Tag Archive for drunk driving

Alleged killer Playa driver faces 2 prior DUIs, Bass works to keep Forest Lawn deadly, and “tyrannical bike kings” overtake NYC

May 18, 2026 / / No comments

I may be wrong. 

But somehow, I don’t think this plate I spotted yesterday on motor scooter is an official DMV-issued license plate.

And thanks to everyone who sent items in over the weekend. I’m holding most of it over until tomorrow because of the epic length of today’s post, and my own short attention span. 

………

This is why people keep dying on our streets.

Police identified the man who ran away from a fatal Playa del Rey collision as 28-year old Moises Santiago Rodriguez Leiva of Canyon Country.

Leiva was arrested three days after the May 3rd crash that killed a one-year old boy and his 25-year old uncle, and injured three others — one critically.

Survivors alleged that Leiva crashed into them in an act of road rage, while driving on the wrong side of the road at a high rate of speed.

The Los Angeles Times reports he was already facing two counts of DUI at the time of the crash, one from June of last year, and another from July, 2024. A judge had issued a bench warrant this January for failing to appear.

His arrest after three days on the run gave him plenty of time to sober up if he had been drinking again prior to the Playa crash. He is currently being held on $200,000 bond as prosecutors ponder charges.

This case raises the question of why drivers are allowed to remain on the road after they’ve been arrested for DUI.

A single arrest should result in the automatic suspension of a driver’s license, at least until the driver appears in court to respond to charges.

If they receive a second DUI before the first case is adjudicated, their license should be physically removed by the judge, and their vehicle impounded until such time as they are acquitted, or complete the sentence from both crimes.

That would have kept Leiva off the road. And chances are, one-year old Roger Sandoval and 25-year old Oswaldo Sandoval would still be alive.

Meanwhile, Streets Are For Everyone offers a guide to the state of DUI in the state of California, as well as the 16 DUI-related bills currently under consideration in the California legislature.

Yes, 16.

I say pass them all, and let the courts figure it out.

I’ve already lost a cousin and a childhood friend to drunk drivers. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose another one.

And speaking of drunk drivers, a New York driver plowed into a car while traveling at 108 mph, allegedly under the influence, then continued on into a group of pedestrians, killing two people and leaving three others in critical condition.

But sure, let’s let this guy stay on the road once he makes bail.

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Streets For All alleges Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has intervened to pause, if not halt, the safety work scheduled for Forest Lawn Drive.

According to the traffic safety PAC, Bass reached out to StreetsLA to order a delay in the project at the request of Forest Lawn and Mount Sinai cemeteries, as they apparently attempt to increase their business by killing more of us off.

This project has already been debated for years, and multiple city agencies have concluded that will not only improve safety on Forest Lawn Drive, but won’t significantly interfere with funerals or people going to and from the cemeteries.

And people wonder why nothing ever gets done in this city.

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No bias here.

A New York writer apparently doesn’t like bike lanes.

Or the people who do.

In a New York Post op-ed, the founding president of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance Greater New York and adjunct fellow of the Manhattan Institute, insists that “tyrannical ‘bike kings'” are taking over the city.

And demanding New Yorkers give up their precious traffic lanes and parking spaces.

New York City is dealing with elevated crime and disorder, failing and emptying schools, taxpayer flight and a fiscally crunched City Hall.

But our ruling class is targeting the “real” emergency: not enough bike lanes.

Cycling activists and their friends at the Department of Transportation have stepped up their crusade against the existential threat of the four-wheeled vehicle, imposing street-redesign plans on neighborhoods, whether residents want them or not.

It gets worse.

The bike kings go to communities with glossy presentations stuffed with buzzwords — “traffic-calming redesign,” “rebalancing public space,” “reimagined corridors.”

Translation: Your car, delivery truck or Access-A-Ride van  — no longer welcome…

And if residents object? Dismiss them as backward, selfish or (worse) suburban-minded.

Face it.

We’re all overprivileged corporate types who don’t care if grandma makes it to her doctor appointment because there’s no parking space for her car. All we care about is reducing traffic lanes to reduce the number of cars.

Never mind that maybe the 81-year old woman with a walker she cites probably shouldn’t be driving in the first place.

Because apparently, bike riders aren’t bus boys. Or college students. Or seniors trying to keep their weight and blood pressure down.

Or maybe just people who don’t want to get killed or maimed riding from here to there. And no self-respecting Chinese American would ever be caught dead on a bicycle.

Right?

But that’s the problem when you see the world in terms of stereotypes. You don’t see people. You see two-dimensional cardboard cutouts who can’t possibly understand your problems, or your perspective.

And you end up talking past one another, instead of with one another.

New York doesn’t need streets designed to conform to the cyclist ideology. It needs streets that make possible greater circulation, commerce and access.

Residents should say no to senseless bike-lane expansion.

Because a city that can’t move and accommodate the people who actually live and work in it isn’t “reimagined.”

It’s just stuck.

Yet somehow, the people going by in the bike lane aren’t “stuck.”

They’re moving. They’re breathing.

They’re living.

And they’re your neighbors.

You know, like us.

………

No bias here, either.

According to the London Telegraph — a bike friendly publication once upon a time — the medieval town on Windsor, home to the famous castle that’s home to the royal family, is being overrun with cyclists.

Make that middle-aged men in Lycra, aka MAMILS.

They are drawn on the 62-mile round trip ride from London because a Windsor cafe is offering a whopping ten percent discount on all drinks and food for anyone who arrives in Lycra, otherwise known as spandex on this side of the Atlantic.

But what some might see as a smart special to draw visitors to town, is somehow an invasion of law-breaking scofflaws who never met a red light they liked.

The paper somehow found a 79-year old woman who apparently doesn’t think it’s fair that bicyclists pay just 90% of the menu price. Never mind that locals get the same deal, Lycra or not, while tourists pay full freight.

However, the growing number of cyclists has coincided with a spate of rule-breaking on London’s roads. Traffic lights and zebra crossings are frequently ignored by some cyclists, leading police to consider tougher penalties for those who break the law…

Meanwhile, councils have been accused of waging a war on motorists in an effort to promote cycling, walking and other forms of “active travel” as part of efforts to tackle climate change…

In Windsor, though, the cyclists keep on coming – not for the castle but for cut-price coffee.

All that, because some local cafe came up with a successful promotion.

And chances are, a few of the people on bicycles may happen to notice the castle while they’re there.

………

A 37-year old Santa Monica woman was arrested for suspicion of bicycling under the influence after she allegedly kept riding after colliding with a car, causing minor damage.

Demonstrating once again that a) it is against the law to bike while drunk or stoned, even if the penalty is less than it is for DUI, and b) you are required to stop after a collision, just like drivers are.

………

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

You’ve got to be kidding. A North Carolina bike rider was handcuffed when cops arrived on the scene and assumed he was an aggressor — even though he was actually the victim of a collision; police swore he was actively resisting. I’d be actively resisting, too, if I got handcuffed for getting hit by a driver.

You’ve got to be kidding, part two. A bike rider in Edinburgh, Scotland was held 50% responsible for getting doored by the driver’s insurance company, which ruled he should have been riding further away from the car.

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

A Redditor complains that her bicyclist boyfriend encouraged her to buy a bike, then came up with reasons why it was impossible to ride together. Hint: Dump the guy, keep the bike. 

A 24-year old Cincinnati man was busted for grabbing ass as he rode by women on his ebike, including local comedian Kelly Collette.

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Local 

Streetsblog will host the great D-Line Dash tomorrow, pitting a bike rider against people driving and taking the subway from Beverly Hills to DTLA. My money’s on the subway, followed by the bicycle. 

The LAPD busted a suspected shooter after a ten-minute chase that began near Fountain and Formosa avenues, then crossed over into West Hollywood as the suspect jumped on a bicycle — which may or may not have been his — and ended in WeHo’s Plummer Park.

South Pasadena approved a Complete Streets concept for South Huntington Drive, but council members were unable to reach a consensus on how to improve Fremont Ave.

Pasadena residents gathered Saturday to build more than 100 bicycles for the twice-yearly Eva Lin Team’s Charity Bike Build to ensure every child who wants a bicycle can have one.

That doesn’t sound good. A Saugus bicyclist was seriously injured after landing a jump at the Haskell Canyon Bike Park neck first.

This is who we share the road with. Two Valencia teenagers were arrested for an intentional assault on a peace officer when one of the teens swerved his dirt bike into the deputy’s motorcycle, causing the cop to crash.

Harrison Ford is one of us, taking to mountain biking in the Santa Monica Mountains following his 2015 plane crash.

 

State

The Orange County Transportation Authority and the City of Mission Viejo teamed up to host the “Pedal La Paz Road” Bikeway Demonstration Event on Saturday, demonstrating how cities can rethink wide arterial roads to prioritize safety, accessibility, and mobility for everyone, even as nearby Fullerton continues to struggle with disconnected bikeways.

The Cyclovia Encinitas returned to the coast highway for the 6th consecutive year.

This is who we share the road with, too. A driver was arrested after plowing through a group of people standing outside an Oakland market, killing three people and injuring five others; the juvenile alleged killer attempted to flee the scene, but was captured by witnesses.

After a 1,550-mile bike ride from Venice to Athens, a couple who originally met in San Francisco realizes that getting married probably won’t be the hardest thing they do. Although based on 27 years of matrimonial hindsight, I’d say the bike ride is way easier. 

Sacramento bike riders decorated their bikes with bright lights and loudspeakers, and wore colorful outfits, Friday night for the monthly Big Party Sacramento.

Davis residents were warned to be careful riding after a mountain lion was spotted near a popular bike path. If you encounter a mountain lion, or any kind of wild cat, remember you can’t outrun it. So stay still, try to make yourself look as large as possible, yell loudly, and if you have anything you can throw at it, do it. 

 

National

Redditors say wiggle your handlebars, or maybe your butt, to add an air of unpredictability and encourage drivers to give you a little more space on the road.

Life is cheap in Las Vegas, where a man is looking for answers after the driver who killed his bike-riding wife two years ago walked without a day behind bars, and a lousy 100 hours of community service and a $1,140 fine, despite an original charge of manslaughter.

A Detroit man learns the hard way that if you’re going to lead a life of crime, leave your distinctive ebike at home.

The New York Times Wirecutter newsletter offers tips to make bicycling less intimidating. Although what could be less intimidating than just getting on a bike and turning the pedals?

Amazon is using big box ebikes for last-mile deliveries in DC. And yes, they do actually have to be pedaled, albeit with a pedal-by-wire drivetrain.

Savannah, Georgia cops finally got their man — or woman, in this case — nearly two years after a hit-and-run driver killed a 37-year old man riding a bicycle; the 29-year old driver was charged with vehicular homicide, as well as attempting to coverup evidence of the crime.

At a time when our government is kicking refugees from “shithole” countries out of ours, a former competitive cyclist is helping Georgia refugees get on a bicycle by refurbishing donated bikes to provide them with reliable transportation.

