Tag Archive for LACBC

Collision maps reveal L.A.’s unsafe routes to school; more tragedy in pro cycling (and not just Lance)

May 24, 2011 / / 2 comments

I knew L.A. wasn’t the safest place to bike or ride.

But it never really sank in until I saw the maps.

Safe Routes to Schools has joined with the LACBC to call attention to just how far this city has to go before children to walk or bike to many schools, especially in lower income areas. New collision maps based on TIMS data (the Transportation Injury Mapping System) clearly shows how many injuries and fatalities occur near schools.

Just take a look at this map showing three years of collision data for South L.A. alone.

And I hope you have a stronger stomach than me when you realize that every dot on that map represents a human being injured or killed on our streets.

Of course, they weren’t all children. But these maps make the strongest argument yet that we have to improve safety around our schools.

“Traffic collisions, and the death or injury of Los Angeles’ people, especially our youngest community members, is heartbreaking and impacts everyone,” says Alexis Lantz, Planning and Policy Director at the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.

While the city has recently allocated $1.2 million to develop a citywide strategy to provide safer routes for children and their parents to get to and from school — and anyone else who happens to ride or bike nearby — there’s clearly a lot to do.

And a long way to go.

“Now with the TIMS data, the State of California has provided an amazing tool that allows us to see the neighborhoods, intersections and streets of greatest need and make strategic investments.  We need the City to provide staff, and create a plan to implement safety improvements quickly, so we can see our transportation priorities shift.  For too long, there has been a focus on moving cars to the detriment of our health and communities, the City of Los Angeles needs to put safety and people first,” says Jessica Meaney, California Policy Manager, Safe Routes to School National Partnership.

I mean, seriously. Just look at the maps.

………

In pro cycling news, Movistar rider Xavier Tondo was killed in a freak accident when he was hit by a garage door while leaving for a ride; friends and fellow pros remember him. Conspiracy theorists may note that he had recently told authorities about being approached by a doping ring.

Mikel Nieve scores his second mountain stage win in the Giro, as Alberto Contador surges to more than a four minute lead leading up to Monday’s rest day before the final week of racing.

Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner cross the finish line atop Mt. Baldy at virtually the same time to clinch the Amgen Tour of California for Horner. The Claremont Cyclist spends the morning with Rabobank. What it’s like to ride the Mt. Baldy stage of the AToC. Horner wraps it up on Sunday as HTC rider Matthew Goss wins the final stage and Lance Armstrong’s Team RadioShack takes the first two places in the general classification. Bicycling offers video of post-race reactions, while the Daily News is too busy talking with fans to get the details straight.

Between Chris Horner’s exciting run and the race up Mt. Baldy, this is the first Tour of California that seemed, to me at least, like a legitimate contender as a top-tier cycling race. Now if they can add another challenging stage or two — like maybe a peak-to-peak route around the San Diego area ending with a climb up Mt. Palomar, where snow wouldn’t be a factor — they might have something. Although going head-to-head with the Giro will always be a limiting factor.

And in case you’ve been in a coma the past few days, CBS’ 60 Minutes reported that former friends and teammates of Lance Armstrong  have turned on him to accuse the seven time TdF champ of doping; no one seems to care that George Hincapie reportedly confessed, though. If the accusations against Lance Armstrong are proven, he faces serious jail time; at the very least, his reputation will be in tatters. Tyler Hamilton’s lawyer discusses why the rider finally came clean. Former pro Scott Mercier says doping was pervasive when he was racing in the ’90, and UCI responds with the expected shock and indignation.

A writer for Road.cc asks the same question a lot of riders are asking right now: what happens when your idol and inspiration lets you down? And Italian police reportedly find nothing in an impeccably timed raid on Team RadioSchack’s hotel at the Giro.

………

LACBC releases a great new video explaining the upcoming 7th Street road diet and bike lanes in your choice of three popular languages. Meanwhile, those new LED lights on the Elysian Valley section of the L.A. River Bike Path are out of order for the foreseeable future after thieves steal the copper wiring.

………

Streetsblog wants your questions for LAPD Sgt. David Krumer, the department’s popular point man for the cycling community. LADOT Bicycle Services unveils a nifty new website. L.A. bike attorney Howard Krepack argues that the safety of cyclists has to be considered during road work, as well. Richard Risemberg looks at the art of riding in Santa Monica. CicLAvia wants to know what you think about the proposed expansion routes into Boyle Heights and South L.A. The Times looks at some unusual bike designs. Santa Monica riders review that city’s proposed bike plan. The recent presidential visit gives a UCLA employee a chance to ride the Westside.

A reader corrects the Press-Enterprise for saying cyclists are required to ride as far right as possible; the writer insists that possible and practicable mean the same thing. A Fresno-area cyclist’s tragic death in a solo bike accident could help up to eight other people through organ donation; I’d want some good to come out of it for someone if anything ever happened to me. Surprisingly, California ranks 20th on the list of bike-friendly states; surprising we’re that high, that is.

USA Today notes a nationwide movement to make the streets safe for cyclists; thanks to Zeke for the heads-up. That great epiphany moment that turns non-cyclists into confirmed riders is a myth. Fifteen reasons to fall in love with your bike. Elly Blue continues her excellent Bikenomics series with a look at riding while broke. Evidently believing them to be magic talismans that will ward off injury, a writer calls bike helmets the most important safe cycling habit — above, say, stopping for traffic signals, remaining visible or riding with traffic, or any of the other riding habits that might keep a helmet from being necessary. A firefighter’s career could be over after a cycling hit-and-run. New Jersey authorities seem unclear on the concept, as they instruct riders to share the road with fast moving traffic, rather than requiring speeding drivers to slow down; it may be time to retire Share the Road entirely. A New York actor and personal therapist explains why he’ll be riding the 10th Anniversary AIDS Ride. In a classic example of press bias, an 11-year old West Virginia boy is sideswiped while riding his bike, yet the local press reports that he collided with the car; thankfully, they note the car was not damaged.

The return of bike season means the return of road rage. Buy a Victorian London house, and get your very own bike museum. Police tell cyclists to stay off the 2012 Olympic mountain bike course. Scott cyclists pay to ride a new freeway for just one day, though not all do it to celebrate. This is what bike parking is supposed to look like; a Brit company tweets to take credit. A video look at the Pillars of Italian Cycling. How about a Norwegian-style bike lift? Jakarta gets its first bike lane, which immediately turns into parking for three-wheeled pedicabs.

