Tag Archive for Los Angeles

Morning Links: Segways and scooters banned from Venice Boardwalk — and possibly the Venice bike path

June 24, 2014 / / 2 comments

Good news.

I think.

If I’m reading this right, the LA City Council not only voted unanimously to ban Segways on the Venice boardwalk, but on the LA segments of the adjacent Marvin Braude bike path through Venice, as well.

And since the ban applies to other “multiple-wheeled motor scooter-type devices“ and “multiple-wheeled electric personal assistive mobility-type devices,” it should also apply to those damn rental e-tricycles too often piloted by clueless tourists too drunk, and children too young, to operate them safely.

Let’s hope that’s really the case.

Because it could make the crowded bike path safer for the bike riders it was designed for, as well as the pedestrians who use it anyway, despite the numerous bike-only stencils on the pathway.

And don’t even get me started on that one.

It’s a lost cause.

Note: I have an email in to someone at Councilmember Mike Bonin’s office, who represents the Venice area, for clarification. I’ll let you know what I find out.

Update: An article from the Santa Monica Mirror says Segways and similar devices will still be allowed on the bike path.

Update 2: Just heard from Paul Backstrom at Bonin’s office, who says Segways are still allowed on the bike path; presumably, that extends to other mobility devices, as well.

………

Local

Bike liability lawyer — and BikinginLA sponsor and sometimes guest writer — Jim Pocrass answers reader’s questions on Streetsblog; first up is advice on what to do following a collision, whether or not you’re in it.

Not all road diets reduce parking; some can actually increase parking spaces.

New LADOT head Seleta Reynolds faces her first committee confirmation hearing today.

Ovarian Psychos are hosting a bike-in movie night to screen two ghost bike documentaries in Boyle Heights tonight.

Another Perfect Day has a near perfect day at the LA River Ride. Meanwhile, Greenway 2020 is working to complete the LA River Bike path from the Valley to Long Beach within the next six years.

Longtime Santa Clarita resident, cyclist and 2014 River Ride participant Kevin Korenthal applies for that city’s Parks Commission.

The new bike and pedestrian friendly Gerald Desmond Bridge is already at least a year behind schedule.

 

State

A Bakersfield man is competing with 42 other bike riders in the cross country Trans Am Race from Oregon to Virginia; can’t say I ever heard of that one.

Actually, there’s no reason for drivers not to signal, even in the rare situations where it’s not required. The same goes for bike riders as long as removing a hand from your brakes or handlebars won’t pose an unnecessary risk.

 

National

Bicycling tours a baker’s dozen of the nation’s most unusual velodromes; none in California and only one on the left coast. Is it just me, or is the magazine showing a decided East Coast bias these days?

A new bike horn allows you to sample any sounds you want. I’ll take the Flight of the Valkyries at maximum volume, thank you.

Nice. Reconstruction plans for a major Colorado highway include a 15-mile, 12-foot wide separated bikeway.

Possibly the world’s oldest paperboy passes away; the 91-year old bike-riding Illinois newsie insisted on finishing his route even after he fell ill.

Riding across the country to save the life of an Alabama boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Florida increases penalties for hit-and-run to remove the incentive for drunk drivers to flee, something we desperately need to do here. Assuming we can even get authorities to care enough prosecute it.

Riding on a sidewalk is no protection from Florida’s out of control killer drivers.

 

International

A Brit study shows most bike injuries don’t involve cars; those that do could be prevented by increasing separation.

That absurd ban on Scottish TV ads depicting helmetless bike riders has been officially overturned.

The LA Times looks at Paris’ new Velib kids bike share.

Ex-doper Ángel Vázquez is unceremoniously jerked from a Spanish Gran Fondo. And yes, I copied that name from the website to capture those cool Spanish accent marks.

 

Finally…

If you’re dealing heroin out of your Glendale home, don’t steal a bike from an underground parking garage. Or don’t get caught riding it by the victim’s sister, anyway.