A Florida triathlete is recovering after she was sideswiped by a hit-and-run driver while riding her bike, suffering an extensive list of serious injuries, but credits her helmet with saving her life; a crowdfunding campaign has raised over $52,000, topping the $50,000 goal.

 

International

Just in time for Metro’s not Bike to Work Day, Road.cc offers tips on how to avoid common bike commuting mistakes.

Bike lock manufacturer Litelok is offering a real-time look at where bike thefts are occurring so you can avoid hotspots. That’s easy. Everywhere. 

Road.cc guides you through the weird, wacky and wonderful world of alternative bike seats.

While US cities are cracking down on ebikes, a UK petition is calling for raising speeds for ped-assist ebikes to 20 mph.

LA bike riders have to worry about car horns, while British riders are concerned with cow horns in the countryside this time of year.

An Irish couple shares the lessons they learned by bicycling 7,500 miles around the world, including “don’t camp with bears” and “it really is all in your mind.” Not to mention your thighs. And butt. And calves. And back. And…

France is offering the equivalent of $4,600 to trade in your car for an ebike.

Spanish bicyclists will continue to be expected to use the shoulder, but only when it’s passable and never if there’s a separated bikeway — and they’ll be fined if they ride the shoulder when there is a bike path

Bicyclists in Jerusalem are pushing for a more bike-friendly city, as a massive annual event drew bicyclists out to the streets.

Israel is set to mandate license plates for all e-scooter and ebike riders, but the plates will apply to the rider, not the bike, so you could apparently transfer your license from one vehicle to another.

China is starting to leave the Western bicycle industry behind, just like the country is doing with electric vehicles.

An 81-year old San Francisco man is now leading Tokyo bike rides of up to 35 miles on behalf of the fittingly named Half-Fast Cycling.

Frustrations are growing over Japan’s new policy of fining bicyclists for a host of violations, with some people believing the fines go too far and others who think they don’t go far enough, even though most people think they’re about right. Meanwhile, bicyclists also have to deal with fake cops fining riders on the spot.

Aussie bike shops faces fines up to $1.1 million for selling fixies without front and rear brakes, as well as meeting a host of other standards.

 

Competitive Cycling

Good for them. Two Cycling Canada board members resigned from the national sport organization in response to the decision to not field a women’s team pursuit squad in the world championships or the upcoming ’28 Olympics.

Seven-time-ex-Tour de France champ Lance Armstrong is helping to design the mountain biking course for the LA Olympics, after the LA Olympic Committee was apparently unable to find any non-dopers willing to do the job.

Nineteen-year old Danish wunderkind Albert Withen Philipsen was lucky to escape without major injuries following a training crash at 50 mph, even if he’s been left “mummified” in bandages.

Once again, stupid, idiotic, no-good “fans” have interfered with the peloton, as two 19- and 20-year old men were arrested for stepping onto the roadway during the Giro, and reaching out towards the riders.

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can take a biking vacay just like Richard Branson. Now you, too, can help a bike rider through cartoon traffic, even if the situation is anything but funny.

And you, too, could have had a painting of a bike rider being abducted by aliens.

But you’re too damn late, because someone already bought it.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Drunk driver plows into Lao New Year celebration injuring 15, and Moriah “Mo” Wilson murder comes to Netflix doc

April 6, 2026 / / No comments

So much for that.

Despite taking Friday’s post off, I still don’t have my taxes done.

I got up early Friday and got straight to work on them, only to run into a software problem that required nearly an hour trying to get past the company’s uncomprehending AI-based help line to actually speak to a human, who solved the problem in about five minutes. 

Which left me wanting to punch the first robot I saw rolling down the sidewalk. 

As a result, I didn’t actually get started on my taxes until Friday night, when I ran into a question with my wife’s forms that couldn’t be answered until the office in question opened Monday morning. 

Good times. 

And in my tax-driven stress Thursday night, I forgot to wish a happy Easter to all those who marked the day yesterday, so please accept my best wishes and apologies a day late. 

………

This is who we share the road with.

Fifteen people were injured, several seriously, when an alleged drunk driver plowed into a Loa New Year parade just outside of Broussard, Louisiana.

According to The Independent, 

Todd Landry, 57, of Jeanerette, faces 18 counts of first-degree negligent injuring, driving while impaired and careless operation of a vehicle, among other charges, police said. Police do not believe the incident was an intentional act based on a preliminary investigation, officials said.

That’s good to know.

So it was just plain old-fashioned intoxication and stupidity, not terrorism. Which somehow doesn’t seem to make it better.

………

Time Magazine looks at the new Netflix doc The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson, which premiered last week.

The movie tells the story of Kaitlin Armstrong’s 2022 murder of rising gravel pro Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson in Austin, Texas, as well as Armstrong’s escape from custody to flee the country and avoid prosecution.

Armstrong was convicted a year later, after she was caught living in Costa Rica with a new face and identity.

Former gravel champ Colin Strickland says he walked away from bike riding after Armstrong, his former girlfriend, murdered Wilson in a fit of jealousy.

He says now he just works alone in his repair garage, and regrets everything he’s ever done, wishing he’d never started racing so he would have never met Armstrong or Wilson, and she’d still be alive today.

………

If anyone wants to get me an Easter/Passover gift, I’m registered here.

https://bsky.app/profile/coolbikeart1.bsky.social/post/3miov7mm2m22w

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

No bias here. Denver blocked a key bike lane leading through downtown and to the city’s Major League stadium for opening day, while allowing drivers full use of the street. Because evidently, no one would want to bike to the stadium in the bicycling city, while they could ride in their big, dangerous machines, instead.

A 46-year old Colorado man is finally in custody, nearly a year after he used his car as a weapon to run down and seriously a man he knew while the other man was riding his bicycle; he was tracked down with the help of the FBI.

Seriously? British tabloids have yet another of their stupid “who’s at fault” debates after a truck driver passes a “cycling vigilante” way too close, claiming it’s the bicyclist’s fault because he wasn’t in the bike lane. Even though close passing laws are the same, no matter where you are on the roadway or why.

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

One juvenile is under arrest after around 200 kids riding bicycles and ebikes knocked a motorcyclist off his bike at a red light, then swarmed him and began kicking and punching him as a lay on the ground, for no apparent reason.

There’s a special place in hell for the rock-throwing bike rider who paused his ride to bust into an East Sacramento karate dojo and steal a priceless 17th-century wakizashi samurai sword that has been in the same family for over 400 years.

A 53-year-old Key West man was arrested on DUI and drug charges after he plowed his ebike into someone riding an adult tricycle; fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

………

Local 

Protected bike lanes are coming to a 1.2-mile stretch of Spring and Alameda in Chinatown.

West Hollywood will consider installing secure bike lockers at city facilities.

The Santa Monica Daily Press looks forward to the new West LA CicLAvia later this month.

 

State

A bill in the state Assembly, AB 1976, would cut the red tape preventing transformational bike and pedestrian projects, impacting everything from pedestrian malls and neighborhood greenways to safe routes to schools projects.

San Diego is cracking down on ebike “speed demons” on the city’s oceanfront boardwalks during spring break.

Good news from Ventura, where a 14-year old girl is recovering from the rattlesnake bite she got while mountain biking in Newbury Park two weeks ago; she was bitten after falling off her bicycle into some bushes.

That’s more like it. Over 100 people turned out for an organized rideout in Hayward on Saturday, to “create a safe and respectful place to carry on the tradition of what’s dubbed ‘bike life,’” and deter violence in the bicycle community.

 

National

People are pointing fingers back and forth after a Eugene, Oregon coalition devoted to sustainable transportation and better infrastructure for bike riders and pedestrians fell apart.

More than 50 years ago, over 1,200 Portland, Oregon bike riders turned out to demand carfree spaces for their bikes.

A crowdfunding campaign has raised over $50,000 for a Golden, Colorado woman who remains in critical condition in an induced coma, over ten days after she was struck by a drunk driver who blew through a red light while she riding her bicycle.

Nice gesture from the Corpus Christy, Texas bike community, which came together for a memorial ride to honor a local man best known as “Mr. Pointy Boots,” after he died of stage 4 prostate cancer.

Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Project Dudeman encourages men to show up as they are and ride bikes, to combat the stigma associated with mental health.

Even El Paso, Texas is putting Los Angeles to shame, installing over 1,000 miles of new cycling facilities over the last decade.

A Chicago bike rider was killed and two other people injured when an SUV driver blew through a red light and plowed through an intersection at 1:30 am Sunday, slamming into the bicyclist before continuing on to hit a car; the driver then abandoned his vehicle and literally ran away.

A Rochester, New York nonprofit gave away over 500 free bikes to local children in their 5th annual Easter giveaway.

Charlottesville, Virginia will release another 36 vouchers in the city’s ebike rebate program. That compares favorably to Los Angeles, which doesn’t have one, and California, which just gave up and gave the money to electric car buyers. 

A 62-year old woman was killed riding her bike in New Orleans Sunday morning, in a tragic reminder to never trust other drivers to stop when someone stops to let you cross a street; the victim waited for traffic to clear, and started across when a driver in the right lane stopped for her, but an oncoming driver in the left lane didn’t.

 

International

Cubans rode their bikes to protest Trump’s embargo of the island, which has led to frequent nationwide blackouts.

London plans to provide two new east-west bike routes, after riders are banned from Oxford Street once it becomes pedestrianized. Hard to imagine a carfree Oxford Street, which was one of the busiest car sewers I’ve ever seen, second only to the Champs-Élysées in Paris. 

England’s Lizzie Hermolle became the fastest woman to Everest offroad, shattering the old record even though a dog ate the donuts she was counting on for energy.

A British cardiologist and five-time Masters track champ explains the risks and benefits of bicycling as you mature, saying there’s no reason you can’t start or continue riding, but check with your doctor first.

British tabloids are up in arms over “the country’s most expensive bike lane,” which is costing the equivalent of nearly $6.6 million for less than a mile, while claiming it’s the locals who are angry and insist no one will use it. But just wait until someone tells them what it costs to build a mile of highway.

No bias here. A man in the UK received a warning from the police about his “dangerous” bicycling, after submitting helmet cam video of drivers illegally using their phones behind the wheel.

Bike riders in Dublin, Ireland will be allowed to turn left on a red light — the Irish equivalent of a right on red — but only at one specific intersection as part of a trial program.

The Guardian explains how former Paris Mayor Anne Hildago was responsible for “planting 155,000 trees, adding several hundred kilometers of bike lanes, pedestrianizing 300 school streets and banning cars from the banks of the Seine,” but not without significant resistance. Fortunately, newly elected Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire is committed to continuing her work.

A South African website says a woman from Norway bicycled to South Africa in a series of TikTok videos. Although she probably did it in real life, too.

I want to be like him when I grow up. After Chinese man lost his entire family over a period of two years in his 60s, he started bicycling, spending the next three decades criss-crossing the country, eventually switching to a tricycle as he continues riding at 90 years old. I mean, not about the bad stuff, but still.

