If you feel that you may have a bicycle accident or bicycle personal injury claim, or other bicycle law case, we encourage you to pursue bicycle justice with an attorney who is a cyclist.
We feel that it is important to know that your attorney is an experienced Oregon bicycle attorney with experience in representing cyclists.
Oregon is a great bicycle state. Oregon has top competive cyclists, bosts numerous bicycling trails, a velodome, can brag about the numbers of bicycle commuters hitting the road as well as the number of families enjoying recreational bicycling.
We also have excellent bicycle legal advocates and bicycle injury lawyers fighting for bicycle justice.
Yet every year many bicyclists die and are seriously injured on Oregon roads. Bicycle riders suffer equipment damage sometimes by being run off the road to avoid an accident. Sometimes we are doored or even attacked and harassed on bicycle.
As bicyclists, we often struggle with finding our place on the road between cars and pedestrians and often feel as though a bicycle right of way is optional. Too often we hear of a bicycle fatality after fatality, all being "hooked" as cars don't yield to bicyclists in the bike lane or don't feel that bicycles should be on the road at all. It's too many more bicyle fatalities before roads and intersections are re-examined for the safety of their design. Or maybe it is the sewage drains on the streets which are perfectly sized to jam a bicycle tire and send the cyclist careening.
As bicyclists, too often we get seriously hurt, and even killed.
Or, we are given tickets or treated with biased laws, and told we don't belong on the road and we don't belong on the sidewalks.
We encourage bicyclists with bicycle legal issues to seek out a qualified and ethical Oregon bicycle attorney to help them with their issue.
America has a great court system and we believe there is a tradition of using legal complaints to force political awareness and change; i.e. sharing the road with bicyclists.
Step back and be a bit skeptical. Does the attorney really just 'handle bicycle cases' or are they actually a REAL bicyclist?
In our circle of bicycling friends, we have found a big difference of the evaluation of what the bicycle legal case might look like when they actually talked with an experienced Oregon bicycle attorney verses an attorney who handled car injury and insurance cases. Thus we are left to wonder if the result good have been better or our friends may have had an Oregon bicycle attorney to advocate for them instead of having to forfeit when a non-interested accident attorney told them they had no case, or what to us sounds like, "no rights because they were riding a bike."
Portland, Oregon
Portland Tribune
Put bicycle riders on equal footing with cars
MY VIEW • Separate lanes for bikes? That might resolve some traffic conflicts
November 10,2011 - [...] The close proximity and mixing of large, powerful cars (trucks?) and bikes on public streets is a dangerous experiment: bikes really can't do great damage to a car or driver, while bicyclists are always in danger of injury from motor vehicles and other riders.Any accident for a rider – simply falling from a bike – can be deadly. And, in traffic, the odds are always in the motorist's favor.
DIY Bike Helmet is Solar-Powered, Weatherproof
November 11, 2011 - Riding your bike around at night can be a dangerous thing, especially without the proper bicycle lighting to make sure you don't get flattened by an oncoming car. It can be even more dangerous to do so during rainy or snowy weather conditions.
San Diego, California
San Diego News
Sharing the Ride - Non-Ownership as the Future of Urban Travel
November 13, 2011 - San Diego Bike Share has a growing Facebook presence, but perhaps the next phase in bike sharing is GPS-enabled Social Bicycles in New York, where bikes can be located and unlocked with one's mobile phone.
Santa Monica, California
Bike plan passes Planning Commission, on to council
November 12, 2011 - The plan proposes a 20-year timeline to transform Santa Monica's roadways into bicycle-friendly thoroughfares in an attempt to get people out of their cars and cycling to improve health, reduce traffic and cleanse the environment. [...]
Staff is prepared to move on 17 miles of new bicycle lanes, 14 miles of shared road infrastructure and 2,500 new bike parking spaces.
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder proposes 8 mph bike speed limit in crosswalks
November 10, 2011 - Boulder leaders will take up a proposal next week that would more strictly regulate how cyclists, pedestrians and motorists use crosswalks -- including a new speed limit for bikes.
Those entering and traversing a crosswalk would have to do so no faster than 8 mph, under a proposed amendment to the city's traffic code.
Los Angeles, California
Rise in number of bicycle accidents has Burbank concerned
November 13, 2011 - Burbank police say they're concerned about an increase in the number of bicycle accidents over the last two years.
Through October of this year, police have responded to 32 injury bike collisions — more than in all of 2007, when there were 24, and nearly as many as the 33 reported in 2008, Lt. J.J. Puglisi said.
Los Angeles, California
Bicycle accidents saw jump in past 2 years
November 13, 2011 - [...] Police said the number of accidents involving bikes has jumped dramatically in the past two years.
The severity of those crashes has also increased.
Provo, Utah
Bike polo a swinging good time for local players
November 13, 2011 - A quiet, empty underground parking garage in Provo begins to grow louder as bicyclists fill the echoing concrete room for their weekly bicycle polo games. Just weeks ago the bicyclists would have been swarming an open parking lot for the games, but as cold weather sets in, they now find refuge in a warmer and less exposed location. Read more: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/bike-polo-a-swinging-good-time-for-local-players/article_f231d2e9-4243-5b3c-acd3-408547c4abf6.html#ixzz1dce9ZCyW
The Guardian UK
Ghost bikes: memorials to road victims blamed for putting people off cycling
November 10, 2011 - Marooned on a traffic island in the centre of one of London's more aggressive, unpleasant junctions, it is at first glance an almost discordant note of beauty: a bicycle completely painted a spectral white and covered with a mass of flowers.
But it is in fact a deeply gloomy spectacle. Commemorating Min Joo Lee, a 24-year-old fashion student killed last month while cycling through King's Cross, it is one of the latest examples in the fast-growing global phenomenon of "ghost bikes".
Road.cc Cycling Website of the year - Bath
Guardian sparks ghost bike debate
An appropriate way of commemorating the fallen, or a distraction and deterrence to would-be cyclists?
