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A new mayor may not fix what ails Los Angeles, a bike street can improve the whole neighborhood, and Caltrans schedules PCH workshop

October 29, 2026 / / 2 comments

Somehow, I managed to get through today’s post, after spending all day yesterday flat on my back with my eyes closed to keep the world from spinning around me. 

Good times. 

As for today’s photo, scroll down lower to see what I missed out on over the weekend, dammit. 

……….

It’s not just you.

Crosstown says Los Angeles is spending more and getting less, in a town that’s “not designed to work.” And getting a new mayor won’t fix things.

From street sweeping to tree trimming, Los Angeles residents are seeing less of the basic services they rely on.

With the mayoral race heating up, candidates are promising to fix the problem. But Los Angeles is spending more and getting less — and whoever wins will inherit a system that limits how much they can actually change.

In five years, Los Angeles’s budget grew 34%. The number of sidewalks it repaired fell 33%.

Residents are feeling the effects in their neighborhoods. In 2021, Los Angeles cut street sweeping from weekly to every other week. In Westlake, a group of volunteers responded by picking up trash the Bureau of Sanitation left behind, said Elaine Alaniz, president of the Westlake North Neighborhood Council.

Never mind that the city went eight full months without repaving a single stretch of roadway last year.

Then there’s this.

Rick Cole, an advisor to Nithya Raman’s mayoral campaign, has spent 40 years working in city governments across Southern California. For Cole, the decline in services is the symptom of a deeper problem. In June, during a farewell speech at City Hall as he stepped down from his role as deputy controller, he told the crowd, “LA is not designed to work.” Decades of ignoring “mind-numbing bureaucracy” have made the city ungovernable, he said. “Beneath the broken sidewalks is a broken system.”

On the other hand, Karen Bass has had nearly four years to fix things, and hasn’t shown up for anything but homelessness and rebuilding after the Palisades fire until she was faced with a fight for reelection. And hasn’t made a lot of progress on the former, and complaints from literally burned-out residents on the latter.

So if you like the job she’s done, and the city we have today, vote for her.

If not, don’t.

………

A new German study has found that transforming even a busy street into an “advanced bicycle street” can change the character of the entire neighborhood.

Momentum did a good job of translating the dense study results into something a little easier to understand.

Researchers examined Oeder Weg, a 1.4-kilometre (0.87 mile) street in central Frankfurt transformed into what they call an advanced bicycle street. The project went beyond adding signs. It combined traffic restrictions with physical changes intended to make the street safer, more comfortable and more useful to the surrounding neighbourhood.

Before the changes, Oeder Weg carried as many as 9,183 motor vehicles a day, well above the recommended volume for a bicycle street under German guidelines.

The city began by designating it a bicycle street in August 2021. The following April, it introduced bollards, planters and barriers to restrict car access at key entrances and discourage through-traffic. Other changes included red-painted intersections, marked dooring zones, additional bicycle parking and the removal of some on-street parking. Those spaces were repurposed for restaurant patios, greenery, street furniture and delivery zones.

While cars were still allowed on the street, diverters prevented drivers from using it as a shortcut, cutting daily traffic rates nearly in half while increasing bicycle traffic by 25%.

And contrary to common fears, traffic did not increase on the surrounding streets, but actually decreased throughout the entire neighborhood. In addition, traffic collisions fell by nearly half, while bicycling collisions dropped 27%, despite the increase in bicycling rates.

………

Caltrans is hosting a virtual public meeting next month to discuss safety improvements on LA’s killer highway.

Caltrans District 7 invites you to the second virtual public workshop for the PCH Segment A Safety Improvement Project – Project Initiation.

Whether you attended a previous workshop or are joining us for the first time, we welcome your participation. This second virtual workshop provides another opportunity to learn about the project, ask questions, and share your input.

Workshop Details

Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Time: 6:00–7:00 p.m.
Platform: Microsoft Teams
Register here: PCH Segment A (meeting link will be sent upon registration)

The project is in the early Project Initiation Document (PID) phase. The workshop will cover the proposed safety improvements and alternatives being considered. Your feedback will help inform the evaluation and refinement of these concepts.

Please share this invitation with others who may be interested. For additional information, visit the PCH Segment A Safety Improvement Project webpage.

………

A new movie screening at Laemmle theaters next month is described as “not just a ‘bike film,’ but a film where the bike is the philosophy.

According to a publicity email I received yesterday, A Simple Machine was inspired by a novel from Evan P. Schneider.

Shot in luminous black and white in Portland, it follows Nick Allander (Richard Blackmon) as a recent grad drowning in debt who chooses radical frugality. His bicycle becomes his tool for economic independence: mobility without debt, technology that enhances human agency, instead of extracting from it. In a city where cycling is cultural currency, Hoffman reframes the simple machine as a deliberate choice toward simplicity, dignity, and embodied presence.

This moving film will be in LA on Nov 16 at Laemmle NoHo 7, and on Nov 17 at Laemmle Monica Film Center. Q&As with director Mark Alan Hoffman and star Richard Blackmon will follow both screenings, and Santa Monica Spoke is doing a “ride to show” event on the 17th.

Meanwhile, a new documentary tells the story of a 51-year old Army vet who rode her bike across the US and became a Paralympian after losing her eyesight while working as an EMT.

………

Last weekend I was invited to take part in something I would have jumped at under other circumstances — a ride to San Diego on the Pacific Surfliner, followed by a Brompton ride through the city.

Unfortunately, I had to turn it down, despite the combination of two of my favorites, Bromptons and trains.

I’m tempted to say that sometimes dealing with diabetes and the various associated medical conditions suck.

But it sucks all the time.

