Happy Pi Day, and the Feed

For the non-geek non math nerds in my readership, today is Pi Day (3/14) where because the greek letter π is pronounced the same as the English name for a pastry crust baked in a pan with a filling we celebrate by eating pie. This year I’m having apple. Pi Day is like my fifth or sixth favorite holiday in the year, because I like pie! So go to your favorite gastro pub and have some pie! I hear the “Eat what I give you or I’ll go back in time and kill your grandparents as babies” pie is delicious.

Up first because OMG at the links. 1 Cyclist Dead, 7 Injured in Spain, Octogenarian Driver Held and Police say a 52-year-old cyclist has died and seven others have been injured, three of them seriously, after being slammed into by an SUV near the northwestern town of A Guarda also 1 Cyclist Dead, 7 Injured in Spain, Octogenarian Driver Held this too Police say a 52-year-old cyclist has died and seven others have been injured, three of them seriously, after being slammed into by an SUV near the northwestern town of A Guarda not done yet 1 cyclist dead, 7 injured in Spain, octogenarian driver held I would have really liked to know the nationality of the driver, or something besides “octogenerian”. I hope part of his new identity is “non-driver”.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Entrada Drive to get a little narrower, a call for safer driving, and your next bike may not need you

Still in CA, crap infrastructure. VIDEO: Magnolia Off Ramp – The Danger of Bad Design

Also in CA. Light Up the Night community ride teaches bike safety Nice bit of victim-blaming going on there, about the helmets and reflective clothing.

Still not out of CA. 2 Women Arrested For Hit-And-Run After Cyclist Struck In Sausalito One for driving under the influence and hit-and-run, the other for DUI and obstructing justice accessory to a felony. Guess which one is facing the greater amount of jail time?

This guy didn’t get very far on his trek across the US and Central America. Cyclist on B.C. to Panama ride injured in crash in Forks Another driverless car involved in a serious wreck? I though the only wreck like that was a bus hit at 2 MPH. Next-to-last paragraph of the article mentions the SUV had a driver… Anywho, hit-from-behind wreck, use the protocols to avoid. Crush and shred the SUV to prevent another wreck.

Wreck in AZ. Tolleson hit-and-run involving cyclist closes road There are no pictures, so I can’t determine the mode from evidence, and LEO aren’t saying. Hopefully the weapon vehicle shed some identifying parts so LEO can find it.

AZ infrastructure news. Tucson bicyclist using data to thwart fatal crashes Before the tumor took me off my bike I was getting a scary pass every time I rode, and a near-death experience about once a week. That might have something to do with the slow pace of my recovery.

Under age DUI killer sentenced in CO. Man Gets 10 Years For DUI Crash That Killed Bicyclist and 20-year-old drunk driver gets 10 years in death of cyclist I’m sorry but there is a terrible mistake in the first link, 0.204 is not more than twice the legal limit, it’s more than twice the legal limit for people old enough to drink. For a 20 YO it’s infinity times over the limit.

Another hit-and-run in OH this time. Teen bicyclist dies after struck by 3 vehicles on Harrisburg Pike The hit-and-run (or hit-skip as the call it in OH) was the first weapon vehicle involved, the one that hit the cyclist from behind with the left side of the vehicle. I know it was the driver’s side because the cyclist was launched into oncoming traffic. There are only two ways for that to happen, hit with the left side of the car or be sharply aimed to the left at the time of impact. Both require the cyclist to be riding primary as our UK brothers call it. Well I suppose the driver could go completely off the road and come back on right where the cyclist was riding at the edge, but how likely is that?

Hit-and-run in PA this time. Police: Suspect in custody in Harveys Lake hit-and-run At least the victim survived the wreck this time, and they have a suspect in custody.

Another hit-and-run, MA. Cyclist Injured In Hit & Run In Wellesley and Wellesley Man Charged With OUI After Hit And Run Seldom do I get the pleasing combination of posting a link to a hit-and-run wreck with injury, and the driver’s arrest on multiple charges in the same post.

Wreck in CT caused by AFRAP laws. Cyclist injured in Morris fall flown to hospital by Life Star What do I mean by this wreck was “caused” by As Far Right As Practicble laws? the cyclist was hugging the right side of the road and went over the edge and fell, which would not have happened if the cyclist was allowed to take the lane at all times.

Hit-from-behind in MS. Bicyclist killed on Highway 98 Most of the article is behind a paywall so what little I know says the cyclist was in no way at fault in this wreck: Daylight, hit from behind and not at an intersection (yet).

Ugh! FloriDUH! Tampa police search for driver in hit-and-run that injured bicyclist and Tampa Man Charged in Hit and Run of Bicyclist Two hit-and-runs with links to the arrests of the drivers in one day!

Still in FL, a SWCC wreck. Pompano Beach bicyclist, 57, killed in collision with car The geometry for this wreck is right for a stale green wreck.

Infrastructure from MD. Bicyclists and motorists sharing the roads

I thought I heard all the stupid excuses for hitting a cyclist. Jail sentence for driver who killed cyclist when he was ‘running late’ Well I heard that one before. Trying to get there just a fraction of a second faster so he cut the corner on a blind turn and hit a cyclist head on. And just what would have happened had there been a semi truck around the corner instead of a man on a bicycle?

Nothing about the wreck, but they got their man. Man charged over death of cyclist by ‘careless driving while under influence’ and ‘How I tried to save cyclist’s life in Outland Road tragedy’ – by photographer at the scene I’m still trying to wrap my head around any death caused by a DUI being “careless” instead of “dangerous” by definition.

So they weren’t hurt in the wreck but fell down after? Cyclists injured after incident Cut off by the driver pulling out in front of the group and wrecking trying to avoid hitting the car.

Almost no information about this wreck in Oz. Victoria’s road toll climbs as motorbike rider, cyclist and 88-year-old woman die in separate accidents “Went off the road” is not a very specific wreck narrative…

National US infrastructure! It’s Time for U.S. Cities to Ban Right Turns on Red
Actually I would like to see a nationwide ban at the state level (kind of how they got seatbelt laws passed).

Last link is preventing gentrification with bicycles. How I Stopped Gentrification in My Neighborhood

And I have to get up early to go to the Lab Rat Keeper tomorrow, so off to bed.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Nice weather for Grocery Day, and the Feed

I know it’s a little late now, but I should have tagged the Mini Sprint-T in yesterday’s post since so much of the first paragraph was devoted to it and there was a picture of it in the post. Anywho, we are having a nice spring day out, in the middle of February, in Texas. Birds are singing and I have already seen the crane flies (those things that look like huge mosquitoes) on the storm doors. Climate change! Woo!

