Tag Archive for Encinitas

LA unprepared for HLA, columnist bizarrely blames HLA for school closures, and fatal Encinitas fall raises bike lane questions

March 25, 2024 / / 3 comments
Just 281 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

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

We’re up to 1,025 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

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It’s now 96 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 33 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

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

A Massachusetts college student is in a medically induced coma after suffered traumatic brain injury, along with broken clavicle, broken hip and a punctured lung, because a driver forced her off the road and into a brick wall while bicycling in Spain; her parents are trying to crowdfund $250,000 to fly her back to the US for treatment.

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Local 

Mark your calendar for April 21st, when CicLAvia returns to Venice Blvd.

Glendale wants your input for proposed bicycle facilities on Glenoaks Blvd, particularly if you live in the area.

An unemployed South Bay man went from reselling ebikes from a beach chair on Hermosa Ave to owning his own ebike shop on the same street.

 

State

Calbike is asking you to email the state senate Transportation Committee to show your support for SB 960, which would require Caltrans to implement Complete Streets policies for the corridors under its control. Like on PCH, aka SoCal’s killer highway.

A La Jolla man is creating Strava art by using his bike to outline animals, plants and other shapes across San Diego County.

San Diego is set to receive over $220 million for road, bicycle and pedestrian projects, including funding for 265 miles of new and improved bike lanes on state highways.

This is who we share the road with. A 65-year-old Riverside County woman was violently attacked by a road-raging driver as she attempted to record him trying to fight a neighbor who had yelled at him to slow down in their residential neighborhood.

Monterey is gearing up for next month’s 34th edition of the Sea Otter Classic, which promises to be the largest yet.

 

National

Imports of ebikes fell slightly last year, partially offsetting a drastic drop in non-electric bikes imports, as ebikes continue to grab a larger share of bicycle sales. Thanks to PeddleEd for the link. 

Cycling News lists the best bike brands they trust, out of the more than 100 bike makes on the market.

Tragic news from Honolulu, where two people riding bicycles were collateral damage when a 20-year old speeding driver lost control of his vehicle, hit a utility pole, and landed in the crosswalk they were riding in.

Hundreds of people turned out for Portland’s 20th Annual Worst Day of the Year ride, as the weather appeared to live up to its billing.

Colorado bike shops will have to float the cost of the state’s $450 ebike vouchers for nearly a year before they can expect to be reimbursed by the state, which could limit participation in the program since few bike shops can afford to carry the added debt.

A 24-year old Colorado woman was arrested in Arkansas, two months after she fled the Rocky Mountain state to avoid charges for the hit-and-run death of a man riding a bicycle; she’s accused of knocking the 43-year old victim off his bike and over an embankment, and taking his bike to hide evidence of the crime.

The post-pandemic bike bust claims another victim, as a more than 140-year old Cleveland bike shop is set to close this year.

 

International

Momentum explores the five best Reddit communities for urban bicyclists.

Velo rates the world’s five best rides for roadies, including a ride around California’s Lake Tahoe.

Just in time for the Christian Holy Week, Bike Radar lists pilgrimages you can make by bicycle instead of on foot, ranging from 40 to 1,300 miles.

British Columbia ebike maker Biktrix suffered a massive loss when thieves drove up in a semi, and stole a shipping container holding $1 million work of new ebikes and unreleased prototypes.

Montreal-based Memento Cycles won the People’s Choice category at this year’s Philly Bike Expo with a steel gavel bike intended as a tribute to the LGBTQ community.

A writer for The Standard says yes, bicyclists can be annoying, but it’s drivers who are the real problem in London.

No surprise here, as a new Edinburgh study shows commuting by bicycle results in better mental health. Which virtually anyone who’s ever done it could tell you. 

The parents of a fallen Glasgow bicyclist surprisingly call for more people to get on their bikes, arguing there is safety in numbers.

Life is cheap in England, where dashcam video captured a careless driver crash into two women bicyclists, resulting in life-changing injuries to both victims, yet the 20-year driver got just ten lousy months behind bars, and was banned from driving for two years. If you ever wonder why people keep dying on the streets, slap-on-the-wrist sentences like this are a good place to start.

This is who we share the road with, too. A UK TikTok influencer filmed himself doing 90 mph in a 30 mph residential neighborhood, with just one hand on the wheel of his new Porsche, safety be damned. Which should be reason enough to take the damn thing away from him. Permanently. 

A British bike mechanic says there’s no tangible benefit to spending the equivalent of $12,600 or more on a bicycle.

An Irish cop was cleared of all wrongdoing after serving a three-year suspension for giving a lousy $50 unclaimed bicycle to an elderly man in need; needless to say, he intends to sue, although the story is hidden behind a paywall.

A French bicyclist learned the hard way to pay his fines, after the penalty for wearing headphones while riding tripled to 400 Euros — the equivalent of $433 — although he claims he never received a notice.

