Back to the salt mines, and the Feed

Gotta do something to bring my BP up for the new study med, maybe a massive increase in my sodium consumption will help. What you thought I was going to engage in manual labor? I’m going to try to eat my way through a metaphorical salt mine. Just like how a few years ago I drastically increased my consumption of fatty meats so that I could survive a non-statin cholesterol med that was being tested for interactions with other meds.

The 0.060″ square styrene rod that will eventually become the bottom frame rails arrived this morning. I can’t believe that I spent almost $10 (after tax and shipping) on a tiny package of plastic that isn’t even anything yet. And I can’t believe how tiny 0.060″ is.

Up first is a cyclist killed near Houston. Bicyclist dies after struck by hit-and-run driver on Beaumont Highway Apparently a hit-from-behind wreck, apparently a walking anal sphincter for a driver. Houston readers BOLO for an older Suburban with fresh front-end damage, call the local non-emergency police number if you see one.

Our Daily Ted, part one. Morning Links: Nine years for drunken West Covina hit-and-run; suspect wanted in Agoura Hills bike crash

Our Daily Ted part duh. Woman killed riding bike in Carlsbad when she reportedly veered out of bike lane Certainly sounds like a SWSS wreck to me.

Counting the toll in NYC. NYC Drivers Injured 1,191 Pedestrians and Cyclists, and Killed 13, in February And pedestrians and cyclists killed zero drivers. Cyclists killed zero pedestrians and pedestrians killed zero cyclists. The only mode that killed anybody was motor vehicles.

Another senseless death in NYC. Driver Backing Up to Park Kills Lin Qinyun, NYPD Blames Victim [Updated] “Since May 2015, motorists have killed five pedestrians while driving in reverse on New York City streets.” And I bet every one of those deaths was met with a “no criminality suspected” statement from NYPD, just like this one.

Still in NYC. Pedicab Drivers Sue City For Allegedly Trying To Destroy Them The only transit mode greener than the carriages (that the city is also trying to shut down) and the city is trying to make operators lives miserable.

Almost as crazy in still in NYC. Brooklyn Cyclists Fear New Bike Lanes On Jay Street Still Won’t Keep The Cop Cars Out and Sneak Preview: The Jay Street Protected Bike Lane

Infrastructure change in VT. HOUSE BACKS REFORM OF DRIVER’S LICENSE SUSPENSION SYSTEM How is this an infrastructure change? As it stands now a license can be suspended for any number of reasons, including things unrelated to driving ability or maintaining a safe vehicle or anything to do with vehicles at all. Just one point, using LEO writing tickets as a revenue-generating tool was one of the triggers for the problems in Ferguson, MO.

Speaking of MO. Local cyclists ready to protest HB 2046 with organized ride This was the bill that would have required bicycles on certain roads be equipped with flags on 15′ high poles, making the bikes illegal to use on the US Highway System because they would be over the legal height limit.

Jog up to WI for this lovely news. Traffic Deaths Increasingly Involve Pedestrians Cars are safer, drivers not so much. This is going on pretty much world-wide.

Infrastructure from America’s Copenhagen. Finally! ODOT acknowledges need for a road diet on SW Barbur Blvd How many injured cyclists did it take before this was started?

Still in Portland. Northeast Portlanders call enthusiastically for traffic diverters, greenway on 7th Avenue If the comments are to be believed (and why not?) this is a long overdue change.

A little north of Portland. Seattle Council Approves $1.5 Million Bike-Share Save Now get rid of that stupid helmet law and you might keep the thing in business.

They found the driver and vehicle that killed a cyclist in OH. First vehicle that struck, killed Franklin County teen bicyclist found I know the commenter NRWM isn’t going to read this blog, but none of the reports mentioned a lack of lights so the bike probably met or exceeded legal minimums. And the driver needs another vision test, maybe at night.

Wreck in IL. Woman on bicycle injured in accident with car This story had almost as much information as the usual UK reports.

Another wreck in CT. Cyclist injured in collision with delivery truck in Waterbury Assuming the narrative is accurate and the delivery driver didn’t do a “swoop-and-squat” then you need to be careful about brake system maintenance, along with the usual ABCQ check before riding (you do perform an ABCQ check before every ride, right? Particularly after leaving your bike unattended in public).

Terrible wreck in CO. Former pro cyclist injured in crash near Boulder I wouldn’t call losing an arm an “injury though. More like “permanently maimed”. But he will survive the wreck, and LEO still don’t know who was on the wrong side of the road.

A Canuckistan rider is killed on a trip to Mexico. Penticton Okanagan Rotary founder killed in Mexico Hit from behind wreck, to keep it from happening to you use those protocols to avoid.

Infrastructure from Jolly Olde. Getting people cycling on residential streets needs more than 20mph limits Maybe some diverters to prevent anyone except cyclists from using the streets as through, or bollards blocking the lanes at mid-block?

Jurisprudence for cyclist killers in the UK. Lorry driver who killed Derby cyclist by driving carelessly to be sentenced today The reason he was convicted was he turned across an active lane of traffic without making sure it was clear to do so.

And just UGH! ARC16: Delegates back call for society to lead cycling safety campaign Another helmet fetishist.

