LAist reports a bike rider was killed in a hit-and-run collision in Downtown L.A. on Tuesday. And worse, police believe the driver may have deliberately targeted the victim.
The collision occurred in the 600 block of San Julian Street in the heart of L.A.’s Skid Row around 4:45 pm, when the rider was hit by a 1992-97 Mitsubishi Montero SUV. The vehicle will likely have damage to the right front end.
Needless to say, given the alleged deliberate nature of the crime, the driver fled the scene; he is described as Hispanic man with a mustache, around 45 to 55 years old.
The victim, identified only as a man in his 40s, died shortly later at a nearby hospital.
It’s long been a black joke among cyclists that if you want to kill someone, use a car instead of a gun to ensure you’ll get away with it.
We’ll soon see if there’s any truth to that.
This is the 21st fatal bicycling collision in Southern California this year, and the fourth fatal hit-and-run involving a bike rider. It is also the 10th cycling fatality in Los Angeles County, far beyond the totals for this time in both of the last two years, with four in 2012 and six in 2011.
My prayers and deepest sympathy for the victim of this crime and his loved ones.
Witnesses reported that the suspect “appeared to intentionally point his SUV at the victim and accelerate at a high rate of speed,” according to a police statement. “Upon impact, the victim was propelled about 60 feet through the air. The suspect driver failed to stop and continued north on San Julian, then turned right on Sixth Street and headed west.”
The video of the now infamous Mulholland motorcycle crash that took out two bicyclists is rapidly going viral around the world. Soon to be joined by this view of the same collision from the perspective of a motorcyclist trailing the rider who rear-ended the two bikes.
Area resident Chris Willig forwards word that the collision occurred at the aptly named Deadman’s Turn on a section of Mulholland called The Snake by the motorcycling community, and the Rock Store Climb by bicyclists. According to Willig, and another comment from Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious, it’s common for photographers and videographers to position their camera’s there to capture the action.
As Willig put it,
Photographers are there every weekend to capture the parade of cars, motorcycles and cyclists on this particular turn since it approaches 270°. Things happen at this point because drivers aren’t use to negotiating a turn like this.
Speculation has centered on a phenomenon known as target fixation as the cause of the collision, in which riders are unable to avoid whatever they are most focused on.
However, Byron of Bike Hugger points out the camera flash clearly visible in the trailing bike cam video, suggesting that the rider was looking for the photographer rather than focusing on the road ahead of him. Putting the best possible spin on it, it’s also possible that he was distracted by the camera flash, causing him to be out of position on the curve.
According to a source with inside knowledge of the situation, who prefers to remain anonymous, the bike riders were part of an informal ride of roughly 20 to 25 people, including retired pro cyclist and bikewear manufacturer George Hincapie. Hincapie was reportedly some distance ahead when the riders were hit, and may not have been aware of the collision.
This person was following the riders in a sag wagon when they got a call about the collision, and informed two nearby law enforcement officers who were having a car towed from a previous collision. They also stopped to pick up a participant in the ride who was between them and the scene of the collision approximately a quarter-mile ahead.
Good move on their part, since the rider they picked up happened to be the Chief Medical Officer for the Amgen Tour of California, who got right to work moving the more injured of the two riders to a safer position across the roadway.
The first rider to get hit was not part of the ride; he was an unlucky Brit who happened to fall in with the other riders at the wrong place and time. Word is he was not seriously injured; he was taken to a local hospital as a precaution and released the same day.
He may have been fortunate that the motorcyclist hit him almost directly from behind, cushioning the fall as he can be seen landing in the leather-clad rider’s lap.
Amazingly, the second rider, who was part of the riding group, walked away with just a few bruises. I’m told he was riding again the next day, albeit on a borrowed bike.
The motorcycle rider did not have registration for his bike with him, which is why it can be seen being towed at the end of the video.
No word yet on whether charges will be filed; however, my source reports that the police officers on the scene conducted a thorough investigation, including viewing the video of the collision.
But if charges aren’t filed, police will have a lot of explaining to do.
Update: The second video has been removed from You Tube, undoubtedly after realizing that it can, and most likely will, be used as evidence in a both criminal and civil court cases against the rider’s friend; thanks to Caritta for the heads-up.
In it, writer Dennis Romero — who famously proclaimed impending disaster before the first CicLAvia and seldom seems to miss an opportunity to unleash his snark on those of us on two wheels — offers five suggestions for solving the city’s traffic problems, from penalizing drivers who stop the flow of traffic to mandatory loss of license for any driver over 65.
….taking an entire car lane and giving it to bike riders, as has been done in some parts of town, is useless. It means double the number of cars in one lane and, often, an unused bike lane that neither protects riders from cars nor particularly entices the cyclist. Take a ride down 7th Street, which used to have four lanes and now has two, and you’ll see both mad traffic and an empty bike lane next to you…
That reference to “mad traffic — whatever that means — took me by surprise. Because 7th Street, post road diet, has morphed into one of the calmest, sanest and safest streets I ride on a regular basis.