Former Singapore Transport Minister S Iswaran faces corruption charges, after he’s accused of receiving several gifts, including a new Brompton. The rest might be a problem, but taking the foldie seems totally understandable. And the whiskey. 

 

Competitive Cycling

A new Belgian study suggest that if you want to win in the pro peloton, don’t have kids, because becoming a father adversely impacts the performance of professional road cyclists.

Dutch pro Lorena Wiebes edged out Italy’s Elisa Balsamo to win the women’s Gent-Wevelgem in a photo finish; Mads Pedersen and Mathieu van der Poel took first and second on the men’s side.

The 23-year old Ukrainian refugee accused of killing US junior cyclist Magnus White rejected a proposed plea deal that could have seen her sentenced to as little as two years behind bars, as prosecutors suspect she was literally asleep at the wheel.

 

Finally…

You can find lots of things while riding a bike, including the occasional body. Your next ebike could be patterned after Swiss cheese.

And yes, she has more bike skills than most of us combined.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

Update: 48-year old man found dead near his bicycle on Coast Highway in Encinitas, no sign of collision

March 18, 2024 / / No comments

Sometimes, there are no easy explanations.

That appears to be the case in Encinitas, where a man was found dead near his bicycle early Sunday morning.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the victim was discovered lying in the northbound bike lane on South Coast Highway south of Chesterfield Drive, near the Chart House restaurant, around 12:07 am.

He died at the scene, despite the efforts of paramedics. He was identified only as a 48-year old man, although the U-T says he was believed to be an Encinitas resident.

Sheriff’s investigators report there was no sign of a collision, and suspect the victim may have had a solo crash.

However, it’s also possible that he could have lost control of his bike after being sideswiped, or been the victim of an overly close pass. Or just as likely that his death could have been caused by a medical condition or a problem with the road surface.

There’s also no indication whether drug or alcohol use may have played a role.

Anyone with information about the crash is urged to call the Traffic Division at the North Coastal Sheriff’s Station at 760/966-3500.

This is at least the tenth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 48-year old Ryan Currie; no city of residence was given. 

A sergeant with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department indicated that Currie was not wearing a helmet when he was found, however, there’s no indication yet that he suffered a head injury, which is the only reason that would matter.  

He placed the location where Currie was found on the 2700 block of South Coast Highway 101, near the Welcome to Cardiff sign. There is no indication at this time that Currie was struck by a vehicle.

Photos circulating online show evidence of the crash where the curbs for the protected bike lanes begin, leading some to conclude that they were the proximate cause of Currie’s crash. 

While the curbs could have been difficult to see after dark, especially if there was no light on Currie’s bike, there is nothing yet to confirm that his bike hit one of the curbs, or that they actually led to his fall.

Update 2: According to the Union-Tribune, Currie was not wearing a helmet, and toxicology reports are still pending to determine if he was under the influence. It’s also unclear if the light built into his cruiser bike was working at the time of the crash, despite the lack of lighting along the roadway. 

Compounding the tragedy, Currie’s four children have now been orphaned by the crash, after their mother passed away five years ago. 

According to a biography posted online by Spieker Senior Development Partners, Currie worked in the continuing care retirement community field, owning several projects. He was a graduate of West Point and served as a U.S. Army captain with the 101st Airborne Division, according to his bio. Messages left with the development company were not returned.

Currie and his late wife, Megan, were high school sweethearts and married in 2000, a year after she graduated from college, according to her obituary.

The obituary said she died in 2019 at the age of 41 after a long battle with cancer. The couple had four children.

A count by bike advocate Serge Issakov suggests that 32 bicyclists have been injured riding on the protected bikeway since it was installed in 2020. There is an argument to be made that the low asphalt curbs could be difficult to see, especially after dark.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Ryan Currie and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Phillip Young and Malcomb Watson for the heads-up.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Encinitas declares bicycling emergency, support for Pacific Beach Slow Street, and car death cult piece misses mark

June 29, 2023 / / Comments Off on Encinitas declares bicycling emergency, support for Pacific Beach Slow Street, and car death cult piece misses mark

About damn time.

Encinitas has joined its North San Diego County neighbor Carlsbad in declaring a state of emergency for “bicycle, e-bicycle and motorized mobility device safety” in the wake of the death of 15-year old Brodee Champlain-Kingman

Champlain-Kingman’s family announced his death on Saturday, after he was struck by the driver of a work truck on Thursday.

However, the planned state of emergency action items reported by San Diego’s NBC-7 seem a little lacking.

The local emergency allows the city quicker access to resources necessary for education and enforcement, if needed. Some actions that the city council hopes to accomplish include the rental of 10 messages boards that will be placed in high-visibility areas reminding both riders and drivers to share the road, 300 yard signs urging safety, additional work with schools to educate students on-campus and a bike safety video made in unison with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department that can be played at assemblies and meetings.