November 11, 2011 - National newspaper The Guardian has ignited a debate by posing the question of whether ghost bikes, now employed around the world to mark the spot where a cyclist lost their life and acting as a memorial to them, may deter people from riding bikes by giving the impression that cycling is more dangerous than it is in reality.
Long Beach, California
Long Beach Post
Streetsblog Los Angeles Examines Bike-Friendly Long Beach
September 6, 2011 - [...] However, does Newton agree with City Hall's claim that Long Beach is already #1 for bikes in the USA? "Personally, I don't feel that Long Beach is there yet," he says. "I think if we look at the cities that are traditionally at the top of the list, Portland and Minneapolis, they're certainly ahead of where Long Beach is. At the same time, Long Beach is closing the gap. … The strides that Long Beach has made in three years … Long Beach is definitely on the map."
Portland, Oregon
Portland Mercury Blog
Take Bike Sharing on a Test Ride!
September 2, 2011 - [...] Remember the bike sharing plan the city council recently adopted, welcoming 740 rentable bikes to Portland's streets? But, of course! However, while the council passed the bike sharing plan in August, the program itself isn't predicted to be up and running until Fall 2013. So to tide us over, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance is bringing Portlanders a little taste of what to expect.
Portland, Oregon
Portland Department of Transportation
Portland Dept. of Transportation FAQs Bike Sharing Program
September 6, 2011 - [...] What is bike sharing? How do you use the system? What is the Portland Bureau of Transportation pursuing in regards to bike sharing? What are the different types of bike sharing systems? What North American cities have bike sharing programs? Where is bike sharing successful? Who uses bike sharing systems and what type of trips do they take? Can bike sharing and transit work together? Do successful bike sharing programs share common traits? What problems have bike sharing systems faced? How much does it cost? Is Portland's bike mode share and bike ownership rate too high to benefit from bike sharing? How are cities paying for bike sharing? What happened at the Portland Bike Sharing Demonstration events?
Portland, Oregon
Portland Oregonian
Put a helmet on it Portland
September 6, 2011 - ~~Recent bicycle fatality crashes and helmet use, transportation OHSU bicycle helmet use and incidence of brain injury and fatal injury...
Portland, Oregon
Portland Oregonian
25 Stylish Bicycle Accessories
September 6, 2011 - ~~groovy bicycle gear for commuters and hipsters from bike bags, helmets, to baskets and more...oh, this is just the FALL 2011 selection ;-) cool.
Portland, Oregon Boulder, Colorado
Boulder Daily Camera
August 27, 2011 - [...] PORTLAND, Ore. -- Quirky, hippie, granola-eating Boulder. That image -- a badge of honor to some, unflattering to others -- is one often associated with the city by those who live outside the so-called "People's Republic." After all, Boulder is the place where the City Council debates resolutions calling for presidential impeachment, patchouli saturates the air over Pearl Street and public semi-nudity is a thing to be embraced during annual bike rides and pumpkin runs alike. But there's another place in the country where the same kinds of words are used to describe its people, politics and offbeat vibe. Welcome to Portland, Ore. This city of 560,000 is nearly six times larger than Boulder and has the look, feel and smell of a big city -- but that's largely where the dissimilarities end. Portland has become a place synonymous with its innovative transportation system, network of bicycle paths, green energy programs, sustainable lifestyles and staggering number of local microbreweries and coffee shops. There's a major university to the north of downtown, and miles of open space and lush green forests surround the city. If Boulder could have a doppelganger, surely this city in the Pacific Northwest would be it.
Seattle, Washington
Blog Seatle PI
Should Seattle launch a bike-sharing program?
August 22, 2011 - [...] The idea is controversial in Portland, mostly because of the price tag that comes with buying and maintaining a fleet of 740 bikes [...] helmet use [...] sidewalk pedestrian use conflict [...]
Seattle, Washington
GRIST a beacon in the smog
Helmet laws get in the way of bike-sharing programs
August 22, 2011 - [...] Though our helmet fiats are the greatest legal obstacle to a bike share rollout, there are a couple other barriers worth mentioning. A recent University of Washington study [PDF] examined the feasibility of bike-sharing in Seattle and discovered a slew of hurdles over curb-space ussage and the city's sign rules. Bike-share programs sell advertising space on their bike stations to help cover their costs, so the design of the bike stations must reflect the needs of advertisers. At a minimum, that means that having consistent and easily understood sign rules is a must. In Seattle, though, almost every district from Pioneer Square to Ballard has its own sign guidelines. This patchwork of regulations makes it hard to design a single, modular bike-share station that will be legal citywide. And custom bike stations would be prohibitively expensive [...]
Portland, Oregon
Portland Oregonian Newspaper
Portland bike-sharing plan wins city transportation bureau OK; Fritz says she will vote no
August 16, 2011 - [...] PORTLAND – The Portland City Council Wednesday approved a bike sharing plan proposed by the transportation bureau. Bike Portland announced the 4-1 vote passing the proposal. Similar to car-sharing, bike sharing programs offer users access to a fleet of bicycles in high and medium density areas. They both also require users to become members, according to information on the transportation bureau's Web site. More: Bike sharing Q & A Users check out a bike by credit card, membership card, and/or by cell phone at a docking station and pay per amount of time used. The Portland Bureau of Transportation recently conducted a study of the potential effectiveness of bike sharing in the city. Metro would also have to approve the plan, in order to access $2 million in federal funding that would be needed, to help pay for it. Another $2 million would need to come from private investors, through a private-public partnership. In a city known for its growing number of bicycle commuters, many Portlanders told KGW they were in support of the idea, but questioned the cost to taxpayers.
Portland, Oregon
Portland Oregonian Newspaper
Council approves $4M bike sharing system
August 15, 2011 - [...] In a city where just about everything that can be done on a bicycle has been done, Portland still doesn't do bike sharing. Not yet anyway. After years of study, the Portland Bureau of Transportation has recommended using $4 million in startup funds -- half from a limited, flexible federal funding pot, half from private investors -- for an automated community bicycling program. The City Council is expected to vote Wednesday on the concept, which has proved wildly popular in other American cities and across Europe.
