
Day 204 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
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It was only last month that Los Angeles celebrated the opening of the Metro Transit Center at LAX.
We were told about the station’s great walkable and bikeable design, and how that would help LA host a carfree 2028 Olympics.
Just one problem.
There’s nowhere to rent a bike anywhere near the airport if you arrive in the city without one. Which most LAX passengers could be reasonably expected to do.
I learned about that yesterday in an email from Sacramento-based League Cycling Instructor and Bike League member Anya McCann, who tried, and failed, to find a bikeshare dock or dockless bike after landing at the airport.
But I’ll let her tell you the story.
I grew up in Los Angeles and spent another 20 years there as an adult. My father was a lifelong City of LA employee and he worked hard to get bike facilities built over his 40 year career and post-retirement as a community advocate.
This weekend I flew down to LAX to attend an event and decided to make it an adventure to find ways to get to my Mom’s without asking someone to pick me up or getting a $50 Uber.
I brought a bike helmet, used a backpack as luggage, and, as I’ve done in many other cities, explored how to grab a rental bike (preferably e-bike) and bike to my Mom’s house…a ride distance I used to do when I was a child with Dad on weekends for fun.
Surprise: There are no rental bike stations within a 30 minute walk of the LAX. (Although I saw several brands of e-scooters laying around all over the place.) Even if I caught an uber into the Marina, there were no e-bikes available at that time. And, I note from the service map that I would have to return it 1.6 miles from Mom’s and walk the rest of the way.
I ended up walking 1.4 miles from Terminal 1 to Westchester to catch the Big Blue Bus #3, which got me to the same block that is the closest Metro e-bike docking station I would have used – and then did the 1.6 mile walk to Mom’s. While it is a pleasant walk along a path I do just for fun and exercise, with luggage it is more of a commitment. I exited the airport at 3:30 and arrived at my destination at 5:35…a longer trip than I hoped for to travel 14 miles.
Los Angeles needs some better multi-modal access that includes more bike rental stations, and I hope your plans for improvements before the Olympics includes stations at the airports (at LAX they could be out on Sepulveda Blvd.). There also needs to be clear and connective bike lane access to get around Westchester Parkway or Lincoln Blvd to Marina del Rey from LAX that people would understand if they have never been there before.
That should be where the story ends.
But this is Los Angeles.
So we shouldn’t really be surprised by the response McCann received when she reached out to Metro Bike about the problem.
Hey there, sorry for the inconvenience on finding a bike station to get a bike. Some bad news, Metro bike share is possible going away since they weren’t able to renew their contract with the city and has been taken over by another company. Not sure if said new company will continue using bikes or an alternative form of transportation. Once again, sorry for your troubles.
So not only is there no Metro Bike dock near LAX, there could soon be no Metro Bike, period.
And those dreams of holding a carfree Olympics could be disappearing before our eyes.
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She gets it.
In an op-ed for Smart Cities Dive, the woman who led the launch of Upway in the US argues that California’s push for clean transportation is leaving behind the people who need it most.
Marta Anadón Rosinach writes that California’s e-car and ebike rebate programs may have been successful, but too often leave out low-income people who most need an alternative to private vehicles and public transit, but can least afford it.
It’s time we rethink the definition of “clean mobility” to include equitable access. A zero-emission car might qualify on paper, but it won’t help a shift worker in Stockton without a dollar to spare or a teenager in San Bernardino commuting to school. Public buses and trains don’t reach everyone, and when they do, they often don’t run frequently or reliably enough to replace a private vehicle. But a light electric vehicle, paired with safe, connected infrastructure, can.
LEVs — including e-bikes, e-scooters and other compact rides — are cheaper to own and operate than motor vehicles, require less space and fewer resources, and work well in urban areas. For low-income workers, students and families without reliable transit, they can be a lifeline. But so far, LEVs have been left to the private market — if you can afford one, great; If not, too bad.
She goes on to argue for increasing the funding for California’s ebike incentive program, and allowing the vouchers to be used to purchase more affordable used ebikes.
Along with investing in a statewide network of safe, physically separated routes for light electric vehicles connecting neighborhoods to schools, jobs and transit.