75 Riders, One Train, Two Cities: Brompton and Pacific Surfliner Celebrate Partnership With LA-to-San Diego Ride

California, October 27, 2026 – Brompton, the London-based folding bike brand, celebrated its new partnership with the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner by bringing 75 riders and their Bromptons aboard the Surfliner from Los Angeles to San Diego. The ride showed how rail and a folding bike together can replace the car for both the daily commute and the weekend adventure.

A bike turns a train trip into a door-to-door journey, and the Pacific Surfliner makes it easy to bring one, with free bike reservations on every train. A folded Brompton goes one step further, riding as carry-on luggage with no reservation necessary. That flexibility is what lets a group this big travel together on a single train.

On Saturday, October 24, riders boarded the Pacific Surfliner at Los Angeles Union Station, with more joining along the way. In San Diego they unfolded their bikes and explored Balboa Park, Little Italy, the Gaslamp Quarter and the Embarcadero, then took the ferry to Coronado Island to watch the sunset at the Hotel del Coronado. Train, bike, ferry and back: a full car-less day out.

The partnership brings together two leading names in urban mobility: the iconic folding bike brand and the busiest state-supported intercity rail route in the country. Together, Brompton and the Surfliner aim to show how multimodal travel can fit into daily life, and they’re doing it as more Californians choose the train. Preliminary July 2026 figures put the Pacific Surfliner on pace for the highest monthly ridership in its history, with more than 300,000 passengers.

“Southern California is our fastest-growing market in the US, and it’s easy to see why,” said Alex Balansay, Brand Manager at Brompton North America. “The climate, the coastline and a growing rail network make it one of the best places in the country to travel without a car. Saturday showed what that looks like: 75 people, one train, and a whole city to explore at the other end.”

“A great rail journey doesn’t begin or end at the train station,” said Jason Jewell, Managing Director of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, which manages the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service. “Making it easier for passengers to connect to their final destinations is an important part of improving the overall travel experience. This event highlights how folding bikes and passenger rail can work together to give travelers more flexibility, convenience and freedom to explore Southern California without relying on a car. We’re excited to showcase how simple first- and last-mile connections can open up new possibilities for our riders.”

Riders can plan the same trip themselves. On the Pacific Surfliner, folding bikes under 34 x 15 x 48 inches ride free as carry-on luggage with no reservation. Full-size bikes need a free bike reservation when booking.

Schedules and tickets are at pacificsurfliner.com, and Brompton models and dealers are at brompton.com.

………

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

Boston is ripping out a newly installed protected bike lane in front of a senior home, after residents complained they weren’t consulted first, it prevents them from crossing the street, and kept an ambulance from pulling up right in front; meanwhile, the head of a local advocacy group offered a perfectly reasonable response promising to work with residents to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

………

Local 

That’s more like it. Long Beach has secured the funding for a $73 million project to move a spectrum of Shoreline Drive out of César Chávez Park, and convert it to a miles-long network of open space. Because cars don’t belong in parks, period. 

LA Times readers take the paper to task for a recent article that basically said “boys will be boys” while using illegal e-motorbikes, not unlike I did yesterday.

Congratulations, Los Angeles, your official slogan for the ’28 Olympics is “Stars Align.” Which could pretty much refer to anything, and therefore means absolutely nothing.

 

State

Calbike says California could soon have its best chance in years to pass the Bicycle Safety Stop, aka Idaho Stop, aka Stop as Yield, because Governor Gavin Newsom will soon be out of office, after vetoing two separate versions of the bill.

USA Today takes up the sentencing of 33-year old Samuel Matthew Rocha to 27 to life for intentionally killing 16-year old Pedro Valdez as he rode his bike in Port Hueneme, in a traffic crime rampage that began with a confrontation with another man in a case of mistaken identity.

A Bakersfield bike rider suffered major injuries when they were struck by the driver of a white vehicle. Because evidently, the color of the car has a big impact on how bad the crash is, pun intended.

Sad news from Visalia, where a 63-year old woman was killed when she tried to make a left turn on her bicycle, and was struck by an oncoming driver.

San Francisco Streetsblog says a new 0.2-mile quick-build protected bike lane wasn’t quick, it’s not really protected, and it’s not continuous, with gaps for handicapped parking and a bus stop.

 

National

A woman in an undetermined city posted video of a driver getting stuck in a protected bike lane, as she walked ahead of him — never mind that as a pedestrian, she didn’t belong in the bike lane, either.

The New York Daily News calls for rejecting a ballot measure that would speed approval of street safety projects, including bike lanes, because of “lawless” ebike riders, most of whom are riding e-motorbikes that aren’t legally allowed in bike lanes, anyway. But then they hide the editorial behind a paywall, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of voicing their opinion in the first place.

The NYPD called off a “hastily planned” raid on an ebike parking lot used by hundreds of delivery workers, because a) it’s not illegal for bikes to be parked in spaces which would otherwise be used by motor vehicles, and b) the workers politely moved to the other side of the street. Although a local radio station says the raid was called off after cops spotted reporters waiting for them.

Oddly, New York continues to function as a world-class city, as Mayor Mandami announced plans to redesign a 2.1-mile stretch of one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous streets. Something Los Angeles somehow seems unable to do.

A Florida police captain will ride his bicycle around a four-mile park route for 24 hours to raise funds for a Spanish-language religious mission.

 

International

Life is cheap in the UK, where a 39-year old road-raging driver walked without a day behind bars for grabbing a bike rider by the neck and throwing him to the ground and causing a serious brain injury, for the crime of being in his way.

 

Competitive Cycling

The chief of USA Cycling says the one thing missing after Brandon McNulty won the world road championship is an American WorldTour race.

Nineteen-year old ‘cross cyclist Tofik Beshir has a long way to go in his recovery after he was struck by a driver while on a training ride three weeks ago, as his teammates rally around him; a crowdfunding page has raised has raised over $142,000 of a $200,000 goal.

