Tag Archive for Los Angeles

Fallen Redlands bicyclist identified as teen visiting from Mexico, and some Streets For All PAC donations now deductible

December 13, 2022 / / One comment

Just 12 days left in the 8th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

You know how fast time flies this time of year. Turn around, and it will be Boxing Day already, and it will all be over for another year.

Okay, who just applauded?

Let’s all take a moment to thank Terese E for a generous donation to keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way every day. 

And yes, she was the only one who donated yesterday.

So don’t wait. Donate today via PayPal or Zelle. Then relax and enjoy the holidays, knowing you’ve done your part to help keep this site up and running, and free for all.

And help keep a hungry spokesdog and chief fundraiser in kibble. 

………

Tragic news from Redlands, where the victim of Thursday’s fatal bicycling collision was identified as a 16-year old boy from Mexico who was just vacationing in the city.

A crowdfunding campaign to send Juan Pablo Carrillo-Salazar’s body back to his family Zacatecas for burial has raised just $135 of the modest $6,000 goal so far.

If money’s tight this year, go ahead and skip the fund drive this year, and donate to this worthy cause, instead.

We’ll be back again next year for the 9th edition of our fund drive.

………

You can now make a tax deductible donation to LA transportation PAC Streets For All for use on nonpolitical activities, thanks to the requirements of nonprofit tax law.

………

Apparently, an abandoned bike helmet is pretty exciting stuff when you’re a toddler.

https://www.tiktok.com/@thearmfarklife/video/7165660871459491118?_r=1&_t=8XNUB3jeXiF&is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7165660871459491118

………

Why ride when you can fly?

https://twitter.com/jamshed_mohamed/status/1601661754911510529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1601661754911510529%7Ctwgr%5E1923e3778c05579f6e02b5604a6eb0566bc4f5aa%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-37917973493830349893.ampproject.net%2F2211250451000%2Fframe.html

………

Take a two and a half minute downhill break with Kiwi freestyle pro Vero Sandler. And her dog.

………

‘Tis the season.

In a comment from yesterday, Center Line Rules author Michael Wagner reminds us about a couple of local bike builds he too part in recently, to ensure that 80 Fontana area kids will have new bikes under the tree this year,  as well as building more bikes with the Claremont Senior Bike Group, the Claremont Rotary Club, students from El Roble Middle School, Claremont High School and the Webb Schools.

………

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

Once again, a UK pedestrian has been killed by a bike rider, after an elderly woman walking on a pathway died two weeks after she was knocked down by a speeding hybrid bike — which apparently didn’t have a rider, judging by the story.

A South African cyclist learns the hard way that you can get banned from real racing for cheating at the virtual kind.

………

………

Local 

A letter writer takes now-former Mayor Eric Garcetti — and implicitly, the Los Angeles Times — to task for the rising rate of traffic deaths in the city, and failure of his Vision Zero plan. And concludes that Garcetti’s pledge wqs indicative of his “’promise now, do nothing later’ approach to any difficult choice he had to make. That toothless, spineless approach will forever be his legacy.” Harsh, but sadly accurate.

Green Car Congress specifies the six Los Angeles active transportation projects funded by the California Transportation Commission, as part of nearly $1 billion in active transportation funding throughout the state.

A Long Beach man was the victim of a bike-by shooting; the same bike rider may have carjacked a woman a few minutes later, and crashed her SUV a few minutes after that.

 

State 

Encinitas will shut down the Coast Highway next month, opening it up to pedestrians and bike riders on January 8th.

 

National

Electrek suggest stocking stuffers for the ebike rider or regular bicyclist in your life, while Road.cc helps you avoid a festive faux pas by suggesting what not to get.

Road Bike Rider considers the difference between a touring bike and a roadie.

Christian singing star Amy Grant now says the bike crash that knocked her unconscious and put her latest tour on hold was a blessing that forced her to refocus on what she loved about performing to begin with.

Unbelievable. An Iowa man walked out of prison a free man this week, despite being sentenced to ten years for the drunken death of a 69-year old woman riding a bike, after the judge somehow decided the original sentence was too harsh and resentenced him to probation. Just in case you were wondering why people keep dying on our streets, or anything. 

An Arkansas man will serve a well-deserved ten years behind bars for the hit-and-run death of a bike-riding man who had just gotten married two months earlier.

Rail service was shut down in Pittsburgh on Sunday after a mountain biker fell 25-feet off a cliff, landing on the railroad tracks.

He gets it. A 75-year old Baltimore man says forget the myth that Baby Boomers have no use for bike lanes.

Sad news from Maryland, where a longtime bike shop owner was killed when an early morning fire broke out in the shop, where he was living with his dog, who was also overcome with smoke.

Once again, authorities somehow managed to keep a dangerous driver on the streets until it’s too late, as a North Carolina man faced charges for crashing into a bike rider while high on weed and heroin, a week after appearing in court for causing a freeway crash; he was still on the road despite 40 previous convictions and multiple DUIs.

The worldwide epidemic of bike shop closures continues, with the closure of a 62-year old Florida bike shop.

This is the cost of traffic violence. The owner of a Michigan bike shop was killed in a Florida traffic collision while delivering free bikes for kids displaced by Hurricane Ian.

 

International

Bicycling offers an overview of what year-end Strava data tells us, including that bike commuting is nearly back up to pre-pandemic levels, and you’re more likely to ride further with a friend when it’s cold out. Of course, it also only tells you about people who use Strava. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you. 

Bike Radar recommends their picks for the best ebikes for every type of rider. And adds an explanation of motor position, and why it matters. Meanwhile, Bloomberg offers their ebike picks, too.

 

Competitive Cycling

Bicycling takes a detailed look at the tragic life of Moriah “Mo” Wilson, whose star burned brightly over the world of ‘cross for a few short years, before she was allegedly murdered by the jealous girlfriend of pro cyclist Colin Strickland. Read it on AOL this time if the magazine blocks you. 

Belgian world champion Remco Evenepoel announced plans to compete in next year’s Giro.

 

Finally…

Your next ebike could be a naked Mercedes-Benz. Now you, too, can pedal a bike to power Rome’s Christmas tree.

And this pretty well sums up the whole sad situation.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

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

Crowdfunding campaign for San Jacinto man killed in deliberate crash, and road raging Maywood driver kills pedestrian

December 12, 2022 / / 7 comments

It’s the penultimate week of the 8th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Just two more weeks share just a small part of your hard-earned income to support SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy.

So let’s take a moment to thank David H, Thomas A, Brandon H, David S, Walter L, Steven H, Erick H, Steven S, Gabrielle L, Glenn C and James B for their generous donations over the weekend so you can read this today.

Avoid the last minute holiday rush. Donate today via PayPal or Zelle to keep all the best bike news coming your way today, and every day. 

………

Family of one of the many — too many — bicycling crash victims we reported on last week is raising funds to bury their loved one. Police say Margarito Castro was intentionally run down by a speeding driver in a San Jacinto hit-and-run.

So far, they’ve raised nearly $3,000 of the $15,000 goal.

Twenty-one-year old Savaughn Jojuan Colon Barnes of Hemet is being held on $100,000 bond on suspicion of voluntary manslaughter and hit-and-run resulting in death for killing Castro.

………

This is who we share the road with.

A Maywood driver could face charges after allegedly running down a pedestrian in a fatal road rage collision Friday night.

Hopefully we’ll learn more soon, because that’s almost all the information we have right now.

………

Somehow, I don’t think LADOT’s favorite little car-ticker plastic bendy posts would have the same, uh, impact.

Although it’s hard not to watch this icy demolition derby without admiring the person on a bike who’s not letting the snow slow him down, let alone stop him.

………

Sometimes, you just have to take matters into your own hands.

https://twitter.com/HowTheWestWS/status/1602176354912305153

………

Maybe riding a Penny Farthing is harder than it looks. (Click on the tweets for the full thread.)

………

‘Tis the season.

Costa Mesa’s TZone Fitness & Pilates is collecting bicycle donations for Orange County nonprofit Families and Communities Together, aka FACT, to provide rebuilt bikes to at-risk kids and teens.

Over 150 volunteers in Vancouver, Washington built 560 bikes to give away to local families, in an effort to ensure every kid in the county has a bike.

Rapid City, South Dakota balance bikemaker Strider Bikes hosted their 5th annul Jingle Bell Ride to benefit All Kids Ride. Which may or may not actually be All Kids Bike.

A Texas nonprofit gave away over 300 bikes to families in the Brazos Valley.

Thirteen years after he was given a new bike by a fireman at the local Christmas parade, an Oklahoma teenager and his father are paying it forward by giving away eight to ten bikes to random kids at the same parade.

A Dayton, Ohio man grew up reclaiming bikes from the trash and fixing them up because his family couldn’t afford one. Now he fixes up hundreds of bikes and gives them away to anyone who asks.

Madison, Wisconsin’s annual Santa Cycle Rampage rolled through the snow and slush of downtown to raise money for Safe Routes to School.

