File this under you’ve got to be kidding.
Authorities in Contra Costa County have decided not to file charges against an 83-year old man who kept driving after rear-ending a woman riding a bike last October.
He then returned 40 minutes later, and rear-ended two men riding their bikes in the opposite direction.
But despite being arrested two days later on suspicion of three counts of felony hit-and-run, prosecutors concluded they couldn’t prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
So why even try, right?
Which means that a dangerous driver is once again allowed to remain on the roads.
And drivers are once again reminded that the authorities don’t take hit-and-run any more seriously than they do.
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CD5 Councilmember Paul Koretz teams with fellow Councilmember Bob Blumenfield to introduce a motion calling for a climate emergency response in spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “fierce urgency of now,” in response to the recent fires and mudslides.
Which means he will undoubtedly reverse his position and approve bike lanes on Westwood Blvd and elsewhere on LA’s Westside, to provide a safe alternative to driving and reduce greenhouse gasses.
Right?
Don’t hold your breath.
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Los Angeles has somehow made it onto Amazon’s not-so-short shortlist of cities under consideration for their second headquarters.
However, given that one of their primary requirements is that the chosen city must have a good bicycle network, LA can probably look forward to getting a participation trophy.
Thanks to David Wolfberg for the heads-up.
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Peter Flax sends news that the new bike path bypassing construction in Marina del Rey opens today.
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Local
Chicago Streetsblog writer Steve Vance visits Los Angeles, and says it’s easy to get around by transit and bikeshare.
Curbed editor Alissa Walker lives kid-friendly and carfree in LA.
No irony here. Mar Vista’s dermatologist, neighborhood council member and self-appointed planner says LA needs to approach planning as engineers, rather than social justice warriors. Except when the engineers at LADOT do exactly that, neighborhood NIMBYs and pass-through drivers reject it because it’s not the kind of social engineering they want.
Orphan Black actress Tatiana Maslany is one of us.
The Pasadena Star-News looks at Monterey Park’s approval of a protected bike lane on Monterey Pass Road; as one resident pointed out, it could be the first step in revitalizing the street and getting people out of their cars.
Sheriff’s deputies issued 69 citations for bike and pedestrian safety violations in Santa Clarita on Wednesday, all of which went to motorists. And 46 of which were for distracted driving.
Long Beach restaurant owners are worried about the effect of the Amgen Tour of California’s shoreline start on their Mother’s Day business.
State
A former California resident is re-releasing the book she wrote following her round-the-world bike tour 30 years ago.
This is pretty much the definition of NIMBY. Five Encinitas residents are suing the city to block officials from opening a park gate to give kids a safe route to their elementary schools; they complain that it will be used by people who don’t live in their neighborhood to enter the park.
A Denver poet is delivering handwritten “dreams” by bicycle to subscribers in San Diego.
Visually impaired people from across the US are in Chula Vista for a para triathlete training camp to learn how to be guided by a sighted triathlon partner.
An allegedly drunk Apple Valley bike rider refused medical treatment after dodging a car in one direction, then getting hit by one headed in the other.
A Morgan Hill columnist says hosting a stage of the Amgen Tour of California could put the city on the map.
Bike East Bay is hiring a fulltime outreach coordinator and a trio of part-time interns.
Sad news from Danville, where a 73-year old ebike rider was killed after hitting a speed bump.
National
People for Bikes explains all about ebikes.
Bicycle Times offers advice on how to avoid bicycling burnout.
Bicycling talks to badass winter bike commuters from five cities with tough winters. Although they somehow left out Los Angeles, where riders are sometimes forced to endure partly cloudy days and temperatures in the 60s.
No, this is badass. A man who lost part of his skull years ago in a bike crash is overcoming his fears and finding hope by riding his bike across the US to get on a waiting list for treatment at a San Diego clinic.
A writer for Britain’s Cyclist magazine takes on the world’s toughest climb on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
Portland calls their adaptive bikeshare trial a success. Let’s hope Metro Bike is paying attention; a lot of nontraditional riders could benefit from a program like that.
Caught on video: A writer takes a low-tech bike ride in the Las Vegas rain looking for the latest bike tech.
A Dallas photographer depicts the bike carnage he found looking for dockless bikeshare bikes in the city, while Dallas tells the companies to clean up their act, or else.
International
A woman who wears a size 18 offers advice for other plus-sized bicyclists, or as she calls it, biking while fat.
A Canadian letter-writer says money spent building a bike boulevard would have been better spent providing education for the bike-riding public. Which would do little to protect them from dangerous drivers.
London’s transportation department says reports of a slash in the bicycling budget are wrong, but don’t expect more of the city’s cycling superhighways anytime soon.
Royal-in-law Pippa Middleton looks fashionably annoyed by the London paparazzi as she rides her bike in the cold.
A London HuffPo writer says what shocked her most about taking up bicycling was the support she received from bike-riding strangers.
A travel writer for the Washington Post rides the length of Great Britain, from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
The 125-year old Dutch bike maker Gazelle rolled out its 15 millionth bicycle.
Competitive Cycling
Philippine website Rappler — which has been ordered shut down by the country’s increasingly authoritative government — profiles SoCal’s Filipina-American cycling champ Coryn Rivera.
Australia’s extreme heat is causing organizers of the Tour Down Under to shorten race routes.
The head of cycling’s governing body tells Lance Armstrong to stay the hell out of Flanders, not that he can stop him. Meanwhile, coming clean about being dirty has cost Lance $100 million and counting.
Finally…
Just what every bicyclist needs: a high-tech toilet. Getting hit by a car seems like an extreme way to get out of a murder trial.
And you know it’s a strong wind when you can’t even hold onto your bike.
