Tag Archive for Los Angeles County

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 / / No comments

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: , , , ,

Update: 37-year old man riding bicycle killed in apparent head-on crash on Stunt Road in Calabasas Saturday morning

June 14, 2025 / / 8 comments

Note: This story has changed considerably following the initial report. As usual, I’ve left the original version as is and added the updates below, so you can see how our understanding of the events has developed. So please read all the way to the end to get the full story. 

………

My News LA is reporting that a man was killed riding a bicycle in Calabasas Saturday morning.

The victim, identified as 37-year old Marvin Cortez, was struck by a 25-year old Calabasas man while riding on the wrong side of Stunt Road, south of Mulholland Highway, around 9:25 am.

Cortez was reportedly riding north in the southbound lane when the driver rounded a blind curve, and crashed into him head-on.

He was taken to a hospital, but died in the ambulance before he arrived.

Stunt Road is a popular route for road cyclists in the hills between Malibu and Calabasas; it’s possible Cortez cut the corner while descending, and was in the wrong spot at the wrong time.

There appears to be some confusion about where he is from. The story leads off by calling Cortez a Los Angeles man, but concludes by saying the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner did not disclose his city of residence.

This is at least the 18th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

Update: BikeLanesLA casts doubt on the initial reports, pointing out that it’s unlikely Cortez would have crossed the rumble strips at the center of the roadway. 

Update 2: A crowdfunding campaign has been established to raise funds to help pay memorial expenses for Cortez. As of this writing, it has raised over $27,000 of the $35,000 goal.

Here is how Melanie Gideon, who established the campaign, describes him.

Marv found his greatest joy in the simple, beautiful things—riding his bike like the world depended on it, sharing quiet moments with those he loved, and making everyone around him feel seen, heard, and cherished. Whether it was through his endless jokes, his goofy grin, or the calm comfort of his silent presence, he had a rare gift: he made life feel lighter, even on the heaviest days.

He was the small, funny guy in the room—the one whose energy made everyone feel at home. He didn’t need the spotlight to shine; he was the reason the room was warm in the first place. Marv was the kind of friend who’d sit with you for hours, say nothing, and still make you feel more whole just by being there. He always showed up—reliably, gently, and fully himself.

And he found his greatest love in Johanna. Their time together was filled with deep connection, laughter, and shared joy. It was a love that grounded him and made his vibrant spirit even brighter.

Update 3: A witness to the crash contradicts the original report.

Kate says she was hiking with two friends on the Calabasas Peak Trail, and was just above the trailhead when they all heard a loud engine reverberating through the canyon, even before they saw a black American muscle car roaring south towards the ocean, “like it was on a racetrack.”

They were alarmed by the speed he was traveling at, then moments later they heard a loud “pop” and saw debris flying through the air. 

From where they stood, they saw the car in a ravine, and watched as the driver got out and walked up to the road so he could see what he had done. 

Other bike riders soon arrived and surrounded the victim as she called 911. She saw them searching for something, possibly the victim’s bike. 

The ambulance came speeding up the roadway, yet still not as fast as the driver had been going. Then departed slowly after the paramedics unhurriedly tended to Cortez, which suggested to her that he may have died on impact. 

She isn’t sure about the speed limit, but thought it might be 25 mph due to the many switchbacks on Stunt Road, well below the speed the driver appeared to be doing before the crash. 

The location near the trailhead places it between two sweeping curves, which should have slowed the driver. That suggests it may be more likely the driver was on the wrong side, rather than Cortez, if he rounded the curve at speed. 

It’s also possible that both Cortez and the driver were in the same lane, traveling in the same direction at the time of the crash, which is the understanding Kate and her friends had, although she stresses that they can’t be sure. 

It may be that reports Cortez was on the wrong side of the road rely only on the word of the driver, who has a vested interest in blaming the victim, whether consciously or not.  

Kate also mentioned that they had said hello to a very friendly man “with brown hair and a beard” riding a bicycle, and hoped it wasn’t Cortez. 

If it wasn’t, it’s very possible he may have seen what happened, or at least saw the driver before the crash. 

