Tag Archive for Long Beach

Open Streets season opens, alleged drunk driver with suspended license kills teen fire refugee, and key bike bills in suspense

May 6, 2025 / / 3 comments
Day 126 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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It’s open streets season again.

The City of Bell kicked things off on Saturday with a one-mile carfree event on Gage Ave; as usual, Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers photos capturing the day.

Long Beach is hosting its next Beach Streets event from 10 am and 5 pm this Saturday.

According to a press release from the city,

This year’s event route will feature Willow Street and Santa Fe Avenue. Entertainment hubs along the route will feature live music, a kid zone, food trucks and more. More information regarding this year’s event, including a more detailed event route, entertainment, activities and other highlights, will be provided by the City at a later date.

That will be followed by the year’s first CicLAmini the following Saturday, a CicLAvia-style event with a shorter route to encourage people to walk rather than ride their bikes.

Here’s how their press release describes it.

Come enjoy a more pedestrian-oriented, car-free experience at CicLAvia’s 60th Open Streets event, CicLAmini—Pico Union, taking place on Sunday, May 18, between 10 a.m.–3 p.m. The public is invited to enjoy this compact neighborhood route for the day to explore Pico Union along Pico Blvd between Normandie and Union Aves. For all ages and abilities, CicLAmini—Pico Union offers walkers, joggers, bikers, skaters, and those who simply want to play with one’s favorite people-powered way to enjoy this 1.4-mile unique “pop-up park.” Always free, CicLAvia participants just show up anywhere along the route at any time to enjoy the open streets and to take the time to explore one of the most historic neighborhoods in all of Los Angeles…

“CicLAmini—Pico Union includes two hubs, where you’ll find the essentials, community partners, resource booths, photo ops, and more, plus activities for all ages sprinkled throughout the route. CicLAvia encourages participants to jog, walk, ride, skate, and bike along the open space. Free pedicab rides are also available next to each information booth to ensure that everyone, regardless of age or ability, is able to enjoy open streets. Please visit the CicLAvia website for updates regarding local gems, additional activities, and specials offered by local businesses along the route.

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Sadly, no surprise here.

Word broke yesterday that the woman who killed a popular Loyola high school senior just a month before graduation was driving on a suspended license due to a 2023 DUI.

And yes, she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence once again after the early morning collision on Sunday, as Levi Braun was walking with a friend along Sepulveda Blvd in Manhattan Beach.

Which means 33-year old Jenia Belt could face a murder charge, assuming she signed the required Watson notice informing her she could be charged with murder if she killed someone while driving under the influence anytime in the future.

She’s currently being held without bail in Manhattan Beach.

Compounding the tragedy, the 18-year old Levi, a three-year captain of his high school tennis team and four year league tennis champ, was living in Manhattan Beach because his family’s home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.

This is yet another tragic example of the many people who continue to drive — and yes, drive under the influence — after their licenses are suspended.

We will never know just how many of those we share the road with are driving without a license, because only a handful ever get caught. But even one is one too many.

It’s not enough to take away a driver’s license. We also need to impound or immobilize the driver’s car until they get their license back.

It’s clear that nothing else will stop a percentage of suspended drivers — perhaps a sizable percentage — from getting back behind the wheel anyway.

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Streetsblog offers a disappointing legislative update, with most of the bills benefiting bike riders placed in the suspension file.

Which means they could be revived, but it’s usually just a way to kill a bill without leaving fingerprints, so no one can be blamed for it.

To make matters worse, AB 697, which would allow SR 37 to be widened between Vallejo and SR 121 in Sonoma County moved forward, even though the project would run through protected habitats and wetlands, while endangering protected species.

Widening the highway also runs against California’s climate policies. Although it does make me wonder if we could get bicyclists and pedestrians added to California’s endangered species list.

And whether that would make any difference, given this misguided bill.

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A group of cops and their loved ones are riding over 800 miles through the heart of California to honor fallen officers.

According to the Santa Clarita Signal, the group stopped in the city to hold a ceremony at the SCV Sheriff’s Station to honor of officers who died in the line of duty.

Law Enforcement United is a group of federal, state and local officers, along with survivors who pedal their bikes to remember the surviving families, according to Rich Gallo, long-ride division director of Law Enforcement United.

“We started in San Francisco on April 30; we’ll end in San Diego on May 7. That’s 851 miles since we went via Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno, Bakersfield to Tehachapi and now into Santa Clarita. Tomorrow, we’ll do the circuit through and around Los Angeles and then down into Camp Pendleton into San Diego,” Gallo said.

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Thanks to John Cinatl for forwarding this item from Safe Routes to School announcing their annual summit this fall.

Get ready to connect, collaborate, and chart a path forward at the 2025 Safe Routes to School Virtual Summit! The 2025 Summit is completely virtual, and early bird tickets are now on sale for just $99!

We’re planning three days of engaging presentations, hands-on trainings, and educational conversations focused on topics that matter most to Safe Routes practitioners, including:

  • Quick win projects
  • Rural Safe Routes programs
  • E-bike safety and education
  • Walking school buses and bike trains
  • Creative partnerships
  • …and so much more!

Speakers are currently being confirmed, but you can expect useful tools, inspiring stories, and a community working to make walking and rolling safer and more accessible for communities throughout the country!

Early bird ticketing closes July 4, 2025!
Don’t miss this deal: register now!

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Yep. That about sums it up.

Thanks to someone who wishes to remain anonymous for the forward.

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

No surprise here. A British road safety expert says a new law that imposing life in prison for bike riders who kill pedestrians is unlikely to significantly improve safety, especially when the biggest threat comes from speeding drivers.

But sometimes its the people on two wheels behaving badly.   

Police in Dorsett, England are already spaying scofflaw riders of ebikes, quad bikes and motorbikes with fluorescent paint in order to identify and ticket them later, as part of a pilot project.

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Local 

This is who we share the road with. A man in his 70s somehow drove through the security gate at the home of Friends and The Morning Show star Jennifer Anniston, and was held at gunpoint by security guards until police arrived; at last report, there was still no word on whether the act was intentional.

Culver City issued a proclamation in support of Bike Month. Which unfortunately didn’t include restoring the MOVE Culver City protected bike lanes they ripped out, which is probably the only proclamation most of us want to hear from them.

ActiveSGV hosts a three-hour Bikes and Boats Tour this Saturday; the ride will explore the San Gabriel River Bike Path, the Whittier Narrows Recreational Area and the Merced Ave Greenway project, as well as including a free 30-minute paddle boat ride at Legg Lake. Although we all remember what happened with the last three-hour tour. Right, Gilligan?

 

State

Police in Westminster will hold a bicycle and pedestrian safety operation today, ticketing anyone who commits a violation that could endanger either group. As usual, ride to the letter of the law until you cross the city limits so you’re not the one who gets written up. 

Redding says forget the state’s failed ebike voucher program, and get one of that city’s $1000 ebike vouchers instead.

 

National

Pee Wee Herman’s iconic cruiser bike from 1985’s Pee Wee’s Big Adventure was sold to a private collector for $125,000. Which was over twice the estimated price, and a hell of a lot less than I thought it was worth.

Popular ebike maker E-Cells was the latest bikemaker to bite the dust, bringing the company’s all-wheel-drive, extremely high performance fat tire ebikes to a grinding halt, in part because of Trump’s 170% tariffs on Chinese-made bikes.

A judge in Queens, New York dismissed a lawsuit from a group of Long Island business owners, clearing the way for a protected bike lane through an industrial area that will probably improve safety for their drivers, as well as people on bicycles.

