Tag Archive for Los Angeles Taxi Commission

Morning Links: The press gets it, people still riding in their 80s and 90s, and reporting cab drivers via Twitter

They get it.

A rabbi considers the complaints about e-scooters in the LA area, and the vandalism that has taken place as a result, and has this bit of advice: “The surest way to restore civil society is to act with civility, towards all people at all times.” That’s not so hard, is it?

Bike Snob continues his newfound advocacy, saying drivers should be held to a higher standard, because even seemingly minor infractions can turn fatal.

The New York Times says e-scooters could be a real help to people trying to get around the city — if the mayor gets more serious about protecting riders. Maybe we should all email that message to LA’s mayor, as well.

London will now charge drivers of higher polluting vehicles more money to park them. If Los Angeles is serious about fighting climate change — which seems pretty unlikely, based on recent experience — officials will be on the phone to the British capital before the day is out.

A British broadcaster deflates the myth of freeloading scofflaw bicyclists, and says the onus should be on drivers to look out for us.

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I want to be like them when I grow up.

A retired UConn professor is still riding his age at 91 years old. Or 90, anyway.

An 82-year old British man beats intestinal cancer, and celebrates with a 311-mile ride from London to Paris to raise funds for the hospital that treated him.

Three generations of a British family go bike riding in the Austrian Alps, including an 88-year old grandfather on an ebike.

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You can now report bike lane blocking taxi and car sharing drivers via Twitter.

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Local

It’s too hot for a tweed ride, so Bike SGV is hosting a vintage Seersucker Slow Roll Bike Ride this Sunday.

Speaking of Bike SGV, they’re bringing back their free City Cycling Classes in Glendora this weekend.

 

State

San Jose will remove parking spaces to install bollards on bike lanes and build protected intersections.

City Lab says San Francisco’s sidewalks are the city’s last shred of public space, so it’s no wonder everyone is fighting over them. And the same goes virtually everywhere else, as well.

Caught on video: Sacramento police run down a 16-year old boy who was fleeing after being stopped for not having a light on his bike, then blame the crash on vehicle understeer.

 

National

A Kiwi writer recommends five bike trails to ride throughout the US. Although “trail” is stretching it, since one of the recommended routes is the coast highway through Big Sur.

A serial vandal has been cutting the brake cables on Seattle bikeshare bikes, putting the lives and safety of bike riders at risk; London’s Daily Mail gets it right, calling the perp sick and deranged.

A Utah man is building custom handmade bikes with unique designs from recycled parts, including one based on his son’s drawing of a dinosaur.

The rich get richer. My platinum level bike friendly hometown opens a 4.4-mile bike path connecting with the neighboring town, which used to be much further away.

New York Mayor de Blasio is planning to ride from city hall to Brooklyn on a ped-assist ebike to inaugurate the ped-assist bikes as part of the city’s bikeshare system.

Former world track cycling champ and Olympic medalist Marty Rothstein was booted from the board of a Pennsylvania velodrome after allegations of sexual misconduct, which he claims are merely an attempt to derail his run for Congress.

A trio of Rutgers University students have formed a group called Girls Do Bike to empower girls by teaching them how to ride bikes.

Philadelphia bike riders sue to force the installation of plastic delineators to keep hotel valets from parking cars in bike lanes, turning to the courts when they can’t make any progress with elected officials to improve bike infrastructure. Can we do that here? Pretty please?

Louisiana bike riders find out the hard way what happens when people who don’t ride bikes try to write laws for those who do. And then cherry pick the people they want to discuss it with.

Caught on video: A road raging Alabama driver faces charges after blowing through a group of bicyclists stopped for a stop sign.

 

International

If you build it, they will come. Vancouver, British Columbia sees a record number of riders on major bike routes after building out a connected bikeway network.

An Edmonton, Canada bike rider tells drivers “We come in peace.”

Police in Waterloo, Canada take bike cam video seriously, talking to drivers and writing tickets based on GoPro video a rider posts online and forwards to the police. California law currently requires that police witness an infraction to write a ticket, but is unclear on whether video evidence is sufficient; most departments say no. That needs to change.

Once again, two new European studies show bicycling is the healthiest way to get around, and can help you lose weight.

Huh? An English letter writer calls for putting bollards as close together as possible on a street to keep bike commuters from terrorizing residents. And says that will increase property values.

A British triathlete was killed when her bicycle hit a pothole, after the contractor hired to repair it mistakenly fixed one three miles away, instead.

Bike thieves in the UK are cutting bike racks, then returning to steal the bikes after riders lock up to them. That’s a common technique on this side of the Atlantic, as well. Always check the rack to make sure it’s secured to the ground, and doesn’t have any hidden cuts; thieves will often use stickers to hide a cut in the rack.

Berlin has a lot to learn from Münster when it comes to bicycling. And LA could learn from both.

Bikeshare comes to Tehran, with smart bikes based on the Internet of Things.

A Rwandan writer says bicycling has become embedded in the lives of his countrymen and women, from cyclists approaching the level of Tour de France riders, to the growing amount bike infrastructure remaking the streets of the country.