It wasn’t always so.
Before the road diet went in about a year-and-a-half back — or before it was right-sized, to use the current, more PC planning term — 7th felt more like the wild west, as impatient drivers took to the lightly utilized street to zoom past more heavily congested routes such as Wilshire Blvd and 6th Street, just one and two blocks north, respectively.
And many of those drivers seemed less than disposed to share those lanes with the cyclists who rode them specifically because they were quieter, if not always safer, than those other streets.
Post downsizing, it has become one of the most popular riding routes between Downtown and the Westside. Despite the city’s failure to repave or patch the badly broken asphalt where the bike lanes went in, leading to an at-times bone-jarring ride, especially after dark when the potholes and cracked pavement are harder to see.
Let alone avoid.
I frequently use it myself, at all times of the day or night, as I ride in or out of DTLA for various meetings.
And despite what Mr. Romero suggests, I have yet to see anything close to traffic congestion on the repainted street.
Or angry — or crazy — drivers, for that matter.
Or any other form of the word mad, as it could be applied to traffic on the street.
But don’t take my word for it.
Consider this helmet cam video from last Thursday, recorded as I rode to an interview during what passes for the lunch rush on 7th.
Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing exciting about it.
In fact, it may be the most boring video I’ve ever posted online. Nothing of any consequence happens.
There’s no right hooks. No left crosses. No near doorings. No impatient drivers honking for me to move out of their way.
Although I did catch a motorist driving in the bike lane about a minute-and-three-quarters in, something I missed until I looked at the footage later that night.
And more to the point, no traffic congestion or angry drivers. No back-ups. No needlessly impeded traffic.
And no, it wasn’t any different when I rode back home at rush hour. Except I saw a lot more bike riders using the bike lanes in both directions.
Where Romero encounters that “mad traffic” that would justify yanking out the bike lanes and restoring automotive hegemony over the street is beyond me.
But I can say without the slightest doubt, it’s not on 7th Street.
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Speaking of bike lanes, I was shocked to see new bike lanes on Wilshire Blvd — yes, Wilshire — in the Westwood area.
It may go further west, but I was unable to see beyond the crest of the hill before making my turn at Beverly Glen. But I’m told the bike lanes will eventually reach west to Selby.
Of course, the bike lanes are only going in because the Condo Canyon millionaires’ row in the Westwood area was carved out of the planned Bus Rapid Transit Project, where bikes would have shared a lane with buses, allowing the hoi polloi to mingle with the overprivileged, at least on the streets.
But I’ll gladly take the bike lanes, and the finally, and unexpectedly, smooth pavement.
………
Now then, back to today’s theme.
In one of the most egregiously misguided pieces in recent memory, a writer in the UK takes issue with a new paved shared-use pathway in the Warwickshire countryside, decrying what sounds like an ideal pathway as a “grim cycle route” has become the domain of the “Lycra Brigade.”
Thankfully, most of the comments question her judgment. If not her sanity.
Although he forgets one of the simplest and most effective — just frighten riders off the road until they eventually die of inactivity in front of the TV or behind the wheel of their surprisingly not-actually safer SUV.
Speaking of Matt, Patrick Pascal shared a great photo of Sunday’s view from the top of Fargo Street, as the competitors in L.A.’s 8th Annual Feel My Legs, I’m A Racer stage hill climb race organized by Mr. Ruscigno struggle up the near impossible and virtually impassable climb.
And finally, maybe there is something to that study, as a Mulholland motorcyclist plows a pair of bike riders.
I’m told the rider somehow fixated on the cyclists directly in front of him, and was unable to avoid what he was staring at.
Scary, indeed.
Reports are the rider seem to be okay; one walked away while the other was taken to a hospital to get checked out. No word on whether the motorcyclist was injured, ticketed or charged.
My sincere thanks to everyone who submitted a link to this video via email, comments on here or Twitter. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten another story from so many sources.
Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.
The Pasadena Tri Club is offering a nine week Group Riding Series for new cyclists interested in learning how to ride with in a group with more experienced riders; the course is designed to teach the basics, improve fitness and increase confidence. Sessions meet each at 8 am each Saturday at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, 360 N. Arroyo Blvd in Pasadena, through April 27th; thanks to Margaret Ho for the heads-up.
Streetsblog LA hosts its 5th Birthday Party and Streetsie Award Dinner on April 27th, at the home of Deborah Murphy. Suggested donations for the fundraiser range from $25 to $100, but no one will be turned away; RSVP for location.
Also on Saturday the 27th, the Northeast Los Angeles Riverfront Collaborative invites you to the River Bike + Walk Spectacular, from 4 to 10 pm at Marsh Park, 2960 Marsh Street. The event starts with a Bike + Walk at 4 pm, followed by a Community Fair at 6 pm and free outdoor screening of Beetlejuice at 8.
Sunday, April 28th, the 2013 LA to the Valley Unity Ride rolls to strengthen bonds between the city’s disparate communities. The ride starts and Los Angeles Historic Park and ends at Tia Chuchas. Registration is $20 before April 17th, and $25 before closing on April 19th; it includes lunch, dinner, snacks and mechanical support.
