The next Traffic Skills 101 course taught by League-certified Cycling Instructors (LCI’s) is scheduled for February 17 and 20. You need to register in advance. The February course will meet at CSULB Pyramid Annex, (Atherton, between Bellflower and Palo Verde).
For details and to register online, click EDUCATION at the top of the longbeachcyclists.com web page.
January 31st at 6:00 pm, join us at Portfolio Coffee House on Fourth at Junipero for an additional opportunity to discuss interesting ideas found in Jeff Mapes’ book Pedaling Revolution.
The Long Beach Cyclists Reading Group, organized by Kevin Flaherty, meets monthly to discuss books and news of interest to the local cycling community.
Click EVENTS at the top of the page, and scroll to the January 31st calendar entry to view a map pointing to Portfolio.
Click on this must-read letter. It’s from Russ Roca. Russ writes to friends and to all those who look forward to Long Beach becoming an even better city than it already is.
Charles Gandy is the City of Long Beach Mobility Coordinator. Gandy is a nationally known cycling advocate who for the next year or two has made Long Beach home while contracted to assist the City of Long Beach in its efforts to make Long Beach a better, more livable city for all.
A League Certified Instructor (LCI) leads traffic skills courses for cyclists and other road users. Several members of Long Beach Cyclists are LCIs. Long Beach offers Traffic Skills 101 at CSULB Pyramid Annex. Click EDUCATION at the top of the longbeachcyclists.com web page for more details and to find out how to sign up for an upcoming course.
Russ Roca and Laura Crawford have been on a cross-country cycling adventure called Path Less Pedaled since August of 2009. They send us updates, this time from Arizona. For several years, Russ made a living here in Long Beach as the Eco-Friendly Bicycling Photographer. Daily, Russ was seen cycling here and there around Long Beach and beyond on his cargo bike—a long bike with an enormous rack to carry lots of specialized photo equipment. Many of Russ’ photographs have been featured in the District weekly and other publications. Both Russ and Laura were active participants in Long Beach Cyclists and cycling advocacy when they lived in Long Beach.
Russ and Laura, we send you a ‘hello’ from Long Beach, California! Â We miss you. We wish you continued safe travels and more wonderful adventures!
Welcome to another exciting edition of “What’s Wrong With This Picture?!”
Your hosts for this show are two of Long Beach’s very own bicycle-mounted Police.
This photo was taken on E. Broadway near Promenade, looking East.
So, how many things can YOU find wrong with this picture?
Click for larger image
As you know, Long Beach is looking for a new Chief of Police.
With the city’s commitment to become the most bicycle-friendly city in the nation – it would be ideal if the new Chief had a sense of what his officers could do to make Long Beach safer and more enjoyable for cyclists, and to set the best example possible to citizens and residents.
With that in mind, what questions would YOU have for the new Chief?
When I was 14 and working on my Cycling merit badge, one of the requirements was that the bicycle meet all legal requirements. Being in Boy Scout Troop 212 of Long Beach, that meant getting my bike licensed. I remember the Saturday morning that my father gave me a dollar and sent me down to the local fire station to get my license. I paid my dollar, filled out a form and signed a yellow piece of paper. I was legal. The end.
Since then I can count no-less-than 23 bicycles that I have had licensed. I currently have 4 bicycles, all of which are licensed pursuant LBMC 10.50.020 – within the past 2 years.
Or so I thought.
I’ve made some calls recently trying to get to the bottom of this bicycle license program. Major cities across the country are disbanding their programs, and I have personally witnessed the racial/class profiling that Long Beach’s license program is used for. I can’t get any straight answers as to what the real purpose of the program is supposed to be.
Myth #1 – for cyclists to pay their way.
The form is filled out and at some point sent to headquarters, who then sends it to the Police Department, who are then supposed to enter the information in to a database for State and local agencies to access. Not until the final step would a theft be noticed – and then it is up to a detective to take up the case and track down the bike and individual.
When I spoke to Dorothy Nulk at the Long Beach Police Department – Child Protective Services (the department within the PD that handles bike licensing administration), I had to talk her through the process of getting a bicycle licensed. She said that she had access to the database and offered to run my name. Sounds fun, lets do it.