More on that multi-cyclist wreck in Oz. Truck driver charged over crash which killed cyclist in Solomontown and SA truckie charged over cyclist death I would say hitting 3 cyclists riding on the side of the road counts as “dangerous” driving, I guess murder and attempted murder would be a bit much. Only a bit though.

If they can standardise the plug for cars, then maybe it could be used for e-assist bikes, too? Volvo Calls on Industry to Adopt Single EV Charging Standard I’m being serious here. Mopeds can recharge the same way and at the same locations as cars and trucks, e-assist bikes should be able to get “away from home” recharges the same as other EV, right?

And why the previous paragraph is important to unassisted cyclists. Our Horrifyingly Unhealthy Environment Is Killing Millions Of People Every Year and The Planet Just Obliterated Another Heat Record We here in TX actually had a colder-than-normal winter, but paradoxically we didn’t have any real cold weather. It just stayed slightly below-average for much of the winter.

And it’s late (or early depending on your POV) and I’m ready for bed. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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I had real COFFEE today, and the Feed

Finally I had a cup of coffee that tasted like COFFEE instead of vaguely brown water. Pro tip, the reusable K-cup filters are only good for a small cup of coffee, there is just not room for enough grounds to make a 16 oz (473.176 ml) cup of coffee. Seriously, even going to 10 oz is seriously over what the little things can do without using an espresso ground coffee. If you have a coffee grinder that can go to espresso then you can get 10 oz easily, but drip grind won’t give you enough surface area to extract all the good flavors because of the limited amount of time the water stays in contact with the grounds. The Keurig is halfway between a drip brewer and an espresso machine as far as extraction is concerned. Higher temperature and more pressure than a drip brewer, lower than an espresso machine. If you have the reusable filters go with espresso grind. Now I need to find a good coffee grinder.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Memorial ride for RPV cyclist, 11-year old advocate writes for Times & Mt. Hollywood stays car free

Still in CA. Meet the Ovarian Psycos: women of color building a movement on bikes These are the people who do the Clitoral Mass ride once a year, a Critical Mass just for kick-ass women (womyn?).

Lots of Portland infrastructure links today. State begins project on Broadway near Rose Quarter Monday If they get this right it will be an improvement for all modes, not just the modes with engines or motors.

Good transit and good cycling go together like hotdogs and mustard. Bus riders’ union launches new campaign: Discount fares for low-income people Sure they are great separately, but put them together and you have a killer app that gets you across town letting the bus protect you from the cagers, while extending your reach far beyond the bus deep into unserved territories. The technical term is “first mile, last mile”

And when you integrate infrastructure it synergizes your investments. New Portland Plan Addresses Walksheds and Watersheds Together When you install paved streets and drains and cover those drains with sidewalks all at the same time it works better and costs less money to do. Whodathunkit?

Update on the cyclist critically injured in a MN hit-and-run. Update: Cyclist Injured In Hit-And-Run Still In Critical Condition and $1,000 reward offered in hit-and-run crash that critically injured bicyclist in Dakota County Yeah, he’s not going to be riding again any time soon after that latest surgery. I hope something equally gruesome happens to the driver, or they could just recycle the vehicle with him still in it.

Something fishy in this OH wreck. Cyclist hurt in collision with highway-patrol cruiser Notice that they aren’t blaming the cyclist for this wreck even though there were intoxicants involved on the cyclist’s part. The wreck mode was hit-from-behind, so they probably have dash cam recordings of the cyclist’s lane position and track. My guess is this was a SWSS initially until someone took a look at the video, then backtracked.

A MA hit-and-run. Cyclist injured in Wellesley hit-and-run So all my Boston readers BOLO for a Toyota P/U with front end damage and report it to LEO.

This is slightly disturbing as WoaB heavily promoted these guys. Wounded Warrior fires execs over spending accusations If I’m reading the article correctly these clowns took money donated for rehabbing injured veterans and spent it on luxuries for themselves. Shame on them.

A Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment from Jolly Olde. Serial drink-driver who killed cyclist in crash jailed for just seven years This idiot had EIGHT!(8) DUIs, and never passed a test to get a license, and somehow he was still free to drive. “Taylor, of West Molesey, was also banned from driving for nine years.” He never had a license, and you think a court order will stop him from driving in the future? I have this bridge…

Well if they survive they won’t Wiggins on London Bike Boom – cyclists aren’t going to go away I get what he’s saying, gas is cheap now, but it won’t stay that way and people will still have to get around. Riding a bike is way faster than the bus in London (and for short trips even I could get around faster than DART, especially if there was a detour to the transit center and a transfer to a different bus involved. Point to point a bike is faster than a bus unless both points are on the same bus route. Then it all comes to how many times the bus has to stop for passengers.

Woman accidentally locks herself in a van, cyclists hear her pounding on the door/side of the van and let her out. Charity cyclists free woman trapped in van for 4 hours

Cyclist is buried after a wreck in the Emerald Isle. TEENAGE CYCLIST KILLED IN ROAD TRAGEDY LAID TO REST

A UT grad is hit and killed in Singapore. Woman dies in bus accident; arrested driver suspended pending inquiry Ordinarily I don’t report Singapore wrecks because their laws are so, so different from ours, but the victim in this one made me link this one.

And this from Oz. Sydney cyclists reportedly fined £225 – for trackstanding Apparently the sight of cyclists maintaining balance without putting a foot down for an extended period of time just blew the LEO’s mind, they had never heard of such sorcery.

