Just 70 days left until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
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It’s now been a full year since a driver killed four members of a Pepperdine sorority while allegedly speeding at over 100 mph in a 45 mph zone, at the appropriately named Dead Man’s Curve in Malibu.
It took the deaths of Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams to call attention to the dangers bike riders have been aware of for years. Or at least since Scott Bleifer and Stanislav Ionov were killed by a food truck driver almost 20 years ago.
And probably a lot longer, and far too many since. Including people on foot, and on bicycles.
In the year since, Malibu residents have gone from too frequently opposing safety improvement on the killer highway, to actually demanding them.
It’s about damn time.
The city and state have made a number of improvements over the past year, from increasing traffic enforcement to getting state approval for a limited number of speed cams.
Not to mention adjusting traffic lanes, widening shoulders and introducing a public safety campaign.
None of it seems to have made a significant difference, at least not yet. Despite everything, there has been just one less crash on the highway this year than this time last year, with most speed related.
And it probably won’t. At least unless and until the highway is re-imagined from the current pass-through speedway, to the beachfront roadway and Malibu Main Street it always should have been.
Tinkering at the edges didn’t prevent the deaths of those four students, and more tinkering probably won’t prevent the next tragedy.
Or the ones after that.
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No bias here.
According to WeHo Online, over half of people responding to West Hollywood’s 2024 Strategic Plan Baseline Survey are concerned or very concerned about traffic congestion, while 43% thought lack of safe bike lanes was “not too serious” a problem.
Even though safe and convenient bike lanes could help reduce congestion by providing an alternative to driving.
But that apparently never occurred to them.
Meanwhile, West Hollywood residents conducted dueling rallies for and against the lane reduction and protected bike lanes proposed for Fountain Avenue.
The West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition hosted the Rally for Safer Streets and Vigil for Victims of Traffic Violence calling for improvements to the deadly street, which has seen 93 traffic crashes in just the last five years.
At the same time, a smaller group sponsored by the WeHo Chamber of Commerce called for keeping the street just as dangerous as it is now so they won’t have to slow down, and can keep their parking spaces.
Maybe they should read this Momentum piece, which offers eight ways bike lanes benefit communities.
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Bicyclists gathered by the hundreds in Paris and around France to demand an end to road rage, after a driver intentionally ran down a 27-year old man as he rode his bicycle on a physically separated bike lane last week.
The driver faces charges of culpable homicide, which is a significant step down from the original murder charge, and appears to be comparable to our involuntary homicide.
Unfortunately, others responded by vandalizing dozens of SUVs in an overnight revenge attack, puncturing the tires of 65 oversized vehicles.
Le Monde calls the crash a “tragic illustration of the difficulties of coexisting in a society marked by increasing individualism and incivility.”
Or it could just be that motor vehicles just bring out the worst in people who are safely ensconced in a mobile weapon of mass destruction.
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Hats off to Specialized, which will offer free basic repairs on Saturday in an effort to get one million bikes back on the road.
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One of the most common arguments against installing bike lanes is that they could inconvenience handicapped people, who need to get around, too.
Never mind that bicycles can make effective mobility devices for people who might otherwise struggle to get around.
But don’t take my word for it.
Our German correspondent, Ralph Durham, took a break from Octoberfest to forward photos of a bike he regularly encounters, which has been specially customized to accommodate a man who needs crutches to get around.
Photos by Ralph Durham
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Megan Lynch forwards a reminder that we got to lay a little rubber on San Diego’s I-805 before all those drivers ruined it for us.
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It’s now 306 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And a full 40 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.
Meanwhile, Thousand Oaks will introduce its own ebike incentive program for income-qualified residents in January. Which will probably be long before we ever see the statewide program launch, if it ever does. Thanks again to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
Toronto’s mayor says she does not support an anti-bike plan from the Ontario premier and transport minister to put the province in charge of when and where bike lanes are built; Toronto letter writers say the transport minister’s anti-bike lane arguments are easily refuted, then proceed to do it. Of course, “not supporting” is not the same as actively opposing it.
Ireland’s Social Democrats are accused of engaging in anti bike-lane “culture war nonsense.” Which is a pretty good way to describe most anti-bike lane campaigns.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
Police in Des Plaines, Illinois released photos of an apparent road-raging bike rider who repeatedly stabbed a driver.
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Local
No news is good news, right?
State
Laguna Beach is gearing up for the first ever Laguna Bicycle Festival this coming weekend.
National
Proving once again that there are still good people in the world, a TikToker calling himself the Neighborhood Bike Repair Dude keeps snacks and drinks on hand for hungry kids, responding “that’s the point” when someone said the kids would keep coming if he kept feeding them.
If you know Justin Timberlake, these Portland kids want him to join their weekly bike bus.
Now you, too, can bike all 33 miles around the rim of Oregon’s Crater Lake.
Not surprisingly, New York bicyclists aren’t happy about being unable to crash the New York Marathon route before the race starts. Just like Los Angeles bike riders used to be able to do, but can’t anymore.
Only in New Orleans can you bike the vote to a second line beat.
International
Tragic news from the UK, where two best friends, both fathers, were killed when one fell off his ebike after a daylong pub crawl, and the other stepped into the roadway to stop traffic; both men were struck by the driver of a Mini Cooper, who was exonerated by police after claiming he didn’t have time to stop on the dark roadway.
Britain’s transport minister says he”d feel safe letting his young kids ride bikes on the streets of London. No word, however, on whether he actually does let them.
I want to be like her when I grow up. An 82-year old Dutch woman isn’t just still riding — she’s still riding the same bike she’s had since she was 13.
Japan is cracking down on scofflaw bicyclists; anyone who rides under the influence or uses a cellphone while riding will be subject to heavy fines or possible jail time. Thanks once again to Megan Lynch.
Australian experts are calling for more innovative steps to make city’s cleaner and improve public health, like offering financial incentives to stop driving and take transit or bike to work.
Competitive Cycling
Heartbreaking news from the UK, where six-time Olympic cycling champ Sir Chris Hoy announced he has stage four prostate cancer, which has spread to form tumors in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine and ribs; his doctors say he has just two to four years to live. Meanwhile, his wife suffers from multiple sclerosis, an incurable, degenerative autoimmune disease.
Finally…
That feeling when bike lanes are, indeed, brat. You can’t judge a book by its cover, but apparently you can judge a potential date by their bike.
And more proof you can carry just aboutanything on a bicycle.
"You can't carry a washing machine on a bike"pic.twitter.com/P9CmqvqGaZ
— Yeah But Cyclists (@but_cyclists) October 19, 2024
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin
