Tag Archive for Los Angeles County

SAFE takes Long Beach and Los Angeles to task for failing on speed cams, and how to request improvement on county roads

December 9, 2025 / / No comments
Day 343 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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It’s Day 12 of the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Thanks to Brian, Kathleen, Steven and Lisa for their generous support for SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy!

So what are you waiting for? It only takes a few clicks to donate via PayPal, Zelle or Venmo, and guarantee our spokescorgi will find a little kibble in her stocking this year.

And yes, that’s the same photo of our official spokescorgi that we used yesterday, because it’s after 4 in the damn morning and I want to go to sleep, already. 

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Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, is also conducting a year-end fund drive, and more than deserving of a few bucks.

Or maybe more than a few.

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Speaking of SAFE, the organization takes Glendale, Los Angeles and Long Beach to task, along with Oakland and San Jose, for failing to implement the state’s speed cam pilot program, over two years after it was signed into law.

Only San Francisco has actually placed speed cams on the streets, getting a 100% A+ grade in SAFE’s scoring system, while seeing a dramatic decrease in speeding where the cameras have been installed.

Los Angeles, on the other hand, gets a D grade, with Long Beach only slightly better at D+.

Although, while I can’t speak to Long Beach, that’s probably being undeservedly kind towards LA.

Malibu, which was added to the plan a year later as residents clamored for speed cams on deadly PCH, has done much better at implementing the program, already achieving a B+ in SAFE’s scoring.

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Thanks to Luc for forwarding a response from LA County on how to request safety signage or other improvements on country roads.

Report a Problem: Bike Path:
Hi – Not a problem but a proactive measure to enforce safety for all. Now that the Rockstore section on Mulholland is finally open to all traffic:
Who do I ask for a sign to be placed showing to “share the road with cyclists”?
Thank you!

Answer:
Thank you for contacting the website for Los Angeles County Public Works. We provide services to the unincorporated areas of L.A. County. Your concerns have been forwarded to the Traffic Investigator for the subject location, who should be contacting you shortly. You may also contact them at 626-300-4848.

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LADOT wants your feedback on the South Broadway Mobility Project, as well as input to help shape their upcoming Mobility Action Plan.

And no, “more protected bike lanes everywhere” is probably not quite what they’re looking for.

But still.

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Gravel Bike California discovers some some hidden trails and camps in the Verdugo Mountains in the inaugural Tour de Dugo.

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

Once again, business owners try to shoot themselves in the foot, protesting new curb-protected bike lanes in Chicago while alleging they were losing business after just 45 days, even though studies show protected bike lanes usually result in increased sales if they just give it a little time.

New York Streetsblog examines everything that’s wrong with a judge’s order to rip out a Queens bike lane, accusing her of overstepping her jurisdiction.

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Local 

LAist offers more details on the $10.5 million Complete Streets makeover of Huntington Drive, which adds bus lanes, curb-protected bike lane, wide sidewalks and a narrow median, while removing a traffic lane in each direction.

Bikeshare is booming at UCLA, where students and staff took roughly 15,000 Metro Bike trips last year, including nearly 6,500 trips on campus.

Burbank Bike Angels will hold their annual celebration tomorrow at Burbank City Hall to display hundreds of new and restored bicycles that will be donated to local children.

 

State

Carlsbad became the second city in San Diego’s North County area to crack down on ebikes, including restrictions on where they can be ridden.

A Fresno driver was on the wrong side of the roadway when he struck and killed a 51-year old anthropology professor three years ago as she was riding with three other bicyclists, according to a woman riding with her; the 50-year old driver faces a vehicular manslaughter charge, as well as a couple misdemeanors for her death.

This is the cost of traffic violence. Yesterday we mentioned that someone riding a bicycle was killed by a driver on the famed Pebble Beach 17 Mile Drive; today we learned the victim was a 66-year old former professor from CSU Monterey Bay, who founded the school’s Service Learning Institute and led it for 25 years.

A 24-year old man pled not guilty to DUI and hit-and-run charges in San Mateo County, after he allegedly hit a 15-year old boy riding an ebike in a bike lane, and dragged the kid several blocks before crashing into a couple parked cars; police found half gram of meth and 14 empty beer cans in his car after the crash. No word on how the boy is doing, but he can’t be good after that.

 

National

Momentum recommends the best rail trails in the US for “cycling bliss.” None of which are anywhere near Los Angeles, of course. 