Finally, video captures a cyclist getting by a car, and landing on his feet. And apparently, the solution to dropping off a bike and still getting back home is to throw your Dahon on the back of your Urbana — sort of like tossing a Mini in the back of a Hummer.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Win a free 2011 L.A. River Ride — or save $10 now on River Ride registration!

May 18, 2011 / / Comments Off on Win a free 2011 L.A. River Ride — or save $10 now on River Ride registration!

Save $10 on the 11th Annual Los Angeles River Ride; just sign up online using the special discount code TEDBC11 (case sensitive). Or enter to win a free River Ride Registration by emailing ridetheriver2011@hotmail.com by 5/26, and explain why you deserve to ride this year’s River Ride in 50 words or less, courtesy of LACBC and BikingInLA. Click here for more information.

Category: General / Tags: ,

Win a free 2011 L.A. River Ride — or save $10 now on River Ride registration!

May 17, 2011 / / One comment

I’ve always been a firm believer in paying it forward when opportunity allows.

It all goes back to my father, who never left a stranger stranded on the side of the road. If he couldn’t fix their car on the spot, he’d give them a ride into town to call for help. Sometimes he’d even drive them to our home, grab his tools, and go back to fix it himself while they waited.

Whenever someone tried to reward him for his efforts, he’d just say they’d have a chance to help someone else someday.

And when that day comes, do it.

So when I unexpectedly found myself with an opportunity to participate in this year’s 11th Annual L.A. River Ride — one of Southern California’s largest and most popular fundraising rides — I tried to figure out what I could do to get you to ride along with me, and a few thousand of our closest friends.

I’d actually planned on working as a volunteer in the LACBC booth at the L.A. River Ride, until leading L.A. bike attorney Howard Krepack, one of the LACBC’s most consistent and generous sponsors, graciously offered to let me ride as his guest.

And no, in case you’re wondering, he did not make that offer in exchange for being mentioned here. This is just my way of thanking him for his very kind and generous gesture.

Almost immediately, it occurred to me that there might be a way I could share my good fortune with you.

So I emailed JJ Hoffman, the LACBC River Ride Coordinator, with two suggestions — first, to offer a special discount on River Ride registration for readers of this blog, or second, hold a contest to give away a free River Ride registration.

And JJ, who’s clearly of a generous bent herself, responded by saying why not do both?

So here’s the deal.

If you’ve been on the fence about participating in this year’s River Ride — or you just enjoy a great bargain — you can sign up online for the 11th Annual Los Angeles River Ride anytime between now and June 4th and save $10 off your registration.

All you have to do is visit the River Ride site on Active.com and sign up using the special discount code TEDBC11 (case sensitive).

That means a $65 registration for the Century or 70-mile rides will cost you just $55. The Half Century and 36-mile rides will run just $45 with the discount. And you can sign up for the 15-mile Family Ride, normally $50, for just $40.

You can thank me later.

On the other hand, maybe that’s still out your reach this year. Or maybe you’re just feeling lucky. Either way, one person is going to win a free River Ride registration courtesy of the LACBC.

All you have to do is email me at ridetheriver2011@hotmail.com, and explain in 50 words or less why you, or someone you know, deserves to ride this year’s River Ride for free.

Maybe you had a hard year, or done more than your share to help others. Maybe, like me, you’ve never done the River Ride and always wanted to. Or maybe you know someone who is deserving of a special gift this year.

Whatever your reason, send it to the address above, and I’ll remove any identifying information and forward your email to the LACBC’s staff and River Ride volunteers. They’ll make the choice; and yes, their choice is final. All entries are due no later than midnight on the night of Thursday, May 26th; the winner will be notified by Tuesday, May 31st.

Unfortunately, we won’t be able to contact everyone who didn’t win. So if you haven’t heard anything by the 1st, it just means it wasn’t you this time.

Nothing personal.

Fortunately, that still gives you a few days to sign up using the discount code.

And join me and the LACBC — and a couple thousand other cyclists — in Riding the River this year.

………

Volunteers are still needed for the River Ride on JUne 5th, and to help get ready in the days leading up to the ride. Contact RRVolunteer@la-bike.org.

And yes, I’m sure they’ll understand if you need to back out because you won the free registration.

Category: General / Tags: , ,

Driver: “I didn’t hit him, I just brushed him a little;” Mark your calendar for my first group bike ride Feb 5

January 15, 2011 / / 10 comments

Scroll down for news of the first ever BikingInLA/LACBC group ride on Sunday, Feb 6

Strange how life works out sometime.

I was riding around the Marina on my way to Ballona Creek when I spotted a rider down on the side of the road. Next thing I knew, the other rider with him was chasing after a beat-up pickup that had just pulled out of the lot behind them.

Fortunately, the driver stopped to argue with the other rider, which gave me time to call 911. The driver insisted he didn’t hit anyone, while the rider, a man named Craig, I later found out, demanded he pull over right away.

Meanwhile, I was on the phone with the 911 operator, who completely understood when I interrupted as she answered, asking her to write down the license number before the driver could get away. So she listened patiently while I carefully read the plate digit by digit, then repeated it back to me before asking where I was or what happened.

I don’t know who she was. But I do know that if I ever need help, I hope she’s the one who answers the call.

She passed me on to the sheriff’s department, who passed me onto the highway patrol; for some reason, they investigate traffic collisions in the area, even though the Marina sheriff’s station was just two blocks away.

Meanwhile, the driver finally pulled back around and parked his truck. As he walked past, he looked at me, still on the phone with the CHP dispatcher, and said “I didn’t hit him! I only brushed him a little bit.”

To which I responded. “Brushing him is hitting him.” And then into the phone, I asked “You heard that, right?”

As we waited for the highway patrol to arrive, I pulled out my first aid kit and did my best to patch up the first rider, named Jeffery, who fortunately only seemed to have cuts and scrapes. I did my best to talk him into letting the paramedics come take a look; my experience is that once the adrenalin and other stress hormones wear off, it often uncovers more serious injuries.

Which is why I always recommend getting medical care after a collision. Because chances are, you’re hurt worse than you think. You just don’t know it yet.

He declined, though. So once I got off the phone, they explained what had happened.

They were chatting in the parking lot of the shipbuilder after both had visited there. The truck driver had come up behind them, and demanded that they get out of his way — while talking on his cell phone, of course.