And this. Sydney cyclists say new laws don’t make them feel safer – MPs set to debate scrapping them The abuse cyclists have been receiving since the change in the laws has been skyrocketing, and drivers have been interpreting the passing law exactly backwards of the intention, instead of moving over the meter they are claiming cyclists have to get a meter off the roads when a car passes. I wonder if they are all idiots.

And I’m all outta links now.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Mrs. the Poet is back, and the Feed

Amazingly enough with all the bad weather we had, Mrs. the Poet returned on time tonight to DFW airport. We stopped off at the Whataburger down the street to get dinner instead of heating up leftovers which would have been too much cooking for Mrs. the Poet after her day of travelling. I had a Bacon Jalapeño and Cheese Whataburger, Mrs.the Poet had a Grilled Whatachicken, and our son had the regular Whatachicken. And of course everyone had fries and a soft drink. I also ducked into the neighboring grocery store to get coffee and milk so that there would be caffeine in the morning.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: UCLA cyclist screwed by insurance company needs your help; team track cycling league comes to LA She should countersue for intentional infliction of mental duress, and triple the amount she would get for the initial wreck, plus attorney’s fees. No check that, the dollar amount should start with 6 zeroes between the initial digit(s) and the decimal point, plus attorney’s fees. Unless she gets allowed to meet them in a back alley with them blindfolded and her with a u-lock.

Still in CA, more on the cyclist hit by a trolley. Cyclist killed by trolley identified and Cyclist Wearing Earbuds Dies on Trolley Tracks in Barrio Logan I said all there is to say about this wreck yesterday.

Moving north and a bit east of San Diego to NV. 13-year-old cyclist critically injured after hit by car in southwest Las Vegas Kid trying to get to school and not adequately trained in how to use the road cuts off a car.

Portland debates implementing “Vision Zero”. No more road deaths by 2025? Here’s the latest on Portland’s Vision Zero progress Maybe by then there will be many self-driving cars to reduce human error, and take car of most of the problem for them without drastic infrastructure changes.

Second infrastructure link from America’s Copenhagen. County’s new mobile app tells you if the bridge is up or down For those of us who live in the flatlands this doesn’t sound like that big a deal, but knowing which bridges are going to be impassable because thay are up to allow tall river traffic to pass can literally be a life-saver.

Promises of small mercies for a hit-and-run driver in MN. ‘Come forward,’ Dakota County sheriff says to hit-and-run driver who critically injured cyclist Doctors think the cyclist will survive but with a drastically changed lifestyle.

Awaiting the governor’s signature in VA. ‘Dooring’ law in Va. would fine motorists who open car doors in front of cyclists

Infrastructure in NYC. NYC On Pace To Build A Record 15 Miles Of Protected Bike Lanes In 2016 Wow, 16 miles in only one year. Meanwhile here in the Metromess they rebuilt a freeway from 4 to 6 lanes in each direction in about the same time. It didn’t help, of course, and it cost billions of dollars to build, but hey, they were doing something to reduce congestion. And side-street congestion did go down on the through streets immediately adjacent to the freeway, so far. But, Woo! yeah, 16 miles of protected bike lanes.

More NYC infrastructure. Bratton: “We’re Not Going To Get To Zero” Traffic Deaths Not with that attitude billy boy.

And what is it with drivers who can’t stay off of the freaking sidewalk? Taxi Driver Hits Two People On First Avenue, Crashes Into Building

Still in NYC a man assaults a cyclist riding in the bike lane and gets bashed in the head. New Video Shows Pedestrians Ignoring Bloodied Bike Lock Assault Victim According to comments they were ignoring him because he instigated and took one to the head in response. Not that I advocate violence against pedestrians, but when one jumps out into the street to start wailing on you, you are within your rights to return the favor with prejudice. I mean the idiot went up against 3:1 odds, he can’t be all that bright.

A man in West Canuckistan is charged in the death of a cyclist. Man, 29, charged with causing Richmond cyclist’s death and Driver charged in Richmond cyclist’s 2013 death It took them 2½ years to charge this lowlife? It’s almost as if they were waiting for the SOL to run out or something.

A recurring theme in this blog is “Don’t hit the pedestrians” for a reason. Pedestrian hit by cyclist on Princess Parade Hythe As of this posting they don’t yet know if the injured person was the cyclist or the pedestrian.

Infrastructure demands made after cyclist hit, again. Repeated calls for traffic calming as young cyclist injured on “deathtrap” Horndean road I know this is another one because the previous call for infrastructure was from a city that started with an “M”, this one is a “P”.

And apparently driving while blind is still OK as long as you get a jury with no cyclists on it. Coach driver cleared of killing cyclist by careless driving How are they going to get drivers to pay attention to where they are going unless there is a substantial penalty for failure to do so?

The guy wasn’t even riding the bike yet. Hit-and-run driver kills cyclist on Madrid shared bike scheme The victim was just at the pulling the bike from the rack portion of the transaction when he was hit. I see this as much an infrastructure failure as a driver failure, because if you can get hit using the system as intended before you even get a bike, then someone has screwed up majorly.

