Published January 29, 2010 by CityWatch
By Stephen Box

Declaring “The culture of the car ends now!” City Councilman Bill Rosendahl invoked the Cyclists’ Bill of Rights   (LINK)  and took a giant leap at pursuing a city ordinance that would prohibit the harassment of cyclists. He drew applause from council chambers as he articulated several examples of the behavior that he wants to forbid on the streets of Los Angeles.  (Video here).

1. Knowingly throwing a projectile or discharge at or in the direction of any person riding a bicycle;
2. Threatening any person riding a bicycle verbally or by use of his/her vehicle for the purpose of injuring, frightening or disturbing the person riding the bicycle;
3. Knowingly placing his/her vehicle within 3’ of a bicyclist while passing or following;
4. Making physical contact with a bicyclist from a moving vehicle or the roadway either by physical person or use of an implement;
5. Knowingly placing a person riding a bicycle in concern of immediate physical injury;
6. Knowingly engaging in conduct that creates a risk of physical injury or death to the person riding a bicycle.

As cyclists offered testimony of their experience riding the streets of Los Angeles, they were echoed in their concerns by members of the City Council who agreed that the City needs to do more to support the cycling community.

Councilman Ed Reyes recounted his experience as a child getting hit by a motorist as he rode his bike.

Councilman Rosendahl reminded the council of the Mandeville Canyon Road-Rage incident that brought the issue of harassment of cyclists to the forefront.

Councilman Paul Koretz stood in support and declared “We need to send a clear message.”

Rosendahl brought it home saying “We’re going to give cyclists the support they should have been getting.”

It seems simple, after all, who can stand in favor of harassment of any kind, but the devil is in the details.

The proposed “anti-harassment” motion, which simply directs the generation of reports on the development of an ordinance has made it through the Transportation Committee but hit a speed hump at the Public Safety Committee which recommended further study. The City Council voted to essentially direct the City Attorney and the LADOT to continue with the generation of reports.

As cyclists recounted their experiences turning to the LAPD for assistance when they experienced road-rage, aggression from motorists, threats, assaults and even hit-and-run collisions, Rosendahl responded by saying “The LAPD hasn’t been part of the solution, but sometimes has been part of the problem.” The LAPD had no response, they weren’t there. Somehow the LAPD and the District Attorney were left out of the process, leaving the LADOT as the lead and the City Attorney deferring in the development of an anti-harassment ordinance that requires enforcement and prosecution support. Some might even suggest that it requires support from Sacramento.

The real value of this ordinance lies not in its chances of becoming law but in the fact that the harassment of cyclists is being discussed, prompting some to murmur “This is how it starts!”

Complementing the City Council’s slow but steady pursuit of a more bikeable Los Angeles was the City’s ongoing study of Bike Sharing, an endeavor that prompted Council President Eric Garcetti to refer to great bikeable cities such as East Hollywood, Paris and Long Beach. (Not often that those three are mentioned in the same breath!)

The bike sharing concept is an old one even in Los Angeles where college students can “rent” a bike for the quarter, studio employees can “share” a bike while on the lot, tourists can “borrow” a bike from some hotels, and bikes “for hire” exist in several locations.

None of these are as visible as the programs in Paris or Munich or Leon but perhaps that’s the real opportunity for the City of LA, to support those small operators who are already in the bike share business with promotion and marketing support.
•••
Capping off the “anything but the budget” day at City Hall was the Transportation Committee’s showdown over the speed limit increases in the Valley. On the agenda were proposals to raise the speed limit on Riverside Drive (up to 45 mph) and Chandler Avenue (up to 50 mph) in an effort to certify the streets for radar/laser speed limit violation enforcement.

Cyclists were joined by members of the community, all braced with arguments against the City of LA’s continued pursuit of increased speed limits as a tool for enforcement, but the debate faded at the request of Councilman Krekorian who wanted to pursue other options, such as his AB 766 Safe Streets bill which he introduced last year when he served as the Assistant Majority Leader in the State Assembly.

The bill did not make it to the finish line but the message was clear, the 50 year old speed trap law needed to be revised so that local authorities can set speed limits with greater sensitivity to the local community. Not all streets should be raceways, not all streets should be fast cut-throughs, not all streets should be hospitable for speeding motorists.

Councilmembers Krekorian and Koretz both asked the hard questions and seem to understand that there are methods for slowing traffic other than simply raising the speed limits and then relying on traffic officers with radar/laser enforcement.