Not an unreasonable request under the circumstances. But the driver didn’t wait for them to get out of his way; instead he stepped on the gas as soon as he thought he had an opening.

He didn’t.

His truck ran over the rear wheel of Jeffrey’s bike while he was still straddling it. The bike went down, and so did Jeffrey. All because an impatient driver wasn’t willing to wait the extra second or two that it would have taken a couple of men to get out of his way.

After a lot of discussion, the driver seemed to take responsibility for his actions, exchanging insurance information and offering to pay for the bike. Although he continued to look at the damage to the bike, such as a shredded rear tire, and insist that he couldn’t have done that.

As if any cyclist would have been able to ride anywhere with the sidewall of his tire ripped out on both sides.

The interesting thing, though, for me at least, came as we continued to wait for the CHP to arrive — which never happened while we were there, despite waiting nearly an hour after the 911 call.

As we talked, I mentioned that I was with the L.A. County Bike Coalition. The injured rider, Jeffrey, said he’d just gotten an email from the LACBC about an upcoming ride. Something about a 30 mile ride through the Westside set to begin at the Santa Monica Pier on Super Bowl Sunday.

“Yeah, I know,” I said. “I’m leading it.”

In fact, that’s why I’d been there to help, because I was checking out the route I’d planned.

One more thing, though, before I change subjects. There were two cyclists about 20 yards ahead of me when all his happened, who should have been in perfect position to see the collision. So if you happened so see a truck hit a cyclist in front of one of the shipbuilders on Fiji Way Friday afternoon, let me know.

.………

Now then, about that ride.

Mark your calendar for Sunday, February 6th, when I’ll host my first ever group ride as part of the LACBC’s new Sunday Funday Rides.

Since it will be in February, and just a week before Valentines Day, we’ll be riding in search of the beauty and romance West L.A. and its surrounding cities with a ride themed “I ♥ the Westside.”

We’ll meet at the Santa Monica Pier at 9:30 am, and start rolling at 10. The ride will take in Main Street and the sharrows on Abbott Kinney before working our way up to Culver City and Beverly Hills, then down through Brentwood and Santa Monica, before heading back along the coast to the pier.

At least that’s plan; construction on the Ballona Creek bike path already threatens to throw a monkey wrench in that segment, so some flexibility may be in order.

While I’m still working out the exact route, we should be looking at a total distance of around 30 to 35 miles from start to finish. The course will be mostly flat, with a moderate pace, and best suited for intermediate riders or above. It should last about three hours, allowing for stops along the way — which should have you home well before kickoff of the Super Bowl.

It gets cold at the beach on February mornings, so dress warmly — preferably in layers you can remove as we move inland and the day warms.

And yes, despite what my wife might tell you, I do have enough sense to come in out of the rain. So in the event of bad weather, we’ll postpone or cancel.

The ride is free to LACBC members, and you’re allowed to bring one guest. If you’re not a member and want to ride along, we’ll sign you up on the spot at a reduced rate.

So if you’ve ever want to ride with me, this is your chance.

.………

This week’s upcoming events —

Bike Talk airs Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Talk is also holding their first-ever benefit event on Saturday, January 15th from 7:30pm-midnite at Vlad the Retailer, 4314 Melrose Ave., at the intersection of Heliotrope & Melrose. Admission is just $10, with food, music, door prizes and Fat Tire Ale on tap.

Bikerowave is offering a free bike-fitting workshop at 6 pm Saturday, January 15th at 12255 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles CA; RSVP to info@bikerowave.org.

Streetsblog joins with KPCC, American Institute of Architects, Pasadena and Foothill Chapter, and Pasadena Magazine to discuss Planning the Future of Our Streets from 7 to 9 pm on Tuesday, January 18th at the Crawford Family Forum at 474 South Raymond Street in Pasadena.

Also on the 18th, the LACBC is calling on cyclists to support the proposed Main Street road diet at the board meeting of the Venice Neighborhood Council, from 7 – 10 pm, at 1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice.

Click on the Events page for more upcoming bike events.

.………

The city is offering a $50,000 reward in the murder of 14-year old Taburi Watson, who was shot while riding his bike just before New Years. Anyone with information is urged to call 77th Division Criminal Gang/Homicide Detectives at 213/485-1383. Thanks to George Wolfberg for the tip.

.………

Streetsblog looks at LADOT’s bike applications in Metro’s Call for Projects. Usually bike-friendly Councilmember Bill Rosendahl acts as a committee of one to cut the heart out of the Wilshire BRT, the proposed bus (and bike) only lane. To the surprise of no one, Manuel Gallegos, the cyclist who recorded apparently violent police action at the May Critical Mass, filed suit against the city. A look at the January Downtown Art Walk, and an exhausted pedi-cab driving Josef Bray-Ali. An update on last week’s meeting of the UCLA Bicycle Academy. Matthew Ruscigno reminisces about the 2010 Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer, and says the date of this years competition is still up in the air. The revitalization of the L.A. River could be derailed by the Union Pacific Rail Yards. The Claremont Cyclist diagnoses a few cases of Auto-Dependency Syndrome. Friends react to the death of Kevin Unck, the champion masters cyclist killed when he lost control of his bike and slid in front of an oncoming SUV last Sunday.

A driver is expected to get a slap on the wrist for killing a cyclist, despite driving with a known history of seizures.  A violent alleged shoplifter leads SF police on a wild bike pursuit. A Sacramento cyclist is killed in yet another hit-and-run, while San Luis Obispo rider died five days after getting hit by a truck.

U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood meets with cyclists, and voices his support for cycling; you wouldn’t see that under a Palin administration. Arizona considers an Idaho Stop bill, allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yields. Tucson Velo looks at winter riding in my hometown. Hoboken says the speed limit may be 25 mph, but 20 is plenty. A NJ legislator withdraws her bill to put license plates on bikes, while New York’s most biased bike-hating major daily cheers a proposal to stick ID tags on bikes. A truck driver is convicted of entering the country illegally, but walks on killing a cyclist; is it just me, or is that horribly backwards?

How to ride offroad more responsibly. A fear of London traffic appears to be behind the lower than expected use of the city’s new bike share program. A photographic view of cycling in Oxford; definitely worth checking out. A Parliament member from Cambridge breaks his arm while riding Down Under. The 2011 Vuelta will ride through the beautiful — and sometimes restive — Basque country. A look at the Tour de France back when men were men and rode their bikes that way.

