Day 59 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
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CicLAvia returns to Koreatown and Hollywood on the first Sunday in April, with a semi-new route traversing Wilshire, Western, Santa Monica and Highland.
Which makes it one of the easiest CicLAvia’s to get to, with Metro subway stops at either end.
Not to mention the semi-protected bike lanes on Hollywood Blvd, although they dump you off three blocks from the Hollywood and Vine Hub, leaving you to deal with the Amoeba Records and Funko traffic on your own.
https://twitter.com/CicLAvia/status/1895172175625097495
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The Los Angeles Times’ outdoor newsletter The Wild calls out a pair of bike events this weekend we touched on earlier this week, both helping to provide bicycles to people and families affected by the recent firestorms in the LA area.
1. Walk and bike for a good cause in Culver City
Walk ‘n Rollers will host its annual Walk More Bike More Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Ivy Station in Culver City. The event raises money for Walk ‘n Rollers’ adopt-a-bike program, which has refurbished and donated more than 350 bikes to families in need. This year, bikes will be primarily donated to families affected by recent wildfires. At the festival, guests can participate in free bike repairs, a scavenger hunt and a prize raffle. There will also be e-bike and skateboard demos. The event is free, but registration is requested, with the option to donate. Register at walkmorebikemore.org…3. Build bikes in Mar Vista to help Eaton fire survivors
Bikerowave Co-op needs volunteers with bike wrenching experience to prep bikes that will be donated to people affected by the Eaton fire. The repair event will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday at its shop (12255 Venice Blvd.). The shop has several bikes to repair but welcomes donations. All bikes will be checked by a head mechanic before they’re distributed. Learn more at the shop’s Instagram page.
You can sign up for the email newsletter here.
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Two arrests have been made in Saturday’s violent mob attack on a driver at San Vicente Blvd and McCarthy Vista by a group of teens riding bicycles.
Both boys have been charged with assault with a deadly weapon, but aren’t likely to be publicly identified unless they are tried as adults. Although it’s questionable what the deadly weapons may have been, unless the DA is counting the shoes they kicked him with.
Hopefully, these two can help identify some of the other kids, who deserve to be grounded until they’re 30, at the very least.
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Local
Jalopnik looks at that violent mob attack, and apparently concludes there’s a gang of teens riding around the city just randomly attacking drivers. Which unfortunately may not be that far off the mark.
State
Mountain View will attempt to tame one of the city’s “diciest” bicycling routes with new protected bike lanes.
Life is cheap in Fremont, where a 31-year old man was sentenced to a lousy year of home vacation detention — and will likely do less than half of that — for the 2019 hit-and-run that killed a man riding a bicycle, after swerving to strike the victim for no apparent reason while doing 25 mph over the posted speed limit.
A new study shows San Francisco’s Slow Streets program has been successful in improving safety for all road users, and could be a key tool to reduce traffic deaths.
This is the cost of traffic violence. The 47-year old Vallejo man killed this week while riding his bike on a deadly Napa County highway has been identified as a beloved nurse and humanitarian, as well as a Tahitian dancer.
National
Women’s online magazine Redbook recommends the 17 best ebikes on the market. Which probably aren’t, but still.
Portlanders will join bicyclists in 74 other cities in a Tesla Takedown ride this weekend to protest Elon Musk in absentia. And yes, there are several rides planned for the LA and Orange County areas.
A writer for the University of Arizona student newspaper says the school needs better bike safety on campus. Just like pretty much every other university campus in the US.
Bike riders in Boise, Idaho fear a new bill in the state legislature to add two new members to a county commission is intended to stack the board with opponents of bike safety projects.
An Arkansas cycling startup accelerator has selected its first ten participants, in an effort to help bicycle companies from Bentonville and around the world get a jumpstart in the industry.
A 57-year old New York man was killed by the driver of a city bus in the Bronx, which was being used as a replacement shuttle for an out-of-service subway; the crash occurred on a “killer corridor” known for traffic deaths.
Atlanta’s “massively successful” ebike rebate could see another round of funding, after already helping 800 city residents get a new ebike, many of whom might not have been able to afford one otherwise. Which is exactly what California’s designed to fail program should be doing.
A 78-year old hit-and-run driver critically injured a 78-year old Florida bike rider while fleeing from an earlier hit-and-run crash, while on his way to yet another crash before finally stopping. Once again raising the eternal question of how old is too old to drive, and why the hell we can’t get people off the road before this kind of crap happens.
Police in Buena Vista, Florida arrested a fake “homeland security officer” for impersonating an officer, after he tucked a loaded gun inside his jacket and rode his bicycle to an apartment complex to look for “Mexicans” in the country illegally — and handing the cops a blue ID card, which was actually his application to become a licensed security officer.
International
Momentum recommends the best solutions to store your bikes.
If you’re planning to escape head to Canada anytime soon, don’t walk or ride in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, which has been the deadliest city north of the border for both over the last ten years, on a per capita basis; then again, Toronto isn’t much better.
A pair of hammer-armed bikejackers on a motorbike forced a man off his bike in London’s Regent Park, stealing his $5,200 bicycle in a crime captured on security cam.
Life is cheap in Scotland, where a woman walked without a single day behind bars for killing a “legendary” Glasgow bicyclist, despite falsely telling investigators that her vision was impaired.
Distracted drivers killed 32 people in Japan last year, while causing 164 serious crashes; that compares to one person killed by a distracted bike rider, despite the massive new penalty for using a cellphone while biking.
You may be freezing your ass off this winter, but Down Under they’re spontaneously stripping off their clothes and joining a naked bike ride.
Competitive Cycling
It’s going to cost you more to watch cycling on the Max streaming service after they discontinued bike racing on the ad-supported level.
Finally….
There’s just nothing like riding a dilapidated bike surrounded by ghosts and ancient cycling spirits. If you’re riding your bike with a gun, illegal drugs and an explosive-filled backpack, put a damn light on it, already.
And watch the Bob Ross off mountain biking shredding on a hundred buck bike.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin.
