Tag Archive for fires

New York revises police chase rules, but LA cities don’t; and SaMo shop supports LA bicyclists affected by the wildfires

January 16, 2025 / / No comments
We’re now 16 days into LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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The NYPD is changing its policy for high speed police chases.

The department is no restricting them to only the most serious and violent crimes, rather than traffic infractions, violations and nonviolent misdemeanors.

This comes after more than a quarter of the 2,200 police chases in New York City last year resulted in crashes, property damage or physical injuries. Or worse — including the October death of a woman riding a bicycle.

This announcement came the same day a Las Vegas driver killed someone riding a bicycle, while fleeing from a traffic stop just half a mile away. Another person was hospitalized when the driver, who was taken into custody, crashed into another car.

Now someone just needs to send LA area cops the memo, where crashes like that happen far too often.

Today’s image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay.

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Hats off to Santa Monica’s Pedal Mafia bike shop, which is supporting the area’s tight knit bicycling community by distributing new bikewear to people who lost theirs in last week’s fires.

Although something tells me they’re not the only members of the bicycling community helping victims of the wildfires.

So if you know any groups, shops or individuals who deserve a shoutout for helping people affected by the fires, let me know.

And if you know someone in our extended bicycling family who needs help, let me know that, too.

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Lost in last week’s calamity was the announcement of the year’s first CicLAvia, West Adams meets University Park, on Sunday, February 23rd.

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Streets For All moved the date for their latest virtual Happy Hour to next Wednesday, featuring newly-elected LA City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.

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Damian Kevitt, founder of Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, invites you to join various Los Angeles groups to help clean up LA.

We’ve teamed up with local groups to organize 100% volunteer fueled clean-ups that tackle the mess left behind from recent windstorms and help restore neighborhoods we all love.

We invite you to join an existing clean-up or rally your own group.

Here’s what’s currently scheduled:

More are being added. If you can’t join one of these clean-ups, you can organize your own – even with just a few people. We can list it at LetsCleanLA.org to encourage others to join you!

Take photos and share your grime-fighting activities with #LetsCleanLA and #LAStrong to encourage other Angelenos all over the county to get out and do the same.

Let’s turn this challenge into an opportunity to show what LA is made of—resilience, community, and a whole lot of heart.

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No surprise here, as the annual Los Angeles Firecracker run, walk and bike ride has been indefinitely postponed due to last week’s wildfires, with a new date to be announced.

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Like the images that followed the atomic blast at Hiroshima, this is what it looks like when a kid’s bike was simply vaporized by the intense firestorm in the Palisades. 

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

The recently anti-bike London Times blames the new Parisian bike lanes for driving passengers from the city’s buses, arguing that narrowed streets have slowed bus trips, yet no one ever seems to blame congestion on the people in cars who actually cause it; it’s a far cry from the paper’s award-winning campaign supporting safe bicycling infrastructure just 12 years earlier.

Australian authorities have arrested an 18-year old man for stringing fence wire across a pair of bike paths near Adelaide, injuring two riders and severely damaging four bikes; he has been charged with four counts of endangering life, which carries a sentence of up to 25 years per count. Which means he could leave prison as a dapper 118-year old ex-con.

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

Welsh police are urging a hit-and-run bike rider to come forward because a woman who had been walking her dog with her husband died five weeks after she was struck by a man riding a bicycle, whose identity was hidden by a face covering.

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Local  

Momentum says Paris’ Olympic bicycle revolution offers lessons for Los Angeles and other global cities, ranging from prioritizing safety to committing to a long-term vision. Although whether Los Angeles will actually learn anything from Paris — let alone do anything — is highly debatable.

Los Angeles has just four years to rebuild planned Olympic venues destroyed by last week’s fires; fortunately, the velodrome in Carson was unaffected, though road races may need to be rerouted.

A Los Angeles man rode an ebike more than 20 miles to discover the Pacific Palisades townhouse he shares with his family was still standing, but the home he grew up in that his mother had just moved out of, not so much.

Another man rode a Metro Bike to try to rescue the dogs left behind when the Palisades Fire erupted as he was working in DTLA; when he couldn’t get through the barricades, a firefighter knocked down his door to save the pets.

 

State

Streetsblog California editor Melanie Curry is stepping away from the nonprofit transportation news site, which will be a big loss for all of us who have long admired her dogged determination to dig out the facts; former Streetsblog Los Angeles editor Damian Newton will now step into the role.

San Clemente considers barring kids under 16 and requiring a driver’s license to carry a passenger on an ebike, as well as requiring a passenger seat attached to the bike. Although whether they actually have that authority under state law is debatable.

Plans for a protected bike lane along a deadly section of University Ave in eastern San Diego suffered a setback when inflation pushed all the contractor bids above $23.4 million expected price tag. At least we’ll blame inflation, because simple greed couldn’t have anything to do with it, right?

The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is holding a public workshop today to consider the proposal to remove the multiuse path from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge on a trial basis, giving the space back to motor vehicles on weekdays, and only allowing bikes and pedestrians on weekends; a shuttle bus would transport bike riders when the path is closed. The Marin County Bicycle Coalition is calling for people to speak out at the 1 pm meeting.

 

National

The National Bicycle Network now extends over 2,300 miles across the US with the addition of four newly expanded routes.

An Oregon bill would ban high-speed ped-assist ebikes from bike lanes and sidewalks. Although a better option would be to simply reclassify them as mo-peds, rather than ebikes, which are already required to use the street. 

Another new Oregon bill would limit the state’s $1,200 ebike vouchers to people on government assistance. Which is great if your goal is to provide efficient transportation to those most in need, but not so much if the goal is to get people out of their cars. 

Washington will launch its first ebike rebate program in April with a budget of $5 million. Which is twice the amount available in California’s first round, even though California has five times the population of the Evergreen State.

Montana legislators wisely pulled a bill that would have required all bicyclists to ride against traffic, unless they are led and followed by a flagged vehicle, and regardless of whether they’re riding on the shoulder or in a traffic lane. Apparently, just another attempt to thin the herd.

Now you, too, can own your very own bikeshare system, as Austin, Texas puts their whole damn thing on the auction block. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link. 

This is why people keep dying on our streets. A longtime Grand Rapids, Michigan stage hand was killed by an alleged drunk driver who reportedly “flew” off a highway exit ramp and blew through a red light, striking the man as he rode his bike to work because he couldn’t afford parking on a stage hand’s wages; it was the driver’s second DUI arrest in just over a year. That’s what happens when judges and prosecutors bargain away felony DUIs because they don’t want to inconvenience first time offenders. Or second. Or third.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed reclassifying the fastest and heaviest ebikes as mo-peds, requiring a license and registration. Although Streetsblog says very few ebikes actually exceed the governor’s 100-pound limit.