And an alligator lying in the middle of the road photobombs a Louisiana bike rider, causing him to take a tumble to the pavement. I dodged a few myself when I lived and rode down there, and bigger ones at that. Fortunately, alligators on land are slow and don’t have a taste for bike tires.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Drivers give more distance to riders in bike lanes; cyclist hurt at Sunday’s LA River Ride

June 23, 2014 / / 3 comments

Interesting.

Bike lane opponents often claim the painted lanes encourage drivers to pass at an unsafe distance. But a new study from the UK (pdf) finds just the opposite.

The study compared urban streets with and without bike lanes; drivers on the streets with bike lanes were shown to pass cyclists at a greater distance than on those without, with fewer cases of unsafe passing.

That doesn’t exactly jibe with my personal experience, though.

I find drivers in the lane next to a bike lane don’t usually move over to provide a safe passing distance. Especially bus drivers. Even if you’re hugging the left side line to avoid the door zone.

But then, I’ve never conducted an independent study of the matter.

Then again, the new three-foot passing law that goes into effect in September does not include an exemption for passing riders in bike lanes, so hopefully drivers will learn to give a little more space here, as well.

……..

I wasn’t able to make it this year, for the first time since I’ve been a board member.

But word has it the LACBC’s 14th annual LA River Ride was another great success; Cycling Across LA takes you on the century ride in just four minutes.

……..

Speaking of the LACBC, their new 2014 team kits are now available for pre-order at a discount before July 5th.

Team-LACBC-Jersey

 

If you’re a spandex-clad member like me, you’ll want to wear the coalition’s colors with pride. But you don’t have to be a member — or even live in the LA area — to wear it. Anyone who wants to look and feel good on a bike is welcome place an order.

And yes, you will look good.

I’ve got the previous all black version, which is the only jersey I own that is actually flattering and doesn’t make me look like a total bike geek.

And the bright black coloring is surprisingly cool and very noticeable during daylight hours; with the new white back panel and reflectorized details, it should stand out even more, day or night.

……..

Local

Burbank Congressman Adam Schiff becomes the first US Representative to complete the AIDS/Lifecycle Ride from San Francisco to LA.

LADOT compromises on the North Figueroa bike lanes, now promising no delay at all for motorists at Avenue 26; Metro insists it’s not opposed to the road diet after all.

Meanwhile, Richard Risemberg takes Councilmember Gil Cedillo to task for misrepresenting the facts about North Fig.

And speaking of LADOT, the Bike Blog looks at the future of bikes at Union Station.

 

State

The hit-and-run epidemic hits our neighbor to the south, as San Diego has its deadliest year for hit-and-runs since 2009. And it’s only June.

Sadly, the husband of California’s first female Episcopal bishop is killed in a bicycling collision with an 83-year old driver. Thanks to Biker395 and Mike for the heads-up.

Shades of failed 1980’s road design, as a Mountain View bike lane sacrifices rider safety for the sake of automotive throughput.

 

National

HuffPo explains how to look like a lady while riding your bike. Then again, maintaining your modesty on a bike is a lot easier when you don’t have paparazzi trying to shoot up your skirt.

Bad enough we have to worry about dangerous drivers; a Kansas City cyclist is apparently killed by a downed power line.

A teenager with cerebral palsy is participating in a 250-mile group ride across western Michigan. No, really, what’s your excuse?

New York’s mayor lowers the speed limit to 25 mph as part of the city’s Vision Zero plan. But the NYPD can’t be bothered to investigate most collisions involving bike riders, unless the victim is a pedestrian.

Charlotte NC cyclists call for more to be done to improve safety after a rider is killed.

 

International

A Canadian publication asks if there’s any hope for détente in the war between bikes and cars. But can we please drop any further reference to the mythical war on cars?

You can see a lot of things riding a bike. For instance, two Brit cyclists may have witnessed a murder.

A writer asks if Madrid is too dangerous for the city’s new e-bike share system; then again, they said the same thing about New York before Citi Bike opened.

Despite reports to the contrary, it looks like bicycling in Australia is actually getting safer.

