Tag Archive for congestion pricing

CA Ebike Incentive management firm accused of major misconduct, and “King” Trump kills New York congestion pricing

February 20, 2025 / / No comments
Day 51 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Nope. Nothing to see here.

Pedal Ahead, the San Diego firm chosen to manage the California Ebike Incentive Program is being sued by their former manager, accusing the nonprofit of what basically sounds like fraud and embezzlement.

But I’m not a lawyer, so what the hell do I know?

According to San Diego’s CBS8, it also may have explain why it took so long to roll out the state ebike vouchers.

In a newly filed non-conformed copy of a lawsuit obtained by CBS 8, former Pedal Ahead manager Rodrigo Rodriguez says he was forced out of his position after he reported misuse of funds, discriminatory statements from the nonprofit CEO, Ed Clancy, and evidence that Clancy was using Pedal Ahead to steer business to his own e-bike ventures, thus delaying a statewide initiative to provide grants to lower-income residents to purchase e-bikes.

In December 2024, the program moved on from Pedal Ahead and finally rolled out its e-bike incentives.

According to the lawsuit, the rollout was postponed for a long time due to Pedal Ahead’s alleged misconduct. However, not before Pedal Ahead secured over $10 million in grant funding from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the San Diego Association of Governments.

So those of us who accused the program of mismanagement and called for a criminal investigation may have been onto something.

You’re welcome.

And apparently, Pedal Ahead is not involved with the program any more, with the state taking over management of the program, which is the first I’ve heard about it.

So we have them to thank for the intentionally botched rollout of the first and only round of vouchers.

Clancy is also accused making discriminatory comments about the low-income communities they were intended to serve, as well as neglecting required outreach to communities of color in the state, including Barrio Logan, Richmond, Hunters Point, Fresno and Native American reservations

Evidently, oversight wasn’t a high priority for the California Air Resources Board, aka CARB, which was supposed oversee the program.

Or basic competence, for that matter.

The San Diego Union-Tribune has reported that Pedal Ahead is facing three separate investigations, however, their story is currently hidden behind a paywall.

Let’s hope those investigations also look into who chose them to run the program for CARB, and why.

And maybe it’s time for a few public hearings on this whole shitshow.

Or past time, even.

Ebike photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels.

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President Trump has boldly gone where no president has gone before, reaching into local traffic management to cancel New York’s successful congestion pricing program, while crowning himself king.

Just how legal that is remains to be determined.

Trump could have a say in the matter, since the program involved highways and bridges built using federal funds, which legally gives Washington a voice, if not a veto, over how they are used.

Although whether Trump can summarily overturn the four-year process blessed by the previous administration will depend on the outcome of the inevitable lawsuits.

Meanwhile let’s all wish a happy third birthday to LA Metro’s own congestion pricing study, which still hasn’t been released, evidently out of fear of pissing off LA drivers and the elected leaders who love them.

It may be a moot point now, though, since a Los Angeles edition of congestion pricing is no more likely to be approved by the Trump administration than New York’s was.

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An automotive website lists ten bicycles with known safety flaws, along with another ten ebikes banned for safety risks.

Although it doesn’t say who banned them, so maybe take that with a grain of salt.

And maybe they should have stopped there. Because that same automotive website badly misses the mark with their next piece, highlighting ten bicycles proven to be safest in high speed crashes.

Maybe they assume bicycles come standard with airbags. Or maybe they’ve forgotten that it isn’t the hard surfaces of a bicycle that matter in a crash, but the soft, squishy parts of the person on it.

Whether you’re in a solo crash or struck by a speeding driver, even the heaviest, most shock-absorbing frame will offer little protection when your entire body is exposed to the impact.

Which raises the question what the hell they’re thinking — or maybe what they’re on.

Or maybe they just let AI write the whole damn thing, and no one bothered to read it before they put it online.

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Finish The Ride founder Damian Kevitt will join a discussion on the future of ebikes at Claremont’s Harvey Mudd College on Monday.

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

Ontario, Canada’s ongoing war on bike lanes made its way into the campaign for provincial premier, as current leader Doug Ford, brother of the late crack-smoking Toronto mayor, attacked his opponents for their belief in “bike lanes and riding bikes and planting trees…But the problem is, you won’t be able to afford the trees because the economy will go down the tubes with all three of you.” Because apparently, trees and bikes are somehow bad for the local economy. Or something. 

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Local  

The eight-year old son of singer Pink and motocross star Carey Hart is one of us, following in his famous dad’s footsteps on “an appropriately sized” BMX bike.

 

State

Calbike says support advocates, and keep calm and pedal on in the face of whiplash changes in federal funding and policies. And thanks for linking to Transportation For America’s analysis of what’s going on at the federal level, and what it means for all of us. 

San Francisco CA Senator Scott Weiner has introduced two more bills to speed up projects that reduce car dependency, with SB71 focused on shortening CEQA reviews for transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and SB445 on imposing permitting process deadlines for larger transit projects.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel takes a look at the Coastal Rail Trail following the tracks of the 19th Century Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Railroad.

San Francisco finally installed its first speed cam, as allowed under a state pilot program approved a year ago. Which makes them one up on Los Angeles, which, to the best of my knowledge, hasn’t installed any.

 

National

Electrek recommends the best ebikes available now at every price point, from below a thousand bucks to more than five grand.

Bike Magazine considers how cuts in the federal public lands workforce will affect mountain biking, saying responsible ridership will now be more important than ever.