I know some people are wondering why I spend so much time on the Mini Sprint-T when I’m a bicycle safety blogger and know how dangerous motor vehicles are around vulnerable users like pedestrians and cyclists? Well one reason is I need to build something. I would prefer to build a car or a recumbent bike but I don’t have the space nor resources to build something like that now. If Dad’s house hadn’t sold for $75K under appraisal I would have a lot more $$ for building the full-size car, but that water is way under the dam now. So I’m working with something I can afford with the resources I have now. I’m solving most of the problems I would face with the Sprint-T while working within my budget for the Mini Sprint-T. Also, model cars are very safe around vulnerable users so long as you don’t step on them. The cars, not the vulnerable users, don’t step on the model cars. You might cut your foot stepping on the model car.

Up first, an OH driver claims “blindness” from “sun glare” for driving about 100 feet on the shoulder to hit 5 cyclists head on. You won’t believe what happened in court. Bike Cleveland on Wolf verdict: ‘It is seriously regrettable that justice was not served’ Yep “Not guilty” of vehicular homicide. Once again proving that if you want to commit random murder, buy a car, not a gun.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Killer SD hit-and-run driver has a bad night; next Griffith Park access meeting on Wednesday

Still in CA. Cyclist struck, injured by WES train in Tualatin When I filtered they were still trying to figure out how he got hit, stating the victim “rode directly into the path” of the train. As I have pointed out numerous times in the past avoiding getting hit by a train is laughingly easy, just don’t be on the tracks when the train gets there. Why this rider didn’t do that is under question at the moment.

More infrastructure in Portland. Opinion: If we’re serious about cycling, let’s get serious about cycling infrastructure

Hit-and-run in PA. Two people were in Jeep at fatal hit-and-run in Upper Milford, police say This is an update on the ICE-assist bike hit head-on by a vehicle cutting the left turn. And my speculation from yesterday was apparently correct that the cyclist was legally lighted at the tine of the wreck. The Street View of the scene shows the cyclist had a through road without a stop sign while the weapon vehicle was facing a stop sign before making that left turn. The really despicable part is they both got out and looked at the victim’s body and mangled bike in the road before leaving him there to die.

What other job could you (almost) kill someone and get a paid vacation. Cambridge officer cited for hit-and-run crash that injured bicyclist Seriously, leave someone to die in the street and get a paid vacation? I suspect DUI was involved, the cop knowing that leaving the scene would get him out of the worst of the charges by preventing testing.

In TN it appears we have a SWCC wreck. Bicyclist Injured On East Main Street After Colliding With Pickup On Tuesday The narrative would also fit with a buzz job or punishment pass that went way bad (for the victim).

I think MT stands for the amount of compassion for the victim in their hearts. Man sentenced to 6 months in jail for killing cyclist in 2014 accident Except no, he wasn’t. He got 90 days in jail and 90 days house arrest, not 6 months in jail. The cyclist is taking a dirt nap while the driver gets only 90 days in jail and another 90 days at home sleeping in his own bed and pooping in his own toilet and eating his own food not bought from the lowest bidder.

Up in West Canuckistan LEO add insult to injury for a salmon cyclist. Cyclist struck, then fined

Still in West Canuckistan. Suits filed in cyclist deaths The owner of the weapon vehicle is throwing the driver under the bus, all but claiming the car was stolen. And they are still trying to blame the cyclists for getting hit by a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road?!?

Still in West Canuckistan, a little infrastructure article. Vancouver Bike-Share Gears Up for Summer Launch

Meanwhile in Jolly Olde. Cyclist injured after car accident in Cobham Wreck, not accident. but anyway, from the picture it looks like hit from behind because of a failure to pass safely.

More on #Nohelmet-gate in the UK. Row breaks out on Twitter after police ‘blame’ injured cyclist for #NoHelmet Please comment, should I mention all the wrecks where the drive wasn’t wearing a helmet and firesuit and blame the wreck on lack of either? Or would that be (too) petty?

Another hit-and-run leaves a lucky cyclist injured but alive. Bid to trace car in cyclist hit-and-run Hit from behind protocols to avoid or reduce injury, crush and shred vehicles used to commit hit-and-run to prevent, with the driver inside in cases where the victim dies.

Today’s candidate for the “really crap infrastructure” tag. Potholes are a ‘disgrace’, says cyclist That road looks more like an obstacle course.

Cyclist down, UK. Cyclist killed in collision with Range Rover was ‘loving husband, father and friend’

Cyclist down in Oz. The Beat: Brisbane news, weather and traffic No details about the wreck or if any other vehicles were involved.

Brave women making a difference if they don’t get killed. A group of bicycling women are defying norms in the Middle East

And I’m out of links again.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Another ugly day, and the Feed

If anything today is even worse than yesterday, in that it is raining harder than the light mist falling intermittently after I wrote yesterday’s opening paragraph, and it is about 10°F colder than yesterday and feels even worse because of the damp. I got an interesting ad late yesterday in my e-mail inviting me to move to Cape Breton Isle on the east coast of Canada. Seems they are having a housing deflation and you can get nice houses for about the cost of a fancy new car. I’m checking on getting broadband out there. BTW the ad headline was “If Trump Wins, where will you go?” so I might avoid the rush and buy now. Then I will take a long bike ride to the Great White North. It would not be the first time I moved to Canada, but it would be the first time I didn’t move to a military base. The first place I lived in Canada is now a Superfund environmental site, something I sincerely wish to avoid this time. The second place I lived in has been classified as “Never Existed” and I can’t find it on Google Earth either. It was near Abbotsford, but I don’t see any of the buildings there anymore from the mid 1960s. Very strange, but the only thing left from the first place I lived in Canada is the runway and the docks, even the hangars are gone.

Up first is a TX wreck between a bike and a cop car. Cyclist injured in officer-involved accident Again, until I can see the wrecked bicycle I’m taking the “salmon” rider description with a block of salt the weight of the cop car. I admit it happens but I have seen too many wrecks that the drivers and cops claimed were caused by salmon cyclists that the bikes and riders would have had to been riding backwards to get the damage and injuries they got. In fact we had an article about that very thing linked here since the start of the year.

