West Hollywood has been making big moves for better biking in recent years. In April 2025, the city council unanimously committed to building only protected bike infrastructure on future street projects — the first city in the Los Angeles area to do so — and followed it up by painting all existing bike lanes green on Fairfax Avenue, San Vicente Boulevard, and Santa Monica Boulevard for improved visibility. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the horizon, West Hollywood’s premier location in LA positions it as a key corridor for the broader active transportation push underway across Los Angeles ahead of the Games.
On the other hand, WeHo compared very favorably to LA’s subpar rating of 32 compared to the national average of 36, ranking us 1350th in the US, and barely in the top 200 California cities at 195.
And no, Los Angeles is not a city to watch. Even if we have climbed from the nadir of 2023, when we scored a whopping 19.
However, they still haven’t been publicly identified by any official source, so I won’t name them here. But reading what others had to say about them, it sounds like we lost some very exceptional people.
Then again, we’re all exceptional in some way, to someone.
There’s also no word yet on the name of the accused driver, who should have appeared in court by now, which raises the question of why they’re holding back his identification.
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Finally, someone in France must have a hell of a sense of humor.
There was no hot mic moment to detect the reaction of Trump, who is not known to bike and has joked about doing minimal exercise beyond regular golf outings.
Despite being called — or calling himself — the fittest, healthiest president in recent history, Trump has said he will never, ever ride a bicycle, and has mocked Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and John Kerry for their two wheeled exploits.
The victims were riding in the bike lane on SoCal’s killer highway, just north of Ventura, when they were run down from behind.
There’s also no word on why investigators concluded the unnamed 24-year old Oxnard man was under the influence. Or why he was arrested on suspicion of murder.
It seems odd that we haven’t learned anymore by now, particularly since he was scheduled for an initial court appearance yesterday.
Although they also blame people on ebikes and e-scooters for blowing through red lights, and illegally using sidewalks. And, of course, they warn pedestrians to stay alert, rather than telling scooter riders to stay the hell off the sidewalk.
KABC-7 reports the the most dangerous intersections this year have been:
Figueroa Street and 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles – 11 crashes so far in 2026
Highland Avenue and Pat Moore Way, near the Hollywood Bowl – 6 crashes so far in 2026
Century Boulevard and Main Street in South L.A. – 5 crashes so far in 2026
Sherman Way at the 170 Freeway entrance in the San Fernando Valley – 5 crashes so far in 2026
No word on where the most dangerous sidewalks are.
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In a hard-hitting report, a San Diego grand jury says the city is not meeting its own ambitious climate goals.
Shocking, I know.
According to Streetsblog,
The new report, Shifting Gears, arrives at a moment when San Diego is trying to reconcile two competing realities. On one hand, the city has adopted ambitious goals. The Climate Action Plan calls for 10% of all daily trips to be made by bicycle by 2035. Vision Zero commits San Diego to eliminating traffic deaths and severe injuries. The Bicycle Master Plan Update is meant to create a safer and more connected network. On the other hand, San Diego remains a city where the automobile remains king. While the report itself is not binding nor enforceable, it validates San Diegans’ concerns and recommends a path forward.
Safety and connectivity remain the two biggest barriers preventing more people from choosing to bike. A recent city survey of more than 2,000 riders found that “traffic safety concerns” and “gaps in the bike network” were the first and second most frequently cited barriers to bicycling.
The report cites a disconnect bike network, where bike lanes suddenly start and stop, leaving bicyclists to confront freeway on and off-ramps on their own.
Something I can attest to from my time there four decades ago. Apparently, some things never change.
They also cite a lack of maintenance, particularly on the city’s protected bike lanes.
In fact, the only advice he has for drivers is to look before you open the door to avoid dooring bike riders. But it’s still the bike rider’s fault, even when the driver is at fault.
Motorists can prevent this by looking over their shoulder as they open the car door. But Faber believes that cyclists also share the responsibility to avoid this type of accident.