New Jersey became the first state to write into law an administrative body tasked with steering the state to zero traffic deaths, although they couldn’t bring themselves to call it Vision Zero, terming it Target Zero, instead.

A Florida bike rider says the rumble strips in the bike lanes on A1A, the state’s coastal highway, are going to kill someone, after he ended up with a broken collarbone when he inadvertently rode over them.

 

International

Cyclist recommends the year’s best bicycling documentaries.

Momentum suggests seven “stunning” national bike routes around the globe, including the Great American Rail-Trail in this country.

Cycling Weekly examines why men outnumber women riders on the road, but women cyclists vastly outnumber men in the gym.

He gets it. A British Columbia writer says when we discuss crashes, we need to emphasize the people involved, not just cars — and not “cyclists,” which automatically “others” the person on the bicycle.

Buried in a Guardian story about the “conflict” between bikeshare ebike riders and regular bicyclists is the fact that accident data shows no difference in the rate of crashes between ebike and non-electrified bicycle riders, suggesting that the common perception that ebike riders are more aggressive is a myth.

An English man is marking the fifth anniversary of his mother’s death from cancer by riding 300 miles in her memory; a crowdfunding campaign has already raised the equivalent of nearly $1,000 for cancer research charity.

A British writer says he’s tired of being blinded by bicycle strobe lights, calling flashing bike lights a menace on the roads and sidewalks. You’ll my flashers when you pry them out of my cold, dead hands, because they do far too much to improve safety when you ride. But I angle them down so they don’t shine in people’s eyes. 

Czech carmaker Škoda’s We Love Cycling website shares inspiring stories from women riders.

A new Spanish law requires drivers to slow down by the equivalent of 12.5 mph below the posted speed limit before passing people on bicycles, while still requiring motorists to give a 4.5-foot passing distance.

 

Competitive Cycling

The Giro goes to Albania, as the classic Italian stage race announced its 2025 route.

Spain’s Costa Blanca coast is becoming overpopulated with pro cycling teams taking advantage of the region’s ideal weather for winter training camps, as well as their fans, resulting in the inevitable traffic jams of the two and four wheeled variety.

British pro Tom Pidcock says he’s happy to step off cycling’s biggest stage, passing on the Tour de France to compete in the Giro and Vuelta for his new team.

Former two-time US national champ, three-time Tour of California and one-time Tour de Suisse champ Levi Leipheimer says he wants to reinvigorate US road racing by offering $156,000 in prize money for his annual Sonoma County gran fondo, billing it as the country’s richest and toughest road race.

The annual Tour de Big Bear will be bigger and uh, bear-ier than ever, with road, gravel and mountain bike races, as well as a festival, bike demos and beer, if not bears.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you ride a bikeshare bike to the British premier of your acclaimed Bob Dylan biopic, only to get a ticket for improper parking. Or when you decide to ride across Europe, and your mom invites herself along.

And that feeling when you go on a 3,700-mile ride across New Zealand, Australia and French Polynesia, and can’t get a sitter for your kids.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Trying to reason with firestorm season, bikes better for evacuations, and alleged Mammone killer competent to stand trial

January 13, 2025 / / No comments
We’re now 13 days into LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Okay, I’m back.

It’s been a challenging few days, as my wife and I are still coughing from all the smoke we sucked in evacuating from the Sunset Fire.

But we’re safe, and in our home, unlike so many others affected by last week’s firestorms.

All of which feeds into the complicated mix of emotions I’ve confronted for the past few days.

Starting with the gratitude I feel for still having somewhere to come home to, and the firefighters who made a heroic stand to save our entire neighborhood.

However, that’s often overshadowed by the overwhelming sadness that so much of the city I love now stands in ruins, iconic neighborhoods and favored riding routes forever changed. Combined with that is survivors guilt, because we’re safe, while so many others have lost everything.

Never mind that the worst we went through was having to spend a night in an overpriced Hollywood hotel.

I feel much as I did after 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina. Except this time it’s right here, affecting the people and places I know and love.

And I find myself worrying about the people who have supported this site for so long.

I sincerely hope you and your loved ones are safe as I write this. But if you’ve been affected by the wildfires, let me know. Tell me if you have a crowdfunding page, or if there’s anything we can do to help.

We probably can’t find you a new home or car, but someone here might have an extra room or a spare bicycle if you need one.

Today’s photo shows the glow from the Sunset Fire just moment after ignition; within a few minutes, that same street would be completely gridlocked. 

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While we’re on the subject, let’s talk about last week’s panicked mass evacuation through the gridlocked streets of Hollywood.

The narrow streets of our neighborhood were jammed with people trying to get out, cars, trucks and SUVs crammed bumper to bumper, and instantly converted to one-way streets with no room left to go upstream to spawn.

If a wind-driven fire had flashed through the neighborhood, like it did in Pacific Palisades and Altadena just one day earlier, there would have been no escape.

And unlike the 2018 Paradise Fire, there wasn’t a single road diet or bike lane anyone could blame it on.

Just too many people in too many cars, with streets filled far beyond capacity.

Yet someone on a bicycle could have easily made their escape in just minutes, gliding to safety past endless lines of motor vehicles. Then again, you could have walked your bike out faster than anyone managed to drive.

And if everyone had been riding bicycles, there would have been no backup at all.

But if you try it nest time, just wear a mask. Because that smoke is murder.

Then again, using a bike seems to work the other way, too.

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Caltrans offers an update on the latest road closures due to the fires.

https://twitter.com/CaltransDist7/status/1878623771093066025

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Our old friend Richard Masoner, aka Cyclelicious, forwards news of a bicycle-adjacent opportunity to buy a meal for a firefighter from Los Angeles farm-to-table restaurant Le Great Outdoor.

You can also donate to Chef Andre’s World Central Kitchen to help feed people affected by the wildfires in Southern California. Why he hasn’t already won the Nobel Peace Prize, I will never understand.

Meanwhile, The Bike Shop Santa Monica is offering half-priced ebikes to evacuees.

And Masoner forwards the news below that Helen’s Cycles is loaning ebikes to people affected by the fires so they can go check on their homes.

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Lost in all the fire news was word that Vanroy Evan Smith was found competent to stand trial last month, two years after he allegedly murdered a Providence Mission Hospital ER physician.

Dr. Michael Mammone was riding in the bike lane on northbound PCH in Dana Point when Smith is accused of intentionally running him down with his car in a random attack, then getting out and repeatedly stabbing the beloved doctor.

Smith, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, allegedly told police he had intended to kill someone that day.

And he succeeded.

