Tag Archive for Long Beach

76-year old Long Beach woman killed in hit-and-run while riding tandem bike; police quick to blame the victim

July 20, 2023 / / 3 comments

A 76-year old woman riding a tandem bike with her husband was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Long Beach Sunday afternoon.

And police investigators apparently couldn’t hesitate to display their windshield bias.

According to a press release from the Long Beach Police Department, 76-year-old Long Beach resident Gaylin Reese and her husband were riding their tandem in the bike lane on eastbound on 2nd Street near Marina Drive when they allegedly sideswiped a car around 12:24 pm Sunday.

Police report there was heavy traffic at the time, and all the cars were stopped when they somehow a) left the bike lane, and b) hit the side of the car with enough force to knock both riders off their bike.

Sure, that seems likely.

Both victims were taken to the hospital, where Reese died on or before Tuesday; her husband, who hasn’t been named, was treated for minor injuries.

Investigators are also quick to absolve the driver of any responsibility for the collision, observing that they may not have even been aware of the crash. Which is certainly what their lawyer will claim now, even if the driver is found.

Police also note that both victims were wearing helmets, which clearly didn’t do any good in this case. There’s no word on whether Reese even suffered a head injury, or if she died from other causes.

What seems far more likely than the official police version is that Reese and her husband were riding in the bike lane when the driver became impatient, and tried to pull into the bike lane to get around stalled traffic.

Something we’ve all seen countless times before.

They then hit the Reese’s bike with enough force to knock them both off, resulting in significant injuries to Mrs. Reese.

And unless the suspect vehicle was a large truck, it strains credibility to think the driver would have been unaware of the impact.

Yes, it’s possible that the collision occurred exactly as the LBPD investigators describe it.

It just seems pretty damn unlikely.

Anyone with information is urged to call LBPD Collision Investigation Detail Detective Joseph Johnson at 562/570-7355, or call anonymously at 1-800/222-TIPS (8477).

This is at least the 25th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, the ninth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County, and the year’s second fatal hit-and-run involving someone on a bicycle in Long Beach.

It’s also at least the ninth fatal hit-and-run involving a SoCal bike rider this year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Gaylin Reese and all her family and loved ones. 

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

Bike riders feel like #2 as PeopleForBikes ranks LA 821st in US, and Sunset For All hosts ice cream social next month

June 28, 2023 / / 6 comments

PeopleForBikes is out with its latest ranking of the bikeability of nearly 1,500 American cities.

And needless to say, Southern California has a long, long way to go.

The national bike advocacy group rates cities according to the quality of each city’s bike network, assigning a Bicycle Network Analysis score, or BNA, on a scale of 0 to 100.

The good news, if you can call it that, is that no US city scored lower than a 2.

Provincetown, Massachusetts and Crested Butte, Colorado ranked #1 and #2 overall, respectively, with BNA scores of 88 and 87.

Although I’m sure many LA residents think riding here is #2. And sadly, PeopleForBikes seems to agree.

In fact, you have to scroll past 820 other American cities to find LA in a 39-way tie for 821st, with a pitiful BNA score of 19.

Which puts us in a class with such bicycling nirvanas as Santa Ana, Las Vegas, Laguna Niguel, Raleigh NC, and Krugerville, Texas.

Which probably wasn’t named after Freddy, even if it should be.

Bike-friendly Sacramento suburb Davis ranked #1 among medium-sized cities with a BNA score of 77, while Minneapolis, Minnesota ranked atop the large city listings with a score of 68.

Here in SoCal, Ventura received a BNA of 32, with San Diego 30, Riverside at 21, and San Bernardino an awful 12.

Among other cities in LA County, relatively bike-friendly Santa Monica scored a respectable 52, Burbank checked in at 29, and Pasadena was a sad 16.

Meanwhile, PeopleForBikes highlights Long Beach’s efforts to build a true 15-minute city, with protected bike lanes on every arterial street, and bikeshare docks in every neighborhood. Although the city still has a long way to go, checking in with a BNA score of 37.

But that’s nearly twice as high as its much larger neighbor to the north.

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Sunset For All is teaming with BikeLA — the former Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition — to host an ice cream social starting at 3 pm on July 8th, with a bike ride to follow at 4 pm.

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Outside+ is on sale for $1.99 a month for the next year, including the Outside digital network and the new Velo site. No guarantee what happens to your rate after that, however.

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

No bias here. A San Diego TV station gets the story backwards in a report on the growing memorial to 15-year old Brodee Champlain-Kingman, who died last weekend after a collision in Encinitas; the station warns about the dangers of ebikes, but neglects to consider the risks posed by people in the big, dangerous machines.

No bias here, either. A Maine letter writer opposes plans for a rail-to-trail conversion, bizarrely arguing that “active transportation” is a vague term at best, and that a trail is likely to be too crowded on weekends.

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

Police in New York are looking for an ebike rider who punched a 72-year old Manhattan man in the face after the victim told him to get off the sidewalk.

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Local 

New stories from Urbanize and Streetsblog examine Monday’s opening of the Venice Blvd Safety and Mobility Project, which upgrades 2.5 miles of existing bike lanes and adds 2.1 miles of dedicated busways, while leaving a few notable gaps. Correction: Originally I had written that the project added four miles of protected bike lanes, and 2.5 miles of bus lanes, which was a misstatement. Thanks to Joe Linton for the correction.

 

State

OC Parks will host an intermediate-level bike ride exploring the newest trails in the recently opened Saddleback Wilderness on July 9th.

The Goleta city council approved plans to use eminent domain to acquire the land for a planned multiuse path, as negotiations continue with landowners to buy the necessary easements.

Montecito bike shop Mad Dogs & Englishmen raised funds to donate 75 bicycles to underprivileged kids, after the bicycle they gave to British Prince Archie sparked an unexpected backlash.

A Bay Area TV station discusses how people taking part in the recent AIDS/LifeCycle ride bonded on the 450-mile, seven-day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Streetsblog says a new physically separated bike lane on the extreme western end of Alameda Island is the first in the Bay Area to get bike lanes right, using a European model.

 

National

An ebike-maker lists ten tips to help you ride your ebike safely. All of which apply to regular bikes, as well. And most of which you probably already know.

A writer for Cycling Weekly says yes, your kid should ride an ebike, saying the right setup can bring joy to your family.

Teams of women participating in the Pedal the Pacific bike rides down the Pacific Coast have raised over $860,000 to fight human trafficking.

The family of a Texas bike rider have filed suit after he was killed by material falling from a construction project while riding in winds up to 40 mph this past March.

Bicycling examines plans to build an advisory lane in Kalamazoo, Michigan, referring to it as an edge lane, which creates a single traffic lane in the center of the street while allowing drivers to move into the bike lanes on either side to pass another vehicle. Read it on AOL if the magazine blocks you. 

New York has cleared the final federal hurdle preventing congestion pricing; the city is now expected to begin charging drivers to enter midtown Manhattan sometime next year. Which should clear the way for Los Angeles to institute its much discussed congestion pricing plan, as well.

Art-pop musician Anohni is one of us, as the 51-year old singer with an eight-octave range rode her bike to talk with a reporter from the New York Times.

Savannah, Georgia multi-disciplined visual artist, jazz vocalist and bassist, full-time professor and elite cyclist Maggie Evans is making a comeback after she was nearly killed last year when a pickup driver slammed into her on a training ride at 64 mph.

 

International

Now you, too, can have your very own solar powered mini-travel trailer designed to be pulled by an ebike, for less than seven grand.