National nonprofit Free Bikes 4 Kidz gave away nearly one thousand refurbished bikes to kids in Minnesota, as part of a nationwide effort.

Nearly 100 bike-riding Santas participated in a Lapeer, Michigan toy ride for families in need.

………

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

Huh? An Edmonton, Alberta letter writer complains about the city’s $100 million plan to extend its bikeway network, saying the bike lanes will somehow lead to one-hour delays on local streets.

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

In an example of how hard it is to get bad cops off the job, a former San Antonio bike cop still carries a badge, despite being twice fired for giving a homeless man a literal shit sandwich, and spreading his and another cop’s crap over a toilet seat in the station’s women’s restroom. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up. 

An Arkansas man got a well-deserved 15 years after he was arrested with a long knife while riding his bike to his girlfriend’s house after threatening to kill her. Having a boyfriend who rides a bike is a good thing, but something tells me she might want to rethink her taste in men.

………

Before we go on, I received a very nice email over the weekend from an American expat now living a carfree life in Berlin.

However, he raised one concern about the section above. I often include links to stories in which someone used a bicycle to get somewhere to commit a crime or make their getaway. But as he points out, if we focused on a criminal’s mode of transportation, we could fill this site every day with people who drove to or from their crimes.

So what do you think? Should we keep mentioning people who only incidentally used a bike as transportation to commit a crime, or drop stories like that unless the bike actually had something to do with their crime?

Let me know in the comments below.

……..

………

Local 

As we mentioned last week, the state Transportation Commission approved nearly $1 billion in funding for 93 active transportation projects throughout the state, including $38.6 million to build three miles of Complete Streets in LA’s Skid Row neighborhood, complete with bike lockers and ebike charging stations.

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers actionable transportation ideas for new Los Angeles Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who defeated incumbent Mitch O’Farrell in the November election; Linton’s suggestions include a call to revisit the lane reductions and bike lanes cancelled by O’Farrell on Fletcher Drive and Temple Street, as well as a proposal to remove cars from Hollywood Blvd.

Santa Clarita’s Trek Bike Park is hosting Friday Night Lights this Friday, offering a chance to ride the BMX and mountain bike trails under the lights for free.

 

State 

In yet another example of keeping a driver on the road until it’s too late, a 63-year old man riding a mountain bike was seriously injured in a hit-and-run in San Diego’s Rancho Penasquitos neighborhood; police arrested the 93-year old driver after witnesses gave them the car’s license number. Once again raising the question of how old is too old to drive. 

A 60-year old man is lucky to be alive after falling 70 to 80 feet off a Carpinteria cliff while riding his bike; he lay at the bottom of the cliff, unable to move, for nearly an hour until he was discovered by a woman walking by on the beach.

Sad news from Stockton, where a 26-year old mother and college student died six days after she was struck by a driver while riding her bike to class.

The University of California rowing team is holding a fundraiser to raise $50,000 to purchase an eight-person racing shell, and name it after teammate Shawn O’Donnell, one of two State Department workers killed while riding a bike in DC this past year. Thanks to Steve Messer for the link.

A Bay Area letter writer asked how to get a dangerous driver to give up the keys, after trying to get an older woman with poor eyesight to stop driving; she only quit after she crashed into someone on a bicycle, injuring them.

 

National

Life is cheap in Colorado, where a 70-year old driver walked without a single day behind bars for killing a bike rider, after he was sentenced to a lousy two years probation on a careless driving conviction.

A New Orleans man was apparently murdered for his bicycle;a security guard heard three shots, and looked out to see a man lying in the street and a woman riding off on his bike.

Life is cheap in Louisiana, where a 31-year old man will serve just three years behind bars for the drunken hit-and-run crash that killed a man riding a bike, after the judge suspended seven years of the original ten-year sentence.

 

International

Bike Biz recommends what they describe as six dream jobs in the bicycle industry in the US, UK and Europe. The UK used to be part of Europe, but they voted themselves off the island. 

Manchester, England unveiled the country’s first bicycle roundabout, leading to immediate confusion and comments that it only serves to endanger pedestrians and inconvenience less able-bodied people.

New bike lanes in Bath, England are called an accident waiting to happen because they force bus passengers to step into the bike lane to get off the bus, then cross over it to get to the sidewalk — even though people on bikes are required to stop for pedestrians.

A British man rode his bike to all 18 London professional soccer clubs in less than 36 hours to call attention to human trafficking in the sport.

That’s more like it. A South African man will spend six years behind bars for the drunken crash that killed a man riding a bicycle.

An Aukland, New Zealand man will spend an additional three years behind bars for kidnapping and terrorizing a delivery van driver, on top of the five years and one month sentence he’s already serving for killing a bike rider while fleeing from police; the judge warned he will “almost certainly” re-offend once he gets out.

 

Competitive Cycling

Clara Honsinger made it a three-peat by winning her third straight elite women’s national title in the snow at the US Cyclocross National Championships

A writer for Road.cc remembers fallen Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin, who made him fall in love with cycling over his 30-year professional career.

More sad news, as former Tour de France cyclist Walter Beneteau was found dead in a Bali, Indonesia hotel room from unknown causes; the 50-year old French rider finished seven straight Tours between 2000 and 2006.

The popular Santa Cross rolls in Woodland Hills this weekend. (Click on the tweet for a more legible schedule.)

Also this weekend, the Velo Sport’s Center in Carson is hosting a full weekend of track cycling, hosted by the Los Angeles Racing Velodrome Association. Thanks to David Huntsman for the tip.

 

Finally…

Your next SUV could be an ebike. And if you were a foreign correspondent working in the Netherlands, wouldn’t you do your reports from a bike?

Thanks to Keith Johnson for the heads-up.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

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

Update: Man killed getting off bike on Downtown LA freeway offramp in early morning crash; 4th SoCal bike death this week

December 9, 2022 / / Comments Off on Update: Man killed getting off bike on Downtown LA freeway offramp in early morning crash; 4th SoCal bike death this week

Then there was four.

For the fourth time this week, someone riding a bicycle was killed on the streets of Southern California.

This time in Downtown Los Angeles.

And once again, there’s very little information available.

According to KFI-AM, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was struck by a driver near the Third Street off-ramp from the northbound Harbor Freeway, aka Interstate 110, around 12:51 am Friday.

The victim was struck when he got off his bike after reportedly riding on the offramp, which suggests he may have been illegally riding on the freeway in the moments leading up the crash.

He died at the scene.

There’s no word on why the victim may have been on the freeway, especially at that hour, or how and why the crash occurred.

This is at least the 79th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 26th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; he’s also the 14th person killed riding a bike in the City of Los Angeles.

Update: A week later, the victim has finally been identified as 85-year old Charles Mullins; no city of residence was given.

And still no explanation for how the crash occurred, or why he may have been riding on the freeway offramp.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Charles Mullins and his loved ones.

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

Baldwin Park gets grant for new mini-park, bike rider collateral damage in police chase, and Streets For All party tonight

December 9, 2022 / / Comments Off on Baldwin Park gets grant for new mini-park, bike rider collateral damage in police chase, and Streets For All party tonight

It’s the antepenultimate weekend of the 8th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

No, trust me. Look it up.

I had to. 

Miss this one, and there’s just two more weekends to show your love to and for this site, while you help keep all the freshest bike news coming to your favorite screen every morning. And make yourself a hero to everyone who visits this site. 

Whether or not they know it. 

So let’s take a moment to thank the generous people who gave from the heart yesterday so you could read this today, like Ben F, Michael F, Domus Press, Stephen M, Patrick M and Kristoffer M. 

No relation, I should add, despite the abundance of Fs and Ms. 

So don’t wait.

Donate today via PayPal or Zelle. And keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way today, and every day. 

………

Baldwin Park announced they’ve received a $761,000 grant from the San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy to build a new mini-park on Maine Ave.

According to a press release from the city,

The Maine Avenue Mini-Park will join a series of new mini-parks along the soon-to-be-extended Big Dalton Wash Trail and the Susan Rubio Zocalo Park in Downtown Baldwin Park, which will come on-line over the next couple of years and promote public health, mental health, climate resilience and educational and employment opportunities for youth…

A bioswale, smart water irrigation system and stormwater capture improvements will ensure the sustainability of the mini-park. Additionally, its proximity to the San Fe Dam Recreation Area and the region’s extensive trail network support active transportation, furthering local and regional sustainability goals…

When completed, the park will include various passive and recreational amenities for the community, including 14 shade trees, an outdoor fitness area, shade structures, picnic tables, a grill, benches, accessible play equipment for kids and restrooms.

A spokesperson for the city suggests it will be great stopping point for bicyclists using the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area.

The park will be built using an additional $346,000 in matching funds from LA County Measure A. It’s expected to open to the public in 2024.

………

A Koreatown bike rider was collateral damage in a police chase.

According to KTLA-5, the LAPD was in pursuit of the driver of a car that had been reported stolen, when the driver struck a bicyclist near South Beaudry Ave and West 2nd Street sometime around 9 am.