Your bike helmet may have been designed to provide safety for a dummy, not a real head like yours.

A New Zealand truck driver admits to careless driving in the death of a bike rider; he plays the universal Get Out of Jail Free card, claiming he just didn’t see her. But why was a 75-year old man behind the wheel of a 10-ton truck in the first place?

 

Finally…

A bike! A bike! My kingdom for a bike! Infamous English King Richard III could spend the rest of eternity in a bike rack. And if you’re going to harass a group of cyclists, first make sure one of them isn’t an off-duty cop.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: The risks of biking in the Valley, Pippa makes it all the way, and a road rager attacks rescuer

June 22, 2014 / / 4 comments
Local

A Ventura Blvd website looks at the risks of bicycling in the San Fernando Valley. Overall, a good piece, though there’s a lot to quibble over — like the lack of safety instructions for drivers, and the fact that LA wasn’t built for cars, but around what was then the world’s best transit system.

A Times OpEd piece looks at what LA can learn from Stockholm’s Vision Zero about reducing traffic deaths.

Wayfinding signs are finally coming to the LA River bike path.

CD2 Councilmember Paul Krekorian says he’s working to make NoHo safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Bike lanes on Lankershim would be a great place to start.

 

State

Costa Mesa bike shop owner gets 27 months for tax evasion.

Eighty-three year old driver hits and kills a bike rider in Salinas.

 

National

Dave Zabriskie’s Legends of the Road team wins the RAAM team competition, while Pippa Middleton shows she may be worth taking seriously after all, as her eight-person team finishes the world’s most challenging endurance race in just under six days and 11 hours.

A real estate blog offers 10 ways bicycling can save the world. Skip the infographic at the top and read the story below.

Commute by Bike says bicycling will remain a fringe way for adventurous, athletic and highly eco-conscious folks to get around without serious investment in bicycle infrastructure.

Nineteen Cherokee bike riders complete a 950 mile tour of the infamous Trail of Tears.

A Maine rider is injured in a solo fall that demonstrates the danger of a too close pass.

An Aussie travel piece says bicycling in New York is cheap, fun and safer than you think.

 

International

Vancouver columnists explain bicycle parts, with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Yorkshire is infected with yellow jersey fever.

An Irish writer insists riding across Dublin without a helmet is taking your life, or at least your brain, in you hands. And demonstrates he doesn’t get road diets.

Naples, Italy is now bike friendly.

 

Finally…

Unbelievable. After a road raging Brit driver runs a bike rider off the road, he spins around to run down another motorist who stopped to help.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

BOLO Alert: 1991 Trek 2300 road bike stolen from Wilshire/La Brea area

June 21, 2014 / / One comment

I hate bike thieves.

As far as I’m concerned, anyone who could steal someone’s beloved ride is one of the lowest forms of human scum infesting the planet.

Especially when they target a friend of mine.

That’s what happened on Saturday when bike advocate, urban planner and fellow LACBC board member Herbie Huff had her ride stolen. The theft occurred between 11 am and 2:30 pm when her distictive-looking bike was taken from her garage in the Wilshire/La Brea area.

Be on the lookout for a 50 cm, black and yellow 1991 Trek 2300. If you spot it, call the police, then contact Herbie via Twitter. Or let me know and I’ll forward word to her.

Herbie is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. And no one is more committed to making our streets safer and more livable for everyone.

So let’s see if we can get this one back for her.

trek_2300_5

 

trek_2300_3

Category: Stolen Bikes and Bike Crime / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: A shameful plea for money, bike corrals hit contested streets and the worst bike injury ever

June 19, 2014 / / 5 comments

Before we start, just a quick reminder that this site is advertising and donation supported.

You can help keep SoCal’s best bike news coming to your screen every day by donating directly through PayPal via bikinginla@hotmail.com; any amount is deeply appreciated. Or make a tax-free donation by check or credit card through LA Streetsblog; email the address above to make arrangements.

And if you market to bike riders, BikinginLA offers one of the area’s most affordable and highly targeted ways to reach cyclists in Southern California, as well as riders throughout the US and around the world. Email advertising@bikinginla.com for more information.