 

Competitive Cycling

Heartbreaking story from Trinidad and Tobago, where the wife of cyclist Colin Wilson watched as he was killed during an Easter Sunday race, slashing his neck on the fence lining the course while trying to avoid a fallen cyclist.

Race winner race winner Tadej Pogačar could be in deep doo-doo with Belgian authorities after he ran a red light at a railroad crossing, along with another 20 or so riders, in violation of race rules as a train was bearing down on them.

Dutch cyclist Demi Vollering won the women’s race, without apparently violating any choo-choo rules, while the legendary Marianne Vos had to drop out after the death of her father.

Two Colorado bike races were named among the top ten in the US by USA Today, including the iconic Tour of the Moon featured in American Flyers, staring some guy named Kevin Costner; the Hotter’N Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls, Texas topped the list.

Canadian Cycling Magazine helps former cyclist Gord Fraser reunite with his 1986 Bertrand racing bike, when someone emailed the magazine to say they had it after Fraser wrote that he regretted selling it.

 

Finally…

Presenting the weird, wacky and wonderful world of bicycles; thanks to Steven for the heads-up. That feeling when an iconic beachfront bike path started life as a fortified WWII military installation.

And the winner for greater LA’s worst intersection is….

Instagram post

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Reforming DUI law to make it kinda less lax, Venice NC rethinks the bike plan, and throwing a bike at a hit-and-run driver

January 14, 2026 / / Comments Off on Reforming DUI law to make it kinda less lax, Venice NC rethinks the bike plan, and throwing a bike at a hit-and-run driver

Apparently, CalMatters is getting results for calling out California’s lax DUI laws.

The nonpartisan nonprofit news organization has run a series of hard-hitting stories pointing out how the state allows dangerous and deadly drivers to remain on the roads, even after taking a life.

Or repeatedly getting busted while too drunk or stoned to drive.

And how those overly lenient laws adds to the state’s ever increasing body count due to traffic violence caused by people who shouldn’t have been behind the wheel in the first place.

Now they’re reporting that a number of bills are being proposed in the state legislature to tackle the problem, including one directly addressing DUI.

(Assemblyman Nick) Schultz, a Democrat from Burbank, is the chair of the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee and a former DUI prosecutor. He unveiled a new bill last week – which he called “the tip of the spear” – that would crack down on repeat drunk drivers. The bill would:

  • Let prosecutors charge a felony for a third DUI — a “paradigm shift” for sentencing, he said, that would bring California more in line with states like Oregon, where Schultz worked. Right now, in California, a driver generally can’t be charged with a felony until their fourth DUI in 10 years.
  • Require any driver who gets a fifth DUI conviction within 10 years to have their license revoked for five years, and to install an in-car breathalyzer for four years. As we’ve reported, California has some of the weakest DUI laws in the nation, and these measures touch on two reasons why.

Look, I’m glad to finally see some action to address DUI. Any action.

But waiting for a fifth DUI in just ten years to get serious about taking away someone’s driving privileges is like giving someone his gun back because his first few shots missed.

A driver’s first DUI should result in an automatic six-month loss of license, and a requirement to use an interlock device for at least two years.

A second DUI should result in automatic jail time, or at least home vacation confinement. And a third should mean serious prison time, and a permanent loss of license.

That’s three in a lifetime, not 10 years. Or 20.

We should also impound the cars of any drivers who have their license suspended, for whatever reason. Because as we’ve seen, too many people continue to drive even after their license has been taken away.

Does that sound harsh?

So is having to arrange a funeral for a loved one.

The simple fact is, no one has a right to drive. It is a privilege granted by the state, only after passing a test demonstrating a basic knowledge of traffic laws, and the ability to drive safely.

Which means that everyone should know it’s illegal to drive after drinking or getting high. Other than speeding or distracted driving, nothing a person does behind the wheel is more likely to result in the death of another human being.

And don’t get me started on how lenient our speeding and distracted driving laws are.

Right now, we enforce DUI with a wink and a nod, accepting a driver’s promise to never, ever do it again. Until they do, when we usually just do the same thing.

And keep doing it until they kill someone.

It’s long past time we put a stop to it, once and for all. And incremental steps, however well intentioned, won’t get us there.

……….

The Venice Neighborhood Council wants to know where you think a safe Venice bike network should go.

Never mind that there’s already a Los Angeles bike plan, part of the city mobility plan, that maps that out in detail.

But whatever.

The Venice NC Parking & Transportation Committee met Monday to discuss the creation and distribution of a Bikeway Network for Venice in time for the ’28 Olympics.

According to YoVenice,

The purpose of the survey is to include community input, advice, and suggestions before the final product is distributed to the general public. Should they receive board approval, several methods of distribution will be used for maximum participation and input.

The creation of a Venice Bikeway Network would be the ultimate goal and objective.

It’s not that they shouldn’t take another look at it.

Obviously, things have changed in the decade and a half since the bike plan was unanimously approved by the city council. They should consider how it can be improved, particularly in a neighborhood where residents are five times more likely to ride a bicycle than most Angelenos.

But start with the work that’s already in place, without trying to reinvent the (bicycle) wheel.

………

Seriously?

A 31-year old Indiana man faces charges for the hit-and-run death of a 69-year old Indianapolis man riding a bicycle, after police tracked him down two months later.

He bizarrely told investigators that he knew he had been in a crash, but kept going because he thought someone had just thrown a bicycle at his truck, and had no idea there might possibly be someone riding it.

If he actually believes that, prosecutors should add a DUI charge to his indictment, because he’d have to be whacked out of his mind to have that thought even pop into his head.

He should also have been charged with murder, because it took half an hour to find the victim after he was run down, at which point it was too late to help him.

And to top things off, the driver was out on pre-trial release for a separate domestic battery case.

Nice guy.

………

This is the future we could have.

Although as someone else pointed out in the comments, we already have a few Metro Bike Hubs, but nowhere near enough. And you have to have a membership, rather than just using it on demand whenever you need it.

Twitter post

Twitter post

 

………

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

No bias here. Conservative politicians in England’s Merseyside region are attacking a “ridiculous” new bike lane network as “crackpot stuff,” even as the local government calls for people to ditch their cars for some shorter journeys, insisting it will make area “healthier and safer.”

No bias here, either. Irish bicyclists and advocacy group attacked the remarks of a judge who imposed his own views as a driver to slash an award to an injured bike rider by 80%, saying bicyclists “have become a nightmare in Dublin;” one group argued it showed “language that risks normalizing hostility towards people who choose to travel by bike.” Never mind that the judge once refused to take a breathalyzer test when he was suspected of drunk driving.

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Local 

Just months after Pee-wee Herman’s classic red and white bicycle was donated to the Alamo, and a second went to Kourtney Kardashian as a Christmas present, another of the 14 duplicate bikes used to film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was donated to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures at Wilshire and Fairfax.

Apparently, a random video of bicycling through LA’s Skid Row is proof that California is “a third world hellscape,” where the “streets look like Mogadishu.” In other words, sort of like a few streets in any other major city.

LA’s killer highway nearly claimed another victim, as a man in his 50s was seriously injured when he was run down by a driver while riding an ebike in Hermosa Beach. Although photos from the scene make it clear that he was riding an electric motorbike, rather than a ped-assist ebike.

 

State

The City of La Mesa is teaming with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition for an hour long virtual information session for new bicycle owners tomorrow evening.

A Eureka woman was arrested nearly a year after she used her SUV as a weapon by allegedly speeding up to intentionally strike a bicycle being ridden by someone she knew, while driving on the wrong side of the road, then backing up to run over the victim’s bicycle, and crashing into another car after running a red light as she tried to make her escape; fortunately, the victim didn’t appear to be seriously injured, although the driver of the car she hit was hospitalized afterwards.

 

National

There’s a special place in hell for anyone who flees the scene of a crash, leaving a little kid lying in the street — like the driver who hit a child’s bike as he was riding in a Bend, Oregon crosswalk. Fortunately, the boy wasn’t seriously injured.

Bike Portland struggles to make sense of what caused an experienced bicyclist to lose control of his bike and go over his handlebars, after a witness said initial reports that he hit a large pothole were wrong.

Oregon letter writers argue that improving bike infrastructure helps reduce oil dependence.

A 23-year old Salt Lake City man has been arrested for fatally shooting a bike thief in the back, as the alleged thief was riding off on his bicycle. We’ve said too many times already that no bicycle is worth a human life. Just let it go, and let the cops deal with it. That’s what they’re paid to do.

A tri-state planning association for the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut region calls on New Jersey to reject a legislative crackdown on ebikes that would be the most restrictive ebike law in the US.

You’ve got to be kidding. A bike-riding kid in South Carolina got the blame for crashing into the side of a passing pickup, even though it’s far more likely the driver sideswiped the kid. Never mind that even if the kid did crash into the pickup, the driver was clearly violating the state’s three-foot passing law.

 

International

Momentum recommends a dozen “hidden gem” bicycling routes for your bike bucket list, only one of which is in the US.

An English writer says a bike rider was killed by a hit-and-run driver in his town, leaving the bicycling community scared — and serving as a reminder that safer roads aren’t a ridiculous request, but a need. Trust me, I know the feeling. But I’d add heartsick to those feels, too. 

She gets it. An Irish coroner looking into the death of a 58-year old bike rider blames the lack of a comprehensive bike path network, while a bike advocacy group says the street where he was killed by a truck driver “is not safe for people walking or cycling.”

Speaking of bike bucket lists, a French website recommends the Parc naturel régional du Luberon in the heart of Provence, saying it might as well have been “designed for exploring on two wheels.”

 

Competitive Cycling

Two-time Tour de France and defending Vuelta champ Jonas Vingegaard will race the Giro this year, as he tries to claim the only Grand Tour he hasn’t won. Yet. Note to newspapers — does it really make sense to paywall an AP story that’s readily available on the internet?

Australia’s Royal Automobile Association, the country’s equivalent to AAA, is urging drivers and bicyclists to be patient and courteous, and obey the law, during the upcoming Santos Tour Down Under. Although it’s not the scofflaw bike riders whose impatience and lack of courtesy puts everyone else at risk.

 

Finally…

Turning a simple bicycle jersey into a work of art. Nothing like spending your Christmas riding laps around a Mickey D’s drive-thru.

And accusing an oil-sponsored bike race of “pedalling climate bullshit.”

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Hit-and-run charge in Ackerman killing, driver kills 2 Texas triathletes, and Imperial Beach teen critically injured by DUI driver

December 22, 2025 / / Comments Off on Hit-and-run charge in Ackerman killing, driver kills 2 Texas triathletes, and Imperial Beach teen critically injured by DUI driver
Day 356 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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It’s the last 3 days of the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Thanks to John and Austin for their donations Sunday night to save our final fund drive weekend, and help keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way every day!

But time is quickly running out, with just three short days left to give.

So I’ll ask you the same question I asked on Day One. What is this site worth to you, and what can you afford to give?