It’s worth taking a few short minutes to read the whole thing, because it’s pretty hard to argue with.
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A new ranking of the country’s most dangerous cities for pedestrian and bicyclists says Albuquerque, New Mexico is worst for walkers, while Stockton, California sucks if you’re on two wheels.
For once, Los Angeles fares relatively well, ranking 31st worst for pedestrians, and all the way down at 64th worst for people on bicycles.
Surprisingly, bike-friendly Long Beach fared much worse for bike riders, ranking 38th worst in the US, but slightly better than LA for pedestrians at 41st.
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Active Streets comes to the heart of the San Gabriel Valley in November, with five miles of open streets connecting El Monte and South El Monte.
https://twitter.com/ActiveSGV/status/1947458366537654327
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
No bias here. A writer for the conservative California Globe accuses San Francisco of having an anti-car agenda, arguing the city’s “relentless” “transit-first dogma prioritizes buses, bikes, bike lanes and pedestrians while slashing critical parking spaces and discouraging driving”, “strangling the mobility of our most vulnerable residents.” Um, sure. Whatever you say.
A city in Yorkshire, England is ripping out a protected bike lane that local businesses blamed for taking away parking spaces, while a secondary concern was the risk of injury from the armadillos used to separate the bike lane from motor vehicles. So instead of removing or replacing the armadillos, they’re just ripping out the whole damn thing.
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Local
The 29-year old San Clemente man accused of intentionally slamming his car into a group of people standing outside of an East Hollywood night club last weekend has been charged with 37 count of attempted murder; Fernando Ramirez was allegedly kicked out of the club for fighting prior to the attack. .
State
A coalition of advocacy groups is calling for secure bike parking to be included in the state’s Green Building Standards Code.
Twenty-four-year old Ventura surfing instructor Elieah Boyd is recovering after surgery to reattach her arm, which was ripped off when a train hit her 80-pound ebike as she was trying to push it across the tracks earlier this month.
A 77-year old San Francisco man was killed when he was struck by someone riding a privately owned electric scooter on the city’s Market Street; the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition reminded everyone about the hierarchy of road user safety, with pedestrians more vulnerable than people on bicycles or scooters, who are more vulnerable than people in cars.
National
Denver bike riders are justifiably angry after someone riding a bicycle was killed by a hit-and-run driver at an intersection where a protected bike lane was proposed, but never built; a 28-year old man was later arrested for the crime.
Colorado tries preaching to the choir, placed new bicycle safety signs along the roadway in the city’s Washington Park, insisting that hundreds of bicyclists, walkers and roller skaters will see them every day — but no drivers, since cars are banned from the park. And yes, most of those people probably drive, but thousands more people could see the same message if they put it on a billboard next to the freeway.
A legally blind teacher isn’t letting his lack of eyesight keep him from biking across the full breadth of Iowa on the back of a tandem in the annual RAGBRAI ride across the state.
That’s more like it. A 69-year old Philadelphia man was sentenced to 6 to 20 years behind bars for swerving into a bike lane and killing a Children’s Hospital physician riding her bike to work, while driving at over twice the legal alcohol limit.
After someone stole a Virginia pastor’s mountain bike off his car five years ago, he responded by posting about the theft online and offering to repair bicycles for free — leading to a weekly backyard bike wrenching service, as well as giving away over 2,000 refurbished bicycles.
A New Orleans bike rider was killed last week on a street where a local bicycle advocacy group has been calling for a protected bike lane for the past three years.
International
Bicyclists riding “a very dangerous road” into London’s Kensington and Chelsea boroughs say they’re forced to choose between risking a fine equivalent to $135 for riding on the sidewalk or their lives.
A group of neurodivergent teenagers completed a 1,000-mile bike ride down the full length of Great Britain to prove that they are capable of doing anything.
Britain’s ETA insurance company calls bike storage the missing link in the country’s bicycling revolution.
A new ranking of Europe’s best city’s for bicyclists ranks Paris first, with Amsterdam third, while Copenhagen is nowhere to be seen.