Finally, let me offer my sincere gratitude to our sponsors, and to everyone who has donated help support this site. We couldn’t do this without your help.

Thank you.

Update: Thanks to Jim Lyle and Mark Jones for their generous donations.

……..

More on last week’s waste of two hours Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s vanity session public meeting to discuss the proposed North Figueroa road diet and bike lanes.

Meanwhile, LADOT installs new bike corrals on North Figueroa and Lankershim; hopefully Council Members Cedillo and Tom Labonge, respectively, will stop blocking blocking safety and livability for everyone so the bike lanes promised for both streets can follow soon.

Seriously, even AARP is in favor of road diets.

……..

Sad news, as a Topanga man dies of a heart attack after a bike ride through Topanga Canyon with his new husband, just a month after they were married. Sounds like we lost a great guy. My prayers and condolences to all his loved ones.

……..

The Pasadena Mountain Bike Club is hosting a Bike Swap Meet this Sunday.

swap meet

……..

Local

KCRW traffic maven Kajon Cermak says it’s time to do something about LA’s hit-and-run epidemic and get the creeps off the road. You’re preaching to the choir, sister.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival presents Bike Odessey LA on Saturday, a combination bike tour and multi-location theatrical event.

A new section of the LA River bike path opens up for bikes and pedestrians from Sherman Oaks to Studio City.

Culver City’s Chubby Bikes offers a free Confident City Cycling Clinic, social ride and after party on Saturday; thanks to Walk ‘n Rollers for the tip.

Speaking of Walk ‘n Rollers, they’re sponsoring a series of monthly family rides, starting July 5th in Culver City.

Santa Clarita sheriff’s deputies continue to arrest additional suspects in a rash of bike path robberies.

 

State

Three Santa Ana men are under arrest for critically injuring a bike rider in a possible gang-related assault.

The Sacramento cyclist who was intentionally run down by a road raging driver after slashing his tire says he did it in self-defense.

San Francisco cyclists get new left turn bike boxes.

Santa Rosa riders team up to recover their stolen bikes.

Salinas cyclists protest mud and debris from farm trucks blocking a bike lane.

 

National

A new tire and tube repair tool promises to fix any flat in seconds without taking the tire off. Although I don’t know how you can fix a flat if you don’t know where the leak is until you get the tube off, which is usually the case.

New bike lane design offers protected intersections for bike riders.

Life is cheap in Washington state, where a driver gets off with a $175 fine for killing a teenage cyclist riding in a crosswalk.

A Kansas cyclist is deliberately hit and run off the road by a road raging driver.

A New Hampshire boy rides his bike to school for an entire year, regardless of the weather. Sad that something like this is actually news.

Colorado-based Oskar Blues Brewery is opening a combination beer and bike ranch near the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina.

 

International

London’s Mayor Boris gets credit for the city’s bike share program, even if it was his predecessor’s idea.

A writer for London’s Guardian discovers the joys of social cycling.

 

Finally…

Seriously. This has to be the most cringe-inducing bicycling injury ever.

And when you’re riding a bike through Santa Monica with burglary tools and stolen credit cards, just stop for the damn stop sign, already.

 

Category: Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: CABO opposes protected bikeway bill; Brit driver kills 5-year old, then says shit happens

June 18, 2014 / / 4 comments

Once again, CABO — the California Association of Bicycling Organizations, not to be confused with the California Bicycle Coalition — has come out in opposition to a measure that would benefit the overwhelming majority of bike riders in the state.

AB 1193 would legalize protected bike lanes, which are currently considered experimental under California law, creating a fourth class of bikeways in the state to go along with Class 1 off-road bike paths, Class 2 bike lanes, and Class 3 bike routes.

The bill, sponsored by the CBC, would require Caltrans to work with local jurisdictions to establish minimum safety requirements for protected, or separated, bike lanes, rather than rely on Caltrans’ antiquated rules that have severely limited innovation and safety.