Another link about Milan paying cyclists to reduce pollution in the city. https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/milan-italy-pay-bike-commute-smog-pollutionMilan Commuters Could Get Paid to Bike to Work If I didn’t work from home I would say this would be a great deal for me.

Two vulnerable road users were injured in Oz. Skateboarder and cyclist injured in two accidents last night Of course it’s now Friday night over in Oz… and I don’t know what led to the cyclist hitting the lamp post, if he had help from a motor vehicle “guiding” him or if he somehow did it in his own.

LEO are blamed in part for a wreck that injured a cyclist in Enn Zed. Police should have pulled out of pursuit that killed Whanganui man, report says The cyclist was not seriously injured in the first wreck according to the report, although I’m sure he would disagree with that.

And no more links. And I’m beat.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

We had some wind damage to the trees, but are otherwise unscathed, and the Feed

Yep, it were windy out here in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, with one tree losing a branch to the wind. Otherwise things are just fine. Still doing good on edibles, I have about a half pot of beans and rice seasoned to my preference, plus Pop Tarts, ramen, Spam (I’m having the teriyaki flavor tonight with my ramen), and a fresh jar of peanut butter that I just opened this morning to put on my bagel. So food I got, and Mrs. the Poet will be returning from NY tomorrow evening.

Up first is Our Daily Ted, Part 1. Morning Links: LACBC wins national award for work on Mobility Plan; Sadik-Khan says the bikes have won That’s right, we won! All that’s left now is mopping up isolated pockets of resistance. So I guess I can quit this blog and go build models…

Part 2. San Diego cyclist killed in pre-dawn trolley collision and Cyclist hit, killed by trolley in Barrio Logan Damnit people, what did I just tell you yesterday about staying off tracks? Don’t cross when the arm is down, how hard is that to do?

Still in CA, but covered in one of Ted’s posts yesterday. Bicyclist Hit, Killed by Moving Truck in Rancho Palos Verdes Right hook but the cyclist was riding hard in the bike lane. At least I think that was a bike lane. The cyclist’s speed had a great deal to do with this wreck, both in the fact that it happened and in the severity of the wreck as to how for under the truck the cyclist got squished in the initial impact. The fact the cyclist was dragged for miles under the truck more than likely only changed the condition of the body, he probably died in the initial impact.

More Portland infrastructure. Counting votes at Metro: Will the region invest in walking and biking near schools? Don’t want the kids getting too independent and thinking they don’t need a car to get around.

Another update on the MN cyclist injured in a hit-and-run. St. Thomas student critically injured in bike accident returns to class “The St. Paul Police say that since January of this year a pedestrian or cyclist is hit by a driver in St. Paul every other day. And they think it’s the cyclists and pedestrians are the problem?

A little CT infrastructure change might be in the works. Connecticut Cycling Advocates Urge Stiffer Penalty For Drivers Who Don’t Share The Road The comments section is in rare form today. I lost count of the times I saw people complaining about cyclists “not paying” for roads, like riding a bike gets you a tax refund or something like that.

From CT to MT, a fallen cyclist is remembered. Tuesday morning vigil honors cyclist killed in wreck, reminds riders of traffic danger

I think this was national but reported by a PA media outlet. Early data suggests pedestrian deaths surged in 2015 There were more deaths across the board but it looks like peds took a larger share than previously lending more ammunition to the need to get drivers out from behind the wheel because the cars are great at protecting people inside the car but utter crap at protecting people outside the car.

Ran red, killed cyclist, needs to spend rest of life working to repay victim’s family after long prison sentence in the Great White North. Trial begins for man accused of running red light and killing cyclist For those not fluent in metric, bystanders estimated the speed before the wreck at 55-65 MPH, the reconstructionist put the speed at 41.6 MPH at impact with heavy braking.

More on Canada’s helmet fetish. Bike helmets are safe, but here’s what really makes cycling safer

From Jolly Olde a car doesn’t stop at the sidewalk, but goes right inside the building. CCTV VIDEO: Man ‘lucky to be alive’ after Coleshill crash – watch footage I though it was from NYC with the car driving at such a high speed on the sidewalk. 😛

One of the 12 people likely to get killed by a cyclist in Jolly Olde this year (if this is an average year). ‘Wonderful’ woman killed after crash with a cyclist at Old Street Nothing on what happened because it’s a UK media outlet, but so far no charges have been filed.

Another cyclist memorial. Family pays tribute to cyclist killed in ‘hit-and-run’ accident

Trying to find answers in a cyclist’s death. Inquest opens into death of cyclist killed in Doncaster Road crash The UK version of a left cross since the drive on the wrong side of the road.

Another blind driver takes out a cyclist. Coach driver accused of killing cyclist on A9 heard ‘a bang’ Never saw the cyclist until they were scraping him out from under the bus.

Well this can’t be good. Police investigate spate of cyclists being pushed into London canals Getting wet in winter in the UK is not as bad as getting wet in winter in MN, but it’s still not pleasant.

This is a frequent symptom of TBI from a traffic crash. Young cyclist ‘cannot remember’ how she got facial injuries in Crawley Much of what I know of my wreck is from the police reports and witnesses who ran into me later. Except the being dead part, that I remembered on my own.

Over on the Emerald Isle. Garda appeal for witnesses after cyclist (19) killed in road collision The narrative sounds like a SWSS at the moment with the driver failing to process the cyclist in front of the car until impact.