He continued without stopping, until crashing into several vehicles at 6th and Normandy, where he was taken into custody.

The bike-riding victim was treated by emergency personnel at the scene; no word on their condition or whether they were taken to a hospital.

………

Streets For All is hosting their holiday fundraising party tonight in the Arts District in DTLA, with a recommended minimum $100 donation; donate here to RSVP.

You’re Invited

ICYMI: We’re having our big holiday party tomorrow!

Friday, December 9, 2022
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Private Residence
1855 Industrial Street
Los Angeles, CA, 90021

………

‘Tis the season.

The San Diego Padres surprised more than 125 2nd and 3rd graders with new bikes and helmets, as part of their Holiday Giving Tour. Which is nice, but still not enough to forgive them for beating the Dodgers in the NL Division Series.

A Victorville bike giveaway brought smiles to over 155 kids from 26 local elementary schools.

Kindhearted employees of a Green Bay, Wisconsin trucking company dipped into their own pockets to buy more than 35 bikes for local kids.

A South Carolina man has been repairing bikes to donate to kids for the holidays for the last 25 years.

Over a dozen kids from a Florida Boys and Girls Club received new bicycles, thanks to an annual program from a local car dealer.

………

The California Transportation Commission — no, not Caltrans — is investing a billion bucks in boosting bicycling and walking with 93 projects targeted to low-income areas.

………

No one who’s spent any amount of time on a university campus should be surprised that college administrators can’t manage to differentiate between safe, high-quality lithium-ion ebike batteries, and the fire-prone, secondhand junk ebike and scooter batteries.

So they just ban ebikes and e-scooters entirely.

https://twitter.com/BrooklynSpoke/status/1601072491551608832

………

Gravel Bike California grinds to the highest point in the City of Angels, at a whopping 5,079 ft.

Which sounds impressive, unless you’re from Colorado, like me.

But still.

………

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

No bias here. A report from the uncomprehending National Transportation Safety Board, aka NTSB, incomprehensibly blames the victims for the meth-fueled crash that killed five bicyclists outside Las Vegas last year, for the crime of riding their bikes in the right lane of the highway. In other words, exactly where they were supposed to be. Las Vegas hospitals are about to be overrun with facepalm injuries.

No bias here, either. A Buffalo, New York letter writer complains that instead of blaming unsafe roadways, we should blame “the ever-increasing stupidity of pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers” and the “idiots walking and biking.”

Or here. A New Jersey columnist compares mandatory bike helmets to seat belts, saying he can’t understand why bike advocates would be against a helmet law, while ignoring the reasons advocates gave to opposite it. He also compares that opposition to bike helmets to opposition to motorcycle helmet laws, even they were opposed for diametrically differing reasons.

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

A British court dropped the charges against a road raging, 68-year old former Olympian, who called a woman fat and blind in an expletive-laden tirade, and reached into her car as she begged him not to hit her, all because she cut his bicycle off in traffic; the case was dismissed due to his PTSD resulting from an earlier crash.

……..

 

………

Local 

Curbed’s Alissa Walker writes about LA’s outgoing Climate Mayor, who’s leaving the city’s broken sidewalks just as bad as when he found them, if not worse — thanks in part to his habit of getting distracted by shiny objects like a potential presidential run that never launched, and a nomination to be ambassador to India that crashed and burned. Eric Garcetti could have been a good mayor, if he had actually been interested in doing it.

Long Beach will give a Complete Streets makeover to Studebaker Road on the city’s east side, including a protected bike lane and other safety features between Los Coyotes Diagonal and Second Street.

 

State 

A 44-year old man was seriously injured in San Diego’s Point Loma neighborhood Thursday evening, when his bike was left-crossed by a pickup driver while allegedly riding in a crosswalk against the Don’t Walk signal. Although once again, it depends on whether there were independent witnesses to the crash, or if police are relying on the driver who hit him.

A Paso Robles woman faces six years behind bars for pleading guilty to DUI after crashing into several parked cars while driving with a blood alcohol content of .30 — three and a half times the legal limit. She apparently hadn’t learned her lesson about drinking and driving, despite receiving an early release from prison for a ten-year sentence for the drunken, hit-and-run death of a bike-riding Cal Poly student in 2017. If there were any justice, she’d have to serve the remainder of her original sentence, consecutively with the new term.

 

National

Jalopnik reviews the updated version of Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes popular RadRunner e-cargo bike, which remains perhaps the most affordable electric cargo bike on the market, at $1,499 — and likes it. However, the positive reviews weren’t enough to prevent the company from moving forward with yet another round of layoffs.

Speaking of the five bicyclists killed by the meth-fueled truck driver outside Las Vegas last year, plans are in the works for a permanent ghost bike built for five at the trailhead of the nearby Red Rock Legacy Trail.

Life is cheap in Texas, where a then-18-year old driver walked without a single day behind bars for the drunken crash that killed a man on a bicycle in 2017. Five years is too damn long to wait for justice, and still not receive it.

A Chicago paper talks with the area’s Tandem Society, about the dual joys of riding two by two.

Chicago will vote on a proposal to allow the towing of vehicles parked in bike lanes, six months after a toddler was killed when her mom’s bike was clipped by a truck driver after she was forced to swerve around a blocked bike lane.

Life is cheap in Illinois, where a driver will spend a lousy two months behind bars for the hit-and-run crash that left a bike-riding man with a serious head injury. Both crimes alone — hitting the bike rider and fleeing the scene — call for a hell of a lot longer sentence. Let alone together. 

A New York man lives a committed minimalist lifestyle, carrying all of his belongings on his bike. Which is another way of saying he’s homeless by choice.

A writer for Streetsblog says New York’s proposed bounty for reporting vehicles blocking bike lanes means you could earn a six-figure income without leaving your neighborhood. Passing a proposal like that in Los Angeles could result in a second California gold rush.

Kindhearted Louisiana sheriff’s deputies gave a 57-year old woman a new bike, after someone stole the one a neighbor had given her after realizing she’d been walking four miles each way to work every day for the past six years.

 

International

Apparently, you can make an illegal U-turn while driving on the wrong side of the road, killing a British motorcyclist, then flee to the US under the cover of diplomatic immunity, and still walk without a single damn day behind bars, like the wife of an American diplomat/spy did in the death of 19-year old Harry Dunn.

An English bike rider blasts a seaside bike path, claiming it’s covered in debris and prone to flooding, while suggesting bike riders would be better off on the nearby sidewalk.

Life is cheap in the UK, where a driver walked without a day behind bars for the hit-and-run crash that left a bike-riding man barely conscious and struggling to breathe; he later told investigators he thought he hit a traffic cone. Trust me, if anyone runs me down, they’re going to hear enough choice words to know exactly what they hit.

Nice. Dublin, Ireland opened a new community bike hub, providing free use of adaptive bikes for people with disabilities or mobility issues, a project to repair old and unused bikes to donate to community members, and bike repair and safe bicycling courses for kids.

 

Finally…

Your next favorite video game could center on a bike road trip adventure. And that feeling when you open the Ringling Trail bikeway, but the only clowns are passing motorists.

Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week.

Which is now over.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

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

LA is America’s 2nd most deadly city for peds, Valley legislators earn top mobility grades, and a fond goodbye to Mike Bonin

December 8, 2022 / / 4 comments

It’s Day 15 of the 8th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive — which means we’re halfway through this year’s fundraising campaign!

Nearly 50 very kind and generous people have donated over the past two weeks. Which means that roughly 2,950 of the people who will visit this site today haven’t.

And chances are, you may be one of them. 

Which is not meant to guilt you into giving. Well, not much, anyway. 

It’s no problem if you can’t afford to give. Although we’ve gotten donations as small as five dollars from people who’ve struggled to give anything. 

And no problem if you just don’t want to. Everyone is welcome here, whether or not you support this site, because our goal is to share this information as widely as possible, with as many people as we can. 

But consider this. 

Those generous people, combined with the likewise generous sponsors over there on the right, are all that allows me to keep bringing you the latest bike news from around the corner, and around the world, on a daily basis. Starting with this post right here, and every one to come. 

So please join me in thanking Kathryn R, Austin B and Brer M for their support to help keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way every day. 

And as for you, don’t wait. Donate now via PayPal or Zelle.

………

Is anyone really surprised that the mean streets of Los Angeles claimed the nation’s second highest number of pedestrian lives over the past decade, second only to New York?

Which makes sense in a way, since Los Angeles also has the second largest population, behind only to New York.

The correlation ends there, though, as Phoenix comes in third, followed by Houston, Dallas and San Antonio; Chicago, the third largest city, ranks all the way down at 7th, which suggests they must be doing something right.

Although even one traffic death is one too many.

That information comes courtesy of online auto insurance firm Jerry, which correlated the rankings based on a decade’s worth of NHTSA data.