New York, New York
New York Times
A New Breed of Lawyers Focuses on Bicyclists' Rights
August 16, 2011 - [...] The small firm is preparing to bring a class-action suit against New York City on behalf of cyclists over summons handed out for what it contends are phantom violations — bike behavior that it says is not illegal in the city. It is another sign that New York's bike fights are moving from the streets to the courtroom. When it comes to bike law, it seems, the wheels of justice no longer grind slowly. Since a ticketing blitz early this year, cyclists in New York have faced stepped-up police enforcement of red-light and other, less-obvious rules, like having adequate lights or not riding with earphones in both ears. Add to that a highly publicized lawsuit challenging a bike lane along Prospect Park West in Brooklyn, thrown out by a judge last week, and bike law can seem like a growing opportunity for lawyers who make bikes their business.
Portland, Oregon
Portland Oregon Fox 12 News
Harrington credits helmet for saving life in crash
August 16, 2011 - [...] Two weeks ago, Harrington was hit by a car while riding his bike in Southeast Portland. The crash left him with a broken collar bone and a punctured lung, but he lived.
New York, New York
New York Times
Judge Rejects Groups' Effort to Remove Bike Lane
August 16, 2011 - A judge on Tuesday dismissed an effort by Brooklyn residents to remove a hotly contested bicycle lane installed by the city on Prospect Park West, in one of the most closely watched controversies over a signature policy of the Bloomberg administration. The decision represented a significant victory for the city and its transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, whose campaign to create streets more oriented to pedestrians and bicyclists has divided New Yorkers and prompted a fierce political debate. The judge, Bert A. Bunyan of State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, found that the residents' lawsuit was filed after the statute of limitations had expired for a legal challenge to the lane, a mile-long, two-way path installed last summer along one of Brooklyn's wealthiest boulevards [...]
Portland, Oregon
Portland Oregonian
After crash, Harrington wants to help kids get bike helmets
August 12, 2011 - PORTLAND, Ore. – Former Ducks star and NFL quarterback Joey Harrington said his collision with a SUV while riding his bike in Southeast Portland was worse than any beating he took on the football field.
"Play 15 years of football and never break a bone, and then I'm on a bike ride and end up in the ICU," said Harrington, speaking about the crash for the first time Friday.
Harrington was riding home two weeks ago on Southeast Foster near 88th when a driver didn't see him and clipped his back wheel. He landed on the hood of the SUV then went airborne as it came to a stop.
[...]
He came down on his head and shoulder, breaking his collarbone and a couple of ribs, one of which punctured a lung. His helmet probably saved his life.
"Then I got home and saw my helmet. I felt pretty lucky after seeing what could've happened."
Portland, Oregon
Portland Oregonian
Joey Harrington broke collarbone, punctured lung in bike crash
July 31, 2011 - PORTLAND, Ore. - Former University of Oregon Ducks star quarterback Joey Harrington was struck by a SUV and seriously injured while he rode his bike on Sunday evening, a Portland Police spokesman said.
Harrington was riding along SE Foster Road near 88th Avenue just before 8:30 p.m. when he was hit from behind by a passing Toyota RAV4, Lt. Robert King said.
KATU Sports Director Katy Brown talked with a member of Harrington's family on Monday, who said he suffered serious injuries but is expected to recover.
New York, New York
New York Times
Consider the Worst Case With Zipcar
April 22, 2011 - But so far, it has paid no penalty for leaving customers exposed to enormous legal judgments if they get in a serious accident. It caps the liability insurance coverage it provides for members at $300,000 per incident, no matter how many people they may hurt. [...] Zipcar has known about this issue for many years. I first wrote about it in a Wall Street Journal column in 2005, when the liability coverage was identical to Hertz's current offering. Felix Salmon, a blogger for Reuters, has periodically hammered away at Zipcar since that time, too. [...] Other Zipcar members may assume that their credit card companies offer insurance coverage for rental cars. And the card issuers' insurance feature may indeed help pay for damage to a vehicle, though Visa's excludes car-sharing services like Zipcar. But none of these policies offer any liability coverage.
New York, New York
Wired New York
Bicycling in New York City: Historic Photos from the Museum of the City of New York
May 24, 2011 - The Museum of the City of New York celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation. The Museum is currently in the midst of a multi-year project to digitize its photographic and works-on-paper collections and has already uploaded more than 62,000 historic photographs of the city to its online Collections Portal. Visit the site to explore the city's past. May is National Bike Month and we are pleased to offer a look back at the heyday of bicycling in the city [...]
New York, New York
New York Daily News
June 12, 2011 - Cycling while sexy could be hazardous to city motorists - just ask Jasmijn Rijcken. The leggy Dutch tourist said she was pulled over by an NYPD cop for flashing too much skin while on two wheels. "He said it's very disturbing and it's distracting the cars and it's dangerous," Rijcken told the Daily News. "I thought he was joking around but he got angry and asked me for ID." [...]
Corvalis, Oregon
Corvalis Gazette
Friends rally around injured OSU cyclist
April 13, 2011 - Friends, family and teammates of Leia Tyrrell, an Oregon State University cyclist, are working to raise funds for her hospital bills after she suffered a head injury in a bicycle race on April 2. Only about 500 meters from the finish line at about 8 p.m., Tyrrell was winning the stage of the Cherry Blossom Cycling Classic in The Dalles and was in fourth place in the overall race. She took a turn at about 30 mph and crashed, landing on her head, said her coach, Anne Linton [...] Tyrrell, 21, is a sophomore studying animal science. She is on the OSU cycling team as well as the Sorella Forte team in Portland, her hometown. She is the Oregon Bike Racing Association's 2010 road race champion and also was a member of the USA Cycling Nature Valley collegiate all-star team [...]
Bellingham, Washington
Bicycle Alliance of Washington
Another One on Bicycle Parking
August 23, 2011 - [...] We got our first bike corral. The City, thanks to Kim Brown, Transportation Options Coordinator Extraordinaire removed two on street parking lots and installed the corral on Bay Street in downtown Bellingham [...]