Smith was ordered held without bail on one count of murder, along with sentencing enhancements for the alleged use a deadly weapon and lying in wait for his victim.

The hearing was held to determine his competency after two years of treatment and evaluation by mental health experts.

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While we were gone, NACTO — aka the National Association of City Transportation Officials — released their updated Bicycle Design Guide, newly revised for the first time in a decade.

Here’s how they describe the new document.

Developed for cities, by cities, the Urban Bikeway Design Guide is a blueprint for changing decades-old practices on city streets. Endorsed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and recognized in federal law, the Urban Bikeway Design Guide is used by hundreds of municipalities, state DOTs, and regional agencies across the U.S. and Canada to design streets that are safe and accessible for people biking. Because of the Urban Bikeway Design Guide, treatments such as protected bike lanes are now commonplace across the U.S. and Canada…

The new edition includes detailed policy, planning, and project development guidance to ensure connected bikeable streets become standard practice. It also shows how to center equity and access in every step of planning and implementing a bike network–addressing inequities caused by the transportation system and building collaborative partnerships with historically marginalized groups of residents.

With more detailed technical guidance than previous editions, the Guide points the way for cities to plan and implement bike networks that account for the many different types of people who may be using the street. The third edition also reflects the increasing use of new types of vehicles using bike infrastructure and features best practices to integrate more types of bikeway users–including those riding e-bikes, scooters, and cargo bikes–into the design process. More detailed intersection design practices focus on improving safety for everyone–walking, biking, scooting, and driving.

It will be available in hardcover and ebook editions starting tomorrow.

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

A 72-year old Florida man will have to attend anger management classes for attacking an 82-year old man riding a bicycle, after the two men argued when the younger man told the bike rider to “get a horn” as he tried to pass him and his dogs.

Good for them. The UK’s Bicycle Association filed a formal complaint against the BBC for a commentator’s alleged hatchet job attacking the “safety and social issues” surrounding ebikes, while conflating “illegal e-motorbikes” with road-legal ebikes.

The Swiss Roads Office is considering taxing bicyclists to help fund a 15-year program to build bike lanes, even though bicycles are enshrined in the country’s constitution.

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Local  

Letter writers in the Los Angeles Times respond to a rare positive look at ebikes by complaining about rude, sidewalk riding, helmet-less and smartphone distracted bicyclists who don’t use all the new bike lanes. But at least one enlightened writer points out that bikes can’t block traffic when they are traffic.

Velo says the Los Angeles bicycling community is rallying around beloved members who lost homes in the wildfires, including links to their crowdfunding pages. I’m personally heartbroken to hear the news about my friend and former Altadena councilmember Dorothy “Dot” Wong.

While the owner of Altadena’s Steve’s Bike Shop was using a garden house to help save the homes of his friends and neighbors, his own bike shop burned to the ground.

A photographer for the Pasadena Star-News shares his horrific images of his Altadena hometown on fire, saying all the streets and avenues rode on his bike and skateboard growing up are unrecognizable now.

 

State

Calbike reports that new studies show there are no downsides to the Bicycle Safety Stop, aka Stop As Yield, aka Idaho Stop Law. Which makes it even harder to understand why Gavin Newsom has vetoed the bill twice.

Calbike also argues that California’s transportation budget must prioritize green transportation, after two years of Newsom’s steep budget cuts to the state’s Active Transportation Program.

Electrek says “the heyday of fast and questionably (or clearly) illegal” ebike brand SUPER73 seems to be coming to an end thanks to California’s new ebike restrictions.

A series of bike lanes and sidewalks will be closed in Carlsbad and Encinitas for about eight weeks starting later this month to build ADA-compliant ramps.

A 51-year-old San Diego man appears to have been the victim of bad road design, after he suffered multiple fractures when he was struck by a pickup driver while riding in the bike lane on the the 5100 block of Fairmount Ave; he was rear-ended when he evidently veered across the northbound transition ramp from Montezuma Road to reach the disjointed bike lane on the other side.

Life is cheap in Riverside County, where a judge overruled the DA’s objection, and sentenced Riverside County sheriff’s deputy Christian J. Lopez to a misdemeanor diversion program for killing 33-year old bike rider Christopher Thomas while driving a marked patrol car back in 2023; we still don’t know why Lopez was charged, or why charges weren’t filed until last month.

 

National

An upcoming video game allows you to experience a world build around bicycles. Just like every world should be. 

Bicycling rates the 20 best-ever bike documentaries, movies and TV series. You can read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you. And if you somehow haven’t seen The Triplets of Belleville, stop reading this and go watch it, already. 

Justin Timberlake is one of us, responding to a viral video urging him to join a couple hundred kids and their parents for the weekly Portland Bike Bus when he was in town for a performance — and he did.

A Seattle bike rider is suing the city, claiming that a new parking-protected bike lane obscured sight lines and caused a collision that left him with a life-threatening traumatic brain injury. I’m seeing anecdotal reports of bike riders injured by bollards or curbs separating bike lanes, but every study I’ve seen indicates that protected bike lanes improve safety; if that ever changes, I’ll let you know. 

A Reno, Nevada website says the political climate has changed, and it’s time for the city’s bike advocates to resume their efforts now that there’s more public support.

What could possibly go wrong? Montana legislators introduced legislation requiring all bicyclists to ride against traffic, unless accompanied by a flagged motor vehicle escort, in an apparent attempt to thin the herd by increasing the risk bicyclists face.

An Iowa law professor takes issue with prioritizing street design to reduce traffic deaths under Vision Zero, calling for increased traffic enforcement instead of — or at least, in addition to — traffic calming measures. Even though more than a century of an emphasis on traffic enforcement hasn’t managed to reduce deaths on the streets and highways.

 

International

Introducing folding tires for folding bikes, and baby onesie bodysuits for your future Tour de France champ.

Cyclist ranks last year’s best bike books. Evidently they haven’t managed to find a copy of Peter Flax’s excellent Live to Ride: Finding Joy and Meaning on a Bicycle over there in the UK.

A British bike rider calls a security guard “an absolute hero” for successfully fighting off a bike thief using an angle grinder to steal his bike, even as the guard got badly cut up in the process.

A multiple UK national cycling champ says it just feels wrong that riding a bicycle is more dangerous than stepping off a cliff with wings strapped to your back.

Brompton can’t launch their new ebike line because the controllers they need are busy being used for Ukrainian military drones.

The Cycling Embassy of Denmark is inviting urban planners, decision-makers and bike activists to Copenhagen for May’s Bikeable City Masterclass to learn how to incorporate Danish cycling solutions into their own cities.

One of India’s most successful stars was one of us, though she may not have remembered it for awhile, after she suffered shirt-term memory loss falling from her bicycle while filming a classic Bollywood film.

