Help identify unconscious Boyle Heights bike crash victim, LA backing out of HLA, and South LA ebike lending library

April 16, 2024 / / No comments
Just 260 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we all face on the needlessly mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can. 

We’re now up to 1,095 signatures, so let’s get it over 1,100 today! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay.

………

Well, I survived Tax Day, although my bank account may be on life-support for awhile. I hope you and your accounts faired better. 

We have a lot to catch up on, so let’s get right to it. 

………

Los Angeles General Medical Center is asking for help identifying a man who was struck by a driver while riding his bike at Fresno Street and Cesar Chavez Ave in Boyle Heights on Thursday.

The victim is described as approximately 55 years old, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, 150 pounds, with average build, brown eyes, a shaved head and multiple distinctive tattoos.

Anyone with information is urged to call Licensed Clinical Social Workers Brian Dillon at 323/409-3134 or Cristol Perez at 323/409-4317.

This offers yet another reminder to always carry ID with you whenever you ride — preferably in a form that isn’t likely to be stolen if you’re incapacitated.

………

It’s now 117 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 34 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

Meanwhile, Forbes says other states should follow Colorado’s example of offering a $450 credit on the purchase of an ebike.

Which would make far more sense than California’s bizarre plan to provide a larger voucher to a relative handful of the limited number of low-income residents who qualify, and which is likely to get far fewer people out of their cars than a broader plan open to everyone.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

Poor, put-upon Welsh drivers are complaining they’re being squeezed off the road, after a new two-way bike lane nearly the width of the existing car lanes was installed. Because apparently, enough room for a motor vehicle isn’t enough room to satisfy them.

In an apparent attempt to thin the herd, a town in the UK has installed contraflow bike markings on a number of narrow, one-way streets. And by narrow, they mean barely wide enough for a single vehicle going one direction.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

The local DA says a Pennsylvania driver was justified in shooting a male bike rider who tried to forcibly enter the shooter’s car; the victim reportedly chased the driver, who had honked at him for blocking a line of backed-up vehicles, before opening the passenger door and trying to get in. Thankfully, the victim is expected to make a full recovery. Although I don’t suppose the driver considered just locking the door before getting out his gun.

………

Local 

Urbanize looks forward to Sunday’s Venice CicLAvia. You’ll have to go without me this time; I’ll be home nursing a torn rotator cuff while looking after my wife’s broken shoulder. 

The LA County Sheriff’s Department will conduct a bicycle and pedestrian safety operation in West Hollywood tomorrow, ticketing anyone who does something that could jeopardize people walking or biking, regardless of who does it. Which means the usual protocol applies, so ride to the letter of the law until you cross the city limits, so you’re not the one who gets written up.

Beverly Hills has launched a six-month traffic calming pilot program on Clifton Way, installing curb-cut extensions and a pair of traffic circles, which should make the residential street safer and significantly more pleasant alternative to Wilshire Blvd. Assuming local drivers can figure out how to navigate it, of course.

People using the popular Ballona Creek bike path may experience intermittent closures on a lengthy section between Sepulveda Blvd and Sawtelle Blvd due to flooding; LADWP is reportedly investigating whether the problem is due to a broken water main, or the result of excess rainfall.

 

State

Calbike’s new Executive Director Kendra Ramsey recounts her experiences at her first National Bike Summit.

A decade after becoming the first Congress member to ride in the 545-mile AIDS/LifeCycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Burbank Rep. Adam Schiff hopes to become the first US Senator to take part.

Apparently, the San Diego Padres aren’t fans of bicycles after the club banned bicycles from Gallagher Square, aka the Park at the Park, as part of a new renovation, despite being allowed for the past 20 years at the ostensibly public property. Thanks to Malcomb Watson for the link.

Video of a half-dozen Santa Cruz cops swarming a Black man is stirring controversy over what started as a traffic stop for riding his ebike through a group of pedestrians in a crosswalk; he was arrested after refusing to identify himself to the cop who stopped him.

Awful news from Berkeley, where bike-riding man’s leg was severed when a driver crashed into a row of parked cars, pinning him in between; police may have saved his life by applying a tourniquet within two minutes of the crash. A comment on Mastodon says the city refused a federal grant to improve safety at the intersection. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

Sad news from Modesto, where a 49-year old woman was killed when she reportedly rode her BMX bike around a railroad crossing barrier, and into the path of an Amtrak train east of the city.

A San Francisco business owner is going on a 30-day hunger strike to protest the centerline Valencia Street protected bike lane, which he claims is killing his business. The point of a hunger strike is being willing to risk death to call attention to the problem; a hunger strike with a limited duration is more like wanting to lose weight after the doctor refused to prescribe Ozempic.

The City by the Bay now has its first sidewalk-level protected bike lane.

 

National

Streetsblog talks with California 4th District Rep. Mike Thompson, the incoming co-chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus, who wants to get more of his fellow US Congress members on bikes.

Outside columnist Eben Weiss sings the praises of cotton clothing for bike riding, calling it the original performance fabric. As long as you don’t mind riding with sweat-soaked fabric clinging to your skin. And as for the original performance fabric, wool and silk might have something to subject.

Witnesses blamed an ebike rider for blowing through a red light, after the victim was struck by a New York cop in a marked patrol car. Seriously, if you’re not going to pay attention to the traffic light, at least look for the police before you blow through the intersection. 