No record found.
How can that be? I have four bikes that are current, and they don’t pop up. Not only are the bikes missing, but so is any record of my name. Not one bike I have ever licensed has gotten in to the database. I have my yellow copies of the 4-sheet carbon transfer registration slip – I have them laminated – they don’t expire until December 31, 2009 – they don’t exist in the system.
California Vehicle Code 39005.
Cities and counties having a bicycle licensing ordinance or resolution shall maintain records of each bicycle registered. Such records shall include, but not be limited to, the license number, the serial number of the bicycle, the make and type, of the bicycle, and the name and address of the licensee.
Records shall be maintained by the licensing agency during the period of validity of the license or until notification that the bicycle is no longer to be operated.
Amended Ch. 947, Stats. 1973. Effective January 1, 1974.
Long Beach does not HAVE TO require bikes to be licensed, but since they do, the State requires them to keep a record of the above mentioned information. In my case, the City is not keeping up its end of the bargain. Can I write the City a ticket?
Thanks to Dr. Brent Hugh at StLRBF for tax data.
LBCyclist member and his experience with educating enforcement.
Middle of the day. Hardly any traffic and I just got pulled over for not riding on the “right side.” I’m no racer but 15mph on 2nd Street isn’t going that much slower than car traffic through there.
I tried to explain to the officer that any closer and I would be in the “door zone.” He seemed nonplussed.
I cited the vehicle code and told him that it said I was to ride to the right as “practicable” which is a big difference than “possible”, because it was up to me to determine if there were any hazards. He didn’t seem to care.
I told him that I was riding exactly where the new sharrows would be on 2nd street in a few months. The new wha? I don’t see them now.
I was holding him up. Although I was on the right travel lane and he was on the left and he wanted me to know about it.
I’m about as law biding a cyclist as you can get in Long Beach. I ride in the correct direction of traffic. I don’t ride on the sidewalk. One of the first things I keep trying to advocate for is that we have to educate the enforcement on the laws regarding bicycling. Maybe NOW might be a good time to start.
For those that are curious, the CVC as pertaining to bicycles is the following. I was exercising my right (3) because I was avoiding the rather unpleasant “fixed object”…aka door, but also because when I ride as far as the right as practical, I always get buzzed too close. Hence, riding more “practicable.”
21202. (a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:
(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a “substandard width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.Russ
LA Times (January 2009) talks about using bicycles to get fit.
President Jimmy Carter’s bike gets stolen.
Congressman John Boehner talks some trash about bikes.
LBReport.com has an article about a cyclist that was recently mugged (June 2008) on the San Gabriel River Trail.
LBReport.com, which previously reported that a San Gabriel River bike trail rider was assaulted and robbed of his expensive bike over the 2007 Veterans’ Day holiday weekend, has learned of another attack on the popular pathway.Â
At about 7:15 p.m. (while the sun was still up) on Friday June 6, 2008, a rider headed northbound on the eastside of the San Gabriel River bikepath says he was allegedly jumped, physically attacked, punched and robbed in the underpass at Carson St. near El Dorado Park and the LB Town Center.
The victim says the assailant took his wallet, and allegedly grabbed his bike…and the victim yelled at him, alerting a rider heading southbound. The second bike rider became a Good Samaritan by telling the mugger to leave the bike alone…and the alleged assailant ran northward up the bike trail, the victim says.
Read the rest of the article here.
Sad as it is, it also points to the larger question of who has the authority over the river trail? If we have issues (such as safety, lighting, emergency access, etc.,), who do we ask? The river trail borders several cities and is under the jurisdiction of different agencies that there is no clear answer (or atleast no single entity will take responsibility).
Anyway, this post isn’t meant to alarm you (the two reported incidents were more than 7 months apart…I think my back alley is more dangerous) or keep you from riding the trail, but do exercise common sense.
Ever wondered what it’s like to ride a bike in traffic? It’s not quite the apocalyptic chaos that most people think. As a cyclist, you actually have quite a bit of control of the situation. This video put together by LBC member Dan Guiterrez (all filmed in the streets of Long Beach!) is usually a real eye opener for people that are new to vehicular cycling. Grab some popcorn and be amazed.
 