San Antonio, Texas is proposing a $67 million plan to remove a lane in each direction from a seven-lane roadway, while adding wider sidewalks and a bike path.

An Illinois bill would create a 15 mph speed limit on all bike paths in the state for all bicycles, as well as low-speed ebikes, low-speed gas bicycles, motor-driven cycles and mopeds.

The New Jersey legislature advanced a bill that would reclassify all ebikes, including ped-assist bikes, as motorized bicycles, and require a drivers license for anyone over 17 to operate one, or a motorized bicycle license for anyone 15 to 16. A perfect example of how lumping all forms of electric bikes, including motorbikes and dirt bike, together as ebikes can result in a crackdown that harms everyone.

High school students in Tampa, Florida worked with a local legislator to file a bill requiring bike helmets for all ebike riders under the age of 18. Although bike helmets aren’t designed to protect against the speeds many e-motorbikes and dirt bikes are capable of achieving. 

 

International

Speaking of Momentum, the magazine updates their list of the world’s worst bike lanes. Oddly, Los Angeles doesn’t make the list, but San Diego does. Twice. 

‘Tis the season. Volunteers in Winnipeg, Manitoba reclaimed and refurbished 350 bicycles headed for the landfill to donate to local children in need.

No surprise here, as officials say a new $26 million bike path connecting a Northamptonshire, England railway station to the town center will offer “enormous benefits,” as well as “a safer and greener environment for everyone.”

They know us so well. The UK’s CyclingElectric offers their list of the best Christmas gifts for ebike riders and bicyclists, including a local craft beer. Sign me up, Santa. 

Amsterdam considers a ban on fat-tired ebikes, hoping that restrictions on tire widths will substitute for a ban based on engine power or potential speeds.

A South African appeals court called for a new inquest into the 2016 death of a woman who fell off a cliff while mountain biking with her husband, after a magistrate had ruled that her husband was implicated in her death “on the face of it,” without hearing any testimony; she supposedly fell when he turned his back after stopping to take a photo.

Chinese authorities took nearly $1.6 million worth of fake Specialized bike parts off the market, while tracing the counterfeits back to the factories that made them.

An “everyday athlete” from Australia rode his bike over 2,600 miles across the continent. Or rather, two bikes, after his original bike was stolen as he slept in his one-man tent.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cycling Weekly examines the disturbing trend of young cyclists giving up on the sport.

 

Finally…

Now even the gods are out to get us. It may not be such a long way to Tipperary soon.

And apparently, you’re not the only one who tosses your valve caps.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Man killed riding bicycle killed by driver in Florence-Graham neighborhood; crash investigated by Sheriff’s homicide dept.

November 30, 2025 / / 3 comments

This is not the news any of us wanted to end the holiday weekend with.

Just as I was writing for tomorrow’s post that we could be thankful that no one was killed while riding a bicycle over the long Thanksgiving weekend, news broke that it wasn’t true.

Because a man described only as an “adult male” was killed Sunday evening in the Florence-Graham neighborhood of South LA in unincorporated Los Angeles County.

According to a tersely worded Nixle notification from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide detectives are responding to a death investigation involving a bicyclist and vehicle. The incident was reported on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at approximately 5:55 P.M. at the intersection of E. 71st St & Holmes Ave. in unincorporated Los Angeles.

The victim was transported to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

There is no additional information available at this time.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

You can also offer tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 800/222-TIPS (8477), or at lacrimestoppers.org.

It seems telling that the crash is being handled by the homicide unit, rather than traffic investigators, though we don’t know enough right now to speculate what that may actually mean.

Never mind that, even for a case being investigated by homicide detectives, they still say that victim was killed by a “vehicle,” rather than someone driving one.

Or as Andrew put it in forwarding the notice to me,

“Death investigation involving a bicyclist and a vehicle,” not “a driver ran down another person in cold blood and didn’t even stop.”

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

This is at least the 53rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 12th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

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

Thanks to Andrew for the heads-up. 

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

45-year old man riding bicycle killed by two separate hit-and-run drivers in Vernon Wednesday morning

October 23, 2025 / / No comments

For the second time this week, someone riding a bicycle has been murdered killed by a heartless coward in a motor vehicle.

Or in this case, two heartless cowards.

Multiple sources are reporting that a man was killed in Vernon when he was struck by not one, but two drivers yesterday morning.

The victim was riding on Pacific Avenue (or Pacific Blvd) near 45th Street around 6:30 am Wednesday when he was run down by a driver traveling south on Pacific. He was knocked into the northbound lane, where he was hit by the second driver.

The victim died at the scene. He has been identified as 45-year old William Valle.

Neither driver remained at the scene and assisted the victim, as required by law. There’s no description of either driver or their vehicles at this time.

At that point, Pacific is a six lane virtual highway with a wide, sweeping curve, where drivers could easily exceed the posted 40 mph speed limit at that hour.

There’s no word on how quickly the second crash followed the first, or if it could have been prevented if the first driver had simply stopped after the crash to warn approaching drivers about victim lying in the roadway.

Valle’s death comes two days to the hour after Eric Williams was killed by an alleged drugged hit-and-run driver while riding on PCH in Huntington Beach Monday morning.

This is at least the 49th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

Eighteen of those SoCal drivers have now fled the scene, or more than one out of every three fatal crashes involving someone on a bicycle since the first of this year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for William Valle and all his loved ones. 

Thanks to James Johnson for the heads-up. 

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

WeHo councilmembers explain support for Fountain Ave, and Metro approves $85.5 million for LA County bike/ped projects

September 18, 2025 / / Comments Off on WeHo councilmembers explain support for Fountain Ave, and Metro approves $85.5 million for LA County bike/ped projects
Day 261 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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They get it.

Well, some of them, anyway.

As we mentioned on Tuesday, the Complete Streets makeover of Fountain Ave in West Hollywood will go forward, after a seemingly endless multi-year process.

One that saw far too many avoidable deaths and injuries along the way, along with countless dollars in property damage.

Sam Mulick, a reporter for the Beverly Press & Park LaBrea News, reported on Monday’s West Hollywood City Council, where the first phase of the Fountain Ave redesign was approved on a 3-2 vote.

Councilmembers John Heilman and Lauren Meister cast the no votes, while Mayor Chelsea Byers, and Councilmen John Erickson and Danny Hang voted yes.

I’ll let you read Mulick’s story if you want Heilman’s and Meister’s reasoning for opposing the project.

But at least Meister asked the right questions, even if it seemed like she could benefit from sitting down with someone who could correct a few misperceptions on traffic safety.

Heilman, however, seemed to be a lost cause.

But let’s take a moment to examine why the other three supported the project, which could have a dramatic effect on traffic safety, while significantly improving livability on the corridor.

“It’s our responsibility to create options for a diverse community,” (Byers) said. “That is something that’s really important to me especially in this extremely dense area of our community. Kids, especially, have been locked inside of their homes … it is because cars and collisions and the violence they experience interacting with them is the No. 1 contributor to kids’ deaths. And that is a horrific reality that we can transform without having to send families to suburbs.”

Then there were these heartrending comments from Erickson and Hang, both of whom seemed to fully grasp the cost of keeping the street in its current deadly, car-choked form.

“This is my backyard and the sheer fact that I walk by Blake Ackerman’s ghost bike every single day to walk my dog is truly one of the most haunting experiences I have ever had to experience,” (Erickson) said. “This process that we have been going through for five years is killing people. It’s just that simple.”

Councilman Danny Hang said that the redesign will help lower income residents who travel without cars and help the city meet climate goals by reducing emissions. Hang added that the redesign is personal to him because his partner was the victim of a vehicle collision on Fountain Avenue and was hospitalized as a result.

“Fountain Avenue has long been one of the most dangerous corridors in our city,” he said. “Just over a decade we have seen dozens of severe crashes and five lives lost. Those aren’t just numbers. Those are our neighbors and friends and family members and for me, the most important measure of success is simple – fewer people getting hurt and more people getting home safely.”

However, the war isn’t over.

The project will come back before the council again next year, when they will have to approve a construction contract for the first phase. Any change in the makeup of the council could adversely affect that vote.

But for now, at least, we’re finally on our way to a safer Fountain Ave. Even if it comes too late for Ackerman, and too many others.

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Local 

Metro approved $85.5 million in grants for 16 projects throughout Los Angeles County, primarily for first mile/last mile connections and improving mobility for the Olympics; among the projects are new protected bike lanes on Overland Ave in Culver City, and closing another gap in the LA River bike path through the San Fernando Valley.

 

State

Huntington Beach is considering extending restrictions on ebike-riding kids, requiring them to ride on city streets or bike lanes near places like schools and churches. Never mind that bike lanes are, by definition, on streets, or that once again, there appears to be no distinction between ped-assist ebikes and illegal dirt bikes and electric motorcycles.