Other relevant facts include —

  • Pedestrian deaths increased every year over the past decade in the US, rising 65% from 2011 through 2021.
  • 2021 deaths were up 13% over the previous year.
  • People of color accounted for 2/3 of pedestrian deaths, despite being just 24% of the overall population.
  • Four out of five pedestrian deaths occurred in urban areas, which makes sense since that’s where the most people are. And the most cars.
  • People in cars continue to cause twice as many pedestrian deaths as those in SUVs, though the number of people killed by SUV drivers grew twice as fast over the past decade.
  • Largely rural New Mexico had the highest level of pedestrian deaths per capita, followed by Florida, which traditionally leads the nation in pedestrian and bicycling deaths; despite LA’s high ranking, California as a whole is only the ninth most deadly state on a per capita basis.
  • Nearly a third of pedestrians killed had a blood alcohol level of .08, while a quarter had a BAC of .15 — nearly twice the legal limit for motorists.

However, that last tidbit is meaningless without knowing whether a) they were responsible for the crash that killed them, and b) whether their intoxication contributed to their actions in some way.

It important to remember that it’s a hell of a lot easier to walk after drinking or using drugs than it is to operate a big, deadly machine that’s dangerous even under the best conditions.

………

Streets For All has adopted a tactic used by countless organizations on the national level, from the NRA to Planned Parenthood, by grading the mobility record of each member of the state legislature over the past year.

To no one’s surprise, Burbank’s Transportation Committee Chair Laura Friedman tops the rankings in the state Assembly, followed by San Mateo County’s Phillip Ting.

Sadly, no Republican appears in the rankings until Jordan Cunningham all the way down at 65; all 19 Republicans reside at that bottom of the chart, accompanied by just two Democrats.

An indication that the car-centric party has a long way to go to embrace the state’s desperately needed shift to transit, active transportation and Complete Streets.

The same holds true in the other chamber, where every Democrat grades out at a C or higher, led by the San Gabriel Valley’s Anthony Portantino and San Francisco’s Scott Weiner.

Meanwhile, every single Senate Republican gets an F.

Which, admittedly, could reflect the political biases of the group doing the grading. But more likely accurately reflects the failure of their votes on mobility issues.

If the GOP has any hope of regaining any kind of stature with state voters, they have to stop saying no to everything.

And start working with Democrats to make this a better state for all of us.

Meanwhile, NPR reports that Advocates for Highway and Traffic Safety has released its 20th Annual Roadmap to Safety report, detailing the deadly state of American roads and the need for better laws, as traffic deaths rose to a 16-year high last year.

………

LA’s Livable Communities Initiative was unanimously approved by the city council on Tuesday, enabling the development of lowrise, “gentle density” neighborhoods and walkable Complete Streets near transit hubs.

………

A new video looks at the legacy of outgoing CD11 Councilmember Mike Bonin, who leaves the council on his own terms after just two terms in office, to protect his own mental health and spend more time with his family.

Bonin was long the lone progressive voice on the council.

And the best friend the Los Angeles bike community had for most of his time in office, responsible for many, if not most, of the wins we’ve seen over the last nine years.

Just call him the anti-Koretz.

………

A new video from Grist considers the benefits of trading your car for an ebike.

………

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

A Portland bike rider says an encounter with a road raging driver has left her understandably shaken to the core, after the jerk behind the wheel threatened to shoot her. Although what’s missing from the story is any mention that this is a crime, and the police should have been called.

An Ohio man stabbed his neighbor in the arm with a butcher’s knife in a dispute over where she parked her bike.

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

Life is cheap in Illinois, where a 27-year old man will spend a whole 60 days behind bars, followed by two years probation and community service, after a judge suspended 120 days of his original sentence for the hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a man on a bicycle.

Police in Ontario, Canada are looking for a killer who rode a mountain bike to a Mississauga gas station, and murdered the 21-year old woman working there.

……..

 

………

Local 

Streetsblog samples the new bike lanes on First Street in DTLA’s Little Tokyo/Arts District and Boyle Heights, and on Avenue 19 in Lincoln Heights and Cypress Park, which had been blocked by now former Councilmember “Roadkill” Gil Cedillo.

The man accused of using his car as a weapon to intentionally run down and kill a former co-worker at Mt. San Antonio College had engaged in a year-long tirade against the victim, accusing him of leading a campaign of microaggressions.

A homeless man was arrested after a brief bike chase following the robbery of a pair of Santa Monica sex shops.

 

State 

This is how Vision Zero is supposed to work. Orange County will fast track the installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection where eight-year old Bradley Rofer was killed while riding a bike in a crosswalk at Oso Parkway and Coto de Caza Drive.

Irvine has opened the Venta Spur Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge over the 133 Freeway, fixing a missing link in the existing three-mile plus Venta Spur Trail.

San Jose is now the largest American city to eliminate parking minimums.

As we mentioned yesterday, San Francisco’s transportation agency voted to make the city’s slow streets permanent.

Safe streets advocates called for narrower streets in Oakland, while the city fire department was opposed; fortunately, the city sided with the advocates.

 

National

Streetsblog says the US could learn a thing or two from the global initiative to increase access to bicycles.

Bike Portland says it’s better to prepare to prevent bike theft than despair after your bike is gone.

New bike lanes get the blame for an increase in traffic congestion in Bellingham, Washington, as a key corridor transforms from a “vehicle-friendly thoroughfare to an urban village where pedestrians and bicyclists take priority.” Even though the root cause of traffic congestion is just too damn many cars. And it usually goes away after drivers adjust to the new conditions.

A local public media site says a Houston councilmember’s change of heart on a long-planned bike lane is unlikely to halt the project, since most of the funding is coming from the county.

Detroit-based ebike maker Vela is reshoring its manufacturing from China to Michigan bicycle manufacturer Detroit Bikes. But Bicycle Retailer says don’t get too excited, because there’s a natural limit to reshoring as long as components still have to be imported from outside North America.

Um, okay. An Illinois radio station somehow proclaims tiny Sparta, Michigan as the Bicycle Capital of America due to its many mountain bike trails. Just what America’s Bicycle Capital is probably debatable. But this sure as hell ain’t it.

DC has done what Metro apparently won’t, eliminating bus fares for everyone throughout the city.

Axios reports Atlanta is the latest city to consider offering ebike rebates.

A nearly 100-year old Tampa, Florida bike shop is closing after the owner’s wife decided to shutter it following his death last year.

A Florida driver says he fled the scene after hitting a bike rider because he was scared, turning himself in two days later. Which would have given him plenty of time to sober up. And chances are, the bike rider he hit was a hell of a lot more scared.

 

International

A zig-zagging Edinburgh bike lane gets the blame after a retired bike rider was injured hitting a low curb.

An English driver is one of us now, after he was banned from driving following a drunken hit-and-run that seriously injured a bike rider.

Cyclist remembers England’s now defunct Bicycle Academy, which recently closed after teaching framebuilding to hundreds of students over the last decade.

If you’re shivering in LA’s 60° weather, try Oulu, Finland, which bills itself as the “capital of winter cycling” despite its -13° temperatures.

 

Competitive Cycling                                  

A jury has awarded a whopping $353 million in the death of elite masters cyclist Gwen Inglis last year. The stoned and drunk driver who killed her was sentenced to eight years behind bars; he had two previous DUIs at the time of the crash. Just one more example of keeping a dangerous driver on the road until it’s too late. As usual, read it on Yahoo if Bicycling blocks you.

It’s not every bike race poster that features a wide, flat brimmed hat — and a pig.

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can build your own DIY six-passenger, throttle controlled ebike for just $150. Your next bike could look like a rocket.

And your next SUV could be an e-cargo bike.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: ,

CyclingTips founder mourns its demise, CicLAvia expands to 8 events, and LA considers car-light communities today

December 7, 2022 / / 3 comments

It’s lucky Day 13 of the 8th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive! 

So open your wallet, and give from the heart to support this site, and keep all the latest and greatest bike news coming to your favorite screen every morning. 

Even if it isn’t always the news we want. 

Please join me in thanking Steve F, Grace P and Bernard B for their generous donations to help keep BikinginLA SoCal’s favorite source for bike news and advocacy.

Don’t wait. Stop what you’re doing and donate today via PayPal or Zelle.

Even if all you’re doing is, you know, reading this. 

………

Yesterday I received a heartbreaking email from CyclingTips founder Wade Wallace, expressing his disappointment at what’s happened to the once great publication since it was acquired by Outside.

Like everyone else, I watched in awe from afar seeing person after person resign from CT after the lay-offs. To my knowledge, there are only a couple of employees left in the business now.

It pains me to see what has become of CyclingTips. The team we so carefully and thoughtfully put together is just a shadow of itself now and the new owners have never understood (nor have they asked) what CT’s mission was, what made us different, and why we all get out of bed each morning. On one hand I’m proud of how I deeply embedded those values are into CT’s culture, but when so many key people are taken out at once I have very little reason to believe it will continue.

All that said, there are still hundreds of good and talented people working at Pinkbike, Velonews, Outside Online, etc who I want to see succeed and I wish them all the best.

He goes on to recommend a podcast, temporarily named The Placeholder, from ex-colleagues Caley Fretz, Dave Rome and Dane Cash, available now on Apple and Spotify.