Instagram post

 

Finally…

You know you’re good when you set a new Strava KOM during a photoshoot. And apparently, bicyclists legally using the roadway are road hogs.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin.

 

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

Livability versus yelling at kids on your lawn, Calbike urges SB 1167 support, and one year since Ackerman killed in WeHo hit-and-run

July 9, 2026 / / Comments Off on Livability versus yelling at kids on your lawn, Calbike urges SB 1167 support, and one year since Ackerman killed in WeHo hit-and-run

Okay, so let me start with a (relatively) brief rant. And don’t worry, I’ll get to the point eventually.

Because I now find myself at that golden age when I metaphorically yell at kids to get off my lawn.

I did that this afternoon, when I spotted — and heard — someone setting off extremely large and extremely illegal fireworks from the roof of the building next door.

And yelled loudly off the balcony regarding where they could put their explosives, assuming they were the same jerks who set off two literal bombs at 4 am Wednesday night, shaking our windows, waking my wife and terrifying the corgi, who ran off to hide in the closet for the rest of the night.

Bombs so loud, my phone lit up with people on Citizen and Ring Chat complaining about the noise half up to a mile away. Although some people assumed it was gunshots, because Los Angeles.

But that’s the problem. Because the past few years, we’ve been dealing with noise from illegal fireworks any and every time of the day and night, virtually every day of the fricking year.

While I didn’t agree with Spencer Pratt about much during his brief run as a national political celebrity, he was right about the quality of life here in Los Angeles being in the toilet.

Streetlights are out all over town. Trash piles up everywhere, and God forbid you should try to find a trashcan to throw something away. Storefronts sit empty on every block. Our streets are so rutted and potholed, many are virtually impassible.

Seriously, take North Fairfax. Please.

I could go on…and on. But you undoubtedly have your own complaints. And yet no one seems to be doing anything about it.

In fact, our elected leaders seem dedicated to doing exactly nothing.

Like quashing police reform and proposals for ranked choice voting and expanding the city council, despite overwhelming public demand. And actively blocking Measure HLA, which passed by a two-thirds majority.

See, I said I’d get to the point.

The things that could improve the safety, vitality and livability of this city are the very things no one in our elected city leadership seems to give a damn about.

We’re now down to two candidates for Mayor of Los Angeles, and 16 people running for city council.

I’m not going to tell you who to vote for. But when you mark your ballot this November, don’t just bike the vote. It should be a given by now to vote for someone who will support your right to ride a bicycle comfortably, and return home safely.

But more than that, vote for someone with a commitment to make this city more livable — and tells you exactly how they plan to do it.

Because I’m done with promises. We’ve had over 20 years of promises, and things haven’t gotten any better. It’s long past time when our leaders acted in our interest, and not theirs. And I’d really like to see Los Angeles make this damn list while I’m still around to enjoy it.

And I don’t want to be that guy shaking my fist and yelling at the kids to get off my lawn.

Okay, rant over.

Today’s photo of the rockets red glare doesn’t begin to capture the sound of bombs bursting midair at 4 am. 

………

Speaking of livability, the ready availability of electric motorbikes sold under the guise of ebikes, and the underaged hooligans on them, seem to be at or near the top of everyone’s list these days.

Encinitas State Senator Catherine Blakespear’s SB 1167 is designed to address that problem without throwing the ped-assist ebike baby out with the bathwater.

Here’s is what Calbike had to say about it in an email I received yesterday

This year, California lawmakers considered a wave of proposals responding to concerns about electric devices. The most burdensome approaches, including new license plates and registration systems for legal e-bikes, have fallen away.

There is a reason why SB 1167, the Truth in Biking Bill is still moving, and passing every benchmark in decisive fashion. Because it takes the simpler approach: make companies tell people the truth about what they are buying, because an honest, fair marketplace is better for all involved.

Ask Speaker Rivas & Chair Wicks to Advance SB 1167

SB 1167 does not ask the DMV to build a new registration system. It does not impose new licenses, plates, or fees on people who ride legal e-bikes. Instead, it relies on definitions California already has. Devices that are too powerful or fast to qualify as legal e-bikes must be accurately marketed, labeled, and disclosed to buyers. That is easier for the state to maintain, easier for responsible businesses to follow, and easier for families to understand.

This practical approach has earned unanimous support at every major vote, including a 15–0 vote in the Assembly Transportation Committee. SB 1167 is now before the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Please ask Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas, and Chair Buffy Wicks to advance SB 1167 to the Assembly floor.

Send your message

California does not need to build an expensive new system around legal e-bikes. It needs clear rules and honest information at the point of sale.

Thank you for your support,

Kendra Ramsey

Executive Director

………

Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the hit-and-run that took the life of Blake Ackerman as he rode his bike home from work on Fountain Avenue in West Hollywood.

Maybe it hit me harder than most because it was so close to my apartment. Someplace I’ve walked, biked and driven by countless times since moving to Hollywood a decade ago.

Or maybe it’s because we’ve fought so long to improve safety on Fountain, and finally seemed to be getting somewhere.

Or maybe just because it was all such a fucking needless waste of a young man’s life.

Or maybe just all of the above.

I’ve placed flowers on his ghost bike several times over the past year to let his loved ones know we still remember, and care.

I plan to walk over tomorrow and place artificial tropical flowers on his ghost bike — tropical because he loved Hawaii, and artificial because they last longer. And say a prayer to tell him how just how very, very sorry I am.

Nothing would make me happier than to walk over and find his bike already covered with flowers, real, fake or otherwise.

But I’ll still do it, even if I’m the only one.

………

A European ski instructor and bicycling fan ranks the top five mountain passes in the Alps, for your next two-wheeled journey for fame and glory.