An Australian university lecturer says a pair of Dutch and Chinese studies show ebikes pose a higher risk of death than other bicycles, when controlling the data for usage rates and mileage. Which probably shouldn’t surprise anyone, especially when throttle-controlled virtual electric motorcycles are lumped in with comparatively slower ped-assist ebikes.

 

Competitive Cycling

Recently retired Dutch pro Michael Mørkøv says the idea that cycling’s top performers are doping is inconceivable. Although it’s sadly quite conceivable for those of us who lived through doping’s golden era.

Speaking of dopers, Lance might want to come out of retirement, now that the new Enhanced Games will offer a doping-friendly alternative to the Olympics where it’s not only accepted, but encouraged.

Former Slovakian superstar Peter Sagan is exchanging his cycling shoes for dancing slippers to compete in the country’s equivalent of Dancing With the Stars.

 

Finally…

Where the hell do bike model names come from, anyway? Now you, too, can turn your favorite bicycle into a front-loading bucket bike.

And nothing like riding the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest every 2.85 days for a hundred straight days.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

If you’re thinking about riding in these winds, don’t. Seriously.

January 7, 2025 / / 3 comments

My internet service has been going in and out all night, which is what happens when the cable company insists on stringing overhead wires in wind prone areas.

And the power’s not looking much better at the moment, so let’s make this quick.

If you’re in the LA area, and thinking about riding your bike in these winds, don’t.

The National Weather Service has described these winds as life-threatening, and they’re not kidding.

We’re seeing hurricane force winds throughout the LA area, particularly near mountains and canyons, which can easily blow large objects through the air, and knock down branches and power lines.

I’ve also had sudden gusts of winds knock me off my bike, and blow me across multiple lanes of traffic.

And trust me, that ain’t fun.

Then there’s the multiple fires spreading across the area, which can erupt suddenly and spread a lot faster than you can ride away.

In addition, the smoke from these fires is highly toxic, and poses a significantly greater risk if you’re exercising and breathing deeply. So if you can smell smoke, don’t ride.

Period.

There’s also the problem of multiple road closures, including PCH and the hills in Pacific Palisades, as well as around Eaton Canyon and Sun Valley. Which means that even if you do decide to chance it, you may find your usual route shut down.

Not to mention your escape route, if you need one.

On the other hand, if you have to evacuate, your bike makes a much better choice in an emergency than a motor vehicle, as hundreds of drivers trying to escape the Palisades fire learned the hard way yesterday.

Particularly after authorities had to use a bulldozer to clear a path for emergency vehicles through all the cars abandoned by drivers who couldn’t get out. (Thanks to Larry Kawalec for the link.)

The good news it, this is predicted to let up by Wednesday night, and be over by Thursday night.

So stay home, stay safe, and I’ll see you tomorrow to catch up on anything we missed.

Photo by Cole Keister from Pexels.

Category: General / Tags: , ,

Malibu Canyon fire could affect today’s rides, Rohan Dennis cops guilty plea, and support Brand Blvd & Forest Lawn Drive

December 10, 2024 / / One comment
In just 3 weeks, Los Angeles will complete a Decade of Failure as traffic deaths continue to climb.
And yet, not one city official has so much as mentioned the impending Vision Zero deadline, which we will fail to meet on January 1st.
Then again, it’s hard to make much progress when the city failed to fund it, did next to nothing and never took it seriously. 

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It’s Day 12 of the 10th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Thanks to Stephen S and Michael G for their generous donations to keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming to your favorite screen every morning.

So what are you waiting for?

Stop what you’re doing and donate now! 

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Breaking: Check the status of your route if you’re planning to ride in Malibu today.

A late fire broke out near the Pepperdine area last night, rapidly spreading to both sides of Malibu Canyon Road.

Malibu Canyon will definitely be closed today, and PCH could be affected by morning. Air quality on PCH will depend on which way the wind is blowing; an offshore wind would bring smoke from the fire, which is highly toxic, to the entire coastal area.

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Guilty. Sort of.

Former world champ cyclist Rohan Dennis pled guilty to a reduced charge in the death of his wife, fellow Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins, last December.

The 34-year old Dennis faces a maximum of seven years behind bars and a five-year loss of license for accepting a plea of one count of aggravated creating the likelihood of harm, after prosecutors dropped the initial charges of dangerous driving causing death and driving without due care.

However, nothing has been said in court yet to explain the events leading to Hoskins death.

Initial reports suggested Hoskins fell from the hood of Dennis’ SUV as he tried to speed away from their home, falling to the roadway while trying to reach down to open the door.

Allegedly.

Dennis is due to be sentenced at a date to be set later.

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Glendale’s North Brand Boulevard Complete Streets Demonstration Project is drawing mixed reviews, with competing petitions calling for ripping it out or making improvements.

Bike Walk Glendale calls for supporting Option 1 at tonight’s city council meeting to determine its fate.

A petition supporting the project currently has just 271 signatures.

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Streets For All calls for emailing your support for the proposed protected bike lanes on Forest Lawn Drive.

Forest Lawn Dr has long been a key route for cyclists to get to/from Griffith Park. It’s also been a dangerous street, with 74% of vehicles driving above the speed limit. Between 2013 and 2023, there have been 95 crashes, with 3 people being severely injured or killed.

For over two years, Councilmember Nithya Raman has been working with LADOT and the Bureau of Street Services to repave the street and add protection to the bike lanes, while right-sizing the number of vehicle lanes compared to demand.

Meanwhile, Streets Are For Everyone’s petition supporting the project stands at just a handful of signatures; I plan on adding my name to it in the morning.

And Michael Guzik forwards word that the overwhelming majority of commenters at last week’s open house opposed the project, which I’m told included a number of morticians who might be slightly inconvenienced by it.

Which could be a problem, since we’ve learned the hard way here in LA that it’s not a question of what has the most support, but who screams the loudest.

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It’s now 355 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And a full 42 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

The program is finally scheduled to launch December 18th, so get your application in.

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

The 23-year old man accused of killing a bike-riding mom when he intentionally drove into her ebike in Derbyshire, England has been ordered to stand trial next year on a charge of murder, as well as attempted murder for seriously injuring the man she was riding with.

No bias here. A British restaurant owner complains that a “pointless” bike lane and the resulting loss of parking is destroying his business, despite city officials pointing out that safe and attractive streets boost economic activity.

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

The blind leader of a Scottish charity for the visually impaired says he and the group’s cofounder were threatened by a bike rider who allegedly sped through a red-light and nearly crashed into their guide dogs as they were crossing the street, as the rider screamed that he had the right-of-way.

An 85-year old Japanese man was killed when a 16-year old girl crashed her bike into him while riding on a walking path, saying she didn’t see him because her head was down due to the cold. A reminder that no matter what conditions you’re riding in, always keep your head up and watch where you’re going. 

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Local  

Los Angeles will install one hundred license plate readers in 50 locations throughout the city in an effort to fight crime, which could be helpful in identifying hit-and-run drivers.

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers his typically great photos from Sunday’s CicLAvia in the West San Fernando Valley.

Metro approved $135 million to move forward on the long-delayed NoHo-to-Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit, aka BRT, and Complete Streets project to get it ready for the pre-construction phase.

Claremont resident Donna Orange was honored with a ghost bike ceremony in Upland Saturday; the 80-year old world-class endurance bicyclist and renowned psychologist was killed when she was left-crossed by a driver while she was riding through an intersection, apparently with the right-of-way.

 

State

Orange County’s Bay View Trail pedestrian bridge underwent an unexpected closure at the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve yesterday. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link. 

Cutbacks in California’s Active Transportation Program hit the San Diego area hard, with all 16 proposed projects denied state funding.

This is who we share the road with. Eleven people watching a Palm Springs holiday parade were injured when a police officer lost control of his motorcycle while reportedly attempting a wheelie to entertain the crowd; the motorcycle cop was expected to recover from a hand injury. Although his reputation and job prospects may be another matter. 

 

National

Gear Junkie looks at the year’s best e-foldies.

Momentum recommends the 12 best US cities to live in if you ride a bicycle, none of which is Los Angeles, although San Diego made the list.

The police chief of Wenatchee, Washington got into an “SUV vs bicycle” fender bender on Friday, even though most bicycles don’t have fenders and it was the bike rider, not the bicycle, who was likely to suffer the consequences; fortunately, the victim was not seriously injured.

Seattle is getting a new bike and pedestrian bridge over a major highway this weekend.

They get it, anyway. A Las Vegas TV station put responsibility for a fatal bike crash on the driver of a semi-truck, rather than blaming the truck itself; the victim was reportedly riding in a crosswalk when the driver blew through the red light without stopping.

‘Tis the season. Milwaukee’s annual Santa Cycle Rampage drew a record number of riders, with up to 2000 official participants. Which implies there may have been even more unofficial participants. 

A review finds that over half of Minnesotans who received an ebike rebate had incomes over $80,000, suggesting they could probably hav purchased one without assistance from the state, while two out of five had incomes over a hundred grand.

In a pleasant change, over 250 local residents and business signed a letter urging support for a proposed Complete Streets project in Evanston, Illinois, after a handful of business owners opposed it.

New York’s annual bicycling survey showed a record number of riders for the fourth year in a row; the city counts bicyclists crossing the city’s East River bridges to extrapolate estimates for the rest of the city.

Ride Apart says Gotham’s proposal to license and insure ebikes just sounds like a cash grab.

Philadelphia is making a little more progress with their Vision Zero program, compared to Los Angeles, as traffic deaths declined slightly though they’re still higher than during the pandemic.

 

International

Good news from the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, where a 47-year old Canadian man was found relatively safe after two days lost deep in the jungle, after disappearing while riding his bike; a friend described the experience as “a Tarzan story.”

He gets it, too. An advisor to British Conservative Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak urged the party to stop bashing bicyclists, arguing that the “enormous noise on social media” and “hate” felt by some party members doesn’t mean that bikes are “vote losers with the general public.” We learned the same lesson here when Measure HLA passed with two-thirds support this year, despite a flood of negative comments. 

‘Tis the season, two. Residents of a Kiwi retirement home refurbished 20 bicycles to give to local kids.

 

Competitive Cycling

Legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx was hospitalized with a broken hip after what his wife termed a “stupid accident” while riding his bike; it’s was the second hospitalization for the 79-year old Cannibal in recent months, after he had surgery for a bowel obstruction earlier this year.

Bicycling Australia remembers 1920’s cycling champ Sir Hubert Opperman, a four-time national champ and record-setting winner of the 726-mile nonstop Paris-Brest-Paris tour in 1931; his cycling career ended after serving as a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Air Force in WWII, later serving 17 years in the Australian Parliament.

British cycling fans get out the torches and pitchforks, as Mark Cavendish gets snubbed for the Beeb’s Sports Personality of the Year, despite setting the record for Tour de France stage wins.

 

Finally…

Who says fast bikes have to be pretty? You may never win a stage in a Grand Tour, but maybe your next bike did.

And who says you can’t carry a Christmas tree home on a bike, artificial or otherwise?

The tree, that is. Not the bike.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Morning Links: Auto-centric traffic safety denier op-ed in OC Register, cross-border bike rescue, and why people keep dying

October 29, 2019 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Auto-centric traffic safety denier op-ed in OC Register, cross-border bike rescue, and why people keep dying

One quick bit of advice before we get started. 

With all the fires in California this week, it’s important to note that wildfire smoke can cause problems ranging from allergies and irritated eyes to lasting lung damage. 

So if you can smell smoke, don’t ride. If you have to ride, wear a mask.

And stop by your local hardware store or pharmacy to get one that really works.

Your lungs will thank you. 

Photo by Denniz Futalan from Pexels.

………

File this one under you’ve got to be kidding.

An op-ed in the Orange County Register makes some of the most blatant auto-centric, traffic safety denier arguments for the preservation of automotive hegemony we’ve yet seen.

Starting with the photo and captions of the “recent” road diets in Playa Del Rey.

LA Department of Transportation crews began restoring a second eastbound lane of traffic on Culver Boulevard between Nicholson Street and Jefferson Boulevard in Playa Del Rey while adding bollards as barriers to protect new bike/walk lanes. A recent “road diet” caused gridlock and backlash from commuters. Work is expected to be complete by Monday morning commute. Photo by Robert Casillas, Daily Breeze/SCNG

Only problem is, those road diets and bike lanes were removed two year ago. after climate friendly progressive mayor had them unceremoniously yanked out.

Evidently, it’s taken LADOT a long damn time to finish the work.

Or maybe our friendly neighborhood traffic safety denier authors — one a senior fellow with the Cato Institute, which is funded by the anti-transit Koch Brothers, the other an attorney and member of traffic safety denier pressure group Keep LA Moving — didn’t bother to do even the most basic fact checking.

Or maybe just didn’t care.

As demonstrated by their lead paragraphs, repeating the myth that a recent road diet prevented the evacuation of Paradise CA, leading to the deaths of 86 people.

Except it’s not true, according to the town’s mayor.

Mayor Jody Jones said Tuesday that the evacuation of Paradise, begun at 7:46 a.m Nov. 8, was complete by 3 p.m. Residents who arrived at a shelter in Oroville said the 16-mile exodus took 2½ hours, better than the three-hour evacuation in 2008 that sparked the Butte County Grand Jury’s investigation.