 

International

An Ontario, Canada website reminisces about those halcyon days of North America’s first bicycle craze.

Speaking of Ontario, a small town is celebrating its new crossrides, as opposed to crosswalks, allowing bicyclists to cross the intersection without dismounting. Or, go with me on this, they could just allow bicycles to use the already existing crosswalks.

Bicyclists in Northern Ireland decry the country’s dramatic and dangerous jump in drivers illegally parking in bike lanes.

A Welsh website recommends the rugged, jaw-dropping hiking and biking trails around the UK’s tallest dam that you’ve probably never heard of.

Stars & Stripes warns US service members about Japan’s new restrictions on bicyclists, making it illegal to ride salmon, ride abreast or ride using a smartphone. So much for using your phone’s GPS.

Three thousand people turned out for a race/fondo on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with elite teams competing for the win, and leisurely bicyclists just out for the ride.

 

Competitive Cycling

Sports Illustrated celebrates Colorado’s three-day Durango to Silverton Iron Horse Classic, calling the festival founded in 1971 America’s second-oldest bicycling event. Although it’s kind of sad that the second oldest bike event is only 54-years old, which says a lot about this country’s inability to sustain bike races and other bike events. 

My home state scored big in the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships, as Colorado Mesa University and the University of Colorado Boulder won the team omnium titles.

 

Finally…

That feeling when an AI written story wants to give California’s $2,000 ebike vouchers to motorists. Or when just riding your bike without a satnav is somehow a big deal.

And your next bike seat could rock and roll each of your buns separately.

No, really.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Update: 80-year old Long Beach resident Enrique Barajas killed by hit-and-run driver while riding bike on Atlantic Ave

January 22, 2025 / / Comments Off on Update: 80-year old Long Beach resident Enrique Barajas killed by hit-and-run driver while riding bike on Atlantic Ave

Enrique Barajas deserved better.

Then again, anyone who still rides a bicycle at 80 years old deserves better than to be killed by a cowardly hit-and-run driver.

According to investigators, Barajas was riding north on Atlantic Ave near Pleasant Street around 12:15 pm Monday, when he attempted to merge from the bike lane into the traffic lane. He was sideswiped by the driver of an SUV traveling in the same direction, who continued on without stopping.

The Long Beach native was taken to a local hospital where he died the next day.

The crash could have occurred where the bike lane ends as the road bed narrows under a railroad underpass, forcing anyone using it to move into the right lane.

However, some of the news reports indicate that Barajas was merging into the left lane when he was sideswiped by the SUV driver, who was traveling in the right lane. That suggests that Barajas may have been attempting to merge into the left lane to make a turn when he was struck on the right side, rather than the left.

Meanwhile, a Long Beach website raises the possibility that the driver may not have known that they struck Barajas. However, they should have known they hit something after seeing damage to the side of the vehicle.

Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach Police Detective Johnson at 562/570-7355, or anonymously at 800/222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org.

This was at least the fourth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

It also appears to be the first caused by a hit-and-run driver.

Update: James forwarded the following information about the location of the crash. 

This area is essentially a highway with narrow bike lanes, on street parking which puts all or most of the bike lane in the door zone as well as intersection designs that assume bicycle riders can and will mingle with high speed car traffic at intersections.  It’s basically Huntington Beach but with on-street parking and narrower bike lanes.  He apparently  was hit while moving into the “number one lane” in an area where a parked car could conceivably force you into traffic.

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

February meeting on Long Beach Orange Ave bikeway, and new bike plans for CA cities where that actually means something

January 22, 2025 / / 2 comments
Day 22 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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It’s another light bike news day, so let’s jump right in. 

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

A Next City op-ed says Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s campaign to rip out Toronto’s bike lanes has nothing to do with traffic, and is all about the battle between “Old Toronto” and the city’s auto-centric suburbs. Or maybe just an egocentric, bike-hating politician. 

Once again, bicyclists have been the victims of anti-bike attack, as a Wellington, New Zealand man was lucky to escape with just a flat tire after someone tossed tacks onto a number of bikeways around the city; as a recent chemo patient, he had to rely on the kindness of strangers to change his tube. Several other people took to social media to report similar attacks, which have been going on since last month.

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

It turns out the French ebike rider we mentioned yesterday who pled guilty to causing the death of a 51-year old man riding a regular bicycle in Yorkshire, England was actually riding an electric motorcycle, which explains the confusion over the charges. Which is why we need to find another term to distinguish between ped-assist ebikes, and electric mo-peds and motorcycles.

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Local  

Long Beach will host a public meeting February 13th to discuss the Orange Avenue Backbone Bikeway along the city’s deadliest corridor for pedestrians, and part of Long Beach’s Elevate ‘28 five-year infrastructure plan.

 

State

New Streetsblog California editor Damien Newton introduces himself, and says his approach to the site will be a little more “bloggy.” While former editor Melanie Curry will be missed, the site couldn’t be in better hands than Damien, who brought Streetsblog to California in the first place as the founder of Streetsblog Los Angeles.

Goleta is conducting an E-Bike Safety Awareness Week this week, which seems to consist mainly of watching an ebike safety video and the CHP’s online ebike safety and training program.

Berkeley is asking for feedback on the city’s 2017 bike plan, as they prepare to update it later this year; the city has identified ten key projects for the new plan. Although the real question is how much of the old plan was actually built, to give some idea of how seriously to take the new one. 

San Francisco introduced a new bike plan calling for improvements to 385 routes or street segments. Unlike Los Angeles, they actually dust theirs off from time to time. Never mind that LA’s bike plan hasn’t been updated since 2010, unless you count councilmembers removing key streets from the plan before it was subsumed into the new mobility plan in 2016.

 

National

People For Bikes says the new AASHTO and NACTO — aka American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and National Association of City Transportation Officials — bikeway guides offer valuable resources for communities to build great places to ride.

An Oregon legislator says “oopsie” about his new bill that would ban throttle-controlled Class 3 ebikes from sidewalks bike lanes, clarifying that it was probably a “misnomer” on his part, since Class 3 ebikes are ped-asssist, rather than throttle-controlled, and that the law was actually targeted towards small electric motorcycles and mopeds.

Two-way, curb-protected bike lanes have now made their way south to Tampa, Florida, in the heart of the country’s deadliest state for people on bicycles. .

 

International

Momentum ranks the best international bicycle festivals worth traveling for; #1 on the list is Monterey’s Sea Otter Classic. Although what’s missing is any mention of LA’s CicLAvia, though they do include the original in Bogotá.

An Irish minister cancelled plans for a major cut to the Value Added Tax for bicycles over fears that retailers might pocket the savings instead of passing them on to bike buyers. In the simplest terms, VAT is like a sales tax that is built into the retail price, rather than adding it on afterwards; the advantage is that the price you see is the price you pay.

A Dutch university researcher is hitting the road on an ebike equipped with an array of LIDAR sensors to map and identify everything on the road, in an effort to develop an AI system to help drivers avoid people on bicycles.

 

Competitive Cycling

Velo remembers pioneering American cyclist Doug Shapiro, a two-time Olympian, 1984 Coors Classic champ, and just the third Yank to ride in the Tour de France.

 

Finally…

Your next e-mountain bike could be a Porsche. It’s not a high bike theft zone, it’s a Bicycle Redistribution Point.

And that feeling when a reviewer calls a futuristic hubless ebike a death trap and the worst bicycle in the world.

But other than that, he liked it, right?

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Fundraiser for Long Beach woman injured in hit-and-run, more on CA ebike voucher fail, and undercharging killer drivers

December 23, 2024 / / Comments Off on Fundraiser for Long Beach woman injured in hit-and-run, more on CA ebike voucher fail, and undercharging killer drivers
Just 9 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025, a decade of failure in which deaths have continued to climb. 
Yet no city official has mentioned the impending deadline, or the city’s failure to meet it. 