………

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

No bias here. An op-ed in the Tennessee Conservative — already a bad sign — argues that the best way to piss off bike riders is to criticize them, then goes on to do exactly that, taking riders to task for legally exercising their right to ride on the roadway. Which means he’s undoubtedly right by pissing off bicyclists for criticizing them when he’s undoubtedly wrong.

Bike riders in the Scottish Highlands are complaining about a “daft and dangerous” decision to remove an important stretch of bike lane near the city center, arguing that it will hit disabled bicyclists the hardest. Even if American drivers don’t believe disabled bike riders even exist. 

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

Two Vermont men were fined $35,000 and ordered to remove any remaining trace of an illegal bike trail they built in a state forest over a five-year period, chopping down 350 trees and drilling into rocks to make the trails. Let’s hope that includes replanting the trees, and at least giving the rocks a nice apology.

Police in Western Australia are looking for a 53-year old hit-and-run bike rider who plowed into a 64-year old woman while riding on the wrong side of the road, leaving her with a “difficult journey ahead” after she was taken off life support; the bike rider stopped to assist the victim, but left before police and paramedics arrived.

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton calls on bicyclists to provide input in an online survey about Carson’s ambitious Bicycle Action Plan. Although if it’s actually ambitious, I like it already. 

 

State

San Diego avoided disastrous cuts to transportation in the city budget, with a modest half-million dollars to fix the city’s 15 most dangerous intersections, while avoiding the mayor’s plan to cut the Department of Transportation’s entire Multi-Modal Team.

San Diego’s new ebike restrictions will go into effect next month, banning anyone under the age of 12 from riding an ebike, and reinforcing helmet requirements and prohibiting a second rider without a seat built to accommodate two people. Which strikes me as decidedly underwhelming, but what the hell do I know?

The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, aka SBCAG, is asking bike riders to review an AI-generated bike map. Apparently, they want to confirm it doesn’t have any extraneous legs or fingers, or any other added AI generated errors or hallucinations. 

A Bakersfield woman was driving at three times the legal alcohol limit and with a driver’s license that expired two-and-a-half years ago when she hit and killed a 66-year old man riding a bicycle last month.

A new study from a San Francisco professor shows that only protected bike lanes actually cause an increase in bike ridership, unlike sharrows or painted bike lanes.

Sacramento police issued 31 traffic citations during a four-hour bike and pedestrian safety operation, apparently all to drivers.

Bike co-op Sacramento Bike Kitchen will mark their 20th anniversary this weekend with free music, bike polo and beer. And no, the beer isn’t free, or I’d be on my way already. 

 

National

Oregon is considering a proposal to link an existing 20-mile bike path to the famed Rogue Valley wine country.

A Eugene, Oregon middle school teacher rode his bike 1,650 miles down the Left Coast from Canada to Mexico in just seven days, but missed in his effort to set a new world record by a day and a half.

Denver bike riders are fundraising to collect $4,500 to buy a bike-towed street sweeper to clean debris from the city’s bike lanes.

There’s some good news from Detroit today, as the five-year old boy shot by a stray bullet while riding his bike with his father is recovering from his injuries.

An Ohio writer says yes, it matters to see Black riders on the state’s trails.

The NYPD marked the 4th of July by diverting pedestrians from a walkway onto a bike path, with no explanation for where people on bicycles were expected to go; Streetsblog complains it’s another example of the city treating cars like transportation but bicycles like toys.

Streetsblog says it only took New York the deaths of two bike riders to update the pavement markings on the Queensboro Bridge bike lane to reflect a new a pedestrian-only path on the opposite side of the bridge, calling the move “too little, too late.”

Leonardo DiCaprio and his girlfriend, Italian model Vittoria Ceretti, are both one of us, riding bikeshare bikes together through the streets of New York, where they bumped into convicted musical plagiarist Robin Thicke. But hopefully not literally. 

Heartbreaking news from Tennessee, where an 86-year old man was booked for last month’s fatal hit-and-run that left a bike-riding woman lying badly injured in a ditch. Once again raising the question of how old is too old to drive, and who should make that decision in a society built around the need to drive. 

A DC writer issues a “coward’s guide” to bicycling around the city.

 

International

If you build it, they will come. A new study in the Journal of Transport & Health shows that building a bike lane or park within about 550 yards of residents’ homes in São Paulo, Brazil was a key factor in keeping them active and encouraging cycling. To which LA drivers shout in unison, “But Los Angeles isn’t São Paulo!”

Cycling Electric says a new cargo bike may be the most advanced one yet. Then again, it should be with a $9,300 price tag.

Road.cc joins the fight over media descriptions of illegal electric motorcycles as ebikes, after police seize “ebikes” that can reach 72 mph.

A writer for Streetsblog says if you want safer roads, all you have to do is take a European vacation.

Three Indian men face charges for stabbing a 30-year old man to death in a petty dispute over whether he had hidden one of the men’s bicycle. As we’ve said before, no bike is worth a human life. Just walk away, for god’s sake.

A Norwegian artist and adventurer is nearing the end of her 300-day epic bike tour through the African continent.

Japanese soccer star Kaoru Mitoma injured a woman riding a bicycle, after both he and the victim allegedly went through a four-way red light on the walk signal.

 

Competitive Cycling

No charge among the favorites for this year’s Tour de France, as a late bike change allowed Jonas Vingegaard to finish with the same time as Tadej Pogačar, thanks to the Tour’s three-second rule, which oddly has nothing to do with eating something that fell to the tarmac within three seconds; Norway’s Torstein Træen continued his unlikely stint in the yellow jersey with an eight-minute lead over Vingegaard and Pogačar.

British Paralympic cycling star Dame Sarah Storey is calling it a career at age 48, as her 74 world and Paralympic medals make her the most successful British athlete, disabled or otherwise.

 

Finally…

Blocking an unofficial bike trail with a bolder Boulder boulder. That feeling when bike lanes are “DEI.”

But at least we aren’t tied for dead last in the new City Ratings.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin.