Hundreds of naked and partially clad bike riders rode through the streets of Guadalajara, Mexico to raise awareness of bike safety in the city’s edition of the World Naked Bike Ride.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is practicing Vision Zero in reverse, cancelling plans to improve safety at the intersection where a bike-riding woman was killed by the driver of a cement truck nearly a decade ago.

A bike rider in the UK was lucky to escape without serious injuries when he was robbed at knife point and beaten by a passenger who got out of a passing car to attack him.

Britain’s Parliament will once again consider whether bike riders should be required to wear a helmet, after a Member of Parliament from Rugby introduced the latest attempt.

A new Australian report lists 50 distinct contributory factors leading to bike riders being struck by drivers, along with another 50 leading to near misses; the leading factors are drivers pulling out in front of bicyclists, driver non-compliance with road rules, and drivers failing to give way. Note the key word with all of those is “drivers,” not bicyclists. 

Aussie researchers will examine the prevalence and impact of structural damage in carbon fiber bicycles currently in use by the general public.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cyclist talks with James Gay-Rees, producer of the Netflix eight-episode docuseries Tour de France: Unchained.

WaPo asks the burning question of whether Tadej Pogacar can win the Tour de France after training for the race in his kitchen, a result of breaking his hand in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race.

Five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Induráin says people who think time trials are boring should find another sport to watch.

Australian GQ considers the biggest scandals in Tour de France history, including a certain ex-seven time doper winner who seems to think trans cyclist are cheating.

 

Finally…

That feeling when your new ebike has a built-in chatbot for no discernible reason. If you can’t steal a bike from your own family, who can you steal from?

And who really needs bike wheels, anyway?

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

Oh, and fuck Putin.

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

Congestion pricing rears its not-so-ugly head, NYT talks with LA’s Entitled Cyclist, and Long Beach bike rider critically injured

May 31, 2023 / / 5 comments

On a personal note, my 75-year old adventure cycling, ex-Iditarod mushing brother is setting out today on yet another cross-country bike ride. 

He’s taking a train to Oregon, then riding down the coast before turning east, and riding to Minnesota, up into Canada, and possibly on to Buffalo and New York City if conditions allow. 

And yes, I want to be like him when I grow up.

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Congestion pricing could be back on the table for Los Angeles County.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Metro’s long-awaited study into the feasibility of instituting a congestion pricing scheme on local highways is expected to be released this summer, after it was allegedly delayed by Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins because she didn’t want it to become an issue in last year’s election season.

Years in the works, the plan promises cleaner air, smoother rides and more funds to the agency’s coffers in the future. Studies show it could reduce harmful air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by pushing more commuters to use public transit, while making roads less hellish for those who pay to use them…

The pilot program is part of a larger push among major cities to rethink how to deal with traffic that eats up commuters’ lives and pollutes communities as vehicles creep along. California has been quietly setting the stage for road pricing for years.

The good news is that Metro is restoring its pre-pandemic route schedules, which should make transit marginally more attractive to current non-transit users, though the steady drumbeat of new of crime, homelessness and drug use on county trains could have the opposite effect.

The bad news is, with a few notable exceptions like DTLA, Santa Monica and Long Beach, the LA-area bike networks necessary to get defecting motorists on two wheels don’t currently exist.

And they’re not likely to be coming in the near future without a massive and unexpected investment in our streets.

Photo by Jeff Weese from Pexels.

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The New York Times talks with Tom Morash, aka the Entitled Cyclist of Twitter, Instagram and YouTube fame.

Morash is a 41-year-old lighting programmer who works in the film and TV industry in Los Angeles, where he has lived for some 16 years. When he first arrived, he used to take his car everywhere, like most Angelenos. But the city’s traffic jams soon crushed any desire to drive.

After talking to a co-worker who cycled to work, he decided to try it. He never looked back. Now he always cycles the 12 miles or so that take him to most of his jobs.

Yes, cycling can be scary, he acknowledges. Drivers cut him off, text at the wheel, exceed the speed limit, open their doors without looking and park in the bike lane. “But I can’t imagine choosing to be in a car,” he said.

It’s worth investing a few minutes of your day to get to know someone who uses his bike and social media voice to make a difference.

And whose bike makes one in his own life.

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Bad news from Long Beach, where a woman was critically injured in a collision while riding her bike on Pacific Coast Highway near Long Beach City College Monday night.

The eastbound victim allegedly swerved onto the opposite side of the roadway, where she was struck by the westbound driver, who remained at the scene.

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You have one more day to sign up for a month of bikeshare for a single buck.

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

Houston police are looking for a group of young men who have been brutally attacking and robbing bike riders on a city bike trail, with five riders viciously beaten and another shot in the past two weeks; one man was tackled from his bike, pistol whipped and robbed of his wallet and phone, while another had his bicycle stolen after getting hit with a shovel.

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

The LAPD had arrested an alleged bike-riding serial arsonist for setting up to 30 cars on fire in the Sunland-Tujunga area. Demonstrating once again that bicycles are the most efficient choice for whatever crime spree you have in mind. Thanks to Steven Hallett for the heads-up.

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Local 

Streets For All reminds us to tell the federal government to make auto makers consider pedestrian safety in crash testing. And add bike riders while they’re at it. 

This is who we share the road with. A road raging Tesla driver and a motorcyclist got into fist fight in a Pasadena street, following a verbal confrontation between the two men, as well as the driver’s mom.

A Redondo Beach letter writer complains that a planned 200-foot long bike path extension in Long Beach will cost $6,000 per foot, compared to adding a freeway lane, which he says would cost just $500 a foot. Actually, the California Policy Institute says adding a freeway lane in an urban environment costs $62.4 million per lane mile, or about $11,800 a foot. Correction, Jim Lyle points out it’s actually $118,000 per foot, not $11,800 as I wrote. My only excuse is I was an English major. 

 

State

Calbike is urging you to contact your state legislators to support a series of bills they term the Biking Is Not a Crime slate for 2023, including bills that would legalize sidewalk riding, ban police pretext stops, and decriminalize transit fare evasion. Although the best solution for that one is to adequately fund transit and make it free.

The Fullerton Observer says the Orange County city refused to improve bike safety in the face of opposition from motorists, rejecting a proposal to remove a traffic lane and improve bike lanes when Associated Road is repaved for water main work.

A project to widen El Camino Real in Del Mar from two lanes to four, while adding concrete median, sidewalks and bike lanes has been put on hold, after a judge ordered an additional environmental review.

Closing arguments began Tuesday in the hit-and-run trial of a 43-year old Bakersfield driver accused of seriously injuring two people as they rode their bikes, while driving with a blood alcohol level over three times the legal limit; the defense attorney blamed the victims for riding in the traffic lane without the required lights and reflectors.

Sonoma bicyclists say the city has a lot more work to do if they want to get more people out of cars and onto bikes.

 

National

Yesterday was National E-Bike Day, officially registered as such by Lectric eBikes to mark their fourth anniversary.

Mobility justice groups are working to reverse decades of disinvestment to make Black neighborhoods better for biking and walking; the story begins with the killing of South LA bike rider Dijon Kizzee, who was shot 19 times by LA County Sheriff’s deputies for what began as a traffic stop for riding salmon.

Tragic news from Las Vegas, where a motorcyclist is dead, and a bicycle rider critically injured, following a high speed collision between the two.

Outside rides Utah’s new 190-mile Aquarius Trail bikepacking path, sandwiched amid the state’s “spectacular wilderness” between Bryce and Zion national parks.

