The driver of a City of San Diego-owned dump truck hit and killed a cyclist in the Oak Park neighborhood of South East San Diego on Monday, shortly before 1pm.
The 38-year-old cyclist died at the scene of the crash, College Grove Drive and 54th Street.
Police officers closed down east bound traffic for several hours to allow for an investigation.
The San Diego Union Tribune and San Diego News Network are reporting on this tragic incident.
Our thoughts are with the cyclist and his family and friends.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Death Pedal 2 World Premiere!
Dear World,
Your premiere for Death Pedal 2 is less than two weeks away! If you're not ready, you better get ready.
Unlike last year, the Death Pedal 2 World Premiere will not be in San Diego, unfortunately. The World Premiere is happening a bit closer to where Kareem now lives and closer to NYC, which is where a couple of the main riders in the film (i.e. Wonka & Torey Thorton) reside.
In case you don't know, our boy Kareem moved from SD to Atlanta to work as a stylist for Outkast and to get a Masters degree in engineering--both of which are, obviously, mutually reinforcing career endeavors. You know that old expression, 'If you can dress Andre 3000, you can engineer a bridge.' Well, Kareem is living proof. We're proud of you, dawg.
And we're proud as f*ck for this film! On the real tip, the trailer is absolutely bangin'.
There will only be a handful of U.S. premieres of DP2, so make sure to save up your bills and get a road trip going w/ your homies just in case your city doesn't have it's own exclusive premiere. This film is not to miss.
I was just talking to Kareem today about locations for the SD premiere and there are some solid ideas--one spot in particular--that we're eye-ing. Leader Bikes (Kareem's sponsor) is going to be organizing this premiere and I will be helping them and DJing. Yeah-yuh!
If you're an international reader who wants to host a premiere in your city, get a hold of Kareem because he wants to have more international premieres for this film, compared to DP1. Even though Tijuana can be seen from my house, it's still considered a different country. So, that means Tijuana DP 2 Premiere is on!
Yup, 2010 is well on it's way to being the best year ever.
Your premiere for Death Pedal 2 is less than two weeks away! If you're not ready, you better get ready.
Unlike last year, the Death Pedal 2 World Premiere will not be in San Diego, unfortunately. The World Premiere is happening a bit closer to where Kareem now lives and closer to NYC, which is where a couple of the main riders in the film (i.e. Wonka & Torey Thorton) reside.
In case you don't know, our boy Kareem moved from SD to Atlanta to work as a stylist for Outkast and to get a Masters degree in engineering--both of which are, obviously, mutually reinforcing career endeavors. You know that old expression, 'If you can dress Andre 3000, you can engineer a bridge.' Well, Kareem is living proof. We're proud of you, dawg.
And we're proud as f*ck for this film! On the real tip, the trailer is absolutely bangin'.
There will only be a handful of U.S. premieres of DP2, so make sure to save up your bills and get a road trip going w/ your homies just in case your city doesn't have it's own exclusive premiere. This film is not to miss.
I was just talking to Kareem today about locations for the SD premiere and there are some solid ideas--one spot in particular--that we're eye-ing. Leader Bikes (Kareem's sponsor) is going to be organizing this premiere and I will be helping them and DJing. Yeah-yuh!
If you're an international reader who wants to host a premiere in your city, get a hold of Kareem because he wants to have more international premieres for this film, compared to DP1. Even though Tijuana can be seen from my house, it's still considered a different country. So, that means Tijuana DP 2 Premiere is on!
Yup, 2010 is well on it's way to being the best year ever.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Pedestrian Nearly Struck by Motorist Outside "Car-free Balboa Park" Meeting
Earlier this evening, I--the pedestrian mentioned in the headline--was walking to the Balboa Park Committee meeting to support Mayor Jerry Sanders' proposal to make the park 'car-free,' when a speeding, negligent motorist nearly struck and killed me.
The incident took place at the intersection of President's Way and a small street that connects to the Plaza de Panama, a former (pre-1950s) pedestrian-space turned (post-1950s) parking-lot which the Mayor wants to take back for people who aren't surrounded in 3,000 pounds of metal and glass. I entered the street at the ramp in a 100% legal fashion when an older (late 60s) man in an early 2000s silver Honda Accord came speeding up to the intersection, showing no signs of yielding to me or stopping behind the line. At this point, I was already in the intersection and when it became apparent that his speed of travel was too fast and too close to the stop sign to be able to stop behind the line in time, I rose my arms to the side in a 'What are you doing?'-fashion. The motorist then slammed on his brakes in a manner so sudden that his tires screeched. The man's car was about 4 to 5 feet over the line and only a few feet from me. If I had kept walking, I most certainly would have been seriously injured or killed by this negligent man, only 150 feet away from the 'car-free Balboa Park' meeting.
Frustrated w/ this man's vehicular negligence, I continued walking through the intersection w/ my hands still held to my side while making eye contact w/ the motorist. This man offered no sign of apology whatsoever. There was no open-handed hand gesture or any type of conciliatory body language. Nothing. Perhaps, this man considers such intense motorist-on-ped encounters to be a normal facet of his day to day driving experience. As I passed his car and continued on to the meeting, I looked at him and said 'slow down.' The man then drove on in a hurried manner, parked his car, and walked into the Santa Fe room in the Balboa Park Club building--the exact room I was walking to!
Being in the same room w/ this man felt awkward; especially considering that the main topic of discussion was curbing motorist travel throughout the historic Balboa Park.
As I sat there, I thought about the nerve this motorist had for attending a meeting about making Balboa Park more pedestrian friendly, when moments before, he was (1) speeding in an area known for high pedestrian traffic volume, (2) partially ran a stop sign, (3) nearly struck me w/ his vehicle, and (4) offered no visible apology whatsoever. In my eyes and even in the Mayor's eyes, this man and his negligent driving practices represent a serious threat to the quality of life for Balboa Park users. This motorist was/is part of the problem.
If this man had also been walking to the meeting, we probably would have crossed paths and exchanged a friendly "hello." Instead, our encounter, which was borne out of his mistake, nearly resulted in my death.
