News, Links, and Other Views

City of San Diego

• It looks like SANDAG’s “expand the freeways” transit plan is setting up San Diego’s Climate Action Plan for failure.  The plan includes $1 billion just to “mitigate” the environmental impact of constructing more freeways compared to $200 million for bike transit projects.
• The UT made a list of 5 great places to ride a bike in San Diego.

San Diego Region

• Residents of Oceanside spoke out about the snail’s pace of the double tracking rail project, the limited hours of the Coaster and Sprinter, and not getting their fair share of bike infrastructure improvements.
• Encinitas received a $2.2 million grant to redesign the Chesterfield Drive railroad crossing to make it safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.
• During a four year drought San Diego County’s Bike to Work Day was postponed due to rain. Meanwhile, most of the the water that fell on the region’s streets, parking lots, and freeways was dumped into the ocean.

Elsewhere

• Bike Week kicked off in Los Angeles with the Blessing of the Bicycles and a panel discussion on the future of bicycling.
• A look at the upcoming protected bike lane projects in San Francisco.
• The city of Sausalito’s plan to deal with the shortage of bicycle parking downtown by issuing $100 bicycle parking tickets has proved to be unpopular.
• A cyclist was struck and killed by a truck driver during the Davis Double Century ride.
• The conversation continues about whether a mandatory helmet law is the solution to making bicycling safe in California.
• There has been a 70% increase in bicyclists on Honolulu’s King Street protected bike lane, which is now bi-directional with dedicated traffic signals. The project has also led to a 65% decrease in bicyclists riding on the sidewalk.
• A project manager has been hired for the $6.6 million protected bike lane project in Portland.
• Looking to tap into Oregon’s $400 million bicycle tourism industry, Klamath County hopes the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Bikeway will become Oregon’s next official scenic bikeway.
• The New York Post is surprised that despite 89% of Citi Bike users not wearing helmets there have been no fatalities since the program launched two years ago.
• The final phase of the 10th Street Cycle Track is underway in Atlanta.
• After six months, a bike path paved with solar panels in the Netherlands is producing enough energy to power a home for a year.
• A “Dutchie” living in London points out the need for bicycle parking both on the street and in the design of housing.