The Idaho Stop Law is slowly spreading across the US, as nine other states and Washington DC have adopted the law, although only three have adopted the full law allowing bike riders to treat stop signs as yields, and red lights as stop signs. California is once again considering a bill to legalize the Stop as Yield portion of the law; Governor Newsom vetoed a previous version of the bill.

A crowdfunding campaign for the Black teenager involved in New York’s Citi Bike Karen incident has now raised over $91,000 of the $120,000 goal to pay legal expenses. Meanwhile, a crowdfunding campaign for the hospital worker accused of trying to wrest a bikeshare bike out of his hands has raised more than $132,000, far exceeding the $120,000 goal.

Crashes involving bike riders are rising in Virginia, with twice as many bicyclists killed on state roads so far this year, compared to last year.

Medical authorities in Florida have concluded that the man accused of brutally stabbing a Daytona Beach couple as they rode their bicycles home from the city’s motorcycle Bike Week festivities has regained his mental competency, and is now fit to stand trial for the March, 2022 murders.

 

International

Go ahead and be jealous. Montreal is investing $30 million to expand and improve its bikeway network, with 53 projects spanning 14 boroughs and four other municipalities.

London road deaths were down to their lowest level of any non-Covid year last year, evidence that the city’s extensive Complete Streets and bicycle superhighway efforts are working.

A London paper complains about an “idiot driver” who parked blocking a crosswalk and bike lane to nip into the market.

Britain has approved the use of longer semi-truck trailers on the country’s roads, despite fears they could increase the risk to bike riders and pedestrians.

Belgium-based Cowboy and Grenoble, France’s eBikeLabs are involved in a messy divorce, with eBikeLabs suing the ebike maker for patent infringement and stealing its software, after the two companies had been partnering together.

Sydney, Australia will extend the life of a popular popup bike lane for at least another three years.

 

Competitive Cycling

British budget cuts could endanger the rise of the next generation of cyclists, as the country cuts spending for its under-23 program, potentially removing young Brits from the Nations Cup, the Tour of Britain and the Tour de l’Avenir.

Britain has banned transgender women from competing in women’s cycling events, restricting trans cyclists to the country’s “Open” classification. Read it on AOL if Bicycling blocks you from their site. 

More tragic news, this time from Ireland, where Gabriele Glodenyte was killed by a driver while on a lunchtime training ride; the 24-year old cyclist was a rising star in women’s racing in the country.

Cycling News considers the top contenders for this weekend’s Unbound Gravel 200.

Cyclist offers their 21 best photos from the recently concluded Giro d’Italia, including a close-up view of Mark Cavendish’ crash in stage 5.

 

Finally…

When you’re already a suspect in at least ten bike thefts, maybe don’t ride salmon on an ebike that may or may not be yours. Your next bike could be a new and improved recreation of your first one.

And a paean to Campy’s late, lamented thumb shifter.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

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

Tell feds to cancel deadly trucks & SUVs, photos from Saturday’s Beach Streets, and what passes for bike lanes in CD3

May 23, 2023 / / One comment

Here’s your chance to tell the feds to stop allowing massive trucks and SUVs that seem intentionally designed to kill anyone outside the vehicle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, aka NHTSA, is asking for input to draft new crashworthiness regulations to help improve safety for vulnerable road users, like bike riders and pedestrians.

Tell ’em it’s long past time to make vehicles safer for vulnerable road users like us.

Meanwhile, as long as we’re talking about feds, the US Department of Transportation has introduced their new Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer.

The tool is designed to help city planners, advocates, and elected officials plan more equitable transportation investments targeting traditionally underserved communities.

Which may be a mouthful, but it’s badly needed to help correct the deadly inequities on our streets, where people in low income communities or communities of color are more likely to be killed while biking or walking.

Photo by David Drexler from Long Beach Beach Streets (see below).

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Yesterday we shared David Drexler’s photos from the official opening of the new Mark Bixby bike-ped path over the International Gateway Bridge.

Today he’s kind enough to share a few photos from Saturday’s Beach Streets open streets event in downtown Long Beach.

Let’s just hope he got there early, and it was more crowded than the photos suggest.

Photos by David Drexler

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Good question.

Unfortunately, you can find substandard bike lanes like this in underserved neighborhoods all over the LA area.

https://twitter.com/gatodejazz/status/1660863095927873538

On the other hand, this is what you end up with when elected leaders actually give a damn.

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Calbike is urging you to contact your state assemblymember to call for passage of AB73, the latest attempt to pass the Bicycle Safety Stop, aka Stop as Yield.

The bill is intended to improve safety by allowing bike riders to roll through stop signs when there’s no conflicting traffic, and it’s safe to do so.

Assuming it can get past Governor Newsom’s veto pen this time.

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Put this on a T-shirt, and I’m all in.

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The creator of Sherlock Holmes was one of us.

And he’s right.

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

No bias here. After an elderly Hawaiian man died crashing his bike in an apparent solo fall, officials said his death wouldn’t count towards the county traffic fatality totals because he was riding a bicycle instead of driving a car.

No bias here, either. The Dallas Morning News reports someone stole a Dallas city bus, then crashed it into several parked cars and a bicycle. But they wait until the penultimate paragraph to mention that someone was actually riding that bike at the time; fortunately, the bike rider wasn’t injured.

A car passenger was caught on camera throwing trash at a British man as he rode his bike, even though he was riding with his four-year old son.

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

Two Louisiana schools were put on lockdown when a man was seen carrying a rifle on his bicycle; police gave the all-clear when they determined he was just taking it to a pawn shop.

Commenters are praising a Dollar General manager who used her car to run down an alleged shoplifter making off on his bicycle, even though she could — and perhaps should — be charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

https://twitter.com/4Mischief/status/1659997986284355586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1659997986284355586%7Ctwgr%5E100edd9a18e866a2b8543c811c1d87f8ae365e1e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fdollar-general-employee-chase-down-thief-viral-1801733

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Local 

Streetsblog offers photos and an open thread from LA’s first CicLAmini on Sunday.

Urbanize reports on Saturday’s opening of the new Mark Bixby Memorial Bicycle-Pedestrian Path on the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge, offering expansive views from 205 feet above the Port of Long Beach.

Right now, you can get $600 off a new e-cargo bike from LA-based Cero One.

 

State

San Diego bike riders are dealing with a problem familiar to riders in other parts of the state, as trash and debris from a homeless camp piles up on an Ocean Beach bike path leading to the beach; a homeless advocate blames downtown sweeps that push homeless people to other parts of the city. Although as inconvenient as it is for people on bikes, not having a home is probably worse.

Fresno bike riders will get new protected bike lanes on four busy streets.

Unlike most other major US cities, San Francisco continues to improve safety for bike riders, as bicycling deaths dropped 58% over last year, averaging just 1.4 fatal bike crashes for every million residents. That compares to approximately 3.5 bike deaths for every million residents in Los Angeles last year.

This is who we share the road with. A Sacramento area man was killed by a 17-year old driver after successfully shepherding a family of baby ducks across the road.

 

National

Bicycling warns about the swayback position, saying you should check your posture on your bike if you get lower back pain. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you.

Road Bike Action considers how an ebike can help people improve their general health and well-being by leading a more active life.

Men’s Journal recommends the year’s best gravel bikes.

Travel + Leisure recommends the unpaved, 100-mile White Rim Road in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park, which takes three to four days to travel by bike.

Denver’s ebike rebate program is accomplishing its goal of getting people out of their cars, helping replace an estimated 100,000 vehicle miles per week.