Now is the time to pursue traffic calming methods, many of which represent funding opportunities such as Safe Routes to School, Highway Safety Improvement Program funding and Office of Traffic Safety grants.

Road diets, bulb-outs, speed tables, pedestrian enhancements and other innovations are not just tools for safety, they are also opportunities to put people to work, to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods and to bring funding into the city coffers.

(Stephen Box is a transportation and cycling advocate and writes for CityWatch. He can be reached at ) -cw

Original Article:

http://citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3148

Published January 7, 2010 by ParentCentral.ca 
Kristin Rushowy

Yes, it was built with a kiss 'n ride lane. No, the school doesn't want parents to use it.

In fact, P.L. Robertson elementary in Milton, which opened this week, has been designated a "walking-only school," where students will be strongly encouraged to use their feet – or bikes or any other active way – to get there.

It is part of a broader initiative at the Halton District School Board to stop traffic jams around schools and get students moving.

Gridlock in the parking lot and surrounding streets is an all-too common problem for schools in the Greater Toronto Area, thanks to parents who insist on driving their children, even if they don't live all that far away.

At other schools, Joyce Jermyn has watched parents who live close by drive their kids, cramming their cars in between buses, then idling as the youngsters make their way inside, even though staff is out there helping kids get to class.

"For me, exercise has always been a part of who I am and what I do," says Jermyn, vice-principal at P.L. Robertson. "There are too many kids who don't want to go outside because they never play outside."

The statistics bear that out: 54 per cent of Ontario children do not get enough physical activity to keep them healthy; in Halton, less than half of 12- to 14-year-olds are active in their free time. One-fifth of 5-year-olds are overweight in Halton.

That's why Jermyn felt it was so important to get on board with Active and Safe Routes to School – a national program that supports walking to school – and start off right with the brand new school.

Even though it will be February – the coldest time of year – when the walking routes are up and running, she is optimistic. "In a neighbourhood that's been established, it takes a long time to break that (driving) culture," says Jermyn. "But now, in a new school, we can set the culture to begin with.

"We know we aren't going to get 100 per cent compliance, but if we can get 90 per cent, I'm thrilled."

The school has a 1-kilometre walking route, as well as a second route with drop-off points for parents who want to drive their child to a central meeting spot. There are vests for walking leaders, and the school received some money to purchase wagons to carry younger children's backpacks.

Jermyn says because it is a new subdivision, there are a few drawbacks: No crossing guards, stop signs, or even speed-limit postings.

Jennifer Jenkins, who has been seconded from Halton public health to work with the board to expand "walking school bus" programs, piloted them at eight schools last year. No child is ever expected to walk more than 1.6 kilometres.

Some schools last year were so successful they had three routes each. One school was able to get up to 100 per cent of students in several grades walking every day. The programs are led by parent volunteers or, sometimes, teacher volunteers who walk the routes and meet up with students at various points.

"It increases physical activity, there's better air quality, safety and decreased traffic around the school, which again increases safety and injury prevention," says Jenkins.

About 20 Halton schools are currently taking part.

Original Article:
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/newsfeatures/article/747328–dropping-kids-off-here-better-lace-your-shoes-up

Published January 25, 2010 by LOS ANGELES (KABC) 

Los Angeles police detectives broke up a ring of downtown bike thieves over the weekend, recovering several stolen bikes and parts, drug paraphernalia and counterfeit money.

On Friday, undercover detectives arranged to buy a bicycle posted on the Craigslist Web site. That same day, the bike's owner had reported it stolen from the 500 block of Olympic Boulevard.

The detectives met Ukrainian native, 51-year-old Konstantin Rostovtsev, in Santa Monica and arrested him on suspicion of receiving stolen property. They said Rostovtsev then led them to 43-year-old Edward Arciga.

Detectives arranged another bike sale and met Arciga on Saturday at the Olive Motel on Sunset Boulevard. They said an accomplice opened a motel room door as they arrested Arciga. Inside, they spotted bolt cutters and more bicycles.

Detectives said, in addition to the stolen bikes, they found counterfeit bills, counterfeiting equipment, and drug paraphernalia. They said Arciga was booked for receiving stolen property, but may also face federal counterfeiting charges.

"This is a significant break for us," said LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon. "There were 123 bicycles stolen downtown in 2009. That's 45 more than the year before, and we know there is more than one ring of thieves who are preying on bicyclists."