Finally, the reader who wrote in last month asking for help finding a 64-65 cm lugged steel frame emailed today to report that he’d found — and won — exactly what he was looking for.

Ride it in health. And keep the rubber side down.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike / Tags: , , ,

Don’t miss today’s intersection of bikes and beer at the Library Alehouse in Santa Monica

December 28, 2010 / / Comments Off on Don’t miss today’s intersection of bikes and beer at the Library Alehouse in Santa Monica

Don't forget Tuesday's all-day LACBC fundraiser and party at the Library Alehouse — I'll be stopping by this afternoon and again tonight, so look for me there.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, General / Tags: , , ,

Ride the 2011 River Ride route six months early — and free this Sunday only

November 12, 2010 / / 5 comments

Think of it as the 2010-and-a-half River Ride.

What started out as a chance for River Ride volunteers to experience the course they usually miss out on because they’re busy helping others enjoy it is now open to everyone. And its turned into the one of the biggest and best free bike rides of the year.

The L.A. River Training Ride is now open to riders of all levels, from beginners to experienced long distance cyclists — whether you volunteered with the River Ride last year or plan to next year, or want to get a head start on training for next year’s ride. Or just feel like getting out for a great ride with a great group of people along the L.A. River Bike Path.

And it will be led by experienced riders from the LACBC staff, as well as other volunteer ride marshals, to offer guidance, advice and encouragement every step, or pedal stroke, along the way.

Riders will meet at the Autry Museum in Griffith Park this Sunday, November 14, at 7:30 am, then ride to Long Beach for lunch. Those who arrive early enough may ride over to see a special showing of Riding Bikes with the Dutch at the Art Theatre in Long Beach. Other riders will have lunch in Long Beach before either riding or taking the Blue Line back to Los Angeles — making it the perfect opportunity for anyone who doesn’t want to do the full ride, or isn’t sure if they can make it all the way.

As well as your chance to overcome those nagging doubts about signing up for the real River Ride next May.

.………

Speaking of Riding Bikes with the Dutch, that special showing I mentioned is also open to the public, and will take place at 11:30 am this Sunday, November 14th.

I’ll let Tim Blumenthal of People for Bikes tell you about it.

  • When: Sunday, Nov. 14 at 11:30 a.m., 
Q & A with the filmmaker to follow at 12:15 p.m.
  • Where: Art Theatre, 2025 East Fourth Street, Long Beach, CA
  • Cost: $10 per person; tickets available online or at the box office

The filmmaker, American Michael Bauch, completed a home exchange in Amsterdam, and spent months living and documenting the bicycle-centric lifestyle of the Dutch. “The first time I stepped off the train in Amsterdam I was literally speechless,” said Bauch. “Everyone from three years old to 93 seemed to be tooling around the city on two wheels. There was a three level structure dedicated to just parking bicycles. This was too much to take in with just my own eyes. I needed to share this with everyone I could and this is why I made my film.”

Bicycling is booming in big U.S. cities, with more urban riders than ever. This film offers insights for Americans like us hoping to create more bike-friendly, livable communities in our own backyards.

Learn more about the film on the Riding Bikes with the Dutch website or by watching the trailer.

Happy trails,

Tim Blumenthal, peopleforbikes.org

.………

The LACBC says cyclists and local residents were shut out of an Ad Hoc committee to reconsider the Wilbur Ave road diet, while LADOT apparently has a super secret plan — developed without input from cyclists or local residents — to reconfigure the roadway.

If you’re pissed off — and you probably should be, especially if you live along Wilbur or ride in the Valley — you’re urged to email and voice your opinion.

TAKE ACTION
Write to the Northridge West Neighborhood Council members and Councilmember Smith to demand that this committee be fairly staffed with residents, homeowners as well as local cyclists.

Local residents, be sure to include your zip code.

And isn’t it time we had real leadership at LADOT to put a stop to this kind of crap stuff?

.………

The Eagle County DA attempts, and fails, to explain his highly flawed reasoning in declining to prosecute a rich money fund manager for felony hit-and-run. Bob Mionske says the DA is wrong on the law and picks the wrong battles to fight, while the Vail Daily urges him to prosecute the felony charges the crime merits.

Personally, I’d suggest that he either prosecute the driver for felony hit-and-run or resign and let someone else do it.

But that’s just me.

.………

The mainstream media discovers the proposed cyclist anti-harassment ordinance, as the Daily News, et al, publishes the story, while the Times draws comments from the usual bike-hating suspects; Mark at the C-Blog says it may not be as effective as I think. NoHo’s killer intersection may finally get a traffic signal. LACBC offers a new countywide resource guide. Bicycle Fixation relates a night of riding with Flying Pigeon and the editors of Momentum Magazine. Long Beach’s cycling expats say yes, they know they’re doing it wrong. Calabasas residents help plan a new off-road bikeway along Las Virgenes Creek. Ventura plans a new development where 25% of the parking spaces will be for bikes. People for Bikes says San Francisco sets the bar high. The proposed solution to two NorCal bikes deaths: ban cyclists from any road without a bike lane and require all cyclists to wear helmets, even though the first victim was killed while riding in a bike lane, and the helmet the second victim was wearing didn’t do her any good. A cyclist is killed by a 78-year old driver south of Yountville. A California middle school student is told to take an American flag off his bike to “avoid racial tension.”

An Oregon study of bike commuting injuries shows that injury prevention should focus on improving the riding environment, rather than on the habits and skills of riders. After attempting — and apparently failing — to fire the Executive Director, the directors of Seattle’s Cascade Bicycle Club face a recall. Even Cheyenne, Wyoming is working on becoming bike friendlier. A Chicago mayoral candidate promises to make it one of the most bicycle friendly cities in the world. A blind, nine-time cancer survivor who raised over $50,000 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital by riding a bicycle 400 miles from Chattanooga to Memphis has died at age 21. Would you ride to work if you had a guaranteed ride home if you needed it?

Someone may be sabotaging an oceanfront UK bikeway. A British cyclist has been arrested in the bike rage attack on a motorist who nearly doored him; in another UK attack, a cyclist smashes his bike into a driver’s windshield. Some schmuck(s) stole the jersey Marco Pantani’s wore to win the 1998 Tour de France. In interesting choice, Team Sky taps the other Texas pro, TdF veteran Bobby Julich, as team race coach. Aukland NZ pulls the plug on their bike share program. A Croation cyclist is fined for falling off his bike.

