they plan to continue a two-decade tradition of bicycling to international Olympic sites by riding Route 66 from Oklahoma City, where some of the Los Angeles Olympic events will inexplicably be held, to the City of Angels for whatever events OKC doesn’t do.

 

State

Ventura opened a new multi-use path through Cabrillo Village on Friday.

 

National

Action star Jason Statham goes meta, starring as himself in the new big-budget action-comedy Jason Statham Stole My Bike, in which he apparently does just that. Although I’m not sure $80 million qualifies as “big budget” anymore. 

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen is one of us, going for a Valentines Day ride through Miami with her one-year old son. 

 

International

A writer for Bike Radar questions the ever-increasing size of gravel bike tires, which are rapidly approaching bus tire territory.

Bike friendly cities around the world where you might actually be able to afford living.

Momentum highlights Canada’s best rail trails.

The wife of a late Scottish rugby star will ride 750 miles from the Scottish Borders to Dublin to raise funds for the motor neuron disease charity he founded before his death.

A 23-year old Liverpool, England man riding a ped-assist ebike was killed when he crashed into a police van during an attempted stop by the cops; police later clarified that the man fell off his bike before crashing into the van, “which was stationary at the time.” Although that doesn’t mean the cops didn’t cut him off with the van and cause him to fall. 

It shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that British women still don’t feel safe on the streets a year after launching a new safety campaign, because of everything from dark streets and distracted drivers to sexual harassment.

Bicyclists in the UK are being targeted by thieves when they try to sell their bikes online.

A new study from the Netherlands questions the effect of ebikes on the fitness of the country’s youth, as ridership for people under 24 has doubled in the past two years.

Tyler Perry is one of us, too, breaking his collarbone in two places pulling an endo while riding his bike in Elba, Italy. For anyone unversed in ancient bicycling vernacular, “endo” is short for sending your end over your handlebars. 

Here’s one for your bike bucket list. A Kiwi adventure bicyclist completed a 12-day, 270-mile journey through some of Nepal’s highest mountains on the Annapurna circuit.

Sad news from Taiwan, where King Liu, the founder of the world’s largest bikemaker, died at age 91; Giant is now a $2 billion company 54 years after he founded it.

 

Competitive Cycling

Twenty-one-year old South Central native Alfredo Bueno takes fans of the EF Education-Aevolo pro cycling team on a tour of his Los Angeles, from the Marathon crash ride, to his favorite ride from his family home in Long Beach to the Hollywood Hills in Griffith Park.

Twenty-seven-year old Skylar Schneider is blowing off the Women’s WorldTour to return for a second stint with the L39ION of Los Angeles.

The Tucson Bicycle Classic is expanding to a four day stage race this year, kicking off with a time trial on Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay says the cycling world is wondering whether America’s Jordan Stolz, the world’s fastest man on ice skates, could “transfer his brilliance” to pro cycling, like Eric and Beth Heiden, Clara Hughes and Mia Manganello before him. But you’ll have to get past the Journal’s paywall if you want to read it. 

Australia’s Kate Lee recounts her brief, two-year cycling journey from absolute beginner to national champ.

Yet another young cyclist has been killed by a driver. Eighteen-year old Francesco Mazzoleni of Italy’s GoodShop Yogurt Team was struck by a motorist while on a training ride in his home country, just three weeks short of his 19th birthday.

 

Finally…

Sweet! Your next tandem could have concha wheels. Sure, he can ride a tall unicorn with a Sousaphone, but can he actually play it? The next step of evolution, when even squirrels will be born with built-in bike helmets.

And that feeling when you’re just looking to hookup with bike dealers.

………

Oh, and this happened.

 

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

No Week Without Driving in car-centric LA, fight for safe & simple red light cams, and 16-year old kid killed in e-motorbike crash

September 30, 2025 / / One comment
Day 273 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

This is day two of a Week Without Driving.

Or as it’s known here in Los Angeles, just another week.

Because officials in this city would never want to suggest to drivers that they might want to leave their car at home for even a week, no matter how good the cause.

And this is a very good cause.

According to the website,

If you can drive or afford a car, you may not understand what it’s like to rely on walking, rolling, transit and asking for rides. But for nearly a third of people living in the United States – people with disabilities, young people, seniors and people who can’t afford cars or gas – this is our every day.

We created the Week Without Driving experience so that those who have the option to drive can learn firsthand about the barriers and challenges that nondrivers face and work with nondrivers to create more accessible communities for all.

And one of those barriers, as I learned last week, is just how difficult it is to replace a lost ID here in California if you don’t drive a car.

Unlike drivers, who can request a new license online with just a few clicks and get it days later, non-drivers have to fill out a form, and schedule an appointment to appear in person at the DMV.

Since evidently, anyone who doesn’t drive is such a strange thing they have to ensure we actually exist.

Never mind that the next available appointment here in Los Angeles is mid-November.

Yes, November.

Then, and only then, according to the DMV’s website, you can expect a replacement ID to arrive in your hot little hands “just” three to four weeks later.

Which means it will be just a couple weeks before Christmas before I’ll once again have a little piece of plastic to tell anyone who the hell I am if I should get hit by a bus.

All because my wallet fell out of my pocket while riding one.

Yet when my wife realized she’d somehow become separated from her driver’s license when the paramedics took her to the hospital recently, she received a replacement little more than a week later.

So not only should drivers use this week without driving to walk in our shoes, officials in this state should try giving up their licenses to see how the DMV treats anyone crazy enough to live without a car in car-centric California.

Go on. I double-dog dare ’em.

……….

Streets Are For Everyone is urging, well, everyone to email or call California Governor Gavin Newsom to demand — okay, politely ask in a very firm manner — that he sign SB 720, the Safer Streets Program.

The bill is intended to modernize and simplify the regulations for red light cameras in California, to overcome the problems that have prevented their installation and, in too many cases, led to their removal.

And yes, I’m looking at you, Los Angeles.

This is how SAFE describes the problem, taken from a summary of their report.

California’s roads tell a grim story. SAFE reviewed the data. Since 2013, severe injuries and fatalities tied to intersection violations have surged 96.1%. In 2023 alone, red-light violations were linked to 195 deaths and more than 1,200 severe injuries. And these aren’t just drivers—the victims include cyclists and pedestrians, who made up nearly one in five of those killed or seriously injured.

Even seasoned drivers admit they hesitate after a light turns green, waiting to see if someone will barrel through the intersection. That hesitation isn’t paranoia—it’s survival.

Never mind the economic costs.

The human toll is incalculable, but the economic cost is staggering. Using the CDC’s WISQARS Cost of Injury calculator, SAFE estimated the financial burden of intersection crashes between 2021 and 2023:

  • $985 million in costs from severe injuries, nearly a third of it from medical expenses.
  • $6.96 billion in costs from fatalities.

Altogether, more than $7.9 billion was drained from California in just three years. That’s money that could have gone into schools, hospitals, infrastructure, and community programs—but instead was lost to preventable crashes.

SB 720 is designed to address the problem by improving red light enforcement.

There is a better way. Senate Bill 720—the Safer Streets Program—offers a critical chance to modernize California’s red-light enforcement. Modeled after the state’s successful speed safety camera bill (AB 645), SB 720 would:

  • Eliminate facial photography, capturing only license plates.
  • Treat violations like parking tickets, keeping enforcement simple and privacy intact.
  • Require revenue from citations to be reinvested into safety improvements—not city general funds.
  • Reduce the cost of citations to a flat $100 for the first citation and increase fines for those who repeatedly run red lights in proportion to the number of violations.

This approach has already proven effective in other states. Red light camera programs across major U.S. cities have reduced fatal crashes by 21% and saved an estimated 1,300 lives in a single year. When programs are dismantled, crashes and fatalities climb again.

It’s already passed both houses of the legislature, and is just waiting for Newsom’s signature, which is anything but a sure thing.

And that’s where you come in.

Once again, here’s how SAFE sums it up.

The data is clear. The solutions exist. And yet, lives continue to be lost every day California delays reform. SB 720 is now in the Governor’s hands, representing a chance to save lives and reclaim billions of dollars for our communities.

The question is not whether red-light running is preventable—it is. The question is whether California will finally choose to act.

Because every number in these statistics is more than a data point, it’s a life, a family, and a future stolen. And the cost of inaction is simply too high.

You’ll find a sample letter here, along with links to email, tweet or call.

I’m also told that anyone who gets at least ten people to sign will get a super cute photo of this super cute corgi.

And if that doesn’t seal the deal, I don’t know what will.

………

A 16-year old boy died in an Orange County hospital on Friday, three days after he was injured in a Newport Beach ebike crash last Tuesday.

Although he was reportedly riding an electric motorcycle, rather than a ped-assist bicycle.

Which does not make it any less tragic.

The crash occurred about 5:55 pm September 23rd, near Superior Ave and Nice Lane. There’s no word on whether this was a solo crash, or if there was a driver involved.

Anyone with any information is urged to call the Newport Beach Police Department at 949/644-3747 or email alaverty@nbpd.org.

………

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

A London law firm has claims pending from a dozen clients who say they were injured by faulty Lime Bikes; meanwhile, a London columnist says “Good,” because maybe it will reduce the number of dangerous bicyclists. Yeah, that’s worked really well to get dangerous drivers off the road, hasn’t it.

