Tag Archive for California legislature

Watch for smoke near Simi Valley, RoS meets LA Traffic Violence State of Emergency, and good bills die young in CA legislature

May 19, 2026 / / One comment

Before we get started, thanks to Kyle for sharing a candidate questionnaire prepared by the South Bay Bicycle Coalition for city offices in Torrance. 

Out of the nine candidates they contacted, four responded. It’s going to take me some time to format the questionnaire and their responses, so I’ll try to share it as a separate post later today. 

Let me applaud them for making the effort. Others have attempted similar surveys here in Los Angeles and surrounding communities, with varying degrees of success. It’s hard to get candidates to pay attention these days, let alone take the time to answer. 

I used to question candidates for my home council district, but as more money from special interests have flooded local races, the responses dwindled to roughly none. 

Okay, exactly none. 

So a nearly 50% response rate is pretty damn good. 

………

If you’re in the Simi Valley or West San Fernando Valley areas, keep your eyes on the skies for the next few days.

The Sandy Fire has swelled to 1,300 acres, which could affect where you ride. But more important, it can affect the air you breath if you happen to find yourself downwind of the flames.

Wildfire smoke contains tiny particulates and toxins that can cause lasting harm, and affect your lung health for days, if not weeks, afterwards — let alone the possibility of damage that can last for years, if not a lifetime.

As a bicyclist, your ability to draw in strong and healthy breaths are of vital importance, providing a lifelong benefit.

It’s not something you want to take foolish chances with.

And yes, that includes smoking, too.

………

As far as I’m concerned, tomorrow night mark’s one of the most important rides of the year.

The annual Ride of Silence takes place in cities around the world to remember those lost to, or injured by, traffic violence.

It’s a time to honor those victims — and we have a lot this year — and to call for traffic safety improvements. So that someday, the last person killed on our streets really will be the last person killed on our streets.

This year, we also call on Los Angeles city leaders to declare a Traffic Violence State of Emergency, after the complete and total failure to implement, let alone achieve, Vision Zero over the past decade. So if you haven’t already, sign the letter.

Then contact the mayor and your councilmember to demand action on safer streets.

Now.

And if they won’t do something, vote for someone who will.

Here are all the RoS rides I know about this year. If you know of any more, let me know and I’ll post them tomorrow.

Bakersfield
Contact: Louis Bravos   <–Send email
Distance: 8 mi
Notes: Meet at Café Smitten downtown 909 18th Street at 6:35. We will read names of riders to remember and the Ride of Silence poem with enough time to gather and start in silence at exactly 7:00 PM in brotherhood with all Ride of Silence events in our time zone.
Los Angeles
Contact: Rafael Hernandez   <–Send email
Distance: 10 mi.
Notes: Contact the organizer for more details.
Palm Springs
Contact: John Siegel   <–Send email
Distance: TBD
Notes: 2026 Ride of Silence

Wednesday, May 20, 6:30 pm, Ruth Hardy Park, Palm Springs
Pasadena
Contact: Thomas Cassidy   <–Send email
Distance: TBD
Notes: When
May 20, 2026, 6:15 PM – 8:30 PMWhere
Rose Bowl (Lot K), Parking lot, Pasadena, CA 91103, USA
Rancho Cucamonga
Contact: Cycling Connection Nancy Michalski    <–Send email
Distance: 13 mi.
Notes: Details here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2842469792752657

Redding

Contact: Doug Holt   <–Send email
Distance: 8.8 mi.
Notes: Ride starts at Shasta Bike Depot 1322 California St. Redding.
Start time 7:00 PM. Public parking on south side of Bike Depot.

An additional Ride of Silence will be held in Long Beach, according to Bike Long Beach.

Ride and Walk of Silence

Organized by Car-Lite LB, community members, advocates, families, and local leaders will gather at Trolley Park at 2nd and Redondo on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 5:00 PM for the Ride of Silence, a worldwide memorial event honoring the lives lost and forever changed by traffic violence in Long Beach and beyond.

The gathering will provide a space for remembrance, reflection, and solidarity while calling attention to the urgent need for safer streets for everyone — including people walking, biking, using mobility devices, and driving.

Afterward, pedestrians and cyclists will walk and ride westbound on 2nd St to Bixby Park and from there head to Bluff Park for a candlelight vigil overlooking the ocean.

………

Speaking of the victims of traffic violence, Christian forwarded news over the weekend that an 87-year old man was killed by a driver while riding a mobility scooter in Irvine Thursday night.

According to the Irvine Police Department,

On May 14, 2026, at around 8:30 p.m., the Irvine Police Department (IPD) responded to a traffic collision involving a Tesla SUV and an 87-year-old man using a mobility scooter at the intersection of Irvine Boulevard and Groveland.

IPD and Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) immediately responded and attempted life-saving measures; however, the man was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Tesla was transported to a hospital for minor injuries and is cooperating with investigators.

Preliminary information indicates the driver of the Tesla was traveling westbound on Irvine Boulevard with a green signal light, while the man on a mobility scooter traveled northbound in the crosswalk at Groveland when the collision occurred. DUI is not believed to be a factor in the collision.

Let’s repeat that.

The victim was an 87-year old man who needed a mobility scooter to get around. But cops somehow had to blame him because he couldn’t clear the crosswalk fast enough for a driver who couldn’t manage to avoid someone on a mobility device directly in front of them.

I mean, it’s not like Teslas come loaded with cameras and collision avoidance systems, or anything.

………

Streetsblog offers a recap of the transportation bills that bit the dust at the state legislature at the first deadline, as well as the handful that managed to move forward.

And some very good bills died an ignominious death.

To wit,

  • AB 1557 would have limited the motor output of ebikes sold in the state to a maximum of 750 watts, aligning it with federal definitions; however, a similar bill (SB 1167) is still alive in the Senate.
  • AB 1833 would have allowed drivers voluntarily opt into insurance telematics, with privacy protections, to allow insurance rates to better align with actual behavior, so safer drivers could pay less.
  • AB 1976 would have streamlined planning, construction and protection of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure across the state.
  • The good news is, AB 1942, which would have required owners of Class 2 and Class 3 electric bicycles to register them with the DMV and display a special ebike license plate, is dead — for this session of the legislature, anyway.
  • And SB 1035 would have suspended the state gas tax and other fuel charges for one year, which would have been a disaster for highway maintenance.

Among the bills moving forward,

  • AB 1546 increases penalties for repeat DUI offenders to bring California law more in line with other states.
  • AB 1662 would allow drivers who avoid fines through a court-mandated misdemeanor diversion program to still receive points on their driving record.
  • AB 2276 would have created a statewide pilot program requiring reckless and excessive speed offenders to install active intelligent speed assistance devices in their vehicles before they could regain driving privileges.
  • SB 1423 would steer half of State Transportation Improvement Program funds to projects to improve safety for people walking, biking, and taking transit, while also making the state’s top safe streets grant program easier for cities to access.

………

Bike Long Beach invites you for Bikes and Coffee at the end of the month.

Toss in some donuts, and I’m in. Although for diabetics like me, that could be considered assisted suicide.

………

LADOT wants you to check out the proposed final design for Pico Blvd between Crenshaw and Figueroa. And if “proposed final design” doesn’t tell you what’s wrong with LA’s process, I don’t know what will.

Twitter post

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Support the NoHo to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit line tomorrow.

Twitter post

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ActiveSGV invites you to learn more about the El Monte Clean Mobility Nexus Program.

Twitter post

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Thanks to Megan for forwarding a pair of recent videos.

In the first, a Bay Area nonprofit exec is taking on the “grueling challenge” of Everesting in downtown Los Gatos to help fund a program that helps people transition out of prison, after losing $3.4 million in federal funding. And yes, you can thank Elon Musk and his chainsaw for that.

In the second, Italian TV reports on a crash that was barely reported here, as a driver slammed into a bike and a group of pedestrians, injuring eight people — four critically. Police were unsure if it was an act of terrorism, or just another “accident.” It’s also unclear if anyone was on the bike at the time.

………

Just stunning.

Bluesky post

………

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

No bias here. An angry driver leaped out of his car to confront the UK’s Cycling Mikey, raging that “everybody hates you” for the bicyclist’s history of filming drivers illegally using their cellphones. Because the real problem isn’t distracted driving or even breaking the law, but getting caught.

………

Local 

Secret Los Angeles looks forward to this summer’s CicLAvia—Meet the Hollywoods, connecting East and West Hollywood with seven miles of carfree streets this July. Although that skips over next month’s CicLAvia connecting Leimert Park with Exposition Park.

Metrolink will offer free rides for bicyclists on Thursday’s Bike Day, not to be confused with last week’s mostly ignored Bike to Work Day.

 

State

Forget traffic safety. The Laguna Beach PoliceDepartment led a multi-agency traffic enforcement operation that resulted in 140 citations — with a focus on loud and modified exhaust systems, while also netting three illegally modified ebikes.

The Pacific Beach Planning Group heard the case for opening a one-block section of Ocean Blvd to pedestrians and bicyclists on weekends, who already make up nearly 74% of all traffic for that section.

Bike riders in Santa Maria celebrated the city’s inaugural BiciChella event.

A German writer tours Specialized’s Morgan Hill HQ, and gets to see a military-style ebike customized for Arnold Schwarzenegger, and one made for Jason Momoa, “the actor from Aquaman.” Although I must have missed the sequence where he rides his undersea bicycle, effortlessly flipping through gearing on the fl…uh, swim.

 

National

Denver is opening yet another round of ebike rebates, though the amount has gone down to a max of $675, which can be combined with state rebates of $225. Which is about $675 more than Los Angeles offers, combined with $0 from California. 

A former Southern Californian is spending her retirement just a few miles from my Colorado hometown, putting over 10,000 miles on her bike. Or as I used to consider it back in the day, a good year. 

The Canadian National Railway agreed to sell an abandoned railroad grade for a new bike trail to connect Hurley, Wisconsin to Montreal. No, the other Montreal, about three miles away in Wisconsin.

A prothetic limb specialist in Saginaw, Michigan is attempting to address the global mobility crisis by fabricating prosthetic legs from old bicycle parts. Especially since wars in Ukraine, Iran, Sudan and other hotspots are increasing the need every day, with help from motorists.

Richmond, Kentucky will get its first singletrack course, in part because an 8th grade teacher and a bunch of kids in matching blue and orange jerseys stood before the city council to demand it.

A Florida triathlete was lucky to escape with road rash and a deep forehead cut when he got right hooked by a truck driver, despite riding in a completely coned-off lane.

 

International

Road.cc takes a deep dive into the Rover Safety bicycle, which they describe as the first commercially successful modern bike, introduced in 1885.

Um, okay. An “ebike fan” writes about his favorite bike helmets for the London Telegraph, and how to choose the best one. So next week, we can probably expect a “bike helmet fan” writing about ebikes.

No surprise here, as a new report says aggressive drivers are the main thing putting Irish women off bicycling. Aside from Irish men, that is. 