The Mayor's plan, once implemented and complete, may reduce the likeliness of such incidences. However, it's important to realize that Mayor Sanders' vision of the Plaza de Panama is not completely 'car-free.' Motorists will still be able to drive several feet away from the Museum of Man and into the heart of our park. The only difference is that they wont be able to make laps around the small fountain and the 67 parking spaces will be removed so that a pedestrian-friendly area may replace what Mayor Sanders has called a 'ceremonial parking lot for cars.'
(Ahh yes, the world-class Balboa Park in all its glory. The park is truly a marvel in design; at least up until the 1950s when a 70+ space parking lot replaced a grand pedestrian plaza. Currently, automobile travel within the park is so unrestricted, that motorists can literally drive several feet away from the stairs that lead to the Museum of Man tower (center-left area of the above photo). Pedestrians who want to walk from the Museum of Man to the visitor's center in the lower-right corner of the picture must contend w/ motorists eager to temporarily store their giant metal boxes (pictured below), rather than park for free on the public streets outside the park. Above image via balboapark.org. Below image by Sean M Haffey, SDUT).
One proposal, which has won support from a number of bike advocates, is to completely close off Laurel Street access to cars and open it up exclusively for pedestrians, cyclists, etc. If Laurel Street--labeled 'El Prado' on the map--were to be completely closed off from cars, the motorist who nearly killed me 150 feet away from the 'car-free' meeting would never have been on that road and would have had to enter from President's Way--an alternative which would improve the quality of life for pedestrians and cyclists in the Laurel St./El Prado and Plaza de Panama area.
(This diagram, from the San Diego Union Tribune, shows the center of Balboa Park in its current state while also representing the area planned for pro-pedestrian remodeling).
Though restricting motorist-travel on Laurel Street would create a safer and more enjoyable environment, the Mayor's plan is a step in the right direction. The Mayor recognizes that some areas in San Diego can be improved by removing cars. For San Diego standards, that's huge. The Balboa Park Committee agreed w/ the Mayors' plan and thus motioned unanimously in support of the plan. The motion was met with applause from the audience. Finally, some real livable streets infrastructure improvements are getting done and it's exciting!
The incident took place at the intersection of President's Way and a small street that connects to the Plaza de Panama, a former (pre-1950s) pedestrian-space turned (post-1950s) parking-lot which the Mayor wants to take back for people who aren't surrounded in 3,000 pounds of metal and glass. I entered the street at the ramp in a 100% legal fashion when an older (late 60s) man in an early 2000s silver Honda Accord came speeding up to the intersection, showing no signs of yielding to me or stopping behind the line. At this point, I was already in the intersection and when it became apparent that his speed of travel was too fast and too close to the stop sign to be able to stop behind the line in time, I rose my arms to the side in a 'What are you doing?'-fashion. The motorist then slammed on his brakes in a manner so sudden that his tires screeched. The man's car was about 4 to 5 feet over the line and only a few feet from me. If I had kept walking, I most certainly would have been seriously injured or killed by this negligent man, only 150 feet away from the 'car-free Balboa Park' meeting.
Frustrated w/ this man's vehicular negligence, I continued walking through the intersection w/ my hands still held to my side while making eye contact w/ the motorist. This man offered no sign of apology whatsoever. There was no open-handed hand gesture or any type of conciliatory body language. Nothing. Perhaps, this man considers such intense motorist-on-ped encounters to be a normal facet of his day to day driving experience. As I passed his car and continued on to the meeting, I looked at him and said 'slow down.' The man then drove on in a hurried manner, parked his car, and walked into the Santa Fe room in the Balboa Park Club building--the exact room I was walking to!
Being in the same room w/ this man felt awkward; especially considering that the main topic of discussion was curbing motorist travel throughout the historic Balboa Park.
As I sat there, I thought about the nerve this motorist had for attending a meeting about making Balboa Park more pedestrian friendly, when moments before, he was (1) speeding in an area known for high pedestrian traffic volume, (2) partially ran a stop sign, (3) nearly struck me w/ his vehicle, and (4) offered no visible apology whatsoever. In my eyes and even in the Mayor's eyes, this man and his negligent driving practices represent a serious threat to the quality of life for Balboa Park users. This motorist was/is part of the problem.
If this man had also been walking to the meeting, we probably would have crossed paths and exchanged a friendly "hello." Instead, our encounter, which was borne out of his mistake, nearly resulted in my death.
The Mayor's plan, once implemented and complete, may reduce the likeliness of such incidences. However, it's important to realize that Mayor Sanders' vision of the Plaza de Panama is not completely 'car-free.' Motorists will still be able to drive several feet away from the Museum of Man and into the heart of our park. The only difference is that they wont be able to make laps around the small fountain and the 67 parking spaces will be removed so that a pedestrian-friendly area may replace what Mayor Sanders has called a 'ceremonial parking lot for cars.'
(Ahh yes, the world-class Balboa Park in all its glory. The park is truly a marvel in design; at least up until the 1950s when a 70+ space parking lot replaced a grand pedestrian plaza. Currently, automobile travel within the park is so unrestricted, that motorists can literally drive several feet away from the stairs that lead to the Museum of Man tower (center-left area of the above photo). Pedestrians who want to walk from the Museum of Man to the visitor's center in the lower-right corner of the picture must contend w/ motorists eager to temporarily store their giant metal boxes (pictured below), rather than park for free on the public streets outside the park. Above image via balboapark.org. Below image by Sean M Haffey, SDUT).
One proposal, which has won support from a number of bike advocates, is to completely close off Laurel Street access to cars and open it up exclusively for pedestrians, cyclists, etc. If Laurel Street--labeled 'El Prado' on the map--were to be completely closed off from cars, the motorist who nearly killed me 150 feet away from the 'car-free' meeting would never have been on that road and would have had to enter from President's Way--an alternative which would improve the quality of life for pedestrians and cyclists in the Laurel St./El Prado and Plaza de Panama area.
(This diagram, from the San Diego Union Tribune, shows the center of Balboa Park in its current state while also representing the area planned for pro-pedestrian remodeling).
Though restricting motorist-travel on Laurel Street would create a safer and more enjoyable environment, the Mayor's plan is a step in the right direction. The Mayor recognizes that some areas in San Diego can be improved by removing cars. For San Diego standards, that's huge. The Balboa Park Committee agreed w/ the Mayors' plan and thus motioned unanimously in support of the plan. The motion was met with applause from the audience. Finally, some real livable streets infrastructure improvements are getting done and it's exciting!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Cult Classic 2, Friday, February 12, 2010!
This is gonna be a riot:
Flier by Jena Mind Tricks.
Organization by Dan Arel (DNA Fixed). Thanks for putting this together, man! Detail city:
CULT CLASSIC 2
February 12, 2010
8PM
Embarcedero
Events:
Best Trick
Trackstand Comp
1 Min Freestyle
Footdown
Mens Drag Race
Womens Drag Race
Sponsors:
Allee
Bagaboo Bags
Blaq Design
Chula Vista Fixed
DNA Fixed Gear
Fast Pace Zine
Helper Clothing
The Hundreds
iMiNUSD
Kilolibra Clothing
Leader Bike
Macbeth Shoes
Mishka Clothing
Pedal Consumption
Prolly is not Probably
Selle San Marco
Volume Bikes
Zlog
(more soon)
With Support From
Bic Control
The Cretins
Ride Esco
Be there!
Flier by Jena Mind Tricks.
Organization by Dan Arel (DNA Fixed). Thanks for putting this together, man! Detail city:
CULT CLASSIC 2
February 12, 2010
8PM
Embarcedero
Events:
Best Trick
Trackstand Comp
1 Min Freestyle
Footdown
Mens Drag Race
Womens Drag Race
Sponsors:
Allee
Bagaboo Bags
Blaq Design
Chula Vista Fixed
DNA Fixed Gear
Fast Pace Zine
Helper Clothing
The Hundreds
iMiNUSD
Kilolibra Clothing
Leader Bike
Macbeth Shoes
Mishka Clothing
Pedal Consumption
Prolly is not Probably
Selle San Marco
Volume Bikes
Zlog
(more soon)
With Support From
Bic Control
The Cretins
Ride Esco
Be there!
Gus Molina for WRAHW
San Diego's Gus Molina has been absolutely killin' it lately. His riding caliber has helped put Fast Pace Zine and SD's North County on the map. Gus is a really nice dude whose making some serious moves. Filmmaker Bryan Babbel put together this lil' edit for WRAHW, an NYC-based bike blog created by the talented Torey Thorton (Death Pedal 2, The Revival).
Monday, February 1, 2010
New Levels for Fixed Gear Freestyle
(Tom Mosher (The Revival, Death Pedal) has got mic control and bike control. Photo by Prolly(The Revival)).
So, just in case you haven't heard, a massive fixed gear freestyle event called Midwest Mayhem recently went down in Milwaukee. All signs indicate that the event was a huge success and helped elevate fixed freestyle to a new plateau.
(Check out Prolly's in-depth re-cap of the event in which he touches on the sheer importance of this weekend in terms of its contribution to advancing fixed freestyle as a sport and as a community).
(Wonka (Death Pedal 2, The Revival) wall ride. Photo by Andrew Temkin).
There is no question that fixed gear freestyle is still blowing up. Happenings from the last week alone, from Midwest Mayhem to Death Pedal 2 trailer and even to SD's Critical Pass trick sesh, have indicated the growth of talent is accelerating at an unprecedented rate.
All this talk is getting me excited for Cult Classic 2, a fixed gear event taking place in SD in a week and a half. Cult Classic was the best bike event of 2009 and the second installment is bound to be a blast. Flier up soon.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Gus Molina On The Set of Blade Runner 2
So, if you haven't heard, Gus Molina (North County/San Diego-area) is going to be in a new fixed gear film--Blade Runner 2--directed by Ridley Scott. It's going to be pretty epic, as you can imagine, based on Scott's original installment--Blade Runner 1--and as you can tell by viewing the leaked photo which appears above.
While taking a break from filming last nite, Gus stopped by Critical Pass and dropped some sick tricks. Look out for him at Cult Classic 2 coming up in 2 weeks...Lots of 2s lately, right?
Radical photo by SoybeanDave.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Big Weekend for SD Bike Life Starts Tonite!
This is going to be a big weekend for San Diego Bike Life and it all starts tonite!
-Friday: Matt Kelly Fest is going on right now and will continue into the evening.
-Friday: Critical Mass @ The Fountain @ 7pm. Word is that some conscientious riders will be doing some pro-active positive outreach tonite. Come out and support.
-Friday: Critical Pass @ The Fountain after 7pm. For those that are more into tricks and chillin' rather than riding w/ 1,000+ people, CP might be for you. This particular evening my boy Joe Kelley is stepping it up to create more of a comp feel at CP. Tonite there will be a comp for single trick, best trick line, a sprint race, and the 2nd Annual Robert R. Footdown. For those who don't know Robert, he is the most vicious footdown player in San Diego! Haha. F*cking love that guy.
-Saturday: Recover from Friday nite and prepare for Sunday--i.e. Watch some clips of Milwaukee Polo and create a list of what you'd like to see the Bike Coalition focus on in 2010 : )
-Sunday: Bike Polo at 2pm! Bike Polo is every Wednesday and now Sunday, too! Meet at 2pm at 35th & Adams Park. After Polo a group of us will be riding to the SD County Bike Coalition Urban Core Improvement Discussion.
-Sunday: Bike Coalition Urban Core Improvement Discussion. At the SD County 2009 4-hour long Board Retreat meeting it was determined that in 2010 the Urban Core/Center City/Mid City area of SD will be the focus for the year. On Sunday we will talk about specific ways to improve our city. Help shape our urban future! Be there at 5pm at Velo Cult Bike Shop in South Park. We may migrate over to The Station for the discussion.
-Friday: Matt Kelly Fest is going on right now and will continue into the evening.
-Friday: Critical Mass @ The Fountain @ 7pm. Word is that some conscientious riders will be doing some pro-active positive outreach tonite. Come out and support.
-Friday: Critical Pass @ The Fountain after 7pm. For those that are more into tricks and chillin' rather than riding w/ 1,000+ people, CP might be for you. This particular evening my boy Joe Kelley is stepping it up to create more of a comp feel at CP. Tonite there will be a comp for single trick, best trick line, a sprint race, and the 2nd Annual Robert R. Footdown. For those who don't know Robert, he is the most vicious footdown player in San Diego! Haha. F*cking love that guy.
