Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
I accused the Pasadena Star-News of showing an anti-bike lane bias for a story that said protected bike lanes would come at the expense of traffic lanes, even though city’s the first one, on Union Street, wouldn’t.
Except it does.
My understanding was that only parking spaces would have to be removed to make room for the bike lanes. But the truth is just the opposite.
Advocacy group Active SGV informs me that local residents and business want to preserve as much parking as possible, preferring to give up a largely unused traffic lane to losing parking spaces.
I’m not sure how I got it wrong, but clearly, I did.
My apologies to the Star-News for the error. And thanks to Active SGV for the correction.
Here’s what I originally wrote:
No bias against bike lanes here.
The Pasadena Star-News considers the proposal for Pasadena’s first two-way cycle track, imagining that protected bike lanes must come at the cost of traffic lanes — even though the one proposed for Union Street won’t.
They also suggest that the protected bike lane on Temple City’s Rosemead Blvd is a failure, because one councilmember says he seldom sees more than one or two riders using it at any given time.
Which would actually make it pretty busy, given the few seconds a passing driver can devote to noticing it.
And bearing in mind that anecdotal evidence isn’t worth the traffic study it’s not based on.
Credit Joe Linton with the photo, which was shamelessly stolen, uh, borrowed from LA Streetsblog.
………
Unfortunately, the story is hidden behind a paywall.
But evidently, LA-based sit-down scooter company Wheels has applied for a patent to build a detachable helmet directly into the scooter itself.
Which means you’ll share that helmet with whoever used it before you. And unless they can also build some sort of disinfectant and insecticide into the scooter, whatever was on their heads and in their hair.
I’ll pass, thanks.
………
I’ve been expecting someone to introduce this sooner or later.
A new clip-on device promises to turn any bicycle into an ebike, yet is small and light enough to fit into a backpack. Allowing you to carry it with you, and snap it on when you need a little extra boost to make it up a hill or get back home.
………
LA’s Velo Club LaGrange has set a date for the return of the bike club’s formerly annual Grand Prix, which will now be held in Carson, rather than Brentwood.
………
Local
LA Times letter writers says traffic deaths won’t end until drivers change their attitudes. Meanwhile, the Times’ Steve Lopez says a carfree future doesn’t sound all that bad.
Metro talks Bike Month in a sponsored Streetsblog post.
Santa Clarita jumps back in the saddle with a number of events to celebrate Bike Month.
State
San Francisco is getting new red light cameras to help stop dangerous drivers. Meanwhile, Los Angeles isn’t, after they were yanked out several years ago to appease angry drivers.
A new study shows that capping the number of e-scooters in San Francisco just drives more people back into cars, while Bird announces a monthly rental program to get around those restrictions.
Alaska Airlines is offering Bay Area residents airline miles to bike their commute on Bike to Work Day.
National
The Oregon house passes a bill to correct a bizarre court ruling that concluded bike lanes don’t exist in intersections unless they’re striped all the way across.
A San Antonio TX public radio program looks at the city’s Vision Zero, and concludes its roads aren’t safe for people on bicycles.
Auto-centric Houston TX puts Los Angeles to shame, building 50 miles of bike lanes in the past 12 months, while LA’s mayor is only willing to commit to ten. And “commit” may be a strong word.
Great idea. A Milwaukee ferry company offered free tickets worth $161 to anyone who brought in a gently used bicycle they could donate to local kids for Earth Week, even though they exceeded their own 500 bike limit.
A Memphis morning news anchor was lucky to escape with a leg broken in two places when her bike was hit head-on by a driver.
Streetsblog talks with the mayor of Cambridge MA, crediting him with finding a way to neutralize anti-bike lane NIMBYs.
New York police are looking for a hit-and-run bike rider who collided with a woman in Queens, leaving her with a broken arm.
The father of a fallen bicyclist calls on New York’s mayor to stop senseless traffic deaths.
A New York cop was busted for beating an ebike delivery rider who nearly hit the officer’s little girl. Which may be understandable, but is still wrong. And illegal.
A DC website says the Red Cup Project shows how vulnerable people are riding without protected bike lanes.
A Baltimore letter writer says a parking protected bike lane is a disaster waiting to happen, and should be ripped out because there are more children, parents and grandparents than there are bike riders. Because evidently, children, parents and grandparents don’t ride bikes. Or care about safety.
The stumbling drunk driver who killed two bike riders and injured seven others near a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade was indicted on two counts of vehicular homicide and seven counts each of hit-and-run and vehicular injuring.
A Florida safety expert explains why it’s the deadliest state in the US for people on bicycles.
International
A British grocery chain refuses to let bicyclists leave their bikes inside on “hygiene grounds.” Yet allow people to walk inside with their shoes on, which touch the same dirty streets bike tires do.
Pink Bike looks at eight “gorgeous” bikes from the Aussie Handmade Bicycle Show.
No bias here, either. The Japanese edition of Stars & Strips relates the rules of the road for the bike riders, while saying most most riders are oblivious to the laws, and many are crazy.
Competitive Cycling
Bicycling calls Nebraska’s Ashton Lambie the most interesting bike rider in America, as he prepares for the Olympics after just two years of racing.
Finally…
If you know when and where a group ride will be coming by, just stay out of their way, already. That feeling when your massive corporation somehow feels the need to fight a bike path logo that no one would ever confuse for yours.
And more proof bikes can go where cars can’t.
"While engine-powered vehicles may have sputtered and stalled, Chris Hecklinger, 16, of Maywood, pedaled full speed through the pond formed at a viaduct at North Avenue near 1st Avenue in the suburb in July #1980. Photo Jerry Tomaselli." #chicago via @vintagetribune #photography pic.twitter.com/GHBUz89h8K
— Format369 (@Format369) May 1, 2019