Also on the 28th, the 8th edition of the L.A.’s toughest hill climb competition takes place when Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer rolls from Sunset Triangle Park in Silver Lake, 3626 W. Sunset Blvd. The free competition meets at 8 am, and rides to the first of 10 serious hills at 8:15.
DTLA Bikes hosts a monthly bike ride on the last Sunday of each month. This month’s edition is scheduled for this Sunday, April 28th at 4:30 pm; meet at the shop at 425 Broadway in Downtown L.A.
The 18th Annual St. Vincent Meals on Wheels Beach Walk/Bike-a-Thon takes place this Sunday as well, with a short 10-mile ride along the beach. Entry is $20; participants are encourage to collect pledges, as well.
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Civic Engagement Committee meets at 6:45 pm on the last Tuesday of each month. This month’s meeting will take place at Johnnie’s Pizza at Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd. on Tuesday, April 30th. This will be the last meeting before next month’s Mayoral and City Council election. You don’t have to be an LACBC member to participate; email bikinginla at hotmail dot com to be added to the discussion list.
Saturday, May 4, The LACBC Civic Engagement Committee is invites you to Bike the Vote with an informal Meet and Greet with the candidates for L.A.’s 13th City Council District to replace outgoing councilmember and mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti; both candidates have promised to attend. The event takes place at Golden Road Brewing, 5410 West San Fernando Road, from 1 pm to 4 pm; Golden Road Brewing is promising participants $4 pint specials of their Point the Way IPA, GR Hefeweizen, and Get Up Offa that Brown beers. The event will be preceded by a short bike ride starting at Sunset Triangle Plaza at noon, departing for Golden Road Brewing at 12:15 pm.
The next ride in the LACBC’s popular series of Sunday Funday Rides takes place on Sunday, May 5th with the L.A. State Historic Park Out ‘n’ Back ride. The ride meets at L.A. Historic Park, 1245 N. Spring Street in Chinatown at 10:30 am, rolling at 11 am for a fun, family-friendly 12-mile ride through the Arroyo Seco hosted by Board Member Trent Strong, followed by a BBQ with options for vegans and carnivores.
Warm up for Bike Week and River Ride with the Tour of Long Beach 2013 on Saturday, May 11th, featuring a bike fest and rides ranging from a 5-mile Family Fun Ride to 31 and 62 milers through the bike-friendly streets of Long Beach, along with a full century through Long Beach and down the SoCal coast to Laguna Beach. Proceeds go to support pediatric cancer research at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach.
Ventura County and West Valley riders can take part in the 28th Annual Cruisin’ the Conejo Bike Ride on Saturday, May 11th. Rides range from a 12-mile children’s junior tour and 35-mile fun tour, to a 68-mile metric century and a 100-mile full century; all rides start and finish at 649 Lawrence Drive in Thousand Oaks.
This year’s Bike Week will take place May 13th – 19th, starting with Fix Your Bike Day on Monday the 13th, Guided Ride Day on Wednesday, May 15th, Bike to Work Day on Thursday the 15th, and Bike Local Weekend from Friday, May 17th to Sunday the 19th, offering discounts to bicyclists who mention Bike Week. Pledge to ride your bike on Bike to Work Day and you could win a free bike from REI.
The 10th Annual Blessing of the Bicycles is scheduled for 8 am to 9:30 am on Tuesday, May 14th at Good Samaritan Hospital, 616 Witmer Street, between 6th and Wilshire. The multi-faith event is always one of the high points of Bike Week. And it never hurts to have a little divine protection when you ride.
The annual Ride of Silence falls in the middle of Bike Week, on Wednesday, May 15th, honoring fallen cyclists and calling attention to the need for safety. The biggest ride in the Los Angeles area will take place at the Rose Bowl starting at 6:30 pm and rolling at 7. Other Southern California rides take place in Gardena, San Clemente, Temecula, Thousand Oaks and Ventura, as well as the 2nd Annual Anthony Martinez Jr. Ride of Silence in Oxnard. Highly recommended to send an important message, as well as a little emotional healing.
The Education Committee of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council will host a Bike Rodeo at 10 am on Saturday, May 18th at Micheltorena Elementary School, 1511 Micheltorena Street. Children from 5 to 12 are invited to participate; free bikes and helmets will be available for those who need them.
Registration has opened for this year’s LA River Ride, to be held Sunday, June 9th, starting and ending in Griffith Park. If you haven’t done the River Ride, I highly recommend it; if you have, then why haven’t you registered already?
Now that you’ve had a taste of CicLAvia to the Sea, mark your calendar for the next edition when CicLAvia rolls down L.A.’s iconic Wilshire Blvd on Sunday, June 23rd. The ride rolls, walks, scoots and skates from Downtown to Fairfax — on both sides this time, I’m told — from 10 am to 3 pm, before returning to an extended Downtown route on Sunday, October 6th.