Ukrainian troops accused Russian solders of deliberately shooting a man riding a bicycle in the embattled Donetsk region for no apparent reason. And trust me, you don’t want to see the drone video.
Ebikes continue to shed pounds, as Dahon’s newest folding ebike weights just 26.5 pounds, reportedly without skimping on features and performance.
Competitive Cycling
France’s Valentin Paret-Peintre took first place on the legendary Mont Ventoux over former race leader Ben Healy, while Tadej Pogačar put another two seconds on second place Jonas Vingegaard, who crashed into a photographer after crossing the finish line.
Norway’s Tobias Halland Johannessen was hospitalized after he collapsed following the finish stage 16 at the top of Mont Ventoux, over a mile above sea level.
US cyclist Alexis Magner is reported to be “amazingly okay” after she had to be resuscitated and rushed to surgery when she crash into a lamppost near the finish line on the final day of Belgium’s Ladies Baloise Tour.
Finally…
Now you, too, can be a pro mountain biker. No schadenfreude here, even though Lance’s defiant former manager got a well-deserved boot from the Tour.
And nothing like riding RAGBRAI after losing an entire person.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin.
Cheating alleged in Lyft’s Metro Bike bid, questioning rescue of Georgia bikepacker, and PCH study comments extended
Day 143 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
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My apologies to everyone who found an unfinished — or unstarted, for that matter — draft of today’s post in your inbox.
And yes, spellcheck, unstarted is a real word.
But’s that’s what happens when have too many windows open on your screen, and inadvertently hit the “publish” button when you try to click on one.
Not for the first time, I might add.
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Now that we have that out of the way —
Today is the unofficial start of the three-day holiday weekend. Which means lots of people leaving work early, and not paying attention to anything but where they wish they already were right now.
Like bikes, for instance.
And long weekends mean parties and barbecues — and a lot of drinking and other forms of imbibing.
So ride defensively all weekend, and assume every driver you see is under the influence of something. Because more than a few probably will be.
I just want to see you back here safe and sound on Tuesday.
And try to take a few moments to remember what this holiday is all about, anyway.
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Raise your hand if you’d be shocked to learn there may have been cheating in awarding the new Metro Bike contract.
Hello? Anyone?
Is this thing on?
Streetsblog reports Metro directors delayed what was expected to be a pro forma vote to award Lyft the contract to operate the city’s docked bikeshare program yesterday — despite a unanimous vote by the Metro Operations Committee to advance the contract.
And after two previous botched attempts at awarding the contract.
But according to LA Public Press, the vote was pulled after allegations were raised that Lyft had inside information giving them an unfair advantage, in violation of Los Angeles ethics rules.
And yes, we have ethics rules, as hard as it is to believe at times.
LA Public Press also reports that Metro was on the cusp of making the change despite limited cost savings that amount to a rounding error in the massive Metro budget.
It’s possible — likely, in fact — that the allegations are an effort by current program operator BTS and unionized Metro Bike mechanics to derail the shift in management.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
And even if it’s not, is it worth risking the bikeshare program as the city prepares to host the World Cup and ’28 Olympics by shifting to a company which has had a spotty record in other cities?
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It’s been a little more than a week since the “miraculous” rescue of Georgia bikepacker Tiffany Slaton after she got lost in the mountains above Fresno, surviving three weeks on wild leeks and melted snow.
But apparently, not everyone believe her story.
According to the Los Angeles Times,
On the other hand, a Redditor had this to say.
Even the experts had questions. Experienced Sierra mountain guide Howie Schwartz didn’t doubt Slaton was lost.
But,
Never mind the Redditors who said she was probably crazy, embellished her story, or looking for a book deal or crowdfunding cash.
Which probably explains why her parents shut their crowdfunding page down. But not until it had raised over $23,000.
Then again, those same doubts also popped up in my own Twitter/X feed.
So what’s the answer? Don’t ask me.
Her story does seem kind of incredible. But the best stories usually are.
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Caltrans uses a lot more words than necessary to say they’re giving you more time to comment on the PCH Master Plan Feasibility Study.
Maybe they had to use them all before the weekend.
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Streets For All shares video of their virtual happy hour with LA City Attorney candidate Marissa Roy.