Police remind bicyclists to protect themselves with strong locks and not to leave bikes in public places any longer than necessary. It is also a good idea to record your bike's serial number and keep a receipt of its purchase.

Original Article:

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7239019

Published January 26, 2010 by LA Times
By Tony Barboza

A dozen notables mounted bikes outside the entrance to Long Beach City Hall late last year for the unveiling of a metallic bicycle sculpture with a lofty proclamation:

"Long Beach, the most bicycle friendly city in America," it reads in bold steel lettering under the likeness of an antique bicycle.

It was a little premature, leaders admit.

"But we're striving for that," said City Manager Pat West, a longtime cyclist.

While other cities spin their wheels, Long Beach is joining the ranks of places such as Portland, Ore., San Francisco and New York City that have made safe passage for bikes a priority, even at the expense of traffic lanes.

And as Los Angeles reviews comments to a draft of a bike plan that proposes 696 miles of new bikeways, Long Beach is taking action.

"Long beach is a built-out city and yet they're finding a way to make east-west and north-south corridors that are safer and more inviting," said Jennifer Klausner, executive director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group. "There's no reason L.A. can't do the same thing. It doesn't have to be the slow-moving cog in the machine."

At a time when cities are cutting expenses across the board, Long Beach has raised $17 million in state and federal grants to improve its bike system through traffic improvements, education and bike share programs. In the next six months, the city will be resurfacing 20 miles of streets to include new bike lanes, part of a plan that includes painting and paving more than 100 miles of bike infrastructure.

In spring, the city hopes to install traffic circles on less-traveled streets parallel to thoroughfares and designate them "bike boulevards" — preferred routes for cyclists.

Also in the works are plans to replace entire lanes of traffic with protected bikeways. And in what's bound to be a controversial move, the city is looking at taking away prime parallel parking spots — the ones most convenient to shops and restaurants — and putting "bike corrals" in their place.

"We can fit 15 customers where we used to fit one," said Charles Gandy, the city's bike mobility coordinator. "This is about differentiating Long Beach from L.A. and Orange County."

City planners have gone far and wide for input, bringing in experts to give advice, the mayor of Bogota, Colombia, and Copenhagen's traffic engineer among them.

And officials have enlisted a corps of volunteers — from young, fixed-gear-riding hipsters to paunchy, middle-aged road cyclists — to help out with tasks such as bike counts, which will help determine where more bike lanes will be placed.

Street by street, cyclists and motorists are seeing changes, the most dramatic of which took place last summer when lanes of green paint appeared on one of the city's busiest stretches, providing an early test of how the city will balance car traffic with cyclists' rights to safe routes.

The green strip created a "sharrow" — a 6-foot-wide space in the middle of the right lane of traffic on both sides of 2nd Street in Belmont Shore. It was intended to be a stark reminder that drivers must share the road with cyclists.

But when the green lane appeared last summer, it startled drivers and cyclists alike in the often traffic-choked retail district, drawing national attention for pitting the two against each other. "City puts bicycles directly in the path of motorists," USA Today wrote in a blog post.

"There was a lot of confusion from cyclists and motorists because there was green paint all over the place," said Dominic Dougherty, manager of the Bikestation, a business that provides bike rentals, parking and repair in downtown Long Beach. "And confusion breeds anger."

Gandy said the green strip "better articulates the existing law," which allows bikes to travel with vehicular traffic.

"We haven't given cyclists any more privileges than before the green stripe, we've just made it more obvious," he said.

But others say the green lanes have emboldened cyclists too much, with many weaving in and out of traffic, riding four-deep and making the already clogged street impassable.

"We just don't understand" the purpose, said driver Anne Long, an insurance agent who lives blocks from 2nd Street. "Are we supposed to pull over and go around them? I just stay behind them and go really slow until there's an opening in the other lane."

But others say that slowly, behavior is changing; cyclists are being more consistent about where they ride and drivers are being more attentive.

"When it first got put in we thought, 'Oh, my God, everyone is going to get murdered,' " said Jean-Marie Garcia, a hair stylist who rides her baby-blue beach cruiser to work on 2nd Street every day.

"But gradually, over time, drivers have adjusted. They're slowing down."

Volunteers counted bikes before and after the green lanes appeared. According to a December report by the city, the number of cyclists on 2nd Street increased by 29% while the number of bikes on the narrow sidewalk waned by 22%.