The declaration places the most of the onus for safety on the potential victims riding on two wheels, rather than the people in the big, dangerous machines.

Because yard signs and message boards aren’t likely to slow drivers down, and won’t do a damn thing for the distracted drivers who don’t even see them.

Yes, it’s a start.

But if Encinitas really wants to save lives, they’ll need to lower speed limits and redesign roads to prevent speeding, as well as crack down on any form of distraction behind the wheel.

And it wouldn’t hurt to work with other North County cities to improve safety along the entire coast highway corridor.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people turned out for a candlelight vigil to honor Champlain-Kingman.

Thanks to Phillip Young and Marcello Calicchio for the heads-up.

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These days, every street project that might possibly inconvenience someone is contentious.

Usually, needlessly so.

That’s certainly the case with the Slow Street project on Diamond Street in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood, where all of four — yes, four — people rose up at a recent Town Council meeting to complain about it.

Yet the local paper still headlined it as “Pacific Beach residents express displeasure over city’s traffic plans for Diamond Street.”

Did I mention that it was just four people who complained?

Fortunately, the local representative for the City Council Mobility Board, who was also the researcher who evaluated the project, wrote to the San Diego Union-Tribune to support the project.

…The benefits are staggering. The project led to an increase in walking and biking mode share, and children and older adults using the street. Driving mode share decreased by nearly 60 percent with a smaller impact on traffic on adjacent streets.

People reported a greater sense of community and well-being. Most were using the street for transportation and half planned to visit a business during their trip. Most importantly, there was overwhelming support for making the project permanent.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but “overwhelming support” is probably more than four.

A lot more.

She goes on to say that making Diamond a permanent slow street shouldn’t even be up for debate, since it gets San Diego that much closer to meeting its Climate Action Plan and Vision Zero goals.

Let’s hope the city council is listening.

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Progressive magazine The American Prospect missed the mark.

A writer for the magazine makes the case against the “death cult of the American car,” noting the divergence between dropping traffic death rates in Europe, and rising rates in the US.

But he goes off track at the end in blaming neoliberalism of the 1980s and ’90s for the American failure, which he argues resulted in less government oversight, drawing a straight line leading to today’s massively oversized vehicles, overly wide roads and high traffic death rates.

The problem with that is traffic deaths prior to the ’80s were significantly higher than even the nearly 43,000 deaths in both 2021 and 2022, while today’s per capita deaths are just a fraction of the 1960s and 1970s.

There’s no arguing that traffic deaths are too high, and getting higher, and that poor road design and the ever-increasing size of motor vehicles are at least partly to blame, along with a dramatic increase in distracted driving.

But fondly remembering the good old days when traffic death rates were even worse doesn’t help.

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I have somehow miraculously recovered the ability to embed tweets.

Which comes in handy, with this must-read thread from People Powered Media regarding the poor conditions on the new bus and bike upgrades on Venice Blvd.

And yes, I’m including the links above in case the tweets below somehow disappear.

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I’m not sure if we shared this short film from Nimesh in Los Angeles when it came out last December.

So we’ll correct that possible oversight today.

In it, he argues that LA’s flat terrain and year-round Mediterranean climate should make it the bicycle capital of the world. But it isn’t, because Los Angeles makes biking in paradise a nightmare.

Thanks to Steven Hallett for the heads-up.

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Robert Leone forwards news that the Marines will apparently be blowing things up on Camp Pendleton again.

Which means that the popular bike path through the base will be closed from July 31st to August 4th.

So if you’re planning to ride south from Orange County, or north from San Diego County, you’ll have to use the shoulder of the freeway from the Las Pulgas Gate north to the tunnel under I-5.

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Some things don’t need translating.

Ralph Durham forwards a video for the proposed Complete Streets transformation of a Munich, Germany arterial.

Like he says, Google Translate is your friend. But I don’t make friends easily, so I’ll let him give you the shorthand.

I got a newsletter from the German Cycling Federation ADFC, and in this issue it shows a proposal to do a street makeover for a major arterial into the center of town. Next step is through the city council.

The numbers for users from 2011 to 2022 are amazing. The north end of the project runs into a nasty intersection that has been undergoing total renovation for the last 4 years. The existing situation shows 9,300 users on bikes daily. There are a couple of pictures of the existing bike lane. Unreal usage, but it is a main route direct into the city center.

It would be great if it gets through the city council.

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

This is who we share the world with. Even the bike-riding mayor of Emeryville has to deal with wannabe killer drivers. Unfortunately, though, this doesn’t cross the legal threshold for a threat, since it lacks a statement of intent — “I would” vs “I will.”

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

Police in Hermosa Beach are looking for a young man who rode off on a gas-powered beach cruiser after allegedly throwing fireworks into a crowd of people.

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Local 

This is who we share the road with. The LAPD is looking for a serial hit-and-run driver in a $90,000 electric Porsche Taycan who smashed into three cars in three separate crashes while driving on Main Street in DTLA at 3 am, before disappearing into the night.