 

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

A tragic ride through memory lane, no bikes or buses in Bass’s climate plan, and LA can build curb-protected lanes after all

May 1, 2026 / / One comment

Congratulations on making it through April. 

The way this year has gone, we should all hold May Day celebrations today just for making it this far. 

Today’s photo shows the ghost bike for Joseph “Joey” Robinson installed by his coworkers, courtesy of Biking Brian.

………

Some things you just never forget.

I’ve written about literally hundreds of fallen bicyclists over the past 12 years. Yet when I saw the tragic photo from the ghost bike for Joseph “Joey” Robinson on the Voice of OC yesterday, I instantly recognized the former worker from an Irvine bike shop.

The 21-year old man was riding in the bike lane on Santiago Canyon Road on February 2, 2014, when he was run down from behind an 18-year old woman driving while stoned at 7 am on a Sunday morning, killing him instantly.

Sommer Gonzales was arrested when an off-duty Orange County Fire Battalion Chief spotted her fleeing the scene with a shattered windshield, then saw Robinson’s black bike shoe in the roadway.

Gonzales was sentenced a year later to 11 years for killing Robinson while high on meth.

According to the OC DA’s office, Sommer Nicole Gonzales pleaded guilty to:

  • one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated
  • one felony count of hit and run with death
  • one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance
  • one misdemeanor count of use and under the influence of a controlled substance
  • one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance paraphernalia
  • a sentencing enhancement allegation for fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter

Unfortunately, similar cases in Los Angeles County typically get pled down to a single charge and a few years just to get a conviction.

………

Apparently, it never crossed the mind of our ostensibly bike-riding mayor to include bike lanes, bus lanes, or Measure HLA in her Climate Action Plan as she runs for re-election.

Because everyone knows bikes, buses and walking could do nothing to improve the health of our beleaguered planet. And the people who use them don’t vote.

Right?

Twitter post

………

Proof Los Angeles can, in fact, build curb-protected bike lanes.

They just take years longer, cost a lot more, and require endless public meetings compared to similar lanes in Santa Monica or Culver City.

Twitter post

………

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

A road-raging Missouri truck driver was arrested for intentionally knocking an 85-year old man off his bicycle, breaking his hip — although the driver says he “only tapped the bike with his truck. He also spit on a cop and grabbed one by the balls during his arrest. Although someone might want to introduce the TV station to the concept of commas, so they don’t write things like the victim was “riding a bicycle while driving a truck.”

Maybe the reason bicyclists in the UK don’t use the bike lane is because there are, count ’em, six drivers parking in it.

Seriously? Maybe they need better driver training in Australia’s New South Wales, where Yahoo reveals a “little known road rule” that allows bicyclists to take up the entire traffic lane by riding two abreast; three abreast, though, not so much.

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

A Fort Meyers, Florida newsman does a gotcha report on those darn bike riders, both on ebikes and otherwise, ignoring a ban on sidewalk riding in the downtown area. Although as others have said, no one rides their bike on the sidewalk unless they don’t feel safe in the street.

His highness has given royal assent to a new law that could sentence British bike riders to up to life in prison for killing someone while riding recklessly.

………

Local 

LA’s Glendale Hyperion Bridge is set to undergo extensive reconstruction for the next five to six years to improve earthquake-resistance and traffic flow, as well as adding bike lanes and a sidewalk, while preserving the historical design. Although that’s one sidewalk, on just one side, forcing pedestrians to cross two bike lanes and four lanes of motor vehicle traffic if they want to walk across the bridge.

Pasadena Weekly offers more information on the city’s Bike Month events. Or as it’s known in Los Angeles, May. 

 

State

A San Diego op-ed says the city needs a bikeshare system like other big cities, after a previous effort failed. But you’ll have to get past the Union-Tribune’s draconian paywall. 

The remake of San Francisco’s Valencia Street from a center-running bike lane to curbside protected bike lanes has improved safety, but there’s still a four block gap with no timeline for completion.

British hill-climb champ Harry Macfarlane is sitting back and enjoying the KOM battle he set off by matching the best time on San Francisco’s steepest climb.

Sad news from Oakland, where a 38-year old man riding a bicycle died two days after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver.

 

National

If you bought a set of Malker Bicycle Light from Amazon last October or November, throw them away and contact the company for a refund; they’ve been recalled because kids can swallow the batteries.

A new bike lane will finally complete Seattle’s City Center bike network — except for all the sections that haven’t been built yet.

A Las Vegas writer rides his mountain bike along the Strip corridor to Downtown Las Vegas and back the old fashioned way, with no ebikes, bike lanes or trails.

A Laramie, Wyoming newspaper examines the relatively recent rise in the popularity of gravel riding and racing. Which I mention just because it’s just 40 minutes from where I grew up. And no, I never tried to ride my bike there because the wind in Wyoming blows. 

Madison, Wisconsin is planning a more than 250-mile low-stress bike network, though it could take decades to build out.

WTF? There’s not a pit in hell deep enough for a 65-year old Texas man who struck a five-year old kid riding a bicycle, dragging the boy under his truck, then stopping briefly before fleeing the scene and leaving the kid lying in the street with road rash and a brain bleed; police arrested the man at a casino for hit-and-run and DUI.

 

International

PeopleForBikes examines how World Cup host cities in the US, Mexico and Canada can take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move fans more efficiently by biking and walking, including closing key corridors to motor vehicle traffic and turning them into fan zones.

A local newspaper looks at the bike co-op at the University of Toronto.

Another bike brand has risen from the dead, as a British retail empire has swooped in to buy children’s bikemaker Frog Bikes out of bankruptcy.

Road.cc recommends the best road bikes for under the equivalent of two grand, although the links will likely take you to retailers in the UK.