I never know how much to tip my virtual bartender. Or a Waymo driver, for that matter.
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Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, posts video of the recent die-in on the steps of City Hall.
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Active SGV hosts free two-hour ebike rentals this weekend.
https://twitter.com/ActiveSGV/status/1925644608425410632
Here’s the link if Elon is still screwing up proper embedding of Twitter/X posts.
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Of course a bicyclist who used to be a driver would have no idea what a traffic light is. Especially when it comes to right turns.
Or left.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
Tres shock! New York’s police commissioner says her cops are only targeting reckless ebike riders for six offenses along 14 key corridors; Streetsblog says it ain’t necessarily so.
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Local
Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman reports on the celebratory grand opening of the “transformative” Rail-to-Rail bike/walk path in South LA.
Long Beach is launching a 12-month pilot program allowing both private and shared e-scooters along the shoreline bike and pedestrian path.
State
Palm Springs bike riders demanded action on safety improvements while honoring fallen bicyclists at Wednesday’s Ride of Silence.
The Santa Barbara Independent says the city’s bicycling rates are inching up while bicycling injuries climb, making both bike and Vision Zero goals “distant.”
National
A magazine for lawyers examines the legal challenges facing bike riders injured by distracted and/or reckless drivers. Best advice, document everything and find a good lawyer to walk through your options. Like one of those guys over there on the right.
The Independent lists eight American cities that are surprising great for bicycling. Seven of which actually are. And yes, I’m looking at you, Houston.
The Today Show highlights a dad going viral for his daily bike rides with his seven-year old daughter.
Nice. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed the nation’s first law permitting shared streets, with a 10 mph speed limit and strict rules requiring people on bicycles to yield to pedestrians, and drivers to yield to bike riders. Which is how it should be, anyway.
Salt Lake City is pulling the plug on its ebike incentive program after funding nearly 300 vouchers last year, citing a flat budget for the coming year. But wouldn’t a flat budget mean they could fund everything they did the previous year?
An Idaho dancer says ballet is just like riding a bike. And he should know, since he rides a bike to stay in shape for ballet, mentally and physically.
Damn. A Texas jury gave the parents of an eight-year old bike-riding boy killed by a young man driving a family business truck just at tad more than the $1.1 million they were asking for, awarding them a whopping $80 million. Let’s hope that’s a very valuable family business they’ve got there.
Your next bike parts could come from a Topeka vending machine. Which wouldn’t be the first thing I’ve bought from a vending machine in Topeka.
International
Seriously? London emergency rooms are supposedly buckling because of a surge in demand due to “Lime bike leg,” caused by people trapped by the weight of collapsing ebikes that are “around four times heavier than regular cycles,” while a surgeon warns of “life-threatening injuries.” Call it the modern equivalent of bicycle face.
We know a guy on a bike can beat a someone in a car, but can a London bike rider beat another guy riding the Tube across one of the world’s busiest cities? Would I be writing this if he couldn’t?
A 2,000-mile circular relay ride will connect all 42 Anglican cathedrals in the UK. Or as they call them over there, cathedrals.
A British bike club is proving that age is no barrier to learning how to ride a bike.
Competitive Cycling
Your new US national time trial champs are Emily Ehrlich and Artem Schmidt.
Mexico’s Isaac del Torro continues to lead the Giro, as Olav Kooij of the Netherlands won a mass sprint Thursday with a leadout from Wout van Aert. Meanwhile, a reader named Steven points out that del Torro’s name translates to “laughter of the bull,” which seems oddly appropriate.
A Utah newspaper profiles 23-year old Utah native Natalie Quinn as she fights to rise in women’s cycling — without getting paid, after joining American team Cynisca Cycling midseason when the British team she was on folded. Which pretty much sums up the problems with the current state of women’s cycling.
Kenyan cycling coach Evan Wangai discusses his journey from boda boda driver to pro cyclist.
Finally…
Why line the bike lane with ugly yellow posts when you can have recycled red plastic tulips? Always use a bicycle as a getaway vehicle for your baby gator heists.
And who needs lube when you’ve got…sand.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin.
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