28 House members, including four Republicans (Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), Michael McCaul (TX), Jack Kingston (GA), and Steven LaTourette (OH)), signed a letter supporting Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for his public support of federal bicycling and pedestrian investment.
LaTourette's endorsement of that federal embrace of bicycling and pedestrian access is particularly notable. He initially echoed the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Trucking Association in chiding LaHood for the non-binding bike-ped statement, wondering "what job is going to be created" by bike lanes before later walking back his remarks.
The Tour of Missouri bike race was canceled this year after the state declined to help fund it. Maybe the hotels were just making too much money.
The race, which started in 2007, was considered one of the world's top five cycling events outside Europe and attracted riders including Alberto Contador, George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer. The 2008 race attracted 434,000 spectators and the state estimated a return of just under $30 million in economic impact for its $1.5 million investment that year.
After a poorly designed turn in Santa Barbara, CA contributed to a head-on crash between a cyclist and a van (which the cyclist survived), the cyclist sued the county. But the case was dismissed because the county had "design immunity".
Appellants sued County based on the theory that Greenwell Avenue was "a trap" for motorists and cyclists due to the radius of the curve, overgrown shrubs, the absence of warning signs, and because a "K-rail" barrier allegedly forced on-coming traffic onto the wrong side of the road.
The trial court granted summary judgment, ruling that the road reopening project was a construction of public property within the meaning of section 830.6 - the design immunity statute.
London also plans to install a Bixi bike-sharing program (or hire scheme). Theirs will have 6,000 bikes at 400 docking stations across Zone One.
Montreal users were positive about its impact. Francoise, a 44-year-old businessman, told The Times: “It has made it very easy to get around and you can use it regularly because the first half hour is free. I live too far to cycle into Montreal but this means I can cycle between meetings and out at night.”
Charges have been dropped against Ontario's former Attorney General, in the case that arose from a traffic altercation last summer in Toronto in which a bicycle messenger died.
The prosecutor, Richard Peck, a lawyer from British Columbia, told the court that the messenger, Darcy Allan Sheppard, had previously harassed and frightened motorists and that his blood alcohol level on the night he died was double that permitted for anyone driving a motor vehicle. He also outlined what he said was Mr. Sheppard’s history of alcohol and drug addiction as well as prior legal skirmishes.
LeBron James' charity work includes the LeBron James King for Kids Bikeathon.
James, the NBA's back-to-back league MVP, will again lead some of his NBA friends and local cyclists on an eight-mile journey through Akron while recognizing and rewarding a special group of 350 children. Those children who will ride alongside James have been chosen based on academic success, improvement of physical fitness and/or important contributions to their community.
People for Bikes, a group started by BikesBelong is giving away four bikes as part of a National Bike Month promotion.
After a driver used a loud speaker to call out several things to a cyclist, including threatening to get him "off the road", the Ohio cyclist tapped on his mirror and asked him what was going on. Further up the road, he was then "tapped" by the driver (or his van, however you think of it). The cyclists called 911 and followed the driver. Initially the driver was found guilty of felonious assault, but the charges were dropped on appeal.
a review of the record and evidence demonstrates that there is insufficient evidence to convict Copley of felonious assault. A review of the record fails to show that Copley knowingly attempted to cause physical harm or knew of the risk of physical harm to McLaughlin. Additional review demonstrates that it is unclear if Copley had knowledge of the circumstances such that he was aware of where McLaughlin was in the road at the time.
Although it is not dispositive of this case, it is still important to note the fact that thorough review of the pictures and additional evidence does not demonstrate any injury to McLaughlin's ankle beyond a slight redness in color; no lacerations, no bleeding, no bruising, no swelling. It is also worth noting that although McLaughlin sprained his ankle, the injury was minor enough that he was able to have the strength and stamina to stay on his bike and give chase to the van.
The dissenting judge wrote
Copley used his van as a weapon and attempted to remove Mr. McLaughlin from the road by force. The act of ramming a large van into a cyclist at 10 to 15 miles per hour is a sufficient overt act to constitute an assault with a deadly weapon.
Copley, using his van's PA system, yelled that he would get Mr. McLaughlin off the road. In pedestrian accident cases such as this, it is often difficult to divine the intent of a defendant. However, appellant's threats, made just before the incident, provide sufficient evidence that appellant knowingly attempted to cause physical harm to Mr. McLaughlin. Copley's own statements provide clear evidence of intent. The threat, along with Copley's van colliding with Mr. McLaughlin's bike, constitutes a substantial overt act directed at accomplishing an assault with a deadly weapon.
(I forget who sent me this, sorry) In Madison, WI they've added red bike boxes like the one above. But a State Representative sees a nefarious plot.
“It’s basically about liberal extremists in Madison who hate cars and think everyone should bike to work,” Nass said. “It is basically making it difficult to use an automobile.”
Nass said the boxes will cause bikes to cluster and get in the way of motor vehicles when the light turns green.
That is kind of the point.
In addition, the installations are costly in a time when government budgets are pinched, he said.
McCormick said the first roll-out is being underwritten as a pilot by Flint Trading, a North Carolina company that manufactures the materials, with the city paying about $3,000 out of the $16,000 cost.
That sounds like a deal to me.
The bike boxes are an extension of bias against motorists, Nass said.
“If you’re in a vehicle, you will get tickets for many things,” he said. “There’s no question that there is a difference in who they are ticketing, and bicyclists are not obeying traffic laws, quite frankly.”
Bias against motorists? I guess he's right. I heard about this case in Ohio where just because a driver threatened to hit a cyclist right before hitting him, an obviously anti-car biased jury decided he did it with intent. Luckily an unbiased group of judges decided that was ridiculous. I mean the cyclist was barely even injured.
A response to the law of unintended consequences: an amendment to the Auto Safey Bill, that just made it out of committee, will deal with the 'quiet car' problem.
the amendment would require makers of hybrid and electric cars, which often produce little to no sound when traveling at low speeds, to include an alert noise as a precaution for nearby pedestrians and cyclists.
A September study [PDF] conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the crash risk to pedestrians from cars traveling at low speeds was twice as high for hybrids as for combustion-engine models. The study also concluded that the likelihood of crashes at road intersections involving cyclists were "significantly higher" for hybrids than for conventionally powered cars
Dallas is working on a bike plan.
Does this undermine the "bikes are transportation" statement?
A man robbed an Anchorage bank and escaped on a bicycle but didn't get far, police said Thursday.
i want a red bike box!
Posted by: jj | May 30, 2010 at 06:55 PM
At first, I thought that was a red carpet for some bike-related event.
Posted by: Michael H. | May 31, 2010 at 03:14 AM