-Saturday: Recover from Friday nite and prepare for Sunday--i.e. Watch some clips of Milwaukee Polo and create a list of what you'd like to see the Bike Coalition focus on in 2010 : )
-Sunday: Bike Polo at 2pm! Bike Polo is every Wednesday and now Sunday, too! Meet at 2pm at 35th & Adams Park. After Polo a group of us will be riding to the SD County Bike Coalition Urban Core Improvement Discussion.
-Sunday: Bike Coalition Urban Core Improvement Discussion. At the SD County 2009 4-hour long Board Retreat meeting it was determined that in 2010 the Urban Core/Center City/Mid City area of SD will be the focus for the year. On Sunday we will talk about specific ways to improve our city. Help shape our urban future! Be there at 5pm at Velo Cult Bike Shop in South Park. We may migrate over to The Station for the discussion.
Death Pedal 2 Trailer!
Death Pedal 2 Trailer by Kareem Shehab from Killa Kareem on Vimeo.
Leave it to SD's Kareem Shehab to bring back the fixed brutality! What a super fun, seizure-inducing, trailer w/ incredible footage, riding, editing, animation, and a great song to match!
Killa Kareem makes SD proud. This trailer made my day. Can't wait for the full feature!
Also, check out the new Death Pedal site.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
This Friday!: Matt Kelly Fest in North Park with All Leather, CHAZ, & More!
Come out tomorrow nite to Matt Kelly Fest and help Matt's friends raise some money to offset the high costs of his hospitalization, required after a semi-truck driver struck him while riding his bike to work!
A whole slew--yeah, I said slew--of rad bands will be playing Matt Fest. Bands include All Leather, Magical Fuckers, Chaz, Caravels, Life Deposits, Beatless and Cousins.
Plus, there'll be some stand up comedy by Gordon Downs and Justin Decker.
Matt Fest starts at 2pm.
Set times:
Cousins 3:20-4pm
The Beat-Less 4-4:40pm
Nothingful 4:40-5:30pm
comedians Joe King, Justin Decker, Mario Mann and Gordon Downs 5:30-7pm
All Leather 7-7:50pm
Da Bears 7:50-8:30pm
Life Deposits 8:30-9:20pm
Chaz 9:20-10pm
Caravels 10-11pm
Magical Fuckers 11-12am
Matt Fest is all ages and will be taking place at a great space in North Park. Email BicControl[at]gmail[dot]com for specific location. Cost: $5, but larger bills will certainly be accepted and greatly appreciated.
Related entry: SD Cyclist Matt Kelly Struck by Semi Truck, in Critical Condition
Monday, January 25, 2010
CTCDC Says "No": No Bicyclists Allowed on Committee, No Bike Boxes, No Removal of Bike-Sensitive Signals
Last Thursday, January 21, the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC) met at the Caltrans office in Old Town to make decisions that would effect the well-being of road users throughout California. For bicycle advocates, there were four main issues at hand; (1) Bicyclist representation on CTCDC; (2) A proposal to remove bike signal detection and signal timing at intersections; (3) Bike Box experiment proposal for San Luis Obispo; (4) New guidelines for bicyclists through construction zones.
CTCDC said "No" to each of the above issues, with the exception of Issue 4, which pertained to the acceptance of new guidelines that would allow bicyclists to more safely ride on roads through construction zones. According to Kathy Keehan, Executive Director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC), this proposal passed easily. Several bicyclists have died in construction zones in the last couple years, according to San Diego-resident Jim Baross, a representative for SDCBC, California Association of Bicycle Organizations (CABO), and California Bicycle Advisory Committee (CBAC).
Issue 1--request for bicyclist representation on CTCDC--was a defeat. CTCDC voted against the idea to include representatives of bicycling organizations on the committee. As of today, CTCDC is composed of eight members; two from the Auto Club (AAA), one from California Highway Patrol, one from Caltrans, and two representing cities and two representing counties. While CTCDC's "No Cyclists Allowed" vote was frustrating, this particular issue is not dead. Mr. Baross plans to go to Senator Christine Kehoe and ask her to introduce legislation that will require CTCDC to allow a bicycling organization representative on the committee. Mr. Baross, as he told me himself, is concerned that this legislation will inspire other groups--such as accessible society reps, pro-pedestrian reps, electric vehicle reps, alternative-transportation reps, truckers, etc.--to join CTCDC, as well. I think that will actually be a good thing! The more representatives we have who are knowledgeable on facilitating sustainable transportation and livable streets, the better.
Only one of CTCDC's "No"s--which was in response to Issue 2--will benefit bicyclists. In this era of global warming, where rhetoric about global warming-solutions is at an all time high, one would think that transportation-experts in California, would be working diligently to accommodate zero-emissions commuters such as cyclists. That's not the case. And even worse, there are some decision-makers--such as the CTCDC committee member supporting Issue 2--who are working to achieve the exact opposite. Those decision-makers want life for bicyclists to be significantly worse, so that life for motorists can be slightly better.
In November 2009, CTCDC adopted guidelines that require signal detectors in California intersections to trip for cyclists, and when tripped, to ensure that the light would stay "green" long enough for a cyclist to ride through the intersection. Signal detectors that did not recognize cyclists as legitimate road users were unfair and lights that would go "red" too soon put cyclists' lives at risk. Sensibly, CTCDC realized that they needed to solve this problem and so, a few months ago, they did just that. Last Thursday, however, an a CTCDC committee-member who represented cities, proposed that California do away with the new standards set in November and go back to the "old auto-centric way of doing things." Fortunately, that proposal was defeated. As Mr. Baross put it, this issue was pitting bicyclists' safety and ability to travel against motorists' level of service/convenience/delay.
Issue 3--request to experiment with a Bike Box in San Luis Obispo--was a defeat for cyclists. San Luis Obispo wants to follow the footsteps of bike-friendly cities such as Portland and Seattle, who already have Bike Boxes throughout their cities. New York City, one of the fastest growing cities for bicycling, has also installed a number of Bike Boxes throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Unfortunately, a relatively small group of cyclists in California have been standing in front and blocking the development of Bike Boxes. Mr. Baross, who represented CBAC and CABO but not SDCBC on this particular issue, presented a case against Bike Boxes. Instead, he proposed a Sharrow and a Bike May Use Full Lane sign in place of the Bike Box. While Sharrows and BMUFL signs are desirable forms of infrastructure, generally speaking, they do not, however, achieve the same thing that a Bike Box achieves. A Bike Box allows for cyclists to get priority when stopped at an intersection and allows cyclists to easily position themselves in the lane they want. Bike Boxes wouldn't be placed at every intersection--just those that would benefit from one. Bikes Boxes, with a little education on how to use them, would well serve many intersections in San Diego.