An Oregon legislator agreed to withdraw a controversial bill that would have banned Class 3 ebikes from bike lanes, while reclassifying them with mopeds and motorcycles.

New Mexico is considering whether and how to restrict mountain biking to protect the endangered Peñasco Least Chipmunk.

Denver will host a psychedelic bike ride in April to mark the 82nd anniversary of Bicycle Day, when Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hoffman dropped the first LSD tab and unexpectedly tripped out while riding his bike home from work.

Residents of New York’s wealthy Upper East Side say they were blindsided by the new green wave on Third Ave, with traffic lights now timed to give constant green lights to anyone traveling 15 mph. Like on a bicycle, for instance. Or a car stuck in traffic thanks to Trump’s cancelation of congestion pricing.

A Louisiana high school senior who rode his bike to school everyday received a surprise upgrade from two wheels to four, when school officials gave him the keys to a donated used car. Although some of us would consider that a downgrade, instead.

Florida nonprofit Jack the Bike Man vows to continue its mission of providing refurbished bicycles to kids in need, after a fire tore through the second floor of their West Palm Beach warehouse; there were no bicycles stored there, but the group had hoped to sell it to raise funds for their work.

 

International

Momentum recommends studded bike tires for winter riding. Although here in sunny SoCal you’re more likely to need a good sunscreen. 

Evidently, winter isn’t a problem for bike riders in Brussels, Belgium, where ridership is up 4% over last year, on top of a nearly 14% increase the year before, despite record rainfall.

Momentum also suggests the best off-the-beaten-path bicycling routes in Italy, for your next off-the-beaten-path trip to the country.

An Aussie photography magazine talks with “bicycle photographer extraordinaire” Marcus Enno, better known in the cycling world as Beardy McBeard.

 

Competitive Cycling

The opening stage of Portugal’s Volta ao Algarve was called off with no winner declared when nearly the entire peloton took a wrong turn at a roundabout less than a kilometer from the finish line, speeding through the crowded lane on the wrong side of the barriers.

Escape Collective drops their paywall to consider other alternative endings to bike races that UCI probably hasn’t considered. Unless maybe they have, of course.

 

Finally….

Your next mountain bike ride could be halted by a chipmunk. Now you, too, can ride the custom bike honoring a locally famous runaway dog in a pooch-themed Mardi Gras parade.

And your next road kit could honor famed cycling superstar SpongeBob.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Collecting bikes for Altadena fire victims, 12 years since crash inspired Finish the Ride, and NY congestion pricing works

February 19, 2025 / / No comments
Day 50 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Hats off to my old friend and former longtime LACBC staffer and volunteer Colin Bogart, who has organized a bike donation program for victims of the Eaton Fire for Pasadena nonprofit Day One.

According to the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition, the nonprofit is working with the Bicycle Kitchen, the Bike Oven, the Bikerowave, and the Long Beach Bicycle Co-op to collect and repair the bikes, along with local bike shops including Around the Cycle, Pasadena Cyclery, and Trek Pasadena.

The organization has received requests for over 300 bicycles.

So if you have a bike you don’t need, or can help in some other way, drop it off at Day One’s Pasadena office at 175. N. Euclid Ave from 9:30am to 5:30pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, or by special arrangement 626/657.8744 or colin@godayone.org.

Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels.

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It’s been a dozen years since a hit-and-run driver crashed into Damian Kevitt on Zoo Drive, and dragged him under his van onto the nearby 5 Freeway as he fled the crash.

Remarkably, Damian channeled the trauma of the crash that cost him a leg, and nearly his life, into the creation of Finish The Ride and Streets Are For Everyone to fight for safer streets and an end to hit-and-run.

And no, the driver was never found.

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More proof New York’s congestion pricing is working, even as Trump vows to kill it.

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

Police in Detroit are looking for the woman who used her car as a weapon to intentionally ran down a man riding a bicycle after an argument, along with her male passenger who got out of the car and hit the victim with a baseball bat.

Seriously? A writer for the Boston Globe investigates who has the right to public space on the streets, after a mayoral candidate calls for hitting pause on building bike lanes, and can only manage to conclude that bike lanes are the third rail of Boston politics. Even though the law is clear that bike riders have a right to the road, and well-designed bike lanes improve safety for all road users.

No bias here. Residents of Suffolk, England are up in arms because a car-shaped bike corral replaced a single parking space. Yes, one.

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Local  

The annual LA Chinatown Firecracker run, walk and bike ride has been rescheduled for March 8th and 9th, after it was postponed due to the January firestorms.

Streets For All says the long-sought extension to the Ballona Creek bike path is moving forward, despite missing out on ATP funding, after Metro recommended it for regional funding.

Streets Are For Everyone is teaming with the Pico Union Neighborhood Council to clean up MacArthur Park on Saturday morning, including the 7th Street bike lanes.

As we noted the other day, some people are criticizing a new demonstration bike lane in Santa Clarita, complaining that the flexible plastic bollards separating it from motor vehicles are a form of visual blight, but even the president of the Santa Clarita Valley Bicycle Coalition sympathized with the outcry over the “aesthetic unattractiveness.”

 

State

Calbike is hosting a webinar this Thursday to discuss creative approaches to funding active transportation infrastructure, as the usual sources threaten to dry up.

Apparently, former baseball star Barry Bonds is killing it on Strava, saying bicycling is his second passion. Although no one tests for steroids on the bike app.