If the information we give you every day is invaluable to you, but you can only afford ten bucks, then give ten. If it’s worth a hundred and you’ve got that, then give that. If you can and want to give more, then great, give more. 

But if it’s not worth a dime to you, or you can’t afford to give anything, then thank you for reading, which I appreciate even more than your money. 

If you want to donate, you can do it right now with just a few clicks through PayPal or Venmo, or via Zelle to ted@bikinginla.com using the banking app on your smartphone.

If you’ve already given, I sincerely and humbly thank you. But either way, I wish a joy filled holiday season for you and all your loved ones. 

And yes, our spokescorgi is just a tad worn out by all this now. 

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About damn time.

The Los Angeles DA’s office has filed charges against 73-year old Douglas Morton Adams for the July hit-and-run crash that killed 27-year-old Blake Ackerman as he rode his bike on Fountain Ave at Gardner in West Hollywood.

Adams faces a single felony count of hit-and-run resulting in death or serious injury, which carries a penalty of just four years behind bars.

Which hardly seems sufficient for snuffing out the life of a bright young man on the verge of starting a new life with his fiancé here in Los Angeles.

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Awful news from Dallas suburb of Frisco, where two triathletes were killed by a driver while riding their bikes Saturday morning.

The victims were members of the Frisco Triathlon Club; a friend of the two men says he was supposed to ride with them that morning, but decided to work instead, which may have spared his life.

The driver reportedly started to drive off, but returned to the scene and cooperated with investigators.

Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on how the crash happened, or whether the driver will be charged.

………

A suspected drunk driver is under arrest following a collision with a bike rider in Imperial Beach.

The victim was struck by the driver around 2:40 pm Saturday at Imperial Beach Boulevard and California Street.

The bike rider, reportedly a teenager riding an ebike, was hospitalized with critical injuries.

Anyone with information is urged to call the San Diego Sheriff’s Departmen’s Imperial Beach station at 619/498-2400.

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‘Tis the season.

Kansas City Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes gave his offensive line new Aveton ebikes for protecting him, along with a host of other high-end swag.

Good for them. An African-American fraternity in South Carolina gave away 22 free bicycles, and as well as warm winter coats to 300 families.

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LABikeBoy tries riding to the Getty Villa, only to get turned away at the gate for the crime of riding a bicycle.

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Nothing like riding 136 miles offroad from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn, with nearly 40,000 feet of elevation gain, in less than 48 hours.

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

In an example of toxic masculinity run amok, a writer from Cayucos complains that buying your kid an ebike is “guaranteed to turn him into a weak-limb pussy,” and our “young male race into a bunch of butter-soft pansies.” Not that he doesn’t have a point about kids being better off with something they have to pedal, but still. 

Seriously? A politician from Northern Ireland was peeved at the condition of a park after a recent ‘cross race, even though it recovers quickly, and says he refuses to be intimidated by “cycling enthusiasts.” Because it’s not like “cycling enthusiasts” might be local residents or, you know, voters or anything.

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

No bias here. A British tabloid says “dog walkers and yummy mummies with pushchairs” are at “WAR” with “inconsiderate cyclists tearing through the park at up to 30 mph.” Then they illustrate it with a “No Cycling” sign, even though the park has a 12 mph speed limit for people on bicycles. “Yummy mummies?” Seriously?

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Local 

A writer on Medium spends years trying to hack life in “car-choked” Los Angeles into something more livable, until he realizes he can have the livable life he wants by moving to Spain.

Santa Clarita’s new bike park is set to open in the first quarter of next year, on a date to be determined.

 

State

No bias here, either. San Diego’s CBS8 reports that residents have concerns about two new community plans, but they can only seem to find one person who complains that a lane reduction and buffered bike lanes could cause problems evacuating the University City area, even while admitting that people could still drive in the bike lanes to get out, if necessary. Never mind that if there’s an anti-bike slant to any story, that station will find it.

San Diego’s longtime San Diego Bike Shop was struck by thieves yet again, losing dozens of high-end bikes at the height of the holiday shopping season, despite efforts to improve security.

San Francisco-based Ridepanda is teaming with corporations to offer leased ebikes to employees, as a perk to get workers to return to the office.

 

National

Singletracks wants to know about the most annoying habits of your bike-riding friends.

In a study that shouldn’t surprise anyone, bicyclists face a greater risk of injury or death in low-income neighborhoods — something born out by virtually any High Injury Network map.

Even tiny Columbia Falls, Montana — population 5,531 — is cracking down on ebikes. But at least they have the sense to differentiate being human-powered bikes, and strictly throttle-controlled devices.

A beloved Philadelphia DJ for a local drag show was killed by a hit-and-run driver while the 54-year old man was riding his bike home from work early Saturday.

 

International

There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole an adaptive e-tricycle from a kid with special needs in a British Columbia community.

This is the danger of a close pass. An English woman suffered multiple broken bones and other injuries when she was forced to hit a pothole on her bike, because a driver passing too close left her nowhere to go.

A British bike rider is warning about the dangers of a green-painted bike lane, after he needed a hip replacement when his bike skidded out from under him because the smooth paint created a slick surface. Which is exactly the fear in this country when green lanes were first introduced, until cities — including Los Angeles — began using textured surfaces. Evidently, that city didn’t get the memo.

A senior political correspondent for the Guardian argues that the UK is not keeping up with rapid changes in bicycling, but emulating the bike-friendly highways enjoyed by the country’s European neighbors will take a lot more money and political will. Sounds a lot like this country, including a certain SoCal megalopolis we could name.

A 58-year-old man died after falling into a canal in Brussels, Belgium with his bicycle, while he was riding home from a Christmas tractor event.

Speaking of Brussels, advocates are calling a ban on bikes in a nearly half-mile long pedestrianized zone “dangerous and absurd.”

The ghost bike movement has made it to Istanbul, Turkey, with a single white bike placed in a memorial to remember all those who have died riding a bicycle.

India’s Financial Express newspaper says bicycling has become the preferred form of exercise in the country, as Indians have “shifted towards outdoor workouts, better heart health and stress relief, driven by post-pandemic habits and growing fitness awareness.”

Travel website Time Out recommends the ten best Aussie bicycling holidays for your next trip Down Under. Which is not the same as the Upside Down, incase you were wondering. 

 

Competitive Cycling

2023 Tour de France Femmes champ Demi Vollering didn’t have anything good to say about all the motorists who passed her by without stopping to see if she was okay after “kissing” the pavement on a training ride in Spain; only a single bicyclist stopped to help her.

Now you, too, can have an ugly Christmas sweater from your favorite cycling team. As long as your favorite team is Visma-Lease a Bike.

 

Finally…

Forget the endless lists of what to buy the bike rider in your life — here’s what not to buy. Loki star Tom Hiddleston is one of us, brown suit and all.

And probably not the best idea to drive back to work after taking “a little bit if everything” at a holiday party.

Let alone pass out on your steering wheel with some of those drugs in plain site.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Urgent Malibu PCH action alert, CA among weakest US DUI states, and more on CARB’s murder of ebike incentives

October 31, 2025 / / 2 comments
Day 304 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Happy Halloween!

If you’re still looking for a costume that will truly terrify your neighbors, consider going as a bike lane.

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If you live, work, commute or bike on or anywhere near PCH in western Malibu, take urgent action now to keep a vital safety project moving forward, which is currently in jeopardy before the Malibu Planning Commission.

Consider this alert from Streets Are For Everyone that went out yesterday; you’ll find a ready-made email response form on that link.

Choose Life Over Delay — tell the Planning Commission to Approve the Plan

On Monday, November 3, the Malibu Planning Commission will hold its final hearing to decide whether to approve the Caltrans PCH Safety Project — a $55 million once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild and make PCH safer for everyone. Based on the last meeting, they are not likely to approve the plans unless people express strong support for the plans.

You can view that meeting here. The presentation, public comment, and debate start at 38:10 and continue for a couple of hours.

This plan would repave and reconstruct the western end of PCH from Cross Creek Rd to the Ventura County line while adding long-overdue safety improvements like:

  • 15 miles of new or upgraded bike lanes
  • 6,956 linear feet of new sidewalks in high pedestrian zones, including in front of Pepperdine University
  • 42 new dark-sky compliant light poles
  • The installation of 19 new guardrails
  • 22 new or upgraded curb ramps
  • Three new retaining walls
  • Two realigned intersections
  • A vehicle pull-out for law enforcement use
  • Median reconstruction at various locations
  • Associated roadway improvements along Pacific Coast Highway within the Public Right-of-Way between the Ventura County line and Serra Road

There are additional safety improvements that can and should be made after this. They will require additional funding and much more work to secure approval from agencies like the California Coastal Commission. The items above are changes that can be easily implemented with the funds immediately available.

If the Planning Commission fails to approve the project, the funding will vanish. The road will not be repaved, the safety upgrades will not happen, and Malibu will lose its only realistic chance to prevent more deaths on the western end of PCH for years or even decades.

This is not just another meeting — it’s a moral choice between action and inaction. Every year of delay means more preventable crashes, more empty chairs at dinner tables, and more families devastated by the same road we all depend on.

What We’re Asking You to Do:

Email the Malibu Planning Commission today and tell them to approve the Caltrans PCH Safety Plan. Ask them to prioritize lives over delays — to say YES to rebuilding PCH safely, responsibly, and collaboratively. We can continue to refine the details, but we cannot afford to lose the funding and start from zero.

Please also show up to the Planning Commission Meeting on Monday, 3 Nov, starting at 6:30 at Malibu City Hall. This is the link to the agenda.

You can also join and provide public comment on this virtually using this link.

This is Malibu’s last real chance to fix the western end of PCH.

Not mentioned is that failure to approve the plan means the money will be reallocated to other projects, somewhere else in the state. Which will set back desperately needed safety improvements on SoCal’s killer highway years, if not decades.

The Malibu Planning Commission doesn’t want to hear from me, since I haven’t set foot or wheel on PCH or in Malibu for years.

They want, and need, to hear from you.

Photo from Caltrans. 

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In what should come as a surprise to absolutely no one, CalMatters finds that California has some of the weakest DUI laws in the country.

California’s DUI enforcement system is broken. The toll can be counted in bodies.

Alcohol-related roadway deaths in California have shot up by more than 50% in the past decade — an increase more than twice as steep as the rest of the country, federal estimates show. More than 1,300 people die each year statewide in drunken collisions. Thousands more are injured. Again and again, repeat DUI offenders cause the crashes…

We found that California has some of the weakest DUI laws in the country, allowing repeat drunk and drugged drivers to stay on the road with little punishment. Here, drivers generally can’t be charged with a felony until their fourth DUI within 10 years, unless they injure someone. In some states, a second DUI can be a felony…

California also gives repeat drunk drivers their licenses back faster than other states. Here, you typically lose your license for three years after your third DUI, compared to eight years in New Jersey, 15 years in Nebraska and a permanent revocation in Connecticut. We found drivers with as many as six DUIs who were able to get a license in California.