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

Thanks to Jame S, Paul F, Patti A, David A, Penny S, SAFE, Patrick M and San M for they generous donations to keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way every day!

But time is running out. So don’t wait!

Stop what you’re doing and give now!

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We usually never hear about bike riders injured by drivers unless someone gets killed.

If then.

That was the case once again in Long Beach this past October, when a staff member with the Long Beach Beer Lab suffered a spinal injury when she was struck by a cowardly hit-and-run driver while riding her bike to work.

A crowdfunding campaign has raised over $8,500 of the relatively modest $10,000 goal, which will likely cover only a small fraction of Julie’s medical expenses.

So it’s okay if you skip donating to the BikinginLA Fund Drive this year, as long as the money goes to help her out, instead.

Thanks to James for the heads-up. 

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Sure. Let’s go with that.

After last week’s failure by design of the launch of the California ebike voucher program, a spokesperson for the California Air Resourced Board discussed the values of ebikes.

“E-bikes help address two pressing problems in the state: pollution from transportation sources and the need to increase mobility options for people who need the boost the most,” said Lisa Macumber, Branch Chief of CARB’s Equitable Mobility Incentives Branch. “The program is a reflection of California’s innovation in finding air quality solutions and its commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind in a zero emissions future.”

Yet somewhere around 100,000 people who qualified among those “who need the boost most” were in fact left behind, as CARB intentionally throttled the rollout, limiting it to just 1,500 applicants. Even though they knew in advance that would meet just a tiny fraction of the anticipated demand.

And by targeting the program to lower-income people who need it the most — presumably meaning those without other means of transportation — they appear to be aiming it at people who would otherwise use relatively clean mass transit, as opposed to those who drive dirty gas-burning private vehicles.

Which would have exactly the opposite effect of addressing pollution from transportation source.

Just two more example of how badly this program has been planned and rolled out.

And don’t get me started on having the program managed by a firm that is currently the subject of a criminal investigation.

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This is why people keep dying on our streets.

A middle school teacher was convicted of the distracted driving death of a 10-year boy riding a bicycle just minutes from my bike-friendly Colorado hometown after a four-day trial.

Yet she was only charged and convicted on a misdemeanor for killing the little boy, along with a second misdemeanor count she previously admitted to for deleting texts from her phone — including one sent just 11 seconds before the crash.

Meanwhile, a friend of hers tried to help her out by getting the boy’s ghost bike removed.

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‘Tis the season.

A formerly incarcerated Bay Area man discusses the joy he feels helping to organize an annual bicycle giveaway program, which distributed 250 new bikes this year; the Community Giveback program — formerly the Big Bike Giveaway — started 25 years ago with inmates in San Quentin who refurbished bikes for kids.

A Maui, Hawaii car dealer has given away bicycles to kids and families for eleven years, this year donating a total of 500 bikes on Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi.

Kindhearted cops in Gilbert, Arizona gave a new bike to a six-year old girl, after hers was stolen during a recent trip to the park, when officers saw a post from the girl’s mom on Nextdoor.

Equally kindhearted cops in Midland, Texas gave a new bicycle to a young girl when the one she received as an early Christmas present was somehow destroyed. Unless they were the ones who destroyed it, of course, in which case forget the “kindhearted” part. 

The NFL’s Houston Texans hosted their annual bicycle giveaway for 100 local elementary school students.

Over 170 Ohio kids received new bikes and helmets through a bike giveaway program that distributed bicycles to economically-disadvantaged children in a three-county area.

Still more kindhearted cops, this time in Boston, gave a young girl a new bicycle, just because one of the officers knew she wanted one.

The annual Syracuse, New York CNY Family Bike Giveaway distributed over 2,000 bicycles to local kids.

An Alabama Baptist church gave more than 300 bicycles to local kids as part of their 4th Annual Christmas Bicycle Giveaway.

Two hundred children got new bicycles in Sweetwater, Florida when Santa Claus swooped in and gave them all a bike and a toy.

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

New Yorkers should all send a thank you card to New York DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, who has come out against the mayor’s call to require license plates and registration all ebikes.

The mayor of Guelph, British Columbia is calling for a pause on any new bike lanes that require removing a traffic lane or parking spaces, after some people complained about the most recent one. Once again, prioritizing the convenience of drivers over the lives and safety of people on bicycles.

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Local  

Streets For All posted their annual report card grading every state legislator’s efforts on improving safety and mobility.

Metro closed out the latest round of comments on the “underwhelming” Vermont Bus Rapid Transit project on Friday.

Malibu remains committed to improving safety along Southern California’s killer highway, prioritizing safety over access in PCH transformation plans. Meanwhile, the Mountain Resource and Conservation Authority and sister organization the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy are attempting to derail the plans in order to protect access to parking, while blaming crashes on drunk drivers.

 

State

Not everyone on the road is supposed to be there. A bike rider in Victorville was hospitalized after he was struck by a 16-year old driver without a license. Even if the story said a red bicycle was hit by the maroon car, apparently with no humans involved

A Palo Alto advocate calls for less parking and more homes for a better environment.

Sad news from San Francisco, where a man in his 30’s was killed when he was struck by the driver of a massive Chevy Tahoe while riding his bike near a freeway off-ramp, then hit by multiple other drivers. Although the news report identified the initial driver merely as “the Tahoe man.”

San Francisco cops fatally shot a security guard as he worked outside the Dior store in Union Square, after a bizarre chain of events that began when an ebike rider allegedly scratched his SUV; he then hit two girls coming out of a Chipotle when he jumped a curb while chasing the bike rider with his car.

The Los Angeles Times considers the furor over the planned closure of San Francisco’s beachfront Great Highway, which will be transformed into a walking and biking path, as auto-centric residents launch a recall attempt against a local councilmember who backed the plan — apparently forgetting that the proposal was approved by city voters in not one, but two recent elections. Never mind that part of the highway is already falling into the sea. 

 

National

Cycling Savvy posts ebike resources for parents.

Construction began on a “controversial” protected bike lane in Denver, after the city scaled it back to preserve parking spaces; a driver crashed into a home on the street Thursday night, which could have been prevented if the bike lane had already been in place.

Organizers of Cleveland’s St. Paddy’s Day parade claim they’re being pushed off their preferred street by a new bike lane, which the city’s mayor termed a “$25 million…once-in-a-generation infrastructure investment to improve traffic safety, provide equitable transportation options, and beautify the street.” Seriously, how much room do a bunch of drunk people need to stumble down the street, anyway?

An Atlanta man was robbed when two masked men pulled up in a car and demanded his backpack and ebike while he was riding to work, then shot him in the leg afterwards for no apparent reason; a crowdfunding campaign to help replace the stolen items has raised just $730 of the $5,000 goal.

 

International

Momentum explains why it makes sense for governments to pay people to bike to work.

Canadian Cycling Magazine recommends new things to try on your bike in the coming year, from Everesting to a group ride.

If you think biking to work can be a challenge in sunny Los Angeles, trying carrying a tux and a double bass to work in the Canadian winter, as a professional musician with the Winnipeg, Manitoba symphony does on a daily basis.

Yet another study has confirmed that people who bike to work tend to live longer — this time an 18-year study involving more than 82,000 Scottish adults, which showed that bike commuting “significantly lowers the risk of early death, hospitalizations, and a range of chronic illnesses.”