And yes, Kate says she and her friends remain very disturbed by what they witnessed. As someone who counsels trauma victims, she now finds herself dealing with what she usually helps others with.

Having witnessed something like that myself, I can testify it remains troubling years later. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Marvin Cortez and all his loved ones. 

Thanks to Kate for sharing what she witnessed.

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

Update: 30-something man on bicycle killed by hit-and-run driver in South LA; nearly 1/3 of SoCal bike deaths this year hit-and-runs

June 2, 2025 / / No comments

Once again, someone on a bicycle in Los Angeles has been left to die alone in the street by a heartless coward.

But for a change, we actually learned about it the next day.

According to multiple sources, the victim was run down from behind while riding west on East Century Boulevard near San Pedro Street, in the Broadway-Manchester neighborhood of South LA, around 11 pm Sunday.

The victim, identified only as a man in his mid-30s, died at the scene, his mangled yellow road bike lying nearby in the crosswalk.

Unfortunately, security video was too blurry to provide a description of the suspect vehicle or driver, and there doesn’t appear to be any immediate witnesses.

Google Maps shows a bike lane on the west side of San Pedro, but none on the east, where the crash appears to have occurred.

Anyone with information is urged to call the LAPD South Traffic Division at 323/421-2500, or anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 800/222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org.

As always, there is a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of LA.

This is at least the 16th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, the fourth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County, and just the second we’ve learned about in the City of Los Angeles — which is likely a dramatic undercount.

This is also at least the fifth bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver in Southern California this year.

Update: The victim has been identified as 34-year old Jose Villalobos.

Update 2: The LAPD has posted video of the crash, which occurred with other vehicles around, so someone probably saw it. But be warned, it shows the full crash and the aftermath, be sure you really want to see it before you click on the link. 

The police have identified the suspect vehicle as a silver Chevrolet Camaro. 

“Following the crash, the driver of the Camaro made a right turn onto San Pedro Street, continued northbound, and then turned westbound onto East 98th Street, fleeing the scene without stopping to render aid or identify themselves, as required by law,” police said.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose Villalobos and his loved ones.

Thanks to Jeffrey for the heads-up. 

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

New study shows mid-block safety boost from bike lanes, and wild police chase nearly disrupts Unbound Gravel race

June 2, 2025 / / No comments
Day 153 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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It’s a busy week here at BikinginLA World HQ, with International Bicycle Day tomorrow, and National Corgi Day on Wednesday.

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No surprise here.

A pair of new studies concluded that bike lanes improve mid-block safety — any kind of bike lane, as a matter of fact, whether separated, buffered or just painted.

Separated bike lanes were the safest, apparently referring the plastic bollard demarcated bike lanes that pass for protected in Los Angeles.

Of course, the problem with any bike lane — aside from drivers who use them as parking or traffic bypass lanes — comes at intersections, where the risk to riders is the greatest.

………

You’ve got to be kidding.

The Unbound Gravel race was nearly disrupted by a wild police chase through the countryside around Emporia, Kansas early Saturday morning, when sheriff’s deputies had to block a pickup driver from crashing through the course after he blew through a closed intersection.

At one point, he tried to pass patrol cars attempting to stop him by driving in a ditch, rolling his truck after he crashed into a sheriff’s vehicle when he tried to drive back out — and kept going anyway.

The chase finally came to an end about half an hour after it began when deputies once again spotted the truck, blocking it in and taking the driver and his passenger into custody.

They both face multiple, and well-deserved, charges.

Yet somehow, it all appears to have happened without the participants in the race knowing how close they came to disaster.

Meanwhile, Americans were shut out of the Unbound Gravel podium for the first time, with Kiwi Cameron Jones winning the men’s race, and Switzerland’s Simon Pellaud second, after they worked together on a 50-mile breakaway to capture the win.

New Hampshire triathlete Karolina Migoń won the women’s edition in record time, shaving nearly an hour and a half off the previous best; Serena Bishop Gordon finished second.

………

Streets For All is urging you to support a version of Measure HLA in Los Angeles County tomorrow.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday, June 3rd and consider moving a LA County version of Measure HLA forward.