Many drivers stay on the road for years even when the state does take their license — racking up tickets and even additional DUIs — with few consequences until they eventually kill.

Seriously, read it now. We’ll wait for you.

Back already?

Maybe you caught the part where they said “drunk vehicular manslaughter isn’t considered a “violent felony,” but DUI causing “great bodily injury” is. So breaking someone’s leg while driving under the influence can result in more jail time than killing someone.

Go figure.

Or that some California drivers have somehow remained on the road with up to 16 DUIs, until some innocent person pays the price. Or far too often, more than one.

And that arrests have dropped in half over the past 20 years, even as loosened cannabis laws and ready access to pharmaceuticals — legal and otherwise — mean more people than ever are likely driving under the influence of something.

This isn’t just theoretical for me.

One of my best childhood friends was killed by a drunk driver our senior year of high school. He was a state tennis champ deciding between a college scholarship and going pro when a woman somehow jumped a 50-foot median with guard rails on either side, and hit his car head-on, killing him and a passenger.

She walked away without a scratch. Or any jail time.

The same with my cousin, a rodeo queen killed when her father made a sudden turn, throwing her out of the back seat, then ran over her when he went back to get her.

So yeah, it’s personal.

And don’t even get me started on all the many victims of drunk and drugged drivers I’ve had to write about here over the last two decades.

Yes, this state just approved a law extending the ability of judges to order DUI drivers to install an interlock device. But that won’t do a damn thing to stop someone from getting behind the wheel stoned out of their mind.

Take this case in point. Or this one.

It’s long past time California got serious about drunk and drugged drivers, even if that means taking their cars away and not just their licenses. Or building a new effing prison to hold them all if we have to.

I’ll be happy to chip in to help pay for it, if it means a few more people will make it back home at the end of every day.

………

More on yesterday’s story about the California Air Resources Board stabbing the bicycle community in the back by quietly stabbing the California Ebike Incentive Program in the front when no one was looking.

According to Streetsblog’s Damien Newton,

Despite demand for e-bike vouchers being so high that it crashed the website each time the state opened the lottery, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted at their last meeting to end the statewide program it oversaw, rolling the remaining $17 million of the original $30 million allocated by the legislature into its “Clean Cars 4 All” Program.

The concept of California E-Bike Incentive Project began had so much promise but was plagued with scandal and incompetence to such a level that one prospective applicant told Streetsblog last April, “If they were actively trying to sabotage the program, what would they do differently than this?”

Regardless of the intent, the effect is the same. The April application portal was the last time the program gave out certificates.

He adds that the most surprising thing is how quietly the program slunk out — or was tossed out — the back door, with no official announcement, no press release, and no mention on the program’s website.

There’s more. A lot more, in fact.

It’s all worth a read.

But what occurred to me yesterday is that this could leave CARB exposed to a lawsuit for age discrimination and violating the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Because by transferring the funds to a green car program, they are favoring people capable of driving over those who can no longer drive due to age and/or illness, and needed an ebike to provide greater mobility.

Could it win?

I have no idea. I’m not a lawyer, and have no expertise in ADA or age discrimination law.

But if someone needs a plaintiff, I know where they can look.

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LADOT reminds us they’re looking for feedback to finally fix dangerous Ohio Ave west of Westwood Blvd.

Twitter post

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Gravel Bike California explores the Breckenridge Mountain Loop, just a two-hour drive from Los Angeles.

Although the only Breckenridge I’ve ever ridden is just a tad further away.

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

No bias here. The local paper says adding a movable barrier to the bike lane on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge is a good idea, allowing the state to close the bike lane on weekdays to make more room for cars. Because evidently, the convenience of drivers outweighs the convenience and safety of everyone else. 

An English politician complains that a few feet of pavement for new bikeway is changing the character of the city by covering over historic cobbled paving stones. But the city just says hold on, we’re not done yet.

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

A British man was surprised to learn a bikeshare company has no legal liability for the ebike rider who crashed into his bicycle, leaving him “hours from death.”

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Local 

Streets For All says the $2 billion — yes, with a B — LAX ATMP Roadway Improvement Project will only have the opposite effect, tearing up streets just before the Olympics, while making things more dangerous for pedestrians and people on bikes.

A Culver City paper offers more information on the official opening of the new Robertson Blvd Bus/Bike Lane Project.

Somehow, we missed this year’s Phil’s Cookie Fondo, hosted by former pro cyclist and Worst Retirement Ever host Phil Gaimon, to raise fund for the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club — but you can still donate to the fundraiser.

 

State

Around 1,600 people are expected to turn out for Saturday’s Bike the Coast in San Diego County, with distances ranging from seven miles to a century.

The annual two-day, 31-mile Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride is currently underway in San Diego.

That’s more like it. A 27-year old Bakersfield man was sentenced to 12 years behind bars for the drunken hit-and-run crash that killed a 30-year old woman riding a bicycle in 2022, despite turning himself in a few days later after sobering up. As lax as California’s DUI laws are, the state-s hit-and-run statutes are even worse, providing an incentive for drivers to flee if they’ve had a few.

Marin County bike riders were expected to turn out last night for the annual Pumpkin Head Ride, which requires participants to wear a lit pumpkin on their helmets, if not their heads.

Sacramento’s Bike Lab works to empower local people through a variety of community services, including free bike repairs for anyone who needs it.

 

National

Knog is recalling its Blinder 900 and Blinder 1300 Front Bicycle Lights because the lithium-ion batteries could catch fire, but they promise they’ll replace it for you.

No point in waiting, I guess. Bike Magazine is the first out of the gate with a holiday gift guide. For all your Halloween giving, evidently. 

Somehow, I’ve never heard anyone say they’d start riding if only ebikes had a bigger interactive touch screen.

Of all the crashes that are unsurvivable, getting run down by a cement truck driver ranks pretty high on the list.

A Utah woman got a custom postpartum bike fit to help her get back on her bike, addressing the unique physiological changes affecting women after having a baby.

This is how Vision Zero is supposed to work. Albuquerque, New Mexico is building a new HAWK signal at a bike trail crossing where a bike rider was killed three months ago. Except why do they always have to wait until it’s too late? And someone should tell that TV station that the victim probably had a name. Just saying. 

The leaders of a Kansas hospital chain got together to build 25 new bicycles to donate to children and families across the Kansas City area.

An Ohio city opened a new connector project, including a new bike and pedestrian bridge, stitching together multiple miles of bike trails.

Great idea. A Baltimore-area bike shop teamed with a bike builder and custom painter to build a tricked-out, one-of-a-kind bicycle, raising over nine grand for a local homeless outreach group.

A Florida op-ed writer argues that greater enforcement against bike riders and pedestrians is exactly what’s needed to improve traffic safety. Because we’re the real danger, apparently, not the people in the big, dangerous machines.

 

International

A Canadian writer got his custom built, carbon frame Frankenbike back, courtesy of a small town marketplace, a year-and-a-half after it was stolen from the teenager he passed it down to.

Somehow, Brompton goes electric doesn’t quite have the same feel as Dylan going electric at the Newport Folk Festival, but still.

Europe’s most influential bicycle trade show is in jeopardy, after two leading German bike groups pulled out of Eurobike.

The UK now has a “boozy bike trail” through vineyards just 90-miles from London. Because if there’s one thing dank and drizzly England is known for, it’s wine. 

That’s more like it. Lime is deploying 500 dockless ebikes with child seats installed on the back to the streets of Paris.

A travel writer takes his family on a first-of-its-kind Botswana safari to track lions and elephants by bicycle.

 

Competitive Cycling

I want to be like him when I grow up. A Grand Junction, Colorado newspaper celebrates a 77-year old local man’s second-place age-group finish on the world master’s cycling stage.

 

Finally…

That feeling when your new artistic bike rack becomes a sock library. Or when you invent the first aero bike by using balsa wood and mummy tape.

And evidently, you’re not supposed to hurl Lime bikes out the back of a van.

Who knew?

Instagram post

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Thanks to Ted F for his very generous donation to support this site, and help me stay in the fight for a few more rounds.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Prosecutor contradicts Magnus White killer’s claim she hadn’t been drinking, and LA approves minimal HLA minimums

April 4, 2025 / / Comments Off on Prosecutor contradicts Magnus White killer’s claim she hadn’t been drinking, and LA approves minimal HLA minimums
Day 94 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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She was drinking before the fatal crash.

Or maybe she wasn’t.

Yeva Smilianska testified on the witness stand Thursday that she was busy working, and so wan’t drinking, the night before she admittedly killed 17-year old US National Team cyclist Magnus White outside Boulder, Colorado.

Her former friend and coworker, Nereida “Neddy” Cooper, testified that Smilianska actually had the night off, and was drinking at the bar they both worked at until it closed. Then they went to her home and shared an open bottle of whiskey until they both went to bed around 6:30 am.

Less than six hours later, Smilianska was standing on the side of the road where White lay dying next to his mangled bicycle.

Her lawyer claims Smilianska isn’t responsible for White’s death because she fell asleep behind the wheel before drifting onto the shoulder. Smilianska told the court she was sleepy but sober at the time of the crash, and police at the scene said she didn’t appear to be intoxicated.

She also says she was unemotional at the scene because she “completely turned off” after seeing White lying behind her.

But prosecutors introduced a pair of text messages Smilianska sent hours after the crash, which she said she didn’t remember.

I don’t think so but we have to remember I was drunk as well. To be honest, when you guys were gone I continued to drink and honestly I don’t even remember how I drove myself home. That’s fucked up.

But anyway the drinks you just told me sound like enough to get drunk…

Nah I’m fine. I’m just scared of myself cos I drove SO drunk I don’t even remember it. My whole way home. I was mad and I really fucked up…

Which kinda makes it seem like she was drinking to me, but I’m not on the jury.

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The Los Angeles Street Standards Committee approved the proposed minimum standards for street projects impacted by Measure HLA, which requires that the city build out the previously approved mobility plan when streets are resurfaced.

Which matters because the minimum is probably all we can count on from the city these days.

Advocates questioned the use of shared bus/bike lanes where separate bus lanes and painted bike lanes are called for, as well as the city’s failure to define crosswalks for Pedestrian Enhanced Districts.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times offers a good recap of the debate over whether Measure HLA applies to the Vermont Transit Corridor, explaining both the scope of the Metro project, and the arguments for why HLA does and doesn’t apply to Metro.

Transit advocates argue that the exclusion from the Vermont Avenue project ignores voters’ mandate to follow the mobility plan, which calls for improved bike lanes on that street; Metro and city officials have countered that the measure applied only to the city of Los Angeles — not to the countywide transit agency.

“We don’t think it’s legal,” said Michael Schneider, who heads Streets for All, the advocacy group behind the ballot measure. “HLA is a city measure, and Metro is a county agency, but Vermont is owned by the City of Los Angeles, and the city is working with Metro. They’re permitting it, they’re providing technical expertise, they’re spending staff time and money. This falls under Measure HLA, which requires a bike lane on Vermont.”