A British bike rider says potholes are making the roads around Shropshire a “deathtrap,” after a fried suffered serious injuries hitting one on his bike.

A Gazan paracyclist says he still has hope, even if he couldn’t make it to the Paralympics this year. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.

A Thai social media influencer learns that hard way that if you’re going to film a video on the train tracks to promote bicycling to your followers, maybe do it after all the trains have passed.

Australia’s Bicycle Bandit’s nearly two decade reign of terror is apparently over.

 

Competitive Cycling

Team Visma|Lease a Bike has signed the youngest-ever rider to a WorldTour contract; 17-year-old junior rider Ashlin Barry will join the team’s developmental squad, following victories in the U.S. national road and time trial races in his first year as a junior.

Mathieu van der Poel is considering skipping next year’s Tour de France to concentrate on winning a world title in mountain biking, after underwhelming performances since making his debut in 2021.

Hats off to American BMX star Hannah Roberts, who won her fifth consecutive freestyle world championship. 

Bike Magazine looks back at “amazing” footage of the evolution of Downhill World Cup Racing.

 

Finally…

That feeling when local officials ban parking in a bike lane, only to realize it was a typo. We may have to deal with flighty LA drivers, but at least we don’t have to worry about getting chased by an ostrich; thanks to David Wolfberg for the heads-up.

And now you, too, can finally have the Schwinn Sting-Ray you coveted as a kid, complete with five-speed stick shift and death-defying handlebars.

Or was that just me?

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

LA does squat on speed cams, bike lanes boost property values, and judge in DEA case rules running stop sign “reasonable”

December 6, 2024 / / One comment
Just 25 short days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025. 
But not one LA city leader seems to give a damn about it.
Or if they do, they’re not saying anything. 

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It’s Day 8 of the 10th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Thanks to Ken S, Bonnie W, Mark J, Kent S and Mari L for their generous donations to keep SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy your way every day.

So don’t wait. Take just a moment, and donate now! 

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According to Streetsblog, not one of the six California cities allowed to use speed cams as part of a pilot program to reduce speeding — or seven, counting late addition Malibu — have actually installed any nearly a full year later.

San Jose, San Francisco, Glendale, and Oakland have publicly announced which locations they are considering for the cameras, while the ‘Bu has begun developing a policy and impact report, as required by law.

But is anyone really surprised that Los Angeles doesn’t appear to have done a damn thing so far?

And stop smirking, Long Beach, because you’re in the same sinking boat with us.

Making matters worse, the proposal for the program originated right here in LA as part of our Vision Zero program. You know, back when we actually had a Vision Zero program.

Maybe someday, our current elected leaders with actually give a damn about protecting human lives, at least as much as our previous leaders.

You know, the ones who were great at announcing new programs, without ever actually implementing them.

At least they’ve that last part down.

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No surprise here, as a new English study has confirmed that bike lanes improve property values, with home prices in Manchester increasing up to 8% after its bikeways went in.

And the closer homes were to a bike lane, the greater the increase, as people were willing to pay more to live close to a bicycle network.

Which could be the best argument yet to overcome the built-in resistance of homeowners to any changes to the local streets in their neighborhood — or to the loss of trees or parking spaces.

As in, “Yes, ma’am, you may have to start using your driveway for its intended purpose, but your home will probably be worth more.”

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An Oregon man expressed his displeasure after a judge dismissed charges against the DEA agent who killed his wife of 27 years as she rode her bicycle — while wearing a hi-viz vest, and with multiple flashers on her bike — accusing the agent of “playing Russian roulette with his vehicle pointed at the public.”

His comments came in response to the judge’s bizarre conclusion that the agent “reasonably” believed he could safely run a stop sign while pursuing a suspect at 12 mph over the posted speed limit, without lights and siren.

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

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‘Tis the season.

Cycling Weekly offers this year’s Cycling Christmas Gift Guide for the bike rider in your life. And yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to give yourself the perfect gift this year.

Czech carmaker Škoda’s We Love Cycling website offers “reasonable” Christmas gifts for bicyclists, because unreasonable gifts are just so passé.

One hundred and twelve Raleigh, North Carolina 3rd graders were surprised with new bicycles and helmets for the holidays, after being told they were just going to an assembly.

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It’s now 351 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.

Meanwhile, no bias here, as the New Santa Ana website calls the vouchers bad news for public safety, suggesting they’ll be used by “crazy and sometimes criminal juveniles on e-bikes” to further terrorize California residents.

Just wait until they learn about rebates for all those electric cars and Tesla trucks.

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

After posting letters in support of a recent badly misguided and misleading opinion piece attacking DC bike lanes, the Washington Post kept their promise to post letters supporting bike lanes and our basic right to survive on the streets. Although they seem to have ignored my suggestion to just link to my piece dismantling the writer’s arguments.

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Local  

Start the New Year right, or at least the Lunar New Year, with the 47th Annual L.A. Chinatown Firecracker, offering a wide range of runs, bike rides and other assorted activities to ring in the Year of the Snake.

 

State

The popular Cathedral Oaks Road bike path in western Goleta now has a shiny new surface, complete with smoother pavement and clearer markings for bicyclists and pedestrians alike.

Streetsblog takes The San Francisco Standard to task for suggesting that Vision Zero is some sort of unachievable utopian fantasy, arguing that other places have reduced traffic deaths to zero, even if San Francisco hasn’t done enough to get there. Actually, Vision Zero is a utopian fantasy as long as cities adopt it without implementing it, somehow expecting traffic deaths to magically go down. And yes, I’m looking at you, Los Angeles.

 

National

Bicycling explains how the wrong bike fit setup could be what’s making your hands go numb when you ride. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t appear to be available anywhere else, so you’re on your own if the magazine blocks you.

Sheriff’s deputies in Houston, Texas arrested a 22-year old hit-and-run suspect as she was trying to board a plane to leave the state, just hours after she allegedly killed a man riding a bicycle, then abandoned her car a mile away.

Streetsblog Chicago offers a virtual ride down the city’s new protected bike lane, which was build in a converted parking lane.

 

International

Cycling Weekly explains the differences between the various flavors of gravel riders, even if the lines differentiating them are a little blurry.

Eleven inspirational stories of people who took transformative journeys on their bike. Or maybe twelve, counting the author, who sold her belongings and took a year-long global bike tour.

Momentum introduces the Toronto artist who developed a virtually unwinnable bicycling video game to demonstrate the need for safe bike lanes. And yes, spellcheck, unwinnable is a word, so stop changing the damn thing.

Recently retired Italian cycling champ Domenico Pozzovivo was fined the equivalent of slightly less than 20 bucks for riding side-by-side with another rider while training at Lake Como, which is against the law in the country — but said that after getting hit several times by drivers, “As long as I ride a bike, I will always ride in double file. I prefer to pay a fine than risk my life.”

 

Competitive Cycling

Snopes tracks down the truth about an apocryphal story of a 66-year old Swedish man who earned the nickname “Grandpa Steel” when he won an 1,100-mile bike race, despite being denied entry because he missed 40-year old age limit by a mere 26 years. And finds that yes, an elderly man actually was given the nickname “Stålfarfar,” — or “Steel Grandfather” in English — after finishing first in the 1951 Sverigeloppet race, despite being told he couldn’t compete because of his age. But he was 65, not 66, and wasn’t actually the winner, because you can’t win a race you haven’t entered.

Cycling Up To Date questions whether anything can be done to prevent collisions on training rides, after Remco Evenepoel joined the rapidly growing club of pro cyclists who’ve suffered nasty crashes. I mean, aside from building safer streets, requiring automotive warning and active braking systems, and getting drivers to put down their phones and pay attention to the road in front of them, that is. 