Bellingham, Washington
Bicycle Alliance of Washington
June 29, 2011 - [...] We got our first bike corral. The City, thanks to Kim Brown, Transportation Options Coordinator Extraordinaire removed two on street parking lots and installed the corral on Bay Street in downtown Bellingham [...]
Bend, Oregon
OPB News
Grand Jury Indicts Bend Man In Fatal Hit-And-Run
April 13, 2011 - [...] A grand jury in Deschutes County has indicted a Bend man. The charges stem from a fatal hit-and-run accident this January in Bend. It's been nearly three months since Anthony Martin was killed. It was around 11 p.m. when he was struck by a car while he was crossing the street with his bicycle. The driver didn't stop and Martin died at the scene [...]
Seattle, Washington
Seattle Times
What's with all the bike bitterness?
May 17, 2011 - [...] It could be even worse than a plague of locusts. In the past week, bicyclists and people who try to encourage the riding of bikes have been called everything from a disgrace to insane to full-on nazis — all prompted by the Seattle mayor's hiring of a bike advocate as a lobbyist.It could be even worse than a plague of locusts. In the past week, bicyclists and people who try to encourage the riding of bikes have been called everything from a disgrace to insane to full-on nazis — all prompted by the Seattle mayor's hiring of a bike advocate as a lobbyist [...]
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage News
State removes 'ghost bike' tribute to cyclist
April 13, 2011 - [...] In the week following 36-year-old bicyclist Wil Curry's death in a collision with a Toyota Camry at Tudor Road and C Street, a mystery memorial appeared at the busy Midtown intersection. Called a "ghost bike," the all-white road bicycle was chained to a metal traffic light and draped in flowers. Like a 21-gun salute for cyclists and a reminder for drivers to use caution, similar monuments appear all over whenever a bicyclist is killed [...] But the Alaska Department of Transportation removed the Anchorage ghost bike this week, calling the tribute a potential safety hazard [...]
Atascadero, California
Atascadero News
Bike Month approaches — learn rules of the road
April 12, 2011 - [...] As I bicycle, walk and drive around town I see many people riding bikes. And often not following the rules of the road. Not following the rules of the road can lead to injury or worse [...]
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore Sun
April 12, 2011 - The driver of a car that struck and gravely injured a 20-year-old Johns Hopkins student who was bicycling near the university in February has been issued tickets charging her with traffic violations, the Baltimore state's attorney and Police Department said Tuesday [...] The state's attorney's office said the charges each carry a potential penalty of $500 and three points on the driver's license. However, in traffic ticket cases, the driver can resolve the charges by paying a lesser fine without appearing in court. In the case of negligent driving in a case involving a crash, the fine set by the District Court is $280. The same amount is assessed for violating the 2010 law under which Walke was charged for crossing into a bicycle lane without yielding [...]
London, England
The Economist
Cycling in London Cyclists for a crackdown on cyclists
April 11, 2011 - THERE is crossness in the tight-knit world of groups campaigning for better bicycle paths in Britain, and other pro-cycling policies. The cause? Reports that the government is looking with interest at proposals for a new Dangerous and Reckless Cycling Bill, creating a new offence of causing death by dangerous cycling [...] Cycling groups retort that deaths caused by bicyclists are so rare that the new law is not needed: in the last year for which figures have been collated, 2009, no pedestrians were killed by cyclists, while 426 people on bicycles were killed by motor vehicles. Why not rein in the motorists, the cry has gone up. They are the killers, not the healthy, environmentally-friendly types on their cycles [...]
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore Sun
April 12, 2011 - [...] A day does not pass that I do not witness a bicyclist violate the 3-foot law by weaving through stopped traffic at an intersection, then run a red light or fail to even slow down, much less stop, at a stop sign [...]
Fort Collins, Colorado
Rocky Mountain Collegian
CSU dismount signs making a difference Tickets for violations have dropped
April 12, 2011 - [...] "A lot of time, in congested areas, bicycles and pedestrians don't mix," said Lieutenant Chris Wolf, the police administrator for CSUPD. In light of recent complaints from students who have almost been run down by eager students on their way to class, the CSUPD decided to label the "dismount zone" signage more clearly [...]
Los Angeles, California
LA Streets Blog
Bikelash in the SFV: Neighborhood Council Considers Asking for Bike Licensing
April 12, 2011 - [...] Tonight, the Northridge West Neighborhood Council will vote on what Los Angeles Bike Advisory Committee member Glenn Bailey is facetiously calling a "modest proposal" to, as it says in the agenda description, "Encourage Bicycle Violator Citations and Reinstitute Bicycle Licensing (Bicycle license fees must be at least $150 per year to reflect their shared responsibility for the cost of maintaining the roads and their safe use)." The proposal is item 13v on the Neighborhood Council agenda [...]
Martinsville, Virginia
Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
Law gives cyclists green light
April 7, 2011 - [...] The measure allows motorcycle, moped or bicycle operators to treat red lights like stop signs and proceed through them after first coming to a full and complete stop for two complete cycles of the traffic light or two minutes, whichever is shorter [...]
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City Press
Moped or bicycle? / Law is unclear
April 11, 2011 - [...] The distinction is important to Denise Baj, who has been stopped and ticketed twice in Ocean City for driving what she - and the manufacturer of the XB 700LI - call an electrically assisted bicycle [...]
Palo Alto, California
Silicon Valley Mercury News
Suit filed over Palo Alto's California Avenue streetscape project
april 11, 2011 - A Palo Alto resident and a camera store owner have filed a lawsuit against the city in an effort to kill a project that would chop California Avenue down to just two lanes in the popular shopping district [...]
Boise, Idaho
Boise Examiner
Taxes 2011. Write off your bike!
April 11, 2011 - [...] If you commute to work with your bike, you can actually expense the bike itself, in the form of its depreciation. That commuter bike, or the bike you use during working hours for business, can qualify as a business expense [...]