Finally, advice to riders — don’t ride near foliage because “Rats can jump out and scare you so badly, you’ll be propelled into traffic and, you know, die.”

Category: General / Tags: , , , ,

I tweet therefore I am, Streetsblog parties and the Mayor says Give Me 3

August 25, 2010 / / 5 comments

Today I finally enter the Twitter age, only a few years after everyone else on the planet.

I’d been reluctant to add yet another demand on an already overcrowded schedule. But my friend GT — who writes eloquently about struggling to complete his first major climb after his recent heart attack — talked me into it to make it easier to keep you up with new content and breaking news.

So you can now follow me @bikinginla. And I’m now taking suggestions on who I should follow.

And in case you’ve missed it, there’s an interesting — and decidedly in-depth — discussion about helmet use going on at the Survival Tactics page.

………

Don’t miss tonight’s Streetsblog LA Re-Launch Fundraiser and Party, complete with silent auction courtesy of Green LA Girl. And set your browser for tomorrow’s official re-launch of the city’s leading — and most important — transportation news site. I have other commitments this evening, but will make a brief appearance before the night is over.

………

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa continues his surprising support for safe cycling.

L.A. cycling’s new BFF continues to support the biking community.

Yesterday, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa held a press conference to announce the winner of the recent contest to create a slogan for bike safety campaign — something that was in the works long before what London’s Guardian newspaper called his Road-to-Damascus conversion to cycling evangelist.

The Mayor autographs the Give Me 3 poster.

The contest, and resulting poster, were the result of a joint effort between the LACBC, Midnight Ridazz, LADOT and the LAPD, as well as the Mayor’s office.

Yes, that’s just as strange a coalition as it sounds. And one that would have been unimaginable just a year earlier.

The winning slogan, “Give Me 3,” was submitted by cyclist Danny Gamboa, and the poster was designed by L.A. based cyclist and graphic artist Geoff McFetridge.

The poster was also signed by many of the people who worked to make it happen.

According to the Mayor,

“California law currently requires drivers to give a ‘safe passing’ distance, but drivers may not know what safe means. Three feet is a safe passing distance and will help keep bicyclists out of the door zone.”

While the new campaign merely encourages drivers to give a minimum three feet distance when passing bike riders, Villaraigosa promised to work with cyclists and the state legislature to pass a state-wide three-foot passing law. A previous attempt to pass the law in 2006 failed to get out of committee after opposition from the trucking industry and the California Highway Patrol.

Who ever thought we'd see the Mayor flanked by cyclists and their bikes?

The website Three Feet Please says 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed three-foot laws, along with four cities — Austin and San Antonio Texas, Boise Idaho and Tupelo Mississippi. In fact, Mississippi recently became the latest to mandate a minimum three feet.

If they can manage to give cyclists a full yard on the narrow roads of the deep south, California drivers shouldn’t have any problem.

A phalanx of bikes storm the steps of power.

Villaraigosa also made a point of encouraging cyclists to wear a helmet, but did not mention his previous threat call for a mandatory helmet law. The event was followed by filming of a pair of PSA spots featuring the Mayor that will encourage safe driving and helmet use.

Other sites have already covered the press conference in greater detail, including the LACBC, LADOT Bike Blog, Streetsblog and the Mayor’s office; LADOT Bike Blog also offers a full listing of other coverage of the campaign.

A cross sections of cyclists sought shade while waiting to film the PSA.

It will be interesting to see what effect the Give Me 3 campaign will have on the streets of L.A.

In my experience, most drivers already pass at a safe distance, so the question is what influence it will have on the minority of drivers buzz cyclists — intentionally or not.

Or if they’ll only give a safe distance to riders who look like Gumby.

As I rode home, I spotted this poster just blocks from City Hall.

………

People for Bikes reaches 50,000 pledges to support cycling in the U.S.; if you haven’t signed up yet, you can do it here. I signed up a few months back.

………

Complaints surface about LADOT’s tendency to make infrastructure changes without public notice. Ten things to do at CicLAvia. Gary takes Agensys to task fighting a much needed biking link through Santa Monica. Glee’s Lea Michele rides a lavender cruiser through the streets of L.A. Headphones are legal while riding in most states, though California limits it to one ear only; then again, your choice of music could affect your performance. Rabobank, sponsor of one of the leading pro cycling teams, positions itself for next year’s Tour of California; thanks to George Wolfberg for the link. After receiving 110 units of blood to save his own life, a former CA police officer rides 4,000 miles across the country to thank blood donors; meanwhile, a Brit cyclist rides 3400 miles less across the U.S. to fight cancer; then again, she’s only seven years old. A Tucson bike-grabbing road grate gets a quick fix. If you get run over while talking on a cell phone while riding in Arizona, the courts could rule that distracted riding is relevant to your case. A Portland bike lane gets the Mario Kart treatment from the Department of DIY. A look at Dora Rinehart, the greatest female cyclist of the 1890s; from Colorado, of course. If you want to do a little climbing this weekend, how about 24.5 miles — and 7,700 vertical feet — up Pikes Peak? Somehow, a Kansas State student can get all the way to college, and still think that riding a bike in the street is annoying, rude and has to stop, regardless of what the law says. It takes real food, not energy bars, to get you through the long rides. British police crack down on anti-social cyclists — that sounds so much scarier than scofflaws, doesn’t it? UK authorities are set to reject a call to reduce the BAC limit from .80 to .50. How to adjust your front and rear derailleurs. Racer Rosa Bicycles strives to be cleaner and greener than the rest. Eleven months and 23,000 kilometers of riding across Africa. A New Zealand driver admits to falling asleep and killing a cyclist on Easter Sunday.

Finally, he’s doing it on two feet instead of two wheels, but a tenacious walker is about to finish a remarkable stroll from Rockaway Beach, NY to Rockaway Beach, OR; thanks to Brent for the heads-up.

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

More Le Tour, upcoming events and enough links to fill your weekend

July 10, 2010 / / 3 comments

After winning Thursday’s stage, Mark Cavendish puts a troubling year behind him, then celebrates by winning Friday’s Stage 6 as well. Aussie Robbie McEwen is injured in a crash after the stage is finished when a cameraman blocks his path, and two riders come to blows at the finish.

The Christian Science Monitor explains the meaning of peloton. Backstage news from the Tour, including Contador gives a gift to Lance and that dog is recovering nicely, even if David Millar can’t tell chien from chat. Speaking of Contador, word has it he’s staying with Astana. A little liquid sealant might have saved Lance from that flat on the cobblestones.