The Big Story is the ridiculous fines about to go into effect in Oz next week. Sydney boosts fines for cyclist violations and Editorial – February 24: Licence to ride or laughing stock? also Cyclists hit by world’s harshest laws

The next biggest story is the distracted (?) driver who ran over 4 NC cyclists. Troopers: 4 cyclists hit by car on NC road and Cyclist disputes driver’s account also ‘Was she texting?’ injured bike rider asks after driver hits 4 Johnston Co. bicyclists The driver’s statement that the wreck happened “so quick” makes distraction or other inattention a serious consideration.

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: Prize winner’s new bike, Burbank considers bike/ped bridge, and Ventura tow truck driver ID’d I’m really happy for the winner, she seems to have deserved the bike.

Ted Part 2. Breaking news: Covina bike rider killed in collision with Metrolink train

Also in CA. San Diego Is Ready to Go Big on Biking and Walking There is some re-purposing of “car space” to bike and ped space but this is not “anti-car”, just anti car supremacy.

Still in CA more on the proposal to get Zero-carbon subsidies to HPV for poor neighborhoods. Should California give subsidies to people buying bicycles?

Still in CA (lots of wrecks this time of year in CA for some reason). Authorities identify tow truck driver, officially name boy killed in Ventura hit-and-run crash

Over one state in NV. Bicyclist killed after being struck by off-road vehicle identified and Off-road driver charged in crash that killed bicyclist Driving drunk, without a license, in an unregistered vehicle…

More on the trial of the OH dude who couldn’t see 5 cyclists on the road because he had the sun in his eyes, and turned more than a hundred feet before the road he was trying to turn on. Trial begins for Brecksville man charged in crash that killed cyclists and Cyclists recall deadly Brecksville crash during driver’s trial I would think that pointing out the first cyclist was hit more than 100 feet from the intersection, and the truck stopped after hitting the last cyclist still short of the intersection would be more than enough to show the driver was driving well below “standard of care” and possibly was deliberately trying to kill the cyclists. But IANAL.

Over in AR one cyclist had a dog problem. Cyclist Mauled by Pit Bull I have known pits that were just big slobber machines that were more likely to lick you to death and drown you in slobber than to bite, and I have known pits that would attack anything that moved in what they considered to be their territory, it all depends on how the animal was socialized.

Not sure if this was a cyclist or what, but it was in the “cyclist injured” section of the Feed folder. Man Shot In Groin During Brooklyn Road Rage Outburst

I know this wasn’t a cyclist, but how could I resist putting in a link about a guy run over by a parked car? Park Slope Food Coop Member Struck By Runaway Parked Car I mean really? Pass up a juicy opportunity like that?

Some more good news from America’s Copenhagen. City of Portland considering protected intersections, bike-only lanes for West Burnside project Don’t “consider” just “do”. Doo Eeet!

It might not seem like it at first glance, but this is an important infrastructure article. Portland Bike Theft Task Force receives $4,000 donation from local bike club

Important infrastructure news from WI. $62.6 Million Requested to Improve Walking and Biking Across Wisconsin

LEO wants everyone to know they haven’t stopped looking for a CO hit-and-run driver. Search continues for driver who struck cyclist in hit-and-run north of Boulder And I still say they should be looking for front end damage (and probably a busted windshield) instead of a missing mirror.

That passing bill in IA moves along through the Lege. New bill offers protections for Iowa cyclists

PA wreck involving an ICE-assisted bike. Man on motorized bike killed in Lehigh County hit-and-run crash Bike was hit head-on by a driver cutting the left turn, not mentioned in the article but there was a comment that speculated it was a cyclist riding such a bike in “dark clothes” and a very dim or missing headlight who had been seen riding earlier.

FloriDUH strikes again. Bicyclist injured in crash at Roosevelt Boulevard and Bicyclist dies after Westside crash Interesting thing is LEO still haven’t blamed the cyclist on this one, mostly because they can’t figure out where the bike was hit or which way it was going when it was hit, and the person who could have told them that died overnight…

Cyclist killed in a truly bizarre accident is memorialized in far West Canuckistan. Memorial set for cyclist killed on False Creek seawall They’re still looking for the guy digging in the trash can where the cyclist was hit, even though it looks now like there is nothing they could charge him with.

I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who gets hot about this. War breaks out on Twitter after police and ambulance blame cyclist for #NoHelmet

What would you do if your mother was placed in this amount of danger? Chris Boardman’s horror at video of lorry close-passing his mother Since my Mother died in 2004 I probably wouldn’t have any problem with it. There is a very large tree between the road and Mom’s grave site.

Well if you ever needed a reason to visit a porn site before, here’s a good reason. World’s 3rd biggest porn site sponsors Italian cycling team I just checked and it’s free to use.

Well they are part of the way there on this one in Oz. Woman charged over fatal cyclist crash

Last link shows Amsterdam wasn’t always what it is now. Look How Much Better a City Can Be When It Designs for People Not Cars The difference between before and after are just…

And I’m outta links, and Gigi is going to be upset because it’s after 0300 and she’s lost her Internet for the night so she won’t be able to read today’s post until after midnight tomorrow.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

This is such an ugly Monday, and the Feed

The weather today is just ugly, with flat grey skies and chill, humid air. It’s not even the good kind of cold, the dry cold that invites outdoor activity and isn’t really all that bad if you keep covered up. This is the kind of cold that still feels cold no matter how much you put on and even when you are red-faced and sweating from being over-dressed you still feel chilled to the bones. Seriously it’s warm enough to go get the mail in shorts and slippers without danger, but you still feel cold wearing a parka. Ugly cold is what it is.

Up first, an injured kid instigates installation of really, REALLY, crappy infrastructure on the street where he was hit (did I mention this infrastructure was super crappy?) Days after injury to child, a new lane for cyclists on Mesa Not a bike lane, on street parking for cars that bikes will have to weave in and out of or ride in the door zone while getting buzzed and harassed by angry drivers wondering why the cyclists are not in the “bike lane”.

Our big story is 4 cyclists hit from behind in NC. CYCLISTS IN HOSPITAL AFTER BEING HIT BY CAR IN ANGIER and Four bicyclists in hospital after being struck by car in Angier also Cyclist injured in Angier crash questions how accident happened I’m seeing another blind driver nearly killing 4 cyclists because “it all happened so fast”. Fortunately “Highway Patrol officers said charges are pending against Williams and are expected to come down later in the week.” This is also a good example of why AFRAP laws kill cyclists so they do not inconvenience drivers.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Victim’s family calls for compassion as hit-and-run driver gets time served; bike thief faces 27 years The SUV in the distracted driver video had some pretty major front end damage, this was obviously not the first time this driver was driving around with his or her nose buried in a cell phone.