Philadelphia protestors enjoyed coffee, churros and dance tunes as they partied to keep Sunday worshippers from parking in a bike lane.

An incumbent Baltimore city councilmember called for the bicycle community’s support against his “anti-bike” opponent.

 

International

Momentum ranks 30 of the world’s most beautiful bike routes. Yet oddly fails to include any in California. 

Momentum also considers whether cargo bikes are harder to ride, concluding they’re different, but worth the extra effort.

Road.cc looks at some of the world’s most expensive production bikes. For riders with more dollars than sense, apparently. 

Bike riders are on edge in otherwise bike-friendly Bogotá, Colombia, home to the world’s first ciclovia, where small gangs of robbers are targeting people riding bicycles, and a bike gets stolen every 42 minutes.

Hundreds of Toronto residents turned out for the city’s largest ghost bike ride in the past decade, to call for safer streets and honor the year’s third bicycling victim — which may be why Toronto is “getting a whack” of new bike lanes and pathways this year. Maybe if we had a turnout like that here in Los Angeles, we might finally see some safer streets, too. 

London celebrates 30 years of Critical Mass rides to fight for safer streets.

A “chatty” bike-riding French Bulldog charmed people in Amsterdam.

Le Monde considers how Taiwan became the world’s leading bikemaker.

This is who we share the road with. A 28-year old New Zealand man has been drastically undercharged for attempting to use his car to kill a 15-year old boy, who is fighting for his life after the man repeatedly, and intentionally, ran over him — yet the driver only faces a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

 

Competitive Cycling

A man after my tastes. Yorkshire, England’s Tom Pidcock won this year’s Amstel Gold Race, but remained decidedly unimpressed with the namesake beer.

Dutch great Marianne Vos slipped in to win the women’s Amstel Gold after her countrywoman Lorena Wiebes celebrated just a tad too soon; Canadian Cycling Magazine considers the worst premature cycling celebrations.

Velo looks at 18-year old American Andrew August, who makes his debut as the youngest rider to ever compete on the WorldTour.

Canadian Nadia Gontova won the women’s Redland’s Classic, as fellow Canuck Mara Roldan took the final stage in a two-rider breakaway; American Tyler Stites won the men’s GC.

No surprise here, as the US-based National Cycling League decided to “pause” operations for the 2024 season, and release all the league’s riders from their contracts. Which is business speak for shutting the whole thing down unless they can find more funding.

 

Finally…

That feeling when a driver can’t even see you on a Penny Farthing. When a gigantic gator tries to cross your path, maybe you should just let it.

And make your plans to tune in, turn on and drop out for this year’s Bicycle Day.

……... 

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Move along, nothing to see here — tax hell edition

April 14, 2024 / / One comment

My apologies.

I’m caught up in tax hell, trying to get my taxes done on time. We’ll be back tomorrow to catch up on anything we missed today.

Category: General /

100% of known 2024 LA-area traffic deaths involve hit-and-run drivers, and Malibu backs questionable PCH speed bill

April 12, 2024 / / One comment
Just 264 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we all face on the needlessly mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can. 

We’re now up to 1,066 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

………

It’s now 113 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 34 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. A Newport, Rhode Island letter writer argues that narrowing a main road to make room for bike lanes is just “politically correct silliness that exalts the interests of the 0.1 percent of the population who would actually ride bicycles on a main thoroughfare over the 99.9 percent of us who use motor vehicles to go about our business.”

No bias here, either. Seventy-seven-year old British actress Patricia Hodge accused bicyclists of thinking they’re the center of the universe, because one “unforgivably rude but also dangerous” bicyclist almost hit her as she crossed a street, adding, “The only reason they’re angry is because they know I’m right.” Which is wrong in so many ways. Starting with the very large brush she seems to have stuck up her…oh, never mind. 

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers more details on Measure HLA officially becoming law in Los Angeles.

Santa Monica unveiled the long-gestating first and last mile safety improvements surrounding the Bergamot Metro Station.

 

State

Riverside County approved the 2024 Traffic Relief Plan calling for improving pedestrian walkways and bicycle paths, but also widening traffic corridors in an apparent effort to make them more dangerous.

Four more establishments have joined the lawsuit accusing San Francisco’s Valencia Street centerline protected bike lane of destroying their businesses by diverting traffic and eliminating parking.

 

National

Louisville, Kentucky’s Goodwill outlet is fixing up donated bikes, and giving them to anyone who needs a way to get to work.

That’s more like it. A New Jersey man will spend 15 years behind bars after admitting to the hit-and-run that killed a 14-year old boy riding a bicycle; the boy’s mother forgave the man who killed him “from the bottom of (her) heart.”

A DC traffic safety project will no longer include bike lanes, after residents insisted they would cause congestion and they’d rather keep curbside parking. Which kind of negates the whole “safety” part of the project.

A Memphis website offers the “ultimate guide” to bicycling in the city. Which comes after the city handed its mantle as the nation’s worst city for bicyclists off to Los Angeles, which appears to have retired the crown.

 

International

They get it. A British Columbia newspaper says the province’s new three-foot passing law doesn’t go far enough to protect bike riders, calling for “radical changes” to the streets.

A London bike rider says he’s greeted with smiles and thumbs-up from motorists despite being a MAMIL. But only when he rides with his tiny toy poodle.

There’s a special place in hell for whoever left a five-year old boy terrified after inexplicably hitting the kid over the head in a random attack as he rode his bike with his mom and sister.