And in the inevitable daily doping report, Jan Ullrich’s former mentor admits to organizing doping expeditions for the former TdF winner.

………

In upcoming events, the monthly Spoke(n) Art Ride rolls through NELA Saturday evening. The LAPD-escorted Tour LaBonge will be rollin’ on the river on Wednesday; LADOT Bike Blog has a conversation with host and 4th District Council Member Tom LaBonge.

Don’t miss the farewell celebration for the LACBC’s Dorothy Kieu Le on Friday, July 16th starting at 4 pm at the Far Bar in Little Tokyo; I’m not sure if I can make it there, but I promise you she’ll be very missed by everyone who’s had the pleasure of working with her. Or knowing her, for that matter.

Speaking of the LACBC, they’ll be holding the Coalition’s monthly board meeting at the Encino Velodrome on Wednesday the 21st. Like all of the board meetings, it’s open to the public, whether or not you’re a member of the Coalition. The meeting starts at 7 pm, but you’re encouraged to arrive early to meet the board members and discuss whatever issues are important to you.

Mark your calendar for the Walk and Ride for a Safer 4th Street to promote the proposed 4th Street Bike Boulevard on Saturday, July 24th.

And in one final LACBC note, they’ll be hosting a fundraising dinner on August 12th for the award-winning City of Lights program, bringing mobility and self-reliance to Spanish-speaking riders throughout the L.A. area; tickets are just $35. There’s no website yet, but contact the LACBC for tickets, or just email me at the address on the About BikingInLA page and I’ll forward it to the right people.

………

It figures.

I finally find out there’s a Class 1 bike path next to the 405 Freeway between Church Street and the V.A. that doesn’t show up on any bike maps — when they send out an announcement that it’s closing for the next several months.

………

More Santa Monica sharrows are on their way, this time on 20th between Pico and the Freeway. Courtesy of Curbed LA, a bendable bike that can tie itself to a post. Pedicabs come to Downtown L.A. Thousand Oaks police have issued 176 tickets to cyclists in the last year, most for riding on the wrong side of the street; cyclists in Austin TX can have theirs dismissed by taking a defensive cycling course. Dangerous riding conditions and anger at BP converge at a Bay Area Arco station.

The University of Arizona lights up hazardous poles at night to protect cyclists. A New York cyclist is killed by a garbage truck; police speculate the driver may not know he hit anyone. South New Jersey sees its third cyclist killed in the last 30 days. The problem with vintage bikes is finding and fitting parts; maybe they have that problem recycling discarded bicycles from the local landfill at the state penitentiary. Mississippi police catch the YouTube bike harassers they were looking for. Charleston SC sees a roughly 100% increase in cycling. Just one link missing from a continuous bikeway between Pittsburgh and DC.

An angry driver lets a rider know the road isn’t big enough for both of them; she convinces him he was probably right. For the next month, bikes fly free on JetBlue; maybe you should take one of the world’s most expensive bikes with you. Dave Moulton tells drivers to please just go around him, already. The next time you’re looking for cycling information, check out the new online library of bike safety videos. Great tips for how to have a better experience on your bike — including getting honked at is good because it means the driver sees you. A great new marketing campaign for People for Bikes; I love the ad with the women in pumps. Proper seat adjustment can cure a bad case of bikers butt.

A 7-time cycling medalist returns to this year’s Gay Games in Cologne, Germany. Very cool cycling illustrations from London’s Transport Museum. London’s bike share program is ready to roll. Comparing bike superhighways in London and Copenhagen. Bristol, England is replacing 12 parking spaces with bike corrals; the local paper doesn’t seem to approve. A UK cyclist who overcame a serious spinal condition is killed on a charity ride. Drivers don’t respect cyclists and pedestrians, even in Eritrea. A Vancouver woman asks a columnist for help with her bike-hating husband. The chairman of the Pedestrian Council of Australia says we were here first, so slow down or keep your damn bike off our shared pathways.

Finally, if I see one more article headlined Bike Safety is a Two Way Street, I’m going to scream. Seriously. I mean it. No, really.

On the other hand, this is funny.

Category: General / Tags: , , , ,

When my lips move, who’s doing the talking?

June 22, 2010 / / 4 comments

But it’s all right now, I learned my lesson well. You see, you can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself. — Rick Nelson, Garden Party

I really didn’t think I needed to explain this.

I mean, it seems pretty obvious. And I always assumed my readers have sufficient intelligence to grasp the concept.

Then again, you’re not the problem.

So let me make this as clear as possible. I am not a journalist.

I have never worked for a newspaper, magazine, TV or radio station. At least, not since I edited my high school newspaper back in the Dark Ages.

And when I attend a meeting, I’m there to participate, because I think I have something to add to the conversation. Not to sit there silently taking notes.

Don’t get me wrong. I admire journalists. I don’t believe our society or system of government could survive without their under-appreciated and under-paid efforts.

But that’s not what I do.

So anyone who accuses me of violating journalistic ethics might as well accuse me of violating the Hippocratic Oath. Because I’m not a physician, either. Or a hippo, for that matter.

And this is not a news site, even though I link to a few.

What it is, is my opinion.

I may relay news that other people have reported if I think it’s important. Or I may relate something from my own experience, or a story someone has sent me or that I found online to illustrate a larger point. I may even break a story every now and then, as I did last summer.

But always from my own perspective.

That’s not to say that I don’t have my own standards. I always strive to be honest on here and tell you the truth the best I can, as I understand it. I try never to indulge in personal attacks, tempting though it may be at times. I try to be objective, and give you both sides of an argument when I can. And I’ll often link to or write about pieces that challenge my own assumptions, even if I don’t necessarily agree with them.

And I try always, above all, to be fair.

Do I always succeed?

Of course not.

I count on my readers to keep me honest. Just like Chewie did when I had the not-so-brilliant idea of creating the Idiot A**hole of the Month Award. And for which I’m still grateful.

Just like I count on you to catch my mistakes. Show me where I got something wrong, and I’ll fix it. If we disagree, I’ll usually present your argument as well as mine. But never forget that what you’re reading here is my opinion.

Which brings up the other point I want to make today.

I recently became a board member for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. However, that does not mean that I speak for the members and staff of the LACBC, or for the board. Or that they dictate what I say on here.

No one put words in my mouth in the 19 months I wrote this blog before I joined the LACBC, though some tried. And no one has in the months since.