You may have seen this one before, but Steven forwards “a perfect example” of our car-centric roads from Swedish artist Karl Jilg.

 

Competitive Cycling

The 2028 Tour de France will move to the end of June to avoid a conflict with the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games, rather than the usual July start.

Portugese cyclist Afonso Eulálio continues leading the Giro as the peloton reaches the first rest day, though even he recognizes his time in pink is short, if not over.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you name a local hiking and biking trail to scare the tourists away. Who says you have to go butterfly hunting on your feet with a net?

And there may be more than water in that discarded water bottle you grab at the Giro.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

Bad ebike bills bite the dust, Florence-Firestone ride goes up against Ride of Silence, and past and future OC & Ventura County rides

May 15, 2026 / / One comment

Just a couple quick notes today.

I’ve been battling a migraine all week, and the meds finally got to me today; I’ve been barely conscious and mostly incoherent all day.

And to be honest, I’m not in a good place mentally. Sometimes I feel like I’m just shouting into the wind, which is the most polite — and hygienic — way I can put it right now.

After two decades of doing this, it seems like we’re just as far from getting anywhere as we were when I started.

Or maybe I’m just down because I’m not riding a bike these days; if I stay on my current meds, there’s a good chance I’ll never ride again. You’ll know I’ve given up when my bikes aren’t hanging in a corner of my apartment anymore.

Maybe someone can start a GoFundMe to pay for my next tatts, which will remind me a) not to judge others, and b) life is good.

Yeah, I didn’t think so.

I’ll see you on Monday.

And I promise to be in a better place.

………

However, on the plus side, a couple of bad ebike bills went down in flames at the state legislature Thursday.

Twitter post

Twitter post

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On the downside, what should be good news is less so just because of timing.

According to the LA Times The Wild newsletter, a Los Angeles advocacy group is holding a “colorful” ride through Florence-Firestone on Wednesday, which sounds like a celebration of bicycling.

1. Illuminate the streets of Florence-Firestone
People for Mobility Justice, an L.A.-based transportation equity collective, will host a bike ride from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday starting at Ted Watkins Memorial Park. Riders are encouraged to decorate their bikes with colorful and creative lights for this free Glow Ride through the streets of the Florence-Firestone neighborhood. Register at eventbrite.com.

Except the third Wednesday of May is the annual Ride of Silence, the one day each year reserved for silent and sober rides to remember those who have lost their lives to traffic violence while riding their bikes.

And we have a lot to remember. We’re already up to 30 souls lost while riding this year, putting us on a pace for nearly 90 deaths this year if we keep up at this pace.

To be honest, I haven’t heard of any local rides yet, but they do tend to come together at the last minute. So if you’re holding a ride, or know of one, let me know and I’ll mention it next week.

So maybe it’s just me, but the Florence-Firestone ride seems kind of disrespectful.

……….

Finally, let me share a couple of press releases I received this week, one from the Orange County Transportation Authority about a Bike Week ride in the OC; the other about the expansion of a popular San Diego ride into a second edition in Ventura County next month.

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More than 130 Cyclists Roll through Orange
for OCTA Bike Rally

The annual Bike Rally features a 4-mile ride, and there’s still time to pledge to bike during May for a chance to win an e-bike while staying active

ORANGE – More than 130 cyclists took to the streets of Orange early Wednesday morning, riding together in a show of community spirit and support for active transportation as part of OCTA’s annual Bike Rally, a signature event celebrating May as Bike Month.

The 4-mile group ride began at the Orange Metrolink Station and traveled through city streets and a slice of Santa Ana to OCTA headquarters, highlighting how easy, accessible and enjoyable biking can be for commuting, recreation and everyday trips across Orange County.

“Events like this are about more than just a ride, they’re about promoting safer streets, healthier lifestyles, and more transportation choices,” said OCTA CEO Darrell E. Johnson, who participated in the ride, along with OCTA directors William Go and Mark Tettemer. They were joined at the finish line by OCTA directors Tam T. Nguyen and Kathy Tavoularis for the rally.

The annual rally brings together riders of all experience levels and showcases OCTA’s ongoing efforts to expand safe and convenient biking options throughout the county. Participants enjoyed free Bike Month T-shirts and light refreshments, and were entered for a chance to win prizes, including an Aventon Pace 4 Step-Through e-bike.

While the rally has wrapped up, there is still time for the public to take part in Bike Month. Those who pledge to ride during May can be entered for a chance to win an Aventon Soltera 2.5 e-bike, courtesy of Bike Month sponsors Aventon E-bikes and Spectrumotion.

OCTA continues to encourage residents to consider biking not just during Bike Month, but throughout the year, as an easy, efficient and environmentally friendly way to get around.

Beyond events like the rally, OCTA is investing in projects that make biking safer and more accessible, including protected bike lanes, regional trail connections and improvements that better connect neighborhoods to transit.

Riders are also reminded to make safety a priority. OCTA offers an e-bike safety video with tips for riding responsibly, and those who watch can enter for a chance to win a $100 gift card.

For more information about Bike Month activities or to make a pledge to ride, visit www.octa.net/bikemonth.

………

Local Businesses and Organizations Partner with Bike the Coast Ventura Ahead of Inaugural Event

The Ventura community will be represented at the 2026 event through local charities, tourism boards, restaurants and more

VENTURA, Calif. – Bike the Coast Ventura will be hosting their inaugural event on June 13, showcasing the charm of the Ventura community. The event has put a strong emphasis on its local involvement, focusing on building partnerships with businesses and organizations within the Ventura region and authentically connected to the community. Registration for the 2026 event is now open.

This year’s sponsors and partners include Visit Ventura, Downtown Ventura Association, Ventura Coast Brewing Company and Ventura Coast Cycling. The event has also partnered with local charity organizations, including The Los Angeles Chapter of National MS and the Downtown Ventura Foundation. The event will also host Ventura-based band The GAMBLE at their free Finish Festival, which will also include various local food, drink and vendors for riders, spectators and community members to all enjoy.

“Bike the Coast is an event that is meant to be enjoyed by all. We push the idea of this being a ‘ride, not a race’ so that participants can truly take in all that Ventura has to offer, whether it be the scenery or the amazing community that has already been so supportive of our event,” said Mike Bone, president and CEO of Spectrum Sports Management, producer of Bike the Coast Ventura. “Ensuring that this is a community-centric ride is very important to us, and we hope that our participants feel that at our inaugural event.”

The event welcomes riders of all ages and experience levels, offering three course options: the Metric Century 65-mile ride, a 35-mile ride and the rider’s favorite 17-mile family ride. Participants of the Metric Century 65-Mile ride will enjoy a tour of the coastline with some hills in neighboring cities. The 35-mile and 17-mile ride will also highlight constant ocean views along their rules of the road routes. All courses are stocked with support and gear locations to ensure riders are provided opportunities to rest and nourish.

Bike the Coast Ventura is an expansion of the original Bike the Coast event hosted in San Diego County, which is entering its fifteenth year of riding. The growth of the event has led to its expansion into Ventura, where riders are able to enjoy what Bike the Coast is all about: a leisure oceanside ride with a post-race party that gets people to “Come for the Ride – Stay for the Party”. The 2025 Bike the Coast San Diego ride saw great results in fundraising efforts as well, as it raised over $10,000 for Bike MS, a record amount for the event after just three years of partnering with the organization. Bike the Coast is produced by Spectrum Sports Management, a recognized leader in endurance and sporting events in Southern California.

For more information on Bike the Coast Ventura, visit www.bikethecoastventura.com. Follow the event on Instagram and Facebook.

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

Good news and bad on CA ebike bills, and OC mom charged after son on illegal e-moto injured 81-year old Vietnam vet

April 23, 2026 / / One comment

I hope you had a good, environmentally conscious Earth Day yesterday.

I celebrated by spending most of the day on it.

Meanwhile, today’s image is Metro’s new limited-edition Earth Day TAP card; the fully functional bamboo TAP cards are available at any Metro Customer Center until they run out. 

………

Good news and bad from the state legislature with regard to ebikes.

Let’s start with the good news.

AB 1557, which redefines an ebike as having a motor limited to maximum of 750 watts, and lowers the maximum assisted speed for Class 1 and Class 2 ebikes to 16 mph, passed out of the Assembly Transportation Committee 12-0; the purpose is to clearly distinguish ebikes from e-motos of questionable legality.

AB 2284 passed the committee with 15 votes in favor; it would require the state Attorney General to maintain a public list of electric two-wheeled devices that don’t meet the state’s legal definition of an ebike.

Now for the bad news.

AB 1942 also passed the committee, and would mandate that all Class 2 and Class 3 ebikes have to be registered with the DMV and display license plates, just like cars, trucks and SUVs. It would be one of the most effective ways to put the brakes on ebikes, limit the growth of an otherwise legal alternative to driving, and start us down the slippery slope that could lead to licensing regular bikes and their riders.

Somewhere in between good and bad, and also moving forward, are AB 1569, which requires students from kindergarten up to complete an approved electric bicycle safety training course before they could park an ebike on school grounds, and AB 2595, which creates a pilot program allowing cities in San Mateo County to ban kids under 12 from riding any form of ebike.

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An Orange County mom faces charges after her 14-year old son critically injured an 81-year old Vietnam vet while doing wheelies on his high-powered e-motorcycle.

Fifty-year-old Aliso Viejo resident Tommi Jo Mejer faces six years and eight months behind bars after she was charged with felony child endangerment and felony accessory after the fact, along with several misdemeanor counts.

Mejer had been warned by deputies last year that the Surron Ultra Bee she purchased for her son was an illegal electric motorcycle capable of speeds up to 58 mph, and that her son had been riding it recklessly.

She is accused of lying to investigators about after the crash, claiming neither she nor her son owned a similar e-moto.

Meanwhile, former Marine pilot and substitute teacher Ed Ashman remains hospitalized, facing a long and costly recovery; a crowdfunding page to help pay his medical expenses has raised over $87,000 of the $90,000 goal.

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The Central Hollywood Neighborhood Council is hosting a CD13 City Council candidate forum next Thursday.

My finely honed political instincts tell me incumbent Hugo Soto-Martinez will probably cruise to re-election in the June primary. But I’m often, if not usually, wrong about such things, so take that with a bag of salt.

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The City of LA reminds us about the first West LA CicLAvia this Sunday.

https://twitter.com/LACity/status/2047042954649371115

Meanwhile, Oceanside bike lawyer and BikinginLA sponsor Richard Duquette reminds us about June’s Giro di San Diego, aka The Palomar Granfondo, with rides ranging from 20 to 95 miles, and a KOM/QOM purse totaling one grand.

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

County officials in Ireland are urging the country’s government to reconsider a plan for mandatory hi-visibility clothing at night for bicyclists and e-scooter users, even though the initial plan to require hi-viz collapsed within a day from a withering backlash; then again, they’re also calling for pedestrians to wear hi-viz when walking 24/7. Which is about the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

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

Um, okay. A person was hit on the head with a bicycle on Venice’s Ocean Front Walk yesterday morning, although it’s not clear what sparked the altercation, or if the assailant was actually riding the bicycle or just happened to grab one.