Carlsbad continued its march to age restrictions for ebike riders, after the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission voted Tuesday to recommend banning kids under 12 from riding ebikes, although the Coast News calls the restrictions “toothless.”

Cathedral City is installing new painted bike lanes on Whispering Palms Trail as part of the city’s Active Transportation Plan.

Ventura’s city council voted to keep six downtown blocks carfree, like they have been since the early days of the pandemic.

Parents in Menlo Park are complaining that new speed humps installed as part of a Complete Streets project are making it more dangerous for their kids to bike to school, because they extend all the way across the bike lane.

San Francisco voters recalled Supervisor Joel Engardio by a nearly two-thirds margin over his support for turning a two-mile stretch of the Great Highway into a linear park; now recall proponents will try to force its return to a smog- and traffic-choked coastal highway.

 

National

Electrek scrubbed Rivian’s behind-the-scene promo video, and pieced together leaked images of their upcoming ebike that the company had blurred, revealing what appears to be a ped-assist cargo bike.

Seattle opened new protected bike lanes on the least-steep section of the city’s Beacon Hill, creating a 6.5 mile protected corridor across the city. Thanks to fellow corgi dad Mike for the heads-up. 

Good idea. Spokane, Washington’s Bicycling Advisory Board took to their bikes to ride the city’s streets, looking for areas that need improvement. Although with 7,500 miles of streets in Los Angeles, that could take awhile here. 

I want to be like them when I grow up. Sequim, Washington’s Ancient and Honorable Cyclists held their annual meetup; 18 of the group’s 22 octogenarian members turned out, most of whom ride three times or more a week.

Utah just found the skeletal remains of a 47-year old homeless man who disappeared three years ago after setting out for a bike ride.

The editor of a Colorado newspaper says “the world feels like it’s going to h-e-double-toothpicks without the incentive of a handbasket right now,” but at least living in a small town where kids can ride their bikes makes life a little better.

New York is claiming progress on Vision Zero, as the city experienced its lowest level of traffic deaths in five years. Proof that reducing traffic deaths is possible if cities actually take it seriously, unlike a certain SoCal megalopolis I could name. 

 

International

Vancouver, British Columbia is reversing course once again on bike lanes in the city’s 1,000-acre Stanley Park, after the Park Board approved a new mobility plan containing separated bike lanes, just two years after ripping out previously installed bike lanes through the park.

A 62-year old Englishman rode his bike 105 miles from London’s Hyde Park to his home in Wiltshire to raise money for hospice care — despite two previous strokes and having a pacemaker, osteoarthritis and just one kidney.

The UK’s biggest bicycle retailer says things are finally starting to look up, following a modest 1.7% increase in sales this year.

French ultra cyclist Sofiane Sehili is being held in pre-trial detention in Russia until October 4th on unannounced, super-secret charges, after being arrested for an illegal border crossing while attempting to set a record for the fastest crossing of Eurasia by bike.

 

Competitive Cycling

Bicycling Australia examines the process that brought Africa’s first UCI Road World Championships to Rwanda.

Sports Illustrated says the stampede to join the ever-expanding Team Visma-Lease a Bike cycling team continues, as 23-year old Italian “superstar” Davide Piganzoli signed a three-year “mega deal” with the team. Although that seems like a very generous use of the term “superstar” for someone who just graduated from the U23 ranks. 

 

Finally…

Now even the trees are out to get us. Being violent ebike thieves is bad enough, but kitty-napping is just going too damn far.

And if the Jolly Green Giant ever needs a new bike, he’ll now know where to find a few.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Man collecting recyclables on a bicycle killed in early morning in South LA hit-and-run; 5th South LA bike rider killed this year

August 18, 2025 / / One comment

Seriously, not another one.

For at least the fifth time this year, someone has been killed riding a bicycle in South Los Angeles.

And for the fourth time, the driver fled the scene; perhaps the only reason the other driver didn’t was he was too injured to drive away.

According to multiple sources, the victim was killed while collecting recyclables with his dog early Monday morning in the Broadway-Manchester neighborhood.

The victim, who was identified only as a man in his 50s or 60s, was apparently riding on East 95th Street when he was struck by a driver crossing on San Pedro around 1:20 am.

He died at the scene.

The driver fled the scene; there’s no description of the suspect or their vehicle at this time.

According to Fox11, the crash left food, wheels and a recycling cart strewn across the intersection. The station reports that friends and relatives of the victim gathered near the scene afterwards, describing him as a “nice guy who never caused any trouble.”