Maine
Morning Sentinel
Bill would tax bicycles to add road shoulders
April 10, 2011 - Bicycle advocates are upset about a bill in the Legislature that would impose a 2 percent surcharge on retail bicycle sales. The bill's sponsor says his proposal is intended to solve problems created by a law, passed two years ago, that requires drivers to steer at least 3 feet clear of cyclists, which can be impossible [...]
Portland, Oregon
Oregon Live
Altercation in Northwest Portland was an accident, driver and cyclist agreeAltercation in Northwest Portland was an accident, driver and cyclist agree
April 10, 2011 - [...] Sgt. Joe Santos reported that he was on his way to work about 6 a.m. on Northwest Cornell Road when an SUV to the left of him almost struck him while passing. At about Northwest 25th Avenue and Lovejoy Street, Santos pulled up to a stop sign and the SUV was there, and another altercation occurred. Santos hopped off his bike, grabbed it and ran to the sidewalk, and he told police that the driver then ran into his bike [...]
San Diego, California
San Diego 10 News
Bicyclist Riding Along Hwy 101 In Encinitas Struck, Killed Authorities: James Steven Swarzman Hit, Killed By Pickup Truck Early Sunday Morning
April 10, 2011 - ENCINITAS, Calif. -- A man riding a bicycle in Encinitas was struck and killed early Sunday morning by a hit-and-run driver, according to authorities. [...] "The truck that hit me came across one empty lane of traffic, across the bike lane taking me out, and then back to the traffic lane. To me that was 100 percent intentional," Bernstein told 10News Reporter Kevin Roy [...]
New York, New York
Gothamist
Cops Also Ticketing Cyclists For Ignoring Stop Signs At Empty Intersections
April 8, 2011 - [...] The other cop got out of the car to give me the ticket and he said, "You know we could have given you a ticket for..." and then he eyed my bike, looking for a component (lights, bell, brakes) that he could ticket me for not having, but I have all of those things, then looked me up and down and said "...not wearing proper reflective attire." I don't think there's a law on the books that says you must wear certain clothes, but I pointed to the part on my jacket that says "Gore Bike Wear" and said, "But I'm wearing a jacket specifically for biking." They said they had "shined a light on me" (I assume when they were following behind me) and that it hadn't reflected. Then they told me again to "be careful," to which I replied again, "I am careful, it's my job." And they drove off.[...]
New York, New York
Gothamist
Cycling Tickets Nearly Doubled In Brooklyn
April 6, 2011 - We've seen plenty of anecdotal evidence that the NYPD has a major hard-on for cyclists in Brooklyn these days, but now we have some actual stats, thanks to the Brooklyn Paper, which reports that cops' cycling crackdown resulted in nearly twice as many tickets in February than it did last February. Officers wrote at least 695 bicycle summonses throughout Brooklyn that month, compared to 375 in the same period last year. Naturally, cyclists are fuming. [...] Police sources told the Brooklyn Paper in January that the NYPD was beginning a borough-wide crackdown on cyclists who don't follow the letter of the law, and later one anonymous officer said, "It's from now until forever; there is no set time. Bicyclists should travel like vehicles and must obey the same laws. The department and the people are sick of it!" [...]
New York, New York
Gothamist
NYPD's Central Park Cyclist Red Light Crackdown Continues
March 17, 2011 - [...] That never happened, and now police manpower has been focused on handing out $270 tickets to cyclists who bike through a red light even when the intersection is clear and no cars are in the park. Wishnia said last night that 230 summonses have been issued to cyclists so far this year, compared to 160 speeding summonses issued to drivers during all of 2010 (and 62 in 2009). Stringer is calling for the DOT to change the lights to flashing yellow when the park is closed to cars, but the department—perhaps reluctant to appear too friendly to cyclists after recent media hit jobs on DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan—did not bother to send anyone to the meeting [...]
New York, New York
Gothamist
Cop Nearly Doors Cyclist, Then Chases And Arrests Her
April 6, 2011 - [...] Thede, a 28-year-old theater technician on the Upper West Side, tells us she was biking home on Sunday around 6 p.m. when the driver's side door of a double parked black car popped open suddenly on Amsterdam between 76th and 77th Streets. "I had to brake so abruptly that a delivery biker behind me ran into me," says Thede. "I had a verbal exchange with the driver in which I told him to watch what he was doing." Then she rode on, but soon realized that the guy had gotten back into his car and was zooming up behind her. She still had no idea this man was an officer of the law, and the situation devolved from there: He was driving after me and I was scared. He kept slowing down alongside me, so I cut all the way over to the left lane. But he angrily skidded to a stop in front of me, pulling his car perpendicular to traffic in the left lane. Then I got off my bike and tried to walk my bike onto the sidewalk because I wasn't going to run out into traffic. That's when he grabbed the back of my bike and started pulling it [...]
Portland, Oregon
Oregonian - Oregon Live
Portland police plan Tuesday pedestrian-safety patrols on Southeast Foster Road
April 6, 2011 - [...] Portland has put more emphasis on pedestrian education and enforcement patrols after a surge in the number of walkers killed in traffic in 2010. Fifteen pedestrians died, compared to 11 in 2009 and five in 2008. Two of the pedestrian deaths happened on the same night in April, when a TriMet bus struck a group of friends using an Old Town crosswalk [...]
Washington D.C.
Greater Greater Washington
Women: How comfortable do you feel biking?
March 30, 2011 - Bike infrastructure can make a difference in enticing commuters to cycle, as can driver behavior and the availability of showers. Some stories suggest drivers may also treat women on bikes better if they're wearing street clothes, feminine helmets, and skirts. University of Oregon masters student Kory Northrup created this terrific infographic showing statistics about bicycling in various states and major cities [...]
Molalla, Oregon
Molalla Pioneer
Molalla bicyclist dies from injuries suffered in hit and run
March 31, 2011 - The Molalla bicyclist critically injured in last Tuesday's hit and run accident died today at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital [...]
Portland, Oregon
Tree Hugger
Avoiding Bike Helmet Head - Is It Worth $500 To You?