This sounds more like pressing the gas thinking it is the brake than brake failure, but hey I’m just a hot-rodder doing a bike safety blog. UPDATE: Taxi that slammed into traffic light knocked down cyclist prior to major crash I think this was South Africa, but I’m not sure.

What’s 130 miles on a bike when you have done a full Ironman? NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson to join PeopleForBikes’ Ride on Atlanta

And last link if you think mash-ups are a recent phenomenon, here’s a mashup of “Rock And Roll, Pt.2” with the theme for Doctor Who from the ’80s. The Timelords (The KLF) – Doctorin’ The Tardis (12-inch mix)

And that’s all I go tonight. I’m going to try to get to bed early.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Still foggy, and the Feed

Not the weather, me. I’m still a little foggy as evidenced by making of the morning caffeine, trying to get the tiny bit of coffee I have into the reusable Keurig filter without over filling or dumping it. I do this operation over the can to catch any spills (proving I’m not a total ditz) but it still took way too long to get caffeine this morning. And I think the local pollen level is “up there” as I’m getting itchy, burning, and watery eyes, and lots of yawns which are a personal quirk when assaulted by plant bukkake. Yes the trees are having a sex party, and I’m in the middle of it. If I’m remembering correctly this is just the preliminaries as my allergies get really cranked up later in the season.

And Happy International Women’s Day to all my distaff readers. Remember we are all here because of women. They have experimentally found a way to reproduce without men, at least in smaller mammals, but AFAIK there is no way to reproduce without women. So “Respect!” those women.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Another sunny & successful CicLAvia; SaMo Spoke’s Cynthia Rose wins Inspiration award Unfortunately that is only Part 1.

Daily Ted Part 2. Update: Bike rider killed by moving truck in Rancho Palos Verdes

Still in CA. Ventura Police Release Photo of Vehicle of Interest in Fatal Hit-and-Run Also they held a memorial to the kid that died in that wreck.

Infrastructure from America’s Copenhagen. ODOT is repaving a key stretch of “Dirty 30”: Here’s what to expect What it all boils down to is “not much.”

More infrastructure from Portland. Construction begins on 1.3 mile section of Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail

Still in Portland, it seems that someone at Google Maps decided he preferred one of the final ballot names for the Tilikum Crossing other than the one selected. Google Maps prank renames Tilikum Crossing after Star Trek captain Yep, it’s the good old “Jean-Luc Picard Wunder Crossing” just as intended.

That wreck in Tucson is reverberating. Local cycling club talks safety after recent fatal crash Seriously, the guy driving the truck was drunk and (possibly) texting at the time of the wreck, what could the city do about that except jersey barriers on all bike routes? Still extending the conversation to the entire system and drivers would be a good start.

Meanwhile in Florida. Two teens, 13 and 14, critically injured in car-bicycle crash Let’s just say that the narrative on this wreck is highly suspicious because the narrator was the DUI driver. I think it is very unlikely that the kids would swoop all the way over the double yellow line just as a truck was passing, or in other words the SWSS is in.

Still in FL, the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Teen bicyclist hit, killed on Central Florida Parkway The narrative is of very little help in determining anything about this wreck. The location and direction of travel is only given for the victim, but we did get useless information like the victim’s bike had reflectors and the driver of the weapon vehicle was wearing a seatbelt and was uninjured in the wreck. Of course knowing that there were reflectors would be useful if we knew when the wreck happened, but that information was left out of the narrative. I guess “Sunday night” is as close as we are going to get.

Not out of FL yet, we get another cyclist not looking both ways crossing a train track. Bicyclist critically injured after being hit by Amtrak train I have posted this many times, it is very easy to not get hit by a train, just don’t be on the tracks when the train is coming. Heed any warning systems, and look and listen at uncontrolled crossings before proceeding after you are sure there are no trains coming. I mean trains are big, noisy even when they aren’t blowing the horn, and they are ONLY found on train tracks.

The ultimate infrastructure articles from NYC. Former DOT Head Janette Sadik-Khan Reflects On Bike Lane Battles: “The Status Quo Is The Problem” and Janette Sadik-Khan on Asphalt, Staten Island and the Adrenaline of Infrastructure My favorite quote comes from the second link: “Reporters started to figure out the counterintuitive fact that bike lanes and plazas were the budgetary equivalent of change found between the sofa cushions compared with our road infrastructure investment.”

Infrastructure from Jolly Olde. Fresh calls to improve cycle safety in Cambridge after man ‘seriously’ injured on Newmarket Road

This is being treated as an assault, not a vehicular offense. Video: BMW driver caught on film trying to push cyclist from bike and Exclusive: First interview with Bristol cyclist who caught aggressive BMW driver shoving on camera The sad thing is that without the video it would have been just passed off as the cyclist’s fault for doing something to annoy the driver who crossed the street and assulted him. And there are those who find dark humor in the situation. Bristol Drivers: always giving cyclists a hand

More vidiots in the UK. Taxi driver caught filming at wheel by Traffic Droid Sad thing is the guy taking the video we see is using cameras that run all the time without operator aiming required, where this vidiot has to manually hold the phone to point it in the direction of the camera bike.