 

Finally…

Avoid the festive faux pas of giving the wrong bike stuff this holiday season. Now you, too, can build your own e-cargo bike using a discarded bike frame.

And seriously, anyone can cross a bridge the easy way.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

5-year old hit-and-run victim declared brain dead, Burbank law firm’s bike giveaway, and speed cams coming to Long Beach

July 12, 2024 / / Comments Off on 5-year old hit-and-run victim declared brain dead, Burbank law firm’s bike giveaway, and speed cams coming to Long Beach
Just 172 days left until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Truly heartbreaking news, as the five-year old boy critically injured in a Garden Grove hit-and-run isn’t going to make it.

KNBC-4 is reporting that doctors have declared little Jacob Ramirez brain dead, but his mother asked for another day before she has to let him go.

Jacob was injured when 29-year old Ceferino Ramos allegedly plowed into the family on Sunday as Jacob’s mother and father were riding their bikes, towing their three young children behind in child trailers.

The entire family was initially hospitalized, with Jacob, his father and six-year old sister critically injured, while his mother and eight-month old sister were released the next day.

Let’s just hope his parents donate Jacob’s organs so something good can come from this nightmare.

Meanwhile, Ramos was arrested after being followed by a witness to the crash, after which he had a .22 blood alcohol level — nearly three times the legal limit.

He faces charges that including DUI causing bodily injury and hit-and-run with permanent injury or death; however, if he has a previous DUI on his record, that will likely be upgraded to murder sometime after Jacob is declared dead on Friday.

Photo from Ramirez Family GoFundMe page.

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A Burbank lawyer is giving away ten bicycles to “deserving” kids this summer, and looking for nominations.

The Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti is hosting their 3rd annual bike giveaway, and looking for kids who live within ten mile of the accident attorney’s office at 4444 W Riverside Dr #308 in Burbank.

Do you know a special child aged 6 to 17 who goes above and beyond to do something nice for someone else? Or who positively impacts their siblings, classmates, or community? We want to reward these exceptional kids with a brand-new bike, helmet and t-shirt! Nominate a child who you believe deserves this special recognition. Share their story and let us know why they stand out.

Nominate a Child

Winners will be announced on July 26th, so you have about two weeks to get your noms in.

………

Long Beach is working to improve safety by installing speed cams as part of a pilot program, with revenue going to first pay for the program, then be used for traffic-calming measures at the affected sites.

Los Angeles and Glendale were also approved for the program by the state in Southern California, along with three NorCal cities.

A bill to permit them on deadly PCH in Malibu continues to move forward in the state legislature.

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Those new bike lanes on Hollywood Blvd are looking pretty good.

Although the tents on the sidewalk remind you it’s still, you know, Hollywood.

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Metro is extending their mobility wallet program, and looking for new applicants.

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Bike Talk is getting pretty high level guests these days, including one of America’s most respected bike scribes, along with one of the country’s leading traffic safety advocates.

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It’s now 204 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 37 full months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

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

A Portland driver somehow got onto a fully separated and protected bike path alongside the I-5 Freeway, using it as their own personal speedway.

Seriously? Someone in Louisville KY called the cops on an eight-year old kid for riding her bike on the street.

No bias here. A local Conservative leader in the UK calls people who support bike lanes the “active travel Taliban.”

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

A woman crossing the street near New York’s Central Park was struck by a bikeshare rider who allegedly ran the red light; witnesses said she must be from out of town because locals know red lights are meaningless in the city.

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Local 

Los Angeles considers a bold plan to close Wilshire Blvd through MacArthur Park in an effort to reconnect the bifurcated park; the city is ordering a $2.5 million study to decide what we already know — cars don’t belong in parks.

This is who we share the road with, part one. Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer is being sued for wrongful death after killing a pedestrian who was crossing in an Alhambra crosswalk while Klinghoffer was allegedly driving distracted earlier this year.

Mark your calendar for the return of CicLAvia to the Hollywoods, East and West, in another five short weeks.

 

State

Calbike says SB 960, the Complete Streets Bill, has passed out of the Assembly Transportation Committee by a wide margin, but in a weaker form than before it was amended.

Calbike also offers an update on all the active transportation bills still alive in this year’s legislative session. Thanks to Oceanside bike lawyer and BikinginLA sponsor Richard Duquette for the heads-up.

The California Transportation Commission will hold a public workshop next Wednesday to discuss plans for the next round of Active Transportation funding, which was cut by two-thirds to just $200 million this year.

The Orange County Register has more on the 58-year old Irvine man who was arrested on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter and driving while stoned following the death of a man riding a bicycle in Newport Beach two years ago. No word on what the hell took them so long, however. 

This is who we share the road with, part two. A longtime Ontario city counselor has been arrested for hit-and-run and DUI; Jim Bowman has been on and off the Ontario city council for the last 40 decades. Apparently they don’t have effective term limits there. Or someone to take away his keys. 

Some questions just answer themselves. Streets For All founder Michael Schneider asks if the Coachella Valley is too car centric in a Palm Springs op-ed.

Good question. SF Gate wants to know why the streets of San Francisco are still dangerous, ten years after the city adopted Vision Zero. Then again, Los Angeles is only one year behind them in our epic Vision Zero fail.

A San Francisco fitness influencer who works for Apple in Cupertino says he loves his 50-mile, three-hour bike commute to work, even if other people think it’s crazy.

San Francisco merchants get out the torches and pitchforks after learning the city’s nearly finalized bike network plan could result in the loss of “a lot” of parking. Because as we all know, people on bicycles never buy anything, right?

A Berkeley website remembers longtime bicyclist Howard Sutherland, who literally wrote the book on bicycle repair. The site reports Sutherland died peacefully in his sleep; he was 75.

 

National

Gear Junkie says buy your new ebike now, because Biden’s new China tariffs are already raising prices. To which California’s ebike rebate program says…nothing. 

A Las Vegas writer escapes the broiling heat for a bike ride along the Oregon coast.

In a story that sounds like it could have come from Los Angeles, a Chicago program to ticket drivers who park in bike lanes still hasn’t gotten off the ground after 16 months.

Police are looking for an Indianapolis man who offered to mow a woman’s lawn, then made off with her lawnmower and bicycle.

The mayor of Parsippany, New Jersey vowed to improve safety after an eight-year old boy was killed in a collision while riding his bike this week. Just a tad late. But still. 

 

International

Momentum says prioritizing bicycles can save cities money and boost local economies, and also rates the year’s top ten “coolest summer bikes.” Although what makes something a summer bike, as opposed to spring or fall, I have no idea.

No surprise here. Luxury Travel magazine rates the best countries for bicycling, none of which are in North America.

Public bikeshare is making big gains in Canada, with double-digit growth in cities across the country.

An Ottawa, Canada website warns that the city has work to do, as pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists remain at risk from drivers.

In a surprising outcome, an Oxford, England bike rider was acquitted on a charge of causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving — yes, driving — for a pathway collision that resulted in the death of an 81-year old woman, after crashing into her with his bicycle: a witness was criticized for bias by prosecutors for testifying that the victim fell, rather than being knocked over.

Dutch ebike maker Cowboy pulled its new augmented reality ebike racing game after complaints from government officials, including the mayor of Amsterdam, for encouraging riders to race one another on the country’s streets.

German researchers call for more separated and well-built bike lanes to reduce the number of bicycling collisions in the country, where four bike riders are killed and 50 seriously injured each week.

Thor is one of us, as Chris Hemsworth goes for a leisurely bike ride with his wife and kids in Barcelona.