Here’s your chance to bike the famed Las Vegas strip and the surrounding Las Vegas Valley, with the 6th Annual RTC Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo Pinarello on Saturday, September 21st. The event will offer routes for riders of all levels, from a 17-mile ride to 60-mile Metric Century and a 103-mile Gran Fondo; the longer rides will visit the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Lake Mead.
Maybe the city is getting serious about hit-and-runs.
Or at least, the kind that leaves an 18-year old bike rider lying dead in the street.
As you may recall, 18-year old David Alexander Granados was attempting to cross Oxnard Street in the crosswalk at Bellaire Avenue when he was hit by a speeding SUV that ran the red light, throwing his body nearly 200 feet according to witness estimates. A friend who saw the collision told police Granados had the right of way, and looked both ways before crossing the street.
In other words, despite doing everything right, he was murdered by a lawbreaking motorist who fled the scene like a heartless coward, rather than face the consequences of his actions. And his killer continues to hide despite numerous pleas for him to come forward, and offers of forgiveness from the victim’s family.
The LAPD has released security camera footage of the suspect vehicle, a white or silver Mercedes M Class SUV with likely damage to the passenger side, driven by a man in his 50s.
Anyone with information is urged to call Valley Traffic Division Officer M. Tucker at 818-644-8063.
The videos show a white, newer model BMW 3281; the driver is described as a white or Middle Eastern man in his mid-30s with dark hair and eyes, and a slender build.
Despite the lengthy delay in announcing the case to the public, the BHPD appears to be taking the case seriously, seeking the driver on suspicion of attempted murder.
Anyone with information should call Det. Eric Hyon at 310/285-2156.
To make a donation to help support Eric’s family, please send checks to the “Eric Ringdahl Memorial Fund.” Checks may be deposited at any Wells Fargo Branch or mailed to Wells Fargo, 277 N. El Camino Real, Encinitas, CA 92024.
The letter fills in the blanks in his biography, confirming that he worked in cell-based therapies at Cytori Therapeutics Inc. He leaves behind his wife Amy, an amateur triathlete, as well as three children ranging from five to nine.
In a tragic irony, the family has been active in efforts to improve road safety, working to get a new stop sign near their children’s school.
Around 5 pm last Friday, a group of women visiting from Las Vegas were riding single file on eastbound PCH in Newport Beach, when a Cadillac pulled up behind one on the riders and started honking impatiently — then plowed into one of the riders, rather than wait a few seconds until they could get out of his way.
The jerk driver fled the scene, but returned later, claiming it was the victim’s fault. Evidently for having the audacity to occupy the same space where he wanted to put his car.
The woman was transported to a local hospital with a head injury; a comment to the story indicates she was released after being kept overnight.
And no word yet on whether the driver was cited, or if charges are pending.
The LA Weekly trolls for web hits once again, claiming, among other things, that the best way to improve L.A. traffic is to rip out bike lanes in favor of restoring regular traffic lanes. As evidence, the bike-baiting writer who shall remain unnamed claims the 7th Street bike lanes are unused and result in angry motorists.
Yet he somehow fails to explain why the city’s worst traffic problems are on streets that don’t even have bike lanes.
As someone who rides 7th Street on a regular basis, I can attest that I have never seen a traffic jam there since the bike lanes were put in, even at rush hour. And seldom find myself the only cyclist using the popular lanes, which have become the primary feeder route for riders coming into Downtown from the Westside.
But then, the Weekly doesn’t always let the facts get in the way of the story when it comes to bikes these days.
Which is a needlessly tragic lead-in to the news that Malibu is hosting a pair of public meetings next month to discuss the city’s PCH Safety Study next month. If you ride on PCH — or ever find yourself trying to cross the street there — you owe it to yourself to attend one.
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Maybe it’s just because the producer is my nephew. But this looks like a pretty decent distracted driving PSA. Especially considering it was made by a 16-year old who just got his license.
People have been asking me what I plan to say about Sunday’s CicLAvia to the Sea.
At this point, not much.
As a result of the delay caused by this week’s breaking news, others have already offered the insights I was going to give, and in some cases, better than I would have done.
Like this one for instance, in which a USC professor pretty much took the words right out of my mouth.
No, go ahead and read it.
I’ll wait.
………
One of the highlights of any CicLAvia is running into friends along the way.
And this one certainly didn’t disappoint, offering a chance to catch up with former LACBC board member Chet Kostrzewa, who followed up with some insights that might never have occurred to me.
I wanted to pass on some of my own thoughts and observations I made, while teaching basic bike skills to a group of very young riders and watching the inspiring sight of upwards of 150,000 people enjoying taking the street for those few hours. CicLavia has very quickly grown to be an institution, an event to look forward to and count on as an antidote to the traffic fatigue that too many of us endure on a daily basis. As inspirational as CicLavia has become, however, what seems to me to be missing is an inherent motivator in the event that empowers people to see this as a game changer in their lives and not just a rare distraction from the routine on our streets. The sad reality is that starting the next morning and succeeding days until the following CicLavia, River Ride or other bike event, only a very small fraction of those bikes will be getting much new mileage on them.
There are probably as many good reasons to ride regularly and to ride often as there were bicyclists between downtown and Venice yesterday, here is a short list that came to my mind from talking to a variety of bicyclists yesterday:
All the young riders I coached yesterday were, without exception, excited about riding their bikes and taking the challenge of trying out new skills. Unfortunately, without a broad based bicycle skills curriculum in our schools, such learning opportunities offer only a single snapshot in what should be a gradual and incremental development process. The challenge and opportunity here, would be for the parents of these beginning riders to take on the task of role model and long term coach, guiding their development over an extended period toward becoming fully street smart and confident cyclists. The game changer for these parents is to improve their own skills, such as through a confident cycling class, such as taught by League Certified Instructors (LCIs) from the League of American Bicyclists.
While teaching beginning cyclists during CicLavia, I had the opportunity to talk to parents and other adults who stopped to comment and, in some cases, ask for tips to improve their own cycling experience. Many of these casual riders were on bikes that were clearly poorly maintained and which did not fit their riders. One woman I spent some time coaching started our conversation by complaining about how physically difficult the ride down Venice Blvd. was for her. It was quickly evident that her immediate problem was that she had no idea how to shift out of the highest gear on her bike. Her total exposure to cycling was to drag her rusting bike out for just one or two days a year and muscle her way through just a few miles in high gear, before calling it quits until the next CicLavia. With a basic tune up and brief lesson on how to use her bike, it would be a small step to an easy game changer. Instead of just dragging the bike out for those very rare occasions, find weekly opportunities to make a bike ride special. Maybe breakfast out on Sunday morning by bike, or a short daily ride as a stress busting habit right after the evening commute home.
Use technology to facilitate riding and as a feedback tool to improve your riding and fitness level. A basic bike computer provides a wealth of data to measure your results, while providing a tool for setting new goals for improvement. Other technology makes it increasingly easy to insert a bicycle in place of a car in our daily routines. The bus bike racks and increasing number of bike lockers along key transport routes make it easy and economical to start to use a bike for part of all of a commute. Recent bike design technology, such as the highly engineered folding bikes Tern Bicycles was demonstrating at CicLavia make it possible to take your bike with you anywhere. This opens a whole new world of bicycling opportunities, whether as part of a daily routine, or an easy way to enhance a vacation getaway. The game changer here is to realize that technology makes the bicycling experience more flexible, convenient and economical in many scenarios than the typical paradigm of transport being limited to where your car can take you along with a just a few additional blocks you can conveniently walk once you get there.
CicLavia is a fantastic enabler to get rarely used bicycles out of garages and on the road. All most of us need is just a little help and a couple of mental and physical tools to experience a major paradigm shift to move the bicycle from a toy of last resort to become a key tool for enhancing our daily lives. Hopefully a few other of the 150,000 on Venice Blvd yesterday are having similar thoughts tonight and will be changing the urban roadscape in the days and weeks ahead.
………
Another friend I ran into along the way was someone most readers of this blog should know by now, at least by his bike de plume.
Dj Wheels has been a key contributor here for the past several years, offering legal updates and insights on many of the cases involving bicyclists.
It was Wheels who broke the news that Christine Dahab had pleaded guilty and was going to jail; in fact, he told me she started her 90 day evaluation behind bars on Monday.
So I’ve long been frustrated that I couldn’t tell you who he really is while a court case he was involved in dragged through the legal system. But Sunday, he let me know the case was finally finished.
And I was free, finally, to reveal his identity.
Granted, it may not be a big secret in some circles of the Los Angeles cycling community, where he has long been a popular member.
Jimenez is one of the few lawyers I know who has made bike law his specialty, rather than just an area of practice. And unlike many lawyers, he doesn’t limit the cases he takes on to potentially high-payout liability lawsuits.
Yes, he takes the cases of injured cyclists on a contingency basis, just like most other lawyers. But he has also represented riders in everything from criminal cases to simple traffic violations, and even defended a rider who collided with a pedestrian and was being sued for the injuries he suffered.
Southern California cyclists are lucky to have a number of excellent bike lawyers; I can personally recommend many of the men and women you’ll find listed over there on the right.
But any time someone asks me for a good lawyer to represent a bike rider, you can bet that Daniel Jimenez will be on the list.
So excuse me if I was just a little awed — rather than merely odd, which I freely confess to — when I ran into Eastside bike advocate Carlos Morales, the new owner of Stan’s Bike Shop in Monrovia. And he introduced me to the man sitting next to him in the bike car they rode at CicLAvia.
And if Nelson Vails wants to give a shout out to his friends at Stan’s, far be it from me to say no.
Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.
The Pasadena Tri Club is offering a nine week Group Riding Series for new cyclists interested in learning how to ride with in a group with more experienced riders; the course is designed to teach the basics, improve fitness and increase confidence. Sessions meet each at 8 am each Saturday at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, 360 N. Arroyo Blvd in Pasadena, through April 27th; thanks to Margaret Ho for the heads-up.