Overall, the results of last Thursday's CTCDC meeting are mixed. What I look forward to next, is legislation from Senator Kehoe that will place cyclists and livable streets experts on CTCDC. If California is serious about satisfying the requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act, it must allow cyclists, livable streets experts, and other sustainable transportation experts in on the the decision-making process and not relegated to the sidelines.
Previous CTCDC-related entry: Tomorrow Morning: Huge Turning Point for California Traffic Control.
CTCDC said "No" to each of the above issues, with the exception of Issue 4, which pertained to the acceptance of new guidelines that would allow bicyclists to more safely ride on roads through construction zones. According to Kathy Keehan, Executive Director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC), this proposal passed easily. Several bicyclists have died in construction zones in the last couple years, according to San Diego-resident Jim Baross, a representative for SDCBC, California Association of Bicycle Organizations (CABO), and California Bicycle Advisory Committee (CBAC).
Issue 1--request for bicyclist representation on CTCDC--was a defeat. CTCDC voted against the idea to include representatives of bicycling organizations on the committee. As of today, CTCDC is composed of eight members; two from the Auto Club (AAA), one from California Highway Patrol, one from Caltrans, and two representing cities and two representing counties. While CTCDC's "No Cyclists Allowed" vote was frustrating, this particular issue is not dead. Mr. Baross plans to go to Senator Christine Kehoe and ask her to introduce legislation that will require CTCDC to allow a bicycling organization representative on the committee. Mr. Baross, as he told me himself, is concerned that this legislation will inspire other groups--such as accessible society reps, pro-pedestrian reps, electric vehicle reps, alternative-transportation reps, truckers, etc.--to join CTCDC, as well. I think that will actually be a good thing! The more representatives we have who are knowledgeable on facilitating sustainable transportation and livable streets, the better.
Only one of CTCDC's "No"s--which was in response to Issue 2--will benefit bicyclists. In this era of global warming, where rhetoric about global warming-solutions is at an all time high, one would think that transportation-experts in California, would be working diligently to accommodate zero-emissions commuters such as cyclists. That's not the case. And even worse, there are some decision-makers--such as the CTCDC committee member supporting Issue 2--who are working to achieve the exact opposite. Those decision-makers want life for bicyclists to be significantly worse, so that life for motorists can be slightly better.
In November 2009, CTCDC adopted guidelines that require signal detectors in California intersections to trip for cyclists, and when tripped, to ensure that the light would stay "green" long enough for a cyclist to ride through the intersection. Signal detectors that did not recognize cyclists as legitimate road users were unfair and lights that would go "red" too soon put cyclists' lives at risk. Sensibly, CTCDC realized that they needed to solve this problem and so, a few months ago, they did just that. Last Thursday, however, an a CTCDC committee-member who represented cities, proposed that California do away with the new standards set in November and go back to the "old auto-centric way of doing things." Fortunately, that proposal was defeated. As Mr. Baross put it, this issue was pitting bicyclists' safety and ability to travel against motorists' level of service/convenience/delay.
Issue 3--request to experiment with a Bike Box in San Luis Obispo--was a defeat for cyclists. San Luis Obispo wants to follow the footsteps of bike-friendly cities such as Portland and Seattle, who already have Bike Boxes throughout their cities. New York City, one of the fastest growing cities for bicycling, has also installed a number of Bike Boxes throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Unfortunately, a relatively small group of cyclists in California have been standing in front and blocking the development of Bike Boxes. Mr. Baross, who represented CBAC and CABO but not SDCBC on this particular issue, presented a case against Bike Boxes. Instead, he proposed a Sharrow and a Bike May Use Full Lane sign in place of the Bike Box. While Sharrows and BMUFL signs are desirable forms of infrastructure, generally speaking, they do not, however, achieve the same thing that a Bike Box achieves. A Bike Box allows for cyclists to get priority when stopped at an intersection and allows cyclists to easily position themselves in the lane they want. Bike Boxes wouldn't be placed at every intersection--just those that would benefit from one. Bikes Boxes, with a little education on how to use them, would well serve many intersections in San Diego.
Overall, the results of last Thursday's CTCDC meeting are mixed. What I look forward to next, is legislation from Senator Kehoe that will place cyclists and livable streets experts on CTCDC. If California is serious about satisfying the requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act, it must allow cyclists, livable streets experts, and other sustainable transportation experts in on the the decision-making process and not relegated to the sidelines.
Previous CTCDC-related entry: Tomorrow Morning: Huge Turning Point for California Traffic Control.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Tonite!: Saturday Night Special Ride
Tonite!: Free Screening of Pedal Power
Tonite at 7pm Velo Cult will be screening a new film called Pedal Power.
Director Cogent Benger offers us the following synopsis of the film:
From bicycle-mad Paris to rush-hour New York and the back alleys of Toronto, Pedal Power takes a ride through the changing world of bike culture. And with exclusive background access to Igor Kenk - exclusive footage of how he operated and built a legendary reputation on Queen Street West - this major documentary explores the two-wheeled revolution in our streets.
The trailer for the film is available here:
Pedal Power from Cogent Benger on Vimeo.
Should be interesting to see how these directors represent the case for bicycling.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Update: Today's Benefit Show for Matt Kelly Postponed due to rain
The Matt Kelly benefit show which was planned to take place today has been postponed due to rain. Matt's friend and bandmate, Aaron Thornill, who has taken the lead on organizing the event, sent out a message about hour ago saying the following: "Heeeeey, this weather is terrible for an outdoor show! We're gonna reschedule it for a later date tba when the elements will be a smidge more forgiving.
Thanks and hope to see you all soon!
-Aaron".
Please spread the word to people who you think we're planning to go.
Thanks.
Thanks and hope to see you all soon!
-Aaron".
Please spread the word to people who you think we're planning to go.
Thanks.
Tonite!: Matt Kelly Benefit Show in Barrio Logan w/ Rat's Eyes & more!