“Of course, if there’s a collision, the driver is actually to blame,” he said. “But to prevent it from happening in the first place, the cyclist must remain alert at all times and allow for the possibility that other road users might make mistakes,” he said. In practical terms, this means reducing speed and increasing their distance from parked cars passing parked cars.
And of course, he tells bicyclists to wear hi-viz and a helmet. Drivers, just look over your shoulder when you open the door to make sure there’s not someone wearing a helmet and dressed like a reflective clown riding too close to your door.
Because you don’t want to hurt someone, even if it’s their fault.
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French TV talks with American activist Shannon Galpin, who played a key role in exfiltrating the Afghan women’s cycling team following the return of the Taliban.
Which, translated from politese, means she had to get the women, and some men, out herself after UCI stopped helping with the mission, which has been ongoing since 2021.
Thanks to Megan for the heads-up.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps going on.
A New Jersey woman is recovering from a concussion, cuts and bruises, and a man is facing criminal charges, after she told the man and his girlfriend to slow their ebikes down, and he responded by getting off his bike and punching her in the head. Even though the bikes look like electric motorbikes, it looks like his bike has pedals, so they may actually be ebikes. Or not.
Yeah, maybe it’s time. Bicyclists in Duluth, Minnesota are invited to “Bike for Science” to gather real-world riding data to update the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s bicycle facilities design guide, which is based on data collected in the 1980s. Which, for anyone unclear on the concept, is, like, a really long time ago, okay?
Four young men who have overcome problems like substance abuse, legal troubles and emotional struggles are planning to ride 500 miles across Georgia to honor the founder of their youth home, who road 1,200 miles from Vidalia, Georgia to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1961 to help raise awareness and support for the newly established youth home.
London Penny Farthing riders set four Guinness World Records, including for the largest and smallest rideable big wheelers. Although I initially left out the “h” in “Farthing,” which would have made for a much more interesting set of records.
Seriously, don’t flee from the cops when they try to pull your bike over for multiple vehicle code violations — and don’t try to punch them out when they finally stop you. Whacking a cop with a bike pump is not one of the recommended uses for it, even if you are 86-years old.
Two people are dead, and another injured, just because some guy felt the need to get behind the wheel after drinking.
Allegedly.
According to reports from KTLA-5 and Ventura’s News Channel 12-3-11, three people were riding their bicycles north in the bike lane on PCH in Ventura County when a pickup driver plowed into them from behind at 50 to 55 mph.
One of the victims died at the scene, while another died after being taken to Ventura County Medical Center; the third victim was transported to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries.
The CHP places the crash around 7:08 pm Thursday, on PCH near Solimar Beach Road, just outside the City of Ventura.
A paywalled story from the Ventura County Star says a 33-year old woman from Bend, Oregon died at the scene, while a 39-year old Ventura man died at the hospital. The injured victim was identified only as a woman.
It’s not clear if they were riding together, or just had the misfortune of all being in the driver’s way. Several witnesses stopped to assist the victims before paramedics arrived.
It’s not known why the driver, identified only as a 24-year old Oxnard man, veered his pickup into the bike lane. He continued north until crashing into a guardrail, coming to rest on the right shoulder.
CHP investigators arrested the driver at the scene on suspicion of felony DUI causing injury, murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. He’s being held at the Ventura County jail in lieu of $1 million bail, and scheduled for a June 15th hearing in Ventura County Superior Court.
The murder charge suggests this may not be his first DUI offense.
Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP’s Ventura Area Office at 805/662-2640, and reference CAD Log 260611VT0384.
These are the 33rd and 34th bicycling fatalities that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the sixth and seventh we know about in Ventura County already this year.
Update: Ventura County’s Rolling Cerros Run Club identified the victims on Instagram as Kellie Standish and Colby Tucker.
Other Instagram accounts remember two, while another video, which I can’t embed, shows the many signatures on their ghost bike, as well as their friends coming together; it sounds like their deaths are a real loss to the community.
