The other shoe finally dropped.
Two years after FBI agents raided the home and office of DTLA Councilmember Jose Huizar, he was charged yesterday with accepting bribes from a Chinese developer.
It had become clear in recent months that the Feds had Huizar in their sights, after a string of lower-level aides and go-betweens copped pleas that clearly implicated him.
Huizar, who was largely responsible for the bike-friendly Complete Streets makeover of Downtown Los Angeles in recent years, was charged under the RICO act for running a corrupt enterprise.
His arrest, along with the conviction of former San Fernando Valley Councilmember Mitch Englander, raises questions of whether anyone else was involved, and who else the Feds could be looking at.
Englander’s replacement, Councilmember John Lee, is believed to have been implicated in Englander’s bribery scheme, according to court documents, but hasn’t stepped down.
A number of other city officials and staffers, including South LA Councilmember Curren Price, have been subjects of search warrants.
Which means the question is whether Huizar’s alleged corruption marks the end of the investigation. Or just the tip of the iceberg.
And it serves as a reminder that those who support us don’t always deserve our support.
Although the sexual harassment case against Huizar, allegedly settled with funds from the bribery scheme, should have been a fucking clue.
The remaining city councilmembers voted unanimously to suspend Huizar from the council after his arrest; he was urged to resign before his term ends at the end of the year so Councilmember-elect Kevin de Leon can take over the seat.
Let’s hope de Leon turns out to be as much of a supporter of bicycles and Complete Streets as Huizar has been.
But less corrupt.
Allegedly.
Photo from josehuizar.com.
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Speaking of DTLA, it looks like Olive Street is about to get an upgrade.
While a bus lane is still under consideration with @metrolosangeles, LADOT crews began marking the street last night for a bike lane upgrade with striping soon to follow. Here’s a look of what the street will look like once implementation is complete. pic.twitter.com/DyUcemToSX
— LADOT (@LADOTofficial) June 23, 2020
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You might want to avoid Laguna Niguel’s Camino Capistrano for awhile.
Construction Alert! Camino Capistrano in Laguna Niguel will be impacted through August. OCBC has expressed concerns about the design of this project and has offered suggestions to improve it. Be careful! @bikinginla pic.twitter.com/3hdHHgktSk
— Orange County Bicycle Coalition (@OCbike) June 23, 2020
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Great idea.
The UK is ready to roll with a voucher plan offering every resident the equivalent of $62 to get their bikes repaired,
The idea is to help get more people on bikes and support the bike industry, while giving a boost to the economy.
All of which we could use right here. And right now.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
Retired motorcycle champ Miguel Duhamel is recovering after he was shot in the head with a BB gun from passing car while riding his bike in Red Rock, Nevada.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
Police in Indianapolis are asking for the public’s help in identifying the bike-riding jerk who pushed another man off his bicycle, resulting in a severe concussion.
An off-duty NYPD cop was in a shootout with someone on a bicycle after a dispute with a group of men, who allegedly flashed gang signs; over a dozen shots were fired, but no one was hit.
A Tokyo bike rider was busted for allegedly damaging a driver’s car in a case of bike rage, even though that technically isn’t illegal until the end of this month.
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Local
Streetsblog says it will take more than a few sandwich boards to make LA’s 4th Street Slow Street friendlier for bicyclists and walkers.
The LAPD busted one of the bike and skateboard-riding Venice/Mar Vista gropers, and is looking for the other one, as well as any other women who may have been assaulted.
A pair of former competitive cyclists in Long Beach formed a messenger service to deliver just about anything by bike.
Gerard Butler is one of us, riding his bike to Venice for an evening ride along the beach.
State
Coronado plans to take over a pair of state highways from Caltrans, which could lead to more bike lanes in the city where residents find them dizzying and akin to having your daughters totally tatted. And led to James Corden’s all-time best monologue.
Santa Barbara is politely asking bike riders to dismount on a new temporary plaza formed by closing a downtown street.
San Franciscans discover the unexpected delights of bicycling while they shelter at home.
Fremont shows other Bay Area cities how protected bikeways are done. Los Angeles could take a few notes, too.
National
He gets it. An infectious disease physician and bicyclist says he doesn’t wear a mask because he’s scared, he wears one out of respect for others.
Go ahead and order the fries. Bicycling says saturated fat isn’t bad for your heart after all.
Ouch. Vice examines how Uber turned a promising bikeshare company into literal garbage.
Gear Patrol suggests ten bike storage racks they promise will blend seamlessly into your home.
Portlanders are encouraged to get out and ride naked, by themselves, for a solo edition of the World Naked Bike Ride this weekend. Which could get you arrested just about anywhere else.
The Seattle Times talks with a former Caltrans and Los Angeles planner, currently working in Oakland, about how transportation planners can better serve people of color.
A Chicago woman is fighting for her life after she was right hooked by the driver of a city-owned dump truck. Crashes like that could be prevented by requiring sideguards on all large trucks, and cabs offering minimum 180° views.
A security guard in a bulletproof vest reportedly tackled a Black teenaged girl riding a Jump bike in Providence, Rhode Island, after Uber hired guards to recover their stolen bikes; naturally, the company denies it ever happened.
Sienna Miller is one of us, too, as she goes for a bike ride through New York.
Rayshard Brooks, the Black man who was recently shot by an Atlanta cop, was one of us, riding his bike to work when he lived in Ohio.
International
Road.cc picks the best front and rear daytime bike lights, and considers whether you should use them. Short answer, yes. Longer answer, hell yes. I’ve had far fewer close calls since I started riding with them at the urging of Mark Goodley.
Road.cc also suggests the best commuting upgrades for your bike. And for you.
Pez Cycling News picks the three best bike movies of all time, starting with everyone’s favorite. Okay, maybe just mine. And theirs.
Nothing strange here. A Northern Irish boy is missing after falling off his bike and striking his head, then taking off his all clothes and riding a little more, before abandoning his bike and walking away naked.
Tennis star Andy Murray is one of us, biking the famed Box hill climb while he shelters in Surrey, England.
Add the French Riviera to your bike bucket list. Assuming we can all travel again someday, and the Europeans let us back in.
A new Belgian study says bike riders in the country face no more risk than drivers do. On the other hand, Luxembourg is lagging badly.
Italy is enjoying a bike boom, too. Meanwhile, the European Public Health Alliance says the country can’t drive its way out of the coronavirus crisis with polluting vehicles.
A high ranking Manilla cop tell drivers to stay the hell out of the new bike lanes.
Competitive Cycling
Retired Belarusian pro Kanstantsin Siutsou got a four year ban for doping; the former Giro stage winner failed a test for EPO two years ago. Like that ban will really sting since he doesn’t compete anymore; it’s like firing someone two years after he quit. But hey, the doping era is over, right?
VeloNews spends a day with California-based women’s pro cyclist Tayler Wiles before the racing season theoretically gears back up.
Finally…
How to race halfway across the US without leaving Down Under. This is what a “suboptimal” bike lane looks like.
And your next roadie could set you back nearly $8,500.
But damn is it pretty.
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I continue to be surprised by the unexpected donations that have been coming in to support this site lately. Thanks to Carlos A and Bernard B for their generous donations to keep SoCal’s best bike news coming your way every day.
And note to Bernard — You’re welcome!
Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