1/22/10, 4:50pm UPDATE: The benefit show tonite has been postponed due to intense rains that have been hitting San Diego this past week.
Come out and support this benefit show for Matt Kelly who was severely-injured after a semi-truck driver side-swiped Matt and pinned him underneath the truck, on December 21, 2009.
The donations will help Matt with his hospital bills and long-term physical therapy fees.
Bands include Rat's Eyes (Former member of The Locust), Age of Collapse, Death Crisis, and Fknel. The show begins at 7pm at The Yard in Barrio Logan. Per the request of the organizers, email BicControl[at]gmail.com for the specific location.
Come out and support this benefit show for Matt Kelly who was severely-injured after a semi-truck driver side-swiped Matt and pinned him underneath the truck, on December 21, 2009.
The donations will help Matt with his hospital bills and long-term physical therapy fees.
Bands include Rat's Eyes (Former member of The Locust), Age of Collapse, Death Crisis, and Fknel. The show begins at 7pm at The Yard in Barrio Logan. Per the request of the organizers, email BicControl[at]gmail.com for the specific location.
Tonite: The Mustaches of San Diego County Alley Cat Race
The Mustaches of San Diego County 5th-annual alley cat race is taking place tonite. Up for grabs will be cash, prizes, and 'the coveted yellow mustache jersey.'
Meet @ 7:30pm at Old Trolley Barn Park on the west end of Adams Ave. in University Heights. Race begins @ 8pm.
I haven't seen an e-flier around but there is a suitably fancy one printed on cardstock paper that's been circulating the neighborhood. Pista Palace and Adams Ave. for sure have fliers and Velo Cult probably does, too.
Sounds like fun. Hopefully, the race will end at the Matt Kelly Benefit show.
P.s. Holy smokes, 5th-annual. For center-city SD standards, that's a long time. Congrats, dudes.
Meet @ 7:30pm at Old Trolley Barn Park on the west end of Adams Ave. in University Heights. Race begins @ 8pm.
I haven't seen an e-flier around but there is a suitably fancy one printed on cardstock paper that's been circulating the neighborhood. Pista Palace and Adams Ave. for sure have fliers and Velo Cult probably does, too.
Sounds like fun. Hopefully, the race will end at the Matt Kelly Benefit show.
P.s. Holy smokes, 5th-annual. For center-city SD standards, that's a long time. Congrats, dudes.
Be on Lookout: Toyota Recalls 2.3 Million Cars for Sticking Gas Pedal
Toyota announced a recall Thursday of 2.3 million cars in regards to gas/accelerator pedals that stick down even after the driver releases his/her foot.
The following models being recalled are as follows:
• 2009-2010 RAV4,
• 2009-2010 Corolla,
• 2009-2010 Matrix,
• 2005-2010 Avalon,
• 2007-2010 Camry,
• 2010 Highlander,
• 2007-2010 Tundra,
• 2008-2010 Sequoia
In a USA Today interview about Toyota's latest recall, Dan Edmunds, engineer/director of vehicle testing at car shopping service edmunds.com, said "There'll be no (engine control computer) error code for this. The computer doesn't know the driver's intention. If you release the pedal and it stays down, the computer thinks you still have the pedal pushed down."
If you already feel uncomfortable with motorists tail-gating you while you're riding, this news won't help ease your concerns. Similarly, if you feel uncomfortable about computers and believe they're out to destroy humanity, this won't help ease your concerns either.
"Damn evil computer! Why can't you read my mind?! I didn't mean to drive straight into that cyclist!"
• 2009-2010 Corolla,
• 2009-2010 Matrix,
• 2005-2010 Avalon,
• 2007-2010 Camry,
• 2010 Highlander,
• 2007-2010 Tundra,
• 2008-2010 Sequoia
In a USA Today interview about Toyota's latest recall, Dan Edmunds, engineer/director of vehicle testing at car shopping service edmunds.com, said "There'll be no (engine control computer) error code for this. The computer doesn't know the driver's intention. If you release the pedal and it stays down, the computer thinks you still have the pedal pushed down."
If you already feel uncomfortable with motorists tail-gating you while you're riding, this news won't help ease your concerns. Similarly, if you feel uncomfortable about computers and believe they're out to destroy humanity, this won't help ease your concerns either.
"Damn evil computer! Why can't you read my mind?! I didn't mean to drive straight into that cyclist!"
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Mayor Sanders Wants Balboa Park Plaza to be Car-free
Mayor Jerry Sanders announced last week that he wants to restrict automobile access from the center of historic Balboa Park. Sanders said the park should be reclaimed for 'ourselves and posterity' in time for the park's 2015 centennial.
(A postcard depicts Balboa Park's Plaza de Panama, originally designed for pedestrian-use in 1915; David Marshall collection via SD Union-Tribune).
The central plaza, which was designed and built for pedestrians in 1915 in lieu of the Panama-California Exposition ceremony, has since become a 'ceremonial parking lot for cars,' the mayor said in his State of the City address.
Balboa Park boosters and museum representatives are thrilled. Rob Sidener, Director of the Balboa Park-based Mingei International Museum, supported Mayor Sanders '
“Because the plaza is for people and not for cars.”
Mayor Sanders did not specify whether the re-modeled plaza would completely restrict cars from entering the area or whether it would simply remove the existing parking lot.
Either way, we applaud the mayor for his pedestrian-friendly vision of our city's historic center.
(A postcard depicts Balboa Park's Plaza de Panama, originally designed for pedestrian-use in 1915; David Marshall collection via SD Union-Tribune).
The central plaza, which was designed and built for pedestrians in 1915 in lieu of the Panama-California Exposition ceremony, has since become a 'ceremonial parking lot for cars,' the mayor said in his State of the City address.
Balboa Park boosters and museum representatives are thrilled. Rob Sidener, Director of the Balboa Park-based Mingei International Museum, supported Mayor Sanders '
“Because the plaza is for people and not for cars.”
Mayor Sanders did not specify whether the re-modeled plaza would completely restrict cars from entering the area or whether it would simply remove the existing parking lot.
Either way, we applaud the mayor for his pedestrian-friendly vision of our city's historic center.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tomorrow Morning: A Huge Turning Point for California Traffic Control
Tomorrow morning will be a turning point for bicycle politics in California.