However, Metro has threatened to sue if the county agency is required to comply with the city ordinance, arguing that adding bike lanes to the project would delay it five years and require them to acquire additional properties along the route.

Move LA Executive Director Eli Lipmen summed up the whole debate as succinctly as anyone.

Lipmen said that more people will be hurt if Metro does not allow for new protected bike lanes in its plans and hopes there is still time for conversation

“Vermont needs to happen and needs to happen as soon as possible. We cannot delay this project another second,” Lipmen said.

He’s right.

On both counts.

………

A crowdfunding campaign for a Bakersfield mother killed by a pickup driver while riding her bike last month has raised a paltry $700 of the relatively modest $5,000 goal.

……….

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

No bias here. The Sausalito city council turned down a half-million dollar grant to install bike lanes on the most ridden road in Marin County, even though it’s on the city’s High Injury Network and in alignment with city policies, deeming the project “too controversial” thanks to the torches and pitchforks of the “change nothing” crowd.

No bias here, either. The governor of Idaho signed a pair of bills redefining roads as “for the primary benefit of motor vehicles,” while restricting where standalone bike and pedestrian projects can be built, and prohibiting projects that would narrow roadways.

………

Local 

Claremont conditionally approved an ordinance to allow ebikes on the city’s Claremont Hills Wilderness Park trail; it will come back up for a second, final vote on April 22nd.

 

State

San Diego County Crime Stoppers is pulling out all the stops in the hunt for the driver, and the car, who killed an ebike rider in a Clairemont hit-and-run last weekend. Which is exactly how it should be, and exactly what Los Angeles doesn’t do.

She gets it. The head of the Mineta Transportation Institute asks if the convenience of turning right on red is really worth the risk to bike riders and pedestrians.

San Francisco approved plans for a parking-protected bike lane on Oak Street leading to Golden Gate Park, but will divert riders into a park to make room for turning cars.

 

National

People For Bikes considers the effects of Trump’s tariffs on the bike industry — not to mention what you’ll pay for your next bike and parts — with import taxes as high as 46% on Asian nations, where most bicycles are made. Best advice is to buy what you can now, before prices go up and availability goes down.

 

International

Momentum lists the six most bike-friendly North American airports, none of which are LAX. Or any other California airport south of San Francisco.

London’s bicycling and walking commissioner says it would be “extremely unpleasant” to have thousands of bicyclists riding through a newly pedestrianized Oxford Street, but bike riders complain about the “weak and wiggly” alternatives provided for bikes. Although the real news is that London has a bicycling and walking commissioner, unlike a certain SoCal megalopolis we could name. 

British custom framebuilder Feather Cycles is the latest bike brand to bike the dust, as the owner says he could make more money as a food delivery rider.

Stars and Stripes recommends resources for long-distance bicycling through Europe, most of which apply to us non-service members, too.

Around 80 university students are riding nearly 800 miles to Strasbourg, France to call for European Union support for a Serbian anti-graft project to halt corruption in the Balkan nation, as it seeks membership in the 27-nation bloc.

 

Competitive Cycling

The teams competing for this year’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift were announced Thursday, including all 15 WorldTour teams, along with seven teams from the ProTour.

Two-time world and Olympic champ Remco Evenepoel is expected to return to racing at Switzerland’s Tour de Romandie at the end of this month, after suffering multiple fractures, dislocated collarbone and bruised lungs when he was doored by a Belgian postal van driver in December.

You know the Lotto cycling team missed the mark when their new team kit is best described as “an explosion in a paint factory.”

Velo will live stream all the races in the USA CRITS series this spring. Which may the only way you’ll see them, since most of the races are in Georgia, and all are in the South other than a single race in Nebraska.

 

Finally….

Seriously, who knows the best bikes better than Brit GQ?  You win some, you lose some, and sometimes you just take a coffee break.

And that feeling when they raised the speed limit, but you could still get ticket for going too fast.

In a bike race.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Ill-advised bike ban on Palos Verdes Drive South as ground shifts, and more on drunken Texas hit-and-run mayhem

June 20, 2024 / / One comment
Just 195 days left until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.

Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels. 

………

No one ever accused Rancho Palos Verdes of displaying common sense.

As we mentioned last month, the wealthy enclave felt a need to address dangerous road conditions on Palos Verdes Drive South, caused by shifting of the bluff underlying it.

So naturally, they responded to the slick, cracking and crumbling roadway by banning all two-wheeled vehicles, primarily bicycles and motorcycles.

Never mind that it’s the people in the bigass cars, pickups and SUVs who cause the most damage. Or that’s it’s in direct violation with state law, which allows bicycles and motorcycles on any public roadway where motor vehicles are allowed, with the single exception of banning bicycles from some limited access highways that have alternate routes.

Oops.

While a bicycle can get its tires caught in cracks in the roadway, bike riders also have a greater ability to avoid obstacles than people in motor vehicles, which are much harder to stop or turn.

And it’s not the people on bicycles who risk causing further damage through their sheer weight.

Unfortunately, however, the only way to beat the new rule is to break it, get a ticket and fight it in court, which is a long, complicated and expensive process. And would probably require a good lawyer to make your case for you.

Let’s just hope the sheriff’s department, which is charged with policing the Palos Verdes Peninsula, has enough sense not to enforce it.

But based on previous experience with the LA County Sheriff’s limited grounding in bike law, I wouldn’t count on it.

………

The seemingly road-raging Texas driver who was caught on video plowing into two bicyclists from behind on Monday, apparently on purpose, was captured when he was chased down by witnesses.

Thirty-one-year old Benjamin Hylander taken into custody on multiple charges including driving while intoxicated and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

He had a roadside BAC, or blood alcohol content, of .25 — over three times the legal limit.

Hylander reportedly insisted he had to talk to the victims to apologize after he was stopped. But he can be clearly seen driving over one of the victims to get away, as the man lay face down in the roadway following the initial impact.

Which doesn’t exactly bespeak regret for his actions.

Remarkably, neither victim was seriously injured.

Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

………

This is great news for anyone who doesn’t drive, for whatever reason, in a state where driving is considered the default mode.

Twitter post

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Here’s your chance to do good as you eat good, as the Morrison on Los Feliz Blvd will donate $1 from the sale of each of their new Finish The Ride burger to Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, for the next three months.

………

It’s now 181 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.

………

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

No bias here. A Thai website relates how a 71-year old amputee fatally stabbed a drunken 45-year old man who had repeatedly harassed him while the older man played chess with friends — yet they described the murder as a case of “cycling rage” just because of how the killer got back home afterwards.

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

A bike-riding vandal is accused of deliberately smashing the driver’s side mirrors on a dozen cars in Torrance as he rode by Monday night, for no apparent reason.

Fox News offers video of a crazed, road-raging New York man who threw his bikeshare bike in front of an SUV after arguing with the driver, before the other person drove over the bike’s front wheel and apparently went on with his day; the bicyclist calmly rode off after giving the SUV driver and other honking motorists the bird. Although there’s no mention of what the poor, tormented driver may have done to induce such anger — or that merely driving over the bicycle is a crime. 

A British bike rider has been fined the equivalent of $280 for blowing through a red light while a mother was pushing her child in a stroller, forcing them them to stop mid-step to avoid a crash — rising to a well-deserved $500 including court costs and fees. Seriously, it’s one thing to go through a light when there’s no one around. But don’t be an ass when others have the right-of-way. 

………

Local 

Santa Monic bike riders rode throughout the beachfront town to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday, in a ride sponsored by the Santa Monica Black Empowerment Association.

Add e-scooters to the list of things you’ll have to dodge on the beachfront bike path in Long Beach.

 

State

Add Costa Mesa to the ever-growing list of Orange County communities trying to crack down on ebikes.

No surprise here. After Palm Springs bicyclist Bond Shields penned a “Bicycling Manifesto” for the city — composed of common sense safety reforms — he passed it on to the city manager and a councilmember; only the latter promised to do anything, passing it on to the city’s Sustainability Commission, where it apparently died a quick, quiet death.

San Francisco’s transportation authority has voted to remove the contentious Valencia Street centerline bike lane, although work won’t begin on a curbside replacement until next year; some of the newly empowered local merchants don’t like the new bike lane plan, either.

 

National

Skip lengthy ebike recharging times by getting a hydrogen-powered bicycle that can refill in seconds. 

Streetsblog talks with Wes Marshall, author of Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies Our Transportation System, about the real reason traffic engineers design so many deadly roads.

Speaking of deadly roads, a bicyclist says he’s been failed by prosecutors in Goodyear, Arizona, after they declined to prosecute the truck driver who may have been Snapchatting when he slammed into a group ride last year, killing two people and injuring eleven others; a new video emerged showing the driver videochatting immediately after the crash, rather than calling 911.

Great idea. Now you can help support bicycling on the Navajo Nation by wearing — okay, buying — a new bike jersey sponsored by a nonprofit Gallup, New Mexico coffee shop, with over half of each sale helping to create cycling teams, bicycle classes and events for the Dine people.

 

International

Your next bike helmet could fold up like a paper fan.

A British man has completed his third bike ride around the world — or his 11th if you count motorcycles. Which makes you wonder how he’s had time for anything else. 

The nonprofit European Cyclists’ Federation honored the European Union; Ghent, Belgium; Bologna, Italy; Lyon, France; and Quelimane, Mozambique; for their efforts to support and encourage bicycling at their annual Velo-City conference.

More than 1,800 bicycles have been delivered to war-torn Ukrainian communities through the #BikesForUkraine initiative.

 

Finally…

That feeling when a weekly group ride makes Thursday the happiest night of the week. Or when you feel the need to paint the town red, in the shape of Wisconsin.

And someone has been watching me.

Twitter post

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

Juneteenth celebration at CicLAvia, settlement reached in Kizzee shooting, and 16-to-life for killer DUI bike path driver

June 12, 2023 / / Comments Off on Juneteenth celebration at CicLAvia, settlement reached in Kizzee shooting, and 16-to-life for killer DUI bike path driver

Let’s start with a reminder about Sunday’s South LA CicLAvia.

The upcoming CicLAvia, arguably the nation’s largest and most popular open streets event, will run directly down Vermont Ave from Exposition to Century Blvd, before taking a three-block dogleg to the left along Century.

The Father’s Day event will undoubtedly see multiple celebrations of dads along the route, officially or otherwise.

It will also celebrate Monday’s Juneteenth legal holiday, which marks the day enslaved Americans in south Texas finally heard the long-delayed news of their freedom — marking the last of the southern slaves to be freed following the Civil War.

………

The father and aunt of Dijon Kizzee, who was fatally shot by a pair of sheriff’s deputies while riding a bike in South LA three years ago, have reached a conditional settlement in their lawsuit against Los Angeles County.

Settlement terms for the $35 million lawsuit were not announced.

Kizzee was shot 15 times as he tried to flee from the deputies over what began as a traffic stop for riding on the wrong side of the street.