Britain’s “optical illusion” bike path will get an overnight fix to keep people from tripping over the curb that appears to be flat.

I want to be like him when I grow up. An 80-year old British man plans to bike 100 miles from his home to thank the hospital staff who saved his life from a near-fatal infection. Except for the whole “near-fatal infection,” of course.

A city council candidate in Malta set out to demonstrate how easy it is to bike to work instead of driving. And ended up with two broken arms after drivers squeezed him off the road.

An Israeli website recommends the best bike baskets currently for sale on Amazon. Which doesn’t exactly equate to the best bike baskets, does it? 

An Aussie car site says “technically” a driver isn’t allowed to enter a crosswalk until a pedestrian completely crosses the street, although “the law is open to interpretation.” If something is technically prohibited, it’s prohibited, period. But sure, tell us how bike riders are “technically” required to stop for stop signs. 

 

Competitive Cycling

Wout van Aert has ruled himself out of next month’s Giro as he struggles to recover from serious injuries suffered in a massive 12-bike crash at the Dwars door Vlaanderen; meanwhile, Primož Roglič is already back to training after being injured in the same crash.

 

Finally…

That feeling when Putin’s election is considered fairer than a decision than to sometimes close a canyon road to motor vehicles. Or when a weird-looking wheel clip promises to turn any bicycle into a weird-looking ebike.

And our corgi would like to apologize on behalf of all members of her breed for the actions of the small sheepdog and corgi that darted in front of an Irish bike club, causing two members to fall.

Because if we’re going to keep blaming all bike riders for the actions of a few, we should probably extend that same collective blame to every other group, as well.

……... 

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Update: Young man riding bicycle killed in Wilmington hit-and-run — 3rd fatal LA County bike hit-and-run this year

April 11, 2024 / / No comments

News is just coming in that a bike rider was killed in a Wilmington hit-and-run Thursday night.

According to KCBS/KCAL News, the victim, described only as a man in his 20s, was struck by a driver around 8:45 pm while riding at Wilmington Blvd and West G Street.

He died at the scene.

There’s no word on how the crash occurred, and no description of the heartless coward who left him there to die, or the vehicle they were driving.

There is a bike lane in both directions on Wilmington, with the intersection controlled only by stop signs on West G.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

This is at least the 12th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of already this year in Los Angeles County; it’s also the second in the City of Los Angeles.

Five of those SoCal deaths have been hit-and-runs, as have all of the deaths in LA County.

As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the driver in any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.

Update: The victim has been identified as 28-year old Wilmington resident Junior Valle.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Junior Valle and his loved ones.

.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

No justice for Florida bicyclists, bikes outnumber cars on Parisian streets, and speed cams could be coming to PCH

April 11, 2024 / / 2 comments
Just 265 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we all face on the needlessly mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can. 

We’re now up to 1,057 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

………

My apologies for yesterday’s unexcused absence. Diabetes, a bum shoulder and a bad back, and suddenly becoming a full-time caregiver for my wife and my dog, all combined to knock me on my ass Tuesday night. And it probably won’t be the last time. 

………

It’s now 112 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 34 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

A Henderson, Nevada bike rider has launched a “Save Our Bike Lanes” website, after city leaders in the formerly bike-friendly city embarked on a decidedly bike-unfriendly campaign to remove them.

Houston’s new mayor has pulled a 180 from his bike and pedestrian friendly predecessor, ordering pedestrian islands ripped out and freezing plans for bike lane.

The city council of Providence RI has gone on the record as opposing the mayor’s plan to rip out a bike lane on a bridge to make more room for, yes, cars.

A Winnipeg, Canada city councilor spent yesterday backpedaling without a bike after coming under withering and well-deserved criticism for saying bicycle Nazis want to “take away all the lanes and the cars,” apologizing for making the statement at a city council meeting.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

A Wisconsin man was arrested for threatening deputies and assaulting a nurse, after he was found lying in a ditch next to his bicycle, heavily intoxicated.

………

Local 

Metro is hosting a telephone town meeting on Tuesday to discuss next year’s budget.

LAist looks back at LA’s elevated, wooden bicycle freeway, which never quite made it all the way to Pasadena before cars took over in the early 1900s; the route now forms the basis for the Pasadena freeway.

The two executives from North Hills-based Hope the Mission have made it to Oklahoma City on their cross-country bike ride to raise attention to the plight of homelessness. Meanwhile, my brother has made it to eastern New Mexico on his cross-country ride, after encountering several weather delays.

Glendale is hosting a Bike Safety 101 workshop on the last Sunday of this month.

Active Streets Mission to Mission, nee 626 Golden Streets, will return April 28th to the popular route along five miles of San Gabriel Valley streets, winding from the San Gabriel Mission to South Pasadena.

 

State

Friday is the deadline to sign up for Calbike’s California Bike Summit in San Diego.

A 36-year old Hayward man faces charges for the hit-and-run death of a man riding bicycle last September, after seven months on the lam.

San Francisco bicyclists now have their own sidewalk-level bikeway. Which is one more than Los Angeles has. 

 

National

He gets it. A writer for Electrek says there’s a simple solution to virtually every ebike problem — just invest in better bike infrastructure.

Nice gesture. A bicycle shop in Lahaina, Hawaii is giving away over 100 bicycles to Maui residents displaced by last year’s wildfires.

An Oklahoma man set off on a 600-mile ride to visit all of the state’s historic all-Black towns in a single week.

Once again, you can ride your bike to the Indianapolis 500 for the low, low price of just $25 — or $30 the day of the race — which does not actually get you into the race.

Boston bicyclists will return at midnight Sunday for the 16th annual, officially unofficial and unsanctioned 26.2-mile ride along the Boston Marathon route, before the race runs later that morning. The same thing used to take place every year in Los Angeles — until the city made it an official event, then cancelled it, ostensibly over insurance concerns.

Florida man strikes again, as a 73-year old man was arrested for pulling a knife on a boy for riding his bicycle on the sidewalk, instead of a bike lane, telling police he thought his life was in danger because the kid was riding right at him.

Make that Florida man strikes again, again, as a man faces charges for firing his gun in a dispute over a bicycle — then left the bike just lying there, of course.

 

International

Momentum lists the world’s ten bike bicycling destinations. None of which is Los Angeles, for obvious reasons. 

That’s more like it. British Columbia drivers will now have to give bike riders a three-foot passing distance, increasing to roughly five feet above 31 mph.

Sad news from Toronto, where a popular 59-year old ride leader for a local bicycling club was killed by a driver.

A new Scottish study shows bike rates remained flat, even as most people now recognize the benefits of bicycling, from better health and happiness to saving money and being better for the environment; as usual, safety remains the biggest barrier.

Drivers in the UK think a new 12-foot wide, two-way bike lane is just too wide and too confusing, accusing city officials of using it as a ruse to drive drivers out of town.

Just as in the US, traffic deaths in the Netherlands continue to drop, despite ever-increasing rate of bicycling deaths; 40% of the bike victims were killed by delivery van drivers.

A new Romanian-made laminated bamboo-frame bike claims to be the world’s lightest ebike, even though at 33 pounds, it probably isn’t.

Here’s another one for your bike bucket list — bikepacking the spectacular Alps of western Slovenia.

I want to be like him when I grow up. An 89-year old Japanese man rode his bike nearly 375 miles just to visit his 61-year old son.

Life is cheap in Australia, where a 23-year old driver got just six to sixteen months behind bars for killing a bike rider, despite using Instagram on her phone while driving at least 50 mph. And not surprising, ays she never saw the entirely innocent victim she killed.

 

Competitive Cycling

Aussie cyclist Jay Vine took his first tentative steps using a walker, after suffering a fractured skull and vertebrae in the Tour of the Basque County crash that also left cycling stars Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel facing injuries; Belgian cyclist Steff Cras though he was going to die in the crash.

The spectator who launched a hat at the rear wheel of Mathieu van der Poel’s bike as he soloed to victory at Paris-Roubaix says she didn’t mean to cause any harm. Meanwhile, someone made off with the race’s iconic cobbles.

Tragic news from Russia, where 34-year old former pro cyclist turned hockey player Alexey Tsatevich has died.

Tyler Stites edged Tom Williams to win stage 1 of the Redlands Classic, while Canadian Mara Roldan won a group sprint over Maeghan Easler and Alia Shafi on the women’s side.

 

Finally…

A-tisket, a-tasket, a bird nest in your bike basket. That feeling when a collegiate women’s team pursuit isn’t a frat strategy for a sorority mixer.

And why should motorcyclists get to hog all the sidecars?

Make it corgi-sized to fit an e-cargo bike, and I’m all in.

……... 

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

San Diego declares war on ebike-riding seniors, and US bike deaths keep rising as planners prioritize cars over people

April 9, 2024 / / No comments
Just 267 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we all face on the needlessly mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

We’re now up to 1,046 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

Photo by Max J on Pexels. 

………

Author Richard Fox writes that San Diego has declared war on ebike-riding seniors.

On April 7, four 78-years olds with ebikes stopped for lunch at a picnic table along the series of bike paths that surround picturesque Mission Bay in San Diego. The circuit around the bay is the main easy scenic bike ride in San Diego, enjoyed by walkers and cyclists of all ages. Suddenly, a park ranger appeared and demanded that they leave the park with their ebikes through the nearest parking lot and do the remainder of the ride on nearby busy roadways in traffic. 

While a small percentage of ebikers, usually youngsters and the occasional obnoxious adult, may terrorize multi-use trails by weaving around others at high speeds, most ebikers, especially seniors, are sensible and courteous, obeying posted speed limits.  But rather than targeting the miscreants, the City and Port of San Diego have banned all ebikes on their most scenic trails that line bodies of water such as San Diego Bay in San Diego Harbor, Mission Bay, and the Mission/Pacific Beach Boardwalk. 

Since many seniors, and those with physical disabilities, rely on the extra boost provided by ebikes, the city has effectively taken away their ability to ride on San Diego’s most scenic bike paths. And that includes this senior, author of enCYCLEpedia Southern California – The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides.  In the book I sang the praises of San Diego and its world class biking opportunities, but now that is all in the past for those who ride ebikes. Not only is the Mission Bay ride off limits, but that ride is the hub for area rides to La Jolla, Ocean Beach and Old Town San Diego. The harbor ride is the connector between Liberty Station, Shelter and Harbor Islands, new protected bike lanes across downtown to Little Italy and Balboa Park, and the ferry to Coronado. Now ebiking seniors must dodge traffic and avoid the most scenic stretches that have e-bike bans, and sidewalks are no longer a safe option for them since San Diego has banned ebikes on those as well.

A better regulatory system needs to be implemented.  Seniors don’t deserve to be thrown under the bus because of the bad behavior of others, which is literally what may happen if they are forced to ride in traffic instead of the safety of bike paths in the most scenic areas of San Diego.

It’s now 110 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 34 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. The director of the Center for Energy, Climate and Environment says bike lanes are a good idea, except where they endanger bike riders, like along a truck route in beautiful Petaluma. Which suggests she may be less concerned with climate and the environment than the name of her center might suggest — especially since the piece also appears on the The Heritage Foundation website, which Wikipedia describes as an “activist conservative think tank.” 

An English woman was seriously injured when a driver pulled up next to her, and the car’s passenger pushed her off her bike and into a ditch last July; a suspect has been in jail since shortly after the attack. It takes a long time for British crime reports to percolate to the surface, due to the country’s strict privacy laws. 

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

A road-raging Singaporean bike rider was facing criticism online for not being cautious enough after dropping his bike in the roadway to confront a driver who failed to slow down and stop at a crosswalk. Because evidently, he should have somehow known the driver wasn’t going to see him right the hell in front of him, and placidly accepted the unanticipated threat to his life. 

………

Local 

No news is good news, right?

 

State

You’ve got to be kidding. Police in Salinas busted three kids who fled after the cops broke up a dangerous rideout of about 25 to 30 kids accused of riding recklessly and blocking major intersections — and charged them with multiple crimes, including felony evading, and one kid with conspiracy for organizing the rideout. Nothing like overcharging for a nonviolent crime. Thanks to PeddleEd for the link. 

City council candidates weighed in on San Francisco’s controversial Valencia Street centerline bike lane, with responses ranging from “needs work” to an outright disaster.

 

National

Good idea. The National Bicycle Dealers Association, aka NBDA, is establishing a database of all certified and insured ebikes available in the US to enable consumers, retailers, local governments and ebike incentive programs to differentiate between safe and unsafe makes and models. And no, I don’t know what “insured” means in this context, either. 

Meanwhile, Electrek recommends the best ebikes you can buy right now.

A Portland advocate says women need to talk about taking back the streets of the city, and most other cities, as well.

The high school in my adventure cycling brother’s new Colorado hometown is now hosting a class creating the next generation of bike mechanics by teaching them how to break down and rebuild bikes from scratch. Thanks to my old friend Tim Rutt for the heads-up. 

Bozeman, Montana is the latest city to consider banning parking in bike lanes, which shouldn’t be legal anywhere.

Houston’s Rice University has their own version of Indiana’s iconic Little 500, complete with pre-race water balloon fights, water chugging, vehicle decorating, and face painting. So maybe they don’t take it quite as seriously as IU does.

Collisions involving bike riders surged in Houston last year, jumping a whopping 21%.

The “world-renowned” TD Five Boro Bike Tour is back on in New York next month; Forbes calls it the world’s most inclusive bike ride. Which would seem to be impossible to quantify. 

New York says ebike batteries are becoming the most dangerous objects in the city, and offers a photo essay of the fire scars caused by dangerous lithium-ion batteries.

Ghost bikes are belatedly coming to Knoxville, Tennessee.

While Los Angeles remains too afraid of angry drivers to implement most road diets, Charlotte NC is moving ahead with a $12.9 million makeover of major street, reducing a little over half a mile from “four lanes to two to slow down vehicular traffic and improve pedestrian and cyclist access.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs is one of us, asking fans to “pray for your brother” while taking a casual bike ride across Miami, following recent FBI raids of two of his homes looking for evidence of alleged sex trafficking. Okay, so maybe not.

 

International

For the second day in a row, a Canadian driver faces a murder investigation for the death of a bike rider, as an Edmonton driver is accused of the hit-and-run death of a bike-riding man he allegedly knew.

A group of London bobbies — aka cops — commandeered ebikes from passing bike riders to chase a man escaping by bicycle after allegedly stealing a bottle of Hennessy; the man was also wanted to be sent back to prison.

A reporter for the BBC corrects online critics and trolls, clarifying that her bakfiets cargo bike did in fact replace her car, saving her the equivalent of over $1,260 in fuel costs — and she paid for it herself. Meanwhile, Momentum recommends five bucket bikes that could do the same for you right now.

Talk about not getting it. Auto-centric British Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson calls bike cam-wielding CyclingMikey “the most dreadful man in Britain today,” while calling him a sneak for openly recording texting drivers — and says texting while stopped in traffic is “as dangerous as knitting.”

Switzerland is asking companies across the entire country to form teams to encourage employees to bike to work as often as possible in May and June.

 

Competitive Cycling

Women’s world champ Lotte Kopecky served as her own bike wrench, grabbing an allen wrench from the team car to tighten her stem while riding to victory in Paris-Roubaix.

Primoz Roglic shows off his bandaged butt, among other parts, following the 12-rider crash that left defending Tour de France champ Jonas Vingegaard with a broken collarbone and a collapsed lung.

 

Finally…

The same tech that draws five-limbed people and insisted there were Black soldiers in Nazi Germany now wants to keep you safe from approaching cars.

……... 

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Longtime La Grange club member Edgar Burcksen died after suffering a heart attack; he was 76.

April 8, 2024 / / No comments

More bad news.

This time, it could hit close to home for many LA bicyclists.

According to an email from Velo Club La Grange, longtime club member Edgar Burcksen died Sunday morning, five days after he was injured while riding on San Vicente Blvd this past Tuesday.