The victim’s dog was following behind his bicycle, and wasn’t hurt in the collision. He was taken in by a volunteer group.

There is a bike lane on San Pedro, but nothing on 95th. The intersection is controlled only with a stop sign on 95th; it’s unclear if it would have be lighted at that hour.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the LAPD’s Southeast Division.

This is at least the 35th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 13th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; this was also the sixth we’ve learned about in the City of LA.

And he was the 11th SoCal bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver since the first of the year

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Man walking bicycle killed crossing Long Beach street Wednesday evening; 8th SoCal bike rider killed in last 16 days

August 8, 2025 / / Comments Off on Man walking bicycle killed crossing Long Beach street Wednesday evening; 8th SoCal bike rider killed in last 16 days

I just can’t.

For the eighth time in the last 16 days, someone riding a bicycle has been killed in Southern California, an average of one every other day.

Or in this case, just walking a bicycle across a Long Beach street.

Multiple sources are reporting that a man was walking east across Pacific Place near Wardlow Road with his bike, when he was struck by a northbound driver around 6:07 pm Wednesday.

He was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Police don’t believe speed, impaired driving or distracted driving contributed to the crash.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was reportedly walking outside of a crosswalk at the time of the crash. That’s legal under California law as long as it’s safe to cross; it could have looked that way to the victim before he started across the four lane street.

There’s also no word on which side of Wardlow he was on, or where he was in relation to the intersection. However, there is an A Line train station and bus stops north of Wardlow; it’s possible he was walking his bike to the station when he was struck.

Unfortunately, with the limited information we have at this time, there’s no way to know what really happened, or why. Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

The Long Beach Post reports that Pacific is one of the city’s most dangerous streets.

Pacific Avenue, which becomes Pacific Place at Wardlow, has been among the city’s deadliest streets in recent years, recording nine deaths in vehicular collisions since 2020, most of them being pedestrians.

City officials are redesigning the street to slow traffic and enlarge spaces for bikers and walkers.

Maybe they should hurry.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is urged to call Detective Efrain Pineda of the Long Beach Police Department’s Collision Investigation Detail at 562/570-7355.

This is at least the 33rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 12th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Woman riding bicycle killed in Bellflower hit-and-run early Friday, 10th SoCal bike rider killed by hit-and-run drivers this year

July 25, 2025 / / 14 comments

Another day, another person on a bicycle killed by a heartless coward.

This time in Bellflower.

According to both KCBS-2 and Fox-11, a woman was reported down in the street around 1:55 am Friday on Clark Ave at Somerset Blvd.

When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found the victim lying in the road next to a bicycle.

There’s no word on how the crash occurred, or how long the woman, who hasn’t been publicly identified, may have been down on the Bellflower street she was discovered. Or if she could have survived if the driver had stopped and called for help, as the law requires.

Investigators are looking for the driver of a white pickup, believed to have fled north on Clark Street.

This is at least the 27th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

This was also the 6th person to die riding a bicycle in LA County in less than a month, and the tenth SoCal bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver since the first of the year.

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

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

Bike rider killed in West Hollywood hit-and-run on deadly Fountain Ave; one third of 2025 SoCal bike deaths hit-and-runs

July 11, 2025 / / 2 comments

This time it’s personal. And yes, I’m mad as hell.

Once again, someone riding a bicycle has been murdered by a hit-and-run driver, this time in West Hollywood.

And this time, at an intersection I’ve passed through literally thousands of times, on foot, on bike and in a car.

It was about 10 pm last night when a notification on the Ring app said someone had been struck by a driver at Fountain Ave and Gardner Street; video from the scene showed sheriff’s deputies had blocked the entire street in both directions, which is never a good sign.

That was confirmed today, when we learned the victim didn’t make it.

According to multiple sources, the victim was riding west on Fountain around 9:47 pm when he was run down from behind by the driver, who continued west on Fountain without stopping.

The victim was taken to the trauma center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died of his injuries. He has not been publicly identified.

Investigators are looking for a white, older-model BMW sedan, which will likely have a shattered windshield on the passenger side. There is no description of the driver at this time.

Fountain has long been one of the deadliest streets in West Hollywood, along with Sunset Blvd just a few blocks north. Gardner connects them at the east end of the city, and has been the scene of fatal hit-and-runs at the intersections with both streets less than two weeks apart.

And if that’s not a problem, I don’t know what is.