A 62-year old Chicago man was the victim of a vicious attack when he was struck with a construction sign by another man while riding along a sidewalk, then beaten with his own bicycle, all for no apparent reason; he was hospitalized in critical condition.

Michigan parent groups are urging the state to adopt a mandatory helmet law for children, even though helmet laws have been shown to reduce childhood bicycling rates.

Anonymous donors have given over $3,000 to a private fund in Kalamazoo, Michigan to help solve crashes involving bicyclists.

New York is producing a series of themed self-guided route maps to encourage people to explore the city by bike.

A writer for the American Conservative says the outrage over the hospital worker who tried to wrest a bikeshare bike from a black teenager just reflects America’s “racism shortage.”

Frightening crime in Mobile, Alabama where a man riding a bicycle was forced off the road by a couple in a pickup, then robbed of his bike at gunpoint.

 

International

Cycling Weekly has declared this ebike week, offering a series of articles offering tips, advice and know-how.

In a result that shouldn’t surprise anyone, the removal of a highly praised bike lane in Vancouver’s Prospect Park has only resulted in more traffic congestion, not less, suggesting that maybe the bike lane wasn’t the problem after all.

A pair of writers for Outside take a blind ride down Quebec’s newest lift-accessed mountain bike park. Which probably doesn’t mean what you think.

Sports journalist Claude Droussent discusses his new crowdsourced guide to the best bicycling routes throughout the continent.

British motorists are “furious” about a confusing new road layout with a center-running bus lane, a spacious two-way bike lane, and walking paths on both sides of the road. All of which seems pretty damn clear to me.

The leader of a Malta bicycle advocacy group says narrowing traffic lanes without providing protective barriers for bike riders will only encourage speeding.

A writer compares riding on the volcanic island of Tenerife to a lava-filled moonscape, ending with a dinner of fresh squid at a bike-friendly hotel.

 

Competitive Cycling

Legendary sprinter Mark Cavendish is calling it a career, confirming that he plans to retire at the end of this year; the director of the Tour de France called him the greatest sprinter in the history of the Tour, and in history, period. Meanwhile, Wale’s Geraint Thomas says he has no plans to follow his friend into retirement.

England’s Lizzie Deignan says the increasing ability of both men’s and women’s cyclists mean the sport is getting harder than it’s ever been, which she says it great.

Retired ‘cross champ Hannah Arensman spoke out about why she quit the sport after losing a podium spot to a transgender woman, who Fox News insists on calling by her former male name.

 

Finally…

Your next ebike could come with a built-in Bluetooth speaker, even if you can’t hear it over city traffic. Evidently, you can still ride a bike, even when you’re next in line for the throne.

And that feeling when you go out for a ride on your ebike, and end up in the Giro.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

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

LA ties for deadliest city for US bike riders, Beach Streets and Watts CicLAmini this weekend, and speed cam bill moves on

May 19, 2023 / / 2 comments

Apparently, things are better than they seem here in the City of Angels for people on two wheels.

And worse.

According to the League of American Bicyclists, Los Angeles tied with Houston for the most bike deaths in the US in 2021. (Figure 3.4.6) 

They also report on pedestrian deaths, which we won’t get into here for lack of time and space. But suffice it to say Los Angeles doesn’t fare any better there, leading the nation with 142 walking deaths, compared to 115 for second place New York, despite Los Angeles having less than half the population of its East Coast counterpart. 

But the 12 bicycling deaths the Bike League shows is a huge improvement over the carnage of just five short years ago, when 21 people lost their lives riding their bikes on the mean streets of LA.

Then again, only five people were killed riding bikes in the city in 2005. “Only” being a relative term, since one death is one too many.

New York showed the biggest improvement, though, with just five deaths in 2021, compared to a whopping 24 people killed riding bikes in the city just two years earlier.

Meanwhile, average LA bicycling deaths showed a relatively modest 18% increase for the five-year period from 2017 to 2021, compared to 2012 to 2016. (Figure 3.4.7)

On the other hand, Long Beach saw a whopping 167% increase for the same period. Although that number shrinks in significance when you consider that it reflects an average of just one additional death per year, from 0.6 to 1.6.

However, both cities fared better than Colorado Springs, Colorado and Little Rock, Arkansas, which saw massive jumps of 700% and 600%, respectively.

The good news, if there is good news for a subject like this, is that Los Angeles saw the same relatively modest 18% increase when looking at bicycling deaths on a per capita basis over the same five year periods. (Figure 3.4.9)

Once again, though, the numbers for Long Beach jumped 169%, which reflects an average of just over two additional deaths per capita per year.

Finally, bicycling deaths were 5.2% of all traffic deaths in Los Angeles, and 4.8% in Long Beach. (Figure 3.4.10)

When those numbers get closer to zero, we’ll know we’re finally doing something right.

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Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson gives you a “shameless” invitation to attend Saturday’s Beach Streets open streets event in downtown Long Beach.

Nice to see the Militant Angeleno back with his epic CicLAvia tour for Sunday’s Watts CicLAmini, as he calls out highlights on or near the open streets route. He’s been doing this work for free for over ten years now, so toss him a few bucks if you’ve got some extra cash lying around. 

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We may actually have a chance to see speed cams on California streets, at least in a handful of test cities including Los Angeles and Long Beach.

………

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

Apparently having nothing better to do, police in Britain staged a special operation targeting bicycles illegally modified into ebikes, as one fleeing rider led them on a chase through the back alleys of town.

………

Local 

Nonprofit group Investing in Place is out with LA’s first comprehensive list of every public right-of-way, from sidewalks to streets.

Streets For All punts on their endorsement for councilmember in the special election to replace disgraced Councilmember Nury Martinez in CD6, saying either Imelda Padilla or Marisa Alcaraz “would be a positive step forward in building a safer CD6 for all road users.” You can read both women’s responses to the group’s candidate survey here.

Burbank state Senator Anthony Portantino introduced a resolution proclaiming May as National Bike Month in California. Which it already is, regardless. But still. 

Somehow, we missed ActiveSGV’s African American History bike ride, with NAACP Pasadena Chapter President Allen Edson highlighting the rich Black history of Pasadena last weekend.

Metro has extended the deadline to respond to their survey about the Redondo Beach Blvd Active Transportation Corridor Project; Redondo Beach resident Dr. Grace Peng offers her thoughts on how to complete the questionnaire.

 

State

This is who we share the road with. NBC-4 reports the suspected drunk driver driver who killed a mother and her two kids in a wrong-way freeway crash in Hesperia has an extensive record of driving under the influence in San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Which means this would be at least his fifth DUI if he ends up being charged with driving under the influence, in addition to murder and other charges — just one more example of keeping a dangerous driver on the road until it’s too late.

Thousands of people took part in San Diego’s Bike Anywhere Day yesterday, with one hundred pit stops providing t-shirts, refreshments and snacks. Wait, aren’t snacks refreshments? And vice versa?

Victorville’s new $47 million Green Tree Bridge includes bike lanes in each direction, completing a nearly seven-mile bike loop connecting the Mojave Riverwalk to Hesperia Road and Seventh Street.

A Streetsblog op-ed from a soon-to-be former Berkeley resident questions why even the most progressive cities are failing their carfree residents. Looking at you, ostensibly progressive Los Angeles. 

Oakland bike riders took advantage of the city’s 30th annual Bike to Work/Wherever Day to create their own DIY crosswalk and road diet in front of a local high school, which has been the scene of numerous crashes and near misses.

 

National

The AP says the push for transit and walkable communities is growing across the US. The problem is drivers push back if it ends up inconveniencing them even a little bit. And they’re the ones most elected leaders listen to.