Unfortunately, there’s no information at this time on whether Burcksen was struck by a driver or injured in fall, or where it occurred on San Vicente, which runs from South LA to Santa Monica. (Note: See Update 2 below for more information.)

Here’s how the email to club members described Burcksen.

Edgar was a long time LaGrange member who was a dependable, hardworking wheel just as he was in his life as an accomplished film editor, husband, father and friend. Well into his seventies, Edgar continued to ride numerous double centuries and participated in many club events including the LaGrange cup races. In 2006 Edgar edited the documentary about club founder Raymond Fouquet and Velo Club LaGrange early days called “The Gift”.
 Edgar’s cheerful smile and laugh will be missed.

Edgar is survived by his wife Jana, his son Branko and daughter Romaika.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

Update: Film industry publication Variety reports Burcksen died of complications from a heart attack in Los Angeles; he was 76. 

According to IMDB, Burksen had a long career in Hollywood as a film editor after moving here from his native Netherlands, working on projects ranging from The Hunt for Red October and Die Hard 2 to award-winning TV series and documentaries. 

Here’s how they end their bio.

Edgar Burcksen is an avid cyclist who rides100 miles every week with his Brentwood cycling club LaGrange, he is a member of the Editors Guild, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, he served the Board of Directors of ACE for many years and was the Editor in Chief of ACE’s magazine CinemaEditor for more than 17 years. For his contributions during his tenure as Editor in Chief of CinemaEditor he received the prestigious Robert Wise Award during the 2011 ACE Eddie Awards. He is fluent in English, German, French and of course Dutch.

Update 2: I’m told that Burcksen’s heart attack had nothing to do with the fact that he was riding a bike at the time, and was not caused by bicycling. He actually passed 12 days after the initial incident. 

As a result, I am removing his death from the fatality totals for both Southern California and Los Angeles. 

I also initially spelled his name as Burksen, rather than Burcksen, based on other reports, and apologize for the mistake. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Edgar Burcksen and all his family and loved ones. 

Photo from Velo Club La Grange

Thanks to Mitchell Guzik, Aaron A. Thomas and ChrisByBike for the heads-up.

Category: Health / Tags: , , , , ,

Hit-and-run Sierra Madre bicyclist arrested after two-month manhunt, and over 2,100 turn out in Griffith Park for safer streets

April 8, 2024 / / No comments
Just 268 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we all face on the needlessly mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

We’re now up to 1,043 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

………

The good news is, my wife is back home from the hospital, with a couple partially displaced fractures in her shoulder. The next few weeks will determine whether we’re looking at a grueling three month recovery, or up to a year if she needs surgery to reset the bones. 

Meanwhile, I’m now her full-time caregiver, as well as the corgi’s. Which is going to mean some major changes to when and how I work. 

Hopefully I’ll be able to keep things up and you won’t notice a difference. But no promises, because this is going to be a real challenge for the coming months. 

………

It’s now 109 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 34 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

West Hollywood residents planned a protest on Sunday to complain about the loss of parking to make space for protected bike lanes and other infrastructure projects on Fountain and Willoughby Aves, as well as Santa Monica Blvd, which “will eventually deprive the surrounding neighborhoods of hundreds of parking spaces.” Proving once again that the convenience of drivers outweighs human lives for far too many people. And seriously, don’t read the comments after you’ve eaten. Or at all, for that matter.

A Las Cruces, New Mexico driver was convicted of shooting a bike rider in the face during a road-rage incident, along with a five-year sentence enhancement for using a firearm; the dispute began when he almost crashed into the victim.

Houston, Texas is deemphasizing its commitment to Vision Zero under the city’s new mayor.

Life is cheap in the UK, where a van driver got a lousy 21-months behind bars for intentionally swerving into a teenager riding an ebike, who he thought had stolen his son’s motorbike.

Even in North Macedonia, streets, sidewalks and bike paths are unusable after being overrun with parked cars.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

A 79-year old English woman is grieving the love of her life, after a hit-and-run bike rider rode off after rolling over her pet chihuahua.

A British judge ruled that a 54-year old senior control engineer and a 66-year-old teacher were equally at fault for colliding while riding on a bike path, concluding they were “traveling at twice the safe speed” and oblivious to each other’s presence when the “inevitable” crash occurred.

………

Local 

London’s Independent says forget driving, and explore Los Angeles by bicycle.

Streets For All founder Michael Schneider says the lesson to be learned from the overwhelming passage of Measure HLA is that safe streets are good politics.

The LA Times asks if you have what it takes to compete in the grueling, three-stage LA Tourist Race for gravel and mountain bikes.

McLaren IndyCar driver David Malukas will make a delayed debut with the team in Long Beach in two weeks, after a mountain-biking “brain fart” sent him over his handlebars while riding on an easy trail, resulting in a dislocated his wrist and multiple torn ligaments.

 

State

Calbike says California must seize the opportunity to build better bikeways by supporting AB 2290, Assemblymember Laura Friedman’s Quicker and Better Bikeways Bill.

The San Luis Obispo Police Department ticketed a whopping 13 drivers and bicyclists during their latest bicycle and pedestrian safety operation, though they didn’t give a breakdown on which group got the most tickets, or why.

Sad news from Lost Hills, where a bike rider was killed by a pickup driver in the tiny unincorporated town.

The owner of a San Francisco restaurant threatens an extreme crash diet, saying he’s going on a 30-day hunger strike to protest the Valencia Street centerline bike lanes, claiming the bike lanes are ruining his business.