The inaugural Green Prix of Long Beach will take place from 11 am to 6 pm on Saturday, April 20th in the parking lot of Anderson’s Hardware, 714 Pine Avenue; the free event will offer green artists, urban farmers, green chefs, children’s workshops, film screenings, sustainably focused beer, local venders and food trucks, in addition to a group ride, free bike valet and drawings for bike items.
The City of Los Angeles will hold an Environmental Impact Report and scoping meeting for the new Mobility Element Update, which includes a major bicycling component. The meeting will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on Monday, April 22nd at Caltrans District 7 Building, Room 01.040 A & B, 100 Main Street Downtown.
This Tuesday, April 23rd, Westside riders and walkers have a chance to speak out about the proposed $3 billion bond issue to fix our streets. As it stands now, the measure does not address Complete Streets or building out the bike plan as streets get repaved, and there’s no mention of fixing our broken sidewalks. The meeting takes place at 6 pm at the West L.A. Municipal Building, 1645 Corinth Ave. Additional meetings are scheduled for Thursday the 25th and Tuesday the 30th in South and East L.A., locations TBD.
Streetsblog LA hosts its 5th Birthday Party and Streetsie Award Dinner on April 27th, at the home of Deborah Murphy. Suggested donations for the fundraiser range from $25 to $100, but no one will be turned away; RSVP for location.
Also on Saturday the 27th, the Northeast Los Angeles Riverfront Collaborative invites you to the River Bike + Walk Spectacular, from 4 to 10 pm at Marsh Park, 2960 Marsh Street. The event starts with a Bike + Walk at 4 pm, followed by a Community Fair at 6 pm and free outdoor screening of Beetlejuice at 8.
Sunday, April 28th, the 2013 LA to the Valley Unity Ride rolls to strengthen bonds between the city’s disparate communities. The ride starts and Los Angeles Historic Park and ends at Tia Chuchas. Registration is $20 before April 17th, and $25 before closing on April 19th; it includes lunch, dinner, snacks and mechanical support.
Also on the 28th, the 8th edition of the L.A.’s toughest hill climb competition takes place when Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer rolls from Sunset Triangle Park in Silver Lake, 3626 W. Sunset Blvd. The free competition meets at 8 am, and rides to the first of 10 serious hills at 8:15.
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Civic Engagement Committee meets at 6:45 pm on the last Tuesday of each month. This month’s meeting will take place at Johnnie’s Pizza at Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd. on Tuesday, April 30th. This will be the last meeting before next month’s Mayoral and City Council election. You don’t have to be an LACBC member to participate; email bikinginla at hotmail dot com to be added to the discussion list.
Warm up for Bike Week and River Ride with the Tour of Long Beach 2013, featuring an all-bike bike fest and rides ranging from a 5-mile Family Fun Ride to 31 and 62 milers through the bike-friendly streets of Long Beach, along with a full century through Long Beach and down the SoCal coast to Laguna Beach. Proceeds go to support pediatric cancer research at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach.
Ventura County and West Valley riders can take part in the 28th Annual Cruisin’ the Conejo Bike Ride on Saturday, May 11th. Rides range from a 12-mile children’s junior tour and 35-mile fun tour, to a 68-mile metric century and a 100-mile full century; all rides start and finish at 649 Lawrence Drive in Thousand Oaks.
This year’s Bike Week will take place May 13th – 19th, starting with Fix Your Bike Day on Monday the 13th, Guided Ride Day on Wednesday, May 15th, Bike to Work Day on Thursday the 15th, and Bike Local Weekend from Friday, May 17th to Sunday the 19th, offering discounts to bicyclists who mention Bike Week.
The 10th Annual Blessing of the Bicycles is scheduled for Tuesday, May 14th at Good Samaritan Hospital, 616 Witmer Street, between 6th and Wilshire. The multi-faith event is always one of the high points of Bike Week. And it never hurts to have a little divine protection when you ride.
The annual Ride of Silence falls in the middle of Bike Week, on Wednesday, May 15th, honoring fallen cyclists and calling attention to the need for safety. The biggest ride in the Los Angeles area will take place at the Rose Bowl starting at 6:30 pm and rolling at 7. Other Southern California rides take place in Gardena, San Clemente, Temecula, Thousand Oaks and Ventura, as well as the 2nd Annual Anthony Martinez Jr. Ride of Silence in Oxnard. Highly recommended to send an important message, as well as a little emotional healing.
Registration has opened for this year’s LA River Ride, to be held Sunday, June 9th, starting and ending in Griffith Park. If you haven’t done the River Ride, I highly recommend it; if you have, then why haven’t you registered already?
Here’s your chance to bike the famed Las Vegas strip and the surrounding Las Vegas Valley, with the 6th Annual RTC Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo Pinarello on Saturday, September 21st. The event will offer routes for riders of all levels, from a 17-mile ride to 60-mile Metric Century and a 103-mile Gran Fondo; the longer rides will visit the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Lake Mead. Discount registration applies through April 10th.