However, they still have not been officially identified by police, the medical examiner’s office or the media five days later. And there has been no public identification of the driver.
Instagram post
Instagram post
Instagram post
Update 2: A preliminary obituary for Colby Tucker has been posted online. A memorial for the 39-year old will be held in the Boston area on Tuesday, with a live link to posted online later; a celebration of life will be held in Ventura in the coming months.
According to the obituary,
Donations in celebration of Colby’s life may be made to organizations working to conserve places he loved: The Green Mountain Club, protecting the Long Trail in Vermont (donation page here), and The Nature Conservancy, protecting Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands off the coast of Ventura (memorial donation page here). Livestream link to follow.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Kellie Standish and Colby Tucker, and all their loved ones.
The victim, identified only as a 53-year old man, died at the scene.
Police determined that he had been riding east on Fifth when he was apparently rear-ended by a driver headed in the same direction, who fled the scene.
There’s no description of the driver or suspect vehicle at this time, and no word on which way they fled.
A street view shows bike lanes on Harbor, but nothing on Fifth.
Anyone with information is urged to call Officer Joseph Clarke at 805/385-7749, or email joseph.clarke@oxnardpd.org.
This is the 32nd bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the fifth we know about in Ventura County; three of those deaths have now occurred in Oxnard.
It was also the 9th fatal hit-and-run involving a bike rider in Southern California this year.
The victim was riding on the east sidewalk of Sequoia Ave, heading south, when they “failed to stop in time” at the railroad crossing at Sequoia and Los Angeles Ave, and was struck by a passing Amtrak train.
It’s not clear if the victim died at the scene, or was taken to a local hospital.
If the description is accurate, it suggests that the victim tried and failed to stop in time, raising questions of how fast the ebike was going — and what type of ebike a victim that young was riding. As well as why the crossing gates did not provide more warning before the train arrived.
It’s also possible that the victim may not have noticed the gates were down, or could have tried to go around the gates after they had been lowered.
Either way, it’s a needless tragedy that will be felt throughout the community.
Anyone with information is urged to call Simi Valley Police Department Traffic Investigator Abel Martinez at 805/583-6224, or email AMartinez@simivalley.org. Or contact Simi Valley Police Department Traffic Supervisor Sergeant Josh McAlister at 805/583-6940, email JMcAlister@simivalley.org.
This the 27th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the fourth in Ventura County.
That compares to three all year last year, and two the year before.
According to KCBS-2, he was riding a Class 3 ped-assist ebike, which could have legally reached speeds up to 28 mph. And as Christian points out below, he was riding on the sidewalk that would have faced traffic, so the traffic arm would have been on the opposite side of the railroad tracks.
“He was a beloved son, brother, teammate and a true friend to so many,” the post says. “His love for the game was evident every time he stepped on the field, but it was his kindness, his energy and his unforgettable smile that truly made him special.”
A memorial has been set up inside Simi Valley’s Sinaloa Middle School, where he was in the 7th grade.
That driver stopped after the crash. Police do not believe he was speeding or under the influence
The victim was knocked off his bike by the impact, landing in the next lane, where he was run over by a driver in an SUV. That person continued without stopping, dragging the ebike under their car.
The second driver stopped about a block away to dislodged the ebike from underneath the SUV, then got back in and continued driving south on Saviers. There’s no description at this time of that driver or the suspect SUV.
The victim died at the scene.
It’s not clear from the limited description whether he was riding in the bike lane when he was struck by the first driver, or if he was in the traffic lane next to it.
It’s also not clear whether he was actually riding a ped-assist or throttle-controlled bicycle, or if he was riding e-motorbike or a non-street legal electric dirt bike.
That’s an ongoing problem when anything with two wheels and an electric motor is called an ebike, regardless of how fast or powerful it is.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Oxnard Police Officer Daniel Diaz Sanchez at 805/385-7750, or email daniel.diaz-sanchez@oxnardpd.org, especially after hours. Or you can call the Oxnard Police Department at 805/385-7600.
This the 16th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the second in Ventura County; both were in Oxnard.
Five of those deaths have now involved hit-and-run drivers.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
Once again, we have to ask ourselves how old is too old to drive.
Because a 79-year old Oxnard driver somehow killed a man riding a bicycle directly ahead of her, on a dark roadway “notorious” for crashes involving bike riders and pedestrians.
Police found the victim lying in the eastbound lanes of Wooley, suffering from major injuries. RMG Newsreports he was taken to a local hospital, but died in transport.
The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The grill of her massive older SUV showed damage to the center of the grill, suggesting the victim was right in front of her in center of the lane.
Video showed the victim’s red road bike crumpled on the side of the roadway. There are no lights visible on his bicycle in the video. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean he didn’t have any, either on him or on his bike.
RMG News describes that stretch of Wooley Road as known for “being poorly lit and the site of multiple past collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists.”
So the question remains why she couldn’t avoid someone who, at the very least, should been clearly lit up by her headlights.
We have no way of knowing whether her age was a factor in the crash. It’s possible it could have affected her ability to see the victim on the dark street, or reduced her ability to react in time.
Which is exactly the problem.
Due to limited testing of elderly drivers, we have no way of knowing who can operate their vehicles safely, day or night — and who can’t.
Or who shouldn’t be driving at all.
There’s also a question of why a street known to be hazardous for people walking and biking hasn’t been improved, or at least lighted well enough to prevent crashes.
We’re not likely to get the answers. But those are questions any lawyer will undoubtedly ask.
This is the fifth bicycling fatality that I’m aware in of Southern California this year, and the first in Ventura County.
A man was killed when he was run down from behind while riding a bicycle in Oxnard Thursday morning.
According to the Ventura County Star, the victim was riding north Vineyard Ave when he was struck by northbound semi-truck driver. The paper places the collision in the city’s Del Rio neighborhood, just north of Simon Way on Vineyard shortly after 10 am.
There’s no identity for the victim or the driver at this time. There’s also no word on why the driver apparently didn’t see someone riding a bicycle directly in front of him in broad daylight.
The victim was taken to the Ventura County Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.
The driver remained at the scene and assisted the fallen bike rider.
Anyone with information is urged to call Oxnard Police Corporal Manuel Perez at 805/385-7750, or email manuel.perez@oxnardpd.org.
This is at least the 44th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in Ventura County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
A bad month for bike riders in Southern California got worse today, when word broke that an Oxnard man died two weeks after he was struck by a driver while riding his bicycle last month.
First responders found him lying in the entryway to the Grocery Outlet Store, following the apparent right hook collision as the woman turned into the parking lot from northbound Ventura.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office reported around 2:30 pm last Friday that the man, identified as Oxnard resident Salvador Lopez, had died from his injuries.
The driver, Hannah De La Cruz, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. They don’t believe she was speeding or under the influence.
Anyone with information is urged to call Oxnard Police Corporal Manny Perez at 805/385-7749 or 805/200-5668, or email manuel.perez@oxnardpd.org.
This is at least the 29th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in Ventura County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Salvador Lopez and his loved ones.
Southern California’s deadliest roadway has claimed another life.
This time in Ventura County. And once again, the victim appears to be a road cyclist.
According to the Ventura County Star, the victim was struck by a motorist while riding in the northbound lanes of Pacific Coast Highway shortly before 11:15 this morning.
The station reports the victim was leading a group of eight other bicyclists on the shoulder of the highway when the rider allegedly made an abrupt turn into the northbound traffic lane, and was hit by a driver traveling at 55 mph.
Ventura County firefighters said someone was performing CPR on the victim when they arrived. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and additional units were called off.
There’s no information yet on the identity of the victim or the driver. And no word on why the victim may have swerved into the traffic lane, or what group the riders may have been associated with, if any.
Despite recent efforts to improve safety, too many people have died, and continue to die, on PCH as a result of traffic violence. And too many of those have been riding bicycles.
This was at least the seventh bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Ventura County.