The Marin County Bicycle Coalition issued a call to action, urging Bay Area bicyclists to fight to keep the bike and pedestrian path on the Richmond-San Raphael bridge, which drivers somehow claim is causing congestion instead of just too many cars and drivers clogging the five lane, double-decker bridge.

 

National

A writer for an automotive website lists the downsides of owning an ebike, ranging from price to limited range and the need for charging. And says it’s still worth it to own and ride one.

The Sierra Club offers advice on how to hit the road from Idaho to Alabama to Maine without a single car ride or plane trip, using nothing but Amtrak and a bicycle.

Velo introduces some of the four-legged, furry friends of gravel racing.

Denver is continuing to make improvements to the city’s streets, opening a 1.5-mile protected bike lane on one of the city’s busiest business corridors.

Watch as a Colorado woman goes bicycling with her miniature cow. Because why wouldn’t she?

A 78-year old Iowa city councilmember was injured when a woman less than half his age crashed into his bicycle, despite flashing lights mounted front and rear on his bike.

The city council in Providence, Rhode Island passed a resolution opposing the mayor’s plan to rip out a bike lane to make more room for cars, as hundreds of residents turned out to oppose the plan.

 

International

No, airbag bib shorts for bicyclists aren’t an April Fools joke.

Your next bike could be made of recycled plastic. And look like it, too.

A 45-year old Vancouver man faces a charge of first-degree murder for the hit-and-run crash that killed a man riding a bicycle — a charge that requires intent, though no explanation was given.

She gets it. A Toronto mother of two writes that dead and injured bicyclists are never included in traffic discussions, while the voices that get lost in the debate are of those who don’t or can’t drive.

Thirty owners of Pedersen bicycles turned out to mark the 131st anniversary the distinctive diamond-shaped bikes, in the “genius” inventor’s English hometown.

A British man will spend the next 32 years behind bars for attempted murder after stalking another man through two pubs and lying in wait in an alley before shooting him through the neck. But at least he made his getaway on an ebike.

The UK is investing the equivalent of $3.6 million to build a bikeway separated from foot traffic on London’s Hammersmith Bridge, which has been closed to motor vehicles since cracks were discovered in 2019.

British drivers are encouraged to put a sticker reading “Think Bike” on their side mirrors to remind them to watch out for people on bicycles. Better yet,  make one that reads “Watch for bikes and pedestrians,” and require it by law.

Amsterdam is addressing the risk faster ebikes pose to people on bikeways by bumping ebikes capable of traveling faster than 12 mph into the driving lanes, which have a maximum speed limit of 18 mph.

Huh? Politico says a political backlash is leaving the future of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo uncertain, calling her an unpopular but visionary leader, after ten years of transforming the way Parisians get around. Even though city residents overwhelmingly backed her proposal to increase parking rates for SUVs. 

A bike-riding photographer bears witness to the sheer devastation caused by the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

A Singapore website investigates the lux lifestyle of Bromptons, Pinarellos and bespoke bikes.

A cement truck driver will spend the next six years behind bars for killing a Singapore bike rider while driving under the influence; he tried to blame the victim for riding too close to his truck.

There’s no lower form of walking human scum than the scammers trying to take advantage of an Australian hit-and-run victim’s family, after he was killed by a truck driver while riding his bike last month.

 

Competitive Cycling

Two-time defending Tour de France champ Jonas Vingegaard’s racing season is now in jeopardy, after a hard crash with several other riders during the Tour of Basque Country left him with a collapsed lung and pulmonary contusion, as well as a broken collarbone and several broken ribs; the crash also took out cycling stars Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel, the latter also suffering a broken collarbone, along with fractured shoulder plates. The race was cancelled following the crash involving a dozen riders.

Australian cycling star Jay Vine managed to avoid surgery for spinal injuries he suffered in the crash, but he will be in a neck brace for the next six weeks.

The president of the French professional cyclists union calls on UCI to take responsibility for making the sport safer, saying he’s angry over the recent spate of high-speed crashes, while Cyclist calls media coverage of the crash “inexcusable.”

World champion Mathieu van der Poel won his second straight Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, finishing three minutes ahead of his nearest rival after a 37-mile solo breakaway, just one week after winning the Tour of Flanders.

Women’s world champ Lotte Kopecky won Saturday’s Paris-Roubaix Femmes, topping former world champ Elisa Balsamo at the finish.

Cycling Weekly profiles a 51-year old London woman who is slowly remaking herself into an ultra-distance cyclist, as she trains for a “short” 1,145-mile, island-hopping UK race. Which just happens to begin in my father’s ancestral home.

An op-ed for Bike Rumor says it’s time for more of the bike industry to move past the toxic culture of bike racing.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you want to ride your bike, but with a windshield. Or when your bike bell has a dinosaur on it — maybe you can just pretend it’s a kaiju.

And even five-time Tour de France winners get their bikes stolen.

But sometimes, they get them back.

……... 

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Update: 32-year old Jaime Gutierrez killed in collision while riding a bicycle in Good Hope collision

April 6, 2024 / / No comments

Good Hope wasn’t good or hopeful for someone riding a bicycle Saturday evening.

According to My News LA, the victim was struck by a driver around 5:14 pm on state Highway 74 at Taylor Road, in the unincorporated section of Riverside County.

Actually, the story said the victim was struck by Tacoma Pickup, as if the driver had nothing to do with it.