West Hollywood will keep e-scooters on the streets for now, but calls on city officials to renegotiate provider contracts while imposing a 10 mph speed limit in the city.

 

State

After a Garden Grove councilmember said he doubts there’s much demand for bike lanes in the city, a bike-riding writer responds by suggesting he try riding some of the really scary ones that separate bike riders from speeding drivers with just a thin strip of paint.

Carpenteria’s new Santa Claus Lane Bikeway will have a temporary opening this weekend in time for the 4th of July holiday; it will close again this fall for final installation of a permanent barrier rail.

Santa Barbara will keep a nine-block stretch of State Street closed to cars for at least the next three and a half years, while continuing to allow bicycles.

Streetsblog’s Roger Ruddick says don’t ride on San Francisco’s new Valencia Street protected bike lane because it’s unsafe.

 

National

US Magazine rounds up the summer’s best deals on ebikes. Although with emphasis on deals rather than the actual quality of the ebikes.

Bike Portland’s Jonathan Maus says we’re having the wrong conversation about ebikes, as people predictably point fingers at kids on bikes while calling for mandatory licensing after the death of a teenage bike rider.

A 45-year old Las Vegas man died nearly a month after he was struck by a speeding motorcyclist while riding his bicycle.

Any city can do Bike to Work Day. But my bike-friendly Colorado hometown hosts an annual Bike Prom.

Life is cheap in North Dakota, where an 88-year old driver faces a single misdemeanor hit-and-run charge for running down a pair of bike riders participating in an annual fundraising ride from Texas to Alaska, then fleeing the scene. Once again raising the question of how old is too old to drive. And suggesting that he may be on the wrong side of that line. 

The family of a 14-year-old boy pinned to the ground by an off-duty Chicago cop who mistakenly accused him of stealing a bike is suing the city and the police officer; Michael A. Vitellaro was acquitted of official misconduct and aggravated battery in the incident earlier this month.

New Orleans bicyclists demand change as deaths spike in the city with the highest per capita rate of bicycling deaths in the US.

Vermont relaunched what was the nation’s first statewide bike rebate program, but with just $150,000 available for ebike vouchers.

Over 1,200 people applied for ebike vouchers in just the first few hours of Connecticut’s ebike rebate program. Which offers a warning for California, which has only $7.5 million left for rebate vouchers when its program finally launches. 

An 84-year old Pennsylvania man faces charges for the hit-and-run death of a 64-year old bike rider, after his own dashcam turned on him. Again raising the question of how old is too old to drive. And once agains suggesting he may be on the wrong side of it. 

 

International

Momentum Magazine offers advice on how to stay cool and fresh while bike commuting in summer weather.

Off.Road.cc suggest eight tips to help motivate you to get back on your bike.

Yanko Design recommends the top ten accessories to upgrade your bike this summer, including zip-on knobby tire treads, and a face air filter that will make you look like Batman supervillain Bane.

Hundreds of Calgary residents called for keeping a popup cycle track after the city threatened to tear it out.

Here’s another one for your bike bucket list, as Cycling Weekly rides the 100-mile off-road Trans Cambrian Way through the least populated district of Wales.

A Scottish bike messenger founded Gay’s Okay six years ago to make “simply adorable apparel” while building more inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ bike riders.

An Indian man has traveled through 180 countries on a globe-trotting, 120,000-mile bike ride to call attention to HIV/Aids, with just 11 more countries to go.

The hit-and-run epidemic has spread to Thailand, after a 47-year old man was found lying dead on the side of the road near his mangled bicycle, shortly after separating from his riding companion.

 

Competitive Cycling

Three-time world champ Peter Sagan escaped a DUI charge with a three-month suspended sentence, after he was stopped in Monaco last month riding a scooter while under the influence; the sentence will allow him to compete in what will be his final Tour de France.

British cyclist Tom Pidcock says he loves descending, but is having second thoughts after he was hit hard by the death of Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder during a steep descent on the Tour de Suisse.

We Love Cycling predicts Jonas Vingegaard will win the Tour de France – unless Tadej Pogačar does.

American cyclist Kristen Faulkner’s hopes of returning to this year’s women’s Tour de France and the Giro Donne are in jeopardy, after she suffered a “small” knee fracture when she was struck by a driver while training in California. Read the first link on AOL if Bicycling blocks you. 

 

Finally…

At last, mountain bike shorts for expectant mothers. Forget trendy dance moves, now you can watch Le Tour on Le TikTok.

And answering the burning question of whether accused killer Kaitlin Armstrong is related to Lance.

Um, no.

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Eid Mubarak to all those celebrating today. 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin.

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

Update: 15-year old boy dies days after collision while riding ebike in Encinitas; 2nd bike death in San Diego County this year

June 25, 2023 / / Comments Off on Update: 15-year old boy dies days after collision while riding ebike in Encinitas; 2nd bike death in San Diego County this year

A teenage boy has died, no more than two days after he was struck by a driver while riding an ebike in Encinitas.