The agenda item is #17 “Equity, Accountability, and the Accelerated Implementation of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan.” You can read the full motion here.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

MOST IMPACTFUL:

Attend the meeting live and make public comment in support of Item 17!

IN PERSON

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025 at 9:30am

Board Hearing Room 381B

500 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

VIA PHONE

Call (877) 226-8163 and enter Participant Code: 1336503. Press 1 to be added to the public comment queue

Can’t make a live public comment?

EMAIL PUBLIC COMMENT [FILL IN THE BOTTOM!]

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

Denver, Colorado bike riders are concerned after the city removed plastic bollards marking a downtown protected bike lane, apparently because someone thought it would be more attractive without them — but increasing the risk of riders crashing into the low protective barriers that remain.

No bias here. The New York Post blames bike lanes for causing gridlock for drivers trying to avoid congestion pricing tolls on the Queensborough Bridge, instead of placing the blame on drivers trying to illegally avoid the tolls.

Seriously? A new study from the UK suggests bike riders could be their own worst enemy, with local politicians blaming riders’ “rudeness” for their own reluctance to support bicycle projects, concluding “nothing we ever do will make cyclists happy.” Which is probably because politicians seldom do enough to begin with.

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Local 

LA County sheriff’s deputies busted five high-end bike thieves for the April theft of 337 Ari mountain and road bikes worth a whopping $1.7 million while in transit to Los Angeles; the men allegedly employed a sophisticated scheme to redirect redirecting truck drivers while using box trucks and passenger vehicles to deliver the bikes to waiting warehouses.

Long Beach unveiled the newly remade Artesia Blvd, complete with new bike lanes, crosswalks and 400 trees.

 

State

He gets it. An op-ed from a Marin County sustainable transportation advocate calls on Caltrans to build new bicycle and pedestrian facilities on Tiburon Blvd on the Tiburon Peninsula, making the case for a multi-modal Complete Street despite the opposition of some residents.

 

National

Portland is a “cyclist’s paradise,” according to a new study that rated it the most bike-friendly America city; New York, San Francisco, Denver and Minneapolis round out the top five, which could come as a surprise to a lot of people who live and ride in them. Needless to say, Los Angeles didn’t make that list, or the five after that. And probably wouldn’t have made the next ten, either. 

A Seattle man defied stage four prostate cancer to take part in the annual Seattle to Portland ride, covering 206 miles in just two days.

A special needs teacher from Glenwood Springs, Colorado resets at the end of the school year by traveling throughout North and South America by bicycle.

A Chicago bike rider was collateral damage when couple cops lost control of their patrol car and rolled it; one officer was hospitalized with a serious leg injury, while the rider was in good condition after being struck by debris while standing on the sidewalk.

This is the cost of traffic violence. An 18-year old driver crossed the centerline on a roadway in Lucas County, Ohio, crashing head-on into a pair of bicyclists; 38-year old Roseann Marie Peiffer, described as “true legend” and “a beloved figure in the local bicycling community,” tragically died at the scene, while the other rider survived with non-life threatening injuries.

New York ebike riders are complaining about the NYPD’s crackdown, arguing that giving criminal summonses to lawbreaking bicyclists, rather than traffic tickets, is unfair; meanwhile, a cop dramatically raised the stakes by pulling a Taser on a red light-running bike rider.

 

International

How a bike can help you live carfree, even in the mountains.

Montreal turned city streets over to the people on two wheels for the 40th consecutive year, offering carfree routes up to 60 miles.

Iceland’s Lauf Cycles is raising its prices due to Trump’s tariffs, which affect components even though the bikes are assembled in Virginia.

A 74-year old British TV chef is riding her bike 450 miles from Land’s End to the White Cliffs of Dover, in hopes of raising the equivalent of $135,000 to help feed disadvantaged people in the south of the country.

 

Competitive Cycling

Britain’s Simon Yates fulfilled the promise he showed in winning the 2018 Vuelta by coming from third place to crash 21-year old Mexican cyclist Isaac del Torro’s Giro pink party.