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

A Secaucus, New York Uber Eats deliverista faces charges for fleeing from police following a dispute with a customer, then whacking a cop over the head with a bike lock and vase trying to get away.

………

Local 

No news is good news, right?

 

State

Calbike calls for codifying language for self-driving cars to include a high standard for safety around bicycles and other vulnerable road users.

Berkeley has reimagined three interconnecting streets in the neighborhood below the UC campus to improve safety for bike riders, walkers and transit users through the use of bus boarding islands, concrete curbs and parking protected bike lanes.

San Francisco Streetsblog’s Roger Rudick says let’s all thank Oakland for building a bike cut-through they previously said was impossible.

It was a bad weekend in Northern California, where a 63-year old man was killed when he was struck by two drivers while riding a bike in Oakland after reportedly failing to stop for a stop sign, a bike rider was struck by a driver, and possibly killed, in Stanislaus County, and someone apparently stole a Carmichael hit-and-run victim’s ebike while leaving him to die in the street rather than calling 911.

 

National

A surprising new study shows that road bicycling is actually more dangerous than mountain biking, especially for older riders. So, go out and shred to your heart’s content. But be careful biking to the corner market, let alone riding your next century.

A French pastry chef opened a popup patisserie in a Seattle bicycle store, in other words, a bake shop in a bike shop.

Indianapolis has set a new record for bicyclists hit and killed on the streets this year, just three-quarters into the year.

Bike counters showed an average of 486 cyclists per hour on New York’s Vanderbilt Ave when it was closed to car traffic, demonstrating a high demand for safe infrastructure, despite dithering from the city’s lame duck mayor.

The New York Times visits Brooklyn’s massive and still-growing Bike Flea Market; meanwhile, the New York borough is getting a “game-changing” Dutch-style bike hub.

Tragic news from New Jersey, where two kids were killed when a driver broadsided the ebike they were riding.

Dozens of people rode their bikes through Opelousas, Louisiana to raise awareness and support for families living with the devastating effects of sickle cell disease.

Forty-five-year old Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen is one of us, going for a casual Miami bike ride with her jiu-jitsu trainer boyfriend.

 

International

A British woman says once she hit 60, she rented out her apartment and set out on her bike with just a tent; seven years and 24,000 miles later, she has no plans to stop.

Spanish motorcyclist Aleix Espargaro is one of us, even if it means he’s out of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix after crashing his bicycle.

A man rode his bike 1,250 miles from London to Prishtina, Kosovo to raise funds in honor of his father, after the older man died of pancreatic cancer. Which is the same damn disease that killed my mother 25 year ago.

A New Zealand woman known as the Helmet Lady has died, 31 years after her successful campaign to make bike helmets compulsory for all bicyclists in the country, following the bicycling crash that left her 12-year old son paralyzed from the neck down.

 

Competitive Cycling

Twenty-year old British cyclist Max Hereward is trying to raise the equivalent of  over $15,000 to join a European development team, saying he’s gone as far as he can in his home country. Which is a pretty good indictment of what’s wrong with the sport these days. 

 

Finally…

Nothing goes together like bespoke bikes and craft beer. Your next e-cargo bike could be solar powered.

And nothing like making ICE an internet laughing stock when they can’t catch a single taunting guy on a bike.

……… 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

DMV: non-drivers can drop dead, Caltrans wants to rip out Amestoy bridge, and celebrate walk/bike life in Glendale

September 26, 2025 / / Comments Off on DMV: non-drivers can drop dead, Caltrans wants to rip out Amestoy bridge, and celebrate walk/bike life in Glendale
Day 269 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

Please forgive yesterday’s unexcused absence.

I had the birthday from hell on Wednesday, highlighted by a broken refrigerator, and losing my wallet on a Metro bus.

And learning that for some inexplicable reason, while drivers can request a replacement license online and get it a few days later, anyone who doesn’t drive has make an appointment to go to the DMV in person to request a new ID, then wait weeks for it to arrive in the mail.

Just one more way non-drivers are treated like second class citizens in the state, however you get around.

Which is exactly the opposite of how it should be, since it’s the people in the big dangerous machines who pose a risk to everyone around them.

Not the ones who walk, bike or ride the bus.

………

Caltrans still wants your feedback on a proposal to remove the Amestoy Ave pedestrian bridge over the 101 Freeway. Thanks to BikeLanesLA for the heads-up. 

https://twitter.com/CaltransDist7/status/1970926002848301201

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Walk Bike Glendale is hosting a day of activities at Verdugo Park this Sunday.