According to The Coast News Group, 15-year old Brodee Braxton Champlain-Kingman was riding north on El Camino Real this past Thursday.

He was apparently hit from behind by the driver of a work van, after allegedly changing lanes in front of the van. No time or location was given for the crash.

Champlain-Kingman was hospitalized at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla with major injuries; family members confirmed his death two days later, on Saturday.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Police don’t believe he was under the influence.

However, there’s no word on whether any other witnesses saw the crash, or observed Champlain-Kingman change lanes.

Anyone with information is urged to call the North Coastal Sheriff’s Station Traffic Division at 760/966-3500.

The paper reports a candlelight vigil is scheduled for 7 pm Tuesday at San Dieguito Academy in Encinitas.

Meanwhile, a crowdfunding campaign to pay Champlain-Kingman’s medical and funeral expenses has raised over $21,000 of the $50,000 goal in just one day.

The crowdfunding page describes the teenager this way,

Brodee Braxton Champlain-Kingman was brought into this world on November 2nd 2007. During his 15 1/2 years, he touched many lives with his grace, compassion, determination and kindness. Anyone that knew Brodee could feel his authentic, heart-forward energy. Brodee was fiercely steadfast in his desire to excel academically, thrive socially and grind for those gains in the gym. Nothing was more striking than Brodee’s natural ability to connect with others and his sincere desire to reflectively grow in his relationships and life pursuits. He lived with grounded humility – always learning, always evolving.

This is at least the 21st  bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: The San Diego Union-Tribune places the time of the crash as around 6 pm Thursday, near Encinitas Blvd. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Brodee Braxton Champlain-Kingman and all his family and loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Injured Encinitas bike advocate wins $11 million settlement, SaMo crashes drop 50%, and boring street racers into quitting

March 10, 2021 / / 2 comments

It’s the very definition of tragic irony.

In December of 2018, the executive director of advocacy group Cardiff 101 Main Street was run down by a driver while riding her bike on the sharrows on the North Coast Highway in the Leucadia neighborhood of Encinitas.

Exactly where she had long fought for safety improvements, including a road diet and bike lanes.

Roberta Walker, a longtime bike and pedestrian advocate, and former professional snowboarder, suffered multiple catastrophic injuries that left her survival in doubt for some time after she was placed in a medically induced coma.

This week, she settled a lawsuit with Encinitas for a whopping $11 million to cover past and future medical expenses, as well as what will likely be years, if not a lifetime, of rehab.

Although something tells me she’d gladly give up every penny to avoid those injuries and have her old life back.

Her lawyer argued that the sharrows were a dangerous condition of public property and a direct cause of the crash, in which she was run down from behind by a pickup driver.

Which, sadly, is about as good a description as any for far too many sharrows.

Thankfully, that won’t be a problem much longer.

The long-awaited project began preliminary construction activities last month and features traffic calming measures, buffered bike lanes, raised medians, roundabouts and enhanced crosswalks.

“One profound irony of this accident is that Ms. Walker herself had advocated for a dedicated bike lane in multiple City Council meetings,” (plaintiffs’ attorney Ed) Susolik said.

There’s no word on whether the driver ever faced charges.

Or even got a ticket for nearly killing someone riding legally, exactly where she was supposed to be.

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Santa Monica saw a 50% drop in traffic collisions over the last year as more people stayed home during the pandemic, and a 70% reduction in drunk driving due to the closure of restaurants and bars.

The city also repurposed street parking for al fresco restaurant dining, and built another 18 miles of protected bike lanes — which equals half of all the bike lanes built in Los Angeles in the 2019/2020 fiscal year, despite being just a tiny fraction of LA’s size.

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Apparently, the Burbank Police Department plans to bore street racers into giving it up.

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Today’s common theme is a host of new bikes, e- and otherwise.

Who wouldn’t want an ebike inspired by the legendary Caroll Shelby?

When you need your powerful ebike camouflaged for hunting.

A 24-year old Irishman created a new ebike designed to replace your car, and turned to Vietnam for manufacturing.

Or maybe you’d rather have a cross between a teeny tiny car and a throttle controlled adult e-tricycle.

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

After London cop carelessly cut off a bike rider, the officer made a U-turn and came back — to lecture the guy on the bike.

It’s a sad commentary when even carfree British streets aren’t.

https://twitter.com/drewsonix/status/1368659207424258049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1368659207424258049%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Froad.cc%2Fcontent%2Fnews%2Fcycling-live-blog-9-march-2021-281561

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

Tragic news from the UK, where a bike rider is on trial for allegedly jumping a red light and slamming into a 73-year old man walking home from work; the victim died days later as a result of severe brain injuries suffered in the crash; bicyclist turned himself in after initially fleeing the scene. Yet another reminder that pedestrians are the only people on the street who are more vulnerable than we are. So ride carefully around them, dammit. And stick around after a crash. 