It’s worth a quick click to read Wallace’s whole letter, which he posted on Substack.

It’s sad to see what’s become of a site I’ve long relied on and enjoyed, though. Let’s hope the other ex-staffers take him up on his suggestion to create something new and beautiful out of the ashes.

………

CicLAvia will double the number of its open streets events next year, before going monthly in 2024.

https://twitter.com/CicLAvia/status/1599992051524947968

………

The Los Angeles City Council will consider a proposal to allow mid-rise development near transit centers at today’s meeting.

………

Nice to know Caltrans refuses to change their destructive climate destroying ways, while the world is literally on fire.

………

San Francisco votes to make its Slow Streets program permanent, as NPR says some pandemic-era Slow Streets across the US will stay that way. Unlike a certain megalopolis to the south. 

………

This is who we share the road with.

A Columbian bike rider and a couple motorcyclists were lucky to escape serious injury when a speeding motorcyclist cut onto the shoulder to pass a large truck and slammed into the bicyclist, before careening into another motorcycle rider.

………

A new campaign is raising funds to send used bikes to Ukrainian residents affected by Russia’s brutal invasion.

………

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

Bike Portland’s Jonathan Maus refutes a one-sided, fear-mongering story we mentioned here yesterday, in which a hotel manager blamed a bike lane for problems caused by his customers.

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

Six ebike-riding men calling themselves the E-Bike Crew from Oxnard were busted as part of a wildlife poaching ring that operated for several years, with the cooperation of a local market.

Jacksonville, Florida sheriff’s deputies are looking for an armed man who robbed a local business before making his escape on a BMX bike. No word on whether he performed stunts as he made his getaway.

……..

 

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers a number of actionable transportation ideas for incoming CD5 City Councilmember-elect Katy Young Yaroslavsky, who represents a dramatic bike-friendly shift from outgoing pseudo-environmentalist Paul Koretz.

 

State 

The San Diego Union-Tribune frames the question wrong, asking if electric cars will replace the need for public transit, when the real question is whether transit and bikes can replace the need for electric cars. And that answer is yes.

San Diego is looking for people willing to take part in an ebike pilot program; participants will receive a new ebike in exchange for committing to ride it a minimum of 100 miles a month, with priority given people over 18 with an annual income of $50,000 or less.

Finishing our San Diego trifecta, the city approved plans to makeover the car-centric Mira Mesa neighborhood north of the Miramar Marine air base, including lane reductions and bike lanes, as well as pedestrian bridges over busy roadways. I assume nothing’s gotten better since I lived there a few decades ago, when it was a car-choked hellhole.

Make that four. San Diego approved six legal settlements totaling $2.8 million, half of which will go to a man injured when his bike hit a “significant asphalt defect” near the downtown harbor.

There’s a special place in hell for anyone who could run down an 11-year old boy in an Indio crosswalk and flee the scene, leaving him bruised and bleeding in the street. Thanks to Victor Bale for the heads-up.

A San Jose man suffered life-threatening injuries when he was shot on a local bike trail; no word on whether he was riding a bike or why he was shot.

An unnamed San Diego bike designer lost all of his belongings when his U-Haul truck was stolen in Oakland while he was moving to Portland; the loss includes a pair of handmade bikes worth $17,000 each.

Speaking of a special place in hell, a 15-year old Sacramento boy’s bike was stolen by a man who threatened him with what appeared to be a hidden weapon.

 

National

Walkable City author and planner Jeff Speck offers instructions on how to tame the multilane arterials known as “stroads,” which he describes as the most dangerous roadways in America.

Seattle-based Rad Power’s newest bike is an e-utility trike.

This is why people keep dying on our streets. A Las Vegas woman faces her fourth DUI charge in 15 years after running down two people on a bicycle, sending both to the hospital — yet she hasn’t spend a day behind bars, despite three previous convictions. Just one more example of our criminal justice system and state officials keeping a dangerous driver on the road until it’s too late. 

An Oklahoma man has been formally charged with brutally killing and dismembering four men who disappeared after setting out on a bike ride, then dumping their body parts in a local river, allegedly because they stole from him.

New York bike riders are urging the governor to sign the state’s new Safe Streets Act.

They get it. Hoboken, New Jersey is raising the fine for parking in a bike lane to $150. Now they just have to get someone to actually enforce it.

DC is facing a lawsuit alleging that the city’s bike lanes violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. Even though the lack of bike lanes puts disabled bike riders, and wheelchair and mobility device users, at greater risk, forcing the courts to choose between the differing needs of disabled people.

 

International

Two of London’s most famous — and dangerous — streets have been transformed through the city’s pedestrianization program.

He gets, too. The UK’s transport minister responds to a question from a Member of Parliament by insisting that forcing bike riders to wear helmets would crush bicycle usage. Now if he’d just tell New Jersey that.

A Facebook post asking for help identifying a young British girl injured in a hit-and-run while riding her bike is fake, just one of thousands of nearly identical posts in the UK and US that use photos from two separate incidents in Australia to drum up sympathy.

France will require shared housing complexes, such as apartment buildings, to provide secure bike parking starting with the new year. Although exemptions might render the law moot.

 

Competitive Cycling                                  

Two-time Tour de France champ Tadej Pogačar insists he won’t be out for revenge next year, despite finishing second to Jonas Vingegaard this year.

A writer for Cyclist calls UCI’s new WorldTour relegation system a death sentence. On the other hand, it would breathe new life into lower tier teams brought forward to the top level.

Four-time Tour de France champ Chris Froome is concerned about the lingering long-term heart and health effects of Covid, which forced him to drop out of this year’s race.

That feeling when a five-time Tour de France stage winner loses a cyclocross race to a 15-year old kid.

LA-based L39ion of Los Angeles announced their 2023 roster, featuring eleven men and seven women, while adding two national champions and one veteran cyclist.

 

Finally…

You next bike could be truly Kafkaesque. Your next Lamborghini could have two wheels — and pedals.

And that feeling when the stage for your East LA cumbia band is a bike.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: ,

Protected bike lanes around Silver Lake, feedback needed for Redondo Beach Blvd, and Gaimon switches to Sierra Club

December 6, 2022 / / Comments Off on Protected bike lanes around Silver Lake, feedback needed for Redondo Beach Blvd, and Gaimon switches to Sierra Club

It’s Day 12 of the 8th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive! 

Let’s all give a sincere thanks to Elizabeth T, Andrew F, Gold Leaf Films, Terence H, Thuan V and Steve F for their generous support to keep all the best bike news coming your way today, and every day. 

So don’t wait. Just take a moment right now to donate via PayPal or Zelle.

It’s okay. We’ll wait.

………

Interesting idea.

Streets For All says we could have protected bike lanes all around Silver Lake Reservoir.

https://twitter.com/streetsforall/status/1599980036731322368

………

If you live or ride in the South Bay, take a few minutes to share your thoughts on remaking this key corridor.

………

We’re not the only ones raising funds during the holidays, if you have any extra cash lying around.

………

Wait, you can do that?

Has anyone told officials here in LA?

………

After raising over half a million dollars for Chefs Cycle/No Kid Hungry, LA-based former pro Phil Gaimon switches his attention to raising funds for the Sierra Club, even as he deals with his own crushing medical debt stemming from a semi-insured bike crash.

………

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

No bias here. A far right DC publication complains about the US being  eliminated from the World Cup by a “second-rate bicycle country,” describing it as a “meaningless soccer tournament,” while terming the sport “a fundamentally evil and anti-American enterprise.” Well, okay then.

A British driver decides she’d rather run a red light than have an unpleasant conversation with the bike rider she nearly hit.

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

A Florida man faces a well-deserved ten years to life after riding his bike three hours to have sex with what he thought was a 14-year old girl, but was actually an undercover cop.

Tragic news from the UK, where an elderly British woman died two weeks after she struck by a bike rider while walking on a pathway in Oxford. Yet another reminder to always slow down and ride carefully around pedestrians, who can be unpredictable, and are the only people more vulnerable than we are out there. 

……..

 

………

Local 

Streetsblog offers photos from Sunday’s South LA CicLAvia as part of an open thread.

Metro is working with LADOT to build bus priority lanes throughout the city, which can also be used by people on bicycles.

 

State 

A pair of 12 and 13-year old boys suffered life-threatening injuries when they were struck by a driver in San Diego’s Nestor neighborhood Sunday evening; no word on their current condition.

Temecula bike riders are invited to light up their bikes to tour the holiday lights at the city’s lakefront Harveston neighborhood.

A San Francisco professor explains why the city’s Safe Streets program is a critical link in revitalizing tourism, as the city considers whether to continue it.

San Francisco-based Strava has joined the current round of tech industry layoffs, letting go of around 40 employees, or 15% of its staff.

Longtime Bike East Bay advocacy director Dave Campbell is stepping down after 24-years of fighting for safer streets.

Sacramento votes to extend a trio of protected bike lanes, while adding others to the city’s protected bike lane network.