Kizzee allegedly struggled with one of the deputies, striking him in the face and dropping a gun he was carrying; he was shot after he picked it up, even though he was running away from the deputies and didn’t point the gun in their direction.

His shooting came amid the protests over the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, leading many to argue he was killed for biking while Black.

No one was ever charged in the case.

………

The Sacramento driver who killed a 76-year old man while driving drunk on a riverfront bike path has been sentenced to a minimum of 16 years behind bars, with the possibility of life imprisonment.

Michael Dodson was riding his bike on the American River bike path when he was run down by 27-year old Armando Moreno-Rodriguez, who had somehow driven onto the ostensibly carfree pathway.

After crashing into Dodson, Moreno-Rodriguez drove another four miles on the path at speeds up to 35 mph before his car shut down, officials said.

Moreno-Rodriguez was convicted on charges of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, hit-and-run involving death, and driving with a suspended license.

He had signed a Watson advisement after three previous due convictions, which states that he could be charged with murder if he killed someone while driving under the influence anytime in the future.

Which he did.

Moreno-Rodriguez had blood alcohol level of .27, over three times the legal limit.

………

Santa Monica Families for Safe Streets sent out a notice that the city’s new 17th Street protected bike lanes could be at risk.

Councilmember Phil Brock is has placed an item on the agenda for this Tuesday’s city council meeting tasking staff with looking into significantly undermining the new 17th St protected bike lane.

Let the City Council know that you support the bike lane by sending them an email.

Thanks to David Drexler for the heads-up.

………

The Ballona Creek bike path will be closed from 8 am to 3 pm on Wednesday and Thursday between Duquesne and Jackson Aves in Culver City.

As a result, last Saturday’s volunteer bush clearing effort was cancelled.

………

Good question.

Will LA’s largely apathetic bike community ever stage a large-scale protest ride on Wilshire Blvd?

Or anywhere else, for that matter?

………

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

No bias here. An Arizona letter writer complains about scofflaw bike riders blatantly disregarding traffic laws, arguing they make other bicyclists look bad and should all appear in court. Apparently failing to notice the people in the big, dangerous machines speeding, failing to signal lane changes and turns, and watching their phones instead of the street in front of them.

Horrible news from the Baltimore area, where a man is accused of intentionally running down a bike rider with his pickup, then getting out and physically attacking the victim until police arrived to halt the assault; the victim was lucky to escape without life-threatening injuries.

A Vancouver driver apparently tried to drive over a metal bollard thinking it was a plastic car-tickler bendie-post, while driving on what should have been a carfree bikeway.

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

A letter writer complains that while older bike riders stopped to help as she walked back to her car after suffering a flat while riding with her toddler, bike riders in their 20s just seemed annoyed that they existed.

A road raging bike rider and van driver engaged in a tug-of-war over the rider’s bicycle, after he had reached into the van and grabbed the driver’s keys before throwing them down the roadway.

………

Local 

This is who we share the road with. A La Puente homeowner was lucky to escape without major damage after two California Highway Patrol officers chasing a motorcyclist collided and crashed into the home’s front yard.

A Santa Monica resident complains that crime, including bike theft, is the beach city’s biggest wave.

 

State

The LA Daily News notes the passage of AB 645 last month, which would establish a speed cam pilot program in California, with just seven dissenting votes in the state Assembly; the bill must pass out of the Senate Transportation Committee by July 14 to stay alive. 

No surprise here, as Black bike riders and pedestrians in San Diego are four times more likely to be stopped by police than white people, just like they are in Los Angeles and the rest of the state.

British Prince Archie is one of us, after the four-year old son of Prince Harry and Megan Markle was given a $250 kids bike with removable training wheels, courtesy of Santa Barbara’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen bike shop.

It takes a major schmuck to steal a $10,000 bicycle from a rider participating in the AIDS/LifeCycle fundraising ride as they passed through Lompoc.

 

National

Your Strava privacy could be at risk.

An Oregon group donated over 400 refurbished bicycles to more than 300 families in need to help get kids on bikes this summer.

A Scottsdale, Arizona council member assures listeners the city “is not run by morons” as he defends a decision to build a road diet, despite opposition from three of the seven members of the city council.

After thieves stole the new ebike a well-known 70-something social and climate activist used as his only form of transportation, his fellow Longmont, Colorado residents have stepped up to replace it, raising over two grand of the $3,500 goal.

Speaking of Juneteenth, a 60-mile Texas bike ride traveled the route the newly freed people took from Galveston to Houston.

A Cambridge, Massachusetts letter writer complains about the city’s Schrödinger’s bike lanes, which appear to be simultaneously safe and unsafe due to the city’s incomplete data.

A Boston neighborhood group gets out the torches and pitchforks over a plan for a protected bike lane on the city’s Back Bay leading to Fenway Park, bizarrely arguing that improving safety for bike riders will somehow make it more dangerous for everyone. Which is exactly the opposite of what studies have shown. 

 

International

Bike theft in Vancouver has dropped 52% since the city began a free bike registration program with 529 Garage in 2015, declining every year since it was adopted.

A new London play uses bicycles to power the production about the disproportionate effects of the climate crisis for marginalized communities.

Fifteen Birmingham, England advocacy groups signed a letter calling for an “end to road violence” after three people riding bicycles were killed in three weeks, including a 12-year old boy; a vigil was held as drivers ignored a nearby red light.

British bikemaker Planet X will live on, after the company was sold in bankruptcy to Britain’s Winlong Garments Ltd.

Your next gravel bike could be an actual Lamborghini, yours for the low, low price of nine grand.

Italy’s transportation minister is calling for mandatory license plates, liability insurance, bike helmets and turn signals for bicycles and e-scooters, putting the burden to improve safety on the victims, rather than doing anything about the big, dangerous machines that actually pose the risk to everyone on the streets; even the UK’s conservative The Spectator calls it a step too far.

An Indian man tells the local press not to write any sad stories about him, as he uses a rented bike to make food deliveries because he can’t afford to buy a bicycle.

 

Competitive Cycling

The three stage women’s Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées was halted during the final stage, after riders protested the dangers posed by “oncoming traffic, parked cars and trucks blocking roads, hazardous motorbikes, and spectators wandering on the roads.”

 

Finally…

Why settle for magic beans when your bike could run on “intelligent beads” — and with all-wheel drive? We may have to deal with venomous LA drivers, but at least we don’t have to deal with actual rattlesnakes — on city streets, anyway.

And this may be my favorite Banksy-style street art. 

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

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

High desert man busted for 2nd DUI in 3 months, this is who we share the road with, and lots more ‘Tis the Season

December 19, 2022 / / Comments Off on High desert man busted for 2nd DUI in 3 months, this is who we share the road with, and lots more ‘Tis the Season

It’s the final week of the 8th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Just six more days to support this site, and help keep all the best and brightest bike news coming your way every day!

Sadly, though, not one single person donated to the fund drive yesterday; just the second time that’s happened this year. 

So let’s all thank Douglas M, Devin D and Steven F for their generous donations on Friday and Saturday to bring you the latest bike news and advocacy every morning. 

So don’t wait. Donate today via PayPal or Zelle! 

Every contribution, no matter how large or small, is truly and deeply appreciated. And very needed. 

Today’s photo: A very sad fund drive spokesdog and chief fundraiser vows to keep staring until you give in and make a donation today. 

………

This is why people keep dying on our streets.

A Victorville man was busted for DUI while he was already out on bail for another DUI arrest in October.

This is how the Victorville Daily Press described the arrest.

While speaking with Woodward, the deputy said the suspect was “uncooperative,” and several liquor bottles were seen inside the suspect’s vehicle. The deputy determined that Woodward was driving under the influence of alcohol…

Woodward was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol over .08%, reckless driving, and obstructing a peace officer. He was cited and released on Thursday.

Because of the reckless driving charge, Woodward’s vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

Go back and read that again.

The driver’s vehicle was impounded after his arrest — not because he was driving drunk, but because he was driving recklessly.

After his first drunk driving arrest, they apparently just handed his license back to him, and sent him home to do it again.

And chances are, this was just the first time he got caught again.

So if you’ve ever wondered why people keep dying on our streets, you can start with lawmakers who think it’s too dangerous to let reckless drivers keep their cars, but perfectly okay for drunks to keep driving.

Thanks to Victor Bale for the heads-up.

………

This is who we share the road with.

Twitter post

………

‘Tis the season.

A Madera, California Ford Dealership gave away 300 bikes, tricycle and mountain bikes assembled by volunteers earlier this month.

The Butte County, California sheriff’s department is giving away 50 donated or refurbished bikes to local children.

An Albuquerque bike shop teamed with nonprofit group More Butts on Bikes  to give away a free balance bike every day this month.

The Texas A&M women’s basketball team held their first ever bike build, assembling 53 bikes for kids in need before their latest game.

An Oklahoma City TV station gave away over 200 bikes to kids, thanks to help from donors and Walmart.

An Ohio nonprofit gave away four truckloads of bikes to kids up to 17 years old; they’ve distributed over 20,000 bikes in the past 17 years.

Over 200 people turned out, many dressed as Santa or other holiday characters, for a 5.5-mile Ohio bike ride to benefit the victim of a dog attack earlier this year.

Continuing our Ohio trifecta, a local church donated 550 new bikes and 600 toys to families in need for the holidays.

A pair of Louisville, Kentucky women worked though the nonprofits they founded to donate bikes to kids who didn’t have one.

A Pennsylvania Toys for Tots program thanked the local community for coming through for them after thieves stole 25 bicycles that were schedule to go to local kids in need; Dick’s Sporting Goods alone donated 25 bicycles to the program.

Former Washington Commanders pro football receiver Charlie Brown gave away more than 100 bicycles to kids in need through his charitable foundation.

A Baton Rouge, Louisiana attorney handed out 430 bikes and helmets to kids in need for the holidays.

Hats off to the owners and employees of a Dublin, Ireland bike shop, who have donated 1,500 bicycles to Ukrainian refugees.

An Aussie couple turned their own living room into a workshop to refurbish eleven bikes for kids in need.

………

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

Italian bicyclists are up in arms after a judge ruled that hate speech directed at them is not a crime, after someone wrote “Hit one cyclist to educate a hundred” in response to a Facebook post. Although that wouldn’t even be a consideration in the US, where the 1st Amendment protects the right to make stupid and hateful comments.

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

There’s not a pit in hell deep enough for the bike-riding man who attacked a 63-year old man in New York’s Central Park while shouting antisemitic comments and “Kanye 2024.”

Police in Belfast, Northern Ireland are looking for a pair of killers who rode their bicycles to assassinate two different men just under a year apart; investigators have connected the cases, but are still looking for a motive.

………

………

Local 

No news is good news, right?

 

State

Police in Newport Beach gave in to the cliches, and gave coffee and donuts to the adults to improve community relations, and bike helmets for their kids.

San Jose leads the Silicon Valley in bicycle crashes, injuries and deaths, with 3.5 times as many bike crashes as second place Palo Alto. Then again, it also has almost 15 times the population.