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Local 

Santa Monica police announced they’re conducting another bicycle and pedestrian safety operation — yesterday. Maybe they could try letting us know with a tad more than seven-and-a-half hours notice. Just saying.

 

State

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department airlifted an injured mountain biker from a remote Carmel Valley trail yesterday morning.

The Victor Valley News reports an ebike rider was hospitalized after being struck by a driver Wednesday evening — although photos of the bike make it look at lot more like a dirt bike or e-moto than anything that could be classified as an electric bicycle under current California law.

An op-ed from a Santa Barbara writer says a “compromise” to bring cars back to State Street is literally a life-or-death decision, because taking cars off the city’s busiest street for bicyclists and pedestrians resulted in an increase in safety.

The San Luis Obispo bikeshare system is kicking off Bike Month a week from Friday, previewing events throughout the month. Meanwhile, LA Metro hasn’t even bothered to update last year’s webpage. 

Ars Technica says the best part of Monterey’s recent Sea Otter Classic was the accessories, including a Bluetooth-enabled suction cup roof rack. At least that way you know if your bike falls off.

Even bike riders say $4 million is a lot of money to fix a flooding problem on a Carmel bike path.

 

National

Great idea. Volunteers with Bellevue, Washington’s Cascade Bicycle Club rode to an Amazon distribution center to collect perishable food for a local food bank, returning with a whopping 372 pounds of food, including a boatload of bananas.

Seattle Bike Blog says a new billionaire-funded bike path is very nice, even if most people will continue to use one that’s closer to the waterfront and easier to get to.

I want to be like him when I grow up. An 80-year old Maine man is planning to bike across the country, because “Why not?”

A Washington website says Trump’s war with DC’s bicyclists is just the first shot in a nationwide car-centric battle against bike infrastructure, while a legal writer says “Apparently, bike lanes and pedestrian trails are woke.”

 

International

Bicycling deaths now account for ten percent of all traffic deaths in the European Union, after dropping only eight percent over the last decade, just a quarter of the decline for motor vehicle deaths.

A writer for Tour rides from Turin, Italy to Nice, France the hard way, taking an “exhilarating” eight-day trip over five iconic passes.

 

Competitive Cycling

Speaking of Tour, the German magazine talks with Eritrean pro Biniam Girmay, the first black African cyclist to win three stages of the Tour de France, as well as the green points jersey.

Nineteen-year old French wunderkind Paul Seixas became the youngest-ever winner of the men’s Flèche Wallonne, setting up a showdown with Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel and Tom Pidcock at Sunday’s Liège–Bastogne–Liège

Demi Vollering barely held off Dutch compatriot Puck Pieterse in the women’s edition of Flèche Wallonne, flipping last year’s finishing order.

Ouch! Eighteen-year old German cyclist Moritz Mauss crashed out of a Madison race in Gent, Belgium, ending up with a nearly 20″ splinter in his leg and hip that had to be surgically removed, after he slid across the wooden track.

Instagram post

 

Finally…

Who says you can’t carry four children’s bikes and eight helmets on a bicycle? That feeling when ChatGPT’s bicycle diagram isn’t quite ready for prime time.

Or when your cargo bike won’t fit through the gates blocking the bike path.

Reddit post

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Promoting the 3-foot law on a license plate, muddling the already muddled ebike waters, and Tour de Watts rolls Saturday

April 14, 2026 / / No comments

Before we get started, I hope you’ll join me in thanking Cohen Law Partners for renewing their ad and their support for another year. 

Looking back, they’ve helped sponsor this site for 13 years now.

It’s their support, and that of our other sponsors, that allows me to keep bringing this site your way every day. 

………

Now that’s more like it.

I saw this Tennessee license plate while riding in my wife’s car in West Hollywood on Sunday. And could only wish we had something like it in California.

A Bicycle Awareness license plate was in the works a few years back, but to the best of my knowledge, it ever got enough pre-orders to go into production, though I’d love to be corrected on that.

But even that wouldn’t directly address the three-foot passing law, or any other specific bike safety laws, like specifying our right to take the lane in most cases.

But we can hope, I guess.

………

WTF?

Patch offers a muddled, barely comprehensible look at the rise of ebikes, focusing primarily on enforcement and injuries, while not only conflating the usual ped-assist bikes and e-motorbikes, but also tossing e-scooters into the mix while they’re at it.

In fact, they offer only one sentence addressing the difference between legal ebikes and illegal e-motos.

Law enforcement and researchers alike caution that rising injury numbers mirror the explosion in ridership. Still, confusion between legal e-bikes and higher-powered “e-motos” continues to complicate enforcement and policy. That confusion has triggered a wave of legislation.

That’s it.

Then there’s this, as they loop older, helmetless e-scooter jockeys into the mix.

Because they can, I guess.

Not all accidents or scofflaws involve children or teens. On Wednesday a 61-year-old Petaluma man traveling on the wrong side of a sidewalk on an electric scooter without a helmet collided with a pedestrian. However, accidents are more common among youth. And a study by the Mineta Institute reported that existing evidence points to a wide variety of people using electric bicycles for transportation, including children, older adults, and people with disabilities. The study’s authors also noted that electric bicycle patients 65-years and older had both the highest hospitalization rate and highest head injury rate.

They also say a part of the problem is a lack of age limits, while failing to mention that California passed a law last year allowing cities to ban ebikes for younger riders, and faster e-mopeds and e-motos require a license.

And that Class 3 ebikes are limited to riders over 16 — as are e-scooters and hoverboards, for that matter.

But the last half of the piece is devoted entirely to a debate over Lamorinda Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan’s AB 1942, which would require visible licenses for all ebikes, and Encintas State Sen. Catherine Blakespear’s SB 1167, which creates a clear distinction between ebikes and e-motos, while banning deceptive advertising promoting the latter.

In case anyone needs a refresher, here is how ebikes are currently classified under California law.

Meanwhile, a retired lawyer and ebike advocate examines and rates the many ebike bills in the state legislature, reserving the highest praise for Blakespear’s bill, while giving Bauer-Kahan’s the most criticism.

PeopleForBikes had praise for Blakespear’s bill, too.

And rightly so, on both counts.

………

Streetsblog LA’s “This Week in Livable Streets” is always a must read to keep up on all the meetings and events happening each week in safer streets and livable communities, as well as our own wonderful world of bicycles.

This week’s listing is even more indispensable than usual, including:

  • A one-week screening of the safer streets doc Changing Lanes,
  • Input meetings SCAG’s Planning for Main Streets
  • A meeting to discuss Pasadena’s Vision Plan for removing the city’s 710 stub
  • Listening sessions to help shape Metro’s overall governance structure
  • And the annual Tour de Watts

………

You’re kidding, right?

Kentucky’s AAA offers advice to drivers and bicyclists on how to operate safely around one another, which consists only of riding in the same direction as traffic and obeying traffic signals for people on bikes, while drivers should avoid getting too close to bike lanes, and both should minimize distractions.

So apparently, the people in the big, dangerous machines don’t have to obey traffic signals or pass safely if someone on a bike isn’t in a bike lane.

Never mind all the other little things like not speeding, not driving distracted as long as you minimize the distractions, or even swigging some swill before getting behind the wheel.

And bike riders are free to do all kinds of stupid and potentially dangerous things, as long as they don’t ride salmon and stop for red lights.

Got it.

………

Gravel Bike California rides the Redlands Strada Rossa XII(4K).

………

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

A 64-year old Pennsylvania driver tried to blame the victim, despite facing charges for a road rage incident in which he allegedly tried to brake check a kid on a bicycle before intentionally ramming them with his car, saying the crash never would have happened if the kid just stayed in his lane, and hadn’t tried to “purposely upset him.”

Police in Florida went out of their way not to blame an elderly driver for a collision that injured two triathletes, using the most passive language possible by reporting that “The driver and bicyclists ‘did not identify” each other ‘until the crash was unavoidable'” — even though the 74-year old driver right-hooked them on a lane that was supposed to be closed to traffic.

Resistant landowners have held up 117 miles of carfree bikeways across the UK, sometime for decades, forcing advocates to develop a new toolkit to help rural communities find a solution.

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton catches up on Joe Linton’s second lawsuit over the city’s efforts to drive a truck through imagined loopholes in Measure HLA, as well as the latest round of denied appeals.

Visit California explains how to get around Los Angeles without a car, but somehow forgets to mention walking or riding a bike. Or even renting a damn scooter, for that matter.

 

State

Bakersfield cops escalated the usual crackdown on bicycle rideouts by making a number of arrests, including kids as young as 14, when a crowd of mostly teens took over a parking lot, then a roadway after police ordered them to disperse.

 

National

Gadget Review correctly notes that a good bike fit matters more than whether you invest in a separate seat for each cheek.

PeopleForBikes has developed a new toolkit to help companies in the bicycle industry improve conditions for bikes in their own backyards. Which is great if the companies care enough to use it; too many have no interest in getting involved, even if it helps their own businesses. 

A pair of Navy vets plan to ride from California to Shanksville, Pennsylvania and on to New York City to mark the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, while benefitting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. California is a big place, though, so maybe they should mention where they’ll be leaving from. 

There’s not a pit in hell deep enough for anyone who’d drive off and leave a seriously injured kid lying in the road, like this Ohio hit-and-run driver who’s facing his second OVI — the equivalent of a DUI — in ten years after running down a child riding a bicycle.

Princeton University is banning all ebikes from campus, unless you can prove you’re an off-campus commuter.

Heartbreaking news from Spartanburg, South Carolina, where two kids were killed by an alleged drunken, unlicensed driver violating the open container law; the victims, just 9 and 12-years old, were riding their bikes on the sidewalk when the driver jumped the curb.

Great idea. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is holding its 8th Annual 8th Pedaling for Peace Bike Ride this Friday to honor crime victims and promote peace, unity, and positive community engagement through bicycling.

 

International

Before we get started, I hope you’ll join me in thanking Cohen Law Partners for renewing their ad and their support for another year. 

Looking back, they’ve helped sponsor this site for 13 years now. Their support, and that of our other sponsors, is how I can continue to keep bringing this your way every day. 

………

Now that’s more like it.

I saw this Tennessee license plate while riding in my wife’s car in West Hollywood on Sunday. And could only wish we had something like this in California.

A Bicycle Awareness license plate was in the works a few years back, but I don’t think it ever got enough pre-orders to go into production, though I’d love to be corrected on that.

But even that wouldn’t directly address the three-foot passing law, or any other specific bike safety laws, like specifying the right to take the lane.

But we can hope, I guess.

………

WTF?

Patch offers a muddled, barely comprehensible look at the rise of ebikes, while focusing primarily on enforcement and injuries, and conflating not only the usual ped-assist bikes and e-motorbikes, but tossing e-scooters into the mix while they’re at it.

In fact, they offer only one sentence addressing legal ebikes and illegal e-motos.