Yates took the lead on the penultimate stage with a devastating attack that left the others gasping for breath, while finishing nearly five minutes ahead of the former leader.

Yates also made up for his epic loss in the 2018 Giro, when he cracked on the final stages after leading the race for 13 days, and withdrawing in 2020 and 2022.

Del Torro finished second overall, while capturing the white jersey for the tour’s best young rider.

The first American pope gave the Giro peloton a papal blessing, telling the riders they are always welcome in the church just before they set off on the first-ever route through the Vatican gardens in the race’s 116-year history.

The peloton held a moment of silence before Sunday’s final stage of the Giro to remember the wife of former Dutch cyclist Robert Gesink; Daisy Gesink passed away from an “aggravated illness” just one year after the longtime Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider retired.

You could win Yate’s signed pink jersey. Let’s just hope they washed it first.

Nineteen-year old Brit Matthew Brennan captured the first tour win of what looks likely to be an impressive career, winning the final stage of the Tour of Norway to capture the general classification.

Norwegian cyclist Mie Bjørndal Ottestad won the women’s Tour of Norway, clinching the victory with a win on the second and final stage, with first stage winner Justine Ghekiere taking second.

 

Finally…

Why settle for ugly bollards when you can have tulips? Why waste your time in some dark warehouse when you can go to a rave on two wheels?

And that feeling when Winnie the Pooh steals your bike.

5/28 Winnie the Pooh DT PHX Bike thief $150 reward
byu/CampSuccessful inphoenix

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Update: Man riding bicycle killed in collision Friday in Baldwin Park industrial area; just the 3rd bike death reported in LA County this year

May 17, 2025 / / Comments Off on Update: Man riding bicycle killed in collision Friday in Baldwin Park industrial area; just the 3rd bike death reported in LA County this year

A man riding a bicycle was killed in Baldwin Park Friday morning.

Something we might not know about if it wasn’t for a single report from a local news source.

Which is one more than we usually get these days, unfortunately.

According to Baldwin Park News, the victim, identified only as a man in his 50s, was struck by a driver at Live Oak and Stewart avenues in Baldwin Park around 4:56 pm.

Despite the efforts of police and paramedics, he died at the scene.

The driver stayed at the scene, and police don’t suspect they were under the influence. Which isn’t surprising given the hour and industrial area surrounding the crash site.

There’s no word yet on how the crash occurred, or whether the victim had lights on his bike more than an hour before sunrise.

This was at least the 14th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and just the third that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

Which either means this is the county’s best year on record, or there are a lot of crashes we’re just not hearing about.

I’d put my money on the latter.

Update: Baldwin Park News — which is still the only source to report on the crash — reports the victim has been identified as 55-year-old David Conteras, after notification of next of kin.

The paper also reports the driver left the scene, and police spotted the damaged pickup about a mile from the crash site.

There’s no explanation for why that wasn’t considered a hit-and-run.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for David Conteras and his loved ones. 

Thanks to dangheck.bsky.social for the heads-up. And thanks to Baldwin Park News for reporting and staying on top of this story.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Another failure as CA ebike voucher website crashes, don’t DOGE LA protest tonight, and bringing HLA to LAC

April 30, 2025 / / Comments Off on Another failure as CA ebike voucher website crashes, don’t DOGE LA protest tonight, and bringing HLA to LAC
Day 120 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

You’ve got to be kidding.

The California E-Bike Incentive Program had more than four months to work out all the bugs after their disastrous, deliberately throttled first round.

And they screwed the pooch again.

There’s just no good way to put it. Yesterday’s second round of voucher applications was yet another demonstration of the sheer incompetence of the people running this program.

I signed onto the program’s application window on at exactly 5 pm yesterday. Or rather, I tried to. And apparently, so did everyone else.

What I got when I clicked on the “Apply” button was…nothing. So I tried again. And again. And I kept trying, and kept getting the same result — the very definition of insanity,

Until I finally got this.

Judging by the responses when I posted about it on Twitter/X and Bluesky, so did nearly everyone else. A few, very few, people managed to get in.

Eventually, so did I, entering the portal for the voucher lottery with exactly five minutes left in the application window.