The number of bicyclists fined for not wearing a helmet under New Zealand’s mandatory helmet law has dropped 75% over the last five years. The question is whether the number of bike riders has dropped, as well.

Who says bike riders aren’t tough? A New Zealand government minister and her husband rode their bikes to the hospital to give birth.

An Aussie bike advocate says it’s time for everyone on the roads to take responsibility for their actions, and respect each other.

 

Competitive Cycling

The UnitedHealthcare team swept the Colorado Classic, finishing first and second in both the men’s and women’s races. But the team may not exist next year after the sponsor pulled out; in fact, three teams may go under.

Cycling scion Taylor Phinney won the most aggressive rider jersey, as well as the adoration of his hometown crowd, after finishing the race just two weeks after breaking his face in the final mountain stage of the Tour de France.

The Velorama festival accompanying the final stages of the Colorado Classic worked most of the bugs out in its second year, drawing up to 30,000 people.

French cyclist Geoffrey Soupe was lucky to escape with a badly slashed neck after crashing into barbed wire at the Tour de Limousin last week.

Former cycling great Jan Ullrich is in rehab following his recent arrests for attacking a neighbor, and an escort; no word on what he’s rehabbing for.

A writer for Bicycling learns that a famed Belgian climb that once defeated the great Eddy Merckx isn’t so easy, even on a modern bike.

Slate looks at the Zwift Academy, which gives you a chance to become a pro cyclist in the comfort of your own living room.

 

Finally…

It’s only been 122 years since the first driver crashed into someone on a bicycle — and clearly, nothing’s changed. The next time someone makes fun of your skintight bike shorts, tell them its this summer’s must-wear trend.

And Shakespeare as it was meant to be performed.

On bicycles.

 

Morning Links: Council splits on speed for scooters, cabs banned from bike lanes, and 10 years for Oceanside driver

The city council’s Public Works Committee recommended that e-scooters be allowed on LA streets with their current top speed of 15 mph, rather than the 12 mph limit recommended by the Transportation Committee.

The full city council will now have to make the final decision.

The committee also approved a lengthy laundry list of other proposed scooter requirements, while leaving the door open for other providers to step in, in addition to the current Bird and Lime.

You can thank bike-friendly Joe Buscaino if the higher speed limit gets approved.

https://twitter.com/JoeBuscaino/status/1029859925218930688

Today’s photo reflects a more subtle form of vandalism, spotted on the streets of Hollywood.

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As long as we’re talking about scooters, we might as well keep going.

The Santa Monica Daily Press looks at Tuesday’s demonstration at SaMo City Hall in support of Lime and Bird scooters, and finds somewhat underwhelming. Although the 20,000 or so form emails city leaders received were just the opposite.

Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole reminds us that even though the process for legalizing scooters hasn’t been easy, few remember how the first motor cars turned cities upside down.

Streetsblog says the hyperventilating stories about scooters have been blown out of proportion, because the rollout is going well in most places.

And an Atlanta doctor gives a e-scooters a negative review, calling them dangerous to people on and off them, and recommends giving them the boot.

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The Los Angeles Taxi Commission has officially barred cab drivers from parking or waiting in bike lanes for any reason, other than to pick up or drop off handicapped passengers.

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The stoned driver who killed 70-year old endurance cyclist Paul Cornish in an Oceanside bike lane last year will spend 10 years behind bars after pleading guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Twenty-six-year old Felix Ruiz Bazan was high on meth, and driving a stolen car without a license when he ran down Cornish, who once set the record for fastest crossing of the continental US by bicycle.

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While we’re at it, let’s catch up on a few other updates on more recent crashes.

A young father of two has been identified as the victim of Monday’s collision in Bellflower; Timothy Maurice Lewis was allegedly riding against traffic when he was struck and killed. A GoFundMe page has been created to help pay his funeral expenses.

A GoFundMe page has also been created to raise funds for funeral expenses for Apolinar Venancio; the popular Glassell Park resident known as Don Polo was killed while riding his bike last week.

And the road cyclist killed in East San Diego County earlier this month has been identified as 61-year old Daniel Lusteg of La Mesa.

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Forget the movie Gone in 60 Seconds. Security video shows a British bike thief making off with one in about four.

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Local

Curbed suggests five ways to make isolated Dodger stadium more accessible that aren’t Boring, including improving bikeways and making Vin Scully Ave a pedestrianized street.

The Morning Ride Cycle Club presents photos from last weekend’s LA Handmade Bicycle Show.

Santa Monica-based Bird has established a global safety advisory board to help improve safety for e-scooter users — and presumably, those around them.

A Malibu program teaches kids how to be safe on PCH, where even adult bicyclists take their chances with drivers distracted by topless selfie takers.

 

State

Seriously, what’s the point of doing a story about a San Luis Obispo bike show if you’re not going to include photos?

The JUMP dockless e-bikeshare has been a success in Santa Cruz.

Sad news from San Francisco, where a 65-year old man was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding in the city’s Tenderloin district; the driver was later arrested on DUI, hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter charges.

San Francisco unveils plans for a protected bike lane along the Embarcadero, where a pedicab operator was killed earlier this year.