Still in CA we get a Ghost Bike installation. Friends mourn Buena High football player at roadside memorial

PA wreck takes out a pedestrian walking in the bike lane/shoulder (the preview said bike lane, the actual article says shoulder). Police investigate fatal crash involving a pedestrian The car left tracks showing a path off the road onto the shoulder and impacting the pedestrian, meaning that if she was a cyclist using hit from behind protocols she would have had a fraction of a second to make that dive for the cover of the ditch if there was any place to dive to.

Still in PA, a driver is sentenced in the death of a cyclist. Drunk driver gets up to 13 years in cyclist death Up to 13 years, probably closer (much closer) to the minimum 4½. And seriously 0.29% BAC is almost at the point of alcoholic anesthesia, how could she even stay on the road? She had to be an alcoholic to even be conscious at that BAC level.

Another hit-and-run in CO. Bicyclist seriously injured in hit-and-run on U.S. 36 north of Boulder If you see a black sports type car with a missing pasenger side mirror and front end damage call the LEO number in the article, and stay out of range of the driver.

Wreck in east TN. Cyclist struck, killed by car near Seymour From articles I have linked here at this very site, I know that hitting a cyclist from behind is a crime in TN, but I don’t see any mention of an arrest in this case, what gives? Oh yeah “Criminal charges are pending, according to the report.” I just hope they don’t pend too long and the drive gets away because of the statute of limitations.

Something that has bothered me for years. Trailer Side Guards Make Difference Between Life and Death for Cyclists and Pedestrians These things not only prevent vulnerable user deaths and serious injury, they also save more than their costs in fuel savings, why do people resist installing them?

Up in the Great White North a driver is arrested for killing a cyclist, months after the cyclist’s memorial service at the site of the crime. Police charge driver in Claremont Access cyclist’s death and Hamilton motorist charged after local cyclist, teacher killed in December Took them long enough, you know there is such a thing as being too polite.

First UK article, would you jump out of an airplane carrying one of these folding bikes? The British Paratroopers Who Parachuted Into Enemy Territory with Folding Bicycles

Also from the UK they actually arrested a driver that killed a cyclist. Man arrested after cyclist killed in crash with 4×4 near Harbury Yep, killing someone with a motor vehicle is pretty much the definition of “dangerous driving”.

I’m still trying to figure out what the Sky Ride on closed roads has to do with a cyclist getting hit from behind by an idiot at the controls of a car, but that’s the first video on this link. Veteran road race cyclist seriously injured after being hit by car while training Just read the text and ignore the videos and pictures which have zilch to do with the report.

I think I know what it takes to get a serious sentence for killing with a motor vehicle in the UK. Drug dealer jailed for causing Swanley man’s death by dangerous driving First be a convicted criminal, second don’t kill a cyclist, kill someone sympathetic like a pedestrian. The drug dealer got 12 years prison for hitting the pedestrian…

“Wreck not accident”. Air ambulance takes cyclist to hospital after “accidental injury” in Sevenoaks Weald There was no context given for the wreck except “accident”.

Some potentially good infrastructure news from Jolly Olde. Chisholm Trail will give Cambridge’s cycling couriers ‘competitive advantage’ in city

And last link, bike share can make your city great(ish) How Bike-Sharing Can Gain Popularity

And I’m outta links with 9 minutes to spare before midnight.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I hope the cats are happy, and the Feed

After picking up the parts to build the new railing for the church steps, we discovered that the drill bit we used to make the holes in the concrete for the anchors had gone AWOL. After spending almost an hour going through the church tools looking for the bit, we decided that we didn’t have the time to get another bit and install the rail that I had just assembled, so we come back Sunday after morning service and drill holes and pound in anchors then run the nuts and bolt down the rails.

After coming back from the failed attempt to install the rails, I had to walk to the store to buy cat food. “The store” in this case is a mile away, resulting in a 2 mile round trip. On the to the store leg I found some bad infrastructure, beg buttons that failed to trigger the pedestrian crossings, so I called Garland Streets to complain aboutnotify them of the situation. On my return trip all the beg buttons functioned perfectly. So that was a win.

Speaking of win, I bought two quick-picks for the PowerBall tonight, one annual payments and the other cash option. Should I be so lucky as to win tonight there will be a major shift in tone and subject matter for this blog as I will be spending my money on getting bike infrastructure done to CROW Manual specs installed in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. That would be Monday-Thursday. Friday-Sunday would be building my Sprint-T and Mini Sprint-T, a step-by-step recounting. So my two favorite subjects, keeping people safe from cars, and building cars, in alternating segments. Crossed fingers. XD

Up first is a SWSS down the road a piece from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Cyclist killed in Killeen fatal accident At least this was a more sophisticated way of saying “swerved”: “began riding his bike diagonally“.

Our Daily Ted, Part 1. Morning Links: Expo bike path meeting tonight, and bikes may or may not be banned from Camp Pendleton

Ted part 2. 47-year old bicyclist killed in collision with semi in Downey Wednesday am Surviving a collision with a semi is really dicey.

Still in CA. Family of cyclist killed on Page Mill seeks witnesses I place at least half of the blame for this wreck on infrastructure that had cyclists crossing highway traffic to get from one bike lane to the next in the same direction.

Infrastructure from America’s Copenhagen. Martin Greenough died one month ago: Here’s the latest from ODOT, the BTA and his girlfriend

Also from Portland, the battle for trail access continues. With River View access in the balance, NW Trail Alliance urges attendance at council meeting The vest reason why this is improtant is this quote: “Commissioners Fritz and Fish trashed an inclusive public process to remove cycling from the list of approved activities in the Park. There’s no scientific evidence against allowing bikes, and the community listening process clearly showed that there is very high public interest in allowing them.”

From NYC we finally find out what it takes to get a killer driver thrown in jail for more than a few days. Serial Reckless Driver Who Killed UWS Woman Sentenced To Up To 3 Years The dude drove from 1982-99 without a license, and gathered in the following convictions: 1 hit-and-run, 3 speeding (including 2 aggravated speeding in excess of 30 MPH over the limit), 5 disobeying a traffic control, 1 failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, 2 no license, 2 running red lights, 2 no insurance, 1 unsafe lane change, 1 improper signalling, and a separate conviction for aggravated unlicensed driving. “In the six months prior to the killing, Mercado had hit three other pedestrians, including a 13-year-old boy in Queens.”