They get it. Ideastream Public Media says if you want to improve the planet and your health, ride a bike.

A writer for Outside argues that the true purpose of ebikes is to save the planet.

Bicycling insists the best bike is a step-through, saying the universal design allows anyone to ride one in almost any circumstance. But you have to pay if you want to read it. 

The mountain resort of Breckinridge, Colorado is placing 75 ebikes around town to encourage free, one-way travel between neighborhoods, businesses and other points of interest.

Seriously? A Houston doctor was hit by a driver while participating in a Ride of Silence organized by the group Houston Ghost Bike Wednesday night; fortunately, he was not seriously injured. The story also notes a bike rider in Austin, Texas was also struck by a driver during their Ride of Silence.

In an all-too common story, a 31-year old British man moved to the US, only to get killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bike near his Chicago home; he declined medical treatment following the crash, only to suffer a fatal brain hemorrhage after he went home. A tragic reminder to always see a doctor if you hit your head in a crash or fall, even if you’re wearing a helmet. 

It may be illegal in other states, but feel free to ride a bike under the influence in Illinois.

An apparently English-challenged Chicopee MA TV station says “Massachusetts infrastructure continues to create bicycling in roadways safer.” Seriously, even AI generated text would be better than that. 

The attorney for the white woman seen trying to wrest a New York bikeshare bike from a Black teenager in a viral video says she’s been unfairly called a Karen, insisting the dispute had nothing to do with race, and that she had paid for the bike first. Meanwhile, London’s Independent says she claims the video was taken out of context, even if the story wasn’t written by Trent Crimm.

Researchers from the University of Alabama-Birmingham are developing an app that will interrupt whatever you’re listening to on your phone to warn you when you’re approaching an intersection where warning beacons have been installed. Because most people walk with their eyes closed, evidently.

A Tampa, Florida bike advocate considers the road to fear-free biking in the city.

A Florida state trooper gets it right, stating a bicyclist going straight in a bike lane has the right-of-way over a driver turning right. Then again, the bike rider would still have the right-of-way even without a bike lane.

 

International

Momentum Magazine considers the best bike gear for spring riding.

In the understatement of the year, a British Columbia bike rider thought to himself “This is not going to be good” as he took flight after crashing into a black bear that darted into the roadway in front of him.

A British railway engineer says vertical bike storage on trains is discriminatory and should be banned, because it wrecks expensive bikes and not everyone has the physical ability to use it.

Your next ebike could be a trike designed by German carmaker BMW, complete with a built-in fully covered kid carrier in the back. Or in my case, a corgi carrier. 

Ten thousand bike riders from across Korea will descend on the country’s capitol this weekend for the 2023 Seoul Bike Festival.

A New Zealand bike lane recognized as one of the worst on the planet is finally getting a makeover, with plans to build a protected biking and walking path separated from the roadway.

 

Competitive Cycling

German pro Nico Dent won Thursday’s 12th stage of the Giro, as Geraint Thomas defends the leader’s pink jersey, insisting that as someone from the Isle of Man, he’s used to bad weather. I recently learned the Isle of Man is my ancestral home, and my great, great grandfather on my father’s side did time for his role in a notorious bank collapse. Good times. 

You’ve got five more days to sign up for Colorado’s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, with both road and mountain bike races still available.

A new study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition says you’ll ride faster if you take a dump before the race. In other words, if you want to be number one, you gotta do number two first.

 

Finally…

Why fork over the big bucks for bike gear, when you’ve got effective substitutes just lying around your house? That feeling when you fly 5,600 miles to steal back your stolen bike — on your birthday, no less.

And nice to see at least someone is getting good use out of a stationary bike.

https://www.tiktok.com/@olliecuddless/video/7233897621587250474?embed_source=71223855%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%3Bnull%3Bembed_blank&refer=embed&referer_url=www.newsweek.com%2Fcat-napping-exercise-bike-internet-stitches-i-felt-that-1801238&referer_video_id=7233897621587250474

……….

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

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

Newsom kills funding for CA ebike rebates beyond 1st year, and Bixby bike-ped path opens on Gateway bridge this weekend

May 17, 2023 / / Comments Off on Newsom kills funding for CA ebike rebates beyond 1st year, and Bixby bike-ped path opens on Gateway bridge this weekend

It was nice while it lasted.

California’s long-delayed ebike rebate program, which hasn’t even begun yet, is already at risk after Governor Newsom failed to extend funding for the program beyond this year in his revised budget.

Calbike reports that over 17,000 people have expressed interest in the program, which only has $7.5 million left for actual rebates after the state has blown through $2.5 million of the original $10 million budget on outreach and overhead.

Which is kind of what happens when you spend a couple years dithering about what it should look like, instead of just getting the money out to people who need it.

The remaining funds should be good for just 3,000 to 7,000 vouchers, meaning at least 10,000 people are likely to walk away empty handed and out of luck.

And most will probably keep driving, instead of switching to a far cleaner, cheaper and more efficient form of transportation.

The revised budget also includes cuts to Complete Streets and investments in disadvantaged communities. Which is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing in the midst of a climate crisis, when the state is literally burning and people are suffering.

And the opposite of Newsom’s campaign promises to confront the crisis.

Photo by Alex from Pexels.

………

The long-delayed Mark Bixby Memorial Bicycle Pedestrian Path is offically opening this weekend, along with the Ocean Boulevard Connector leading to it.

The bikeway on the new Long Beach International Gateway Bridge is named for Long Beach bike advocate Mark Bixby, scion of the city’s influential Bixby family, who was killed with four other people in a private plane crash a dozen years ago.

………

San Diego will now close Fifth Avenue in the city’s Gaslamp district to cars every afternoon and evening.

Because, apparently, they don’t do mornings down there.

Thanks to Glenn Crider for the heads-up.

………

More proof you can carry pretty much anything on a bicycle — despite the constant chorus of naysayers who insist you need a massive SUV to carry anything bigger than a coffee cup.

https://twitter.com/rendermack/status/1657509136614199297

………

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

We’re constantly reminded about stop sign-running bike riders as the reason we can’t have anything nice. But when someone on a bike runs a stop sign, they usually don’t kill anyone, unlike an on-duty DEA agent who was caught on video running a stop sign just before killing a Salem, Oregon man riding a bicycle.

No bias here. A Cambridge, Massachusetts letter writer says being bike friendly is a good thing, but the city is taking this whole bike safety thing too far, because some people might be inconvenienced, and stuff. Although getting killed or maimed by a driver is pretty damn inconvenient, too.

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

Five teenage bike riders were caught on security cams illegally riding through a Boston freeway tunnel, splitting traffic lanes and popping wheelies, to the chagrin of drivers behind them.

………

Local 

Burbank is hosting a pair of pit stops today for the city’s annual “Bike and Walk to Work Day.”

They get it. Alhambra residents stood up to object to the city’s proposed widening of Fremont Ave, along with the on and off ramps to the 10 Freeway, calling it a waste of the city’s share of Metro funds for the abandoned plans to extend the 710 Freeway.

 

State

Laguna Beach will host a bike safety expo this Sunday.

A 14-year old French Valley girl was airlifted to a hospital after suffering serious injuries when she was struck by a pickup driver while riding her bike in unincorporated Murrieta.

Even Bakersfield is hosting a series of bike events to mark Bike Month. Although closing the bike path to conduct “bug maintenance” probably wasn’t on their bike bingo card.