March 31, 2011 - [...] The company is planning to release its "crash helmets" - which look like a big collar until an accident causes them to inflate - a little later this spring. Hövding is currently pre-selling the crash collars and negotiating deals with a number of European distributors. In addition to protecting your noggin in the event of a crash, Hövdings are worn around the neck, allowing you to avoid helmet hair and helmet head (a large percentage of women in an APBP study said was a major inhibitor to their cycling more) all for the low, low price of $470 (not including shipping) [...]
Portland, Oregon
Koin Local 6
Bicyclist, 67, struck in Molalla hit and run
March 22, 2011 - [...] The hit and run crash left the Thomas Christopher Mossman of Molalla seriously injured, according to Oregon State Police (OSP), and required a helicopter transport to OHSU [...]
Seminole, Florida
Patch
Groups Work to Make Bike Safety Laws Tougher March is Bike Month in Florida, where car vs. bike deaths are far more common than elsewhere.
March 17, 2011 - [...] March is Bike Month in Florida, which has long led the nation in per capita bicyclist and pedestrian deaths. In the past year, about a dozen bicyclists in the Tampa Bay area have been killed. Biking advocates say local and state officials need to get serious about finding ways to reduce and eliminate biking-related fatalities [...] Nationally, in 2008, 11.1 percent of pedestrian fatalities and 17.4 percent of bicycle deaths occurred in Florida, while the state only has 6 percent of the country's population [...]
Vienna, Virginia
Law Lets Bikes Run Red Lights, In Certain Situations
- Bill signed by Gov. McDonnell will take effect July 1
[...] March 28, 2011 -
Champe Burnley, president of the Virginia Bicycling Federation, said riders of two-wheel vehicles often end up trapped at red lights, with no safe, legal option about what to do, because motorcycles and bikes aren't heavy enough or don't have enough metal to trip the sensor [...]
Johns Creek, Georgia
Johns Creek Mayor Joins Thousands in Bike Ride to Capitol
[...] March 23, 2011 - "On behalf of the more than 40 mayors and council members from 28 cities across the metro-Atlanta region joining us today, I welcome you to the Sixth Annual Georgia Rides to the Capitol event, where we call attention to the need for more bicycle and pedestrian networks across the Atlanta region," said Bodker.
Cycling is a transportation option that is "an affordable, pollution-free, healthy means of travel that can be a real traffic congestion solution, especially around schools, in town, and when paired with transit," said Bodker.
San Jose
Mercury News
San Jose: In wake of freak accident, council to consider shorter leash for dogs on park trails
March 28, 2011 - Reacting to a freak accident that killed a woman two years ago, the San Jose City Council is poised to give dog owners a shorter leash to control their pets on park trails.
The council on Tuesday is scheduled to consider -- and is expected to approve -- an ordinance that would require owners to keep their dogs on no longer than a six-foot leash, 14 feet shorter than is now allowed.
First-time violators would get a warning, second-time violators may be issued a $100 citation and a third violation in three years could be a $200 fine [...]
San Diego, California
10 San Diego News
Motorcyclist Arrested After Crashing Into Bicyclist Crash Happened In 2000 Block Of 31st Street
March 20, 2011 - SAN DIEGO -- A motorcycle rider who crashed into a bicycle rider was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of felony drunken driving and hit-and-run, police said.
San Diego, California
San Diego 7 News
Cyclist rides across the country for paralysis research
April 2, 2011 - [...] AKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - A San Diego man stops in the lake area while cycling across the country to raise money and awareness for spinal cord research. Jimmy Button started his journey on bicycle in San Diego, CA on February 20th and he plans to make it to Daytona Beach, FL by mid April. Button is a former professional motocross rider who was forced to quit riding after an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. The former motocross rider was told he would never walk again, but Button's endurance outwitted the doctor's expectations [...]
New York, New York
Wall Street Journal
March 10, 2011 - John Cassidy, the New Yorker's economics reporter, is in the midst of a blogospheric tiff with Felix Salmon and others over bicycles in New York City. Bloomberg News Bicyclists in New York City. Cassidy's view is that the bicycle lanes sprouting up all over the city represent "a classic case of regulatory capture by a small faddist minority" of bicycle-riding, heirloom-tomato-eating hipsters (more or less). Salmon thinks (among other things) that people who drive cars are engaging in costly behavior with the bill largely footed by other people. Cassidy responds that he has to feed the meter most places he parks, while bicyclists get a free-ride, etc. Anyway, what about the economics of bicycling? After they finish their fair-trade, raw-milk lattes, bicycle enthusiasts might want to check out this research by Queens College economist Inas Rashad Kelly, who calculated that increased cycling could, through lowering obesity rates, trim the nation's health expenditure by about $6 billion, with additional gains from decreased depression [...]
New York, New York
The New Yorker
Bike Lanes II: The Condemned Motorist Speaks
March 9, 2011 - It seems to have escaped notice that I said I support the introduction of bike lanes, but not so many of them. Herewith: "So, by all means, let us have some bike lanes on heavily used and clearly defined routes to and from the city—and on popular biking routes within the city and the boroughs."
Some people like cars, some people like bikes, some people like both. Since there is a limited amount of space on city streets, trade-offs have to be made. In making such trade-offs, a democratic polity should take into account the preferences of motorists, who happen to be far more numerous, as well as cyclists. That is all I am saying. [...]
Los Angeles, California
L A Times
Bike ride and a concert with the Fmly
March 27, 2011 - That kind of DIY pluck is at the heart of Fmly, the grassroots organization started by Venice denizen Rath and his friend Noah Klein, now based in New York. Over the last three years, Fmly has spawned a blog with correspondents all over the country, a few pop-up venues, an all-day music festival and, its centerpiece, the monthly bike ride that's one of the most exciting showcases for young bands in Los Angeles today. [...]
Albuquerque, New Mexico
KOAT
Bicyclists Allowed On Tramway, Council Rules City Council Changes Biking Ordinance
March 22, 2011 - [...] Albuquerque police also spoke in favor of changing the ordinance. They said it will clear up confusion and keep bicyclists off a path intended for pedestrians. [...]