If the recommendations made by Jim Baross (League of American Bicyclists, California Bicycle Coalition, California Association of Bicycling Organizations, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition) are upheld and implemented by the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC), then CTCDC will allow for a bicyclist to sit on the Committee, as well. Currently, there is no representative from any sort of bicycle organization on this committee. As of today, there are 8 members; 2 from the Auto Club (AAA), 1 from California Highway Patrol, 1 from Caltrans, and 2 each representing cities and counties.
According to a conversation Jim and I had recently, if CTCDC does not uphold and implement his official reccomendation, which is made on behalf of the national, statewide, and local bicycling organizations he represents, then he will go to Senator Christine Kehoe and request legislation that will force CTCDC to fairly represent cyclists.
At this point, cyclists are only allowed to have a say during the 'public comment' portion of the meeting. A cyclist representing a cycling organization is not allowed to be apart of the internal decision-making process. Seems rather unfair doesn't it?
Mr. Baross has got some great ideas, too. In his words, here's three other requests he'll be making:
'I am asking for your help. Attend this event. Numbers count. Then when/if we are successful, I'll be celebrating at the beginning of the CM Jan 29th with a huge (fake) cake.
Having bicyclists and supporters of bicycling at this important meeting will help get four improvements – long overdue –approved for us. Please plan to come. Tell your friends. The room seats 100.
Jan. 21st beginning at 9 AM at the Old Town offices of Caltrans, near the Old Town Trolley station.
4050 Taylor Street, 92110 in the large Garcia meeting room
Bike parking is only allowed outside on a limited number of racks; bring a lock.
Join me for a lunch break bike ride through Old Town or on the new bike path; for anyone who wants to join in.
There are four bicycling issues to be heard at this special San Diego meeting of the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC). This committee is the officially accepted body to provide direction/recommendations to Caltrans about all roadway signs, signals, pavement markings, etc. Yes, there will be a bunch of “suits” but come as you are; looking like bicyclists who support our issues would be good. Otherwise it’s just me there.
Item 10-1, Traffic signals and timing for bicycists – Have you ever had trouble getting a traffic signal to change for you or been caught when a traffic light that changed from green to yellow to red before you could make it across the intersection?
The State passed a requirement two years ago (AB 1581) to require that on-demand/traffic-actuated traffic signals work for bicyclists (and motorcyclists) and that the signal phasing/timing should allow for our safe passage. The requirement applies to all new or major-modified signals BUT ONLY after specifications and guidance was developed by Caltrans. After two years of work, study and discussions Caltrans has adopted the required specifications BUT a lot of Traffic Engineers are objecting - allowing time for bicyclists will make motorists wait longer; oh no. Show up to make it clear to them that the safety of bicyclists is more important than the convenience of motorists! Just being there as a bicyclist will help. You could speak up too, especially if you have or know someone affected by non-reacting traffic signals – there have been several crashes, traffic tickets and fatalities in SD County related to signals that didn’t work for bicyclists. Help protect the requirement to have them work for us. [Bold emphasis added]. We have no problem with some tweaking and further study, but the requirements for these things to work for us should stay in effect!
Item 10-2 Accommodating bicyclists in roadway construction zones – approval of this would add drawings and specifications where no adequate directions have existed before in official Caltrans documents for more safely accommodating bicyclists through construction zones.
Item 10-4 request to experiment with a Bicycle Box at a signalized intersection in San Luis Obispo. The question is whether a special area just for bicyclists at the front of the lane at an intersection should be allowed to be tested. Whether it’s a good idea or not, we think it should be tested, right?'
Lately, 'traffic engineers,' who we at Bic Control call 'automobile traffic engineers,' have been arguing that modifying the existing urban/traffic system to accommodate cyclists while slowing down automobile travel speeds supposedly increases pollution by increasing idling time. This is a somewhat new approach automobile traffic engineers have taken in trying to justify their car-first, cyclists/pedestrians-last planning philosophies. This is an extremely pessimistic approach to sustainable transportation. Should we remove stop signs from our neighborhoods and force cyclists to move over for a motorist every time one approaches from behind--thereby creating a dangerous and deadly urban environment--so that we can reduce motorists' idling time? The reason that 46% of San Diego's Greenhouse Gases are emitted from automobiles is not because idling times are too long. The reason is because there are too many people in San Diego commuting in single occupancy motor vehicles! We need to improve conditions so that more people in San Diego take alternative transportation. We need to improve our transportation system, our urban design, our outreach, education, and infrastructure so that people can safely and efficiently take transit, walk, or bike.
Reducing motorists' idling times by denying cyclists a safe opportunity to cross through an intersection is in no way justified--it's deadly. And to insinuate that doing so (i.e. upholding some automobile traffic engineers car-first, pedestrians/cyclists-last philosophy) is more sustainable than accommodating cyclists is laughable.
Reducing idling time--as long as it's not at the expense of zero-emissions cyclists' safety--is fine. However, reducing idling time is not enough to meet the goals of the California Global Warming Solutions Act. Theoretically, at first, emissions might be slightly reduced if urban/traffic environments are altered to reduce idling and to "keep car traffic coming through." However, in the long run (i.e. after a year or more) emissions will actually increase if we turn our neighborhood streets into miniature-freeways. The easier you make it for people to drive, the more they will do it. This idea is comparable to the argument that adding more freeway lanes actually reduces traffic. That is not true. Studied urban planners know that the opposite happens. When you add more freeway lanes, you actually increase automobile capacity--more cars on the road.
It's called automobile facilitation and it's a gap solution in the fight against global warming. We need less automobile facilitation. And we need more bicycle, high-speed transit, and local transit facilitation.
We need long-term solutions, not gap solutions!
Go Jim!
If the recommendations made by Jim Baross (League of American Bicyclists, California Bicycle Coalition, California Association of Bicycling Organizations, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition) are upheld and implemented by the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC), then CTCDC will allow for a bicyclist to sit on the Committee, as well. Currently, there is no representative from any sort of bicycle organization on this committee. As of today, there are 8 members; 2 from the Auto Club (AAA), 1 from California Highway Patrol, 1 from Caltrans, and 2 each representing cities and counties.
According to a conversation Jim and I had recently, if CTCDC does not uphold and implement his official reccomendation, which is made on behalf of the national, statewide, and local bicycling organizations he represents, then he will go to Senator Christine Kehoe and request legislation that will force CTCDC to fairly represent cyclists.