A San Francisco website says anarchy has ensued on Valencia Street, as work begins to remove the contentious centerline bike lane and move it curbside, with people riding bikes forced to choose their own route on the street.

A Yuba City bike co-op is refurbishing bicycles and donating nearly 20 a month to homeless people.

 

National

Bicycling recommends ten expert-approved road bike upgrades for under a hundred bucks apiece. But you’ll have to fork out for a subscription if the magazine blocks you, because this one is limited to members only. 

It looks like bicycles, ebikes and bike components won’t be subject to Trump’s new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, but will be affected by other tariff increases.

The mayor of Honolulu signed a new law requiring helmets for bike riders under 18, while limiting the power of ebikes and providing guidelines to prevent reckless riding.

A Las Vegas writer wisely observes that sometimes, the best bike ride is the one you don’t take.

A Park City, Utah website says riding a fat bike through the snow could be the cure for the winter blues.

The Illinois legislature is considering legislation that would fix a bad court ruling that said bike riders aren’t intended road users unless a street or highway is designated for bicycle use.

 

International

Momentum recommends the top six routes for solo bike tourism. And for once, the Los Angeles area is included, as part of the 800-mile California Coast ride.

Bike Radar recommends nine bikes that give you the best bang for your bucks.

A London food delivery rider says he’s been knocked off his bike by drivers eight times already, arguing that bike couriers are people too, and deserve safer streets.

A retired English man has earned the moniker “Dr. Bike” for fixing bikes for community members or to donate to people in need, while raising the equivalent of over $11,000 for local charities.

A British writer took part in an study riding around York measuring air quality with a small device on his handlebars, and found the air was even dirtier than expected — even on quiet country lanes.

Ebike makers in the UK are worried about whether they can rsurvive after the government scrapped anti-dumping tariffs on China earlier this month, with one calling it the final nail in their coffin.

 

Competitive Cycling

Former pro cyclist Jérôme Pineau called out the World Anti-Doping Agency, aka WADA, for giving top-ranked tennis pro Jannik Sinner a three-month slap on the wrist for testing positive for a banned substance twice last year, saying a cyclist would have been banned for at least a couple years.

 

Finally….

2 Chainz may be a rapper, but two chains could be coming soon to a bike near you. If the city won’t clear snow from the bike lanes, just put a plow on an ebike and do it yourself.

And what could be more humiliating than getting busted for bike theft in front of your mom?

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Grossman sentencing Monday on hit-and-run, murder charges; and NY congestion pricing decision could jeopardize LA plan

June 7, 2024 / / Comments Off on Grossman sentencing Monday on hit-and-run, murder charges; and NY congestion pricing decision could jeopardize LA plan
Just 207 days left until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
Stop what you’re doing and sign this petition demanding Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we all face on the city’s mean streets.

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

We’re up to 1,191 signatures, so don’t stop now! Let’s get it up to 1,200 before I send it to the mayor’s office!

Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels.

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Prosecutors rejected defense calls for probation for Rebecca Grossman, arguing the wealthy socialite is a narcissist who deserves life in prison.

Grossman was convicted on two counts of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter, and one count of hit and run for the high-speed deaths of 11-year old Mark Iskander and his eight-year old brother as they crossed a residential Westlake Village street with their parents.

The wife of Grossman Burn Center founder Dr. Peter Grossman, Grossman allegedly had Valium in her system and had downed at least two margaritas, before racing with her then-boyfriend, former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson.

Her attorneys argued the wealthy philanthropist and mother of two has no prior criminal record and should be spared prison time, while prosecutors contend she deserves a heavy sentence because she hasn’t shown any remorse or accepted responsibility for the fatal crash.

Their recommendation of two consecutive sentences of 15-to-life, plus four years for the hit-and-run count, would mean the 60-year old would likely spend the rest of her life behind bars.

She’s scheduled to be sentenced on Monday.

Let’s just hope the judge agrees.

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More fallout from New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s unexpected decision to kill congestion pricing in New York City.

Curbed says the city needs congestion pricing and the governor blew it in trying to cancel the program, calling it a crucial tool that will benefit everyone, even if it doesn’t poll well.

New York Streetsblog questions whether the governor even has the legal authority to cancel congestion pricing scheduled to go into effect at the end of this month, and if she has a plan to replace the billions in lost revenue to fund the city’s transit network.

The Atlantic calls the governor inept, and says her decision to spike congestion pricing at the last second was terrible policy, and terrible politics.

But the conservative New York Post applauded Hochul for killing congestion pricing, and calls for making sure it stays dead.

While it may seem like a New York problem, her decision matters here in Los Angeles, too. Because if it stands, that will make it almost impossible to implement congestion pricing, which has proven successful in London, virtually anywhere in the US.

Including right here in the City of Angels and Traffic Congestion.

Metro is currently five years into their study of whether congestion pricing would work in Los Angeles.

Then again, that’s usually how the city kill any proposal they want to go away, by assigning a study no one will ever hear from again.

We can only hope that doesn’t happen this time.

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Better Bike Beverly Hills invites you to join Streets For All’s fundraiser and bike ride in the city tomorrow, with guest speakers California State Senator Ben Allen and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath.

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BikeSD is sponsoring a bike ride tomorrow to show that bikes mean business, and encourage bike riders to use its coupon book to support businesses along Main Street in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood.

And vice versa.

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Gravel Bike California takes an epic two-wheeled offroad tour of Catalina Island.

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It’s now 169 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And three full years since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

Meanwhile, supporters of Minnesota’s ebike rebate program says it still has merit, even though it accepted just 80 applications before the website crashed, and the state cancelled the opening for now.

