Bike Friendly City?

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pedestrian-684955-orange-center.html :cry:
ORANGE – A woman died Sunday night after she was hit by a driver while riding a bicycle inside a crosswalk, officials said.
Orange police responded to reports of a crash shortly after 6 p.m. near the intersection of West Chapman Avenue and North Flower Street, police Lt. Fred Lopez said.
The woman, whose identity remained a mystery Monday morning, was struck by a man driving a full-sized Chevrolet pick-up truck.
Paramedics took the woman to UCI Medical Center in Orange where she died at 6:44 p.m., according to the coroner’s office.
The truck driver, who was sober, remained at the scene following the crash and was cooperative with police, Lopez said.
Nearby roads were closed until about 10 p.m. during the investigation.
 
http://www.news-press.com/story/new...ty-share-the-road-hb-253-house-bill/73007406/ :D
A Southwest Florida legislator refiled a bill Monday that would hold drivers more accountable for hurting bicyclists or others on the road.
Motorists who cause bodily injury to bicyclists or other "vulnerable road users" could, in addition to other charges, get slapped with fines up to $2,500, under a bill refiled by Rep. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples.
House Bill 253 intends to make roads safer for bicycles, also calls for motorists' licenses to be suspended for three months, with a requirement to retake a driver's exam, if they twice within five years are charged with non-criminal traffic infractions that result in serious bodily injury or death to bicyclists or other "vulnerable" pedestrians.
Under the bill, a "vulnerable" road user includes pedestrians at crosswalks, highway workers and people riding horses, farm tractors, horse-drawn carriages or electric mobility devices.
The bill spells out that motorists must yield the right-of-way to bicyclists or pedestrians when making right turns that cross sidewalks, bicycle lanes or bicycle paths.
The measure also would allow motorists to cross double yellow median lines to give three feet of space when passing bicyclists or other "vulnerable" users.
Passidomo filed a similar measure for the 2015 session. That proposal cleared four committees but died without getting a floor hearing when the House ended its regular session early over a budget impasse with the Senate. The new bill will be considered during the 2016 session, which starts in January.
Share and learn about ideas to make the roads safer on The News-Press Facebook page, Share the Road Florida.
 
http://michiganradio.org/post/grand...more-room-under-new-safe-passing-law#stream/0 :D
A small but growing number of Michiganders are turning to their bicycles as a means to get from Point A to Point B.
We've seen communities put in bike lanes to accommodate bicyclists, but that doesn't necessarily solve the tensions between cars and bikes sharing the road.
Grand Rapids has just approved new bicycle rules that will force cars to wait for bicycles.
Jay Fowler is the executive director of the Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition, and he told us about the new rule.
He says the rule establishes a safe buffer zone for bikes. When a car approaches a bike in a lane, the car has to slow and wait until it’s clear and pass with a five-foot gap between the right side of the car and the bicycle.
“It’s really asking for the drivers to treat the bicycle like any other slow-moving vehicle. If you were to come across a tractor, typically you would wait until it’s clear, and then you would move out and pass the tractor in the road, and so you would treat a bicycle the same way.”
Fowler says there are 26 states with a “safe-passing” law for bikes. Michigan is not one of those, so they pushed for an ordinance in Grand Rapids.
 
http://www.canyon-news.com/sherman-oaks-bike-cop-struck-in-hit-and-run/40589 :evil: Now they're hit and run targeting cops on patrol bicycles.
SHERMAN OAKS—Two hit and run suspects have been captured involving a bike cop on Monday, September 28th at 4 pm. near the corner of Dickens and Noble Avenue in Sherman Oaks.
The cop involved was attempting to flag the vehicle down for a traffic violation when the vehicle struck the bike then immediately sped away. The cop whose identity has not been disclosed to the public was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for injuries he sustained.
Canyon News reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department Media Relations Section, who was unable to provide any information about the suspects and the vehicle involved in the crime.
At least 1 suspect was arrested and 1 was detained at the local police station. The victim according to reports listed in stable condition.
 