Then again they have “stuff” like this. Driver Who Killed Fort Greene Pedestrian Doesn’t Even Get His License Suspended Yeah, it was suspended when he drove into the sidewalk to avoid hitting a bus, but they took the car so it won’t hurt anything to give him his license back. /s (where is that sarcasm html tag? It has been promised for years)

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike comes news they are going to “Do something about it”. St. Pete Police trying to prevent pedestrian, cyclist deaths So they are apparently criminalizing splitting the crossing to make sure you can get from one side to the other by waiting for traffic to clear on the other side after crossing in the gap from the near side. You know instead of criminalizing hitting pedestrians and cyclists.

More on a MD cyclist killing. Neighborhood activist grapples with son’s alleged role in murder

You may be forced to connect your car to a device that sends your driving data on things like braking and acceleration to your insurance company. The big data of bad driving, and how insurers plan to track your every turn Forced as in sure they will “sell” you insurance, but only people who can afford to pay someone else to drive will be able to afford it.

Serious infrastructure news. New Mode Choice Model Helps Officials Make Stronger Case for Transit Improvements Better transit means fewer drivers means better cycling even without infrastructure improvements, but it also mean infrastructure improvements to handle the “last mile” problem.

Your assist bike might really be able to die some day. IU scientists develop biomaterial for fuel cells That’s right, living fuel cells that are more efficient than what we have now. Just add hydrogen and get electricity.

And it might be made by this company. Yes, Ford is Serious About Electric Bikes (Still)

From the Great White North is another report on that ridiculous sentence for killing a cyclist. Cyclist’s parents rip sentence for driver in hit-run and Driver who hit and killed cyclist Tom Samson sentenced to six months in jail I keep seeing “3 months served on weekends” and I also keep seeing things like 15-22 weekends and they just don’t mesh. By my math 3 months is 46 weekends. Just saying.

I really don’t know how to classify this tidbit from Bermuda. Retro-style bicycles prove a St George’s hit The only comment was a complaint about the bikes blocking the sidewalk outside the store.

More on the ridiculous sentence of a driver assaulting a cyclist with his car. Angry war vet who mowed down and killed cyclist jailed for nearly 5 years Five years for a deliberate murder? TANJ!

Another SMIDSY wreck only this one actually got prosecuted. Man avoids jail after hitting cyclist who came ‘close to being killed’ with his lorry Nothing near enough for the seriousness of the wreck, but better than nothing which is what it would have gotten a few years ago.

More on the situation in Malta. Cyclists and motorists The driver blames all road sins on cyclists, or the fact that cycists exist.

And it’s not your imagination, drivers really do think that all cyclists break the law on a regular basis. What Do Drivers Really Think About Cyclists?

And I’m outta links again.

Billed @$0.02, Opus the Poet

The Feed looks a little weak today

I just opened the Feed folder and there are hardly any links in it (before filtering even!) or I should say there are hardly any reports (links are in the reports, I get up to 4 reports daily). There should be about 11 reports today but I only had 7 in the folder. So that means I don’t have as many reports to filter, which (probably) translates to not as many links. And now that I have finished the filtering I can tell you there were not as many links as is normal for a Monday. There were not as many reports as usual, and there were not as many links in each report as usual.

Up first is Gabrielle Giffords tackling a 40 mile ride on a recumbent trike after getting shot in the face during a mass shooting in AZ 4 years ago. Gabby Giffords riding 40-mile charity bike tour in Arizona and Gabrielle Giffords, rebounding from shooting, does 40-mile bike ride Go girl!

“ If I am struck by a motorist (heaven forbid), it’s not going to be because I didn’t have Volvo’s effing sparkly paint on my bike.” Vehicular Violence and Victim Blaming I can back that up with saying that at least 5 out of the six times I was hit since 2000 had nothing to do with my being invisible and everything to do with them not driving like they had any sense.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Serious sentence for a serious crime, memorial for 9-year old victim, and blame drivers, not bikes

Still in CA. Irvine boy, 9, is struck and killed while riding his bicycle Nothing on the mode of this wreck even the location does not give any real clues about what happened.

Another link to the CA cyclist killed riding the only route in or out of his workplace. Deadly midnight bicycle ride on Vincent Thomas Bridge This is as much an indictment of auto-centric infrastructure as it is anything else.

How did they know this CA cyclist was intoxicated before the tox screen came back? Cyclist struck and killed in San Jose Making this statement was at best inflammatory.

This MO wreck blames a cyclist for having the right of way when he hit the weapon vehicle. Two injured in accident south of Carthage The wreck in question is in the second listing. Ignore the car running the stop sign and hitting a truck.

More on the NYC cyclist hit by a falling tree. Report: Contractor In Fatal Brooklyn Tree-Cutting Incident Didn’t Follow Basic Guidelines “95 Sports Guy > The News reported that one of the two men on the crew was working as a flagman, tasked with waving people away from the danger zone, but it is not clear where he was or what he was doing when Liu rode up.> Literally, YOU HAD ONE JOB

This poor, poor GA driver just can’t handle bike lanes on Her Street! Keep bike lanes off Peachtree

More on the MD ride and Ghost Bike for a couple killed by a drunk driver while riding their tandem bike. Memorial ride and ceremony to honor cyclists killed near Chesapeake Beach and ‘Ghost bike’ honors couple killed while cycling

FloriDUH! killed another one in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. 69-year-old woman hit and killed while riding bicycle on S.R. 434 I don’t see the “hill” she lost control riding in the video.

Infrastructure news from OR. Unattainable but worthy

News from the Great White North. Cyclist, 2 pedestrians injured in separate incidents and Halifax pedestrians and cyclist injured in 3 separate collisions Notice who had the right of way at the intersection ? That’s right, the person riding the bicycle. And you can see the headlight on the handlebars in the picture… Damn all those blind drivers!

And I’m out of links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Feline interference with blogging, and the Feed

Clint and Clyde have been interfering with blogging this morning, mostly by attacking my feet, and my hands when I try to remove them from my feet. The rest of the time they spend chasing each other around the office and demanding head rubs. I would take a picture, but that would require at least one of them slow down long enough to point a camera at them, frame the shot, and push the button. I can manage the first two steps but by the time I get to the third the cat is out of the shot headed for parts unknown. So instead of pursuing a career as a cat photographer I shall fall back on something I sorta do well and write stuff.

On another front I managed to match 3 of 6 in yesterday’s Texas Lotto, scoring me a massive $3 payoff on odds of 148,824:1 against. It has been said that the lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math. I think it is a tax on the desperate and the dreamers and especially the desperate dreamers. As you can see, I can do math. I’m just a member of the third group. BTW I’m keeping $2.70 of this because I’m still following my agreement to give 10% of my lottery winnings to my church.