Law enforcement and researchers alike caution that rising injury numbers mirror the explosion in ridership. Still, confusion between legal e-bikes and higher-powered “e-motos” continues to complicate enforcement and policy. That confusion has triggered a wave of legislation.

That’s it.

Then there’s this, as they loop older, helmetless e-scooter jockeys into the mix.

Because they can, I guess.

Not all accidents or scofflaws involve children or teens. On Wednesday a 61-year-old Petaluma man traveling on the wrong side of a sidewalk on an electric scooter without a helmet collided with a pedestrian. However, accidents are more common among youth. And a study by the Mineta Institute reported that existing evidence points to a wide variety of people using electric bicycles for transportation, including children, older adults, and people with disabilities. The study’s authors also noted that electric bicycle patients 65-years and older had both the highest hospitalization rate and highest head injury rate.

They also say a part of the problem is a lack of age limits, while failing to mention that California passed a law last year allowing cities to ban ebikes for younger riders, and faster ebikes require a license.

And that Class 3 ebikes are limited to riders over 16 — as are e-scooters and hoverboards, for that matter.

But the last half of the piece is devoted entirely to a debate over Lamorinda Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan’s AB 1942, which would require visible licenses for all ebikes, and Encintas State Sen. Catherine Blakespear’s SB 1167, which would create a clear distinction between ebikes and e-motos, while banning deceptive advertising regarding the latter.

In case anyone needs a refresher, here is how ebikes are currently classified under California law.

Meanwhile, a retired lawyer and ebike advocate examines and rates the many ebike bills in the state legislature, reserving the highest praise for Blakespear’s bill, while giving Bauer-Kahan’s the most criticism.

PeopleForBikes had praise for Blakespear’s bill, too.

And rightly so.

………

Streetsblog’s “This Week in Livable Streets” is always a must read to keep up on all the meetings and events happening each week in safer streets and livable communities, as well as our own world of bicycles.

This week’s listing is even more indispensable than usual, including:

  • A one-week screening of the safer streets doc Changing Lanes,
  • Input meetings SCAG’s Planning for Main Streets
  • A meeting to discuss Pasadena’s Vision Plan for removing the city’s 710 stub
  • Listening sessions to help shape Metro’s overall governance structure
  • And the annual Tour de Watts

………

You’re kidding, right?

Kentucky’s AAA offers advice to drivers and bicyclists on how to operate safely around one another, which consists only of riding in the same direction as traffic and obeying traffic signals for people on bikes, while drivers should avoid getting too close to bike lanes, and both should minimize distractions.

So apparently, the people in the big, dangerous machines don’t have to obey traffic signals or pass safely if someone on a bike isn’t in a bike lane.

Never mind all the other little things like not speeding, not driving distracted as long as you minimize the distractions, and go ahead and swig a few gallons of booze before you drive.

And bike riders are free to do all kinds of stupid and potentially dangerous things, as long as they don’t ride salmon and stop for red lights.

Got it.

………

Gravel Bike California rides the Redlands Strada Rossa XII(4K).

………

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

A 64-year old Pennsylvania driver tried to blame the victim, despite facing charges a road rage incident in which he allegedly tried to brake check a kid on a bicycle before intentionally ramming them with his car, saying the crash never would have happened if the kid just stayed in his lane, and hadn’t tried to “purposely upset him.”

Police in Florida go out of their way not to blame an elderly driver for a collision that injured two triathletes, by using the most passive language possible, reporting that “The driver and bicyclists ‘did not identify” each other ‘until the crash was unavoidable'” — even though the 74-year old driver right hooked them on a lane that was supposed to be closed to traffic.

Resistant landowners have held up 117 miles of carfree bikeways across the UK, sometime for decades, forcing advocates to develop a new toolkit to help rural communities find a solution.

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton catches up on Joe Linton’s second lawsuit over the city’s efforts to drive a truck through imagined loopholes in Measure HLA, as well as the latest round of denied appeals.

Visit California explains how to get around Los Angeles without a car, but only focuses on Metro, and forgets to mention you can also walk or take a bike. Or even rent a scooter, for that matter.

 

State

Bakersfield cops escalated the usual crackdown on bicycle rideouts by making a number of arrests, including kids as young as 14, when a crowd of mostly teens took over a parking lot, then a roadway when police ordered them to disperse.

 

National

Gadget Review correctly notes that a good bike fit matters more than whether you invest in a split seat.

PeopleForBikes has developed a new toolkit to help companies in the bicycle industry improve conditions for bikes in their own backyards. Which is great if they care enough to use it; too many bike shops and manufacturers have no interest in getting involved, even though they all should. 

A pair of Navy vets plans to ride from California to Shanksville, Pennsylvania and on to New York City to mark the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, while benefitting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Although California is a big place, so they might want to mention where they’re leaving from. 

There’s not a pit in hell deep enough for anyone who’d drive off and leave a seriously injured kid lying in the road, like this Ohio hit-and-run driver who’s facing his second OVI — the equivalent of a DUI — in ten years after running down a child riding a bicycle.

Princeton University is banning all ebikes from campus, unless you can prove you’re an off-campus commuter.

Heartbreaking news from Spartanburg, South Carolina, where two kids were killed by an alleged drunken, unlicensed driver with an open container in his car; the victims, just 9 and 12-years old, were riding their bikes on the sidewalk when the driver jumped the curb.

Great idea. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is holding its 8th Annual 8th Pedaling for Peace Bike Ride this Friday to honor crime victims and promote peace, unity, and positive community engagement through bicycling.

 

International

The Guardian offers advice on how to perform basic maintenance on your bike to help fight rising fuel costs.

A town in Norfolk, England is being criticized for spending nearly $700,000 to build a mile-long bike lane, which has supposedly made it less safe by narrowing the street, even though that’s been shown to slow drivers while improving safety for everyone — although bicyclists have a legitimate complaint because haven’t kept delivery drivers from blocking them.

British cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy completed his first ride since his leg was shattered in a “horror crash” while riding his bike in November; Hoy is still suffering from stage 4 prostate cancer.

Swiss bicyclist Adrien Liechti has completed his 10,700 mile ride from Africa’s northernmost point to its southernmost point, crossing 17 countries with nearly 390,000 feet of elevation gain, in just 96 days — despite a two week stay in a Congolese jail.

Aussies are ditching their cars and buying bicycles and ebike subscriptions as gas prices spike, thanks largely to our war with Iran. Cloud, meet tiny little silver lining. 

Former world champ and Olympic medalist Rohan Dennis is criticizing the media for creating a false narrative over the death of his wife, Australian Olympian Melissa Hoskins in 2023, even though he pled guilty to recklessness for driving off as she was clinging to his car, although he was not held criminally responsible.

 

Competitive Cycling

USA Cycling lists the winners on the final day of the national paracycling championships.

The Athletic takes a deep dive into how Wout van Aert overcame a career full of scars to win Paris-Roubaix; van Aert dedicated his win to former teammate and friend Michael Goolaerts, who died of a heart attack during the 2018 race.

The AP correctly notes we’re living in a golden age of cycling, with “weekly brilliance and once-in-a-lifetime rivalries,” thanks to Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard. And you can add Demi Vollering, Lorena Wiebes, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and the incomparable Marianne Vos, as well.

Australian cyclist Luke Durbridge is calling it a career after 14 years on the pro tour, all with the same team.

L39ION of Los Angeles pro Eder Frayre won the men’s elite Redding Classic general classification, while Lauren Stephens of Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment won the women’s GC title.

 

Finally…

What good’s a bike lane when it’s full of trucks. That feeling when it’s the guy on the bike who’s busted for DUI after a crash.

And pie first, then we ride.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

A town in Norfolk, England is being criticized for spending nearly $700,000 to build a mile-long bike lane, which has supposedly made it less safe by narrowing the street, even though that’s been shown to slow drivers while improving safety for everyone; although bicyclists have a legitimate complaint because the city hasn’t kept delivery drivers from blocking the lane.

British cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy completed his first ride since his leg was shattered in a “horror crash” while riding his bike in November; Hoy is still suffering from stage 4 prostate cancer.

Swiss bicyclist Adrien Liechti has completed his 10,700 mile ride from Africa’s northernmost point to its southernmost point, crossing 17 countries with nearly 390,000 feet of elevation gain in just 96 days — despite a two week stay in a Congolese jail.

Aussies are ditching their cars and buying bicycles and ebike subscriptions as gas prices spike, thanks largely to our war with Iran. Cloud, meet tiny little silver lining. 

 

Competitive Cycling

USA Cycling lists the winners on the final day of the national paracycling championships.

The Athletic takes a deep dive into how Wout Van Aert overcame a career full of scars to win Paris-Roubaix; van Aert dedicated his win to former teammate and friend Michael Goolaerts, who died of a heart attack during the 2018 race.

The AP correctly notes we’re living in a golden age of cycling, with “weekly brilliance and once-in-a-lifetime rivalries,” thanks to Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard. And you can add Demi Vollering, Lorena Wiebes, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and the incomparable Marianne Vos.

Australian cyclist Luke Durbridge is calling it a career after 14 years on the pro tour, all with the same team.

L39ION of Los Angeles pro Eder Frayre won the men’s elite Redding Classic general classification, while Lauren Stephens of Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment won the women’s GC title.

Former world champ and Olympic medalist Rohan Dennis is criticizing the media for creating a false narrative over the death of his wife, Australian Olympian Melissa Hoskins in 2023, even though he pled guilty to recklessness when he hit the accelerator as she was clinging to his car, though he was not held criminally responsible.

 

Finally…

What good’s a bike lane when it’s full of trucks. That feeling when it’s the guy on the bike who’s busted for DUI after a crash.

And pie first, then we ride.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Hoboken goes 9 years without a traffic death while LA gives up; and Streetsblog tracks transportation bills in CA legislature

April 8, 2026 / / 2 comments

Hoboken proves once again that Vision Zero works.

But only if a city actually commits to it.

The New Jersey city, famous as the home of Frank Sinatra, has now gone nine full years without a traffic death.

Not one bicycling death. Not one pedestrian.

Not even someone driving or riding in the big, dangerous machines.

According to The Good Men Project,

Sixteen years in, about two-thirds of Hoboken’s intersections are now furnished with physical deterrents, and the city has hundreds of high-visibility crosswalks and dozens of curb extensions.

After especially extensive road upgrades in 2022, Hoboken saw 18% fewer injury crashes and a 62% reduction in serious injuries from 2022 to 2023.

The key, according to outgoing Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who oversaw the project for the past eight years,

Bhalla successfully rallied support from within and outside of government, launching Hoboken’s Vision Zero Task Force in 2019. Public engagement, Francese says, was and is core to this. Community surveys and meetings allowed leaders to hear from multiple voices, “not just the loudest,” he says, and piloting changes at one or two intersections first allowed people time to test and assess new infrastructure before commitments were made on a larger scale…

Not only did community members come to better understand the reasons for certain changes, but many also got on board once they saw the changes in action. Community members now play a role themselves, flagging when infrastructure needs fixing and asking for specific upgrades at intersections that don’t have them. Public reporting of “near-miss” data also supplements close calls caught by city cameras that are being piloted around the city.