And there have been only two incidents since they debuted, both involving cyclists running into cars.

Calling the green lanes an early success, the city is undertaking other bike-oriented enhancements. Last month, crews painted more green on two busy intersections where early morning road bikers congregate. The "bicycle boxes" give cyclists a designated place in front of cars to safely wait for the signal to change.

The city is also working with businesses and community groups to provide incentives such as 20% lunch discounts for cyclists — to get people to ride to work, shops and restaurants.

The port-adjacent community also has some built-in features that may ease its quest for bike friendliness.

For one, it's flat and built on a grid — easy to get around on a simple beach cruiser.

While it's a city by any measure, its digestible size makes bike transportation a more plausible alternative than in the sprawl of Los Angeles.

And the city already has continuous bike paths along three of its borders: the San Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers and the beach.

"We have such a huge advantage over other cities because we have these things," said City Manager West, who rides a road bike around town on the weekends.

"We're doing a lot of things outside of the box — at least for Southern California," he said.

One example is the city's spin on a recent rise in bike thefts: It's a good thing, West and others joked, because after all, it indicates more people are out riding bikes.

And Long Beach is getting attention for its efforts. This week, the city is hosting delegations from some admirers: transit planners in Los Angeles, Glendale and other nearby cities who would like to draw inspiration from the Long Beach bike plan.

It's a shift for Long Beach, where, like in many other Southern California communities, the car still reigns supreme, said Andréa White-Kjoss, president and chief executive of Bikestation, the Long Beach-based firm that has seven bike transit centers in California, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

"If we can do it here," she said, "you can do it anywhere."

tony.barboza@latimes.com

Original Article:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-outthere26-2010jan26,0,2379007,full.story

Published January 25, 2010 by Bike Radar

Roughly a month before the start of North American Handmade Bicycle Show, 121 exhibitors have bought 167 out of 177 total spaces making the 6th annual NAHBS a virtual sellout.

"It looks like we're headed for another big one,” said Don Walker, the show’s founder and director. “We've sold way more than our block of hotel rooms, and have had to expand that, and now it looks like we're going to be at or very near capacity in the show hall. I think this is a clear indicator of the amount of interest this show attracts."



Any last minute exhibitors at the show have until Wednesday January 27th to get their information to NAHBS for publication in the show directory.



The three-day show starts on February 26th, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, in Richmond, Virginia.

Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival set for August 7 and 8 in Denver, Colorado at the National Western Complex.  

This third-year event, formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Bicycle Show, has grown steadily since it’s inception prompting the name change.

“Calling it a festival better describes what the weekend is all about,” says Carol Johnson, the event’s director.  “The Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival features everything from custom builders, production bikes, components and accessories, to specialty service companies and non-profits together with a wide range of other cycling-related attractions.”  

For the 2010 edition, the RMB Festival adds an Indoor/Outdoor Demo allowing attendees can test ride bikes. Free seminars and a Graham Watson photo exhibit are also planned.

The Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival will kick-off the weekend with a party at Boulder Indoor Cycling on Friday night with the return of the Boulder 6. Last year’s event saw Hüdz-Subaru riders Chuck Coyle and Colby Pearce top an international-caliber field including Clark Sheehan and Ryan Sabga after a fast-paced night of European-style Six Day track racing.

On Saturday the Festival opens at 10am and concludes with an awards ceremony on Sunday at 3pm.

Original Article:

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/north-american-handmade-bike-show-and-rocky-mountain-bicycle-festival-updates-24777

Published January 15, 2009 by Sacramento Business Journal
by Melanie Turner

Lea Brooks commutes 42 miles round-trip daily between Rancho Cordova and her job downtown — on a bicycle.

Brooks, assistant director of communications for the state Department of Pesticide Regulation, acknowledges she’s a bit of an “extreme” bike commuter who rarely misses a day. But even riding a short distance once a week means there’s one less car on the region’s often-congested roadways, she said.

“Even if you ride once a week well, then, good for you,” she said. “You should never underestimate the contribution you’re making.”

Though few people actually bike to work, the numbers are growing, according to American Bicyclist, the magazine of the League of American Bicyclists.

Brooks said she’s noticed the trend, and attributes the local upswing in bike commuters to the increase in gas prices and work the region’s cities have done to better accommodate riders.

“If you build it, they will come,” she said. “We still have a long way to go, but the facilities are improving all the time.”