Up first from a fee that was mainly overseas today is a cyclist hit by a loose trailer in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. UPDATE: Stuart man in critical condition after bike wreck The cyclist was riding in the sidewalk when he was hit by a trailer that also took out a fence and 3 boats. This is not something anyone can avoid except to not be there.

Still in FL, they have an epidemic of blind drivers. UPDATE: Bicyclist dies in crash on 231; officer nearly struck securing scene How the hell do you “not see” a cop car with all the lights flashing? If they let that one slide, there’s no hope for anything as “small” as an adult human being with blinky lights.

KS cyclist hit by a car riding on the sidewalk, cyclist gets ticket. Injuries reported after woman’s bike hits car downtown Driver gets pat on shoulder for driving on sidewalk to hit cyclist, nothing for “failure to yield” to traffic on the sidewalk.

Another link to that awful story about the driver killing a cyclist and getting away with nothing more than a $260 ticket, or barely more than a cyclist gets for not putting a foot down at a stop sign. No criminal charges for driver in crash that killed Reed College grad on bicycle Running a stop sign on a bicycle gets a $220 ticket. Killing a cyclist should result in a much higher fine by at least an order of magnitude, not $40.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Savvy cycling in OC, keeping bike theft petty, and riding with the Ovarian Psychos

Still in CA, a memorial ride. Memorial ride honors Redding bicyclist

Wounded Warrior ride in NV. Ride 2 Recovery hits the Strip

Drivers having a hard time dealing with a parking-protected bike lane in IN. “Protected bike lane” causes confusion What they need is to run some parking stoppers between the bike lane and the parking lane.

Memorial ride for the couple killed by a drunk driver while riding a tandem bike. Ceremony held to honor husband and wife killed on tandem bike

Another cyclist hit in the Great White North. Cyclist seriously injured after being struck by vehicle in North York I really can’t tell what happened from the bike wreckage picture because both wheels have a small amount of damage, but the frame is buckled and the fork is broken.

How do cyclists die in Jolly Olde? How are cyclists most likely to die? I find it interesting that cyclists killed 4 pedestrians in the UK were killed in collisions with cyclists, from the ranting and raving in the comments section of the Daily Mail you would think it was a daily happening.

A negative review of the Volvo LifePaint reflective coating. Volvo’s hi-vis paint for cyclists is not such a bright idea To be honest I expected this result when the spray finally made it to the “wild” away from photo effects and digital editing.

From Oz an expensive but ultimately futile campaign to stop dooring. TAC issues ‘Rider Reminder’ rubber tabs for door handles to stop ‘doorings’ Why do I call this “ultimately futile”? Because in a few weeks or days drivers will no longer notice the textured applique on the door handle.

Cyclists in Oz are threatened by a persistent road terrorist attack that LEO refuse to take seriously. Cyclists protest lack of CCTV amid Yarra Blvd tack attacks These terrorist attacks have been going on nearly daily since January 2014. That represents a serious investment in the means used. Good police work would say, look for someone buying large amounts of tacks on a regular basis.

Still in Oz, a cyclist is hit from behind on a straight road with excellent sight lines. Cyclist killed I see LEO are trying to blame the fact the cyclist was riding a ‘bent for the fact that the driver ran him over from behind. Face it, if a driver can’t see an adult human being in the road they have no business driving.

Over in Enn Zed, a cyclist pushing his bike is hit. Young cyclist killed after getting off bike and A pedestrian killed by a motorist near Mapua may have been a cyclist reported by concerned motorists earlier. Cyclist discovers he isn’t as visible as he thought and gets off to walk, then gets hit because he’s still not visible?

A sad story about a dead cyclist. Dead Hamilton cyclist hoped to mend marriage The cyclist was using cycling to get his head back together, and a motor vehicle destroyed that effort. The real kick in the head was that had they managed to get him out from under the truck sooner he might have recovered with no lasting effects beyond the orthopedic injuries. He died from the hypoxia caused by the chest compression.

And I’m finally out of links before I ran out of patience.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I really need to get some new shoes, and the Feed

I had to do some banking today so I did a little walking around to score as many points on my cell phone game as I can so I can collect another Amazon card like I did today. I deposited $11 to my Amazon account this morning from playing a game on my phone, how neat is that? The downside is I now have a blister on the bottom of my foot, again. So, new shoes?

Up first is a charity rider getting hit going across TX. Cyclist on national tour for veteran rights dies in crash Nothing explicit on the mode, but the location suggests a hit-from-behind wreck. But I’m more concerned with the mission of the ride, the number of homeless veterans.

Infrastructure and culture clash in LA. Bikelash in Baton Rouge LA drivers are some of the most entitled SOBs in the world.

More information on the cyclist killed by the crazy gunman in CO. Bicyclist Killed on Colorado Street Was Iraq War Veteran and Police release names of 3, including bicyclist, killed in shooting spree near downtown Colorado Springs Survived two war zones, but not the home front.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Yet another attack on federal bike funding, workshops on providing park access in LA County

Still in CA we get a wreck with lots of information about everything except the wreck. Bicyclist Struck, Killed By Car Near Palo Alto and Fatal Los Altos Hills accident claims Palo Alto cyclist At this point we know from the pictures is the impact was very close to an on or off ramp for a major highway, suggesting the cyclist was hit in a right cross, or the driver merging across the cyclist’s path from the left as the cyclist went straight at the edge of the road. I will keep an eye on this wreck for more information.

Not done with CA yet. Grieving Mom Calls for Safer Streets After Fatal Market Street Bike Collision SFPD cited the wrong law in this wreck report, much like they blamed the cyclist who was hit by a truck making a right turn where she was riding instead of calling it the right hook it really was. This wreck they were blaming the cyclist for leaving the bike lane that isn’t there to leave. That’s right, they blamed the cyclist for leaving the bike lane that does not exist on that street.

And another cyclist is blamed for not riding in the bike lane that isn’t there. Bicyclist critically injured after being hit by car in Santa Ana Oh yeah, another freaking blind driver hits a cyclist that “came out of nowhere”.

From the most deadliest state to walk or bike in the US we get “FloriDuh! man” on trial. Trial Begins for Man Accused in 2012 Broward Cyclist Deaths Running from cops he kills two people out for a Sunday ride. In TX that’s murder, apparently also in FL.

Still in FL another link to the guy who forgot how to move over and pass a cyclist. Bicyclist Struck, Killed In Melbourne I hope they put the driver under the jail (and about 20 feet of concrete).