New York, New York
Gothamist
[UPDATE] Cops Ticketing Cyclists In Central Park For Speeding
March 22, 2011 - [...] After a meeting last week with some 300 angry cyclists protesting the NYPD's Central Park red light crackdown, Captain Philip Wishnia conceded that "there's a possible way of correcting" the policy of strictly applying driving laws to bike riders. But it looks like that correction was not made, because early this morning the NYPD set up a speed trap at the bottom of a hill in Central Park and, using a radar gun, ticketed cyclists for speeding—in the early morning twilight, when the park is closed to traffic and largely used for exercise. Dave Jordan of the Century Road Club Association tells us that at least six or seven cyclists received speeding tickets this morning for biking over 15 mph (not the actual speed limit), and cyclist Dave Chomowicz, who took this photo, says, "They had a radar gun out. One or two riders in the picture and two of my teammates were ticketed, and some triathletes got tickets. [...]
New York, New York
The New Yorker
New York Liberals Battle a Bike Lane
Mayor Bloomberg's office stands accused of manipulating safety data.
March 26, 2011 -
[...] But nowhere has the expansion of bike lanes created as much of a ruckus as it has in New York.
For years, cyclists in the tony Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope where Mr. Schumer lives had complained about speeding drivers along Prospect Park West. In 2007, they asked the Department of Transportation to intervene to slow down drivers. Last June the city removed a driving lane and turned it into a two-way bike lane that's protected by a row of parked cars. That slowed down drivers, all right.
Traffic congestion has gotten so bad on the street that emergency vehicles have to use the bike lane during rush hours. Many senior citizens complain that they've been nearly knocked down by cyclists zooming in the wrong direction. Last summer community members rallied and formed the group "Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes" to protest the lane. Mr. Schumer's wife, Iris Weinshall, even wrote a letter to the editor in the New York Times sharply criticizing the lane [...]
New York, New York
The New Yorker
Battle of the Bike Lanes
March 10, 2011 - At the risk of incurring the wrath of the bicycle lobby, a constituency that pursues its agenda with about as much modesty and humor as the Jacobins pursued theirs, and which has found its heroine in transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, I say hats off to Iris Weinshall, the former transportation commissioner (and wife of Senator Chuck Schumer), who, together with some like-minded citizens, has filed a lawsuit challenging a bike lane on Prospect Park West.
Tuesday's Times said the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in State Supreme Court, calls on the city to remove the controversial green tarmac, citing a state law that allows citizens to challenge arbitrary and unfair actions by the government. The lawsuit concerns just one stretch of road. If successful, however, it could open the way to a broader challenge to City Hall, which sometimes seems intent on turning New York into Amsterdam, or perhaps Beijing.
New York, New York
Wall Street Journal
New Yorkers lag in cycling to work, study shows
March 22, 2011 - NEW YORK — Other cities have pulled ahead of New York when it comes to bicycling to work, a new study says, despite a controversial push by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to build bike lanes across the city. The percentage of New Yorkers commuting by bicycle barely budged between 1990 and 2009, rising from 0.3 percent to 0.6 percent, according to the study by researchers at Rutgers University and Virginia Tech. In Chicago, the rate increased fourfold during that time. It tripled in Washington, San Francisco and Minneapolis. And in Portland, Ore., the rate went from 1.1 percent to 5.8 percent of commuters. A New York City spokesman said the study, which relied on data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, underestimates the number of bike riders. It does not count commuters who bike fewer than three times a week and also ignores riders who cycle for fun or to school, said Seth Solomonow of the city's transportation department. He also said the city has added more bike lanes since the last survey was done in 2009 [...]
New York, New York
New York Times
Parks Dept. Disavows a Speed Limit for Bicycles
[...] March 23, 2011 - On Tuesday morning, police officers aimed a radar gun at West Drive in Central Park, hoping to catch bicyclists going too fast. Instead they exposed a city bureaucracy bungling the enforcement of one of the simplest of laws: the speed limit.
It was not enough that the Police Department sent officers on Tuesday night to the homes of most of the 10 cyclists given tickets to revoke the citations and apologize, a rarity, to be sure. On Wednesday, the Department of Parks and Recreation disavowed the 15 mile-per-hour speed limit for cyclists that it announced two decades ago and which is posted in small print on signs found in Central Park.
New York, New York
The Gothamist
Central Park Cyclists Still Required To Stay Under 25 mph
[...] March 24, 2011 - While it's nice that the NYPD has voided tickets to nine cyclists who were busted for "speeding" Tuesday morning in Central Park, a tenth cyclist is still on the hook for blazing through a speed trap at 28 mph. And he probably won't be the last bicyclist to get busted for speeding, because although the NYPD apologized for ticketing cyclists pedaling over 15 mph, Parks Department officials are standing their ground enforcing the 25 mph law.
Huntsville, Alabama
al.com
Huntsville law should be changed to allow bicycles on sidewalks, reader says
[...] "It is my understanding that it is illegal to ride bicycles on sidewalks in Huntsville," Henze said. "This is absurd - even if it is rarely enforced. Most of the sidewalks in Huntsville are not heavily used by pedestrians. Not only should it be legal for bicycles to use those sidewalks, especially on busy streets, it should be encouraged. Of course, any new law on the subject should make it clear that pedestrians have the right of way at all times." [...]
Denver, Colorado
Techrockies
MapQuest Turns On Pedestrian, Bicycle Routing
[...] March 4, 2011 - Denver-based MapQuest reported Thursday that it has turned on routing of pedestrian and bicycle travel on all of its open MapQuest sites. According to the firm, the routing allows users to find cycle and foot paths on any of its open sites, which are powered by OpenStreetMap data. The firm also said it will support transit routing on its New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco area sites. The firm had previously offered the pedestrian and bicycle travel mapping on select sites, but said it opened up the support due to "popular demand". [...]
New York, New York
NYULOCAL
Cycling
- State Bicycle License Bill Dropped
[...] March 4, 2011 - According to City Room, DenDekker said that he instead intends to push for "stricter enforcement of existing bicycling rules and regulations." As mentioned earlier, local elected officials like City Councilman Eric Ulrich also recently proposed requiring licenses (or "identification tags") for bicycles. And despite his recent push for more bicycle lanes, Mayor Bloomberg and NYPD have cracked down on cyclists in recent months. Some stricter legislation may be in store. [...]