Irish President Catherine Connolly says she’s working on a plan to get back on her bike, after security concerns forced her to stop riding following her election.

Dublin police conducted a number of raids to capture modern teenaged highwaymen who hijacked and robbed bicyclists and pedestrians on a popular greenway.

Momentum has everything you need to know about Japan’s 43-mile Shimanami Kaidō bike route linking the islands of Honshu and Shikoku, with “dedicated lanes, clear signage, and plenty of places to stop, snack, and soak it all in,” making it “one of the most enjoyable cycling routes anywhere.”

 

Competitive Cycling

Rapha’s CEO tells UCI that pro cycling has to evolve, like the English Premier League did, or it will wither and die.

Durango, Colorado’s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic rolls out for the 53rd year this weekend; the race began with two brothers competing against each other, as one rode a bicycle and the other took a train.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you evidently don’t know the difference between the United States and the country’s capital. Or somehow feel the need to demonstrate your city’s keen grasp of the obvious by explaining a tall bike is like a regular bike, but taller.

And who knew bike tires could get moldy?

Which is why you should always store your bicycle in the refrigerator.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

West LA CicLAvia rolls on Sunday, LA Critical Mass rolls tonight, and Raman rocks new bike/walk/transit friendly website

April 24, 2026 / / Comments Off on West LA CicLAvia rolls on Sunday, LA Critical Mass rolls tonight, and Raman rocks new bike/walk/transit friendly website

One last reminder about Sunday’s CicLAvia, the year’s first and the first to visit Westwood Village.

Walk ‘n Rollers will be at the Santa Monica hub giving out free bike helmets while supplies last, as well as hosting a bike repair station and workshops on basic bicycle maintenance.

Public radio station and website LAist will also be at the Santa Monica hub, sharing swag and meeting listeners.

Tell ’em I sent you.

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Speaking of LAist, they take a first-person look at the monthly Los Angeles Critical Mass, calling it the country’s largest community bicycle ride with around 4,000 participants each month.

The ride takes place on the last Friday of every month on the corner of Western and Wilshire across from The Wiltern. Routes change monthly, turning each ride into a moving tour of the city. Some rides head west toward Marina del Rey, others east toward Mariachi Plaza, passing through neighborhoods that rarely feel connected outside of car travel.

As the ride moves through different neighborhoods, it often brings energy — and customers — to local businesses along the route as riders stop for food, drinks and supplies throughout the evening.

By my calculations, that means it rolls tonight, making it a perfect kickoff for CicLAvia weekend.

………

Andrew forwards news that Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman finally has a website up, after throwing her hat in the ring at the last minute.

In addition to pledging affordable housing for all and protecting Angelenos from ICE and harassing landlords, she offers an extensive section on transportation and traffic safety, including this:

Angelenos are tired of sitting in traffic, feeling unsafe on their streets, and navigating broken sidewalks. We’ve voted for real change — Measure R (2008) and Measure M (2016) committed $120B to the expansion of rail and transit across the county, and Measure HLA (2024) mandated that street safety improvements happen when streets get repaved, not decades later. We’ve been waiting for City Hall to deliver on those promises with the urgency they deserve. Los Angeles moves too slowly, spends too inefficiently, plans too haphazardly, and acts too timidly to give people the transportation network they’ve already voted for…

Since 2015, Los Angeles has had a Vision Zero policy, a commitment that no one should die on our streets from traffic violence. Instead, traffic deaths have risen by more than 50%. It has never been treated as a genuine priority. Walking, biking, and driving are all less safe than they should be.

Residential streets are overwhelmed by cut-through traffic. Bike lanes lack physical protection. Roads are too fast and crosswalks are too few. Every time the city repaves a street without fixing any of this, we miss the cheapest chance we’ll ever get to make it safer.

And enforcement is aimed at the wrong things. LAPD spends too much time on pretextual stops and equipment violations that have nothing to do with the dangerous driving that is actually killing people.

That’s a damn good start, especially after four years of Mayor Bass ignoring bike and pedestrian safety on our streets, and dragging her foot, if not her ass, on implementing Measure HLA.

But we’ve heard promises like this before, most recently from former Mayor Eric Garcetti, who was great at formulating policy, and not so much on follow through. So what matters isn’t what a candidate says, but what actually ends up in the city budget.

And we won’t know that until after she, or someone else, is elected.

Things are looking good for Raman, though, with betting on the Kalshi prediction market showing her with a good chance of winning on the first vote.

And yes, betting is the right word, since Kalshi and similar sites are just semi-legal workarounds for online betting bans in the US.

Twitter post

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Apparently, there’s yet another ebike bill to keep an eye on in the California legislature.

According to a release from the California Medical Association,

A bill sponsored by the California Medical Association (CMA) that aims to reduce the growing number of severe electric bicycle (e-bike) injuries advanced out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

Joint-authored by Assemblymembers Lori Wilson and Marc Berman, and co-sponsored by the California Orthopaedic Association, AB 2346 establishes speed limits for e-bikes (15 mph for riders under 16 years old and 10 mph on sidewalks) and would allow local jurisdictions to set speed limits on bike paths and multi-use trails. It would also require manufacturers, sellers, and distributors of e-bikes to equip e-bikes with speedometers and lights and provide safety-related disclosures to consumers at the point of sale.

It seems relatively harmless, primarily affecting kids under 16.

The question is whether ebike makers will respond to that limit by making 15 mph the standard speed for all Class 1, 2 and 3 ebikes, since the bill doesn’t seem to make any distinction between classes, or for older riders.

Meanwhile, Agoura Hills banned all ebikes from sidewalks and parks, regardless of the rider’s age, and once again failing to distinguish between legal ped-assist ebikes and e-motos and dirt bikes.

Agoura Hills City Engineer Charmaine Yambao also noted how complicated and confusing the states ebike classes and regulations are — which The Acorn somehow managed to explain in one simple paragraph.