More about the drunk driver that ran over a couple riding a tandem in MD. Docs: Drunk driver lied about fatally hitting cyclists The comments section was livid that the driver had such a low bail. Me, too.

More on the cyclist shot in PA. Loved Ones Remember Philly Teen Gunned Down While Riding Bike Too many shooting victims this week…

An OH cyclist pushing his bike up a hill gets hit by a blind driver. Joseph Mundy, Daniel Brown Jr.: 1 pedestrian killed, another hurt in evening crashes I don’t know what the cyclist could have done to not get hit, the narrative tells me he would have been hit riding or pushing the bike.

The DIY DOT does it again in NYC. Brooklyn Cyclists Ticket Cops Parked in Bike Lane Yeah!

Still trying to understand why tossing a few pennies at bike/ped infrastructure is such a problem for the current Congress. Funds for Walking and Biking Under Attack in Congress This Week Are they really that mad at “the poors” that they don’t want them to be safe in anything less than a 3500 steel box that they can’t afford?

As I was saying it doesn’t take a lot of money to make really great bike infrastructure as proven with this link. 2015 TIGER Grant Standouts for Cities Go to BRT, Bike Trails and More

A little personality profile. Meet Team Reeve Cyclist Christine Markow

Another cyclist gets hit in the Great White North. Cyclist struck by car, seriously injured on Sunday More Family thanks strangers for helping injured cyclist

And I’m outta links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I paid bills and now my feet hurt, and the Feed

I spent most of the afternoon walking around Garland getting bills paid and banking done. My feet are killing me, especially that spot on my left big toe that always has a huge callous removed when I get my toes done. My feet feel like I have been beating on them, which tells me I need more shock absorption in my footwear. Oh, well, something else I need to spend money on. It will go somewhere in the middle of the list of things to spend money on.

Up first because links, and a cyclist killer gets prison time. Former Episcopal Bishop Heather Cook sentenced to seven years in drunk-driving death of cyclist and Bishop who killed cyclist while driving drunk gets 7 years also Judge sentences ex-bishop who killed cyclist while driving drunk this too Ex-Maryland Bishop Sentenced to 7 Years in DUI Death of Cyclist not done Bishop Who Killed Cyclist While Driving Drunk Gets 7 Years

Next because it’s strange and bizarre, and also has lots of links. Bicycle rider killed by container falling from truck and BICYCLIST KILLED AFTER CARGO CONTAINER SLIDES OFF FLATBED TRUCK, FALLS ON HIM IN LONG BEACH also BICYCLIST CRUSHED BY CARGO CONTAINER IN LONG BEACH IDENTIFIED AFAIK the wreck was caused by an improperly secured container on a trailer that was not designed to haul cargo containers being driven by a scab driver hired by a union-busting conglomerate. tl;dr The cyclist was killed by corporate greed.

This looks like a good place to put the link to Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Caltrans takes another step forward; CHP wants to improve bike safety, while cycling deaths up

Still in CA, more judicial bike news. Huntington Beach Man Convicted of Murder in DUI Hit-and-Run Death of Cyclist The minimum sentence is 16 years before parole.

More on the cop being in the right place at the right time to catch a DUI hit-and-run driver. Bicyclist killed in West Covina hit-and-run, driver arrested Pity he couldn’t have been in the right place and time to arrest her for DUI before she killed someone.

At least they didn’t call it a race this time. Injured veterans finish 500+ mile bike ride As a vet WoaB strongly supports our injured and wounded warriors.

Today seems to be the day for judicial news about bike wrecks, as this link from MI shows. Sentencing is Tuesday for Romulus woman who hit, killed boy riding his bike Killed while driving impaired by illegal drugs… Like the guy convicted of murder in CA a few paragraphs upstream.

Still in MI. Man on bike killed in hit and run in Ann Arbor overnight They are still examining the debris left from the weapon vehicle to try to identify it.

A couple of states over in MN they decided there wasn’t enough evidence to suspect another vehicle in the death of a cyclist. Ramsey Co. Sheriff: Vehicle No Longer Believed Involved In Cyclist’s Death “(D)octors determined that his injuries were not consistent with the bike accident.”

This CT link is just so full of “NO DUH!” Blunt trauma killed Torrington bike rider, state medical examiner says The guy was hit with a semi, that is pretty much the definition of blunt force trauma.

This NC wreck screams “assault with a deadly weapon” for the cyclist. Cyclist injured in Fayetteville crash Hit a cyclist, sideswipe a car, and hit a pole. The driver was either trying to kill the cyclist, or impaired.

Some Portland political news that could have an impact on other cities looking to Portland for guidance. Six bike-related issues that might take a turn with Hales out of the race

Still in Portland, something else that could impact bicycle safety in the rest of the country. At Wonk Night, County DA announces effort to change state law The change spoken of is the massive gap between a traffic ticket and vehicular homicide when someone with a car kills while breaking a traffic law. When the victim survives the gap is even worse as there is nothing that a driver can be criminally charged with.

Now this is an amenity. Portland Downtown Marriott adds in-room bike parking This would not work with Francis/es, but it might work with Blue or Gigi. I would bust a gut trying to get Francis/es up on that hook, cargo bikes are not meant to be lifted by the handlebars.

Infrastructure problems in SC. Charleston’s king tide floods are a sign of what the world will face as oceans rise Kinda hard to ride in the bike lane when the whole road is under water.

When they perfect driverless cars enough to replace human drivers, will they be allowed to drive? Will City Regulators Treat Driverless Cars Like They’ve Treated Uber?

Up north of Portland in far West Canuckistan. ICBC blames cyclist negligence for highway bike death Still trying to wrap my head around the concept that a cyclist hit head on by a vehicle driven by a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road while the cyclist is riding on the right side of the road with a chase vehicle(!) is at any way responsible for the wreck. The fact that the chase vehicle was hit and both occupants killed hasn’t even been entered into the equation yet.

Crap infrastructure is still crap in Jolly Olde. Killed Northumberland cyclist’s sister’s anguish as another bike rider hit This makes several cyclists severely injured since the wreck that killed the woman’s sister, all in the same intersection.

Surviving relatives of a UK cyclist killed by a driver who legally was banned from driving but the paperwork had not gone through yet speak out against what he did. Katy Charlton confronts driver Neil Urwin who killed her husband Andy

A rare cyclist-on-ped wreck in Jolly Olde. Schoolgirl injured after hit-and-run with cyclist in Sheffield DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS! And especially don’t hit a pedestrian and leave the scene without making sure the pedestrian either isn’t injured or is getting care and you have left your contact information.