That’s more like it. A British man was sentenced to 22 years behind bars for intentionally ramming a man riding a bicycle in Cyprus with his car, after fighting with him outside a nightclub.

A South African website explores the world’s most bicycle-friendly travel destinations. None of which are Los Angeles.

 

Competitive Cycling

Two-time Tour de France champ Jonas Vingegaard won Wednesday’s stage 11, outsprinting Tadej Pogačar despite getting dropped earlier in the race. Read the first link on Yahoo if Bicycling blocks you. 

Just days after becoming the first Black African to win a stage in the Tour de France, Biniam Girmay won his third stage in a mass sprint at the end of Thursday’s stage 12; Tadej Pogačar continued to lead the general classification by 1 minute 6 seconds over Remco Evenepoel, with Vingegaard in third by eight seconds.

Newly crowned Tour stage win record holder Mark Cavendish was relegated following a mass sprint at the end of stage 12, in what could be one of the final sprints of his storied career.

There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole 11 Enve bikes worth more than $167,000 from the TotalEnergies cycling team at the Tour de France, including the main bike ridden by stage 9 winner Anthony Turgis.

Egyptians are angry after a 19-year old woman was selected for the country’s Olympic team despite swerving into a competitor and knocking her into a cement barrier; she was chosen even though she had received a one-year ban from the Egyptian Cycling Federation as a result.

SoCal’s “most prestigious cycling event” takes place this weekend with the return of the 61st Annual Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix on Sunday.

Escape Collective considers the “weird and wonderful world of American bike racing.”

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can ride the legendary Alpe d’Huez without breaking a sweat. There are many accepted uses for a bicycle, but throwing one at a passing woman isn’t one of them.

And maybe if you wear this, they might get the point.

Or not.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

Police blame the victim after 18-year old Raider Magallanes killed in Signal Hill bicycling collision last week — even though witnesses contradict them

June 26, 2024 / / 4 comments

Nothing like blaming the victim.

A Long Beach boy was killed riding his bike in Signal Hill last week, and the local police were quick to blame him for his own death.

Maybe too quick.

According to the Long Beach Post, 18-year old Raider Magallanes was training with a couple friends around 7:35 pm on Tuesday, June 18th when he “collided into a moving vehicle” at Cherry Ave and Skyline Drive.

There’s no word on whether Magallanes died at the scene, or after being taken to a hospital after the crash.

And yes, the driver stuck around afterwards, as required by law and basic human decency.

Signal Hill police determined that the recent high school graduate ran the red light after descending a steep hill while headed west on Skyline Drive, apparently based on a security cam from a nearby grocery store.

However, according to Velina Velasquez, the boy’s aunt and legal guardian, numerous witnesses have come forward to say Magallanes — not the driver — had the green light. And that the traffic lights couldn’t be seen in the video that captured the crash.

Which raises the question of whether there were any independent witnesses who told police Magallanes ran the red light. Or if they just took the driver’s word for it.

Magallanes had graduated with honors from Long Beach Polytechnic High School just five days before the crash, and was training with friends in anticipation of joining the Marines in August.

His aunt adopted Magallanes and his two brothers when he was eight years old, and raised him as her own.

Velasquez has stayed near the intersection for the past week, talking with anyone who may have seen the crash. During that time, she’s witnessed several near-misses, along with a hit-and-run, and says more needs to be done to improve safety.

“There needs to be a camera here, there should have been a camera here,” Velasquez said.

A crowdfunding campaign has raised less than $7,000 of the $30,000 goal.

This is at least the 26th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

Magallanes’ death came just four days after another fatal bicycling collision less than four miles away in Long Beach.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Raider Magallanes and all his loved ones.

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

Update: Man riding bicycle killed in early morning rear-end collision near CSU Long Beach; 6th LA County bike death this year

June 14, 2024 / / 4 comments

Friday was a bad day for Southern California bike riders — starting with a deadly pre-dawn wreck in Long Beach.

According to My News LA, the victim was riding east on 7th Street at Bellflower Blvd around 5:05 am, when he was run down from behind by a driver traveling in the same direction.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, died at the scene before paramedics arrived.

The driver stopped after the crash. Police don’t believe that speeding, distracted driving, or driving under the influence were factors in the crash.

There’s no word on whether the victim had lights on his bike in the pre-dawn hour, or why the driver was apparently unable to see him riding directly in front of their vehicle.

It’s unclear exactly where the crash occurred, however, as Patch Long Beach places the location four-tenths of a mile away, at 7th Street and Campus Drive across from CSU Long Beach.

According to reports, the victim was riding in the right traffic lane when he struck by the driver, who also has not been publicly identified.

However, there is a bike lane on 7th, which the victim would likely have been riding in unless it was blocked, or he was moving across the roadway to make a turn.

Since his body was found on the sidewalk, it seems more likely that the driver drifted into the bike lane, knocking him to the right, than the other way around.

Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach Police Detective Joseph Johnson at 562/570-7355, or Crime Stoppers at 800/222-TIPS.

This is at least the 23rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 42-year old Keith Moore, no city of residence given.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Keith Moore and all his loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Bike the Vote today, DUI death of Master’s champ Boyes worth one lousy year, and LA approves $13m Mobility Hub contract

March 5, 2024 / / Comments Off on Bike the Vote today, DUI death of Master’s champ Boyes worth one lousy year, and LA approves $13m Mobility Hub contract
Just 301 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

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

As of this writing, we’re up to 1,006 signatures, so let’s keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us!

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It was a busy weekend in the bike world, so we’ve got a lot to catch up on.

But before we start, if you haven’t done it yet, find the ballot you got in the mail, fill it out, and drop it off at your nearest drop box. Or hop on your bike, and ride to the nearest vote center to cast your vote in person.

You can also get fare-free rides on Metro trains, buses and Metro Bike bikeshare today.

And if you live in the City of Angels, don’t forget to vote yes on Measure HLA, which will require the city to build out the Mobility Plan they already agreed to, before letting it gather dust on the shelf.

Lives literally depend on it.

If you need a little more guidance, you can find voter guides here from Streets For All, the Los Angeles Times and LAist’s Guide to the Voter Guides.

It’s okay, we’ll wait.

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While we’re waiting for everyone to get back, my brother Eric is headed east from San Dimas on Adventure Cycling’s Bicycle Route 66 today on his way to Las Vegas, and eventually on to Savannah, Georgia, after starting from Santa Monica on Sunday.

Let me give a shoutout to the folks at Trek Bicycle Beverly Hills, the former I. Martin on Beverly Blvd, for giving him an emergency valve repair Saturday to help get him on the road — and not charging a cent.

And no, they didn’t know who I am before doing it.

Then again, who does?

And if you’re hankering to follow my brother’s lead, National Geographic highlights five “stress-free and sustainable” US bike trails to ease you into bike camping.

Eric thanking Camden at Trek Bicycle Beverly Hills for fixing his tire

Loading the bigass touring bike his daughter had custom built for him

A very sad corgi watching her new favorite human disappear up the sidewalk

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An “incredulous” federal judge questioned a proposed plea deal in the death of US Masters Champ Ethan Boyes.

Prosecutors said they were nearing a deal on a one-year misdemeanor sentence for the drunken crash that killed Boyes in San Francisco’s Presidio Park, reducing the charges to one count of unlawfully killing a human being without malice and without gross negligence.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle,

“Isn’t being intoxicated gross negligence in itself?” the judge said, incredulous.

That question, (Assistant U.S. Attorney George) Hageman said, was “up for interpretation.”

The judge replied that interpreting the severity of the alleged crime was Hageman’s job as federal prosecutor…

Eighty-one-year old Arnold Kinman Low is currently facing one count of vehicular manslaughter and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol in the fatal crash.