Fountain is also a designated bike route, where bike riders are encouraged to ride by the presence of sharrows, regardless of experience. And despite drivers who frequently exceed the posted 25 mph speed limit, sometimes by two or three times.

Plans have been in the works for at least two years now to fix Fountain, but have been held up by the usual endless series of public meetings and redesigns, as if residents concerned about parking somehow know more about designing safe streets than the people trained to do it.

The next meeting is planned for August 19th at 6 pm, in the Plummer Park Community Center.

And yes, I will do my best to be there.

Anyone with information related to the collision is urged to contact traffic investigators at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at 310/855-8850. Anonymous tips can be called into Crimestoppers at 800/222-TIPS (8477), or by texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads).

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

This was also at least the eighth SoCal bike rider killed by hit-and-run drivers since the first of the year.

But at least the Sheriff’s Department told us about it right away, unlike the LAPD.

Update: The victim has been identified as 27-year old Blake Ackerman, no city of resident given. 

According to a crowdfunding page to support his mother and sister,

Anyone who knew Blake was lucky to call him a friend. Many of his friends became an extension of his family. Blake and his family welcomed everyone with open arms, into their home, their gatherings, and their family dinners. No matter who you were, you were always welcome.

Blake was full of limitless potential. He lived well and accomplished so much in his all-too-short years. He was a born leader, he served as student-body president and vice president at Beverly Hills High School, undergraduate vice president at USC, senior articles editor for the Loyola Law Review, and president of Loyola’s Surf & Ski Club. He also co-founded a human-rights advocacy group dedicated to prison-to-school education.

Prior to graduating law school, Blake externed for Judge Autumn D. Spaeth of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. In 2023, he earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School, then clerked for Judge Clyde J. Wadsworth of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals in Oahu, where he met his soulmate, Torie. Together they moved back to his hometown of Los Angeles, and Blake joined Morgan Lewis as a litigation associate. Even in his busy professional life, Blake’s caring heart extended to pro bono work, he arranged one final matter to help someone in need, and his firm has honored to carry it forward in his memory.

As of this writing, the page has raised over $126,000 of a $150,000 goal.

Photo of Blake Ackerman from GoFundMe page

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Blake Ackerman and his loved ones. 

Thanks to Brian Nilsen for the heads-up. 

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

Bicyclist killed by driver in early morning Pomona hit-and-run, police wait over a week to inform the public

July 8, 2025 / / Comments Off on Bicyclist killed by driver in early morning Pomona hit-and-run, police wait over a week to inform the public

Once again, someone riding a bicycle has been murdered by a heartless hit-and-run driver.

And once again, police were in no hurry to tell us about it.

According to My News LA, police found the victim lying in the roadway at Monterey Avenue and Eleanor Street in Pomona around 1:10 am on Monday, June 30th — over one week ago.

He was taken to a hospital suffering from serious injuries, but died shortly later. He has not been publicly identified.

Police are looking for the driver of a gray four-door sedan, possibly a Nissan Altima or similar make and model.

There’s no word on the how the crash occurred, or any description of the driver at this time. However, there are sharrows in both direction on Monterey, which may have contributed to the crash.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Pomona Police Department at 909/620-2156.

This is at least the 23rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County. This was also at least the seventh SoCal bike rider killed by hit-and-run drivers since the first of the year.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: Popular LA area bicyclist died of internal injuries after falling on Montrose ride

June 29, 2025 / / 8 comments

It’s probably happened to most of us at one time of another.

You catch a wheel in a rut, and fight to stay upright. Or go down, and walk away with road rash or a broken bone or two.

But you don’t die.

Yet that’s what happened yesterday, when a well-loved member of the LA riding community lost his life after hitting a rut on the popular, pro-level Montrose ride.

From what I’ve been told, Virgo Datu was riding with the group when his wheel caught a rut, then hit a curb and a light post. He was hospitalized with internal injuries, including a collapsed lung, and broken ribs that apparently punctured the other, and died this morning.

A Facebook post, which I can’t seem to embed or link to, mentions Datu’s family and fiancé, as well as numerous friends. I’m also told he was a very skilled and experienced bicyclist.

He’s clearly someone who will be very missed.

This is at least the 20th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 6th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

This is a developing story, so please contact me with any additional information or corrections.

Update: A crowdfunding campaign has been set up to help cover the unexpected funeral and memorial arrangements. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Virgo Datu and all his family and loved ones.

Thanks to Zachary, Gary and Brett for their help putting this story together. 

 

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