Last link is from Enn Zed. Cyclist critically injured in Tauranga crash This is the “We drive on the left side of the road” equivalent of the left cross.

And I really want to get to bed now and rest.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I feel like I got hit with a truck again, and the Feed

My son couldn’t get over here to do grocery day yesterday, so I had to grab the old ALICE ruck and walk up to the store myself. This is one reason why I need to recover as fast as I can and get back on Francis/es, so I can go back to doing the grocery shopping on my own without having to have someone drive me there and back. I only got the items I’m about out of, milk, yogurt, soda, and bread. Well, except for the bread all of those items were pretty massive, and I made the mistake of combining a trip to the hardware store two blocks up the road to pick up new door knobs and locks to replace the ones that just broke this morning. Anyone remember that song from “Hee Haw” about bad luck? Yeah, they could put a few verses in there for me. Anyway I had a gallon of milk, 2 2-liter bottles of generic soda, 4 pounds of yogurt, a bottle of beer, three doorknob sets, a front spindle to a 1937 Ford and 8 stainless steel bolts to fit the steering arm holes on the spindle (which I brought to the hardware because I needed to make sure the bolts fit), and two loaves of bread. And now I wanna lie down and have a nap. Or something. Yeah, something because as I was getting up from my desk to have that little lie-down my back decided “This would be the perfect time to seize up!” so it did. And that was about two hours ago and I haven’t even started to filter links, so here’s to working through pain. Except it doesn’t really “hurt” as much as “not work right”.

And before I forget THANK YOU SCOTUS!!!! for making marriage equality the law of the land. This isn’t like Roe v Wade where women got control over doing something that they would really rather not do if circumstances were different, this is people in love doing what people in love do, getting married. So get out there and get married to the person you love. I charge competitive rates and can do Wiccan and Klingon rituals (but I have to find a new priestess for the Klingon ritual, my last one has gone to Sto-Vo-Kor). Contact me if you are in the DFW area and need to get a religious service done. I guess this means I will have to take down the Gay Marriage Challenge page as not only was nobody able to convince me that same-sex marriage was bad, but neither were they able to convince the SCOTUS.

The big story as far as links are concerned is the UK driver getting arrested for murder in the death of a cyclist who was hit-and-run earlier in the week. Investigation into Harworth cyclist death becomes murder probe and Police name man charged with cyclist Richard Pencott’s murder as family pay tribute also UPDATE: Police arrest man on suspicion of murder after cyclist killed in Harworth not done yet Man arrested following death of cyclist Not a whole lot to say in this one because of UK media laws, but arrested for murder is really something. It has been frequently said in both the UK and this country that if you want to commit a random act of murder just get in a car and drive until you see a cyclist to run over, then claim momentary blindness after the fact. Until I saw this I would have said killing a cyclist was a “perfect crime” as it seldom gets prosecuted, and even when it is prosecuted convictions are few and far between, and when convicted the “sentences” are laughably lenient, mostly community service. But when you structure community service correctly it can be a great deterrence against the perpetrator ever doing it again, because they won’t have much free time to commit another vehicular assault. Not much of a deterrence to others, but that one will never hit another cyclist. Are you kidding me? Man charged with murder after cyclist dies in collision

Our Daily Ted, part one. Morning Links: Metro commits to DTLA bikeshare, US pros swear they’re clean, and $50K reward for fatal hit-and-run Even Ted has a link to the UK murder arrest.

And Daily Ted, part two. Update: Arrest made in horrifying high-speed Highland Park fatal hit-and-run If the road diet planned for the street where the cyclist was killed had been allowed to go through the driver would not have been able to reach anywhere near the speed he was going when he hit the cyclist. And now I see they caught the guy who was still drunk 4 hours after hitting the cyclist, which means he was super drunk at the time of the crime. They found pieces of the victim still on the car when they arrested the driver. More Man arrested after bicyclist is killed in hit-and-run in Highland Park Gil Cedillo is an accessory to this crime.

So, NYPD, how is that Vision Zero thing going for you? Issuing lots of tickets for people running down people in the crosswalk or bike lanes? NYPD: Drivers Killed 18 Pedestrians and Cyclists in May, and Injured 1,262 So, that would be a “no” on tickets for people hit crossing in the crosswalk or riding in the bike lanes.

What is wrong with drivers in AZ? Truck runs into four cyclists Seriously to hit 4 cyclists at once in front of witnesses (oncoming traffic) and scatter them “like popcorn”, is either attempted murder or someone that needs to never drive again.

More on Google trying to make Silicon Valley more like Amsterdam or Copenhagen. Google’s bike plan aims to turn Silicon Valley into the next Copenhagen $5 million seems like a lot of money, and it is, but for the number of communities they are talking about and the spread they have to cover because of sprawl, it’s a very large drop in a fairly large bucket. To extend the metaphor, they have covered the bottom of the bucket, but have a long way to go to fill it.

When you have a memorial ride for just the cyclists killed in the last two weeks, there is something terribly wrong with the infrastructure. Local Cyclists To Ride For Those Who Died In The Past Two Weeks

Oh the horror! Most area cyclists aren’t wearing helmets while riding, Statistics Canada says Windsor area cyclists are riding at about 21% helmets, while Victoria are riding with 83% helmets. So Victoria riders have how much lower head injury statistics than Windsor? Any? Buehler?

Road.cc looks at the KSI stats and comes to the same conclusion I did: UK drivers everywhere are prats. DfT admits “ever increasing problem with pedal cyclist casualties” as serious injuries rise 8 per cent Cycling increased 3.8% but serious injury went up 8%? Yep, your drivers are crap. Or maybe your roads are crap and having mediocre drivers isn’t helping any. But yeah something somewhere along the line is crap and people are getting permanently injured because of it.

Perhaps the problem is a lack of enforcement? Campaign for ‘properly enforced’ speed limits after cyclist killed in collision

Sisyphus has a stone, cyclists have politicians. Devon MPs spearhead cyclist safety campaign

And in the meantime we get things like this. Alan Cronin: Man in court charged with death by dangerous driving after cyclist killed

Last link tonight is from Oz again. Motorists, cyclists all need re-education Some cyclists don’t know the rules, but all cyclists are just doing their best to “not get hit”. So the education really needs to be on drivers so they can Know when cyclists are riding according to the laws and not hit them.

And I’m ready to go to bed, or at least lie down for a bit and try to relax.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the extremely happy about the SCOTUS marriage decision…