Which is 80 more than California has taken.

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

No bias here, as British broadcaster and bicyclist Jeremy Vine posts video of an unacceptably close pass by a black cab, and commenters can’t seem to grasp the concept that the driver could have slowed down and wait until there was space to pass safely.

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Local 

Hermosa Beach is banning ebikes and electric motorcycles from the city’s greenbelt, but will still allow them on The Strand and in Pier Plaza, as long as the motor is turned off — making them impractically heavy. Banning ebikes from bike paths and walkways is legal under state law; banning them from public streets is not. 

Long Beach released five years of data on e-scooter crashes since they were approved for use in the city in 2018, revealing 113 crashes — including two deaths.

 

State

A San Diego letter writer compares the city’s painted bike lanes with the well-protected bike lanes he enjoyed in Vancouver, and says San Diego’s may be dangerous, but at least no one uses them so there’s no traffic.

Speaking of San Diego, San Diego Magazine recommends an offroad ride through the spider web of trails in Balboa Park’s Florida Canyon.

Finishing our San Diego trifecta, a new report says cities in San Diego County aren’t making enough progress in meeting their climate goals. Although investing more to promote bicycling wouldn’t hurt. 

 

National

A new bill introduced by outgoing Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer aims to reinvigorate bicycle manufacturing in the United States — starting by waiving tariffs for bike components for ten years.

A University of Nevada-Reno news site says better bike paths in the newly approved regional active transportation plan offers one solution to the area’s heat and climate change-inducing traffic congestion.

Wisconsin celebrates the state’s Bike Week with a theme of Bikes Mean Business, as they highlight the economic benefits bicycling brings to the state. Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s mayor marked Bike Week with a five-mile public bike ride. LA’s mayor campaigned as a bike rider, yet couldn’t be bothered to even mention this city’s Bike Week, let alone take a ride with us.

Chicago Streetsblog says the solution to flooding in city’s curb-protected bike lanes is to build more raised bike lanes.

Lime will share its bikeshare and e-scooter rental data for DC and Bloomington, Indiana with the cities to help improve equity, safety and accessibility.

 

International

Bloomberg calls bicycle skills training and education programs aimed at women and minority groups the other kind of bike infrastructure that cities need to close stubborn access gaps and get more riders in the saddle.

Paris will transition to using cargo bikes for deliveries during and after next month’s Olympic Games.

Cyclist visits Copenhagen’s “City of Bikes” to explore what makes it the world’s most bike-friendly city. Words that you are unlikely to ever hear about Los Angeles. 

That’s more like it. Belgium is replacing its 50-year old Highway Code with a new Public Road Code, to reflect that cars are no longer the default standard while welcoming bicyclists and pedestrians; meanwhile, bike theft in the country’s capital has surged 70% since 2015.

An advocacy group in Goa issued a “fervent call” for the immediate implementation of a road safety plan to protect bicyclists on all highways and local roads in the Indian state.

 

Competitive Cycling

Thursday’s stage of the Criterium du Dauphine was halted mid-race due to a massive crash that that took down race leaders Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic, though both were able to get up afterwards.

In one of the more bizarre stories in recent memory, retired pros Laurens ten Dam and Thomas Dekker spent the night before the recent Unbound Gravel behind bars, complete with matching orange jumpsuits, after they were busted for public indecency trying to freshen up in a public parking lot after a three-hour training ride.

 

Finally…

That feeling when the city’s mayor films himself riding a bicycle on a street where bikes are banned. And when your stolen Penny Farthing comes back like a bad penny.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

CA ebike rebate program now set to launch this fall, and more details on fallen bicyclists Bruce Elliott and Roy Wiegand

August 3, 2023 / / One comment

The California Air Resources Board reports that the state’s ebike incentive program is now expected to finally go live statewide sometime this fall, as the launch date keeps getting pushed back.

But don’t hold your breath.

The program was set to launch at the beginning of this year, then pushed back to the second quarter of the year, before now being set for fall.

Hopefully, they mean it this time.

You can learn more about the program here.

Ebike Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels.

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More details are finally available about fallen Redding bicyclist Bruce Elliott, who was killed by a driver during a group ride in Mentone on Saturday.

A memorial service will be held at 2 pm this Sunday at The University of Redlands Memorial Chapel for the well-loved phys ed teacher, who was also captain of Don’s Bikes Race Team, and mentor to bicyclists with Big Wheel Coaching.

Elliott’s family requests contributions to a crowdfunding campaign in lieu of flowers, with the funds to be split between the nonprofit Bikes for Kids Foundation and Grand Teton National Park. At this writing, it has raised over $9,400 of the modest $12,500 goal.

You can read more here.

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While we’re on the subject, SF Gate has more details on the crash that killed popular Burbank musician and long-distance bicyclist Roy Wiegand in Monterey County Saturday afternoon, in what was a very bad weekend for SoCal bike riders.

Wiegand was riding alone after his riding partner had turned back, when he was right hooked by a 25-year old pickup driver while riding in the designated bike lane in the same direction.

He was on the last leg of his 2,500-mile Roy’s Ride fundraising ride to benefit the Navaho Nation, and bring clean, running water to impoverished households on the reservation.

The campaign has currently raised more than $35,000, easily topping what had originally been a $25,000 goal.

There’s no word on any charges for the driver, even though the CHP said the driver made an “unsafe” turn.

Which is putting it mildly.