And the Newport Beach schools have banned ebikes for kindergarten through 8th grade, but tells high school students to carry on.

………

Bicycling man about town Joe Linton reports Los Angeles has finally gotten around to building a one-block semi-sorta protected bike lane on 2nd Street in DTLA, which was inexplicably left out when Metro’s Regional Connector was built.

Bluesky post

Bluesky post

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Must be nice to have a mayor who actually rides a bike home from work, while using a helmet cam, no less.

And yes, I’m looking at you, New York.

Bluesky post

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Scott Sports shares a short film of veteran endurance cyclist Hanna Otto’s successful attempt to set the fastest known time climbing Hawaiʻi’s 14,000-foot Mauna Kea.

The fastest descent was probably set by whoever the hell was on it when Mauna Kea last erupted.

………

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

Hopefully, justice delayed won’t turn into justice denied in Wisconsin, where a man who admitted to driving onto a bike path and deliberately killing a man by repeatedly hitting him with his truck was ruled incompetent to stand trial, after he refused to appear in court, and appeared to have no understanding of the court proceedings; however, the judge said he could be competent within a year with treatment. It’s not clear from the description if the victim was actually riding a bike, though.

No surprise here. Over half of Irish bicyclists say the country’s streets are getting more dangerous, while 53% experienced a dangerously close pass on their most recent ride. Actually, the only real surprise is that the figure is so low.

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

An Irish judge says a bike rider was right to reach into a driver’s car, grab his car keys and throw them away, after the driver was convicted of an “outrageous” road rage assault. Proving that sometimes doing the wrong thing is the right thing. 

That feeling when your sweat-corroded handlebar drop just dropped off. Because if that kind of neglect isn’t bad bike behavior, I don’t know what is.

Reddit post

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Local 

The Wild newsletter from the Los Angeles Times recommends the American Discovery Trail, “a contiguous 6,800-mile coast-to-coast nonmotorized route of multiuse trails that runs from Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County to Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware.” And yes, bicycles are allowed on most, if not all, of the trail. 

Streets For All has issued a new report on how bad LA streets are going to get, now that the city has halted repaving to avoid complying with Measure HLA and the Americans with Disabilities Act — not to mention the drastic budget cuts to pay for the unfunded raises cops and city workers received. Let’s just say they’re painting the city red, and not in a good way. 

 

State

A San Diego letter writer says that city’s bike lanes are used much more than opponents claim. Although as usual, you’ll have to get past the Union-Tribune’s draconian paywall.

The La Mesa Police Department safely located a 12-year-old boy yesterday, who had gone missing while riding an ebike.

 

National

HR 7353, aka the Magnus White and Safe Streets for Everyone Act, has passed the US House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trademark, and could be included in this year’s Surface Transportation Reauthorization package; the bill — named for the 17-year old USA Cycling team member killed by a drunk driver in Boulder, Colorado — would require automatic emergency braking systems capable of detecting vulnerable road users such as bicyclists, motorcyclists, and wheelchair users in all new passenger vehicles by 2029, something that is already required by the European Union.

Midwest Living recommends riding Minnesota’s 42-mile “mostly flat and paved” Root River State Trail, which connects nine communities on the banks of the river, five of which offer free bikeshare.

A 55-year old ebike rider was hospitalized after crashing into a parked car in Cleveland, as the owner was working underneath it at 12:30 in the morning.

A Cape Cod website says residents are confused by the December appearance of a ghost bike on a local lane, with no idea who it’s for, why it’s there and who put it there.

New York Streetsblog says the media is misrepresenting a recent study about the rapid rise of e-mobility injuries at a city hospital, arguing that it makes a better case for safer streets than it does an anti-e-mobility, pro-driving agenda.

 

International

Momentum recommends the year’s best bicycle festivals around the world; unfortunately, you’ve already missed the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California.

London’s Tube strike resulted in an overnight 1500% jump in the number of bike riders on the city’s Embankment bikeway.

For some bizarre reason, a new $1.3 million English active travel path was designed with stairs on one side, and fences and turnstiles on the other, making it inaccessible for wheelchair users and many bicyclists.

Tour recommends exploring north Ireland — as opposed to Northern Ireland — by bicycle, saying you’ll find few road bicyclists and lots of greenery. And wind, and rain.

A Berlin accountant and bike blogger offers his favorite routes, cafes and bike shops in the bustling city.

Tragic news from Poland, where a 36-year old member of the country’s Parliament was killed when a driver veered onto the wrong side of the road, and hit him as he rode his bicycle; a member of the New Left Party, Lukasz Litewka was known for his animal rights advocacy and a billboard campaign to help shelter dogs find homes.

 

Competitive Cycling

Olympic road champ Kristen Faulkner set a personal best power record by building her own AI system.

London officials hope hosting of the first ever women’s team time trial in the next year’s Tour de France Femmes will encourage more women to ride bikes in the British capital. Or maybe they could just, you know, build more and safer bikeways. 

 

Finally…

Nothing like riding a tandem the length of the UK towing a couple of garbage cans. That feeling when you didn’t get a bicycle for Christmas, so you become a legendary guitarist, instead — and yes, a defense consultant.

And John Bolton now volunteers with his church to repair and refurbish free bikes for former prison inmates.

No, the other John Bolton.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Good time had by all at CicLAvia, Austin Beutner runs for LA mayor, and Pasadena considers Vision Zero in all but name

October 14, 2025 / / Comments Off on Good time had by all at CicLAvia, Austin Beutner runs for LA mayor, and Pasadena considers Vision Zero in all but name
Day 287 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

It looks like lots of people loved Sunday’s Heart of LA CicLAvia.

One that I missed out on, since neither my wife or corgi were up to it — one because still recovering from a heart attack, and the other after getting a bunch of shots at the vet.