I have no doubt CABO is sincere in their opposition, which appears to be based on maintaining the overly conservative Caltrans standards they helped create.

But their opposition stands in the way of encouraging more people to get on their bikes, and improving safety for all road users. And gives needless support to those in the legislature who oppose bicycling and bike infrastructure in general.

Instead of opposing a very good and necessary bill, they should find a way to support it. Or at the very least, stay neutral.

Or they will continue to find themselves out of step with most riders, and further marginalized in a state where the CBC has become the voice of mainstream bicycling.

……..

Local

Richard Risemberg asks what part of traffic calming doesn’t councilmember Gil Cedillo understand?

A Pasadena bike rider is assualted and robbed by passing motorists, possibly at gunpoint.

Nice. LA’s Milestone Rides prepares to ride from Vancouver to San Francisco.

 

State

San Diego City Beat goes drinking with BikeSD advocate Sam Ollinger.

The inaugural Big Bear Cycling Festival rolls at the end of next month.

A pipe bomb is found next to a Pacific Grove bike trail. The question is, did someone just hide it here, or were they targeting bike riders?

 

National

Good read, as Vice Sports says you can kill anyone with your car, as long as you don’t really mean it.

Great ideas never die. Okay, sometimes. But the self-inflating bike tire is back after a six year absence.

Utah will put rolling billboards on six semi-trucks to promote the state’s three-foot passing law. But will the drivers practice what they preach?

Two New Mexico bike riders find a missing 9-year old girl.

Biased much? A Denver TV station says cyclists are at fault in several bike vs car collisions, but fails to back it up in any way.

If you want to get away with murder, use a car. A Philadelphia judge acquits a driver of vehicular manslaughter for running down his bike-riding romantic rival.

A North Carolina bike lawyer explains why it’s often safer to ride abreast.

 

International

Paris’ Velib bike share system has added kids bikes to their rental fleet.

German bike rider poses for photos atop wrecked cars.

The Deutschland high court wisely rules that not wearing a helmet is not contributory negligence in the event of a collision; I’m told some American juries are starting to find otherwise.

 

Finally…

Sidi unveils a new camo mountain bike shoe. You know, for all those cyclists who want to be even less visible when they ride. Then again, whenever I see someone wearing camo, I want to walk up to them and say “I can totally see you.”

And a Brit lawyer insists his client really is remorseful, despite saying “Shit happens, life goes on” after being convicted of killing a five-year old bike rider while driving at over twice the speed limit.

Big heart, that guy.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Cyclist critically injured in Laguna Beach; lawsuit filed against LA County, LASD in Milt Olin case

June 17, 2014 / / 8 comments

Late breaking news as this goes online.

According to the Orange County Register, a 55-year old bike rider was critically injured when he was hit by a car on Coast Highway near Emerald Bay in Laguna Beach around 7 pm Tuesday. Despite initial reports that the driver had fled the scene, he actually stopped a short distance away and waited for authorities.

No word yet on how the collision occurred; a satellite view of the street shows a wide parking lane or shoulder, but no bike lanes.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a full and fast recovery.

……..

The only real question is why they waited so long.

Not surprisingly, the family of fallen cyclist and former Napster executive Milt Olin has filed a lawsuit against LA County, the LA Sheriff’s Department, and the deputy behind the wheel when he was run down from behind while riding in a Mulholland bike lane last December.

According to the LA Daily News,

The family “suffered a profound loss, a loss of a wonderful husband and father, and actually a wonderful human being, as all his friends will tell you,” attorney Bruce A. Broillet, who is representing the family, said Tuesday. “We believe the sheriff (deputy) was operating his vehicle negligently, inappropriately and this never should have happened. We will be seeking to hold the county, the sheriff (deputy) and the Sheriff’s Department accountable for the death of Milton Olin.”

The claim seeks an unspecified amount in damages for loss of love, care, protection, moral support and financial support, among other things. It also seeks more than $30,000 in damages for medical, burial and funeral expenses.