Montclair, New Jersey
Baristanet
Bicycle Parking
[...] March 4, 2011 - Fried recommend looking at the video about Hoboken, which he posted on his facebook page. "It puts bike and pedestrian issues in their proper context, as examples of forward-thinking initiatives to help create more attractive, healthy, friendly and sustainable communities," he said. [...]
San Diego, California
Sign On San Diego
Billions proposed for bike lanes, pedestrian-friendly streets
[...] February 25, 2011 - Air quality issues factor in plan calling for more 'active transportation' [...] Transportation planners have proposed spending $2.58 billion building bicycle paths and improving streets for pedestrians in San Diego County over the next 40 years [...]
San Diego, California
Bicycle Retailer
Downtown SD Shops Carve Niches
[...] March 2, 2011 - SAN DIEGO, CA (BRAIN)—Downtown San Diego stores in the Mission Hills area have carved out unique niches to serve the local community [...] Adams Avenue Bicycles has built its business catering to the hip North Park community by sponsoring a team with more than 80 riders, holding in-store spin classes and supporting the San Diego Bicycle Coalition and the Velodrome Association [...]
San Diego, California
LA Streets Blog
San Diego County Sets Aside $2.5 BILLION for Bicycles and Pedestrians
[...] March 3, 2011 - Earlier this week, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) allocated $2.58 billion of their thirty year plan for bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure improvements. If that seems like a big number, it is. While Los Angeles has been celebrating it's Bike Plan, and the Measure R set-aside that's going to help make it a reality, we should remember that the total funding set aside for the Bike Plan hovers around $50 million of Measure R funds plus whatever grants the city earns over the same time frame as San Diego County's multi-billion investment. [...]
San Diego, California
Bicycle Retailer News
North County San Diego Shops Thrive
[...] March 2, 2011 - SAN DIEGO, CA (BRAIN)—Bike shops along Coast Highway 101 have a unique advantage: ride-by traffic. Participants on the BRAIN Dealer Tour of San Diego visited four stores yesterday that benefit from proximity to this scenic coastal stretch popular with cyclists and triathletes.
Alan's Bike Shop has been in Oceanside since 1952. Seven years ago Jim Russell decided it was time to make a change in his life. That meant buying the shop. "I was looking for something in sporting goods," said Russell, a career entrepreneur having been in the restaurant and commercial oven steam cleaning business.
[...]
San Diego, California
Sign On San Diego
Mapping bike commuters across the country
[...] March 4, 2011 - Census figures say there are 8,263 bicycle commuters in San Diego County and that 1,059, 494 of us drive to work alone.
[...]
Long Beach, California
Press-Telegram
Bicycle lanes nearly complete
[...] March 4, 2011 - LONG BEACH — Bicyclists will soon have protected space to ride downtown.
City crews are nearly done with new separated bicycle lanes on Broadway and Third Street from Alamitos and Golden Avenue. When completed March 11, each street will feature a bicycle lane in the street's far left side, with a painted median island and an asphalt curb adjacent to on-street parking separating bicyclists from vehicular traffic.
[...]
Los Angeles, California
L A Times
Pedal-power to the people
[...] March 4, 2011 - The City Council's approval of a bicycle master plan aims to quadruple the mileage of official bikeways in Los Angeles.
[...]
Hollywood, California
MNN - Mother Nature Network
How to celebrate the L.A. Bike Plan
[...] March 3, 2011 - The City Council's approval of a bicycle master plan aims to quadruple the mileage of official bikeways in Los Angeles.
[...]
Hollywood, California
MNN - Mother Nature Network
Los Angeles Working to Become Bicycle City, Big Project Adopted
[...] March 3, 2011 - Los Angeles, Calif. — The City of Los Angeles is putting into place one of the most comprehensive bicycle plans ever adopted by a municipality in the state of California. The proposal passed the city council with a unanimous 12-0 vote on Wednesday.
[...]
Hollywood, California
MNN - Mother Nature Network
12 cool urban bicycles ready to replace your car
[...] March 10, 2010 - Bikes are tough to beat in terms of urban transportation: They're reliable, emissions-free, small, healthy, and cheap to operate. Check out our picks.
[...]
San Diego, California
San Diego 6
Bicyclist Killed in Mission Valley Identified
[...] February 7, 2011 - Acree, alongside another bicyclist, was riding east on Friars Road shortly before noon Saturday. The fatality occurred where the offramp [...] according to the California Highway Patrol and Officer Frank Cali of the San Diego Police Department.
[...]
Beau Mont, Texas
News
Orange man on bicycle hit by pickup truck, dies
[...] March 3, 2011 - An Orange man riding a bicycle died Wednesday night after being hit by a pickup truck on FM 1442 in Orange County.
[...]
Portland, Oregon
Blue Oregon
The Snowball of the Sewer Myth
[...] at least one-quarter of Portlanders can’t drive, two-thirds of Portlanders own bikes, and six percent regularly commute and another ten percent secondarily commute by bike. Yet spending on bicycle infrastructure has hovered between one and two percent of the city’s transportation capital spending [...]
Portland, Oregon
Construction on Sunset Transit Center bike and ride facility starts June 21
June 8, 2010 - [...] "With tremendous growth in bicycling in the region, there are limited options for commuters to bring bikes onto the transit system during rush hour," said TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch.
Fetsch said TriMet followed the model of bicycle capitals such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, where myriad bike-parking facilities help transit riders make connections without driving. [...]
Los Angeles, California
Mayor Villaraigosa calls cyclist incident "disturbing" in a letter to cyclists
June 9, 2010 - In a letter to bicyclists, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said video footage of a confrontation between police officers and riders on Hollywood Boulevard was "disturbing.''
"Bicyclists have every right to use our city streets and to be treated with courtesy and respect -- both by drivers and law enforcement,'' Villaraigosa wrote in a letter posted on the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition website.