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Local

LADOT is planning safety improvements to a 1.2 mile segment of San Vicente Blvd east of Beverly Hills when the street is scheduled to be repaved this June; options include a separated or parking protected bike lane.

Metro is hosting a virtual bike repair and flat fixing class this Saturday.

 

State

A San Diego bike rider was lucky to survive when he swerved suddenly to avoid a garbage truck in a parking lot, and was impaled through the neck and jaw by a hook hanging from the front of a pickup.

UC Santa Barbara talks with geography professor Trisalyn Nelson, who created BikeMaps to allow bike riders to report trouble spots after yet another too-close call on her bike.

Authorities identified the victim of Saturday’s Turlock hit-and-run as a 44-year old Turlock man; police are looking for the driver of a charcoal gray Mercedes sedan with visible damage to the front and/or side.

Streetsblog is looking for freelance help in San Francisco.

A Gold Country bike columnist says unless you make a living on it, your bike is a toy, so have fun on it. Evidently, he’s never heard of bike commuting or transportation riding. Which doesn’t mean he’s not right about the fun part.

 

National

The Verge looks at the growing DIY ebike movement, citing the birth of Rad Power Bikes as a prime example.

Tragic news from Phoenix, where a 22-year old man was collateral damage when a shootout erupted between a group of people standing in a field as he was riding by on his bike.

It may be illegal to park in a Houston bike lane now, but that doesn’t mean it actually stops anyone.

Chicago’s Goose Island beer is marking the release of their new 312 Lemonade Shandy by giving away new bicycles to anyone who can find one of 50 giant lemons hidden throughout the city on — you guessed it — March 12th, aka 3-12. And they make damn good beer, too.

The bike shortage induced by the bike boom induced by the pandemic has made its way to Bowling Green KY, home to the fighting WKU Hilltoppers.

Armed robbers are targeting New York delivery riders to steal the expensive ebikes they need to do their jobs.

 

International

The family of British motorcyclist Harry Dunn say they’re offended by an offer from American spy Anne Sacoolas to do community service for the wrong way hit-and-run that took his life, after she claimed diplomatic immunity to flee the country. Although you have to wonder about American intelligence services if they can’t figure out that Brits drive on the other side of the road.

A bike chain in the UK is facing well-deserved criticism for laying off 300 workers and shifting the rest to zero guaranteed hour contracts in an effort to slash costs, despite booming business from the bike boom.

 

Competitive Cycling

Vincenzo Nibali, who should know, says turn off those bike computers and power meters during a race and ride on instinct, like Strade Bianche winner Mathieu van der Poel.

Rouleur previews the upcoming Giro, the first of the three Grand Tours.

 

Finally…

Business up front, party in the back — a DIY mountain bike with a mullet. That feeling when the cops have you dead to rights for stealing a bike from a disabled person, and you somehow think you can do better in front of a jury.

And when you want to learn how to make a bicycle, among other things.

In Japanese.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a damn mask, already. 

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

Update: Man killed in Encinitas bicycling crash; no word about the victim or the driver who killed him

November 28, 2020 / / 17 comments

Once again a bicycle rider has been killed.

And not one word about the driver — or whether there even was one.

According to multiple virtually identical sources, a man died following an apparent right hook collision in Encinitas late Saturday morning.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was struck as some sort of vehicle was turning right from westbound Leucadia Boulevard onto Moonstone Court around 11:50 am.

He died after he was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, despite the efforts of bystanders to revive him before paramedics arrived.

The closest any of the stories came to mentioning that the vehicle even had a driver was a brief reference that police investigators don’t think alcohol played a role in the crash.

That determination also implies that the driver remained at the scene.

A street view shows a wide, four-lane divided highway on Leucadia with a faded green bike lane on either side.

Unfortunately, that’s all we know at this time, or are likely to learn before the holiday weekend is over.

This is at least the 61st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has finally been publicly identified as Dr. Jennings Worley, a noted authority in the battle against cystic fibrosis, who was instrumental in developing a number of bio-engineering patents.

He leaves behind his wife of 34 years and two adult children. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Dr. Jennings Worley and his loved ones. 

Thanks to Phillip Young for the heads-up. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Dangerous new barrier-protected bikeway in Encinitas, giving street space to people, and gravel riding in our own backyard

May 1, 2020 / / 4 comments

Not all bicycling improvements really are.

San Diego’s Phillip Young has been kind enough to include me in a series of emails with Encinitas city leaders about the dangers of a new and apparently not-so-much improved protected bike lane along the coast highway through the city.

I asked him to explain just what the problem is, and what could be done to fix it.