A 31-year old Fresno man was hospitalized with cuts and a broken leg after getting hit by a truck driver while allegedly riding salmon and running a red light.

A 4th generation San Franciscan, developer evangelist and substitute tennis coach writes glowingly about her first SF Bike Party, which is like Critical Mass, but more fun.

Writing for a nonprofit architecture and design site, a San Francisco architect says it’s time to consider the benefits of a 15 mph city.

 

National

The US Bureau of Statistics confirms that the pandemic bike boom was real, as spending on bikes and accessories jumped a whopping 640% over the past three years. And suggests this could be another banner year.

The Cherokee Nation announced the six women who will participate in this year’s Remember the Removal Bike Ride, ranging in age from 18 to 40; the ride follows the route of the horrific Trail of Tears, when tribal members were forcibly removed from their ancestral homes in the south, and made to march hundred of miles to new reservations.

A craniofacial trauma surgeon considers whether it’s worth spending a little more to get a MIPS bike helmet, and ends with a resounding yes.

After he was paralyzed in a snowboarding accident, a self-described adrenaline junkie finds the cure for his depression in riding an adaptive bicycle with a Washington state bike club.

A group of Houston bike riders will hold a ride and dine in support of a historic restaurant threatened by the real estate developer next door, who is blocking access to parking long used by restaurant patrons.

Authorities in Fargo, North Dakota are looking for a man who drove through a local bike race while leading a police chase last weekend; fortunately, no one appears to have been seriously injured.

A Congressional bill named for a fallen Wisconsin bicyclist would make it easier to use federal funds to build protected bike lanes; Sarah Debbink Langenkamp’s hometown officially endorsed the bill named for her.

There’s a special place in hell for whoever murdered a 56-year old Dayton, Ohio man, just 12 hours after he was bike-jacked at gunpoint and forced to walk ten blocks to report the crime.

CBS has picked up the story of the white hospital worker who tried to wrestle and whine a New York bikeshare bike out of the hands of the Black teenager who had rented it, saying the hospital she works for is looking into the incident. Which is probably bureaucratese for she can kiss her job goodbye.

They get it, too. DC bike advocates continue to fight for safer streets, despite the city’s backpedaling on a pair of planned protected bikeways, saying there can be no compromise on making biking and walking safer.

Speaking of DC, hats off to the lone bike rider who shouted down a group of white supremacists gathered for a march to the capital.

Forget tweed rides. Roanoke, Virginia is hosting a fancy dress bike ride this weekend, encouraging participants to don their finest and fanciest attire.

Kindhearted Georgia sheriff’s deputies replaced a 12-year old boy’s BMX bike after his was stolen.

Former NFL star Jimmy Graham is one of us, as he gets back on his bike after suffering cuts and bruises when a driver smashed into him in a SMIDSY* crash. *Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You.

 

International

Canadian Cycling Magazine considers five goofy things non-bicycling people ask bicyclists, including “doesn’t your butt hurt,” and the ever-popular “why do you shave your legs.”

After a London van driver told bike-riding BBC presenter Jeremy Vine to fuck off, Vine responded by telling nearby pedestrians “He seems like the kind of guy who might not come to my birthday party.”

Bicycling considers what the bicycling mecca can teach the world — and the writer’s hometown — about bike infrastructure, reminding us that the Netherlands wasn’t always the bike-friendly paradise we see now. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you. 

Foldie maker Dahon wowed visitors to a Chinese bike show with they’re latest bikes and tech, including a new frame cable that reportedly makes single-bar folding bikes “more rigid, stronger and faster than some large-wheeled mountain bikes.”

 

Competitive Cycling

Denmark’s Magnus Cort Nielsen overcame the cold and wet weather to win Tuesday’s 10th stage of the Giro, as former Tour de France champ Geraint Thomas kept a tight grip on the pink leader’s jersey.

Movistar cyclist Will Barta managed to escape serious injury crashing on a wet descent in Tuesday’s 10th stage, but he can’t say the same for his bike, which snapped in two during a brush with a retaining wall.

Bicycling applauds 21-year old Dutch cyclist Puck Pieterse’s podium vibes, which she displays with increasing frequency competing in ‘cross, mountain biking and road racing. Read it on AOL if the magazine blocks you.

 

Finally…

Telling bike riders not to do something they wouldn’t do driving a car probably doesn’t have the intended impact, in a world where people do whatever the hell they want behind the wheel. Your next bike could have magnets instead of gears, or maybe not.

And if you get chased out the home you’re burglarizing, try not to leave your bike behind. And if you do, don’t go back for it.

……….

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

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

Bike to fix LA’s crappy air, bikeway on new Gateway Bridge opens next month, and final MOVE Culver City report released

April 21, 2023 / / 2 comments

No surprise here.

Once again, Los Angeles leads the country in crappy air quality.

If only there was some sort of sustainable, non-polluting form of transportation that could improve the health of the planet, as well as those who use it.

Better yet, something that had been successfully proven to work for more than a century.

And was safe and simple enough it could even kids could use it. Or nearly anyone else, for that matter.

Oh well, everyone back in your SUVs.

Photo by Ryan Millier for Pexels.

………

It’s finally happening.

The long-awaited Mark Bixby Memorial Bike-Pedestrian lane over the new International Gateway Bridge will open on May 20th, in conjunction with Long Beach’s Pride-themed Beach Streets open streets event.

The new bikeway will finally provide a seamless connection from San Pedro to Downtown Long Beach, while offering sweeping views of the harbor from both the Gateway and Vincent Thomas bridges.

Correction: While the article promises a seamless connection, commenters below clarify that there is no safe bikeway over the Vincent Thomas bridge, and not likely to be anytime soon. 

………

Culver City has released the final report on the MOVE Culver City project, showing the overwhelming success of the Complete Street project, which is at risk of being ripped out by the city’s newly conservative majority.

As the tweet below notes, it will come up before the city council on Monday, as Planetizen joins calls to save the project..

……….

Eco-Village is talking with the Southern California Association of Governments, aka SCAG, tonight about their plans to improve transportation and livability in the region.

………

Thanks to to free registration from Bike Index, another victimized bike owner got their stolen bike back.

So what are you waiting for?

https://twitter.com/BRAT_Seattle/status/1649239276822081537

………

Berm Peak calls the Penny Farthing the sketchiest bicycle ever made.

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

A New Jersey radio station calls on the state’s drivers to just take a breath and chill out, as conflicts — including physical fights — increase between bike riders and drivers unaware of the state’s four-foot passing law.

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

Orange County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for six ebike-riding suspects who stabbed a Ladera Heights teenager Wednesday night, then chased him on their bikes as he ran for his life.

………

Local 

CicLAvia is looking for volunteers.

Bike Walk Glendale invites you to visit their Earth Day booth and buy a T-shirt, and take a survey for the proposed Glendale Bicycle Master Plan.

The Argonaut profiles Santa Monica’s Thömus USA, the only location outside of Switzerland to sell the ebike brand, which is built by hand on site at the Santa Monica location.

 

State

Spectrum News 1 names Southern California’s five best bike trails, including the Long Beach Shoreline Bicycle Path and the San Gabriel River Trail.

The stolen ghost bike honoring fallen Palm Springs bicyclist Nelson Esteban has been replaced, thanks to a generous donor. Let’s hope this one stays around a little longer. 

A Monterey weekly looks forward to this weekend’s Sea Otter Classic, calling it a temple of bicycling for all kinds of bicyclists.

Bay Area bike riders call for improving safety on the Peninsula below San Francisco after a relatively recent convert to bicycling was killed earlier this month.