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Don’t hold your breath waiting for congestion pricing on Los Angeles roadways, as numble reports we still have four years to go before we’re likely to see anything.

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Calbike has completed a year-long search by hiring active transportation and land use professional Kendra Ramsey as the group’s new executive director.

A member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Ramsey comes to the organization from Sacramento civil engineering firm GHD, where she served as Active Transportation Project Manager, “developing innovative mobility options, Complete Streets plans, and corridor studies for local and regional agencies throughout the state.”

Let’s hope she finds her footing fast, because we definitely need help.

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The New York Times continues their anti-ebike campaign, asking if California should regulate the bikes because teenagers are dying on them.

Unfortunately, though, teenagers get killed on regular bikes, too.

The question left unasked by the Times and other news outlets — let alone unanswered — is whether they’re getting killed or seriously injured at a higher rate on ebikes than on regular bikes.

Until the Times can answer that question, it’s all just noise.

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

It’s finally happened. A 16-year old Las Vegas boy was killed when he struck a wire booby trap, possibly set by a homeless man, while riding with his older brother and friends. Various booby traps have been set on roadways and trails around the world, but to the best of my knowledge, none have been fatal — until now. Let’s hope that whoever set the trap faces a murder count, if not terrorism charges. 

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Local 

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a $60 million contract with Metro for the design and construction of the Los Angeles River Valley Bike Path Project, including a new 13-mile segment of the LA River bike path connecting to the existing path in Griffith Park.

Streetsblog reports a new SGV Greenway project is under construction along the Big Dalton Wash in the unincorporated community of Vincent, between Covina and Irwindale; the 3-mile Vincent Community Bikeway is expected to open next year.

NHL referee Dan O’Rourke is scheduled to set off today on a 2,400-mile bike ride from Santa Monica to Chicago along old Route 66, to raise money and awareness for the National Federation of the Blind. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the tip.

The Manhattan Beach city council is urging the police to crack down on scofflaw ebike riders.

 

State

The Los Angeles Times reports that communities around the state are launching ebike and other green transit programs, as Long Beach prepares to open a 40-bike ebike lending library.

Calbike offers advice on how to talk back to the seemingly inevitable bikelash to virtually any bicycling proposal or news story.

Patch says a Temecula bike advocacy group is leading the way in creating harmony on city streets.

Sad news from Modesto, where a 79-year old man was killed in a hit-and-run while riding his bike; police booked the driver on charges of felony hit-and-run causing death and vehicular manslaughter, after she originally stayed at the scene before denying any involvement and driving off.

No surprise here, as San Francisco lowers the speed limit on several streets to 20 mph to improve safety, but drivers keep speeding, anyway.

 

National

Vice considers the best bike bags for your next ride.

Streetsblog says a new book explores America’s revenue-focused approach to traffic policing, including that traffic fines have “no discernible relationship to public safety,” while harming people of color and other vulnerable people.

Arizona bike riders remembered fallen bicyclist Karen Malisa on what would have been her 62nd birthday; she was one of two people killed, and 19 others injured, when a pickup driver plowed into a group ride in Goodyear, Arizona in February. Meanwhile, the driver still hasn’t been charged six months later.

A 22-year old New Mexico man will spend the next 20 years behind bars for fatally shooting another man after trying to steal his bike at a bus stop, and the 43-year old victim tried to fight back.

Colorado’s governor responds to the death of rising 17-year old cyclist Magnus White by reminding everyone to drive safely and yield to people on bicycles. Good advice, regardless of the circumstances. 

The New York Times examines the practical effects of the VanMoof bankruptcy filing, after the company ceased to exist virtually overnight, leaving owners of the Dutch ebikes unable to get repairs and unsure if the bike’s app-based software will continue to work.

A New York program is training formerly incarcerated people to work as bike mechanics for the city’s Citi Bike bikeshare, working with the Brooklyn DA’s office to recruit members of marginalized communities; the bikeshare program is experiencing record breaking ridership despite rumors of a sale.

Former President Trump is being arraigned today on conspiracy charges, but all Fox News seems to care about is President Biden going for a leisurely Delaware bike ride instead of hanging his head in shame over his son’s alleged misdeeds.

Robert Pattinson is one of us, as the Twilight actor goes for a bike ride around his New York neighborhood. But would it kill him to look like he’s actually enjoying it?

 

International

Three young British men face murder charges in the hit-and-run death of an ebike rider, even though police are still looking for their car.

Three people were hospitalized and several others treated at the scene after seven bike riders collided during the World Police and Fire Games in Winnipeg, Canada.

 

Competitive Cycling

In yet another tragic reminder of the dangers of race motos, four people were hospitalized after TV motorcycle crashed into fans with just over three miles to go Wednesday’s fifth stage at the Tour of Poland.

Australian road cyclist Rob Stannard will miss this week’s world championships in Glasgow, after he was provisionally suspended for an alleged doping violation from five years earlier.

Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay was reportedly denied a visa to travel to Scotland for the cycling world championships, but it didn’t matter because he withdrew from the race after crashing in last weekend’s Clasica San Sebastian.

Bicycling offers an update on the condition of Dutch cyclist Amy Pieters, who suffered a severe brain injury on a training ride with the Dutch national team two years ago, and still faces a very long road to recovery. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you. 

Pro basketball star Kevin Durant is now a part owner of the new National Cycling League, joining a number of current and former NBA and NFL players.

 

Finally…

Who needs shift levers when your bike could respond to voice commands? No, you don’t owe a reward to the person who stole your bike.