Meanwhile, the DA’s office is still reviewing the Sheriff’s Department’s self-described unbiased investigation of their own officer nearly a month after the results of the five-month investigation were turned over to them.

No word on what conclusions they reached, if any, or when or if the DA will announce whether charges will be filed.

Or whether it was an official or unofficial departmental policy that resulted in Olin’s death, as many suspect.

……..

Local

In response to Metro’s advice for cyclists on how to share the road with buses, Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers his own five astute points on how Metro can better interact with us.

The LACBC will be providing free bike valet at the Roaring Nights at the LA Zoo.

Claremont is sponsoring a free bike safety class for children and adults this Thursday.

Santa Clarita sheriff’s deputies arrest two men for a string of armed bike path robberies.

 

State

The Coronado Historical Society is hosting a series of guided bike rides around the island this summer.

An OC businessman is riding 5,000 miles to raise funds to help end malnutrition, while a Menlo Park man is competing in the Race Across America to raise funds for the Stanford Cancer Institute.

Police arrest a bike rider for groping a Bay Area woman before riding off.

A sharp-eyed Sacramento-area man spots someone riding this daughter’s stolen BMX bike.

 

National

Speaking of RAAM, the Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay looks at Dave Zabriskie and his four-man Legends of the Road team.

Momentum Magazine examines the next great bicycling cities; shocked! shocked! am I that LA failed to make the list.

CLIF Bar teams up with People for Bikes to get more people on bikes.

A writer for Crain’s Chicago Business says we all have to get along, no matter how many wheels we travel on.

A bike shop in the Windy City installs a 24-hour bike parts vending machine.

Memphis turns half a divided highway into a two-way biking and walking path along the Mississippi River.

The Alabama man who posted videos of himself running cyclists off the road pleads guilty to reckless endangerment. And gets off with a mere loving caress on the wrist.

 

International

An Irish man learns not to honk and swear at a group of cyclists. Because they might turn out to be off-duty cops.

Forty-one amateur riders prepare to ride the entire 2014 Tour de France route.

Caught on video: a bike riding Japanese schoolgirl learns the hard way to stop at the stop sign and look both ways before crossing an intersection

 

Finally…

Repeat after me: When you’re carrying six bags of meth and wanted on outstanding warrants, stop for the damn red light — but don’t do it directly in front of a pursuing police car after trying to flee.

And it takes a real schmuck to steal a 9-year old’s bike at gunpoint.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Injuries and Fatalities, Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Too many LA memorial rides, Fig4All is up for more debate, and Buzzfeed wants to scare you

June 16, 2014 / / 4 comments
 
Local

Boyonabike goes on Sunday’s Phillip O’Neill memorial ride in Pasadena, and pledges to work for the day when rides like that won’t be necessary. Amen, brother.

Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman writes movingly of a weekend full of remembrances for far too many fallen riders.

The Cypress Park Neighborhood Council takes up the issue of the Fig4All North Figueroa road diet and bike lanes tonight.

Long Beach — and marriage — converts a confirmed vehicular cyclist into a bike lane rider.

Wired likes the new 1970’s style 10 speed bike from LA’s own Linus.

 

State

More on Assemblymember Gatto’s bill to create an Amber Alert-style system for serious hit-and-runs.

A 23-year old Costa Mesa man is charged with felony vehicular manslaughter, DUI and possession of marijuana after killing an 81-year old marathoner running in a Corona del Mar bike lane last week.

A San Diego cyclist is injured in a collision with a Border Patrol Vehicle.

A Santa Barbara writer discusses inspiring a children’s passion for pedaling.

Folsom Police recover 17 Trek bikes stolen from a local bike shop in April.

After getting caught up in the Lance Armstrong doping scandal, Santa Rosa’s Levi Leipheimer has a lot to say, but no one wants to listen.

 

National

Buzzfeed tries to scare you off your bike with a new Reefer Madness-style video.

Chicago asshole writer calls bike riders terrorists for allegedly endangering pedestrians — even when those pedestrians are standing in bike lanes. Maybe someone should tell him how many pedestrians are killed, not just frightened, by those on four wheels instead of two.