Last UK link is about their atrocious infrastructure. Triathlon coach says he could have been killed by ‘giant pothole’ Yeah, if the pothole causes the bike to come to a complete stop while the rider continues forward, you have crap infrastructure even if it’s only in that one place.

Hey know how to get people on bikes? Norway to invest $1bn to create 10 ‘bike superhighways’ and Norway Will Spend Almost $1 Billion on New Bike Highways To give you an idea of what we are dealing with, Norway has 1 million fewer people than the Metromess I live in, more commonly referred to as the DFW Metroplex. And somehow they have found roughly $1 billion to spend on 10 inter-city bicycle highways.

Report from Oz. Two cyclists injured after collisions with cars on Tuesday morning Notice the line that said both cyclists were operating completey within the law? And then the final line “Both bicycle riders were complying with safety requirements.” You think maybe that was a dig at the new bike regs going into effect in the neighboring state?

And we are out if links and time to find any more.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Taking care of business before Mrs. the Poet leaves, and the Feed.

I was running all over town to take care of things like utility bills, phone bills, and paying for the storage unit, after I did my duty as a citizen and voted in the Super Tuesday primary. This was a great endeavor that took many hours to complete because of several missed connections with DART. This time the missed connections were not DART’s fault, unless you count a lack of headway as “their fault”. Seriously I finished each stop I would leave just in time to see the bus go by in the direction of my next stop and I would have to wait 45 minutes to an hour for the next bus. So I spent 2 hours actually doing the things, and 5 hours waiting on the bus to get there.

Up first is what should be Our Daily Ted. Today’s post called on account of pain Get well soon Ted.

FloriDUH! driver hits cycle from behind, blames cyclist for being in the middle of the lane. Man on motorized bicycle killed in crash And I do not see what the criminal record of the victim has to do with this wreck, again… Message to LEO, if the cyclist was hit from behind then speed DEFINITELY has something to do with the wreck.

New Portland bike infrastructure had been open less than 24 hours before someone in a motor vehicle screwed it up. New Sellwood Bridge opens with a “Dang!” I see a vehicle that needs to be recycled. Into bicycles.

Compare the above incident to what has been going on near a school and see if you can tell me what the difference is. Southeast Portland elementary warns parents about unsafe cycling near school Agghhh! those cyclists going almost 10 MPH through a stop sign are a menace to everyone! But the pickup truck driven by a drunk driver with suspected drugs in the cab on a MUP closed to motor vehicles, that’s just a chuckle. Except the “chuckle” closed the MUP for most of the day and the adjacent traffic lanes for more than 6 hours.

Some good infrastructure news from Portland. First Look At Nike’s New Path Through The Woods Pretty, so pretty I forgot to copy the headline before deleting the page and had to reconstruct it from memory.

More on the hit-and-run rampage in NYC over the weekend. Hit-And-Runs Kill 3 Within 4 Hours in Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx Nothing new here.

More from CO on why the bike hate? Joe Clement: Why the aggression toward cyclists? Why? Simply put cyclists are Others and part of human nature is to Hate Others, not in your group.

Another cyclist hit up in West Canuckistan. Teen cyclist injured in Maple Ridge crash Drunk and almost killed a cyclist, and the driver is out of jail before the cyclist is out of ICU.

Here’s another feel-good story, this time from Jolly Olde. Paralympic gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey leads group of cyclists in Grimsby to highlight pedal power

A victim’s mother complains about crap infrastructure in the UK. Mum of tragic Bobby Colleran in new call for drivers to take more care

And the wars have started in Oz over the draconian new fines against cyclists. Bicycle commuters surveyed as new laws come into place in New South Wales and New cycling laws: One of the first bike riders hit with $319 fine for not wearing a helmet All I have to say is what is the fine for rivers not wearing a helmet? Buehler?… Buehler?…

And there will be a race from one of the two series the Sprint-T is designed to compete in this month over in Ft. Worth. Goodguys AutoCross This will be in 2 weeks at the Texas Motor Speedway north of Ft. Worth and literally just a hop, skip, and a jump away from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. The only problem would be I still haven’t picked a tire/wheel combination that fits the rules yet, the Hoosiers are not UTQG wear graded and are not really made for dry grip. I would have to go with a 17″ rim diameter or larger to get high performance tires in the required UTQG rating, because they just don’t make high performance summer tires to fit 15″ rims these days.

And It’s getting late and almost time for Mrs. the Poet to get up and get ready to go to NY for her sister’s memorial service(s).

Billed@€0.02, Opus

Sleep deprivation is a &(%$&, and the Feed

I signed off last night about 0500 after finishing the writing part shortly after 0430. Yes it takes me about 25-30 minutes to proof spelling and links and tag after I finish the creative part. And then it usually takes a minimum of an hour to shut the brain down so I can sleep, usually closer to two hours. I was wakened slightly after noon by a loud vehicle (I’m assuming it was a garbage truck) and Mrs. the Poet yelling at “bad cats” and quit fighting to get back to sleep about 1400 and checked the mail. I’m still bleary-eyed as I type this at 1700.

