That’s more like it.
A Sabastopol vintner got a well-deserved eight years behind bars for the drunken crash that killed one man, and cost a 12-year old boy his leg as they were riding their bikes.
Although he’s likely to get out in a fraction of that time. But still.
Twenty-eight-year old Ulises Valdez Jr. was nearly twice the legal alcohol limit at the time of the crash.
The victims didn’t know each other and weren’t riding together. They just had the misfortune of sharing the road with someone too drunk to drive his massive pickup.
Valdez operated the Sebastopol-based Valdez Family Winery, which was founded by his late father.
UPDATE: Ulises Valdez gets 8+years in prison after pleading no contest to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated & DUI (.18%) for crashing Dodge Ram into 2 bicyclists. Mark Osborne, 53, died & 12yo boy had leg amputated, per @CountyofSonoma DA @jillrav @CHPSantaRosa pic.twitter.com/TLlqSr4WA4
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) June 1, 2022
Thanks to fartyshart for the heads-up. Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels.
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LADOT is installing permanent Slow Streets in Hollywood and Koreatown. But somehow, they can’t seem to say where.
Maybe it’s a secret.
And no, the answer isn’t in the link.
We’re making permanent upgrades to Slow Streets in #Koreatown and #Hollywood. These new safety features help calm traffic and encourage residents to walk and bike. Read more: https://t.co/bMfoUUa9KU pic.twitter.com/CkDC6L2Bms
— LADOT Livable Streets (@LADOTlivable) May 31, 2022
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The West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition is hosting a bike ride through the city this evening.
Streetsblog says the ride will explore a pilot project to make Willoughby Ave safer for bike riders and pedestrians.
Don't miss WeHoByco's "Tour de Parks" on Wed., June 1 at 5.30 pm. We'll meet at Poinsettia Park (on Willoughby) and bike to West Hollywood Park (on San Vicente). There, we'll kick back with snacks and conversation. pic.twitter.com/7ngNIbe048
— WeHo Bike Coalition (@WeHoBike) May 25, 2022
Thanks to Keith Johnson for the heads-up.
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It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from longtime bike advocate Jon Riddle, who writes looking for volunteers for a Culver City Pride Ride at the end of this month.
I’m writing to share a volunteer opportunity that BikinginLA’s readers might be willing to support. I am working with Jim Shanman and Walk ‘n Rollers, assisting Culver City Pride in producing its Pride Ride & Rally on June 26th (see Culver City Pride for more information on the event). Last year we had well over 100 turn out for Pride Ride and this year we are expecting at least 300 cyclists of all ages and skill levels. The ride is modest—about 6 miles long, through flat, quiet Culver City neighborhoods. That said, we can really use a few more experienced riders to help keep cyclists safe and rolling along. Training ride leaders, ride marshals and experienced cyclists would be perfect.
We welcome anyone willing to lend a hand to sign up at the event’s volunteer page here.
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You never know what you’ll see when you ride a bike.
Even in the middle of Los Angeles.
I know that I can be too negative sometimes, so here's the deer I saw today in Griffith! pic.twitter.com/EZY3EL2sds
— Entitled Cyclist🚲 (@EntitledCycling) May 31, 2022
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Megan Lynch argues that UC Davis doesn’t deserve its platinum bike-friendly status if it can’t keep students and faculty safe.
https://twitter.com/may_gun/status/1531784703874805760
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Even baseball mascots get it.
Mr. Met fixes Ms. Met’s flat on a recent couples ride through beautiful Flushing. They’re desperate for better bike infrastructure around the stadium so that they can ride to work. pic.twitter.com/eCZOnbhknl
— Bike to the Mets (@MrMetBikes) May 31, 2022
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GCN puts an ebike to the test on Italy’s legendary Stelvio Pass to see if it can help average bicyclists make it to the top of the 9,000-foot hors catégorie climb.
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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 petition is calling for the BBC to fire radio host Jeremy Vine for posting video showing a grocery truck driver pass within a few inches of a bike-riding cop in hi-viz, insisting the driver did nothing wrong because he didn’t leave his lane — even though the cop could have been killed.
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Local
The new home of West Hollywood’s Bike Shop LA may not be long for this world, after plans were announced for a small mixed-use tower at the location.
State
Ventura announced a two-year, $5 million project to improve the Ventura River Trail.
Ojai property owners are being asked to voluntarily relinquish part of their sidewalks for new bike lanes and other safety improvements on Ojai Avenue, with the threat of eminent domain hanging over the holdouts.
Sad news from Goleta, where an 80-year old man was killed in a fall off his bike.
A 60-year old Bay Area man went carfree after trading in his minivan for a thousand dollar clean air credit, and now loves riding his cargo bike to Costco.
Road.cc suggests San Francisco should be the destination for Brits who want to ride hills.
National
A self-described bike expert lists the seven cycling skills you need to master. Most of which you actually don’t, though they could come in handy, depending on how you ride.
Electrek highlights nearly a dozen ebikes that got their start on Indiegogo, including Rad Power Bikes and LA’s own Cero.
Your next tandem bike could be carved from wood and stronger than steel.
Inc. says Peloton is sinking under the weight of its own exercise bikes, and needs to transform itself to focus on its affluent subscriber base.
Nice review in The Atlantic of Jody Rosen’s book Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle, saying it proves bicycles may be the one thing we all have in common.
The Salt Lake Tribune questions whether Utah can handle an influx of bike-riding tourists when the state just saw its deadliest month for bicyclists in its history.
US Marshalls have told the alleged killer of Moriah “Mo” Wilson to give herself up, saying it’s just a matter of time before they find her, while warning the rest of us that Kaitlin Armstrong should be considered armed and dangerous.
A 19-year old Chicago woman is in fair condition after she was shot by a man who had been yelling at her as she rode her bike; no word on whether they knew each other, or a motive for the shooting.
Once again, an innocent bike rider has become the victim of an elderly driver, as an eight-year old Minnesota girl riding bikes with her family was injured when an 87-year old woman failed to stop, despite the flashing lights on the crosswalk they were riding in; at last report, she was hospitalized in stable condition.
A drunk hit-and-run driver faces up to 15 years behind bars after pleading guilty to running down two bike-riding teenaged boys, killing one and seriously injuring the other.
A York, Pennsylvania man remains on life-support after he was beaten with his own bike earlier this month by a man who had just been released from jail; his attacker is now facing an attempted homicide charge.
International
Cyclist explains the mysteries of bicycle gear ratios.
A Toronto op-ed examines the jaw-dropping negligence behind the ever-increasing size off massive SUVs and pickups, with deadly consequences.
Heartbreaking news from the UK, where police settled with the family of a woman who froze to death in a cemetery after falling off her bike, because police gave up searching for her after just ten minutes without ever getting out of their car.
A new startup has begun delivering locally made e-cargo bikes to replace delivery vans in Nigeria.
Competitive Cycling
While we were all watching the Giro, 22-year old Belgian star Remco Evenepoel was quietly claiming his fifth win in a week.
Finally…
Your next ebike could come from a two-time Formula 1 champ. Ride your bike through the most haunted forest in America.
And that feeling when you bet your dad he can’t balance a bicycle on top of a ladder on his chin.
And he wins.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