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

A Calgary, Alberta man in his 80s was killed when he struck a barrier a woman had dragged into a bike lane.

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Local 

Metro is looking for feedback on closing the eight-mile gap in the LA River bike path from Elysian Valley through Downtown Los Angeles to the City of Maywood. My apologies to whoever sent this, after I lost track of it.

Beverly Press & Park La Brea news catches up with the vandalism to Blake Ackerman’s ghost bike in West Hollywood at Fountain and Gardner.

Police in South Pasadena will join a bike bus for students from two elementary schools on October 7th for National Walk and Roll to School Day.

 

State

Streets For All urges you to email Governor Newsom to urge him to sign the bills they backed.

A mountain biker was rescued by US Border Patrol agents after slipping off a trail in Chula Vista’s Otay Lakes County Park, and falling 50 feet into canyon adjacent to the Sweetwater Dam; he was rescued when agents heard his faint cries for help, finding him seriously injured and bleeding from both legs.

Oakland is launching an ebike lending library with 50 ebikes, and discounts for low-income residents.

 

National

NPR offers eight biking and walking safety tips they say might save your life. Most of which seem reasonable, although they think you need to turn off your earbuds at every intersection. Even though no one ever tells drivers to turn off their eight speaker surround sound systems in their soundproof, hermetically sealed motor vehicles, at intersections or anywhere else. 

A grieving family filed a lawsuit against the city of Everett, Washington, four months after a 13-year old boy was killed when he rode his ebike into a dangerous cable that should have been removed; it was only taken down after the Mexican Consulate intervened, warning that other kids could get hurt.

A Tucson father was murdered when he was attacked in a confrontation with an unknown person during group ride on a 138-mile bike path that loops around the city; members of the group sponsoring the ride had complained about open drug use on the trail.

School police in Las Vegas are using a laser sensor to instruct drivers on a safe passing distance for kids biking to school.

A Kansas City couple in their 60s worry that new restrictions on ebikes will drive them back onto the couch, even though the laws are targeted at speeding kids on electric motorbikes, not older people with bad knees riding ped-assist bikes.

This is the cost of traffic violence. A pediatric cardiologist remains in an intensive care unit after he was the victim of a hit-and-run while riding his bike home from a shift at Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Hospital.

Tragic news from Oklahoma, where a woman had to have both arms and legs amputated after she was attacked by a pair of dogs while riding her bike.

There’s a special place in hell for whoever removed or stole a ghost bike honoring a fallen Michigan bicyclist.

The Department of DIY struck in Minneapolis, Minnesota when a father got tired of waiting for the city to fix the lights on a bike path, a couple years after thieves stripped the wiring, and bought some lights and installed them on the path himself.

Authorities have ordered the removal of a downhill mountain bike course from a mountain in the Adirondacks, saying it violates a “forever wild” provision.

A group of Atlanta residents came together to build their own $10,000 DIY bike lane — but instead of ordering its removal, city officials encouraged it as part of the city’s tactical urbanism program. Something Los Angeles officials have clearly never heard of, since they immediately remove any DIY safety improvements. 

 

International

An Edmonton, Alberta TV station shares a moving tribute to a local physician who “gained thousands of followers on Twitter by sharing his real-time insights on ICU struggles, physician burnout, and public health policy” after he was killed in a mountain biking crash. Thanks to Megan for the link.

Michal Collins was one of us. A photo posted on Mastodon shares a statue showing the Irish revolutionary/freedom fighter walking his bicycle. Thanks again to Megan. 

You can now download an interactive man of Kyiv, Ukraine’s bicycling infrastructure, in case you feel a sudden urge to dodge some Russian missiles and drones.

A Chinese press release says expats are embracing Shanghai’s bike-friendly vibe. Because, why not.

If you ordered a bicycle from Giant, Liv, Stages or Cadex, you might be in for a long wait, because all of the above Giant products are being held up at the US border over accusations of slave labor, although Giant says US inspectors never visited their factory.

 

Competitive Cycling

There’s exciting news from UCI today, as…okay, no there isn’t, unless you live in Trentino, Asuncion or Durango.

France’s Célia Gery beat Slovakian cyclist Viktória Chladaňová in the first-ever standalone U-23 women’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships, with Spain’s Paula Blas third.

Australia beat France to capture the team time trial at the Worlds.

American Chloé Dygert appeared to break the rules against political messaging at the Road World Championships, with a message on her bike saying she stands with assassinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

 

Finally…

There’s good news for weight weenies this morning (is that still a thing?). Even editorial cartoonists are getting swept up in the anti-ebike panic.

And if you want to scare people into putting radar on their bikes, just put a Mustang in your ad.

……… 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

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.

………

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.

………

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: , , , , , , ,
 
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