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news...yclist-killed-by-hit-and-run-driver/73324058/ :cry:
A bicyclist was killed on Dinah Shore Drive Saturday night after being hit by a car that then fled the scene, police said.
The body of a man in his 40s was found in the roadway at about 9 p.m., Cathedral City police said. It was clear he was hit by a car, but no one saw the incident, so there is no description of the vehicle or its driver at the time.
The man has yet to be identified.
Cathedral City police said the road will be closed until 1:30 or 2 a.m. while they investigate the scene. A detour is clearly marked for motorists attempting to travel that way.

Video here:
http://www.kesq.com/news/deadly-accident-shuts-down-dinah-shore-in-cathedral-city/35644648
 
http://mynewsla.com/orange-county/2015/10/04/teenaged-bicyclist-killed-in-gang-related-shooting/ :cry:
A teenaged bicyclist was shot dead and another man on a bike was grazed in a gang-related shooting attack in Santa Ana, a police commander said Sunday.
The two were riding their bicycles about 9 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of North Western Avenue. A a dark-colored vehicle pulled up and four men got out to confront them, said Cmdr. Jeff Smith of the Santa Ana Police Department.
The four men asked the bicyclists about their gang affiliation and one of the suspect pulled out a handgun to fire some shots at them, said Santa Ana police Cmdr. Jose Gonzalez.
The four men returned to the dark-colored vehicle, which was last seen going north on Western Avenue, toward Seventh Street, Smith said.
The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene. The other shooting victim suffered a graze wound and was still at an area hospital, he said.
Santa Ana police detectives asked anyone with any information regarding the shooting to call them at (714) 245-8665.


http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2015/10/04/bicyclist-killed-by-hit-and-run-driver-near-rio-linda/ :cry:
SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) – Authorities say a man on a bicycle was hit and killed by a car late Sunday night.
The scene is near Elkhorn Boulevard and 14th Street in the Rio Linda area.
According to California Highway Patrol, a man in his 40s was on a bicycle in the bike lane when a car hit him. The impact was violent enough to send him several feet.
The car took off from the scene and has not been located as of Sunday night.
No description of the car has been released.
 
http://www.thereporter.com/general-...es-in-crash-driver-who-hit-him-accused-of-dui :cry:
A 50-year-old Dixon man who was riding his bicycle on the Lincoln Highway near Dixon died after a pickup truck struck and killed him on Sunday afternoon.
Criminal charges will be filed against the pickup truck’s driver, who is accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
At approximately 3:45 p.m. Sunday, the bicyclist, identified by the Solano County Coroner’s Office on Monday as Daniel Leon, 50, of Dixon, was riding eastbound on Porter Road near South Lincoln Street in Solano County.
Julian Vega, 35, also of Dixon, was driving a 2000 Chevrolet pickup truck on eastbound Porter Road at the same time, according to the CHP.
The front of Vega’s truck struck the rear of Leon’s bicycle, and Leon suffered fatal injuries as a result.
Vega was arrested by the CHP and, according to jail records, was booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of two felony charges: driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury and voluntary manslaughter. His bail was set at $120,000.
Porter Road was closed in both directions for approximately two hours as officers collected evidence and processed the scene.
This is an active collision investigation. Anyone with information pertinent to this investigation is asked to contact the CHP at the non-emergency line, 1-800-TELL-CHP (1-800-835-5247), or the CHP Solano Area Office at 707-428-2100.
 