April 19, 2013 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Hit-and-run on Mulholland Hwy, boat racing by bike and train, win a bike trip to Tuscany from LACBC
Lots of news coming in through my inbox this past week.
So let’s take a few moments to catch.
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First up is news of a hit-and-run on the dirt road section of Mulholland Highway. Fortunately, the rider wasn’t hurt, but that doesn’t change the need to find the driver and bring her to justice.
According to the email, the owner of a Valley bike shop was riding between the trail head near Topanga Canyon and the Reseda trail head when he was struck by what’s described as a white crossover SUV. He landed hard on the hood of the car, leaving a major dent.
The driver was reportedly looking down at her phone when she hit him. She got out of her car to look at the dent on the hood, then sped away without talking to her victim, who wasn’t able to get the plate number or make of car before she left.
If you see a vehicle that matches that description with a large dent in the hood, take down the license number and call the police.
Thanks to Dan at Santa Monica Helen’s for the heads-up.
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A couple weeks ago, Michael Eisenberg, who has contributed a number of items here in recent months, emailed me asking for info on taking a bike on an Amtrak train.
He was planning to participate in a Newport to San Diego sailboat race, and wanted to drive his boat trailer down to San Diego, then use a combination of bike and train travel to come back up to get his boat and start the race.
I’ll let him tell you how it worked out.
I’ve returned from my sailing/biking weekend and I thought you might want a travel report.
After launching the boat in Newport Harbor, I headed down to San Diego to leave the car and trailer. As I expected, I was running late and wasn’t ready to start cycling back to Newport Beach until 3:45. With a stop for dinner I calculated that I would arrive at my destination around 10. I really didn’t want to finish the ride on PCH after dark, so I changed my plans and headed over to the Amtrak Old Town station.
The train was scheduled to depart at 4:08, so I needed to hustle to cover the 5 miles in time. I got there with 2 minutes to spare. As an aside, as I was speeding up Rosecrans Blvd passing block upon block of stalled rush hour traffic, I came upon a police cruiser with a cyclist pulled over and with his hands spread out on the hood awaiting a pat down. I have no idea what led up to this.
I’ve never ridden on a train before, so I had to ask around to find out what to do next. I was told that the only bike storage was on the lower level of the first car. When I entered to car, I found 10 bike racks in the front. This car also contain the area for special needs travelers. There were already 7 bikes in racks, and these must all have arrived. At the first stop, as Old Town was the second stop. I noticed that every other bike was locked, so I new I would have to get up at each stop to keep tabs on my bike as it was the low hanging fruit.
While on the train, I figured out how to register on-line with Amtrak and to purchase a ticket. I was ready when the conductor came by to scan the bar code on my phone. The ride was of course extremely pleasant. As I was dressed in cycling gear, I had two people come up to me asking about where to find good cycling spots in SD. Talk about the blind leading the blind. I was able to tell them about the excellent bike path that traverses the South Bay from Coronado around to Chula Vista and up to San Diego. But when I mentioned the path was only about 30 miles long, their eyes got really big. My how perceptions change after a time.
The only glitch occurred when we arrived in Irvine. The train overshot the platform, and I had to carry my bike up the stairs and back to the second car before heading back downstairs to exit. Talk about tight.
Once I exited the station, I Googled the directions from Irvine to Corona Del Mar in walking mode. I was given 3 choices, all the same length of 15 miles. Two were major boulevards, and one was listed as Shady Canyon / Bonita Canyon. That sounded the most appealing and it did not disappoint. I was a first rate bike path with spectacular views. I arrived at my destination at 7:00 with a sense of accomplishment in discovering a new method of travel.
Once back at the boat, I removed the bike wheels, packed the bike into a travel bag, and stored it down below. The next day I won my singlehanded division in the Newport to San Diego sailboat race.
I’ve written this for you, not because I’m looking for any publicity, but instead to inform you about how easy and satisfying bit was to combine rail and bicycle travel.
Just goes to show what you can do with a bike and a little imagination.
As an aside, he notes that he’s planning to bike down to Knott’s Berry Farm for an annual car show later this month, a distance of 115 miles round trip. Which should impress his friends more than any car he might take down there.
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Eisenberg’s DIY bike rack
Eisenberg also writes that he’s gotten in the bike rack business for a friend.
I went to the gym last night. The gym manager showed me a video taken in the morning of some low life creep cutting a cable lock on a $1000 bike and riding off. I hope they catch the bastard. Anyway, there was no proper place to lock a bike before, just around a 6″ x 6″ support post. So I whipped this up for him today. It’s now out being powder coated. I made this one for about 1/2 of what I saw similar ones online if anyone is in interested.
I should note that LADOT offers a free bike rack program, installing U-racks on request anywhere within the City of Los Angeles.
And he notes that, now that the rack has been installed, the gym owner hopes the rack gets enough use to justify a second one.