No one said it’s easy, or cheap.

Vision Zero failed in Los Angeles because the city failed to adequately fund it. And the first time there was significant pushback, city officials ran scared, cancelling fully funded and shovel ready projects in multiple council districts, including dangerous and deadly streets like North Figueroa and Temple Street.

Now there’s a campaign urging Mayor Bass and the City Council to declare a state of emergency regarding traffic violence — although that may fall to her successor, whoever that may be, after June’s election.

You’ll find my name on the petition calling for it.

If you haven’t already, add yours. Do it right now; it only takes a few moments.

Then demand that our city leaders follow suit now, during the campaign, when they need our votes.

And let’s hold them to it this time.

Instagram post

Photo from Streetsblog LA shows former Mayor Eric Garcetti signing Vision Zero proclamation at his big, beautiful desk.

………

Streetsblog offers a detailed update on transportation-related bills in the state legislature, including bills to increase the penalty for DUI and limit the power of ebikes to the same cap as in European nations, while another bans passengers on ebikes not designed for two people.

It’s worth taking a few minutes to read the entire list — and making a few calls to your representatives to make sure they pass.

Well, most of them, anyway.

………

Now you, too, can build your own DIY bike frame. But whether you should is another question.

………

Nothing like crash-landing on the roof of a car.

Relatively on purpose, for a change.

Instagram post

………

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

No bias here. A San Diego writer says recent news that ridership on the city’s 30th Street bike lanes has risen to record levels is absurd, because she and her friends hardly ever see someone using it from their comfy seats at a local cafe, bike counters be damned. And the bike lanes aren’t accepted by the local community, and never will be. So there.

San Francisco police staged a ticket crackdown blitz on bicyclists and other micromobility users at the intersection of Powell and Market, following the release of the city’s latest High Injury Network map. Never mind that the real danger comes from motorists, it’s also illegal selective enforcement to focus on one group of road users at the exclusion of another. So unless they also ticketed drivers during that enforcement operation, all of those tickets can and should be dismissed.

………

Local 

A Los Angeles woman tallies up the cost of giving up her previous carfree lifestyle nine months ago. But you’ll have to find a way around Business Insider’s paywall, or sign up for a free trial that will automatically renew at 13 bucks a month unless you cancel it. 

Hats off to the Pasadena City Council for declaring five key “sacrosanct” budget priorities protected from budget cuts, including improving roadways and implementing pedestrian and bike safety strategies. Maybe they could have a little chat with LA’s city leaders. 

 

State

Apropos of our earlier discussion, San Francisco officials caved to angry drivers by removing a neck-down that had been shown to improve safety, making their ostensible commitment to Vision Zero “meaningless.”

Sad news from Mono County, where a 34-year old man was killed by a driver as he walked his bicycle along a highway after dark.

 

National

Dwell looks at the world of online urban planning influencers.

The bicycle industry has been protected from the latest round of Trump’s tariffs, after industry leaders came together to oppose a proposal by a kid’s bikemaker and an aluminum trade group to include bicycles in the 50% tariff on imported aluminum and steel.

Honolulu’s bikeshare system is given only a 50/50 chance of survival after a series of setbacks left it with just half the number of bikes it needs to operate sustainably. Funny how many cities refuse to adequately subsidize bikeshare, active transportation and transit, but have no problem pumping hundreds of millions into subsiding the motor vehicle network.

Seriously, it takes a special kind of asshole to steal an adaptive ebike from a Las Vegas Make-A-Wish kid with cystic fibrosis.

Speaking of which, ebike sales are surging at one Las Vegas bike shop, as gas prices top $5 a gallon. Never mind what gas costs here in LA.

A Salt Lake City bicycle collective refurbishes 5,000 bicycles a year to help Utah families, while a Rockford, Illinois “bike surgeon” fixes up old, unwanted bicycles to donate to families in need.

A Brooklyn man was caught on video jumping off his bicycle, just before it was completely run over by a wrong-way driver.

A Pennsylvania man is biking 6,000 miles across the US to visit every Ronald McDonald House to raise awareness and funds for families in need.

DC letter writers complain about the Trump administration’s efforts to rip out a popular bike lane in the city, which they say improves safety for everyone.

 

International

Your next set of bike fenders could set you back a thousand bucks.

Hundreds of Cayman Island bicyclists are expected to turn out next month to finish the ride of a father and triathlete who was killed by a driver last Easter.

Canadian MTB profiles airbrush artist Dylan Forbes, who they say is responsible for some of the “sickest” mountain bikes and helmets out there.

Ignorance is apparently bliss for a large subset of British motorists who somehow think signs reading “no motor vehicles” actually means “cars and motorcycles only”.

A new study from the Netherlands’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment has found that ebikes offer clear benefits for older people and those with health conditions, but could reduce overall fitness among younger users.

A man from the Netherlands has spent the last 400 days bicycling along and across some of the world’s most challenging borders, questioning why he can pass so easily when so many others can’t.

Czech carmaker Škoda has developed a bike bell designed to penetrate even active noise cancellation headphones. Although the real question is whether it can pierce hermetically sealed motor vehicles with the windows up and the sound system turned to 11. 

A couple students from a Parisian political science institute learn the hard way that just because Manilla, Philippines is considered an “emerging cycling city” that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a smooth ride.

 

Competitive Cycling

People picks up the tragic story of Masters cyclist Colin “Creepy” Wilson, whose wife Tricia Jeffers was watching live online when he swerved to avoid a fallen cyclist during a race in Trinidad and Tobago, and severed his neck on the fence circling the course; his final words as he left for the race were “Tricia I going, I going to put us on the map.” Which he did, though not in the way either expected. 

Bike Radar answers the rocky question of why Paris-Roubaix is raced on cobbled roads never meant for bicycles. Kinda answers itself, doesn’t it?

Cyclist offers photos from the just completed Tour of Flanders. Insert gag about Bart and Homer’s neighbor here.

 

Finally…

Why climb to Everest Base Camp when you can ride there on a vintage foldie? That feeling when a press release for the 13th Annual Amgen Tour of California somehow pops up in the daily news — even though the race was cancelled six years ago.

And who really needs the whole front half of your bike, anyway?

Instagram post

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Streets For All legislative agenda speeds safer streets and redefines high-powered e-motos, and April Fools in the bike world

April 2, 2026 / / No comments

Chag Pesach Sameach!

………

Streets For All introduced its legislative package for the 2026 session, sponsoring ten bills while requesting a $200 million annual addition to California’s Active Transportation Program.

Among their sponsored bills,

AB 1740 (Zbur)  makes it easier to build bike lanes, bus improvements, infill housing, and other multimodal projects in urban coastal communities. Right now, even straightforward street safety projects can get bogged down in the coastal permitting process. This bill would let qualifying urban communities move more quickly on projects that improve safety and reduce emissions, while still preserving coastal access and protections.

AB 1837 (Mark González) extends transit lane and bus stop camera enforcement and makes that authority permanent statewide. Illegal parking in bus lanes and at bus stops slows buses, creates unsafe boarding conditions, and makes transit less reliable. This bill would help keep transit moving and make bus service faster and safer for riders.

AB 1976 (Wicks), the Safe Streets Streamlining Act, tackles the process barriers that delay or kill good street safety projects. It changes local input requirements, ends unreasonable petition requirements for traffic calming, updates the pedestrian mall law, and creates a clearer path for cities to actually deliver the bike, pedestrian, and transit projects they have already said they want. California cannot keep saying yes to safe streets in theory while allowing them to be endlessly blocked in practice.

SB 1167 (Blakespear) cracks down on high-powered “e-motos” being sold as e-bikes. It tightens definitions, changes labeling rules, and requires sellers to clearly disclose when a device is actually a motor vehicle and not a legal e-bike. Real e-bikes are an important transportation tool. But that only works if the category remains clear and trustworthy.

AB 2015 (Wicks) helps cities keep slow streets actually slow by stopping navigation apps from routing cut-through traffic onto neighborhood streets that have been intentionally designed for local access, walking, and biking. If a city has decided that a street should function as a calm neighborhood street, app-based routing should not undermine that decision.

AB 1599 (Ahrens) creates a centralized California Transit Stop Registry. Transit stop data is often fragmented, inconsistent, and confusing across agencies. A statewide registry would make transit data more accurate and useful, improve coordination, and help create a better rider experience. The bill will also help us get more data on what amenities are at transit stops.


SB 1292 (Richardson) gives cities stronger curb management tools to enforce parking violations in places like loading zones, bike lanes, and crosswalks. Curb space matters, and mismanaged curb space creates safety problems, transit delays, and chaos on the street. This bill gives local governments more tools to manage that space better.

AB 2284 (Dixon) requires CHP to publish a list of devices that are being marketed as e-bikes but are not actually legal e-bikes. That kind of transparency would help consumers, schools, local governments, and law enforcement better understand what devices comply with California law and which ones do not.

AB 1833 (McKinnor), the Consumer Driving Data Protection Act of 2026,allows drivers to voluntarily opt into insurance telematics systems, with privacy protections, to better align insurance rates with actual driving behavior. This bill is about allowing safer driving to be reflected more fairly, while preserving strong guardrails around consent, data use, and consumer protection.

SB 1423 (Stern) would steer half of one of California’s biggest transportation funding sources toward projects that actually make streets safer. The bill would dedicate half of STIP funds, one of the state’s largest transportation pots of money, to projects that improve safety for people walking, biking, and taking transit. It would also simplify the application process for the state’s top safe streets grant program and elevate its identity as California’s flagship source of funding for street safety.

Budget Ask: A $200 million annual addition to the Active Transportation Program (ATP), which is our state’s premier pot of street safety funding. Last year, ATP only funded about 30 of the 350 projects that applied.

They’ll host a webinar to discuss their support for the bills on Thursday, April 16th at high noon.

………

Pink Bike highlights the best April Fools gags from around the bike industry.

Meanwhile, Road.cc wrote that BP — the former British Petroleum — is encouraging drivers to deal with rising gas prices by skipping the pump and riding a bike instead. Which actually had me fooled at first. 

Strava joined in with a gag about opening a dating platform. Although that might not be the worst idea. 

Then there was the electrolyte gravy, a fish tank bike saddle and skinsuits that come pre-crashed so you don’t have to worry about messing them up.

On the other hand, an Aussie writer says paying people to ride a bike is no joke, despite what an April Fools gag said.

………

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

An op-ed from the executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association decries demands from the Trump administration for the National Park Service to rip out a popular bike lane that has cut injuries by 91%; meanwhile, Bloomberg’s CityLab considers why Trump’s war on DC streets matters, as the administration exerts control over the city while sidelining its residents.

No bias here. A San Diego letter writer says if you really want to help kids, skip the bike lanes and use the money for libraries, instead. Which sets up a false dichotomy between libraries, which should get better funding, and bike lanes, which improve safety for everyone on the streets, not just kids. Although you’ll have to find a way around the paper’s paywall to read it. 