And yes, Tour de France bikes are different from what you ride.

And cleaner, too.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

Congestion pricing rears its not-so-ugly head, NYT talks with LA’s Entitled Cyclist, and Long Beach bike rider critically injured

May 31, 2023 / / 5 comments

On a personal note, my 75-year old adventure cycling, ex-Iditarod mushing brother is setting out today on yet another cross-country bike ride. 

He’s taking a train to Oregon, then riding down the coast before turning east, and riding to Minnesota, up into Canada, and possibly on to Buffalo and New York City if conditions allow. 

And yes, I want to be like him when I grow up.

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Congestion pricing could be back on the table for Los Angeles County.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Metro’s long-awaited study into the feasibility of instituting a congestion pricing scheme on local highways is expected to be released this summer, after it was allegedly delayed by Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins because she didn’t want it to become an issue in last year’s election season.

Years in the works, the plan promises cleaner air, smoother rides and more funds to the agency’s coffers in the future. Studies show it could reduce harmful air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by pushing more commuters to use public transit, while making roads less hellish for those who pay to use them…

The pilot program is part of a larger push among major cities to rethink how to deal with traffic that eats up commuters’ lives and pollutes communities as vehicles creep along. California has been quietly setting the stage for road pricing for years.

The good news is that Metro is restoring its pre-pandemic route schedules, which should make transit marginally more attractive to current non-transit users, though the steady drumbeat of new of crime, homelessness and drug use on county trains could have the opposite effect.

The bad news is, with a few notable exceptions like DTLA, Santa Monica and Long Beach, the LA-area bike networks necessary to get defecting motorists on two wheels don’t currently exist.

And they’re not likely to be coming in the near future without a massive and unexpected investment in our streets.

Photo by Jeff Weese from Pexels.

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The New York Times talks with Tom Morash, aka the Entitled Cyclist of Twitter, Instagram and YouTube fame.

Morash is a 41-year-old lighting programmer who works in the film and TV industry in Los Angeles, where he has lived for some 16 years. When he first arrived, he used to take his car everywhere, like most Angelenos. But the city’s traffic jams soon crushed any desire to drive.

After talking to a co-worker who cycled to work, he decided to try it. He never looked back. Now he always cycles the 12 miles or so that take him to most of his jobs.

Yes, cycling can be scary, he acknowledges. Drivers cut him off, text at the wheel, exceed the speed limit, open their doors without looking and park in the bike lane. “But I can’t imagine choosing to be in a car,” he said.

It’s worth investing a few minutes of your day to get to know someone who uses his bike and social media voice to make a difference.

And whose bike makes one in his own life.

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Bad news from Long Beach, where a woman was critically injured in a collision while riding her bike on Pacific Coast Highway near Long Beach City College Monday night.

The eastbound victim allegedly swerved onto the opposite side of the roadway, where she was struck by the westbound driver, who remained at the scene.

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You have one more day to sign up for a month of bikeshare for a single buck.

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

Houston police are looking for a group of young men who have been brutally attacking and robbing bike riders on a city bike trail, with five riders viciously beaten and another shot in the past two weeks; one man was tackled from his bike, pistol whipped and robbed of his wallet and phone, while another had his bicycle stolen after getting hit with a shovel.

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

The LAPD had arrested an alleged bike-riding serial arsonist for setting up to 30 cars on fire in the Sunland-Tujunga area. Demonstrating once again that bicycles are the most efficient choice for whatever crime spree you have in mind. Thanks to Steven Hallett for the heads-up.

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Local 

Streets For All reminds us to tell the federal government to make auto makers consider pedestrian safety in crash testing. And add bike riders while they’re at it. 

This is who we share the road with. A road raging Tesla driver and a motorcyclist got into fist fight in a Pasadena street, following a verbal confrontation between the two men, as well as the driver’s mom.

A Redondo Beach letter writer complains that a planned 200-foot long bike path extension in Long Beach will cost $6,000 per foot, compared to adding a freeway lane, which he says would cost just $500 a foot. Actually, the California Policy Institute says adding a freeway lane in an urban environment costs $62.4 million per lane mile, or about $11,800 a foot. Correction, Jim Lyle points out it’s actually $118,000 per foot, not $11,800 as I wrote. My only excuse is I was an English major. 

 

State

Calbike is urging you to contact your state legislators to support a series of bills they term the Biking Is Not a Crime slate for 2023, including bills that would legalize sidewalk riding, ban police pretext stops, and decriminalize transit fare evasion. Although the best solution for that one is to adequately fund transit and make it free.

The Fullerton Observer says the Orange County city refused to improve bike safety in the face of opposition from motorists, rejecting a proposal to remove a traffic lane and improve bike lanes when Associated Road is repaved for water main work.

A project to widen El Camino Real in Del Mar from two lanes to four, while adding concrete median, sidewalks and bike lanes has been put on hold, after a judge ordered an additional environmental review.

Closing arguments began Tuesday in the hit-and-run trial of a 43-year old Bakersfield driver accused of seriously injuring two people as they rode their bikes, while driving with a blood alcohol level over three times the legal limit; the defense attorney blamed the victims for riding in the traffic lane without the required lights and reflectors.

Sonoma bicyclists say the city has a lot more work to do if they want to get more people out of cars and onto bikes.

 

National

Yesterday was National E-Bike Day, officially registered as such by Lectric eBikes to mark their fourth anniversary.