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/ge...t-fatally-struck-by-train-in-santa-fe-springs
:cry:

SANTA FE SPRINGS >> A bicyclist died after being struck by a freight train in Santa Fe Springs Friday afternoon, authorities said.
The collision took place about 2:45 p.m. on a set of tracks at Rosecrans and Marquardt avenues, Whittier police Officer John Scoggins said.
The bicyclist, described only as a man, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
Witnesses indicated he was traveling north across Rosecrans Avenue and slipped in between the activated railroad crossing arms when he was struck by a train operated by BNSF, Whittier police Lt. Aaron Ruiz said.
Friday’s incident was the second death involving a train reported in just over a week in Santa Fe Springs.
A 29-year-old man died after he was accidentally struck by an Amtrak train about 7 p.m. Oct. 2, according to police and coroner’s officials.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.902...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sc8N6oVQcj_GL3JDyLFITHw!2e0
 
http://www.riversidesheriff.org/press/lak15-1009.asp :cry:
Press Release:Fatal Traffic CollisionAgency:Lake Elsinore PoliceStation Area:Lake ElsinoreOctober 11, 2015Time:9:10 AMIncident Date:October 9, 2015Time:8:58 PMRailroad Canyon Road, South of Summerhill Drive, Lake ElsinoreSergeant Ken ChaffinL152820136Thelma TrachyDetails:

On Friday, October 9, 2015, at 8:58 PM, officers were dispatched to the location reference a report of an injury traffic collision involving a bicyclist and a vehicle.  Soon thereafter, officers arrived and located the bicyclist on the ground and suffering from major injuries.  The operator of the involved vehicle was also located nearby. The bicyclist was transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
Through further investigation, officers learned the motorist, identified as Thelma Trachy, age 75 and a resident of the city of Murrieta, was driving her vehicle on Railroad Canyon Drive when it struck the bicyclist from behind.  A preliminary assessment of Trachy at the scene revealed alcohol consumption may have been a contributing factor.  Trachy was subsequently arrested and transported to the Southwest Detention Center.
On October 10, 2015, at 6:42 PM, the bicyclist, a 21 year old male and also a resident of the city of Murrieta, succumbed to his injuries.  His identity is being withheld, pending notification of family members.  The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with additional information is urged to contact Dispatch personnel at (951) 776-1099 or Officer Roberge at the Lake Elsinore Police Department at (951) 776-1099.
 
http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Train-kills-cyclist-in-Richmond-6564318.php :cry:
A male bicyclist was struck and killed Saturday in Richmond by a Union Pacific train after the cyclist attempted to go around the crossing arms guarding the track, railroad officials said.
The accident happened at 1:50 p.m. when a northbound train going 38 mph hit the woman near the Cutting Boulevard crossing, said Union Pacific spokesperson Francisco Castillo.
The crossing arms had been activated and were down and the warning signals were functioning properly, Castillo said. There was no sign that the train crew was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, he said. The victim, who was originally identified by authorities as female, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not immediately identified.
“This was an unfortunate case when an individual tried to beat the train by going around the crossing arm,” Castillo said.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Muni-bus-fatally-hits-bicyclist-in-downtown-San-6565338.php :cry:
One bicyclist was killed and another seriously injured in two separate accidents that occurred within a half-hour in downtown San Francisco on Sunday afternoon.
A bicyclist on a silver mountain bike was caught between two Muni buses and was then fatally struck and wedged beneath a westbound articulated Muni bus on Market Street west of Battery Street, police said. That accident occurred around 3:30 p.m.
Traffic on Market Street was backed up for blocks while officers and coroner’s deputies attempted to move the bus and remove the body.
Exactly how the accident occurred was under investigation, and the cyclist, a 48-year-old man, was not identified.
Shortly after 4 p.m., a cyclist was involved in an accident with a horse trailer being pulled by a truck at Embarcadero and Chestnut Street, police said. The unidentified cyclist, a 46-year-old woman, was taken to San Francisco General Hospital. Details of that accident and the extent of her injuries were not immediately known.