And I’m watching the Sprint Cup practice when this commercial for Marathon gas comes on with the jingle about a “full tank of Freedom”. “Freedumb” indeed. 😛

Speaking of Sprint Cup, some of the drivers are some of us. NASCAR drivers pedal from St. Augustine for bike safety Four hour ride, so about 100km away from the track. I’m betting that lap around the track lasted a lot longer than the 45-47 seconds it took during final practice today…

Ted was a bit busy today with all the news coming at him. Morning Links: Temple City shoots down safe streets on Las Tunas; ridiculous and sublime new bike offerings

Part 2 of Daily Ted. Formerly homeless man dies five weeks after Yorba Linda collision

And an incredible Part 3. Fontana bike rider killed in early morning collision; no details available Poor Ted, this is what happens when you have lots of subscriptions to local media sites, you get to report the bad news quicker.

Still in CA. BART Struggles to Balance Current Needs with Vision for Future BART gets people off the streets in S.F. making a huge impact on bike and pedestrian safety. So this might not seem to be a bike link, but it’s totally a bike link.

Up in America’s Copenhagen, DIY DOT to the rescue! Bike lane in danger? Cone power to the rescue! Riders replace the cones when they get knocked over, unlike plastic bollards that require equipment and chemicals most cyclists don’t carry on their bikes.

Also from Portland, someone said something Really Stoopid. GOP candidate promises to end gridlock forever by adding a lane to each freeway There are no words for how Stoopid this is. This guy has literally never heard of Induced Demand until this article posted and someone emailed him a link on the subject.

And crap infrastructure is never so bad that it can’t be made worse, even in Portland. City proposes shifting future downtown bikeway from Alder to Taylor/Salmon Changing a direct, mostly flat route to one that adds about a mile to the total trip and completely routes the cyclist away from retail and other commercial destinations.

FloriDUH! strikes again. Bicyclist injured in Charlotte hit-and-run crash I’m sorry, but what do you call it when a driver swerves into an occupied bike lane, hits a cyclist, and then leaves the scene without stopping? Aside from attempted murder or assault with a deadly weapon that is.

Continuing on the “Stoopid driver” theme for the moment. NYPD: Cyclist fatally struck by car, driver arrested Driver impaired by drugs, not mentioned if they were medication or recreational drugs. But still “Stoopid” either way. More Allegedly Stoned Driver Charged With Manslaughter After Fatally Striking Staten Island Cyclist The later link says the driver was on pot at the time of the wreck.

And infrastructure news from NYC that will flat-out floor you. It did me. Astoria Will Get Three Protected Bike Lanes Despite Local Drivers’ Objections Yep, bike lanes in spite of driver’s complaints, because too many people were getting killed or injured. and to the idiot that said “at some point traffic calming becomes traffic impeding.” boo, hoo, hoo. You were extremely lucky your death machines were not banned outright, because that was on the table.

Good infrastructure news from IA. Bicycle safe passing bill clears Iowa Senate committee This is the most radical concept in bicycle safety that I have seen in a long time. “Change lanes to pass”, like you would a car or tractor or combine. Radical, I tell you.

A mandatory helmet bill in VA is killed in committee. Why bicycling advocates are happy legislators killed a helmet bill Combined with the studies that show that mandatory helmets don’t actually decrease the rate of head injury, just move it to a different part of the head that isn’t covered by the helmet or by impacts that exceed the survival envelope of the helmet.

Crap infrastructure in VT. A VICIOUS CIRCLE? STATE WANTS SAFER ROTARY IN BRATTLEBORO Note the comment that all the problems are caused by bicycles. SMH.

From Jolly Olde, really they are calling this a hit-and-run and not assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder? Cyclist left seriously injured after hit-and-run following row with driver Motor vehicles are the only weapon that an obvious assault would be called an “accident”

And this cyclist has a case for police negligence as they refused to take a report for his wreck that smashed his bike. Cyclist feels he’s had a rough ride despite lucky escape in road smash The bike was rendered unridable, that makes this a reportable wreck under UK laws. Both vehicles were not able to leave the scene under their own power, that raises the wreck to reportable status.

And I am finishing up too late for Gigi to even read it before she loses her internet at 0300 my time. I mean it’s almost 0300 right now and I haven’t even proofed, much less tagged.

That was a waste of time, and the Feed

Mrs. the Poet called for a plumber to come fix the kitchen sink today, and nobody showed up. So it is fortunate that I didn’t get to the bank to get money for the plumber. Tomorrow I’m going to get my hair cut and buy more bits to build rails for the church stairs, after visiting the bank and post office.

Up first is Our Daily Ted part the first. Morning Links: A moving look at Dave Mirra and the need to succeed, and bike racers get blown and disinvited

And also part the second. Describe Your Ride: Nearly run down by a speeding driver — with a twist

Two links of very good news from ABQ. Teen cyclist wakes from coma and Teen cyclist injured in distracted driving crash out of ICU Very glad to read that the cyclist is recovering.

More on the OH wreck where an impaired driver killed a cyclist with her car. Prosecutor: Crash that killed cyclist ‘absolutely senseless’ The prosecutor in this seems willing to throw the entire law library at the driver.

First link from KS today. Bicyclist injured in hit and run Again, I H8 hit-and-run drivers.

And another link from KS and another hit-and-run. Man injured in hit-and-run accident looking for answers The cyclist was hit from behind, but investigators were unable to tell the debris from the wreck from the junk already at the scene.