Since when is stealing a bike considered a “minor disciplinary” problem? Oh, yeah, when you’re a football player at a major university.

New Jersey considers a $500 fine for any driver who causes a collision with a cyclist.

Turns out that Virginia driver who hit a bike rider head-on while driving on a bike/pedestrian bridge was working for the state DOT; police still refuse to file charges.

Extreme road rage, as a Florida driver swerves at a cyclist who told him to slow down, then shoots at the rider and three others who came to his aid.

 

International

A UK cyclist participating in a charity ride is seriously injured after crashing into an anachronism a telegraph pole.

It takes a real jerk to steal a dozen bikes from riders with the UK’s version of Ride 2 Recovery.

 

Finally…

A new study from the University of Duh show cyclists on separated bike paths suck down less smog than riders in the roadway. A new bike helmet reads your mind to map out the stressful points on your ride, as if you couldn’t figure that out for yourself.

And no. Just no.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: 55 years to life for drunken hit-and-run, arrest in Eastdale hit-and-run, Fig4All drags on… and on

June 13, 2014 / / 2 comments

My apologies for the late post. Just too much bike news on a lucky Friday the 13th.

Well, maybe not so lucky for the New York Rangers.

……..

Now that’s taking hit-and-run seriously for a change.

Former substance abuse counselor Sherri Lynn Wilkins, who fell off the wagon and killed a pedestrian while driving under the influence — hitting him so hard she literally knocked him out of his boxers, and drove two miles with his body lodged in her windshield — was sentenced to 55 years to life.

Maybe if the heartless cowards who killed Andy Garcia and maimed Damian Kevitt, just to name a few in a shamefully long list, faced sentences like that, we might finally put an end to this horrible epidemic.

……..

San Bernardino authorities report an arrest has been made in the April hit-and-run death of Eastdale bike rider Troy Davids. More details when they’re released.

……..

KCRW covers the debate over the Fig4All bike lanes on North Figueroa, while a writer for KCET complains about the city’s incomplete streets exemplified by North Fig and Westwood Blvd, where Councilmembers Cedillo and Koretz have blocked bike lanes despite professing support for them.

Meanwhile Streetsblog looks ahead to the meeting that took place last night, and questions the motivations of CM Cedillo.

CedilloBallotBy all reports, the meeting was a total waste of time as Cedillo spent over an hour introducing his staff and patting himself on the back, while failing to take comments from the public on either side of the debate. Many people got bored and walked out long before the meeting was over.

Instead, attendees were asked to fill out a form indicating their preferences — the results of which will be compiled by the office of the same councilmember accused of trying to block the project.

Nothing fishy about that.

……..

Great read from a survivor of a cycling collision, who’s glad she didn’t die — not just for herself, but for the difference she’s made in other’s lives. And she wants your help for a great cause to raise $5000 to provide free legal services to low income veterans; she’s brought in over $3,200 so far.

……..

The Santa Monica Museum of Art invites you to design a critter on a bike (pdf) to serve as the logo for the August Tour de Arts.

And don’t miss the Bike Zone at this weekend’s Santa Monica Festival.

……..

Local

A committee recommends banning Segways from the Venice boardwalk, but continuing to allow them to risk your safety on the bike path.

An LA group wants to cap parking tickets at just $23. Or they could just, you know, obey the damn parking restrictions and not pay anything.

West Hollywood is teaming with the UCLA Triathlon Team to train 9 to 18 year olds to compete in the sport.

Cycling in the South Bay says it’s one thing to take the lane on PCH when you’re in a group, another when there’s just two of you.

The popular Kidical Mass bike ride continues to roll in Bixby Hills.

 

State

A father and son — 80 and 54, respectively — complete a 3,000 mile cross-country tour in San Clemente to raise money to fight Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

San Diego’s CBS8 looks at the Race Across America, which is already underway for solo riders; more on Pippa’s team RAAM ride.

Nice. A handicapped Yucaipa-area second grader gets a new custom-made hand cycle.