The City of Encinitas has created a narrow Class 4 protected bikeway/cycletrack with too much going on in a confined space with no escape routes. This stretch of Coast Hyw 101 has recorded no bicycle accidents from 2016 until a week ago. The wheel stops / berms were added a week ago and now the accident count are 3 serious crashes requiring cyclists to be taken away by ambulances. The third accident was today. The Encinitas Mayor and officials ignored input for the public and experienced cyclists at multiple public meetings prior to final design.

Possible factors:

  • Mix flow of high and low speed cyclists
  • Many travel modes and stuff: bicycles, eBikes, walkers, runners, baby strollers, three wheelers, inline skates, skateboards, kids in tow by moms, old people, couples, surfboards, beach stuff
  • Mix of ages and abilities from world class triateletes to first time riders
  • Two-way traffic possible for all the above types. Only bicycles are allowed but the city design does not accommodate the others travelers elsewhere – no sidewalks.
  • Too narrow to accommodate the traffic as validated by 3-accidents in a week and the wheel stops / berms have only been installed for 1-week.
  • Northbound is higher speed due to a descending slope – the three accidents are northbound events
  • Signage needs improvement but that creates more road furniture to run over
  • The wheel stops / berms are the problem and offer no true protection from cars and create a maintenance problems because machinery can’t get in to clean and resurface the bikeway with more safety issues

The best solution would be to shift the Coast Hyw 101 roadway from 2-car lanes each way to 1-car lane each way. The old #2 car lane for each direction could be turned into a Class 1 Bikeway with K-rails for separation from vehicular traffic. The old Class 4 protected bikeway / cycletrack with wheel stops / berms could be turned into a sidewalk for non-bicycle use.

Second best solution is to add sharrows to the tarmac in the #2-car lane each way plus pole mounted signage.

These are just a few of my thoughts that come to mind. Riders with more experience may have some better ideas.

We are working to get the word out to the cycling community to be made aware of the new road hazards on the Coast Hwy 101 in Cardiff.

One more example of why bike riders should always be included in bikeway plans. Or at the very least, why they should turn the job over to an engineer who actually rides a bike.

Hopefully, Encinitas will get this fixed before there’s any more blood on the pavement.

Today’s photo was taken from the email chain; I’m not sure who should be credited.

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Today’s common theme is finding space on our streets for people, instead of just cars.

Alameda is just the latest Bay Area city to install slow streets, returning unused street space to the people to get outside during the coronavirus shutdown.

A Minnesota website casts a critical eye towards Oakland’s slow streets program, saying it plays great in gentrified and urbanist neighborhoods, but not so much in  areas where people are struggling to survive.

Politico says European cities are betting on pedal power for post-coronavirus mobility.

Liverpool, England’s walking and cycling commissioner is calling for a “quiet revolution” to relegate motor vehicles below the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists when the city reopens.

Paris is closing the iconic Rue de Rivoli to cars to provide more space for cyclists and pedestrians while the city reopens.

Brussels is taking street space to make room for bike riders after Belgium’s coronavirus lockdown lifts.

And Vilnius, Lithuania is turning the city into a vast open air cafe.

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Heavenly gravel biking in our own back yard.

Thanks to Zachary Rynew for the link.

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Now this is how you ride under lockdown.

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

A Mendocino County man faces charges for violently attacking his pregnant wife — with an effing propane tank, no less — before attempting to make his getaway by bike.

A Montana man faces multiple charges for fleeing from police and resisting arrest while high on meth, after a cop tried to stop him for riding without lights on his bike.

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Local

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton deservedly takes LA city leaders to task for ignoring the already-approved Mobility Plan, locking in auto-centric streets under the city’s accelerated repaving program.

Long Beach bike shops are riding the crest of the Covid-19 wave.

Not only is Shia LaBeouf one of us, he’s now the proud owner of a kid hauler for his bike.

 

State

California belatedly releases a list of approved outdoor activities during the coronavirus shutdown, including bicycling and BMX.

A San Diego man will muster out of the Navy today, and embark on a cross-country bike ride on Saturday to raise funds for wounded vets. Which should be interesting with half the country shut down right now.

The woman killed by an alleged drunk hit-and-run driver while riding her bike in Goleta earlier this week has been identified as 59-year old Goleta resident Katherine Stewart Peden.

A San Jose website offers advice on how to buy a new bike during the pandemic. Pro tip: Always get your bike from, or at least through, a local bike shop. It may cost a little more, but it will more than pay off in service down the road.

A San Francisco nurse was overwhelmed by an outpouring of support after complaining on Facebook that her bike was stolen as she was working a 12 hour shift; she now has two bikes to choose from.

 

National

It may not seem like it, but May is still Bike Month, pandemic or not.

PeopleForBikes advises bike shops to share the good news about bicycling in these scary times, while Bike Magazine examines why bikes are booming during the coronavirus crisis.

Pink Bike rediscovers the joy of bike riding on a gravel bike.

A writer for Bicycling movingly describes finding her first real sense of home on her bike.