Mobility justice groups are working to reverse decades of disinvestment to make Black neighborhoods better for biking and walking; the story begins with the killing of South LA bike rider Dijon Kizzee, who was shot 19 times by LA County Sheriff’s deputies for what began as a traffic stop for riding salmon.

Tragic news from Las Vegas, where a motorcyclist is dead, and a bicycle rider critically injured, following a high speed collision between the two.

Outside rides Utah’s new 190-mile Aquarius Trail bikepacking path, sandwiched amid the state’s “spectacular wilderness” between Bryce and Zion national parks.

The Idaho Stop Law is slowly spreading across the US, as nine other states and Washington DC have adopted the law, although only three have adopted the full law allowing bike riders to treat stop signs as yields, and red lights as stop signs. California is once again considering a bill to legalize the Stop as Yield portion of the law; Governor Newsom vetoed a previous version of the bill.

A crowdfunding campaign for the Black teenager involved in New York’s Citi Bike Karen incident has now raised over $91,000 of the $120,000 goal to pay legal expenses. Meanwhile, a crowdfunding campaign for the hospital worker accused of trying to wrest a bikeshare bike out of his hands has raised more than $132,000, far exceeding the $120,000 goal.

Crashes involving bike riders are rising in Virginia, with twice as many bicyclists killed on state roads so far this year, compared to last year.

Medical authorities in Florida have concluded that the man accused of brutally stabbing a Daytona Beach couple as they rode their bicycles home from the city’s motorcycle Bike Week festivities has regained his mental competency, and is now fit to stand trial for the March, 2022 murders.

 

International

Go ahead and be jealous. Montreal is investing $30 million to expand and improve its bikeway network, with 53 projects spanning 14 boroughs and four other municipalities.

London road deaths were down to their lowest level of any non-Covid year last year, evidence that the city’s extensive Complete Streets and bicycle superhighway efforts are working.

A London paper complains about an “idiot driver” who parked blocking a crosswalk and bike lane to nip into the market.

Britain has approved the use of longer semi-truck trailers on the country’s roads, despite fears they could increase the risk to bike riders and pedestrians.

Belgium-based Cowboy and Grenoble, France’s eBikeLabs are involved in a messy divorce, with eBikeLabs suing the ebike maker for patent infringement and stealing its software, after the two companies had been partnering together.

Sydney, Australia will extend the life of a popular popup bike lane for at least another three years.

 

Competitive Cycling

British budget cuts could endanger the rise of the next generation of cyclists, as the country cuts spending for its under-23 program, potentially removing young Brits from the Nations Cup, the Tour of Britain and the Tour de l’Avenir.

Britain has banned transgender women from competing in women’s cycling events, restricting trans cyclists to the country’s “Open” classification. Read it on AOL if Bicycling blocks you from their site. 

More tragic news, this time from Ireland, where Gabriele Glodenyte was killed by a driver while on a lunchtime training ride; the 24-year old cyclist was a rising star in women’s racing in the country.

Cycling News considers the top contenders for this weekend’s Unbound Gravel 200.

Cyclist offers their 21 best photos from the recently concluded Giro d’Italia, including a close-up view of Mark Cavendish’ crash in stage 5.

 

Finally…

When you’re already a suspect in at least ten bike thefts, maybe don’t ride salmon on an ebike that may or may not be yours. Your next bike could be a new and improved recreation of your first one.

And a paean to Campy’s late, lamented thumb shifter.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

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

Morning Links: Metro talks congestion pricing, induced demand goes both ways, and FilmedByBike this Sat

January 25, 2019 / / One comment

Metro’s board of supervisors considered congestion pricing to discourage driving and fund the 28 by 28 initiative at their monthly meeting on Thursday, but decided not to decide until next month.

The plan would provide funding to complete 28 transit projects in time for the 2028 LA Olympics. Metro’s CEO has also discussed using congestion pricing funds to provide free bus and train rides throughout the LA area.

LA’s ever-worsening traffic congestion means we have a choice between encouraging people to leave their cars behind by making it more convenient to ride a bike or use transit, or taking painful steps to force them to.

But the city’s ever-present NIMBYs, entitled drivers and traffic safety deniers have fought to block bike lanes, and too many spineless city officials have caved in to them.

So now congestion pricing is on the table. Whether they like it or not.

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More evidence that induced demand goes both ways.

The Seattle Times looks into where the 90,000 drivers who formerly used the city’s shorefront Alaskan Way Viaduct every day went once it was closed down, and before the new tunnel meant to replace it opens.

The paper concludes that some drivers moved to another highway, some switched to transit, and some took to their bicycles.

But most, they say, either changed their commutes, or simply stayed home.

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Looks like LAist and LA Magazine know a good thing when they see them.

LAist recommends The Frogtown Show comedy night at the Spoke Bicycle Cafe along the LA River Bike Path in Elysian Valley Saturday Night.

And both recommend FilmedByBike — Los Angeles at the Boomtown Brewery in Aliso Village on Sunday. Admission includes two movie screenings, a panel discussion, raffle and 25 exhibitors with bike demos. Correction: Earlier I wrote it was on Saturday; it’s actually Sunday. Thanks to Joe Linton for the correction.

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An impatient driver forced his way through an Oakland protest, running over a bicycle — after the rider jumped off — then ran over the leg of a blind homeless man, while driving on the sidewalk.

Remarkably, no arrest was made, as police appeared to make excuses for the driver.

You can see some of the event below, despite the shaky camera work.

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You can’t keep a good man down.