 

National

A Utah advocacy group makes the case for why Salt Lake City needs to adopt Vision Zero.

An Arizona man is on trial for killing two women back in the ’90s, including a 22-year old woman who was found beheaded a day after leaving for a bike ride.

Colorado is looking to extend its ebike program into low-income communities, and offering organizations nearly a million dollars in grants for plans to provide ebikes to income-qualified workers.

Massachusetts Streetsblog offers advice on how to bike through a Boston winter. Which is just a tad different from our SoCal winters.

Vox tells the story of a mother who refuses to let the world forget her four-year old daughter, who was killed by a van driver as she rode her bike with her father in a DC crosswalk. And through her, the story behind the rising rate of traffic violence. Thanks to Victor Bale for the heads-up.

A Maryland county is undertaking 27 separate bike projects under its Vision Zero program, as deaths continue to rise.

A Florida bike rider was arrested hiding in a tree with a meth pipe after fleeing from a traffic stop.

 

International

Your next backpack could hide an inflatable airbag designed to protect your head, spine and chest in the event of a crash — as long as you don’t mind wearing something the size of a parachute.

Life is cheap in Toronto, where an inattentive cement truck driver walked without a day behind bars for fatally right-hooking an experienced bike rider.

A British bicyclist has introduced a fully functional water bottle that doubles as a glowing light to illuminate your legs as you pedal after dark; it’s currently available on Kickstarter for the equivalent of around $32, although it’s not clear if it will ship to the US.

After getting clipped by a trailer when a driver pulled back too soon after a passing, a Dutch writer considers what it took to overcome his anxiety and feel comfortable on a bike again.

Streetsblog says the fact that driver’s licenses are so hard to get is just one reason roads are safer in the Netherlands.

A woman in New Zealand was the victim of a strong arm robbery when a bike thief grabbed her around the neck and threw her violently to the ground before riding off on her bike, then abandoning it when the chain came off. Note to self: Loosen your bike chain to help prevent theft.

 

Finally…

Seriously, who doesn’t need a $2,000 24-karat gold-plated Campy corkscrew? That feeling when you ride your ebike on the notorious Wall of Death.

And when regular bikes just aren’t weird enough.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

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

26.5 years for killer stoned driver in AZ master’s race, a damp last CicLAvia of 2022, and Orange Line bike path closure

December 5, 2022 / / Comments Off on 26.5 years for killer stoned driver in AZ master’s race, a damp last CicLAvia of 2022, and Orange Line bike path closure

It’s the second full week of the 8th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive! 

I’m often humbled by the support this site receives. And never more than I was on Sunday.

Saturday I was feeling low after we didn’t receive a single donation, leaving the fund drive hundreds of dollars behind last year’s record-setting pace.

Then on Sunday the floodgates opened. Not only did the sudden outpouring of support make up the deficit, it actually left us a little ahead of last year this morning. 

I recognized a lot of the donors, whether from giving in years past, sharing links or comments on here, or from their work on bike advocacy issues. 

Each and every one touched my heart, leaving me overwhelmed with gratitude. But none more than a donation from a loved one of a fallen bicyclist, who remembered the support I gave them in their time of need. 

All of which has me feeling incredibly humbled today.

I hope you’ll join me in offering a sincere thank you to André V, Greg M, Scott G, Penny S, Samuel M, David Matsu, John H, Anthony D, Mark M and Andre C for their very generous support. 

Because they’re the ones who gave from the heart to bring all the best bike news your way today, and every day. 

So don’t wait. Just take a moment right now to join them by donating via PayPal or Zelle.

We’ll wait.

………

There’s justice in Show Low, Arizona, a year and a half after a stoned driver plowed into a master’s bike race, killing one man and seriously injuring eight other people, six critically.

Shawn Michael Chock was sentenced to 26½ years behind bars for the bizarre crime. The 36-year old man received a 16-year sentence for killing 58-year old Jeremy Barrett, and 10-1/2 years for assaulting a police officer, to be served consecutively, with no time off for good behavior for the first 16 years.

A defense attorney claimed Chock was once an accomplished bike racer himself, but suffered from mental health problems. He reportedly relapsed when he received bad family news after three years of sobriety, and blacked out after failing to take his meds and inhaling aerosol fumes, crossing over several lanes of traffic to plow into the racers.

Although that doesn’t fit with earlier reports that Chock was laughing as he steered into the victims, and made a U-turn to come back at them.

Which is kind of hard to do when you’re unconscious.

It’s also worth noting that a history of mental illness and substance abuse somehow wasn’t enough for authorities to keep Chock from getting behind the wheel until it was too late.

He was only arrested after officers shot his truck engine to disable it following a standoff with police behind a hardware store.

………

Sunday marked the last CicLAvia of the year, as the streets of South LA opened to welcome bike riders, walkers, skaters, rollers, cowboys, and yes, even Dodgers, of every description, despite the cool, cloudy and sometimes wet weather.

Of course, it’s always after the event that those warm feelings give way to the typical LA challenge of just getting home in one piece.

………

One of LA’s busiest bikeways shut down without warning, as Streetsblog discovered an unexpected closure on the Orange Line.

And as usual, the detour leaves something to be desired, dumping riders onto surface streets to negotiate their route with impatient drivers.

How long the repairs will take, and how long the closure will last, is anyone’s guess.

………

The next time you complain about the crappy bikeways you have to use, or the lack thereof, remember this.

It could be worse.

https://twitter.com/cyclelicious/status/1599195355949563904

………

A distracted driver calls out the risk posed to safe, law-abiding bike riders from distracted drivers just like him.

https://twitter.com/EntitledCycling/status/1599579717325111296

Click on the tweet if the photo of the rider is obscured.

………

This is who we share the road with.

………

Who needs handlebars?

Or a head tube, fork or front wheel, for that matter?

………

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

No bias here. A Marin paper calls for “compromises” by limiting the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge bike path to weekend use by recreational riders — even though traffic congestion is no worse than before it was installed, and removing it on weekdays would just make traffic worse in other areas. In other words, they want bike commuters and local communities to compromise by surrendering to drivers.

No bias here, either. A Portland hotel manager complains about a parking protected bike lane in front of the hotel, as careless guests nearly collide with bike riders, and a guest’s car door “got hit by a bicyclist.” No, the guest doored the person on the bike, which is against the law.

Vancouver’s parks board is preparing to cave to angry, entitled drivers for whom one lane isn’t enough by ripping out a popular bike lane through the park, and restoring a second traffic lane so drivers can use it as a cut-through route.

A 24-year old Scottish man suffered multiple injuries after he was pushed off his bicycle by a couple men on a moped, for no apparent reason.

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

More proof ebikes are replacing car trips, as a British ebike rider conducted a carless driveby shooting, firing repeatedly into a car after riding up next to it, although he missed all the occupants.

……..

 

………

Local 

Metro is scheduled to start construction on the La Brea Ave bus lanes today, though the rain may have something to say about that.

Long Beach is considering lowering speed limits on 100 sections of city streets, including 23 that could drop to 15 to 20 mph.

Anyone interested in serving on your local Neighborhood Council should make plans to attend an information session hosted by Streets For All this Thursday. We need a lot more support for bikes on local councils to overcome the outsized NIMBY voices. 

Speaking of Streets For All, the transportation PAC is hosting a virtual happy hour with newly elected CD13 Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez on Wednesday, December 14th. Which would be a good opportunity to ask about his plans to improve bike safety and infrastructure in the Hollywood district.

 

State 

San Diego Magazine lists ten bike rides to meet the needs of every kind of rider.

‘Tis the season. Over 300 children in the Coachella Valley have new bikes this week, thanks to the Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert.

A Camarillo letter writer says he agrees with a driver that bike riders belong in the bike lane, if only the city had some.

They get it. The San Francisco Chronicle says instead of getting rid of Slow Streets, the city make them even better, arguing that it’s hard to view the Slow Streets experiment as anything but a wild success.

 

National

Bike counters recorded nearly 42,000 bike trips to Colorado’s Maroon Bells, fueled largely by the increasing popularity of ebikes.

‘Tis the season, too. A Boise, Idaho bike drive plans to give away 567 bicycles to kids in need over the holidays.

Sixty-seven-year old Joseph Kennedy reportedly confessed to the deaths of four men who disappeared after setting out on an Oklahoma bike ride, telling a friend he “killed the men and cut them up” because they stole from him.

Brooklyn firefighters rescued a semi-conscious man and two puppies after yet another fire allegedly started by an ebike battery.

A bill in the New Jersey legislature would make it the first state in the nation to mandate bike helmets for adults. Although similar laws have repeatedly been shown to be counterproductive, reducing bicycling rates and the safety in numbers effect, while disproportionately affecting low income riders and people of color. Thanks to Victor Bale for the link. 

Another seemingly sentient SUV, as a Philadelphia TV station reports a bike cop was hit by a Ford Explorer, whose driver apparently had nothing to do with it.