“I don’t believe that it really mattered,” Jones said of the changes made on Skyway. “I don’t think there’s any town in the world prepared with a roadway infrastructure that could evacuate their entire town all at once. They’re just not built to do that.”

That’s right.

The evacuation route took half an hour less than the same journey ten years earlier — six years before the road was even installed.

Then there’s this whopper.

The mass-produced automobile is one of the greatest inventions in American history because it brought both physical and economic mobility to the masses. These benefits were accompanied by pollution and safety issues, but such problems have dramatically declined. Cars today are 99 percent cleaner than cars in 1970, and fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles have declined more than 75 percent.

Ask anyone who rides a bike or walks if they feel safer on the streets.

Never mind that this great invention they cite is literally one of the least efficient ways to move human beings from one place to another. And has the entire world on the brink of a climate disaster.

But hey, they’re not as bad as they used to be, right?

Or how about this?

The numbers reveal that fatalities plummeted 21 percent after the 2008 financial crisis. This was because total driving fell by 2.3 percent, reducing congestion and apparently increasing safety. When driving and congestion increased again during the economic recovery, fatalities also increased, though not by as much as they had declined.

This suggests that small reductions in traffic congestion can save many lives. Congestion especially makes intersections and streets more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.

However, there is a much better case to be made that while congestion may increase the risk of collisions, the severity of crashes decreases along with the decrease in speeds.

As we’ve seen in LA, the risk of traffic fatalities actually increases dramatically when streets are less congested, enabling drivers to speed and drive more aggressively.

Studies have found that for every pedestrian whose life might be saved by slowing traffic, anywhere from 35 to 85 people will die from sudden cardiac arrest due to delayed emergency response. This doesn’t even count other medical emergencies, structure fires, or other emergency service needs.

Someone please show us these studies, because they defy all comprehension.

Or maybe the Federal Highway Administration has no idea what they’re talking about when they say that not only do road diets not slow down emergency response times, they can actually improve them.

Then our traffic safety denier guides bring it down to the local level, LA style.

Los Angeles installed a road diet on Venice Boulevard, a tsunami, fire, and earthquake evacuation route, converting two of six traffic lanes into bicycle lanes. Auto traffic declined yet bicycle-auto accidents increased, a problem worsened by the difficulty emergency vehicles had in reaching injured cyclists.

Which is funny, since the road diet on Venice Blvd, aka the Mar Vista Great Streets project, actually reduced injury collisions involving people on bicycles, while eliminating severe injury collisions.

And average response times for the Mar Vista fire station are just 30 seconds longer than the citywide average.

Yes, every second matters. But clearly, the roads aren’t as congested and impassible as they would have us believe.

Let’s end on this note.

Calculations using the Department of Transportation’s National Transit Database reveal that transit in Los Angeles and most cities not named New York uses more energy and emits more greenhouse gases per passenger mile than the average car or SUV. Autos use even more energy and pollute the most in congested traffic, so increasing congestion or forcing people onto transit are the wrong ways to protect the environment.

The solution is not to force people to keep driving, which has already resulted in ever increasing traffic congestion virtually everywhere, with or without road diets.

It’s to provide viable alternatives to driving in order to get more of those cars, trucks and SUVs off the road. And the way to do that is by making bicycling, walking and transit safer, more pleasant and more efficient.

Not by doing the exact opposite.

Note: I debunked many of these and other similar myths by the Keep LA Moving half of these traffic safety denier authors in a response to his equally wacky Wall Street Journal op-ed earlier this year.

Sadly, it’s clear they’ll still get a platform, though, as long as newspapers keep excluding opinion pieces from any form of fact checking.

………

David Drexler forwards news of a stolen bicycle returned to its owner, despite being taken across the border into Mexico.

Thanks in part to Bike Index.

BIKE INDEX AIDS IN RARE CROSS-BORDER RECOVERY
San Diego, Coronado, and Tijuana police forces collaborate expertly after receiving a tip on Bike Index to recover this $6,000 bicycle.

“Hi think I saw your bike on a swap meet place in Tijuana, which was a very weird place for me find an awesome bike. I’ve got the feeling that it was stolen so I took some pics and sent them to your phone. I hope it’s your stolen bike.” In August, a bike was stolen from outside of the Hotel del Coronado. A month later, someone messaged the registrant using Bike Index, believing they saw the bike at a swap meet in Mexico. Officers in Tijuana recovered the bike and met officers from the San Diego and Coronado police at the border to return the stolen bike to the owner. Cross-border recoveries are extremely rare! We’ve only had two others in our history: one bike found in Guadalajara and another found in Mexico City.

So what are you waiting for?

Register your own bike, already. Before it’s too late.

………

This is why people keep dying on the streets.

The family of a Michigan man is understandably upset about a plea deal that would mean just one year in jail for the hit-and-run driver who killed him as he was riding his bike, instead of the maximum of 15-years behind bars.

After a New York trucker was convicted of killing a bike rider while driving with a suspended license, the judge sentenced him to…wait for it…another suspended sentence. Which probably won’t keep him off the roads, either.

A Malaysian judge dropped all charges and freed a woman who had slammed her car into a group of teenaged bike riders, killing eight young men; the judge ruled the police had failed to sufficiently investigate the crash. And even gave her back her driver’s license so she could do it again.

………

The LACBC offers a few slogans for your Climate Strike sign at this Friday’s City Hall protest, which will feature 16-year old climate activist Greta Thunberg.

………

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

Brooklyn garbage collectors respond to the recent deaths of bike riders killed by garbage truck drivers by walling off a bike lane with garbage cans to protest this damn bike riders. No, really.

Then there’s this, from our own LA backyard.

Meanwhile, CiclaValley says the new Safe Lanes app is the best way to record and report drivers who block bike lanes.

………

Local

Here’s a better version of the Eastsider’s story about construction work on the new Red Car Pedestrian Bridge over the LA River that we linked to yesterday. Thanks to Patrick Pascal for the link.

West Hollywood ranked in the bottom third of America’s Best Small Cities, but scored a top 20 ranking for quality of life, due in part to its bikeshare system. Which has now been removed.

It’s not just bike riders who are dying in LA-area hit-and-runs.

 

State

The California Transportation Commission will livestream a symposium on the state’s Active Transportation Program today and tomorrow.

San Diego residents can look forward to a number of street disruptions in the South Bay Area for construction of the South Bay Rapid transit system starting, uh, yesterday. Thanks to Robert Leone for the heads-up.