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

Great use of police resources. The Macomb, Georgia Police Department put their new drone to use in less than 24 hours by capturing a 14-year old kid speeding on his ebike. Next they’ll use it to bring in other dangerous desperados, like maybe a bunch of littering nuns. 

………

Local 

The LA Times examines how to stay safe on an ebike, starting with knowing the difference between a ped-assist bicycle and an electric motorbike.

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton takes an in-person look at new protected bike lanes going in on Colorado and Broadway in Santa Monica, and Washington and Adams in Culver City.

 

State

Orange County’s Newport-Mesa Unified School District is considering a proposal to ban all ebikes for elementary and middle school students, and allow only Class 1 ebikes for high school students with parental consent.

San Francisco’s transportation department is working on plans for hardened daylighting, installing barriers like bike racks or bollards to keep drivers from speeding around the corners newly opened by California’s daylighting requirement.

Longtime Michelin starred San Francisco chef Roland Passot is one of us, balancing work with his passion for road cycling.

 

National

A prolific Portland burglar will spend the next five years and five months behind bars, after he was convicted for stealing over 30 bicycles and ebikes over a three-year crime spree.

A Eugene, Washington program is teaching residents of homeless shelters how to become bicycle mechanics.

Bodycam video is raising questions about a Texas cop’s takedown of a 16-year old kid, who make the simple mistake of trying to call his dad when the cop stopped a group of teens for rolling a stop sign; after taking the kid down, the cop then seized and searched the boy’s phone without a warrant.

A Providence, Rhode Island event demonstrates Intelligent Speed Assist, which could be authorized to rein in chronic speeding and reckless drivers under a bill in the California legislature, as well.

Life is cheap in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a driver faces just a misdemeanor charge for killing an eight-year old girl riding a bicycle, even though he was driving with a revoked license and an unregistered vehicle — and even though witnesses said he revved his engine and sped up just before the crash.

 

International

A British bike rider is suing three police departments for the equivalent of $6.35 million, alleging they covered it up when a driver knocked him off his bike; the cops said he just fell off his bike, even though a witness said she saw the driver clip him. Which sounds a lot like when I was run down by a road-raging driver, and the LAPD concluded I somehow defied the laws of physics by falling to the left while making a right turn, but it never occurred to me to sue them. 

Bicycling Australia says that country is seeing a renewed interest in bicycling as a result of the fuel crisis caused by the war in Iran, but no full blown bike boom — yet.

Velo considers why bicycling in Taipei feels safer than riding in Portland (scroll down).

China’s longtime bikemaker Flying Pigeon is shedding its traditional image as a self-destructing bicycle-shaped object, and using combination of flexible sensors, artificial intelligence algorithms and the internet of things to redefine the bikes from a simple form of transport into an “intelligent health management terminal.” Unless China Daily is pulling an April Fool’s joke, in which case they got me.

 

Competitive Cycling

Filippo Ganna overcame a snapped handlebar and late bike change to win Dwars door Vlaanderen, while Swiss cyclist Marlen Reusser shocked herself by winning the women’s edition.

The Athletic looks, not at the pros taking part, but the Belgian super fans on the sidelines of De Ronde van Vlaanderen, aka the Tour of Flanders.

A 17-year British amateur, part of the country’s development team, was left brokenhearted when an insurance company refused to pay for three stolen Pinarello Dogma bikes worth a total of $20,000 because the thieves weren’t violent enough, and just walked away with the bikes instead of breaking in or causing major damage.

Austria’s eight-time national junior was lucky to walk away with a broken arm and a shattered bicycle when he was cut off by a driver on a training ride, and slammed into the back of the driver’s car.

Instagram post

 

Finally…

Playing bike polo, aka riding a bicycle with a big wooden hammer in your hand. And that feeling when your bike-on-bike collision is memorialized for the masses on Google Street View.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Yaroslavsky decries traffic violence, LAPD waits 5 months to ask for hit-and-run help, and just 4 CA safety bills signed into law

October 15, 2025 / / Comments Off on Yaroslavsky decries traffic violence, LAPD waits 5 months to ask for hit-and-run help, and just 4 CA safety bills signed into law
Day 288 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

At least now I can name the dog.

CD5 Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky discusses the hit-and-run crash that severely injured one of her staff members and killed the staffer’s beloved corgi — something I mentioned here last week — saying walking shouldn’t have to feel like an act of courage.

And yet, far too often, it does.

Last Sunday morning, someone driving a pickup truck struck a member of our team in a hit-and-run while she was walking her dog in the Miracle Mile neighborhood. She sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized with multiple fractures for several days. She is now in stable condition and recovering. Tragically, her beloved dog, Kobe, was killed in the crash.

Kobe was part of our office family. His playful energy and easy affection brought smiles to everyone who met him, whether in the office or out at community events like CicLAvia, where he was a familiar face. Our office feels emptier without him, and our thoughts are with our colleague as she recovers from both her injuries and this heartbreaking loss.
The driver has since turned herself in, but this devastating incident is a reminder that far too many Angelenos are hurt or killed on our streets every year. In 2024 alone, more than 300 people lost their lives to traffic violence, many while simply walking or biking in their own neighborhoods. Behind every death or injury is a family changed forever, a community left grieving.

As I mentioned, the victim is a friend of my wife’s and mine, and Kobe was probably our corgi’s best friend.

They were always together, every time we saw her. And our corgi would run to give her kisses, and around Kobe a like a lovesick puppy.

Which she probably was.

To say I’ve been devastated by this whole damn thing is probably the understatement of the year.

The most heartbreaking part was when she posted news of Kobe’s passing on Instagram, saying her final memory of the dog she adored was staring into one his eyes after the crash, both unable to move to comfort the other.

And if that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, you’re a stronger person than I am.

There’s no word yet on whether the driver has been charged. But at most, she’ll face a maximum of four years and a fine up to $10,000 for felony hit-and-run causing serious injury. Which LA prosecutors will probably bargain down to misdemeanor to get a guilty plea, unless someone puts pressure on them.

And here in California, the hit-and-run murder of her dog is just a misdemeanor property crime.

He deserves so much better.

Rest in peace, my friend.

Rest in peace.

………

Seriously?

The LAPD is finally getting around to asking for the public’s help to find a hit-and-run driver, only five months after the fact.

Talk about letting the trail go cold.

The 64-year old victim, who hasn’t been identified, was reportedly riding on Hoover Street at 20th around 3:15 am on May 28th, when he was hit head-on in a left cross by a driver turning left onto Hoover.

Or maybe the driver was going west on Hoover Street and was making a left to go west on 20th Street, striking the victim as he rode across 20th Street in the crosswalk.

Who knew that both Hoover and 20th could go east and west?

What makes far more sense is if the victim was riding south on Hoover, and was struck by the northbound driver turning left onto 20th. Although you’d think that after five months the cops could get the damn details right.

The suspect vehicle, described only as a white sedan, was last seen headed west on 20th Street toward the 10 Freeway west on-ramp.

The victim was hospitalized with severe injuries. There’s no information on his current condition.

Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Holmes of the LAPD’s West Traffic Division at 213/473-0216.

And yes, there is a standing $25,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest and conviction in any serious injury hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.

This is yet another reminder that the LAPD still refuses to use the hit-and-run alert systems provided by both the city and the state, both of which were patterned on Colorado’s successful system that has helped the Colorado state police reach a nearly 100% hit-and-run clearance rate.

Which compares somewhat favorably with the LAPD’s abysmal 1% clearance rate.

………

Streetsblog catches us up on the precious few bike and traffic safety bills that actually made it through the legislature and were signed by the governor this year, including —

  • SB 720 making it easier to install and enforce red light cams
  • AB 366 indefinitely extending the operation of breathalyzers for drivers found guilty of two DUIs
  • AB 383 lowering speed limits in school zones to 20 mph
  • SB 71 extends CEQA exemptions for bike, pedestrian, and transit projects past 2030

Governor Newsom also promised to sign a bill next year requiring interlock devices for anyone convicted of DUI, which would be a great step forward.

Maybe next year they could finally do something to stop hit-and-run, too. Because the LAPD sure as hell isn’t.

https://twitter.com/StreetsR4Every1/status/1977883748474794462

………

No surprise here.

A new study from an Austrian university found that reducing residential speed limits from 50km/h to 30 km/h — roughly 31 mph to 18 mph — would protect bicyclists while having little or no effect on traffic.

Reducing the speed limit to 30km/h across residential areas doubled the amount of bike travel on low-stress streets – creating a safer environment for children and less confident cyclists, said the study’s lead researcher, Dr Afshin Jafari.

“Slowing traffic makes bicycle riding less stressful, encouraging more people to choose bikes as a safe and viable mode of transport,” Jafari said…

Meanwhile, the study – which was published in Cycling and Micromobility Research – found car travel was barely affected by the 30km/h limit, as it was only applied on local streets rather than the busier roads – such as main roads or highways – that were designed to maximise the flow of traffic.

………

Now that’s a service dog.

When drivers fail to stop so a blind man can cross the street, his guide dog goes out and gives them a piece of his mind, telling them to stop in no uncertain terms.

Twitter post

………

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

A writer for Cycling Weekly says he was passed so badly by a truck driver that an inch the wrong way would have meant he wouldn’t still be here to tell the story — and that’s normal for bicyclists, who are expected to just accept it. As the bard put it, “‘Tis true, ’tis pity, And pity ’tis, ’tis true.”

No bias here. An Irish TV commentator accuses “mouthy” wealthy cargo bike owners for a property crisis brought on by soaring home prices by trying to “ringfence cities as active travel playpens for the better off,” and forcing an entire generation to live at home with their parents. Although that doesn’t explain why we’re having the same problem over here. 

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

Alameda parents raised safety concerns after a teenager was injured crashing into another bike rider when he tried to pop a wheelie while riding to school.

A woman in Cape Cod, Massachusetts called for more regulation after she was struck by a ped-assist ebike rider, and somehow impaled under her eye by the handlebars.

………

Local 

President Trump threatened to move next year’s World Cup out of Boston, and take the 2028 Olympics away from Los Angeles, ostensibly because of potential safety concerns. Or more likely, because he just doesn’t like us, never mind that he doesn’t have the authority to do that.

Pasadena residents strongly backed slow speed greenways on El Molino Ave, Wilson Ave, Sierra Bonita Ave and Craig Ave, with over 1,000 people signing petitions backing them, and 18 local organizations endorsing the projects, as well as 200 emails and around 35 speakers who supported them at Monday’s council meeting.

Next door in South Pasadena, Huntington Drive and Fremont Ave are set to get Complete Streets makeovers, including lane reductions and lower speed limits, along with bikeways and better sidewalks.

 

State

Ocean Beach installed a stone memorial and plaque memorializing OB resident and UPS employee Steven Krueger on the bike path near Robb Field Skate Park; Krueger was killed when a plane crashed into his mail truck in 2021.