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The LACBC is offering you a chance to win a bike trip to Tuscany by fundraising for the upcoming River Ride.
Fundraise for LACBC’s Annual Los Angeles River Ride. It is easy. The top prize for the highest fundraiser is a bike trip to Tuscany, courtesy of VBT. We also have a prize for the fundraiser who gets the most people to donate to the cause: a bike from DTLA Bikes. Runner-up prizes include a New Belgium Brewing Cruiser Bike and signed copies of Where to Bike Los Angeles. Prizes are guaranteed for meeting fundraising minimums at the $100 (LACBC socks), $250 (River Ride jersey), $500 (access to the River Ride VIP tent and beer garden), $1000 (recognition at LACBC donor and supporter party), and $5000 (custom vintage cocktail mixology, tea ceremony, or dinner with our Excutive Director and Board President) levels. Go to http://www.active.com/donate/riverride and www.la-bike.org/riverride for more information.
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition has long been fighting for a safer, cleaner, quieter form of transportation for all Angelenos whether they bike, walk, or drive. The Annual Los Angeles River Ride provides much of the funds LACBC needs in order to transform the face of Los Angeles County and give future generations the option of enjoying Los Angeles by bike! This year’s Annual Los Angeles River Ride also incorporates a campaign to complete all 51 miles of LA River Bikeway. Imagine it: a completely car-free uninterrupted bike highway running right through the middle of Los Angeles, from Canoga Park to Long Beach!
When you raise funds for the River Ride you are contributing to this campaign. What a legacy to leave, the knowledge that you helped make such an enormous and positive change to the landscape of the 5th largest economy in the world. In addition to helping LACBC do such great work, high fundraisers win great prizes.
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Reporter Roger Rudick produced a story for KCRW’s Which Way LA contrasting the impressive bicycling infrastructure in the Dutch city of Rotterdam with the far less notable bikeways here in the City of Angeles.
Yet surprisingly, he discovers that the two cities aren’t that different.
Which suggests that Los Angeles could do a lot more to encourage cycling and keep riders safe.
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Police have concluded that the driver was at fault in the death of Cal Poly Pomona bike rider Ivan Aguilar. Charges against the driver, who has not been publicly identified, are on hold pending the result of a final report from the L.A. County Coroner.
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The family of cyclist Donny McCluskey published a moving memorial to the fallen cyclist, who was killed in Rancho Mirage when a speeding driver ran a red light and hit another vehicle driven by a drunk driver. The cars spun out of control and hit McCluskey, who was stopped at the red light.
McCluskey was killed despite doing everything right. Except being in the wrong place when two drivers broke the law.
Yet shamefully, neither has faced more than a slap on the wrist for taking the life of an innocent human being.
Which begs the question of why Hollywood really wants them gone. And why FilmLA, the L.A. Times and L.A. city officials have fallen for what appears to be one big anti-bike lie.
Let alone why the city appears to have caved in to bogus demands to let the highly popular green lanes fade to oblivion.
I’m going to be at the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition booth at CicLAvia from 2 pm to 3:30 pm this Sunday at the Culver City hub; stop by and say hi if you get the chance.
Better yet, bring a few bucks, checkbook or credit card with you and I’ll be happy to sign you up as an LACBC member if you’re not one already.
The student at the Alliance Environmental Science and Technology High School was making a left from westbound San Fernando Road to Fletcher Drive when he was hit by a car and dragged underneath the vehicle, suffering severe head injuries.
And no, he wasn’t wearing a helmet. In this case, it might have made a difference.
This is Melton’s second DUI case; under California law, a previous conviction for DUI can elevate the charges to second degree murder. In addition, he faces charges for DUI, gross vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run resulting in death or injury.
Unless prosecutors completely screw up the case, he should off the streets for a very long time.
They’re right, though I might argue for different reasons; running stops greatly increases your risk of a collision — for which you’ll be found at fault — and virtually eliminates any chance of a financial recovery afterwards.
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I don’t usually link to fundraisers that benefit individuals unless they’ve been injured in riding collisions; after all, most of us could use a little help, myself included.
But I’m going to make an exception for this project for Michele Chavez, one of the top bike advocates in the Antelope Valley. She’s run out of funds after going back to school to develop the skills to work full-time in bike advocacy, and currently finds herself just under $800 short of her 4th quarter tuition.
I can personally vouch for Michele and the job she’ll do to make the world a better place for bike riders.
And maybe you followed the recent links to the heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant, story of Patrick Brady’s newborn son. Now you can contribute to a Kickstarter project to publish a book of the Red Kite Prayer writer’s best work — some of the most beautiful bike writing anywhere — to help defray their heavy medical costs.
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The Veggie Grill is offering a free meal to anyone who bikes in during the next seven days.
Finally, the family of a fallen Albuquerque cyclist is understandably upset about repeated vandalism and theft of his ghost bike; but did they really have to post the story under Paranormal? And it turns out green bike lanes aren’t the only problem Hollywood has with today’s Downtown; it’s all those damn people.