More news from down south, where the bikeways program of the San Diego Association of Governments, aka SANDAG, is on hold for a year after falling behind schedule and $79 million over budget. Smart thinking. Nothing will get them back on track like falling even further behind.

Sacramento residents discuss how they’d make biking and walking safer.

 

National

Great long read from Cycling Tips’ James Huang, aka the Angry Asian, who says enough already, it’s time the bike industry did something about traffic deaths, while a Kentucky newspaper says not only are more pedestrians dying on our streets, but even more carnage lies ahead.

Vox says carfree zones could be the future of cities. Exactly what former state legislator Mike Gatto called for in Sunday’s Daily News.

He gets it. A writer for a public interest research group says with the dangers posed by climate change, bike riders getting scared off the roads by safety fears should be a big red flag, and we already know how to fix it.

A driving website recommends the best bike bells, calling them a must-have for a “safe, care-free ride.” Because evidently, a bell can be heard above a bumping sound system in a hermetically sealed, virtually soundproof motor vehicle, instantly alerting the driver he’s about to run over your ass. Right?

Outside tests three popular e-cargo bikes, and likes the Tern best. But says the much cheaper RadWagon will still get you there.

Evidently, they don’t get a lot of bike-riding Buddhist monks in Memphis. Or headline proof readers, for that matter.

When Boston park benches get in the way of bike stunts, just take an angle cutter and remove them. The benches, that is.

This is how Vision Zero is supposed to work. New York responds to this year’s epidemic of bicycling deaths with a $1.7 billion commitment to build 250 miles of protected bike lanes. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is committed to building bupkis.

A bike rider says he was tackled off his bike while riding on a DC trail and robbed at gunpoint, with the thief taking his bike, pannier, wallet and everything else he had with him.

The admittedly drunk New Orleans driver who killed two people riding bikes and injured several others at a Mardi Gras parade has changed his plea and and admitted guilt to all charges; he now faces up to 80 years behind bars.

A kindhearted anonymous donor dropped off a new bicycle for a Florida chef after his was stolen while he was at work; he can’t drive due to epilepsy and relies on his bicycle to get anywhere.

 

International

Interesting idea. A new bike stem comes with a built-in bike computer and 800 lumen headlight.

A brazen British bike thief literally followed a woman into a local shop to steal her new bike, after she took it in because she’d forgotten her lock.

In an absolutely brilliant step, a Belgian TV show takes politicians on a bike ride to show them the poor state of bicycle infrastructure, then confronts them with 500 relatives of people on bicycles who died because of it. Maybe if an LA TV station tried that, we might actually see some changes around here.

The City Fix offers three key lessons from The Netherlands to help spur bicycling in your own city.

A Pakistani man was killed when a glass-coated kite string fell on him, slitting his throat as he rode his bike; coated strings are used for popular kite battles in which the goal is to cut the strings of other kites.

Japanese internet users are in a tizzy after a mom is caught on video smacking her son in the head and knocking him down, for riding his bike in front of a car without looking.

 

Competitive Cycling

Bicycling likes next year’s Giro course, of course.

Good for them. After the lead rider in a Brazilian bike race got hit by a driver on an open course while the cop responsible for stopping traffic stood idly by checking his phone (see below), the entire peloton laid down their bikes and walked off in protest.

But maybe you’re more into Brompton racing.

 

Finally…

Mutant bikes and the people who love them. Who hasn’t dreamed of one day owning a shape-shifting aero bike helmet?

And nothing like getting dropped by a little kid.

 

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

Morning Links: Bikes and Veterans Day, bad air is bad for biking, and Wicksted murder arraignment delayed

November 12, 2018 / / 3 comments

Writing on the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI, Forbes’ Carlton Reid notes that the first British soldier killed in what was once known as the “war to end all wars” was one of us.

Meanwhile, a New Zealand writer spent a month bicycling through the fields and cemeteries of France to remember the war’s dead, and contemplate the monster of endless war.

And veteran’s group in Oklahoma City uses bicycling to fight PTSD.

On a personal note, my own grandfather was a doughboy, and fought in the trenches of Belgium and France in WWI.

I wish I knew more about what he did. But the war wasn’t something he wanted to remember.

Let alone talk about.

I hope you’ll join me today in remembering him, and all those who have served our country, on this Veteran’s Day, and thank them for the sacrifices they made.

Let’s pray that our world will one day regain its senses, and learn to settle disputes without bullets and bombs.

But until then, let’s at least take better care of those who come back home.

And remember that not all scars are visible.

Thanks to J. Patrick Lynch, who wants a copy of that poster in the upper left, which was taken from the Forbes article, for the first link. 

Then again, so do I.

………

Streetsblog has advice for confronting California’s wildfires — don’t bike until the air clears.

Smoke from a fire contains ash particles that can harm your lungs, as well as countless toxic chemicals that can do long-lasting damage.

Never mind the problems it can cause for allergy and asthma suffers.

So the best advice is, if you smell smoke, don’t ride. Or run. Or engage in any other physical activity outdoors.

………

Arraignment was delayed once again for Sandra Marie Wicksted, who’s accused of murder for using her car to kill Leslie Pray as she rode her bike in a Claremont bike lane, as well as four counts of attempted murder for swerving at other bike riders before she killed Pray.

However, delays like that aren’t unusual.

Serious cases often see a number of postponements as prosecutors attempt to work out a deal, and defense lawyers get their cases together.

………

In case you missed it over the weekend, family members identified the victim of Thursday’s fatal bike crash on Santa Monica Blvd in West LA as 31-year old Glendale resident Frank Guzman.

A GoFundMe account to help pay his funeral expenses has raised over $4,000 of the $5,000 goal in just two days.

………

Local

UCLA ER physicians say they’re seeing a jump in scooter-related injuries, averaging one a day between their two facilities; they urge all scooter users to wear a helmet.

He gets it. A member of the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition compares road diet deniers to anti-vaxxers.

Wolfpack Hustle is postponing the Wolfpack Hustle All City Century scheduled for tonight due to poor air quality from the fires.

 

State

A carfree San Diego PR agency owner is attempting to combine social equity and healthy living.

Berkeley’s mayor takes advantage of a popular bike festival to promise quick action on a protected bike lane.

Robert Leone forwards news that Campbell police corralled a bike thief using a bait bike. The LAPD won’t use bait bikes because the City Attorney’s office fears claims of entrapment.

The San Francisco Examiner suggests the only thing more perilous than riding a bike in the Bay Area is leading the city’s bicycle coalition.

 

National

A tech website looks at how bikes have changed over the past 25 years. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the link.

Taking a road trip by bike to the Colorado National Monument.

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes is all too real. Three Portland men face well-deserved charges for booby trapping a popular bike path by tying strings across it at face and neck level; a woman suffered cuts and bruises around her eyes, chin and neck when she ride into them.