Seven people are under arrest after attacking, pistol-whipping and robbing a Bay Area cyclist riding on a BART bike path.

 

National

A new study says brain injuries are up an average of 14% in bike share cities. Which kind of makes sense since more people are riding, too.

A Fairbanks AK driver is under arrest for the drunken 7 am hit-and-run death of a bike rider. Yes, he was wasted and behind the wheel first thing in the morning; not surprisingly, it’s not his first DUI.

An Albuquerque cyclist says the hit-and-run driver who seriously injured another rider had deliberately attempted to run them both off the road; uncomprehending — or possibly uncaring — local police ignore her and call it just another accident.

Colorado’s governor signs a Safe Routes to School bill.

A Gillette, Wyoming cyclist recovers from harrowing injuries after he’s left-crossed while riding over 30 mph; other recent cycling victims in the area haven’t been as lucky.

A bicyclist travels 6,000 miles with his dog to raise awareness for animal shelters.

A heroic bike rider stops a suicidal man from jumping off New York’s George Washington Bridge.

 

International

Wow. A Yorkshire, England man turns down treatment after a recurrence of lung cancer, sells everything he owns and sets out to tour the world by bike; two years and over 21,000 miles later, he’s still doing well.

The UK considers restructuring the Highways Agency. And possibly indicating a shift in focus by renaming it the National Cycling and Highway’s agency.

The Guardian asks how the justice system can be rebalanced to support cyclists, and says Cyclists Stay Back stickers send a message that bike riders are second-class citizens. Thanks to Ralph Durham for the heads-up.

The president of the IOC says cycling is cleaning up its doping act. No really. And with a straight face.

A 21-year old cyclist takes a 3,000 mile journey through the Australian Outback — 100 years ago.

 

Finally…

Even if I could teach the Corgi to be a trail dog, who’s going to teach me to ride like that? A Glendale man leaves his car parked in front of a convenience store, then comes back on a bike 30 minutes later — and proceeds to throw the bike through the store’s window. And after a British rider is assaulted by another cyclist in a Team Sky kit, the Guardian assures us that the perp was not Brit bike heroes Bradley Wiggins or Chris Froome.

 

Category: Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

19-year old bike rider killed in South LA hit-and-run

June 12, 2014 / / 3 comments

Yet another teenage cyclist has been murdered by a heartless hit-and-run driver.

Late last night, news broke that a South LA pedestrian had been seriously injured by a driver who fled the scene. By this morning, it was clear that the victim, identified as by the LA Times as 19-year old Oscar Toledo Jr., had been riding a bike when he was run down.

KNBC-4 places the collision around 9:40 pm at the intersection of South Normandie Ave and West 47th Street. Toledo was reportedly crossing Normandie on 47th when he was hit by a car traveling south on Normandie; no word on which direction he was riding. However, the Times story says he was making a left, apparently onto Normandie.

The driver fled the scene, evidently without slowing or stopping.

Toledo was transported to a local hospital in critical condition; KNBC reports he died there while the Times says he passed away in the ambulance.

Police are looking for a red Toyota Corolla or burgundy Pontiac, which suggests there may have been at least two witnesses to the crash. KNBC reports police will be looking to see if  collision may have been captured on surveillance video from local businesses.

KABC-7 quotes an LAPD detective, who says the vehicle may have front end damage constant with striking a bike.

“The young man was 19 years old, leaves behind a caring family, his mother, his brother. It’s very important that if witnesses have any information to come forward so we can solve this crime,” said Render.

Anyone with information is urges to call the LAPD at 877/LAPD-24-7.

This is the 44th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, which compares with 32 this time last year. It’s also the 18th cycling death in LA County, and the fifth in the City of LA; three of those five deaths have been hit-and-runs.

Update: KTLA-5 reports Toledo had recently become a father; now a child will grow up never knowing his dad. A ghost bike will be installed at the location Friday evening.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Oscar Toledo Jr. and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Richard Risemberg and James Johnson for the heads-up.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »
Wordpress Theme by ThemeZee