And a more positive note:
http://voiceofoc.org/2015/10/santa-ana-gets-kudos-and-cash-for-better-bikeability/
 
http://www.recordnet.com/article/20151013/NEWS/151019901 :cry:
STOCKTON — An 82-year-old bicyclist died as the result of injuries he suffered in a collision with a vehicle in a residential area south of University of the Pacific on Monday afternoon, police reported.
The cyclist, identified by the San Joaquin County Coroner's Office as John James Whittock of Stockton, was riding at West Monterey Avenue and Dwight Way about 4:48 p.m. when the collision occurred, according to a report.
“The motorist remained at the scene and cooperated with investigating officers,” police spokesman Officer Joe Silva said Tuesday.
Whittock reportedly suffered severe head trauma and was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. No further details were provided by police.
 
http://abc7.com/news/bicyclist-killed-in-exposition-park-hit-and-run/1034684/ :cry:
EXPOSITION PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A bicyclist was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in Exposition Park Thursday morning, police said.
The incident occurred near S. Vermont Avenue and W. 39th Place at about 9 a.m.
Investigators said the male hit-and-run suspect was driving a full-size silver or white SUV. He was last seen making a left turn on W. 39th Place from S. Vermont Avenue.
The mirror on the driver's side of the vehicle may be broken.
Anyone with information on the incident was urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.
 
http://gothamist.com/2015/10/15/queens_cyclist_killed_coke.php :cry:
The driver of a tractor-trailer who fatally struck a cyclist in Maspeth, Queens yesterday was found to be high on cocaine during the time of the crash.
According to the NYPD, 57-year-old Dennis Forceri tested positive for the drug after he hit 34-year-old Anna Rodriguez while making a right turn from 56th Road onto 48th Street. The crash occurred around 8:46 a.m. as Rodriguez was biking west on 56th Road.
Forceri, who is from Miller Place, Long Island, has been arrested and hit with a battery of charges, including first degree vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, driving under the influence of drugs, failure to yield to a bicycle and others.
 
http://road.cc/content/news/169181-...sation’-over-auckland-motorway-junction-place :mrgreen: A positive note:
The final section of the ‘soaring cycling sensation’ over Auckland’s Central Motorway Junction has been lifted into place this week, taking the 160m elevated crossing close to completion.
The New Zealand Transport Agency has released a video showing how the project will look when finished - allowing cyclists an easy and safe crossing of a complex motorway interchange.
The 260 tonne bridge was built in sections, which vary in length from 14 to 42 metres. It was fabricated in Hamilton, painted in Pukekohe and transported to the Central Motorway Junction under full motorway night closures.
“The complexity of the curved bridge structure has meant the installation has been a careful and staged process,” says Brett Gliddon, the NZ Transport Agency’s Auckland Highways Manager.
“We’re proud of the architectural excellence this bridge brings to the inner-city network and the standard it’s setting for transport infrastructure.”
The bridge design is already being recognised internationally and has been shortlisted in the World Architecture Awards which will be announced in Singapore next month.
“People have been watching the bridge installation in the middle of the Central Motorway Junction over the last month and we know it’s created a buzz about how we’re delivering our shared vision of making cycling a safe and viable transport option.”
“The bridge is a soaring cycling sensation in the midst of Auckland’s motorway maze. We are already claiming it as a creative landmark for ‘The New Auckland,” says Barbara Cuthbert from Cycle Action Auckland.
The cycleway connects with the existing Northwestern Cycleway and Grafton Gully.
It’s a dramatic turnaround in cycling attitudes from the NZ government, who as we reported in 2014 were criticised for a high profile advertising designed to humanise cyclists and reduce deaths on the roads, which was dismissed as useless by a road safety campaigner.
The billboards, bus and radio advertisements cost NZ$400,000 (£200,000) to implement, but are a waste of money, according to Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car review website dogandlemon.com.
The campaign features images of cyclists wearing t-shirts that label them as a son, father or aunt to a loved one.
"The campaign is designed to personalise and humanise people cycling so motorists see them as real people who have a right to share the road safely," NZ Transport Agency spokesman Ewart Barnsley told The National Business Review.
"With their backs to the drivers and a helmet on, cyclists can look like silhouettes and drivers don't usually see their faces. We want to remind drivers when they are on the road that cyclists are everyday people just like them."
Mr Matthew-Wilson responded, “Let me be perfectly clear: almost every credible study ever done has concluded that road safety ads don’t work.”
Citing the findings of the American Institute for Highway Safety studying 30 years of scientific research into the effectiveness of road safety advertising, Mr Matthew-Wilson said: “Research indicates that education has no effect, or only a very limited effect, on habits like staying within speed limits, heeding stop signs, and using safety belts.”
 