Then again, they don’t need to. The LACBC has a highly competent and effective staff, more than capable of speaking for themselves. So if I support something the group says or does — or that anyone else says or does, for that matter — it’s because it has value.

No more, no less.

And just to clarify, when I wrote about John Fisher recently, for which I was so viciously attacked, not one person within the LACBC contributed a single word or thought to the piece, or reviewed it before it went online. Neither the LACBC nor anyone else vets what I write on here in any way.

If you like it, I get the credit. If you don’t, the blame is mine and mine alone.

As for the other side of the coin, I am just one of several board members. I do not lead the board and I don’t speak for it. Nor do I want to — on either count — whether I’m writing on here or speaking in public.

Anyone who tries to say otherwise has absolutely no idea what they’re talking about, and not one iota of fact to base it on.

One more thing.

When I was first approached about joining the LACBC board, I was flattered. And not interested.

While I was impressed with the work Aurisha Smolarski, Allison Mannos and Dorothy Le were doing in fighting for the rights of cyclists in front of the City Council, I had been a semi-regular critic of the organization. And my overall impression of it wasn’t always that favorable.

I was wrong.

As I investigated further, I found an organization committed to meeting the needs of a widely diverse community of cyclists, and making the streets safer for riders of all types. As well as one of the most dedicated and talented staffs, both employees and volunteers, that I’ve encountered in any organization.

And trust me, I’ve encountered a lot of organizations.

But what won me over was when board president Chet Kostrzewa said he considered critics such as myself to be the LACBC’s best friends, because they point out areas that need improvement. He also insisted that, board member or not, I continue to speak my own mind and push them to be a better and more effective organization.

And that I should continue to criticize the LACBC anytime I think it’s necessary.

So far, it hasn’t been.

If and when it is, I’ll let you know.

………

Interesting stats from London, where over 3,200 people were killed or seriously injured in traffic collisions in 2009 — and that’s an improvement. On the other hand, overall cyclist casualties were up 15%, and 76% of fatalities involved people outside of vehicles, such as cyclists, pedestrians and moped, scooter and motorcycle riders. And the city’s planned bike superhighways will get convex mirrors at intersections to help truck drivers spot cyclists.

Meanwhile, bike deaths in Scotland dropped by nearly half last year.

………

The Times uncovers the mystery behind the shrine to a dead father on the L.A. River Bike Path. Cyclist Joe Borfo calls for Project Civil Obedience at Friday’s LAPD accompanied Critical Mass. Council Member Tom LaBonge rides the new 4th Street sharrows Wednesday night — your chance to help LACBC lobby for the 4th Street Bike Boulevard. CicLAvia makes it into the latest draft of the city’s proposed bike plan; speaking of which, Oakland hosts Oaklavia this weekend. LADOT Bike Blog offers a great look at the LACBC’s City of Lights program. Texting while biking could soon be illegal. Cordova Street in Pasadena is going on a road diet. A proposed Santa Clara County ordinance threatens to end large group rides entirely. Caution: flying cyclists. Seattle gets its first buffered bike lanes; San Francisco is up next. An alleged drunk driver drags a Chicago bike cop over 30 feet during an attempted stop. A Cincinnati cyclist is killed by a driver who backs up and hits him again. One of the joys of biking is catching the jerks at the next red light. The good news is Tucson police were ticketing speeders; the bad news is, they were stopping them in the bike lane. Good reason to wear a helmet — that could have been his head. Two cyclists save a stranger from armed robbery. Pro cyclist Kim Kirchen emerges from his coma following his heart attack during the Tour of Switzerland, while Bike Radar looks at the upcoming Tour de France. A five-time British Olympic rower is seriously injured in a fall near the end of RAAM. A cyclist dies on Europe’s largest charity bike ride; evidently, so does a marriage. After getting hit by a car, a Canadian cyclist faces a fine for riding on the sidewalk. Your next bike could be a carbon/bamboo singlespeed fixie.

Finally, hats off to former LAPD Officer Kristina Ripatti-Pearce, paralyzed from the chest down in an on-duty shooting in 2006, who finished the RAAM ultra-endurance race on Monday along with the other members of her relay team.

Category: General / Tags: , , ,

L.A. gets sharrows, and the newly revised bike plan is released. No, really.

June 17, 2010 / / 4 comments

Big news in the L.A. bike world.

Just days after L.A. got its first — and second — sharrows, LADOT Bike Blog announces that the long-awaited revision to the city’s proposed bike plan will be released on Friday.

What, is it February already?

In what is, for L.A. at least, a seemingly ambitious plan, LADOT is proposing 200 miles of new infrastructure — in addition to what’s already funded or in progress — at a rate of 40 miles a year for the next 5 years.

Not quite New York’s 50 miles a year, let alone their recent 200 miles of new bikeways in just three years. But it’s a start, assuming it’s not the biking equivalent of vaporware. And that the city actually funds it and follows through, which is far from a given.

The blog — which has become surprisingly good at providing the department’s perspective — says the new plan will go well beyond the traditional Class 1 Bike Path, Class 2 Bike Lane and Class 3 Bike Routes by introducing a number of new-to-L.A. innovations:

Bicycle Friendly Streets – Bicycle Friendly Streets are a bit of a catch-all for streets where we don’t have the room to install bicycle lanes, but we still want to make the street as safe and useful for bicyclists as possible.  Treatments for Bicycle Friendly Streets could include Sharrows, traffic circles, bulbouts, choker entrances, bicycle loop detectors, traffic diverters, lane striping, and other traffic calming devices – depending on the type of street and volume of traffic.  This coves a lot of streets in the mid-Wilshire area, where the streets are already pretty tight and there’s no way to fit in more infrastructure.  If you’ve seen the Bicycle Boulevards in Berkeley, you’ve got a good idea of what we’re aiming for.

Pilot Streets – These are streets that may be good candidates for the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC) and federal (FHWA) Department of Transportation experimental project studies.  By arranging to do a CTCDC or federal project, the City can experiment with new infrastructure methods that normally aren’t allowed by Caltrans’ Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices(CA MUTCD).  As part of the federal experimental project, the federal government assumes legal liability for the project and offers technical and advisory assistance to the City in implementation.  The City, in turn, would be responsible for filing regular progress reports to the federal government.  For those who are fans of what Long Beach is doing for bike infrastructure, a lot of their projects were made possible through federal pilot projects.