Sad news from Sacramento, where an Ohio man was killed in a collision while riding his bike.

 

National

Bad news from Oregon, where pedestrian and bike deaths have topped last year with a month to go.

The author of the Seattle Bike Blog has a new book coming out titled Biking Uphill in the Rain: The Story of Seattle from behind the Handlebars, available for preorder for $29.95.

Heartbreaking news from Denver, where a woman battling leukemia lost her husband the same day she received a stem cell transplant, when a hit-and-run driver ran a red light and smashed into him as he rode his bike; a crowdfunding page has raised over $78,000.

A group of Minnesota bike riders aims to prove that people do ride bikes in the snow.

A band of vigilantes is riding and walking around New York, clandestinely fixing license plates intentionally damaged or obscured by their owners to avoid traffic cams and toll scanners.

Frank Sinatra’s namesake Hoboken street is getting a Complete Streets makeover, complete with raised sidewalks and protected bike lanes, although drivers will have to sacrifice 126 parking spaces.

A Virginia man is under arrest for sexually assaulting a 13-year old girl and stealing her bicycle, after the victim managed to take a photo of his truck as he drove away. See pit, deep enough.

That’s still more like it. A New Orleans man had his sentence reduced for the drunk driving crash that killed two people when he plowed into nine bike riders at a 2019 Mardi Gras parade; Tashonty Toney’s sentence was lowered from 91 years to 65 years behind bars after the appellate court rejected the original sentence.

Hats off to Mississippi history teacher Ed Abdella, who rode his bike for 24 straight hours to raise funds for the school’s band program, covering 343 miles in the process.

Ivanka Trump is one of us, as she took her two sons to a Miami bike park.

A Florida sheriff’s deputy dressed as the Grinch and handed out onions to drivers speeding in a school zone. Although speeding tickets would have been more appropriate, but less fun.

 

International

Three friends from Argentina rode their bikes 6,200 miles through 15 countries in hopes of securing tickets to the World Cup final, won by Argentina in penalty kicks; no word on whether they actually got in.

Canadian Cycling Magazine offers inspiration for when your Christmas Tree has to reflect your passion for bikes.

It’s going to take five months and $400,000 to rip out a popular bike lane through a Vancouver park. Popular with bike riders, anyway; angry drivers, not so much. 

Police in the UK are defending the people installing new bike hangers, after conservative politician complained about the approval process.

A British husband and wife team set a new record for biking around the world on a tandem bike, passing through Berlin’s famed Brandenburg Gate — in a blizzard, no less — just 180 days after setting off from the same spot, presumably in better weather. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the link, who assures us he and his wife will not be challenging the new record.

In yet another example of authorities keeping a dangerous driver on the streets, an 81-year old English driver walked without a single day behind bars and got to keep his driver’s license, despite hitting a bike rider during a failed pass attempt — then doing it again moments later.

No surprise here, as bike riders in the Netherlands ride their bikes twice as much as Germans do doing the winter.

Famed Italian bikemaker Ernesto Colnago’s greatest bikes will go on display in a permanent museum.

 

Competitive Cycling

UCI is making sweeping rule changes to World Cup mountain bike racing.

 

Finally…

That feeling when a stand of cottonwoods explodes next to the bike trail you’re riding. A two-mile bike ride could pay for your next hotel stay.

And someone out there definitely knows how to get my attention.

https://twitter.com/LisaNSanders1/status/1604356361323974663

………

Happy Chanukah to everyone celebrating tonight. Or a happy Hanukkah, if you prefer.

Chag Urim Sameach!

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

Category: General / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Drunk driver plows into 13 bike riders, ride with a CD5 council candidate, and someone’s great grandfather wins a bike

December 7, 2021 / / Comments Off on Drunk driver plows into 13 bike riders, ride with a CD5 council candidate, and someone’s great grandfather wins a bike

It’s Day 12 of the 7th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Thanks to James VZ and Michael C for their generous donations to keep all the best bike news and advocacy keeps coming your way today and every day. Any amount, no matter how large or small, is truly and deeply appreciated — and needed!

So what are you waiting for, already?

Give now via PayPal, or with Zelle to ted @ bikinginla.com. 

………

Yet another horrifying mass casualty crash, as a drunk driver in Mexico City slammed into 13 bike riders in a collision caught on security cam.

The Daily Mail reports 12 people were injured after the driver lost control of his car while changing lanes; injuries ranged from bruises to broken bones, with four of the victims hospitalized with head trauma.

They were on a 19-mile pilgrimage to the city’s Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a week before the feast day honoring Mexico’s patron saint.

And yes, you can see video of the crash, although the paper bizarrely blurs images of the car, so the victims look like pins being scattered by an invisible bowling ball.

As always, though, be sure you really want to see the video before you click play. Because you can’t unsee it.

………

Here’s your chance to meet — and ride with — another of the candidates to replace termed-out CD5 Councilmember Paul Koretz.

And it’s about damn time someone did.

Twitter post

………

This could have been your grandfather, or great grandfather.

Or maybe even your great, great grandfather.

Twitter post

……….

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes is all too real.   

Massachusetts bike riders tell whoever has been sabotaging a Cambridge bike lane to cut the crap. Let’s hope the cops take it seriously, and treat it like the potentially deadly crime it is instead of a mere prank.

No surprise here, as a Pensacola, Florida bike rider discovers that the local police don’t understand the law allowing bicyclists to take the lane on substandard lanes. And has to argue it with a cop driving a foot from his handlebars.

People on a Brazilian group ride were pepper sprayed by a passing motorcyclist who wasn’t even in the same lane, for no apparent reason.

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

Someone on a bicycle apparently torched the public Christmas tree in Oakland’s Jack London Square; the suspect was captured on security cam fleeing on his bike.

Federal marshalls busted an Ohio bank robber, despite his successful getaway on a bicycle.

You’ve got to be kidding. A Pittsburgh man walked with probation and time served, despite riding his bike to plant a bomb-filled backpack near a protest over the killing of George Floyd last year, although it’s unclear whether he was participating in the protest or targeting it. Because evidently, building and planting bombs that don’t go off is just no big deal.

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Local

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton provides photos from Sunday’s South LA CicLAvia, along with an open thread. Although as we’ve learned here, open threads only work if people actually comment.

 

State

Santa Barbara kindergarten kids will get lessons in how to ride a bicycle as part of the All Kids Bike program, funded by a grant from Yamaha. Which is something that should take place at every school in the US.

San Luis Obispo bike riders got an early Christmas gift — or maybe late Chanukah gift — when the city opened new curb-protected bike lanes on a pair of downtown streets.

Sad news from Oakland, where a 41-year old man was killed in an apparent solo crash on Sunday, after evidently losing control of his bike.

 

National

CleanTechnica offers advice on how to choose an e-mountain bike, while Parade — yes, Parade — suggests their picks for the best ebikes.

Livestrong recommends the best racks for hauling cargo on your bike.

They get it. An Oregon TV station makes the case for fighting bike theft by registering your bicycle with Bike Index. Which you can do right here and now with free lifetime bike registration. Just one more service we provide at no cost to you. And yet another reason to donate today. 

The Denver Post profiles a 67-year old Colorado Penny Farthing rider, who wants people to wave instead of just staring as they go by.

Shattering story in Outside, as a Colorado man describes how the hit-and-run driver who nearly killed him as he was riding his bike got a lousy two years behind bars, while the driver sentenced him to a lifetime of pain and partial paralysis.

A 38-year old Ohio man has been busted for being the hit-and-run driver who left a 13-year old bike-riding kid to die alone in the street. Seriously, there’s not a pit in hell deep enough.

An appeals court rules that Amazon is not liable for injuries caused by a defective ebike that was sold on the site by a Chinese company, and assembled by a New York firm.

This is the cost of traffic violence. New Jersey bicyclists responded with an outpouring of grief to the death of a beloved 62-year old woman, after she was run down from behind by a driver while on a group ride, in what was described as a “reckless,” “senseless” crash caused by someone who wanted to get where he was going a minute sooner. Then again, isn’t every crash reckless and senseless?

‘Tis the season. Pennsylvania volunteers built over 100 bicycles to donate to kids in need.

Yet another reminder that bikeways more than pay for themselves. The 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage rail-to-trail pathway connecting Pittsburgh PA and Cumberland MD is described as an economic highway that generated a whopping $121 million in 2019 — or more than $800,000 per mile.

Speaking of Pittsburgh, the city is finally getting around to banning parking in bike lanes. But they’re not planning to tell anyone about it by posting No Parking signs or painting curbs red, apparently assuming everyone will obey a law they don’t know about.

Old school country star Stonewall Jackson got his start in music when he traded his bicycle for a guitar as a ten-year old in Georgia; he died last weekend at 89. And yes, that was his real name. In retrospect, it’s hard to argue he made the wrong move, but still. 

Congratulations to Florida, which retains its title as the nation’s most dangerous state for bike riders and pedestrians. And yes, that’s sarcasm, folks.

 

International

Treehugger’s Lloyd Alter accuses politicians and planners of missing the ebike revolution, arguing that electric cars are not the only way to cut carbon emissions. Or even the best way, for that matter.

Road.cc’s Ebike Tips is clearly not a fan of Terranet’s new ebike safety system that promises to warn riders when a driver is about to plow into them, taking issue with positioning for the product that places the onus the bike rider not to get killed, rather than on drivers not to kill someone.

Cycling News explains the difference between road bikes and hybrids, so you know what to ask Santa for this year. Pro tip: If you’re not sure whether an article comes from the US or Europe, look for the currency products are priced in, or whether common words have weird spelling, like tire with a y. 

Who needs a truck when the London symphony orchestra has a cargo bike?

A UK bikemaker says shop early if you want to put a new bike in your kid’s stocking this year. Even though it may already be too late.

An urbanist Bay Area expat discovers how quickly a progressive city can change from car-centric to people-focused, after moving to Berlin.

Police in India recovered 13 purloined bicycles when they busted a 27-year old bike thief, who was reselling them at cut-rate prices. Note to The Tribune — A 27-year old man is not a “youth,” in India or anywhere else

There’s no lower form of walking human scum than whoever stole a Kiwi teenager’s bicycle while he was being treated in an ambulance after he was seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver.

 

Competitive Cycling

The Guardian offers a photo review of the 2021 World Master’s ‘Cross Championships.

Former pro and Ph.D Christina Birch discovers how it feels to go from 11-time national track cycling champ to rookie NASA astronaut.

Rouleur takes a deep dive into the personality of American cyclist Chloé Dygert, calling her the unicorn of professional cycling.

Los Angeles-based women’s cycling team LA Sweat has signed Belize’s Kaya Cattouse, called the most recognized cyclist in the country.

 

Finally…

When someone parks in the bike lane, block ’em in with k-rails. Who needs a limo when you can just pedal your blushing bride on your bike’s handlebars.

And if you’re going to post a “comic” film about bicycling, maybe make sure it’s funny first.

Twitter post

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

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