News, Links, and Other Views

I know it’s been a while since we did a news roundup and I also know you’ve missed them. Please enjoy!

San Diego

  • The College Area Community Council has two immediate vacancies on their board. In order to be eligible to sit on the board, “you must be at least 18 years of age, have attended (documented) at least two board meetings in the past year, and be a resident of the CACC area, an owner of a business in the area, or an owner of property in the area.” If you are ineligible now, you should still attend the community meetings to learn what is going on and to be eligible to run next time a vacancy opens up.
  • From SANDAG: “Construction on the SR 15 Commuter Bikeway is progressing toward completion, as crews finish paving and intersection connection improvements at the north and south ends of the path.” The project is expected to be completed by “mid-summer 2017.”
  • Why aren’t we spending more to expand bus, train, trolley systems in San Diego?
  • While the headline is misleading, a bike thief was caught by federal agent and sentenced to 5 years in prison. Lesson: quit stealing bicycles.
  • The Coronado Eagle & Journal covers what’s at stake in accommodating people outside vehicles on the Coronado bridge.
  • The Union-Tribune has apparently decided to stake its reputation on the message of an unequivocal “no” when it comes to anything bicycle related. Examples: An eight year old is injured, and the reporting language shows bias in favor of the driver; And a 20-year old bicycle rider was injured and without the investigation being completed, the reporter implicitly blames the rider. The Editorial board is even worse, calling the normal activity of commuting by bicycle a “fantasy.” They also give space to the bizarre rants of a paranoid reader who wonders if he will be arrested for not riding a bicycle, and another reader who could benefit from a good civics lesson on how local government works and how policies get implemented. Plus there is coverage about the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee’s reasonable request to implement the city’s Bicycle Master Plan with the over the top incredulousness that only the Union-Tribune is capable of.
  • KPBS covers the frustration that comes with the lack of progress in implementing bicycling facilities in San Diego.
  • VOSD covers how city officials went from claiming that the city’s goals in increasing bike mode share are not “based on anything” to the exact opposite.

San Diego County

  • Encinitas begins an “eco-friendly” employee ‘Try Transit’ program. Hope the city continues the program.
  • The Encinitas City Council is considering whether to spend “$250,000 for a study on ways to improve pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle conditions along the El Camino Real corridor.” The city’s officials would really like Encinitas to be bicycle-friendly.
  • El Cajon PD are looking for a bike shop thief.
  • Coronado is maybe (?) trying to repair its anti-bike reputation and has installed bike stations along the Bayshore Bikeway.
  • Oceanside bicycle rider died in a crash caused by teen driver suspected of DUI
  • 59-year-old bicycle rider that was fatally struck near Fallbrook has been identified as Paul Joseph Burke.

California

  • Orange County Bicycle Coalition opposes the widening of Santiago Canyon.
  • Bikeshare is coming to Pasadena.

Elsewhere

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Biking to Work (via BikeSD supporter Judd Curran)
  • Also from Mr. Curran: Commuting by bicycle makes you happier and there is science to back it up.
  • What the White House budget means for biking.
  • The Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition’s executive director, Tamika Butler, gave a fantastic talk at the recent Vision Zero symposium in New York City about what Vision Zero implementation could mean to communities of color.
  • Roanoke, VA now has bikeshare.
  • Is the best bicycle infrastructure in the country… in Florida?
  • Downtown Hartford Marries Parking Meter Reform With Car-Free Streets
  • This headline could apply to San Diego: “Miami’s Future Should Be Transit and Walking, But the Mayor’s Focused on Robot Cars.”
  • In Atlanta, a portion of I-85 collapsed. As the Atlanta Bike Coalition has stated, “Atlanta has put all its eggs in one basket—we have depended on single occupancy vehicles (cars) to get us from point A to point B. It’s not a car problem, it’s a priority problem. Atlanta must diversify its transportation options, lest we hold our breath for the next system upset.”
  • “Rail stations, it turns out, are delivering much more than passengers to surrounding neighborhoods,” which makes transit hubs attractive to developers.