Enhanced Bicycle Routes – Enhanced Bicycle Routes are current Bike Routes that the city would like to beef up.  These Bike Routes are usually on high-volume arterial streets that cannot fit a bike lane.  While these streets are too much of a thoroughfare to qualify for the treatments prescribed for “Bicycle Friendly Streets”, Enhanced Bicycle Routes may be eligible for Sharrows installation and enhanced signage.  The 2010 LA Bike Plan hopes to use Enhanced Bicycle Routes as a tool for “gap closure”, connecting the gaps between existing bike lanes on streets where a bike lane would not fit.

Transit Bike Lane – A Transit Bike Lane is a dedicated bus lane that also allows bicycle traffic.  You’ve probably seen signs on Figueroa Street near downtown to that effect.  City Planning hopes to implement similar Transit Bike Lanes in all places where dedicated bus lanes are going in, Wilshire Blvd. being an example.

Meanwhile, the LACBC notes that while some cyclists have complained about the placement of the sharrows on Fountain, others are excited to finally have a defined place on the road.

We understand the community’s concerns about proper placement of sharrows and we agree that in addition to getting sharrows on our streets the goal is to ensure that best practices are achieved. After contacting multiple bicycle advocacy organizations from different cities that have painted sharrows, LACBC has found that many place their sharrows at 11 or 12 feet and have reported positive reactions from local cyclists. We have also found that some cities paint them in the center of the lane or at 13 to 14 feet from the curb depending on lane width with very positive reactions from the community as well. Most of these cities reported following the guidelines as recommended from the San Francisco study and CAMUTCD code which states that the sharrow marking should be placed at a minimum of 11 ft, but optionally, the distance from the curb may be increased.

Moving forward, LACBC recommends that LADOT carefully consider alternate placement locations for sharrows depending on the lane width, traffic volume, size of parking lane, and other important factors that determine where they should be placed in order that sharrows are used effectively and appropriately when installed in the future. We also request that LADOT make it clear what the goals of the study are and maintain as much transparency as possible in order to build more trust within the community.

I rode the new 4th Street sharrows myself on Wednesday night, as I enjoyed an exceptionally pleasant rush hour ride to Downtown with a friend who knew all the back routes that I didn’t.

And while I didn’t measure them myself, they certainly seemed far enough from the curb. In fact, they were actually a little too far out in the lane for my taste.

But maybe I’ve just gotten a little too comfortable skirting the edge of the door zone over the years.

………

Speaking of the LACBC, they want to know what you think about the LAPD’s plans to crash next week’s Critical Mass; I’ve only been suggesting that the police join the ride for a couple years already.

And CicLAvia asks if a police-accompanied CM will really be a rolling ciclovía, and requests your help to kickstart the city’s first real ciclovía this fall.

………

RAAM continues as riders tweet from the Midwest. Spanish competitor Diego Ballesteros was hit by a car just east of Wichita when a driver drifted off the road and struck him from behind. He was airlifted to a local hospital in extremely critical condition, though reports indicate that his prospects for full recovery are good following surgery.

Mark Cavendish finds himself shaken, but not stirred, following his major crash in Tuesday’s sprint to the finish in the Tour of Switzerland, as other competitors protest his tactics and road rash takes him out of the competition. In non-Cavendish news, Rabobank’s Robert Gesink takes stage 6 and the overall lead. Meanwhile, the fallout from Landisgate continues.

Normally I’d be watching, but there’s this little sporting event in South Africa that has my attention right now, as Mexico reenacts Cinco de Mayo.

………

Thursday is Dump the Pump Day, as The Source reminds us.  And this is what L.A. may look like if we don’t dump our cars soon.

………

Cyclelicious reports that Gil Garcetti signed copies of his new book Paris, Women & Bikes — with forward by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Jen Klausner — Thursday night at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica. I flipped through the book at the River Ride earlier this month, and it’s a beautiful collection of photos on the subject; if you’re a fan of cycle chic, it’s worth checking out. The LACBC may have copies for sale soon.

If that name doesn’t quite ring a bell, Garcetti was L.A.’s District Attorney for eight tumultuous years, including the O.J. Simpson Trial; Thursday marked the 16th anniversary of the infamous slow speed chase. And rumor has it that Gil’s kid has a pretty good political career going himself, as well.

………

Here’s your chance to run L.A.’s other leading biking organization, as C.I.C.L.E. looks for a new executive director. Following the other day’s SMIDSY report, L.A.’s most entertaining bike blogger asks if an attractive woman in a pink dress riding a cargo bike with a huge potted plant can’t be seen by a driver, who can? Gary grows impatient with impatient drivers. LA Weekly reports on last week’s L.A. edition of the World Naked Bike Ride; not safe for work, as the Weekly notes; thanks to George Wolfberg for the link. Travelin’ Local looks at Los Angeles and Cities for Cycling. Dave Moulton offers a contrarian look at the recent Critical Mass Takedown. San Diego’s killer bike lane finally gets repaved. The bike-riding hit-and-run driver charged with intentionally attacking four cyclists in San Francisco pleads not guilty. The Reno paper looks at bike lawyer Bob Mionske prior to a speaking engagement in the other Nevada gambling town. New York police officers are in hot water for failing to report hitting a bike rider while driving on the wrong side of the street. A Phoenix rider is glad to have his bike lane, even if it is one just .117 of the time. The Obama administration is spending $1.2 billion to promote walking and cycling in the U.S.; thanks to Dr. Michael Cahn for the link. A federal study shows that biking and walking now account for 11.9% of all trips, while fatalities are down 12% and 22.3% respectively. Rock hopping and other stunts on a carbon Raleigh roadie. Scofflaws are scofflaws, regardless of vehicle. How to avoid big trouble with big trucks. How to stay cool in the long hot summer. Trek kills Gary Fisher, sort of. Bikes belong everywhere says Bikes Belong. The former Ugly Betty looks pretty good on her bike. A New England cyclist frightens drivers without even trying. Two St. Louis riders are shot by bike riding robbers. Brit train operators are trying to be more bike-friendly. A Prague tram driver chases down his runaway train by bike after it leaves the station without him.

Finally, five men have been found guilty for causing the death of a London cyclist who was inadvertently caught up in a two-vehicle dispute over a puppy. Yes, an innocent man died because fight over the price of a puppy.

And am I the only one who thinks Texas Rep. Joe Barton nominated himself for biggest political twit of the year Thursday morning?

Category: General / Tags: , , , ,
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