Felony vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI causing death could result in a maximum sentence of 16 years behind bars, while dropping the DUI count could reduce it to just 12 months.

For killing someone while too drunk to drive in a straight line.

Allegedly.

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Los Angeles officials approved a five-year, $10 million contract with transit firm Tranzito to provide a series of integrated mobility hubs,

The firm will establish 13 of the centers throughout DTLA, Hollywood and Long Beach to provide “bike sharing, car sharing, secure bike parking and on-demand microtransit services” for first mile/last mile transportation from Metro  stations.

………

This is who we share the road with.

This is who we share the road with, part two.

Missouri Governor Mike Parsons sent a clear message that driving drunk and severely injuring a little kid is just no big deal, celebrating the Kansas City Chief’s Super Bowl win by commuting the DUI sentence of former Kansas City Chiefs Assistant Coach Britt Reid, son of head coach Andy Reid.

So if you ever wonder why people keep dying on our streets, that’s Exhibit A.

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It’s now 76 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 33 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

Meanwhile, Pasadena is already launching its own ebike rebate, offering residents up to $750 for an e-cargo bike, or $1,000 for income-qualified residents.

So why is it taking California so damn long?

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

Momentum argues that anti-cycling zealots in Toronto would like to run over bicyclists just to save a little commuting time.

No bias here. An anonymous London school kid bemoans the “plagues of two-wheeled vermin” making them late for music lessons, but suggests the bright side to global warming is the torrential rains that free the road up for drivers.

And no bias here, either.

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

When you’re riding your bike in Capitola, California with an outstanding warrant while carrying meth and fentanyl, put some damn lights on it — and don’t try to pass yourself off as your sister.

A Madison, Wisconsin man was arrested for riding a stolen bicycle while on his way to the courthouse to be sentenced for a series of other burglaries — after he had already been banned from riding a bike.

When you’re carrying coke and a crack pipe on your bike in Kentucky, put some damn lights on it, already — and don’t jump off a roof to escape the cops.

An English town dealt with “anti-social cyclists,” as police responded to complaints from the public for such horrendous activities as riding without lights. Which isn’t exactly what I would describe as antisocial, but still. 

A clinically blind bicyclist in the UK was fined the equivalent of $253 for riding on a highway while “extremely” drunk, less than a year after he crashed into a passing car while riding under the influence. And giving a whole new meaning to being blind drunk.

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Local 

A homeless man in DTLA learns the hard way it ain’t easy to steal a robocab.

Ride On! Bike Shop/Co-Op founder Adé Neff describes how he was repeatedly stopped for Riding While Black in Beverly Hills because he “fit” a description of someone who had committed a crime. Read it on AOL if Bicycling blocks you.

The rich get richer, as Santa Monica pledges to improve its Vision Zero and Bike Action plans.

South Pasadena residents learn the hard way what happens when only seven people out of 104 bother to return a resident survey — and all of those ask for bike lanes on Grand Ave. And the city is apparently all out of temporary street paint. Thanks to Wesley for the heads-up.

Hermosa Beach is considering a proposal to geofence ebike rentals to prevent speeding on The Strand, as well as a proposal to ban ebikes entirely from the popular oceanfront walkway.

Long Beach plans to unveil a $60 million overhaul of Studebaker Road in East Long Beach to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and, yes, drivers.

 

State

Caltrans is teaming with the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) to offer a new tool to address the inequitable distribution of transportation benefits and burdens, including mapping out crash rates.

Calbike promotes their upcoming Bicycle Summit Plenary in San Diego next month, saying it will promote the city’s bike cultures.

A California man rode 625 miles around Taiwan in twelve days, despite never riding for more than half an hour before his trip.

 

National

Road & Track offers the year’s best ebikes, as rated by Bicycling and reposted by AOL. Raising the question of why the hell does Bicycling even have a paywall?

Discover says ebikes may be expensive, but worth it for their health, equity and clean air benefits.

The case against a Salem, Oregon DEA agent for killing a woman on a bicycle after running a stop sign remains in legal limbo, pending an appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court over a decision to transfer the case to federal court, which would likely result in dropping the case.

Actor Matthew Modine leads a “ragtag” bicycle krewe to the Grand Canyon in the new fact-based dramedy movie Hard Miles.

A Colorado woman switched gears after a serious mountain biking crash, leaving her marketing job to become a nomadic artist.

Hoboken NJ credits removing parking spaces as one key factor for the city’s remarkable lack of traffic deaths for the last seven years.

Now you, too, can have a new limited edition DC-only Cherry Blossom Brompton.

Meet Charlotte NC bike lane sweeper Sweepy McSweepface.

A Georgia man was charged with hit-and-run for driving away after driving onto a sidewalk and leaving a 78-year old man riding a bicycle with life-threatening injuries, apparently while driving distracted.

 

International

London’s Evening Standard rates the best road bikes below £2,000 — the equivalent of $2,500.

Over 800 bicyclists took to the streets of London to call for safer infrastructure and streets for women bike riders.

Completing our London trifecta, a London business site questions whether the UK’s bike riders are really any safer after bike-friendly changes to the country’s Highway Code.

A campaign by disabled bicyclists in the UK tackles Shedgate, arguing that disabled riders should be allowed to build a bike shed in their front garden if they don’t have a back one, after several people were fined or ordered to remove them.

Over 35 percent the residents of Dutch cities Groningen and Amsterdam, and Copenhagen, Denmark ride a bicycle on a daily basis, compared to just 5% of Rome residents. Yet most American cities would be overjoyed by even the latter rate. 

Mumbai bicyclists plan a mid-March silent protest to demand safer streets for bicyclists, runners and pedestrians, in response to the bicycling death of former Intel India chief Avtar Saini, who is credited with the development of the Pentium processor; meanwhile, an Indian columnist calls for making the bicycling safe, for everyone’s sake.

An Aussie bicyclist credits his Apple Watch’s fall detection feature for saving his life after crashing with a ‘roo.

 

Competitive Cycling

Paris-Nice is already upon us, with American Matteo Jorgenson in 4th place, behind Laurence Pithie, Mads Petersen and Olav Kooij after three stages; Dutch cyclist Arvid de Kleijn got his first WorldTour win Monday, as his Tudor Pro Cycling team “broke their duck for 2024.” Which has to be one of the strangest terms I’ve heard in pro cycling, or anywhere else.

Evidently, the cycling world forgot the 2022 Strade Bianche, because history repeated itself with winners Lotte Kopecky and Tadej Pogačar once again winning the event two years later.

Giro and Dutch Team Visma/Lease a Bike have teamed for what has to be the weirdest looking, bizarrely futuristic aero bike helmet, which looks more like an AI rendering error.

NBA legend Reggie Miller may, in fact, be better on a mountain bike than you are, winning his first two races of the year this past weekend.

 

Finally…

Just because you’re legally required to wear a bike helmet doesn’t mean it can’t look like a dorky hat. That feeling when your bicycle looks like a bigass custom motorcycle.

And that feeling when it’s just a tad windy out there.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

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

Firefighters union pledges 6-figure fight to keep LA roads deadly, and woman bicyclist critical after Belmont Shore collision

February 15, 2024 / / One comment
Just 320 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can. Just 60 signatures to go to reach 1,000!

………

Somehow, Los Angeles firefighters don’t seem to think LA’s wide street are wide enough.

Or that their trucks can manage to roll over a thin line of paint.

According to the Los Angeles Times, United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 plans to spend at least $100,000 to fight Measure HLA, the ballot measure that would make the city build out its already approved mobility plan whenever streets within the plan get resurfaced.