Five cheap upgrades to make your bike feel like new. I’d say give it a good overhaul and cleaning, slap on some better tires, and finish up with some fresh bar tape.

A health website comes up with a list of bike safety tips “you’ve definitely forgotten about since childhood,” none of which you’ve probably forgotten about. Any list that starts with “always wear a helmet” reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how to stay safe on a bike, anyway. A bike helmet should always be considered the last line of defense when all else fails, not the first.

Add Oregon’s wine country to your bike bucket list. And drinking list, for that matter.

A Utah driver turns his dash cam the wrong way, and catches the roof of his Lotus Elise sports car blowing off as he drives down the road — and naturally, it lands in the bike lane.

Minnesota is changing next week’s Bike to School Day to Bike Anywhere Day. Which can and should be celebrated 365 days a year.

Kindhearted Kentucky police bought a new bike for an autistic teen after his was stolen.

New York City’s essential workers are now eligible for a full year of free bikeshare.

 

International

Road.cc recommends the 28 best bicycle smartphone apps.

A British Columbia man describes how bicycling helped him drop 65 pounds.

London’s Evening Standard takes a look at their picks for the best bike backpacks.

Evidently, Southern California isn’t the only place where people are overwhelming beachfront trails, as police increase patrols in the Welsh coastal city of Swansea to deal with a flood of bike riders.

That’s more like it. A British driver was fined the equivalent of $150 for driving too close to a bike rider. Which was easy to prove, since he actually hit him.

Great idea. France is attempting to support local bike shops while encouraging people to ride their bikes, by making everyone in the country eligible for up to $56 worth of bike repairs.

Cyclist explores the hidden mountain roads of Valencia. No, the one in Southern Spain, not northern LA County.

Once again, bike riders are heroes, but in a different sense. Nine bighearted Mumbai bicyclists are crowdfunding meals to serve poor migrants and homeless people, delivering 5,000 meals a day.

Tel Aviv, Israel is pulling the plug on its bikeshare service, saying it’s become obsolete with the rising popularity of ebikes.

 

Competitive Cycling

The Redlands Classic goes virtual this weekend.

Red Bull talks with French cyclist Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the only person to hold road, ‘cross and mountain bike world titles at the same time. 

The winner of the Dirty Kanza breaks down what gear he uses and why.

A writer for Outsports explains why she loves the classic look of the 7 Eleven Cycling team jersey, and the history behind it. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind wearing one myself.

 

Finally…

It’s a lot easier to overcome a bad bike crash when you can’t remember it. Now you, too, can be the proud owner of an ’89 Colnago monocoque carbon-frame prototype built with the Ferrari Formula 1 team, for the low, low price of just 50 grand.

And beware of killer sheep.

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Thanks to Matthew Robertson for his monthly donation to help support this site, and bring you the latest bike news every morning. 

On a related note, some people have asked for an alternative to PayPal or Zelle to donate to this site. Does anyone have a favorite free or low-cost online resource you can recommend?

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already. 

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

Joseph Fernandez ordered to stand trial in the hit-and-run death of Jim Swarzman

May 11, 2011 / / 3 comments

One month to the day after Encino endurance cyclist Jim Swarzman was killed by a hit-and-run driver, charges have been filed against the man accused in his death.

Forty-six-year old Carlsbad resident Joseph Ricardo Fernandez was ordered to stand trial July 11 on a single count of hit-and-run causing death. Although I wouldn’t count on that; this early in the process, trials seldom take place on the date originally scheduled.

Fernandez had his bail cut in half, from $100,000 to $50,000. As it now stands, he faces a maximum of just four years in prison if convicted.

Someone will have to explain to me why he is only charged with hit-and-run, rather than facing trial for actually killing another human being, whether through drunkenness, distraction or carelessness.

San Diego’s 10News, which has offered the most in-depth coverage to date, quotes Swarzman’s fiancée Nicole Honda testifying that she saw a flash of light before hearing what she described as an explosion.

“I saw something orange flying from behind me across to the side of the road,” said Honda.

Honda said a few seconds later she realized it was her fiancé being thrown into the air….

“I dropped my bike and started screaming and ran over to him and called 911,” said Honda. “He was struggling to breathe. I heard him trying to breathe.”

Swarzman died several hours later; Fernandez turned himself in the next day, saying he thought he might have hit something. However, every description and detail I’ve heard suggests a collision so violent it would have been impossible not to know he’d struck Swarzman.

Fernandez next court appearance is a readiness conference scheduled for June 6th.

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On a brighter note, Jim Lyle reports that Richard Schlickman, critically injured last March when his bike hit new unmarked speed bumps in Palos Verdes Estates, is showing significant improvement.

The word isn’t as good for Adam Rybicki, hit head-on by an alleged underage drunk driver last month. He has been moved to a sub-acute care facility, though his condition remains unchanged.

Category: Bikes & the Law / Tags: , , , ,
 
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