Richmond’s mayor and at least one councilmember decry the arrest of Rich City Rides founder Najari “Naj” Smith in neighboring Oakland for apparently Biking While Black.

 

National

No, the problem isn’t that self-driving cars can’t spot humans, on two wheels or two feet. It’s that human beings are too unpredictable. So autonomous car makers want to make us follow the rules, or else.

Strong Towns makes the case for why drivers should support bike lanes.

Bicycling offers five scientific reasons why riding a bike is the best way to get around. And why you get addicted to bicycling social media, and what to do about it.

Portland’s master bike thief is at it again, getting 25 months in prison for violating his probation with his 80th arrest in 20 years of stealing bicycles. Yes, eighty.

Reddit solved a Washington hit-and-run, as an online discussion helped identify a tiny part left behind by the driver who killed a bicycling grandmother.

The Seattle Times recommends adding a ferry to your rides.

If you have a little extra cash lying around — preferably in pounds — consider investing in a documentary about a 75-year old man’s attempt to break the record for a human powered vehicle at Battle Mountain, Nevada.

Three hundred fifty bike riders turned out for a 350-mile ride around the Yellowstone region.

Life is cheap in Kansas, where a speeding, allegedly stoned hit-and-run driver who killed a bike rider got seven years behind bars — but will probably only serve four months.

Illinois will now teach the Dutch Reach to all student drivers, as well as adding a question about it on the driver’s test to help reduce dooring.

Minneapolis is preparing to take the middle ground between docked and dockless bikeshare, while providing marked parking spaces for the latter.

A local paper talks with Massachusetts custom bikemaker Alex Meade, who took over an old factory for his business.

A Gettysburg PA bike rider explains for motorists why we do the things we do.

 

International

Fifteen cities around the world are fighting air pollution by curbing the use of cars. Needless to say, Los Angeles is not one of them.

A story in Outside tells how bikepacker Kate Harris saw more than Marco Polo ever did. On the other hand, no one’s ever played “Kate Harris” in the swimming pool.

Cycling Tips‘ Angry Asian says enough with the ebike hate. Couldn’t agree more. It’s a damn good rant, and damn well worth reading.

Can’t decide whether to buy a roadie, commuter or mountain bike? Then just get all three in one. Or maybe you’re tired of riding everywhere and want to go un-carfree.

A crowdfunding campaign for the five Edmonton, Canada bicyclists injured by a driver who couldn’t manage to see two lines of riders directly in front of her has raised over $10,000 of the $250,000 goal.

Forget whether it’s safer for Edmonton bicyclists to ride single file or two abreast; real safety requires separated bike lanes.

Winnipeg bans right turns on red lights to protect bike riders and pedestrians. But only in one district.

A Toronto city counselor and a Vision Zero advocate debate how to make the streets safer. Hint: Don’t do it the first guy’s way.

A Toronto man walked away from his MBA and law degree to co-found titanium bikemaker No. 22.

A Guardian writer goes fat biking on the beach.

Talk about blaming the victim. London’s Daily Mail urges the UK government to crack down on Ofo’s yellow dockless bikeshare bikes because people are vandalizing them and dumping them in lakes and trees. Because God knows, they wouldn’t want to go after the vandals who are destroying them or anything.

Not even people a heartbeat away from royalty are safe on the streets, as the Queen’s personal homeopath was killed in a crash while riding his bike just seconds from the hospital where he works.

Oxford, England shut down its docked bikeshare in the face of competition from dockless bikeshares.

A British man is riding 211 miles on his daughter’s little pink bicycle to raise money in her memory, after she died of a brain tumor at age seven.

The Chicago Tribune asks if Tajikistan is safe for American tourists after terrorists killed four bike tourists, including an American couple. And no, they weren’t trying to make a point by riding through ISIS-controlled territory — and no, they weren’t naive to try.

An Indian website talks with bike clubs across the country to take the temperature of India’s bike scene.

An Aussie website explains how riding two abreast improves safety. And why it’s good for drivers, too.

Life is cheap in Australia, where a judge tells a driver who smashed into a bike rider that driving with a windshield so frosted over he couldn’t see where he was going was a mistake anyone could make.

Forget a custom bike. What you really need are custom Kiwi bike shoes.

 

Competitive Cycling

The four-day Colorado Classic bike race kicked off on Thursday, as women cyclists wonder what they have to do to get a little attention, and one rider asks who you’d rather see in spandex. Good point.

Chris Froome and Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas will skip the Vuelta in favor of the Tour of Britain.

Ritchie Porte will ride for redemption at the Vuelta and the World Championships.

A New York cyclist got tired of bike races. So he created his own.

A 20-year old Israeli cycling champ was killed in a left cross when a turning driver cut her off.

A writer for VeloNews says Donald Trump’s alleged Russian connections date back to his sponsorship of the Tour de Trump bike race in the 1980s.

 

Finally…

Yes, you’re invited to ride on a new highway before it opens — just don’t bring your own bike. If you name your company Cycling Porn, don’t be surprised when it gets blocked on social media.

And your next bike helmet could text for help if you crash.

Note: We originally ended with a police report that turned out to be a hoax. Thanks to Sam for the correction.