A 31-year old woman with Down’s Syndrome is able to ride a bike for the first time since she was a child, after a kindhearted stranger saw her competing for the title of Virginia’s Miss Amazing Senior Miss Queen, and gave her a new three-wheeled bike through a nonprofit organization.

 

International

A website for a drunk driving interlock ignition system reminds us that other countries have solved the problem of drunk driving, even if the US can’t seem to do it. Sort of like we can’t seem to solve traffic deaths, hit-and-runs, shooting deaths, poverty, universal healthcare…

A Spanish man touring the world by bicycle stops in Mexico’s Yucatán on his way to Argentina, accompanied by a dog he adopted in Spain, and another who adopted him in Mexico.

Mexico City’s Los Chilangos lowrider bike club is combating gang life by promoting a positive bicycle culture as an alternative to the world of drugs and gangs, although facial tatts are still welcome.

A Halifax, Nova Scotia bike shop says business is booming and employees are sticking around longer after they committed to paying a living wage, a full ten dollars above the area’s current minimum.

Over one thousand Londoners turned out for a 14-mile Black Unity Bike Ride across the city.

English police link stolen ebikes to the drug trade, robbery and other crimes, saying they’re being used to pursue criminal activity. Shocking that criminals would use stolen goods to do other crimes, I know.

A pair of British politicians call on their peers to practice what they preach by installing more “secure, accessible and sufficient” bike parking on the Parliament grounds.

A writer in the UK says a 3,427-mile ride around the coast of Britain saved his mental health during the pandemic.

France is marking the 80th anniversary of a successful suicide mission by British marines, who slipped behind German lines to destroy five ships; only two of the men survived the mission and escaped to safety, fleeing 100 miles by foot, bicycle and trains to Gibraltar.

An Islamabad, Pakistan paper makes the case for bringing the concept of carfree cities to the country.

Japan’s bicycle industry was reportedly built on the ironworking skills developed to build burial mounds dating back 1,600 years.

An Aussie designer says he doesn’t care about negative feedback, as he spends his days designing the world’s most outlandish concept bikes.

 

Competitive Cycling

Police have identified a 62-year-old German truck driver as a suspect in the hit-and-run death of Italian ex-pro Davide Rebellin, who died shortly after retiring from a 30-year racing career; police are still searching for the suspect.

 

Finally…

If you’re riding a bike with outstanding warrants — you, that is, not the bike — put a damn light on it already. Playing cumbias from the back a wagon pulled by a bike.

And we might have to deal with bored LA drivers, but at least we don’t have to worry about being attacked by a wild boar while riding a bike.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

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

CC election could hinge on one vote, mayor-elect’s daughter hit-and-run victim, and SUV murder weapon in man’s death

December 2, 2022 / / Comments Off on CC election could hinge on one vote, mayor-elect’s daughter hit-and-run victim, and SUV murder weapon in man’s death

It’s the second Friday of the 8th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive! 

Just 22 days left to show your support, and help keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way every day.

So why wait?

Just take a moment right now and donate via PayPal or Zelle, then go gently into the weekend knowing you did your part.

And thanks to Catherine DL and Matthew R for their generous donations yesterday!

So who wants to break the ice today?

Seriously, don’t make our fundraising spokesdog cry. Give now!

………

Don’t ever let anyone tell you your vote doesn’t matter.

A measure in Culver City that would allow 16 and 17-year olds to vote in local elections hangs in the balance by just three votes.

Which means that if those votes are split, the vote of one single person will determine whether it passes or fails.

And whether local teens will get a jump on the ballot box.

………

It shouldn’t be hard to convince LA’s new mayor that hit-and-run is a problem in the city, after her daughter was a victim Thursday morning.

The unnamed daughter of Mayor-elect Karen Bass escaped serious injury when she was struck by a group of men in a white SUV while driving in the West Adams neighborhood.

Four men fled from the car, abandoning it on the street as they ran away.

Just one more example of the city’s out of control hit-and-run epidemic. Which no one in City Hall seems to take seriously.

………

Go ahead and call it murder.

LA County Sheriff’s investigators are.

A driver for Mt. San Antonio College was killed while walking on the campus of the Walnut community college Thursday morning, in a crash they say appears to have been intentional.

The driver was hospitalized in unknown condition.

Just one more example of someone allegedly using his vehicle as a weapon — one with no background check or waiting period.

………

Stop by during Sunday’s CicLAvia, and tell CD9 Councilmember Curren Price, Jr. it’s time for safer streets in South LA.

………

ActiveSGV isn’t just active in name only.

So take a few minutes, and help one of SoCal’s most active advocacy groups build a better Rush Street.

https://twitter.com/ActiveSGV/status/1598112141319360513

………

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

A Portland bike commuter was ticketed for violating the state’s mandatory sidepath law, which requires bicyclists to use a bike lane if there’s one available — even though Bike Portland calls it the city’s worst bike lane, full of parked cars, potholes and debris. Thanks to Victor Bale for the heads-up.

Nothing like a road raging British driver admitting to being drunk after suggesting a bike rider doesn’t belong in the road.

No bias here. A driver in the UK tells a safety meeting called to address speeding drivers that little kids on bikes need to take more responsibility for causing crashes. Because evidently, they’re the ones who have been tested, licensed and insured to operate deadly vehicles.

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

A road raging Salt Lake City bike rider could face charges for breaking a bus driver’s hip in an altercation that began when the rider apparently complained about the way he was passed by the bus. Which serves as yet another reminder that violence is never the answer, as tempting as it may be in the moment. And only serves to transform you from victim to perp. 

An English man was sentenced to the equivalent of community service after he was busted for “wobbling all over the place” while riding drunk on a freeway.

Police in the UK found a car full of drugs after chasing a suspect on a stolen bike.

……..

………

Local 

And they say bicyclists are entitled. San Monica suspended enforcement of a new ordinance banning parking on driveway aprons and parkways bordering roadways after entitled drivers got out the pitchforks and torches, complaining about the city taking away their God given right to park wherever the hell they want.

 

State 

Southern California News Group reporter Josh Cain looks at deadly Ortega Highway, the winding 90-year old roadway connecting Orange and Riverside Counties, where 214 people have been killed in less than eleven years — making it the deadliest non-freeway in Southern California.

A Menifee boy suffered a major head injury when he was struck by a driver after allegedly riding his ebike through a red light on the wrong side of the street; thankfully, however, he’s expected to recover. Although from the description, it sounds like the victim may have been riding in the crosswalk, where there is no right or wrong direction, marked or otherwise.

He gets it. San Francisco Streetsblog’s Roger Ruddick calls on the city’s transportation department to stop calling bike lanes separated by car-tickler plastic bendy posts “protected,” saying that “makes as much sense as gluing the posts to the front bumpers of cars as a way to protect cyclists.” Now someone explain that to LADOT.

‘Tis the season. Volunteers pitched in to help an East Bay nonprofit build 500 bikes to distribute to kids at youth agencies and foster homes for the holidays, with an assist from a storage company.

 

National

Sports Illustrated looks at the best bike helmets for kids and adults. Although they wouldn’t mind if you use the included links to buy them, so they can get a little kickback on it. 

CityLab sings the praises of DIY guerrilla crosswalks and the scofflaw vigilantes who paint them.

A Portland nonprofit bike co-op fixes up whatever donated bikes that can be repaired and salvages any usable parts, then recycles the rest — amounting to 50,000 pounds of bicycle scrap every year.

More on the Oregon study showing bike boxes improve safety at intersections for people on bicycles by placing bike riders in a position where they are more visible to drivers, better able to see other traffic, and able to move out of the way in an emergency.

Kindhearted community members pitched in to buy a new bike for an Arizona boy after his was stolen. And a local bike shop helped out by giving them a discount.

She gets it. A Tacoma, Washington letter writer argues that the local paper should stop blaming victims for not wearing a helmet, because bike helmets were never designed to protect against motor vehicles.

A Texas hiker discovered an old mountain bike under a rotted tree with skeletal remains nearby, five years after a Dallas firefighter disappeared while riding his bike in the area.

New York is improving safety on Queens bike lanes by “hardening” the green lanes with protective concrete barriers. Proving that a) existing bike lanes can be made better, and b) it’s possible to offer actual protection instead of the car-tickler plastic bendy posts favored by a certain SoCal megalopolis.

Streetsblog says the recent viral New York Times article about the rising rate of traffic deaths in the US is just the tip of the iceberg, and things are even worse than they said.

NPR discusses the play Straight Line Crazy, which explores the legacy of legendary New York planner Robert Moses, who was singlehandedly responsible for inflicting the city, and the country, most of the auto-centric road designs we’re struggling to undo today.

Lime is offering free ebike and e-scooter rides to the polls for next week’s Georgia runoff election.

 

International

A Toronto website suggests ten ways the city could improve safety for bicyclists if it gave a damn, saying riding in Toronto isn’t for the timid. All of which could apply to any other city that actually gives a damn, unlike a certain SoCal megalopolis. 

Cycling Weekly looks at the problem of exercise addiction, after a British man working in Germany died of a heart attack, just days after telling the magazine he felt addicted to bicycling, despite suffering chest pains.