Union President Freddy Escobar said his organization, which represents about 3,400 firefighters, is concerned that the measure will lead to slower emergency response times and put new pressure on a city budget already experiencing financial strain. Firetrucks are already being hindered by “road diets” — reductions in vehicle lanes caused by the creation of bike or bus lanes, Escobar said in an interview.

“Every second counts. The road diets slow down our firefighters,” Escobar said. “And it will be so much worse with HLA.”

Like the road diet on Venice Blvd in Mar Vista, for instance. Which we were told was dangerously delaying responses from the local fire station after it was installed, until we learned that the average response for Mar Vista’s Station 62 was just four seconds more than the citywide average in the months following the road diet.

Because every second counts, evidently.

Never mind that when firefighters complain about road diets, they neglect to mention that while road diets reduce the number of traffic lanes, most contain a continuous center left turn lane large enough for firetrucks to zoom through any backed up traffic — actually making them more efficient for emergency vehicles than LA’s congested roadways.

Other major streets in the mobility plan are marked for bus lanes, which also present a perfect lane for emergency vehicles to bypass traffic more quickly than they can now.

Assuming no one is illegally parked in them, of course.

Or that one reason we’re told LA’s “protected” bike lanes are protected by nothing more than flimsy plastic posts is so emergency vehicles can drive over them whenever necessary.

Not to mention that most of the bike lanes in the mobility plan will feature nothing more than a thin stripe of white paint, which should hardly pose a barrier for a massive, multi-ton truck with huge wheels.

So the reality is that road diets, particularly the kind the would be created under HLA, would likely speed emergency response times, not slow them.

Which makes you wonder what the firefighters real complaint is.

Then there’s the simple fact that Measure HLA, and the mobility plan it’s based on, is designed to save lives by dramatically reducing the risk of life-threatening injuries and traffic deaths.

So maybe what they’re really worried about is that improved traffic safety could reduce the need for emergency responses.

And emergency responders.

Of course, Los Angeles isn’t the first city to face this type of manufactured conflict.

New York firefighters complained that city’s road diets and bike lanes were affecting response times, until the brass clarified that it ain’t necessarily so.

In fact, response times were better the year after bike lanes were installed on New York’s Columbus Ave than they were the year before.

San Francisco firefighters also complained about the city’s rapid installation of road diets, neighborhood greenways and bus and bike lanes. So city officials bought several slightly smaller fire trucks to enable them to better traverse San Francisco’s narrow, winding streets.

Not, say, our overly wide, straight and multilane boulevards.

Which makes it seem like the union’s real objection is less about reducing response times, and more about wanting to drive unhindered to and from the fire stations and their suburban — or even out-of-state — homes.

But in the end, it’s only appropriate, in this pre-Easter season, that the firefighter’s union will spend more than a hundred grand of their member’s dues to perform a miracle.

By turning their water into whine.

………

Bad news from Long Beach, where a 32-year old woman is in stable but critical condition after she was struck by a driver while riding her bike.

The collision occurred at Second Street and Bay Shore Ave in the city’s Belmont Shore neighborhood at 8:15 pm Sunday.

The victim was reportedly making a left turn after the light had changed, when a driver went through the intersection on the red light, striking her.

A nearby doctor provided first aid until paramedics arrived.

………

Um, okay.

………

It’s now 56 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 31 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

………

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

A Dublin, Ireland mother was forced to give up bicycling after she was threatened with an £11 million fine — the equivalent of nearly $14 million — and two years behind bars for installing a small bike shed in her front garden to store her family’s bikes and her mother’s wheelchair.

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

New Jersey comedian Rich Kiamco was chased and beaten by a gang of teenaged bicycle riders, who ran him down to steal his ebike; police used the GPS on his bike to track down the thieves and recover his bike less than an hour after it was stolen.

A Singapore botanical garden urged bike riders to slow down, after a hit-and-run bicyclist on a road bike ran over a monitor lizard.

………

Local 

It just keeps getting worse. Former Major League shortstop and current Oaks Christian School baseball coach Royce Clayton was busted for DUI early Sunday morning, just weeks after testifying about quaffing margaritas with wealthy socialite Rebecca Grossman and her then-lover, former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, before she allegedly killed two little kids while speeding through a crosswalk.

Metro is looking for volunteers to help audit first mile/last mile connections for the Eastside Transit Corridor, the coming nine-mile extension of the E Line train.

Income-qualified Pasadena residents will be able to get a rebate of up to $1,000 on the purchase of an ebike starting July 1st, while other buyers will be able to claim $500 off a regular ebike, and $750 off an e-cargo bike. And chances are, California’s moribund ebike voucher program still won’t have launched by then.

 

State

Seriously? The replacement project for the Mission Bridge over the Santa Ana River between Riverside and Jurupa Valley has been pushed back until 2025 — but don’t worry, officials plan to protect bike riders by installing a couple of Share the Road signs along the dangerous roadway.

Santa Barbara will seek $32 million in state funds to build a new bike and pedestrian bridge over Highway 101.

The San Francisco Standard examines the proposals to ban kids from riding ebikes, while noting that US Consumer Product Safety Commission research shows it’s people 25 to 44 years old who are the most likely to end up in the ER as a result of an ebike crash — not kids.

 

National

The Manual says you should never buy a used mountain bike.

Once again, a bike rider was a hero, as a Washington state man was saved after driving off an embankment when someone passing by on a bicycle heard his moans and called 911; the driver was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

A Boulder, Colorado op-ed says bicycling isn’t inherently dangerous, but bad street design is. (Hint: Stop the page from loading to bypass the paper’s paywall).

Illinois IndyCar vet David Malukas will see his debut with the Arrow McLaren SP Racing team delayed a couple months, after dislocating his wrist in a mountain bike crash — or maybe tearing ligaments in his wrist; he now expects to start his season at April’s Long Beach Grand Prix.

An Arizona man is likely on his way back to prison after allegedly crashing a stolen box truck in Terre Haute, Indiana, and attempting to make his getaway on a stolen bicycle while naked from the waist down.

She may be onto something. A Baltimore bike rider questions whether cars are just a parasitic alien life form that makes people do their bidding.

 

International

Virgin founder Richard Branson claims bike riders need body armor, after his latest bike crash in the British Virgin Islands left him with a “nasty” road rash and a hematoma on his hip. So he and I finally have something in common (see photo).

Canada commits to stop funding large highway projects, concluding that the country’s current highways are sufficient to meet its needs.

No bias here. A London website says bicyclists will no longer have to annoy pedestrians by dismounting and walking their bikes across the city’s Hammersmith Bridge.

Life is cheap in the UK, where a Yorkshire, England van driver walked without a day behind bars for running down a bike rider from behind, after playing the universal Get Out Of Jail Free card by claiming the sun was in his eyes.

The Turkish founders of the annual, worldwide Fancy Women Ride have called an end to it, saying its goal of getting more women on bikes has been met. Although they may find the ride was easier to start than it will be to stop.

An EV website says Sydney, Australia needs to change its perspective and embrace cycling as a viable mode of transportation.

 

Competitive Cycling

A British Columbia paper says Svein Tuft, arguably Canada’s greatest road cyclist, is finally leaning to slow down after retiring at 41 when he lost his competitiveness, and began braking early to avoid injuries.

 

Finally…

That feeling when even the parking cops don’t care about a blocked bike lane. Forget a tandem, what could be more romantic than a bicycle built for five?

And we may have to worry about road-raging drivers, but at least we’re not likely to get shot after being mistaken for a bike-riding wild boar.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

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