A witness reported the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was lying on the dirt along the right-hand shoulder of the highway. They died at the scene.

The driver stopped and remained following the crash.

There’s no word on the victim’s age or sex at this time. There’s also no information on how the crash happened, or who may have been at fault. Or even which direction they were traveling.

This is at least the 12th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of already this year in Riverside County.

Update: This victim has been identified as 32-year old Perris resident Jaime Gutierrez. No details available.

Update 2: A crowdfunding campaign to help pay for his funeral has raised a little over $3,700 of the $30,000 goal. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jaime Gutierrez and all his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

US bicycling deaths set all-time record, 3 years for speeding hit-and-run driver, and Park demands info on bike trail collapse

April 3, 2024 / / One comment
Just 272 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we all face on the needlessly mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

We’re now up to 1,031 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

Photo by Artyom Kulakov from Pexels.

………

Let’s start with a little personal news. 

My wife fell and broke her shoulder in two places yesterday. She spent last night in the hospital, but she’ll be coming home today with it in a sling because they need to let the swelling go down before they can operate to reset it. 

Which means I’ll be her full time caregiver for the next few days, unless I can somehow talk the corgi into lending a paw. 

Never mind that this was just her second week at her new job, after finally landing her first permanent position since the pandemic. 

But those are the breaks. 

As a result, I doubt I’ll be able to work the rest of this week. So unless there’s breaking news, I’ll see you bright and early on Monday. 

I hope. 

………

It’s now 105 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 34 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

A Florida man faces charges for getting out of his car and attacking a 72-year old man riding a bicycle — while holding a small dog, no less — after he stopped short to avoid running a red light, and another bike rider crashed into his car; the driver was arrested after calling 911 to report losing his dog in the melee.

Kiwi bike riders are pushing back against the country’s Transportation Minister’s drastic policy shift to place more emphasis on cars and highways, while reducing funding for walking, bicycling and public transport.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Police in Brentwood, California are considering asking city leaders to pass an ordinance allowing them to seize the bikes of kids who flaunt traffic laws or ride through stores, after they were unable to find another city with a similar ordinance. Which somehow hasn’t stopped cops from illegally seizing bikes without legal authority.

………

Local 

Streetsblog reports Los Angeles has nearly completed work on a new protected bike lane and walkways along Parthenia Place in the working-class Latino community of North Hills, in the San Fernando Valley.

LA TV station Fox-11 enjoys a good laugh over a bicyclist popping a wheelie next to a police chase, apparently unable to distinguish between a bicycle and what looks like a dirt bike, or maybe a throttle-controlled ebike.

 

State

Oceanside bike lawyer and BikinginLA sponsor Richard Duquette forwards news that the bike industry is mulling a response to Encinitas Assemblymember Tasha Boerner’s proposal to license ebike riders who don’t have a driver’s license, with bikemakers coming down on both sides of the issue.

BMX riders are justifiably upset after Visalia demolished a local DIY bike park without warning last week, with no plans for an official replacement.

 

National

It took a couple years, but a Colorado man is finally back on his bike after he was run down by a hit-and-run driver, suffering over 20 broken bones, with his right femur was shattered into 40 pieces. The driver was eventually charged with careless driving and leaving the scene; no word on whether he was convicted or sentenced. Which kinda puts my wife’s broken shoulder in perspective, I guess. 

Life is really cheap in Colorado, where a woman who killed a 13-year old boy riding his bike to school walked without a day behind bars, after she was sentenced to a lousy two years probation and a $1,000 fine, despite admitting she killed an innocent kid while driving carelessly. Which is clearly just no big deal there. Or in most of the country, for that matter.

Seriously? Colorado has an official day just to celebrate ebikes. Meanwhile, California is trying to restrict their use, and can’t even offer a rebate voucher after three years. 

Consider it a National Park Service open streets event, as Yellowstone once again opens to bicycles in advance of opening the gates to motor vehicles.

New York will mark Earth Day with a series of seven signature car-free streets and 46 community-organized locations throughout the city. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, drivers will just continue doing what they do every other day. 

 

International

Electrek says there’s “nothing new about major automakers and motorcycle companies trying and failing to build and sell electric bicycles,” dating back to “American automotive visionary Lee Iacocca” in the 1990s.

A new study from the Netherlands shows that 75% of all drivers and bike riders use their cellphones on the road.

They get it. A new Swiss study suggests that cities around the world “need to take into account the rapid growth and the serious potential of electric bikes in moving people away from automobile.”

The Japan Times reports helmet use remains low in the country, despite a new law mandating bike helmets, as a report shows that only 14.7% of bike riders killed or injured in crashes were wearing one. Or it could just show that people wearing helmets weren’t the one getting killed or seriously injured.

Velo says the bike lanes in your city probably aren’t good enough, as yet another new study, this time from Australia, shows painted bike lanes aren’t enough to get most people on their bikes.

 

Competitive Cycling

Belgian cyclist Lars Daniels may have a future as a cowboy when he finally hangs up his saddle — bike saddle, that is — after corralling an escaped horse that tried to join the peloton during stage one of Belgium’s Arden Challenge on Saturday.

 

Finally…

That feeling when your kid’s bicycling instructor is a Grammy winning singer-songwriter-businesswoman-dancer-model-actress. Or when a dead rat represents everything you love about bicycling.

And apparently, not even bison are safe from out-of-control drivers.

……... 

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: ,
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