The home of the world’s largest bicycle party proposes a common-sense change to bicycle law. ACTION ALERT: Change Lanes To Pass Bicycles Filed in Iowa Senate That’s right, they want to make passing a bicycle just like passing a car or any other motor vehicle, by changing lanes to pass.

Speaking of changing legal infrastructure. Lawmakers hear testimony on bill that would fill driving’s “negligence gap” This proposed law would bridge the gap left between the Vulnerable User Law for cyclists killed by drivers and a traffic ticket when a cyclist is severely injured but not killed.

More infrastructure from America’s Copenhagen. City installs new high-tech counter on Eastbank Esplanade path This is a data collecting instrument, and data is good.

And this is one reason why that data is necessary. Got polluted air? A good biking network helps, PSU study says

A complex article about infrastructure and driver behavior from an ex-pat Scot in NYC. Christmas Eve harassment, a sociopath in Greenwich Village – and how design can cut out honking

This story shows how important it is to get checked out by medical professionals after a wreck. Elderly cyclist dies one week after Richmond Hill collision The cyclist died from internal injuries a week after the wreck.

Scheduling issues affect infrastructure in Jolly Olde. Cambridge station bike park plan triggers fresh backlash from cyclists The switchover from the temp parking to the permanent parking was scheduled during a period when many cyclists would be out of town and wanting to leave their bikes parked at the station.

Still in Jolly Olde, a closed bike shop is becoming a bike-themed pub. ‘The Old Bicycle Shop’ set to become Cambridge’s latest pub

E-assist bikes have been around a very long time. Video shows hidden motor in 1970s steel racing bike

I must admit I sometimes have this fantasy myself. No VWs for this gang: Bicycling arsonists in Berlin target Mercedes, BMWs and Porsches

LEO issue hundreds of tickets to cyclists without helmets in Oz. South Australian police fine more than 300 cyclists in safety blitz

And I’m outta links, go ride a bike!

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Another long day on the road, and the Feed

I had another long day out paying bills today, but I’m finally through for the month. Now all I have to dump money on is getting the plumbing fixed. And the day-to-day living expenses, like the $15 I dropped on dinner last night. That’s a lot of money on our budget, but lordy that was a lot of food! Something else I dropped some $$ on was renewing my membership in the HRC, supporting them as they move on from marriage equality to other forms of discrimination (did you know a person can be fired for being gay in TX?)

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Beach bike path closed, slap on wrist in Glendale hit-and-run, and six years for drunken OC driver

Still in CA a story that originally had the weapon vehicle posted as a motorcycle. Cyclist critically injured by suspected DUI driver in Berkeley I’m not sure if this was deliberate or just a slight error in editing: “Police said witnesses who saw the crash stayed with the woman until help arrived, and were able to provide statements.
“Unfortunately this circumstance is more common than we’d like,” observed Lt. Montgomery.” I’m glad they caught the driver immediately, but that might have had more to do with the weapon vehicle being rendered undrivable by the wreck, than anything the driver intended to do.

Also in CA 5 Things Cyclists Do You Didn’t Know Are Perfectly Legal Well I knew, but that is partially because I see stuff about one or more of the list every year.

Meanwhile in NYC they finally get bike lanes and traffic calming on one of their most deadly streets. Amsterdam Ave Bike Lane Approved After Heated UWS Community Meeting Gotta love the tears shed for parking while arguing over people getting killed.

Speaking of people getting killed over infrastructure here’s a report from America’s Copenhagen. Victim of collision at notorious Greeley/I-5 intersection comes forward That has to be the worst bike lane crossing I have ever seen either IRL or on the Internets.

More on the dangerous and ADA non-compliant swing gates at a railroad crossing in Portland. Activists (temporarily) take the swing out of TriMet’s swing gates TriMet was complaining about this disrupting their “data gathering”, so I’m wondering what kind of data they are gathering and how.

And after all that crap infrastructure here’s some done right. Detour done right: 21st and Belmont shows how construction zones should work

Opinion piece in OH Please give cyclists more room on the road OH drivers are about the same as drivers in every other anglophone country.

And some good news from WI for a change. Traffic deaths in January were the second lowest since WWII Of course there is also the statistic that road fatalities mirror the local economy…

Over in Jolly Olde is a none-too-jolly cyclist. Call for review into EMAS after injured cyclist left 2 hours at roadside I was left in the road for only a few minutes after my wreck back in 2001. But then they thought I was dead until I told them I had a broken femur.

I think about the only thing that can be as bad as being in a wreck is being the first person on-scene after one, particularly when the victim dies or bleeds profusely. UPDATE: Driver traced after man killed in lorry hit-and-run in Greenwich And in this wreck the victim did both for the cyclist waiting in line directly behind the weapon vehicle. Condolences to the victim’s family and the cyclist who saw the wreck.

This cyclist shows a lot of heart after almost getting killed. Cyclist consoles woman driver seconds after she almost kills him

Another good-hearted cyclist. Cyclist’s 1,000-mile trek in memory of tragic cousin

And this one just makes my blood boil. Elderly driver who killed charity cyclist is spared jail due to age and Elderly driver who killed mother-of-two cyclist spared jail So she was old. That shouldn’t hamper making an example out of her.

And I’m out of links finally, so proof, tag, and publish then off to bed sometime after 0300 since it’s 0311 now.

Billed @$0.02, Opus