Sad news from Merced, where a 46-year old woman was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding her bike Monday afternoon; the driver was arrested after he was captured on surveillance video, despite trying to run away from the cops.

 

National

You’ve got to be kidding. US House Speaker Mike Johnson says Portland’s “emergency” naked bike ride was “the most threatening thing” he’s seen yet, adding “I mean, it’s getting really ugly;” meanwhile, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley applauded Portland residents for “demonstrating with joy and whimsy.” Although if Johnson thinks that was ugly, he hasn’t seem me naked on a bike.

As expected, 18-year old Jzamir Keys pled guilty to second-degree murder in the death of former Bell, California police chief Andreas Probst as he was riding a bicycle in Las Vegas, with a sentence of 18-to-life; Keys was a passenger in the car who laughed and filmed the murder as Probst was intentionally run down by 20-year-old Jesus Ayala, who pled guilty last week.

Heartbreaking news from Kansas City, where a ten-year old girl was killed by a van driver in a left cross collision while riding her bike in a crosswalk with the green light on her way to school.

He gets it. A Cambridge, Massachusetts letter writer says bike safety will be his voting priority in the upcoming city election. Which is exactly what we all should do. 

 

International

A professional bike tester writes that there are six things he never worries about when setting out for a ride, from tire pressure and chain lube to on-bike nutrition.

The Guardian offers “expert” advice on cleaning and maintaining your bike, including a tip that you could save hundreds just by giving your bike a bath once a fortnight. Or every two weeks for those of us on this side of the pond. 

Cycling Weekly says you probably haven’t checked the setting on your pedals in years, as the two smallest screws on your bike could have one of the biggest impacts on safety.

Britain’s Neil Campbell set a new world bicycle speed record of 175.89 mph by drafting behind a high-powered pickup truck at a competition in Arkansas last week, topping his previous record of 174.33 mph. And to think I was happy when I finally topped 30 on level ground. 

The BBC visits the 900 mile, “87% car-free, culturally rich and surprisingly accessible” Rhine Cycle Route, which follows the river from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea.

A Melbourne, Australia economist and bike advocate says the city is too car centric, and bicycles are just an afterthought.

 

Finally…

Your new t-shirt could honor an iconic, if “cheekily named,” two-wheeled BMW. Who needs a white picket fence when you’ve got bike frames?

And I’ve known more pig-faced cyclists than the other way around.

Instagram post

……… 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

WeHo Council approves Fountain Ave project, dismal year for CA safety bills, and road rage driver threatens NY ambulance

September 16, 2025 / / Comments Off on WeHo Council approves Fountain Ave project, dismal year for CA safety bills, and road rage driver threatens NY ambulance
Day 259 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

There’s good news on Fountain Ave for a change.

After three-and-a-half hours of public discussion, a deeply divided West Hollywood City Council voted to move forward with a Complete Streets makeover of the deadly corridor — including curb protected bike lanes.

It’s going to take awhile to digest everything, in part because the actual vote got a little confusing when they broke the motion into three parts.

But here’s how things broke down.

First up was a vote to approve staff recommendations 1 & 3, which passed 3-2:

  • Consider approval of 30% Plans for Phase 1 of the Project;
  • Approve Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement for Services with Fehr & Peers in the amount of $131,040 to provide Construction Administration and design contingency for Phase 1 of the Project;

Second, the council voted unanimously to approve recommendations 2 & 4, amended to include an assessment of removing peak hour parking:

  • Provide direction on recommended immediate traffic calming measures that can be made in the next 1-2 months ahead of the delivery of Phase 1 of the Project;
  • Authorize Staff to initiate Phase 2 of the Project, including the release of a Request for Proposals for a Phase 2 consultant, and the expansion of the Steering Committee to guide the visioning process;

Finally, they approved recommendation 5 to exempt the project from CEQA by another 3-2 vote:

  • Find Phase 1 of the Fountain Avenue Streetscape Project statutorily and categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code sections §21080.25, §15301(c), and §15304(h).

By my count, public comment broke down 25 to 18 in favor of the project, though there were a handful of comments that required a secret decoder ring to figure out whether they were for or against.

And a few even that didn’t work for.

While the final outcome is great news, the close vote means it would only take a change of one vote to halt things in its tracks when the project returns to the council next year to approve a construction contract.

So it’s still fingers crossed for now. But things are looking pretty good.

………

On the other hand, things aren’t looking great in the state legislature, as Streetsblog reports only a few traffic safety-related passed both houses before the deadline.

  • AB 366 extends the operation of interlock devices indefinitely after a driver is found guilty of a DUI and repeals related reporting requirements
  • SB 71 streamlines CEQA review requirements for public transportation and bike and pedestrian infrastructure projects that reduce car dependency
  • SB 720 modernizes state regulations allowing municipalities to create and operate red light camera programs

On the other hand, a number of good bills failed to advance.

  • AB 891 would have required Caltrans to develop quick-build projects to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians
  • AB 939 would have placed a bond on next year’s statewide ballot to fund sustainable transportation throughout California
  • AB 954 failed to pass despite being significantly watered down, going from a mandate requiring that Caltrans build bike highways, to merely defining them in state planning documents
  • SB 445 would have created deadlines for permitting Complete Streets and sustainable transportation projects to prevent local governments from dragging out the process while they barter for concessions

Finally, one failure was good news, as AB 697, which would have allowed the expansion of State Route 37 through protected habitats and wetlands in Sonoma County, suffered a welcome death.

………

This is who we share the road with.

A road-raging driver in New York’s Hudson Valley faces multiple charges, after chasing an ambulance that passed him while responding to an emergency call with lights and siren — then brake-checking the ambulance after he caught up to it.

Although all the charges are misdemeanors and traffic citations at this point. But let’s hope it’s enough to keep the 47-year old man from driving again until he’s 87.

Or maybe ever.

………

Active SGV is hosting bike rides in Montebello and El Monte this Saturday.

………

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

An economist with the libertarian Hoover Institution is convinced new bike lanes on El Camino Real between Menlo Park and Sunnyvale aren’t worth the lost business during construction work and a loss of parking, because he and his wife only saw on bike rider at the exact moments they happened to go by. Never mind that bikes can be harder to see because bike lanes move riders more efficiently than traffic lanes, and that bike lanes usually result in higher retail sales.

A Florida man with a history of road rage assaults got out of his truck to threaten a 19-year old bike rider, who yelled at him about speeding, then told him to “shut the fuck up” when the driver responded by flipping him off. Thanks to Mike for the heads-up. 

Reddit post

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers photos and an open thread from Sunday’s Historic South Central meets Watts CicLAvia.

Pasadena finally approved a sweeping update to the North Lake Ave Specific Plan after a 10-year public process, including wider sidewalks and bike parking, but no bike lanes despite providing access to a Metro train station.

Writing for Cycling West, Peter Abraham says he was excited by Caltrans’ plans to install new bike lanes on deadly PCH through the ‘Bu, until he learned about the 11 to 20-year timeline — and that’s if they can get funding of up to $268 million. So we might as well get more ghost bikes and white tires ready, because we’re likely to need them before they get this damn thing fixed.

 

State

British adventurer Matt Garman set out from San Diego to ride across the US, with a single bag containing just one set of clothes, a cellphone and a credit card, to raise funds for a children’s charity. And that ain’t gonna protect him from any early winter weather along the way.

Eureka will begin work this weekend to complete a bicycle blvd on the city’s C Street.

 

National

Olympic speed skater Jordan Stolz is one of us, making a comeback on the rink after suffering a deep gash in his leg when he went over his handlebars and into a ditch when his chain unravelled while riding near his Wisconsin home.

An 80-year old Boston man describes how he was the first bike rider to crash because of new speed bumps installed in a local state park.

She gets it. A Philadelphia lawyer says we need to start treating bicycling fatalities as “the natural outcome of a system that prioritizes cars above people,” and “commit to making sure they can walk, ride, and bus to class without fear.”

Heartless Virginia Beach thieves made off with an adaptive recumbent bike that a 69-year old woman was using to complete her recovery from a massive ischemic stroke that initially left the left side of her body totally paralyzed.

A Virginia group is working for safer streets through an online dashboard that allows bike riders and motorists to report near-miss collisions due to driver or infrastructure issues.

 

International

A split screen British advertising campaign is putting posters on firetrucks calling for giving bike riders and others more space on the road.

 

Competitive Cycling

Twenty-three-year old American cyclist Matthew Riccitello signed with the French Decathlon CMA CGM team for the next three years, after finishing fifth at the Vuelta and winning the white jersey for best young rider.

Pro cyclists say that next time it will only get worse, after pro-Palestinian protesters managed to disrupt the recent Vuelta, leading to the shortening of several stages, including the final.

UCI understandably questioned Spain’s ability to host major events going forward, while WorldTour cycling teams considered boycotting the Israel-Premier Tech team in future races; meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for Israel to be banned from international competition.

The Philadelphia Cycling Classic is making an unexpected comeback next year after a ten-year hiatus, promising a return of world-class — though not necessarily WorldTour — cyclists.

I want to be like her when I grow up. An 82-year old woman nicknamed “Granny McGnarly” is still shredding downhills in mountain bike races.

 

Finally…

Well, why wouldn’t you build a new space capsule docking prototype from spare mountain bike parts? That feeling when your impromptu DIY cycling podium is made from ice chests.

And just call it Living La Vida Vaca.

https://twitter.com/faustocoppi60/status/1966446008251920460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1966446008251920460%7Ctwgr%5Eb8cf0bb6b8d597ee28733be85fd6841776d7b95e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Froad.cc%2Fcontent%2Fnews%2Fcycling-live-blog-15-september-2025-315909

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Bike safety bills limp to the finish in CA legislature, building a prop-propelled bike, and who really needs 2 tires, anyway?

September 3, 2025 / / Comments Off on Bike safety bills limp to the finish in CA legislature, building a prop-propelled bike, and who really needs 2 tires, anyway?
Day 246 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

Let’s hold a moment of silence for all the good bike and traffic safety bills that won’t make it through this session of the state legislature.

California Streetsblog offers an update on the status of traffic-related bills that are still alive, although some can’t be voted on until next year.

Like AB 891 Quick-Build Project Pilot Program, which would require Caltrans to develop safety projects on state highways for bicyclists and pedestrians;

AB 939, The Safe, Sustainable, Traffic-Reducing Transportation Bond Act of 2026, which would have placed an initiative on next year’s ballot to fund sustainable transportation throughout California;

AB 954, The Bike Highways Bill, which has been watered down to merely define what a bike highway is, allowing jurisdictions to fund and build their own bike highways, rather than mandating Caltrans to build them;

And SB 445, Transportation: Planning: Complete Streets Facilities: Sustainable Transportation Projects, would impose permitting deadlines on companies and jurisdictions, so they can’t draw them out.

On the other hand, a few good bills are moving forward, though some have been severely watered down.