Or off an arena with his camera crew, evidently.

A British court ruled that YouTube star Ryan Taylor can legally post video of his scofflaw BMX ride on top of London’s massive O2 Arena.

Even if it encourages others to copy his dangerous stunt.

And eve if his ride was interrupted by a police helicopter.

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Local

This is who we share the roads with. A woman was arrested for killing a MacArther Park pedestrian Wednesday night; the victim was walking in a crosswalk when he was run down by the driver, who was viewing messages using WhatsApp.

LADOT is hosting a mixer for community-based organizations and community leaders on February 19, from 3 to 6 pm.

More on the selection of homegrown Long Beach bike service provider Pedal Movement to operate and expand the city’s bikeshare program.

State

Santa Cruz, which already has the state’s second-highest bike commuting rate, will raise downtown parking fees to finance efforts to further increase bike and transit use.

Bay Area bike riders say not so fast to plans to steal back a long-promised bike and pedestrian lane on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and give it to the same drivers who claim the other five lanes.

A San Francisco TV station honors Richmond’s Rich City Rides for its work building community around bicycle rides and projects.

National

Entrepreneur talks with William Shatner, the new captain of the starship Pedego.

No bias here. A Seattle website accuses “anti-car ideologues” at area DOTs of forcing bicycles on an unwilling populace.

Oh, well that’s okay, then. A hit-and-run driver who killed a bike rider in Salt Lake City told police he fled the scene because he was scared. Even if that was the case, he should have turned himself in the next day — after he sobered up, most likely.

A 19-year old Wyoming man’s self-funded film captures the spirit of freeride mountain biking.

Dallas isn’t afraid of road diets, unlike a certain SoCal city I could name. The Texas city approved plans to reduce a major streets from six lanes to four to make room for bike lanes and wider sidewalks. The same sort of six-to-four lane reduction was what made some Mar Vista drivers apoplectic, demanding its removal.

E-scooters could finally get the green light in Gotham, as scooter companies descend on the city to lobby for their approval. However, Gothamist warns there could be roadblocks ahead.

A 62-year old Brooklyn bike rider was awarded $2.25 million after suing the city accusing a police detective of shoving him into a parked car, suffering permanent injuries; needless to say, the officer denied touching him, bur security video — hidden from the defense for four years — showed otherwise.

US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will be confined to a wheelchair and walker for the next several months as she recovers from a painful broken pelvis and hip socket suffered in a bicycling crash; still no word on whether if was a solo fall or if she was hit by a driver.

A proposed DC ordinance would give scooter and ebike riders involved in crashes the same rights as regular bicyclists and pedestrians.

Bighearted North Carolina police pitch in to replace a bike that was stolen from a young girl, whose father is suffering from stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Life remains cheap in Louisiana, where the driver who got just 90 days for killing a bike-riding city councilman gets another 90 days for injuring his riding companion. But he’ll serve just 17 days of that.

Georgia thieves steal a page from the Middle Ages and the Old West, laying a tree branch across a bridge to force a bike rider to stop; when he tried to move it, they popped out with guns and stole his cellphone. Although victims in the Middle Ages and Old West hardly ever carried cellphones with them.

He gets it. A Gainesville FL writer considers his transportation options, and concludes that cars are expensive and cumbersome, and nothing beats a bike.

The Tampa Bay Times says it’s time to make the dangerous city — and the entire state of Florida — safer for people walking and on bicycles.

International

Bike Portland looks at the bikeways of Baja.

Singer, rapper and producer Ray J plans to stay involved in the business, after selling his e-scooter company to a Canadian concern for a price tag in the high seven figures. The money will help rollout the scooters throughout North America.

A Vancouver newspaper asks if a proposal to put bike lanes and a walkway down the center of an existing bridge is smart planning or the first step towards Carmaggedon.

A British Columbia bike rider asks if the impatient driver who nearly ran her down was as frightened by it as she was. Probably not.

A Saskatoon, Canada teenager just became the youngest person to ride a bike around the world, covering nearly 20,000 miles through 16 countries.

A new report says building community bike hubs could encourage more bicycling in the Toronto suburbs; the hubs provide access to bicycles, repairs, tools and other items and services to promote bicycling in areas with no bike lanes and very few bicyclists.

The younger brother of royal spouse Kate Middleton is one of us, as he takes his two dogs for a cargo bike ride.

An “anti-social” bike mob is accused of frightening shoppers at a local mall, riding directly at them while hurling abuse.

It’s not every day that a bike thief asks to be put in prison to break his spiral of addiction; a Belfast judge was happy to oblige. Because everyone knows there are no drugs behind bars. Right?

Retired pro cycling favorite Jens Voigt tells an Indian newspaper that the problem with Millennials is they want to be millionaires in two weeks, and life doesn’t work that way. Don’t blame me, take it up with Jensie.

An Indian environmental website says bicycling would have huge benefits for the country, but the high cost of bicycles and a lack of a bicycling ecosystem are holding it back.

NIMBYs are everywhere. Even in South Africa, where white homeowners are fighting to have a new separated bike lane removed from their street.

A Singapore paper says don’t give up on dockless bike sharing yet.

Competitive Cycling

CiclaValley offers scenes from the SoCal Cross season finale.

Finally…

Turning bike parts into art. Even cartoon pigs have to wear bike helmets, ven if they originally didn’t.

And seriously, when you’re carrying meth on your bike after dark, put a damn light on it.

It might even help see the soft dirt when you flee from the police.

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