Then two minutes later, I was kicked out. And so was everyone else.

The program administrators knew the volume they could and should expect, after more than 100,000 people tried, and mostly failed, to apply for vouchers in the first round.

Yet they somehow still gave just one hour for all those people to apply. Then remarkably — and foolishly — recommended that everyone the enter the room as early as possible, virtually guarantying they would all hit the “Apply” button exactly at the same time.

And bringing the website crashing down, taking the voucher window down with it.

Going forward, they should provide at least a 12-hour window to apply, if not a week, so it doesn’t crash the system. Then inform the winners by email, giving them another 24 hours to get their applications in.

And don’t throttle the damn applications.

Just release all the remaining funding at once, so people at least have a reasonable chance of getting a voucher. Unlike the current round, where the 1,000 available vouchers represented less than 1% of the anticipated demand.

Once program proves successful — and there’s no reason why it wouldn’t — go back to the legislature to request another round of funding.

Then fire troubled San Diego nonprofit Pedal Ahead, which was contracted to administer the program, and consider moving oversight of this program out of CARB, because they have clearly shown they can’t handle it.

No other ebike rebate program anywhere in the US has had as much difficulty launching, and needed as much time, as California. We were the first to approve an ebike voucher program, and the last to get it up and running right

This whole damn thing should be investigated by the state, because it’s hard to believe anyone could be so fucking incompetent by accident.

They also need to figure out what the hell they’re trying to accomplish, because they have two glaringly conflicting goals.

When you visit the California Ebike Incentive Program website, and watch the required video on climate change, the message is about getting people onto ebikes and out of their cars.

But by limiting applications to lower income residents, and favoring people with the lowest incomes, the clear intent is to provide those people with reliable transportation, whether or not they even own a car.

Which is something they should have figured out in those first three and a half years.

But somehow, didn’t.

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Don’t forget tonight’s die-in on the steps of City Hall to protest the mayor’s draconian budget cuts and layoffs, which could set safer and more livable streets — and Measure HLA — back for years.

Even the General Manager of LADOT thinks it’s a lousy idea.

Dying-In Los Angeles – A Protest for Safer Streets: Don’t “DOGE” LA Safety

A coalition of non-profits and road safety advocates will be hosting a protest on the steps of LA City Hall to raise awareness of LA’s dystopian-level budget cuts.

If these cuts go through, there will be no funding for new safety improvements next year — no speed reduction measures, no protected bike lanes, no pedestrian upgrades. Nothing.

Join us at 6pm, April 30th – LA City Hall.

And don’t forget to sign the petition telling Mayor Bass not to DOGE LA safety.

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Streets For All wants your support today for a Measure HLA-style ordinance for LA County.

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Bike Culver City want you to celebrate the cars of the past, while demonstrating that bikes are the future.

We’ve grown up surrounded by cars powered by fossil fuel-burning engines. Many of our fondest memories occurred in a car: our first kiss, riding to a beach party, feeling independent for the first time, experiencing pride of ownership, and cherishing and caring for a beautiful machine. Today, these modes of transport have become cherished relics—too precious to drive, costly to operate and maintain, and plagued by traffic congestion, rude drivers, and their contribution to poor air quality.

Displaying cars as cherished relics is appropriate, given their immense sentimental value. Bike Culver City welcomes over 500 exhibitors to our city on Saturday, May 10th, from 9 am to 3 pm, https://www.culvercitycarshow.com. Please bring your bike to commemorate this event during National Bike Month and send a photo of yourself and your bike in front of your favorite relic to aardus@yahoo.com. We will post the image as part of the Bike to the Future II display at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bikecc. Please patronize our local businesses as you always do.

The Car Show street closures provide thousands of walkers and strollers with the opportunity to enjoy downtown Culver City safely on foot, free from the dangers of traffic, as well as air and noise pollution. Imagine the paradise if downtown street closures were not just a once-a-year event. Join us!

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

After a driver in Baton Rouge, Louisiana struck a man riding a bicycle, he pulled a gun on the victim, ordering him “not to get (his) mf’n license plate” — yet the police somehow responded by telling bike riders to be aware of their surroundings, rather than, say, watch out of angry armed nut jobs.