Speaking of Cycling Weekly, the magazine also says it’s possible for smaller bicyclists to get a good bike fit, too.

A British bike shop burglar will spend the next 27 months behind bars after fleeing from police at speeds up to 115 mph; police found five bikes in his panel truck worth nearly $38,000, which suffered over $8,000 in damage as a result of his crimes.

Another British burglar got nine years for killing a bike rider in a collision while attempting to flee from police after breaking into a drug store.

Amazon is expanding their ebike delivery fleets in the UK, enabling the retail giant to improve deliveries to residential areas, while lowering operating costs and improving sustainability.

Add this one to your bike bucket list. A 500-year old Italian mountain pass outside Venice. No, not the one in Los Angeles. Or Florida, for that matter.

Hanoi is introducing a 94-station, 1,000-bike bikeshare system, with half hour rides available for as little as 20¢.

 

Competitive Cycling

Taking a break from their recent paywalls, VeloNew examines USA Cycling’s plans to nurture the next generation of gravel cyclists. Hint: Keep them out of Texas, and away from jealous girlfriends.

Seriously? Pez Cycling News recommends five of the world’s most popular bike races, yet somehow leaves the Tour de France off the list.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you have a 99% chance of getting away with bike theft because the cops are too busy to deal with it. Nothing like a “Boobs and Brains” themed fundraising ride.

And Lamborghini goes gravel.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

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

Why LA fails the transit density test, new Metro K-Line bike lockers, and West Hollywood to give free bikes to residents

December 1, 2022 / / Comments Off on Why LA fails the transit density test, new Metro K-Line bike lockers, and West Hollywood to give free bikes to residents

It’s the 7th day of the 8th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive! 

There’s never been a charge to visit this site. No subscription fees, no paywall. Anyone and everyone is welcome, at any time, for any reason. 

This is the only time of year we ask you to contribute what you can to help keep it that way. 

So ask yourself, what this site is worth to you? Then take a moment right now, and donate via PayPal or Zelle.

And thanks to Paul F, Johannes H, The Muirs, Audrey K and Anonymous for their generous support to keep SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy coming your way every day.

Give today!

………

A new Brookings Institute report says creating urban activity centers combining “community institutions, tourism destinations, consumption amenities, major institutions, and jobs in traded sectors” are key to green commutes.

Which helps explain why Los Angeles ranks so low in transit use, despite its high density, since those activity centers are so widely dispersed, and lack many of the key components.

Thanks to Gordon Chaffin for the heads-up.

………

Metro reports bike lockers are now available at five K Line stations, on what was formerly known as the Crenshaw Line.

The lockers can now be found at —

  • Expo/Crenshaw
  • MLK Jr.
  • Leimart Park
  • Fairview Heights
  • Downtown Inglewood

………

West Hollywood is partnering with Schwinn to give away 50 free bicycles to WeHo residents in an effort to reduce car dependency.

You have to be over 18, and commit to riding at least 20 miles a month.

Although that really should be 20 miles a week, but still.

You can apply for the program here.

………

The last CicLAvia of the year rolls through historic South LA this Sunday, with an early 3 pm cutoff.

The latest weather forecast calls for showers ending late morning, leading to a cool and sunny afternoon.

So bundle up, and get out there for one last carfree celebration before the holidays.

………

This is who we share the road with.

Police in San Luis Obispo responded to a report of a driver striking a curb before hitting a street sign and crashing into a bridge abutment.

When the driver failed to show signs of intoxication, they just wrote it off as an oopsie, and had the car towed.

And somehow missed the couple lying dead in a creak bed, along with their dog, hidden under thick brush.

It wasn’t until their bodies were found the next day that police realized the speeding driver had slammed into them as they were walking their dog.

Which led police to go back and “interview” the 24-year old driver.

Not interrogate. Not arrest. Not even ticket.

At least, not yet. And maybe never.

Thanks to How the West Was Saved for the link.

………

Nothing like watching someone use bolt cutters to steal a bike in broad daylight.

 

………

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

No bias here. A New York judge pointed a finger at the city’s “problem” with ebikes and motorized bicycles, as he sentenced a man to one to three years behind bars for killing Gone Girl and Broadway actor Lisa Banes as she was crossing the street — even though the careless, red light-running rider was on an e-scooter.

No bias here, either. A New York writer suggests combating the scourge of ebikes by picking up your takeout in person, claiming speeding ebike riders have made jaywalking a blood sport.

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

Police in Oxnard CA are on the lookout for a bike-riding bank robber who made his escape on two wheels after ripping off a Wells Fargo.

……..

………

Local 

Urbanize LA offers more details on the $5.1 in Westside transportation improvements approved by the city council this week, in one of outgoing CD11 Councilmember Mike Bonin’s final acts on the council.

 

State 

Palo Alto is considering a ban on ebikes on unpaved trails in local nature preserves, apparently concluding that only strong, able-bodied people who don’t need a ped-assist should visit them.

A San Francisco op-ed says Slow Streets helped bring the city’s Noe Valley community together, and the city needs more of them.

Police in Rancho Cordova arrested a 42-year old homeless man in the apparent unprovoked attack with a machete on a 60-year old, recently retired ebike rider, whose injuries were described as “unsurvivable.”

 

National

Streetsblog looks at where bikes scored big in the recent election.

A podcast from Outside looks at what happens to drivers who hit bicyclists. Short answer: Not much, in most cases.

More harm caused by motor vehicles, as researchers blame rubber particulates from car tires for a massive die-off of coho salmon in the Pacific Northwest.

The head man at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas is one of us, using a bicycle to get around the massive event.

Axios says Transportation Secretary Pete is big on bikes, as he stops in Chicago to promote aviation workers.

A furious Chicago father demands safe routes to schools after drivers hit his bike-riding daughter, not once but twice. Although he seems a lot calmer than I would have been under the circumstances.

That’s more like it. An Ohio man was sentenced to eight to twelve years behind bars for the drugged, head-on crash that killed a man riding a bicycle; he also lost his driver’s license for life and prohibited from buying or owning a motor vehicle.

Massachusetts Hyundai dealers honored Springfield’s Bob the Bike Man for his efforts to get more kids on bicycles despite suffering from a terminal brain condition.

Life is cheap in New York, where a cab driver walked with just a lousy one-year license suspension after his passenger fatally doored a bike rider when he failed to pull up to the curb to let them out.

Baltimore residents and business owners sound a familiar refrain, claiming they weren’t told about plans for a lane reduction and protected bike lanes, even though they’d been in the works for years.

Life is cheap in Louisiana, where a 29-year old woman walked without a day behind bars for killing a man riding a bicycle, after a judge suspended her entire five-year sentence.

 

International

No surprise here, as a new study shows protected bike lane networks have “significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower transport costs, prevent road fatalities, and improve the quality of life for people” around the world, concluding that bike lanes “reduce emissions as effectively as highways create them.”

Cyclist offers tips on how to keep your bike from squeaking and creaking. Although a well-lubed bike won’t do anything to keep you from doing creaking.

Cycling Weekly recommends the best holiday sales on bikes and bicycle gear in the US and the UK.

The UK’s leading bike-building school is permanently shuttering its doors, battered by Covid, Brexit and unrelenting financial challenges.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson departed office with a number of gifts — included a secondhand, $4,800 bike from the president of Kurdistan.

The new SUB from Vienna-based Vello claims to be the world’s lightest e-cargo bike, checking in at a svelte 53 pounds for the titanium version.

Bicycling says Budapest residents are pedaling to power the city’s Christmas tree, which was jeopardized by the ongoing energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you.

More proof bicyclists face the same problems everywhere, as bike riders in Dwarka, India demand better bike infrastructure, arguing there’s currently nothing to protect them.

NPR reports more Afghans are using bikes to get around as the economy continues to decline following the Taliban’s takeover of the country, even though women and girls are now prohibited from riding, even if they had before.

An Israeli study shows 70% of ebike and e-scooter users who suffered facial injuries weren’t wearing helmets.

An Italian ultracyclist is attempting to bike across the bottom of the world, setting off on a record-setting effort to fat bike across Antarctica.

 

Competitive Cycling

Tragic news from Italy, where former Amstel Gold Race, La Fleche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Paris-Nice champ Davide Rebellin was killed when he was hit by a truck on a training ride; the Italian cyclist was still competing at age 51, despite a two-year doping ban that cost him an Olympic silver medal.

The Tour de France will depart from its traditional Paris finish for the first time in 2024, looking for a nice finish in Nice, instead.

Trans cyclist Emily Bridges says she still dreams of riding for Wales at the Commonwealth Games, even after the UK barred new trans cyclists from competition pending a review scheduled for next year.

 

Finally…

Charles Barkley is five grand poorer after losing a bet that he could ride a kid’s bike, even though Shaq could. San Diegans name their cute little street sweeper.

And look ma, no hands.

Or feet, for that matter.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin, too.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »
Wordpress Theme by ThemeZee