Take AB 366, Ignition Interlock Devices, which would have expanded the interlock program for convicted drunk drivers, but now just indefinitely extends the existing program;

SB 71, California Environmental Quality Act exemptions for transit projects, streamlines CEQA requirements for public transportation, bike and pedestrian projects that reduce car dependency, and just needs to pass the full assembly;

SB 720, Automated Traffic Enforcement System Programs, changes state regulations so cities can create and operate red light camera programs, or do it better in cities with existing programs, now needs to pass the Assembly Appropriations Committee and the full Assembly.

On the other hand, one very bad bill is still in the running.

AB 697, Protected Species: Authorized Take for State Route 37 Expansion, would allow the construction of additional travel lanes on State Route 37 between Vallejo and State Route 121 in Sonoma County, even though it would run through protected habitats and wetlands.

Nothing like destroying a little fragile habitat for another induced-demand inducing highway project that flies in the face of California’s climate goals.

………

Someone stole my idea to put a propeller on a bicycle, dammit.

Thanks to Steven for the heads-up. 

………

Who really needs both tires, anyway?

Reddit post

………

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

Several Edinburgh, Scotland bike lanes could be at risk, as officials dither in the face of a deadline to make temporary bike lanes permanent, while bike advocates warn that “every bike could be another car making congestion worse.”

………

Local 

Courtesy of Los Angeles Streetsblog comes word that ActiveSGV and Amigos de los Rios will host an Easy Access ride exploring the Emerald Necklace greenway this Saturday. 

 

State

Oceanside will move forward with completion of an unfinished half-mile segment of the Coastal Rail Trail, the 44-mile bike and pedestrian trail connecting Oceanside and San Diego.

Sad news just keeps on coming, as the Kern County coroner identified a 42-year old Bakersfield man who was killed Friday when his bicycle was struck by one driver, and he was thrown into the roadway where he was struck by another one; CHP investigators were quick to blame the victim for riding at night with no lights on his bike, even though relatives say the first driver was drunk and speeding. A crowdfunding campaign for the victim’s funeral expenses has raised just $250 of the modest $4,500 goal.

 

National

Ultra-endurance icon Kilian Jornet plans to summit every 14,000-foot peak in the continuous 48 states, linking them all by bike and foot. Which means he can skip everything north, south and east of Colorado; Utah, Arizona and Oregon can sit down, too. 

“Tax-averse” Wyoming is considering plans tp charge mountain bikers $10-20 annual trail fees, on top of state park entrance fees, after federal funding was cut off. Although maybe someone should tell them that, too, is a form of taxation.

Um, okay. An Omaha, Nebraska TV station says bike riders are applauding a new road diet and bike lanes, even though neighbors are questioning the changes, like local residents everywhere. But they couldn’t seem to find any of those questionable questioners to talk with.

Chicago bike riders enjoyed a carfree Lake Shore Drive on Sunday, even as the state abandoned plans to redefine the eight lane highway separating the city from Lake Michigan, while making the roadway even more car-centric.

A reporter for an Illinois website says hey, she’s a bicyclist now, after claiming an old bike from her parent’s garage — and setting out for her first ride sans helmet and without making sure it was in rideable condition. But we all had to start somehow, right?

Philadelphia bike riders plead for safer streets after a 67-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run while riding his bike yesterday, while family members begged for information.

Dashcam video captures the hit-and-run that left a Richmond, Virginia bike rider sprawled in the street, but what really bothers the victim is that no one stopped to help afterwards.

An 80-year old Florida man faces felony manslaughter and hit-and-run charges for killing a nine-year old boy riding a bicycle, then speeding off as witnesses tried to stop him with the kid’s bicycle still trapped under his pickup; he claimed he knew he’d hit a bicycle, but “didn’t think there was a kid on it.” Once again raising the question of how old is too old to drive — and whether a judge will really send an elderly man to prison against the wishes of the boy’s very forgiving parents. 

 

International

Bike Radar says gravel bikes have finally outgrown their awkward years.

Luxury Travel Magazine says Slovenia should be your next ebike adventure destination. You could even visit the somewhat creepy semi-faceless bronze statue the purports to represent local girl Melania Trump — or you could, if it hadn’t been stolen after the original wooden version was set on fire.

 

Competitive Cycling

The training crash that injured Chris Froome was a lot worse than we were initially led to believe, as the four-time Tour de France champ suffered life-threatening heart damage, along with a broken back and five broken ribs, when he clipped a curb and crashed head-on into a road sign at 30 mph; Froome’s wife says he now faces a long recovery, and will be off his bike for the foreseeable future.

Twenty-five-year-old Italian cyclist Filippo Baroncini is going home with a contract extension, after a gruesome crash in Stage 3 of the Tour de Pologne in early August that required putting him in an induced coma and extensive facial reconstruction.

No surprise here, as seemingly inevitable winner Jonas Vingegaard is back in the red leader’s jersey after yesterday’s mountaintop finish in Stage 10 of the Vuelta.

Dutch rider Ide Schelling is calling it a career at the tender age of 27, saying it became clear he “didn’t want to do this for the next five to ten years.”

Cycling News offers a guide to streaming pro cycling this month for those of us in the US. Let’s just hope the Canadian bike races won’t be subject to Trump’s tariffs.

 

Finally…

Probably not the best idea to interrupt your bike ride to threaten someone with a loaded flare gun. Sorry, but an e-assisted pedal boat does not a water bike make.

And like we didn’t already know good coffee and bikes just naturally go together.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Calbike lists legislative agenda, ignores hit-and-run (again); and LA council committees belatedly consider HLA

February 26, 2025 / / Comments Off on Calbike lists legislative agenda, ignores hit-and-run (again); and LA council committees belatedly consider HLA
Day 57 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

Calbike updated their legislative agenda for the coming year, calling for better and faster bike infrastructure, while reclassifying electric motorcycles and mopeds that are illegally marketed as ebikes.

Which, as we’ve repeatedly pointed out, are what are driving most of the complaints mistakenly directed towards electric bicycles.

Which they ain’t.

Other priorities include safe routes to schools, assessing the vulnerability of California cities to climate change, and removing roadblocks to bikeways and sustainable transportation projects.

Calbike also called for a halt to the recent rash of bikeway removals in the state, specifically in Culver City and San Mateo.

Although I keep hoping that someone, somewhere, will finally decide that hit-and-run drivers, who cause roughly a third of SoCal bicycling deaths, and are involved in up to half of all crashes in the City of Angels, are a problem, and actually do something about it.

Maybe someday.

………

Streetsblog reports the LA Transportation and Public Works Committees will belatedly get around to considering two Measure HLA measure they put off earlier this month, ’cause they just didn’t have time to get around to them after dealing with constituents angry over another matter.

And that’s after failing to consider it in any of the previous 11 months following the measure’s overwhelming victory last March, of course.

Wednesday 2/26 – The L.A. City Council will host a joint meeting of its Transportation and Public Works Committees at 8:30 a.m. at L.A. City Hall room 401. The agenda includes two Measure HLA items postponed from earlier this month (see earlier SBLA coverage previewing HLA items and recapping the meeting when they were postponed

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Walk ‘n Rollers will host a Walk More Bike More Festival at Ivy Station in Culver City this Saturday, as Bike Culver City looks for bike valets.

Twitter post

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

Detroit cops demonstrate their windshield bias by ticketing bicyclists for riding in the roadway, incorrectly insisting they have to stay in the bike lane — even if it’s full of snow. And asking to see their licenses, which people who ride bikes don’t need.

You’ve got to be kidding. A so-called London “journalist” says that violent armed bikejackers “are doing society a favor” by targeting people whose only crime is riding a bicycle in the early morning hours, saying bicyclists have turned Regent’s Park into a circle of hell. Maybe he’d feel a little differently if they were mugging newspaper columnists, instead.

No bias here. Bicyclists complained about the BBC’s claim of “a war on our roads,” calling out the false equivalency of framing it as a battle when only one side suffers most of the losses.

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Local  

They get it. The Los Angeles Times also calls on Culver City not to backslide on their ambitious safe street redesign, arguing that we will “never have safe streets and quality transit if the region’s political leaders scrap or scale back projects when there is opposition to change.”

This is who we share the road with. A 33-year old social media influencer faces DUI and manslaughter charges after allegedly leaving a Malibu 4th of July party after drinking, and killing a rideshare driver in a head-on crash after jumping the center divider on PCH.

 

State

Costa Mesa will present a comprehensive bicycle safety education class, developed in consultation with Culver City nonprofit Walk ‘n Rollers.

Santa Barbara approved an amendment to the city code to provide more enforcement tools to rein in “excessive” ebike riders, even though excessive bicycling isn’t a crime, electric or otherwise. And even though it was inspired by a close call with a pocket bike, which is a mini motorbike governed by the state vehicle code, and not a bicycle subject to city regulations.

A long-delayed, one-and-a-quarter mile, $12 million bike trail connecting Morro Bay and Cayucos along the coast in San Luis Obispo County is now nearly funded and could break ground soon, providing a safer alternative to riding on PCH.

The Napa Valley Transportation Authority is looking for public input as they belatedly develop the county’s first active transportation plan.

The CHP is looking for a hit-and-run driver who left a Sacramento bike rider with major injuries earlier this month.

 

National

American bikemakers are facing yet another economic challenge thanks to Trump’s new tariffs on steel and aluminum, amid fears it will price out some customers and hurt demand.

Cycling Weekly takes an angle grinder to angle grinder-resistant bike locks to rate their resistance to, yes, angle grinders.

DoorDash says that San Francisco is the nation’s biggest market for bicycle deliveries, with 76% of the company’s deliveries done on bikes, ebikes and scooters, compared to 58% in New York and 57% in DC. Although my understanding is a lot of New York deliveries are made directly through the restaurant, without relying on a third-party service. 

My bike-friendly Colorado hometown is considering building a bike park on the site of the former college football stadium, where I used to smuggle booze for the marching band inside my tuba.

The governor of Arkansas signed a new bill allowing lift-access downhill mountain bike parks to help boost bicycle tourism, in a state where that is actually a priority. Unlike a certain populous Left Coast state I could name, although we seem to do okay attracting bike tourism, anyway.

 

International

Cyclist looks at the game-changing tech that has transformed bicycling over the past ten years.

Yanko Design recommends the top five “essential” bike gear upgrades for every bicyclist. None of which actually is. Essential, that is. 

A 33-year old beginning driver will spend the next two years behind bars for killing a 55-year old English man when he drifted onto the wrong side of the road for no apparent reason, and crashed head-on into the victim’s bicycle.

A British pro cycling site says semiconductors are even improving singlespeed bikes, despite their simplicity.

Momentum recommends four “fantastic” bike routes that showcase the best of Paris, for your next trip to the City of Lights, which is rapidly becoming the City of Bikes.

A Punjabi official insists that no government funds were expended on a Lahore, Pakistan bike lane that is already fading after less than a year, and will be repainted under warranty.

 

Finally….

That feeling when your pro cycling diet is a “hate crime against food.” Your new handlebar tape could look like a horned owl.

And for everyone who dreamed of riding a Raleigh Chopper through the Alps back in the day, someone has finally done it for you.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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