No bias here. Residents of a DC neighborhood are calling for new protected bike and bus lanes to be removed because delivery drivers are now parking in the one remaining traffic lane, instead of, say, calling for increased enforcement to stop illegal parking.

Japanese bike riders say the country should be focused on building better bike infrastructure, instead of cracking down on bad behavior by bicyclists.

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

An Australian columnist says she’s not opposed to ebikes, but the dangerous bad behavior of ebike riders has got to stop. Although maybe someone can explain why the newspaper chose to illustrate ebikes donated to emergency departments with a picture of ebike-riding young women in tiny bikinis.

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Local 

Culver City announced a 15-week beautification and maintenance program on the Ballona Creek Bike Path, leading to periodic disruptions on Thursdays between 6:30 am and 4 pm.

A Burbank writer for the Sierra Club says trade your car for a bike, and you’ll discover beauty and nature even in the heart of the city.

Pasadena is planning a jam-packed calendar of events to celebrate Bike Month next month, including National Ride a Bike Day, and Bike to School and Bike to Work Days.

Sad news from Castaic, where a man riding a bicycle died after going into cardiac arrest; the victim has not been publicly identified.

 

State

About damn time. A bill moving through the California legislature would require drunk drivers to install breathalyzers in their cars after their first offense.

They get it. The usually conservative Los Angeles Daily News says the California DMV is working to keep dangerous drivers on the road, instead of getting them off.

San Francisco Streetsblog looks at the new curbside protected bike lanes on the city’s Valencia Street, which replace the much maligned centerline bike lanes.

Novato rejected plans for a new bike lane, with the city council voting 4-1 to preserve a lousy 27 parking spaces over saving lives.

 

National

Mountain bike legend Tom Ritchey is crowdfunding his new autobiography, promising to add extra pages if he can get the total up to $75,000 by May 15th.

Trek has launched a new technical support hotline, with help available for any brand of bike through their new AI-free Trek Ride Club app.

That’s more like it. A Portland, Oregon man was sentenced to 10 years for manslaughter and an additional 7-½ years for attempted murder for running over and killing a pedestrian, then driving up on the sidewalk and attempting to run down a man riding a bicycle who had yelled at him.

It takes a major jerk to vandalize and destroy a San Antonio, Texas ghost bike.

That’s more like it, part two. An Illinois man will spend the next ten years behind bars for the hit-and-run death of a 64-year old man riding a bicycle, after he veered onto the wrong side of the road while driving at nearly three times the legal alcohol limit.

That’s more like it, part three. A repeat drunk driver was sentenced to at least nine years behind bars for the drunken hit-and-run death of a 30-year old bike-riding Ohio man, and had his driver’s license suspended for life.

New York’s congestion pricing plan cut traffic and raised $159 million in just the first three months, but Trump wants to kill it anyway.

I want to be like him when I grow up. A Louisiana man is still bikepacking at 78.

 

International

Momentum recommends the best cities to fall in love with your bicycle all over again this summer. None of which is Los Angeles.

An estimated 1,000 Critical Mass riders rode through a newly opened tunnel under the Thames River, where bicycles are prohibited.

Sad news from Scotland, where a 49-year old man was killed by a driver during the Etape Loch Ness, a 66-mile timed ride around the famed home of the Loch Ness Monster, aka Nessie; the ride was on a closed course, but the crash occurred on a road used by riders to return to the start, which wasn’t closed to cars.

A woman plans to ride her bike 1,200 miles across the UK to talk to farm women for her Ph.D, saying the country’s extensive network of bike paths will make it possible.

British TV host and dedicated bike rider Jeremy Vine has sworn off posting his videos depicting bad behavior by drivers and the dangers on the streets due to the abusive comments he gets, including explicit tweets about his wife. Although a British bike racing broadcaster says Vine’s videos made bicyclists look militant and unhinged.

Forbes says Germany offers a “robust cycling network of more than 320 routes, covering some 62,000 miles through country landscapes and storied cities.”