 

National

Men’s Journal picks the year’s best mountain bikes, while CNN is a fan of REI’s Co-op Cycles Generation e1.1, calling it a near-perfect entry level e-utility bike.

Swedish e-mobility company Vässla has launched a subscription model for their entry to the US, with the “highly acclaimed” Vässla Pedal available for purchase, or a $109 monthly subscription.

A Washington town was required to include bike lanes when they overhauled a local highway, thanks to a state law requiring Complete Streets for any highway project costing over half a million dollars. Which is why the California legislature needs to codify Caltrans Complete Streets policy, which has far too many loopholes.

Phoenix held its Bike to Work Day yesterday, as hundreds of people turned out for a brief ride, followed by breakfast at city hall.

Good news from Maine, where a community organization is working to house a homeless woman living out her car, after she spent the last of her money to buy a new bike and helmet for a three-year old boy when his bike was stolen; meanwhile, community members have raised over $9,000 to pay off the loan on her car.

A Westside New York paper waves a warning flag over increased non-motorized traffic in the city’s Central Park, as ebikes and scooters prepare to join joggers, walkers, bicyclists, unicyclists, scooters, skaters, skateboarders, pedicabs, horse carriages and park maintenance vehicles.

Inspiring story from Bicycling, as a 66-year old man prepares to ride New York’s Five Boro Bike Ride next month, more than five decades and three transplants after he was told at 11-years old that he had only two years to live due to cystic fibrosis. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you.

New York court workers have thrown in the towel and agreed to observe parking restrictions for the new protected bike lane in front of the courthouse.

A North Carolina writer considers the role of vehicular cycling and taking the lane in the absence of safe bicycling infrastructure.

 

International

The CBC explains the differences between road and track bikes.

She gets it. A Canadian writer says we all want roads that are safe, efficient and pleasant, but no one wants to change for that to happen.

A stoned, wrong way driver will spend the next six years behind bars for the head-on crash that killed a man riding a bicycle, and will be prohibited from driving for 12 years; he had five drugs in his system at the time of the crash, including morphine and “street valium,” as well as several previous traffic convictions, including two for drugged driving. Just one more example of officials keeping a dangerous driver on the road until it’s too late.

Adventure Journal remembers Walter Greaves, a one-armed, vegetarian British bicyclist who set a new world record for riding 62,657 miles in 1937 — despite spending 18 days off his bike after getting hit by a driver.

A British refugee support group has provided 175 bicycles to Ukrainian refugees.

CityLab examines how the Dutch mastered bike parking at train stations. Then again, they’ve mastered just about everything else related to bicycles, too.

A Chinese man has ridden his bike 63,000 miles across the country over the last ten years, despite having just one leg.

 

Competitive Cycling

Bicycling journalist Caley Fretz remembers reporter Chris Baldwin, the former press officer for all-diabetic cycling team Team Type 1, followed by a stint with Astana before returning to Team Type 1 successor Novo Nordisk; Baldwin passed away in his sleep from a heart attack last week. He was just 52.

Here’s your chance to own Miguel Induráin’s Tour de France-winning Pinarello for the low, low price of around 82 grand.

Bicycling considers what comes next after the cancelation of the UK’s Women’s Tour, as organizers promise it will be back next year. Read it on AOL if the magazine blocks you.

 

Finally…

If you’re riding your bike while under the influence on your island vacation, put a damn light on it, already. Now you, too, can own your very own Taco Bell bike.

And where the hell did they get my picture?

……….

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

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

Update: Man riding bicycle killed by hit-and-run semi driver in Long Beach Tuesday am; police blame victim, absolve driver

February 14, 2023 / / 2 comments

No bias here.

A man riding a bicycle on Southern California’s killer highway in Long Beach was killed by the driver of a semi-truck, who kept going after the crash.

So naturally, police blamed the victim, and absolved the driver for failing to stop.

The member-supported Long Beach Post is reporting that the victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was riding his bike east on PCH at Harbor Drive when police say he “collided” with a semi traveling in the same direction around 9:18 this morning.

He died at the scene.

The LBPD’s description of the crash is based on security cam video that apparently depicted the impact, although they don’t clarify whether the victim rear-ended the truck or somehow backed into it.

Or maybe, just maybe, the driver passed too closely, in violation of California’s three-foot passing law, as well as the new requirement to change lanes when possible to pass a bike rider, and somehow sideswiped the victim, or cause him to fall under it.

We may never know.

The cops were also quick to absolve the driver of any responsibility to stop after the crash, saying he or she may not have known it happened.

Because apparently, drivers aren’t required to be aware of what happens with their massive vehicles, or any damage or deaths they may cause.

Let’s hope they clarify things at some point.

A street view shows a four lane highway with center turn lane, and right turn lanes in each direction.

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

Three of those deaths appear to be hit-and-runs.

Update: Long Beach police have clarified that the victim apparently fell off his bike and was struck by the truck driver. 

Which doesn’t explain why the driver passed close enough to hit him if he fell beside the truck, or why the driver wouldn’t be aware he’d hit someone.

It’s also possible that a too-close pass could have been what caused the victim to fall. 

Anyone with information is urged to call LBPD Collision Investigation Detail Detectives Kevin Johansen or Joseph Johnson 562/570-7355.

Update 2: The victim was identified as 59-year-old homeless Long Beach resident Kevin Evans, who was on his way to volunteer with the nonprofit Care Closet Long Beach when he was killed.

The Long Beach Post describes him as someone who was always willing to help others, despite his own situation.

More than 20 years ago, Evans grew tired of the stresses of having to pay a mortgage and utilities, so he decided to leave that behind to pursue a “camping” lifestyle, his friends said.

Eventually, with the support of Care Closet Long Beach, Evans was able to use his experiences to help others, especially homeless residents, going through tough situations, Given said.

He died just three days short of his 60th birthday.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.

Thanks to Psmith for the heads-up. 

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

Wait a year to ride with the walk signal, bike rider critically injured in A Line crash, and new LA council committee announced

January 4, 2023 / / 2 comments

Let’s start with a quick correction to something we mentioned yesterday.

There have been a number of stories from a cross the state reporting that bike riders can now start off from a red light with the walk signal by taking advantage of the leading pedestrian interval, rather than waiting for the light to turn green.

While that head start can provide a significant safety upgrade for people on bicycles and other micromobility devices, the new law doesn’t actually take effect until January 1st of next year, as Andrew Goldstein and Bryan J. Blumberg pointed out to me.

Personally, I’d do it anyway if I thought the situation calls for it, and try to argue my case with the cop if I got caught.

But that’s just me.

Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels.

………

Speaking of yesterday’s post, I inadvertently left out the news that a man riding a bicycle was critically injured in a collision with a Metro train in Long Beach last weekend.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was crossing the A Line, formerly Blue Line, tracks on East Spring Street near Del Mar Avenue when he was struck by the train around 11:16 Saturday morning, after allegedly riding around the crossing gates.

Unfortunately, there hasn’t been an update since the initial reports, which means we’re unlikely to ever learn what happened to him.

So let’s just hope and pray he makes a full and fast recovery.

And let this be a reminder to never ride or walk around railroad crossing gates, regardless of whether you think you can make it.

Because chances are, you just might.

Until you don’t.

………

Committee assignments were announced for the upcoming city council session yesterday, which David Zahniser of the LA Times posted on Twitter.

The all-important Transportation Committee — at least for our purposes — will be helmed by interim CD10 Councilmember Heather Hutt, with newly elected CD11 Councilmember Traci Park servicing as vice chair.