Seems like it would have been much cheaper, and far more effective at humanizing the city, to simply close down the freeway interchange to cars and convert it to linear parks/bikeways.

Nothing improves a cityscape more than subtracting the murder vehicles. If the city is for the benefit of people rather than cars, then why not act accordingly?
 
http://m.ocregister.com/articles/beach-688187-huntington-police.html :cry: Not far from here, a wide street with a bike lane.
Huntington Beach bicyclist dies following crash; 29-year-old man was struck by a car Tuesday
Oct. 19, 2015 Updated 11:44 a.m.
By SCOTT SCHWEBKE
HUNTINGTON BEACH – A bicyclist struck last week by a car in Huntington Beach has died from his injuries.
On Tuesday at 5:27 p.m., the Huntington Beach Police Department responded to the intersection of Warner Avenue and Springdale Street for a traffic collision involving a bicyclist and vehicle.
Officers found an injured man in the roadway and his damaged bicycle nearby, Huntington Beach police said in a statement.
The 29-year-old Huntington Beach man was transported to UCI Medical Center where he was admitted in critical condition. He died from his injuries Saturday. His name will not be released until his family can be notified, police said.
Based on a preliminary investigation, it appears the man was traveling eastbound on Warner Avenue in the bike lane, when a car also traveling eastbound struck him from behind.
 
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/b...while-riding-his-bicycle-20151020-gkdbts.html :twisted:
An outraged father has condemned sick pranksters after his son's neck was cut by a rope while he was riding his bike.
Jason Davies, from Ballarat, said his son Devon, 12, was out riding his BMX pushbike last Tuesday at Mount Beckworth with his mum and brother when he was knocked off his bike after coming into contact with a thin piece of rope tied up between two trees.
Devon was examined by doctors and had his neck put into a precautionary brace. He was soon released, with a laceration around his neck.
"He got the all clear, but as the doctor said if he'd been on a motorbike, there's a good chance he wouldn't be around now," Mr Davies told The Ballarat Courier.
Mr Davies said he'd been shocked and angry to hear there were people who would want to set up potentially fatal tricks.
"You hear stories about it growing up but you never think it would happen. It's so messed up that people want to do that," he said.
"I spent my childhood racing around bushes and it never happened to me, but it does happen."
Mr Davies posted the photos of his son on social media, and received scores of replies from outraged people in Ballarat and also others who'd experienced similar situations.
Some people mentioned relatives who had been killed by the sadistic prank.
Devon's mother reported the incident to police, but Mr Davies said little could be done.
Devon is back on his bike and his neck is healing well.
Parks Victoria district manager Tony English said he had never heard of a similar incident occur before in his area.
He said rangers kept an eye out for anything unusual and condemned acts such as this.
"The majority of park users enjoy the park and are respectful of each other," he said.
"This kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable in terms of public safety. Parks Victoria will pursue this matter with Victoria Police."
Mr English asked anyone who saw vandals or pranksters in parks to report it to Park Victoria on 131 963 or to their local police.
 
http://www.presstelegram.com/general-news/20151020/compton-bicyclist-killed-by-vehicle :cry:
COMPTON — A vehicle struck and killed a bicyclist in Compton today, authorities said.
The crash at El Segundo Boulevard and Compton Avenue occurred about 6:30 a.m., said Lt. W. Ashrafnia of the sheriff’s Compton Station.
The man, who was in his 30s, died at the scene, the coroner’s office reported. His name was withheld, pending family notification.
According to the preliminary investigation, the vehicle was eastbound on El Segundo Boulevard when it collided with the bicyclist, who was northbound on Compton Avenue, Ashrafnia said.
The motorist remained at the scene and was interviewed by deputies, Ashrafnia said. The investigation into the cause of the crash was continuing.
 
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