You’ve got to be kidding. Life is cheap in New Zealand, where a truck driver walked without a day behind bars, and can keep driving, after the judge blamed the lack of a bike lane for the death of a 28-year old woman riding a bicycle, and not the man who ran over her in the Kiwi equivalent of a right hook.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cycling Weekly says the American bike racing calendar in sabotaging itself when gravel, mountain bike and road events all occur at the same time.

America’s other ex-Tour de France champ is finally back on his bike, taking part in last weekend’s Belgian Waffle Ride, while saying it took gravel to get him riding again.

Red Bull looks forward to next month’s Giro d’Italia, which will pay homage to the late Pope Francis with a route passing through the Vatican gardens behind St. Peter’s Basilica, and in front of the Santa Marta hotel where Francis lived.

 

Finally…

That feeling when mountain bikes break your bones, but horses are what scare you. Anyone can ride around in a circle; try one of these bike races if you want a real challenge.

And your next very expensive Swiss watch can honor everyone’s favorite Italian cycling legends.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Caltrans posts surprising PCH draft master plan, LA County raises penalty for street takeovers, and a long list of bike events

April 17, 2025 / / Comments Off on Caltrans posts surprising PCH draft master plan, LA County raises penalty for street takeovers, and a long list of bike events
Day 107 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

SoCal’s killer highway could finally see some much-needed changes.

If we can wait that long.

Admittedly, I didn’t have high hopes for the state transportation agency’s Pacific Coast Highway Master Plan Feasibility Study, given their long auto-centric history focusing more on what can’t be done to improve safety than on what can.

But the draft document seems to offer significant safety changes on the 22-mile long stretch through Malibu, though with one key caveat.

As Streetsblog’s Damien Newton puts it, the draft master plan “covers twenty years of projects that could be completed, should funding become available.”

Okay, make that two caveats, given a lack of funding and the extensive timeline.

The plan calls for protected bike lanes for nearly the full length, other than a nearly three-mile stretch where the roadway is considered too narrow, with too many driveways to provide safe protection.

It also includes numerous pedestrian improvements, as well as calling for narrowing traffic lanes to 10′-6” wide, the minimum standard for Complete Streets, according to Caltrans.

Other possible traffic calming improvements — key word “possible” — include, according to Newton, “gateway signage, speed tables at high-traffic crossings, trees, and angled parking,” as well as potential traffic circles and roundabouts, including at the entrance to El Matador State Beach.

But as noted above, the problem — other than coming up with the funding, which could be difficult given the current environment — is the extensive timeline.

As a list of short-term projects makes clear, most of the proposed changes will come 10 t0 20 years from now, if they happen at all.

A major problem given what Newton terms the “staggering” 1,245 deaths and serious injuries from traffic violence in just a five year period, from 2018 to 2023.

Which means the improvements will likely come too late for many bike riders who have taken their chances riding the coast highway for all those years, myself included.

But it could leave a much safer and more livable highway for those who follow.

Photo from Caltrans press release.

………

LA County supervisors passed a motion doubling the penalty for participating in a street takeover.

Which is nice, and needed. But it probably won’t actually stop anyone.

Thanks to Damian Kevitt for the heads-up.

………

The most impressive thing about this one is watching the guy recover from a death wobble after descending a flight of stairs, more than once.

………

We’ve got a long list of Twitter/X posts to catch up on, so my apologies in advance if Elon’s meddling on the site prevents them from embedding properly.

The San Diego Bike Coalition wants to pump up your tires and offer light refreshments this morning.

https://twitter.com/sdbikecoalition/status/1912538639462199489

Streets Are For Everyone reminds us about the bike ride and protest to mark the 3rd anniversary of Andrew Jelmert’s death at the hands of a speeding hit-and-run driver on Griffith Park’s Crystal Springs Drive this Saturday, as promised safety improvements continue to be caught in LA’s typical red tape.

https://twitter.com/StreetsR4Every1/status/1912234183696781562

BikeLA, aka the former Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, is joining Metro for a belated Earth Day Community Climate Action Day on Saturday, April 26th.

BikeLA is also inviting advocates to join them for a Handlebar Happy Hour at Santa Monica Brew Works on Monday, which is the actual Earth Day.