New members Eunisses Hernandez (CD1) and Katy Yaroslavsky (CD5) fill out the roster, along with CD4 Councilmember Nithya Raman.

We’ll have to wait to see what this will mean for active transportation in the City of Angels, but there’s reason for hope with the three progressive at large members onboard.

It’s also worth noting that the all-female committee roster comes just a few short years after the council raised countless red flags when no women were elected to the board.

Here’s the full list of committee assignments, courtesy of Zahniser.

………

Zahniser also reports that just two candidates have qualified for the special election to replace for Council President Nury Martinez in CD6.

Martinez resigned in the wake of the recording in which she was heard making racist and otherwise offensive comments, along with two other Latino councilmembers and a labor leader, who also resigned his post.

One of the councilmembers, CD1’s “Roadkill” Gil Cedillo left the council at the end of his term after losing to Eunisses Hernandez, while CD14’s Kevin de León still refuses to do the right thing and resign.

Meanwhile, de León continues to pat himself on the back for securing a $47.5 million state active transportation grant for DTLA’s Skid Row, as if that makes up for his role in the offensive recording.

https://twitter.com/DavidZahniser/status/1610443302935105542

………

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

Mother Jones rates cars parked in bike lanes as one of the monsters of the past year, noting that drivers aren’t gods, they just own a Toyota.

No bias here. Over 5,000 motorists have signed a petition calling for the removal of new Maryland bike lanes “without delay,” claiming they make the road more dangerous, even though two bike riders were killed there in recent years; a petition supporting the changes has drawn nearly 900 signatures.

No bias here, either. After a motorcyclist ran into a retired British pedestrian, Twitter users naturally pile on to blame bicycle riders.

A right-wing UK academic and media personality comes out firmly against livable communities, if it means he can’t go zoom, zoom in his car wherever he wants.

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

Breitbart piles on with the many other conservative media sources accusing a “self-righteous” San Francisco bike rider of becoming unhinged because she complained about an ambulance needlessly blocking a bike lane, when they could have stopped in the buffer just to the left.

A Tulsa OK man faces charges after trying, and failing, to outrun the cops on the bike he just stole; police found multiple illegal drugs and paraphernalia on him, as well.

………

Local 

Streetsblog recommends the Schabarum Trail Peak, part of the nearly 30-mile Schabarum-Skyline Trail running from San Dimas to unincorporated Whittier, offering sweeping views of the San Gabriel Valley.

 

State

Planetizen argues that San Diego needs to improve its bike infrastructure if it wants to have any chance of meeting its climate goals. Oddly, the city seems to take such things seriously, rather than calling their goals merely “aspirational” like their larger neighbor to the north.

San Francisco Streetsblog argues that drivers can park their vehicles on the street, so ebike buyers should be able to, as well.

Police in Concord continue to search for the pickup driver who fled the scene after running down a 57-year old man riding a bicycle last month, sending the victim to the hospital.

 

National

Travel & Leisure makes their picks for the best bike lock. And not surprisingly, chooses a Kryptonite as their overall favorite.

Road.cc looks at the best bicycling gadgets at this year’s CES Consumer Electronics Show, including airless metal bike tires and an all-in-one rear light, brake light and anti-theft alarm.

Intelligent Living offers three reasons to ride your bike to work. But fails to mention how much faster it can be than driving congested streets, and how much more fun you’ll have.

Cory Mortensen’s book The Buddha and the Bee, which recounts his unplanned and unsupported bike ride from Chaska, Minnesota to Truckee, California, won the 2022 Best Indie Book Award for non-fiction.

Portland’s bicycle and pedestrian advisory committees are raising red flags over a freeway widening and capping project that would compromise one of the city’s most heavily used bikeways, as well as increasing emissions and greenhouse gasses.

This is how it’s supposed to be done. Seattle is using orange cones to mark out temporary protected bike lanes on two streets, after one of two bridges with bike infrastructure was forced to close due to storm damage, requiring riders to use “hostile and deadly” streets to get to the other one.

A Colorado Springs CO paper profiles a carfree retired couple who use their three-wheeled ‘bents as their sole form of transportation.

Colorado’s governor is calling for a $120 million tax credit to encourage residents to buy electric cars and lawnmowers, as well as ebikes; the proposed program would offer a $500 tax rebate for ebike purchasers, rising to $1,000 for low income residents. Although the state could save a lot of money, and do more to improve air quality and fight climate change, if they designed the program to simply replace cars with ebikes, instead.

Massachusetts approved a new four-foot passing law, as well as a requirement to track collisions involving vulnerable road users.

She gets it. A Connecticut writer says the lack of Hoboken, New Jersey traffic deaths over the last four years shows that traffic violence isn’t inevitable.

A Virginia man is looking for a new lawyer after police arrested him with 327 pieces of allegedly stolen merchandise, including power tools and tens of thousands of dollars worth of stolen bikes.

Atlanta is the latest city to consider offering rebates for ebike purchasers. Meanwhile, Los Angeles remains firmly among the vast majority of cities that haven’t even discussed an ebike rebate program, while potential California buyer continue to wait with baited breath for the state’s long-delayed ebike rebate program to finally roll out.

 

International

Bike advocates in Toronto are accusing the city of falling short on its promise to build 20 miles of bike lanes each year by opening just 8.1 miles last year, while failing to build “critical bikeways,” as well.

A website accuses European countries of misusing the equivalent of $2.12 billion in funding appropriated by the EU for bicycle infrastructure.

They get it. A Glasgow nonprofit says it’s never too late to learn to ride a bicycle.

Sad news from the UK, where the man who designed the iconic 1970’s Raleigh Chopper bicycle has died; 96-year old Tom Karen also designed the two-seat, three-wheeled Bond Bug car, and the popular Marble Run game.

More sad news, this time from Spain, where former Spanish and world master’s champ Agustín “Guti” Navarro was found dead on New Years Eve, apparently from natural causes; he was just 44.

 

Competitive Cycling

Nineteen-year-old pro Madis Mihkels suffered a deep cut to his back when he was run down by a driver while training near his Estonian hometown.

 

Finally…

No, bike paths aren’t car lanes, even if they’re frozen. The iconic Hollywood Sign is being moved — the one in Ireland, that is.

And seriously, who doesn’t jump rope while riding their bike in a Culver City protected bike lane?

That tweet translates to “You know you have good bike infrastructure when…”

Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

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

71-year old Samuel Rivera dies nine days after Long Beach hit-and-run; over 1/3 of SoCal bike deaths have been hit-and-runs

November 15, 2022 / / 2 comments

Go ahead and call it murder.

A Long Beach man is dead, nine days after he was run down by a heartless coward who left the 71-year old lying critically injured in the street.

According to KCBS-2, Samuel Juarez Rivera was riding his bicycle in a crosswalk on northbound Walnut Ave, when he was struck by a driver traveling west on Anaheim Street around 6:20 am on Friday, November 4th.

Rivera was rushed to a local hospital, where he reportedly died on Monday; however, the Press-Telegram reports he passed away on Sunday, November 13th.

No word on whether he was conscious or able to talk with investigators. Or who may have had the green light at the time of the crash.

There’s also no information on whether the driver may have been speeding, distracted or impaired.

Police are looking for the driver of a white sedan; there’s no further description of the car or driver at this time.

What is certain is that Rivera deserved better.

Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach Police Detective Joseph Johnson at 562/570-7355.

This is at least the 73rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 24th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

At least 24 of the bike riders killed in Southern California have been the victims of hit-and-run drivers.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,
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