I’ll leave it up to you to decide which was which.

Regardless, Joe Linton offers an open thread and his usual great photos at Streetsblog, making it appear a good time was had by all.

And a trio of videos capture the fun.

Instagram post

Instagram post

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To the surprise of no one, former LA schools superintendent, LA Times publisher and Karen Bass supporter Austin Beutner announced he’s running against Bass for mayor, arguing that Los Angeles needs change.

Beutner was a big supporter of bicycling when he first ran for mayor a little over a decade ago, following a bike crash led him to change careers from building a successful business to serving as Antonio Villaraigosa’s deputy mayor.

We’ll have to see if that’s still a priority for him this time around.

………

The Pasadena City Council’s Municipal Services Committee will consider a Local Roadway Safety Action Plan at today’s meeting, focusing on fixing the city’s most dangerous streets with a goal of ending traffic deaths by 2035.

The proposal is then scheduled to go to the full council on October 27th.

Meanwhile, a survey of residents lists driver behavior as their top concern, followed by biking and rolling safety, then crossing safety.

Something we can probably all agree with.

………

Streets Are For Everyone reminds you that time is running out to register for the Santa Clarita Finish The Ride, which helps fund the group’s statewide fight for safer streets.

This is shaping up to be our best Santa Clarita event ever, and we can’t wait to see you there.

As a reminder, advance registration prices end at midnight on October 25—register now to lock in the best rate!

Whether you’re riding or running, you’ll be supporting Streets Are For Everyone’s mission to make our roads safer—and we couldn’t be more grateful for your help.

As usual, there will be an amazing raffle at the event! You can pre-purchase tickets, pick them up at packet pickup, or at our merchandise table during the event!

Thank you for being part of this important cause. We can’t wait to see you at the starting line!

Date: Sunday, October 26th, 2025

Location: West Creek Park, Santa Clarita

Event Options (Routes are subject to change):

Ride:

Run/Walk:

Get all the event details!

‍♂️‍♂️ Costumes are encouraged, but optional for participation! ‍♂️

………

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

It’s happened once again, again. A day after we discussed a Massachusetts driver who used his car as a weapon to run down someone on a bike, we learn that police in the UK are looking for a hit-and-run van driver who ran over a 49-year old man’s bicycle after first “racially abusing” the victim, then deliberately trying to run him over.

………

Local 

Say hi to Hollywood Blvd’s new bike lane “Sweeping Beauty.”

 

State

Fullerton residents called for protected bike lanes and better street lighting at last week’s city council meeting, after two Cal State Fullerton students were critically injured when they were struck by a truck driver while sharing an e-scooter. Although someone should tell the CSUF student newspaper that most trucks still usually have drivers.

 

National

NBC News offers video of Portland’s rain-soaked emergency naked bike ride to protest Trump’s militarization of the city; the reported thousands of riders were also confronted by a few dozen counterprotestors. But if the riders are wearing clear rain ponchos, are they really naked?

A college senior in my bicycle-friendly Colorado hometown credits a free bike helmet she got as a freshman with saving her life when she went headfirst over her handlebars, returning to the same event as a volunteer four years later to hand them out herself. And yes, that’s exactly the kind of relatively slow speed crash bike helmets are designed for, not protecting riders from massive SUVs as most drivers seem to assume.

Syracuse, New York has struggled to pass Vision Zero for a full decade, despite a fatality rate 40% above the state average — and could lose out on federal safety funds as a result.

A new bike rider in upstate New York tries to fix her own brakes, finding that she may not need a bike mechanic, but she does need her dad.

A bicyclist in Key Biscayne, Florida shares his perspective on the risks riders face on the roads, explaining that what may look like dangerous “pack mentality” from the outside is just the safest way for large groups to ride

 

International

The Toronto Star examines how bikeshare went from death’s door to one of the city’s fastest-growing means of transportation, but says Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s fight to rip out the city’s bike lanes could decide whether it survives.

A British TV show re-examines the collision that killed a 52-year old triathlete competing in a time trial, finding the victim was in the driver’s field of view for 18-seconds before he rear-ended her bike in a “catastrophic misjudgement;” the driver was sentenced to four years behind bars after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

Britain’s busking piano bike player had to cancel a planned tour when someone stole her dad’s van, which held her personal possessions, costumes and spare piano parts.

A new Irish report finds a distressing 262% jump in single-bicyclist collisions over a ten-year period, especially in the Dublin area. Although it’s possible that at least part of that is due to an increase in the country’s bicycling rates over the same period. 

Paris set a new record in its transformation to a bicycling city, with counters clocking 1,817 bicycle trips on a single route in just one day.

Roughly a hundred people turned out for a bike ride sponsored by the Danish Embassy in Guangzhou, China to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

 

Competitive Cycling

The Guardian looks back on Tadej Pogačar’s total domination of the cycling season, despite battling a bout  of mid-season depression, while Tour de France Femmes champ Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s extreme weight loss proves almost as divisive as trans women in amateur bike races.

Pogačar doesn’t like all the comparison’s to the great Eddy Merckx, even if he keeps writing them with his own legs.

Spanish cyclist Francisco ‘Paco’ Mancebo finally called it a career after a remarkable 27 years cycling career that predated social media.

The University of Colorado highlights the return of paracyclist Jason Macom, whose track cycling career ended with a severe knee injury that eventually resulted in an amputation, then a second career as a paracyclist ended when his prothesis irritated his knee; a new procedure that grafted a prothesis directly onto the bone has allowed him to make a comeback, qualifying for this week’s 2025 Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro.

 

Finally…

Now you, too, could own Strava — or a piece of it, anyway. Leave your helmet out on your bike too long, and you could be a baby bird’s new mom or dad; thanks to Megan for the link.

And seriously, we get the hint, already.

Bluesky post

……… 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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