Mark your calendar for the next CicLAvia on Sunday, June 22nd, as Historic South Central meets Watts.

https://twitter.com/CicLAvia/status/1912627142824706228

The Militant Angeleno reminds us that ActiveSGV is hosting a five-mile open streets event following CicLAvia the same day, running from South Pasadena to San Gabriel from 3 pm to 8 pm.

………

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

Toronto bicyclists are challenging Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s new law allowing the province to rip out bike lanes in the city, arguing that the law violates the country’s national charter; Bloomberg says the controversy demonstrates why the best bike lanes always get the blame.

A London bike rider complains about gates on the the city’s bike network that are intended to keep out motorbikes and quad bikes, but instead deter elderly and disabled people from riding a bike, arguing the “anti-bike” gates turn Low Traffic Neighborhoods into low bicycling ones.

The owner of a Scottish pizzeria demands that the city rip out new bike lanes in front of his shop, even though it’s part of an $8 million project to increase pedestrian traffic and boost the city’s “café culture and night-time economy,” which should benefit him, too.

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

A New Zealand dog nearly lost his leg when he was struck by an ebike rider, which completely severed a tendon in the pup’s leg, after the dog’s owner says two men “came flying around the corner” doing at least 18 mph on their ebikes, and only said “get your fucking dog under control” before riding off; however, the 73-year old ebike rider says he was only doing 10 mph, and never saw the dog.

………

Local 

South Pasadena warns about bike thieves, noting that most of the city’s stolen bikes were secured with flimsy cable locks that are easily cut; they also suggest noting your bike’s make, model, color, cost and serial number, as well as attaching an AirTag to your bike. Which gives us another opportunity to recommend free lifetime registration with Bike Index, which securely records all that information, along with photos of your bike — before anything happens to it. 

 

State

An engineering grad student at UC San Diego, and a handful of other bicycle enthusiasts, spend their Sunday’s bringing bicycles back to life with Bikes del Pueblo in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood, working on a sliding scale that allows people to pay what they can afford.

Bicycling says the new Levo 4 e-mountain bike from Morgan Hill-based Specialized predestines a future where ebike features that are now included in the cost of the bike will cost you extra. But they hid the story behind their paywall for members only, so you’re on your on if the magazine blocks you.

 

National

A Texas man was killed when he allegedly went through a red light on his ebike, and crashed into the side of an ambulance.

New York is installing new, smaller traffic signals mounted on the side of the road at eye level for people riding bicycles to make streets safer for bike riders and other street users, while politely not saying they’re hoping bicyclists will actually obey them.

At least one city is funding Vision Zero, with the new budget proposed by Philadelphia’s mayor for the coming year containing $5 million earmarked for Vision Zero, along with another $5 million for a protected bike lane.

 

International

A British writer says electric road bikes are as dead as wool jerseys and leather helmets. Or maybe not.

The European Union could change the definition of ebikes, with a new proposal limiting them to having “bicycle-like characteristics,” with a maximum 1:6 power boost ratio, and a top speed of just 10 mph.

The bike-centric Netherlands is pushing a new campaign to get people to wear bike helmets, in a country where almost no one does; the campaign notes an average of two hundred bike riders a day end up in emergency rooms with head injuries.

Melbourne, Australia is about to open a new, eye-catching green bicycle bridge as part of the city’s bicycle superhighway; one bicyclist described it as like “riding through a disco.”

A police interview with Australian Olympic champ Rohan Dennis just hours after the death of his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins, reveals it began with a typical argument over kitchen renovations, before she fell under his SUV trying to hold onto the door handle as he sped away.

 

Competitive Cycling

Mountain biking events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are now set to be held in the San Gabriel Mountains at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas.

 

Finally…

If you’re going to intentionally swerve your car at a bike rider, maybe don’t stream it live on Twitch. Your new retro-style camper could be made from recycled milk cartons, complete with a built-in set of pro mountain bike tools.

And get ready for waxed chains and new kits that are easier to poop in.

Okay, maybe not actually poop in.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

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

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

Enrique Barajas deserved better.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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