Sacramento ranks fourth in the nation — and first in California — for bicycle commuting among the 70 largest cities, according to a national survey published by American Bicyclist.

The magazine ranked cities based on data from the American Community Survey, a nationwide survey of households meant to provide information about how communities are changing during the years between the decennial U.S. census.

Sacramento ranked fourth behind Portland, Ore., Minneapolis and Seattle. Portland more than tripled its bike share to almost 6 percent in 2008 from 2000.

The percentage of people in Sacramento who bicycle to work jumped 101 percent between 2000 and 2008, to 2.72 percent from 1.35 percent.

A bicycling infrastructure

Walt Seifert, executive director of Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, said he believes more people are riding bikes to work because the city has become more bicycle-friendly.

“I think the city has been good about making conditions better for cyclists,” he said, noting a number of changes the city made last year in midtown.

Several streets, including P, Q, 19th and 21st, went from three lanes to two with bike lanes. The city also converted a number of parking meters to bike racks.

Efforts by cities to improve conditions for cyclists, from investing in engineering and education to planning, are paying off with increases in bicycle commuters, according to an article in the most recent issue of American Bicyclist.

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments Metropolitan Transportation Plan anticipates the region will spend $1.4 billion on facilities for cyclists, pedestrians and people with disabilities by 2035, a 56 percent increase over the previous plan. In 2008, SACOG awarded $11.4 million to such projects, and directors will consider next week approving another $8.6 million over the next two years.

Last year, Mayor Kevin Johnson said he’d like to see Sacramento achieve the top, or platinum, level of the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Communities program, which recognizes cities that actively support bicycling.

Cities such as Portland and Davis are platinum, while Sacramento is bronze.

The article notes that the American Community Survey, which it relied on to rank cities for bike commuting, does not determine how many people have ever, or sometimes, bike to work. “The phrasing of the question means that only the consistent bike commuters get counted,” the article states.

Multiple benefits

Matt Kuzins, president of Kuzins and Kumpany, a direct-mail fundraising consulting firm, said he averages four days a week on a bike.

“I don’t have a very long ride,” said Kuzins, who rides less than four miles each way between East Sacramento and downtown.

melanieturner@bizjournals.com | 916-558-7859

Original Article:

http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/01/18/story3.html?b=1263790800^2734901

Published January 15, 2010 by TreeHugger
by Warren McLaren

Spiegel International have a wonderful write-up (in English) on bamboo bikes. It covers how Craig Calfee's dog inspired him to make a bike from bamboo, How he subsequently won trade shows awatds "Best Road Bike," "Best Off-Road Bike" and "Peoples' Choice" for his bamboo designs, how they were lab tested tougher than carbon fibre.

Andrea Reidl's article goes to explain how Calfee is now passing on his secrets to African villagers so they might have durable, locally made bike frames. Which, in turn, has lead him to his next challenge — designing a bamboo school bus bike which an adult will steer, whilst transporting half a dozen or so kids with everyone pedaling.

But it was talk of a hemp bike that was news to us.

Onyx Composites is the brainchild of German engineer Nicolas Meyer. He takes hemp fibre, dunks it in epoxy resin and wraps it around a core of styrofoam. Apparently the resulting frame is about Sixty percent hemp, 15 percent bamboo and the rest is carbon and aluminum," he tells Spiegel, although that figure seems to neglect the foam inner.

Anyhow Meyer then gets a 1.4 kg (3 lb) racing bike frame, which he maintains is sturdier than even a bamboo or carbon fibre equivalent.

The Spiegel article, which is well worth the read, has a great list of folk involved in bamboo bike production, most of whom we've previously noted. But check out:
Bamboosero
Biomega
Boo Bicycles
Calfee Design
Daedalus
Solcycles

As you can see, Bamboo and Bikes, tends to get us excited too:
• Organic Bikes Say, Re-Think Your Ride, Consider a Bamboo Bicycle
• Bamboo and Electric Bikes Win ISPO Brandnew Awards 2010
• Bamboo In A Bicycle Built For Two
• Open Source Bamboo Bike Trailer
• Bamboo Bike by Calfee Design
• BYOB: Build Your Own Bambike
• Biomega Biolove Bamboo bike (a B fest)!
• Bamboo Mountain Bikes are Growing on Calfee Design
• Make Your Own Bamboo Bike in One-Weekend

Original Article:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/01/hemp-bicycle-and-bamboo-bike-bus.php