A Minnesota college is training engineering students to design and build bicycles, both to get jobs in the bike industry, and develop skills that will transfer to other fields.

Nearly 1,000 bicyclists turned out for the annual Cranksgiving ride in St. Louis to help raise funds and collect food to the distribute to the needy over the holidays.

A Cape Cod letter writer can’t seem to imagine any reason why anyone who isn’t in financial distress would ever want to ride a bike, let alone why the city should build Complete Streets to accommodate them.

LA bike riders aren’t the only ones having trouble with blocked bike lanes; New York bike riders are pretty ticked off about it too.

 

International

Horrifying news from Trinidad & Tobago where two bicyclists were killed — including a celebrity chef — and eight others were injured when a driver plowed into a club ride, despite a police escort; the driver claimed he lost control after blowing a tire. To make matters worse, a bike advocacy group says there are no trained traffic investigators in the country.

A London assembly member questions whether the city’s Metropolitan Police are doing enough to fight bike and pedestrian deaths.

Not many American bike riders can relate to Britain’s 16,500-mile bicycling network. But the fact that half of it is “crap” due to poor maintenance and pavement conditions, that most of us can relate to.

An English city is putting up signs welcoming polite bike riders.

The UK’s BikesUpGunsDown movement aims to stop gun and knife crime by building better bike skills.

A Brit writer says the perfect bike ride is one you do with friends.

Berlin gets its first protected bike lane.

A Kiwi writer suggests that dockless bikeshare and e-scooters means it’s time for new road rules to govern how we behave around others. Meanwhile, a new homegrown dockless bikeshare is subjected to the same abuse others have suffered.

An Australian news site says drivers subjected a leading bike advocate to vile abuse before he was killed in a crash last week. And apparently didn’t even stop then.

 

Competitive Cycling

Pro cyclists offer their thoughts on a proposed power meter ban in next year’s Tour de France.

 

Finally…

It takes a real schmuck to get out and swear at a crash victim before fleeing the scene — even if the driver is a woman. You can stop counting ballots, we have a winner in the worst bike name ever.

And is it okay to give someone the bird if you’ve got a smiley face on your glove?

 

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

All I need is the air that I breathe — riding through, and surviving, the smoke

September 2, 2009 / / Comments Off on All I need is the air that I breathe — riding through, and surviving, the smoke

I was going to add a link to this on my next post. But the more I think about it, the more important this information is right now.

Damien Newton has put up a great story on Streetsblog on how cyclists can cope with the bad air from the fires in the L.A. area.

It offers advice from C.I.C.L.E.’s Shay Sanchez, as well as Joe Linton, Roadblock and Ron Milam (and you’ll find my 2 cents in the comment section).

Read it before your next ride. Your health could depend on it.

Category: General / Tags: , , , ,

A brief introduction to L.A.

August 19, 2008 / / Comments Off on A brief introduction to L.A.

I’ve recently noticed a number of visitors to this site from the U.K., thanks to Just Williams and Town Mouse, who were kind enough to add a link to my site. (And since I enjoyed their blogs, I was happy to return the, uh, favour.)

Since these people have taken the trouble to visit me, I thought I might depart from my usual biking banter, and offer a quick introduction to this City of Fallen Angels we call home.

And there’s one thing everyone should know about Los Angeles.

It doesn’t exist.

At least not the city you think you know. Because the L.A. you’ve seen on countless TV shows and movies is as much a creation of Hollywood as the Terminator’s invincibility or Rock Hudson’s marriage. As these things usually go, the reality is both better, and worse, than the image you may have.

For instance, the air is better than you think, and the traffic is worse.

That perfect weather you always see in shows set in Los Angeles rarely occurs in real life. Somehow, it usually seems to happen when there is a camera crew present; I think they pay an extra fee for that. And it’s long been rumored that the Rose Bowl made a pact with the devil to ensure perfect weather every New Years Day.

Also, Hollywood isn’t in Hollywood. That is, you won’t find the stars and studios that make all those TV shows and movies anywhere in the city of Hollywood, except perhaps on Oscar night, though you will find t-shirt and souvenir vendors, hookers, celebrity impersonators and other entrepreneurs dedicated to separating tourists from their money.

And I have never seen, nor have ever I participated in, a drive-by shooting.

Of course, some of the things you may think you know about L.A. are actually true.

For instance, we do seem to be a magnet for all kinds of disasters, from fires and floods, to riots and earthquakes, not to mention debilitating strikes. (We’re still waiting for plagues of frogs and locusts, and for Moses to part the Santa Monica Bay and lead his people out of Hollywood.) But things like that really don’t happen that often, and we’ve learned to take them in stride.

It’s also true that we’ve have a lot of illegal aliens here. And yes, many are from Mexico, but others come from Guatemala, China, Russia, Canada and Ireland, among others. In fact, the joke was that if you couldn’t get a table at Molly Malone’s, all you had to do was stand in the front door, yell “Immigration!” and watch half the bar empty out the back door.

As you might suspect, there are a lot of celebrities here, and we do bump into them from time to time. Personally, I’ve shared a physical therapy session with Billy Crystal, stood in line next to John Lithgow at the market, and nearly ran into Emmylou Harris rounding a corner at the mall. (Then again, I also met B.B. King, Al Green and Stevie Ray Vaughn long before I ever moved to L.A.)

The standard approach upon spotting a celebrity here is to pretend you didn’t see him or her; running up and begging for an autograph is a sure sign of a tourist. On the other hand, we’re just about fed up with paparazzi.

Speaking of celebrities, Posh and Becks made a big splash when they first got here, but they’ve kept a low profile since; I don’t know anyone who has actually seen them — including on the field for most of his first season here. And even with the most famous right foot in football (as opposed to football), our local club would still have a hard time beating Blackpool.

It’s just a pity we don’t have relegation here. If we did, the local side might play a little better.

And the Clippers would be lucky to compete on the high school level.

 

No Whip gets a ticket for making a right on a red light without stopping — just like many drivers do — while Alex endures playground taunts from a jerk with a badge. Meanwhile, a cyclist in Wisconsin discovers it’s against the law to get doored. Chicago cops take to the streets to encourage safe cycling, rather than writing tickets; I wonder if anyone ever considered that here. Illinois clarifies cycling laws in a way that actually makes sense, and could save lives. Is anyone in Sacramento listening? An L.A. rider hits the pavement, thanks to a scum-filled pothole. An Eastside rider reminds us that the city is still taking comments on revising the bike master plan (as if we actually had one before) and recommends a great place for good mole. And finally, Metblogs covers the inaugural Brentwood Grand Prix. I wonder who won the Manolos? 

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