At this point, cyclists are only allowed to have a say during the 'public comment' portion of the meeting. A cyclist representing a cycling organization is not allowed to be apart of the internal decision-making process. Seems rather unfair doesn't it?
Mr. Baross has got some great ideas, too. In his words, here's three other requests he'll be making:
'I am asking for your help. Attend this event. Numbers count. Then when/if we are successful, I'll be celebrating at the beginning of the CM Jan 29th with a huge (fake) cake.
Having bicyclists and supporters of bicycling at this important meeting will help get four improvements – long overdue –approved for us. Please plan to come. Tell your friends. The room seats 100.
Jan. 21st beginning at 9 AM at the Old Town offices of Caltrans, near the Old Town Trolley station.
4050 Taylor Street, 92110 in the large Garcia meeting room
Bike parking is only allowed outside on a limited number of racks; bring a lock.
Join me for a lunch break bike ride through Old Town or on the new bike path; for anyone who wants to join in.
There are four bicycling issues to be heard at this special San Diego meeting of the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC). This committee is the officially accepted body to provide direction/recommendations to Caltrans about all roadway signs, signals, pavement markings, etc. Yes, there will be a bunch of “suits” but come as you are; looking like bicyclists who support our issues would be good. Otherwise it’s just me there.
Item 10-1, Traffic signals and timing for bicycists – Have you ever had trouble getting a traffic signal to change for you or been caught when a traffic light that changed from green to yellow to red before you could make it across the intersection?
The State passed a requirement two years ago (AB 1581) to require that on-demand/traffic-actuated traffic signals work for bicyclists (and motorcyclists) and that the signal phasing/timing should allow for our safe passage. The requirement applies to all new or major-modified signals BUT ONLY after specifications and guidance was developed by Caltrans. After two years of work, study and discussions Caltrans has adopted the required specifications BUT a lot of Traffic Engineers are objecting - allowing time for bicyclists will make motorists wait longer; oh no. Show up to make it clear to them that the safety of bicyclists is more important than the convenience of motorists! Just being there as a bicyclist will help. You could speak up too, especially if you have or know someone affected by non-reacting traffic signals – there have been several crashes, traffic tickets and fatalities in SD County related to signals that didn’t work for bicyclists. Help protect the requirement to have them work for us. [Bold emphasis added]. We have no problem with some tweaking and further study, but the requirements for these things to work for us should stay in effect!
Item 10-2 Accommodating bicyclists in roadway construction zones – approval of this would add drawings and specifications where no adequate directions have existed before in official Caltrans documents for more safely accommodating bicyclists through construction zones.
Item 10-4 request to experiment with a Bicycle Box at a signalized intersection in San Luis Obispo. The question is whether a special area just for bicyclists at the front of the lane at an intersection should be allowed to be tested. Whether it’s a good idea or not, we think it should be tested, right?'
Lately, 'traffic engineers,' who we at Bic Control call 'automobile traffic engineers,' have been arguing that modifying the existing urban/traffic system to accommodate cyclists while slowing down automobile travel speeds supposedly increases pollution by increasing idling time. This is a somewhat new approach automobile traffic engineers have taken in trying to justify their car-first, cyclists/pedestrians-last planning philosophies. This is an extremely pessimistic approach to sustainable transportation. Should we remove stop signs from our neighborhoods and force cyclists to move over for a motorist every time one approaches from behind--thereby creating a dangerous and deadly urban environment--so that we can reduce motorists' idling time? The reason that 46% of San Diego's Greenhouse Gases are emitted from automobiles is not because idling times are too long. The reason is because there are too many people in San Diego commuting in single occupancy motor vehicles! We need to improve conditions so that more people in San Diego take alternative transportation. We need to improve our transportation system, our urban design, our outreach, education, and infrastructure so that people can safely and efficiently take transit, walk, or bike.
Reducing motorists' idling times by denying cyclists a safe opportunity to cross through an intersection is in no way justified--it's deadly. And to insinuate that doing so (i.e. upholding some automobile traffic engineers car-first, pedestrians/cyclists-last philosophy) is more sustainable than accommodating cyclists is laughable.
Reducing idling time--as long as it's not at the expense of zero-emissions cyclists' safety--is fine. However, reducing idling time is not enough to meet the goals of the California Global Warming Solutions Act. Theoretically, at first, emissions might be slightly reduced if urban/traffic environments are altered to reduce idling and to "keep car traffic coming through." However, in the long run (i.e. after a year or more) emissions will actually increase if we turn our neighborhood streets into miniature-freeways. The easier you make it for people to drive, the more they will do it. This idea is comparable to the argument that adding more freeway lanes actually reduces traffic. That is not true. Studied urban planners know that the opposite happens. When you add more freeway lanes, you actually increase automobile capacity--more cars on the road.
It's called automobile facilitation and it's a gap solution in the fight against global warming. We need less automobile facilitation. And we need more bicycle, high-speed transit, and local transit facilitation.
We need long-term solutions, not gap solutions!
Go Jim!
Found: Clouds
Some rain clouds are missing. They were looking for Seattle but instead they somehow ended up here in San Diego. It's been rainy and windy as hell here the last few days. In fact, the County went so far as to declare an official "Tornado Warning."
Just got back from a super windy and wet ride. I guess you could call it a baby-sized tornado. If it was as fun as the following photo makes it seem, then I'd be out there still; instead of inside, blogging about riding:
Matt Lingo snapped this photo of Isaac a couple weeks ago and I've been meaning to put it up. Now's a good time.
P.S. While we're on the subject of rain, Bike Polo will most likely be rained out tonite. In the meantime, if you don't feel like riding in the rain and you can't get polo off your mind, I recommend watching some of these awesome video edits of the Milwaukee Bike Polo team, 2009 Midwest Champions. MKE Bike Polo is really pushin' the game. Great lookin' blog, too.
Just got back from a super windy and wet ride. I guess you could call it a baby-sized tornado. If it was as fun as the following photo makes it seem, then I'd be out there still; instead of inside, blogging about riding:
Matt Lingo snapped this photo of Isaac a couple weeks ago and I've been meaning to put it up. Now's a good time.
P.S. While we're on the subject of rain, Bike Polo will most likely be rained out tonite. In the meantime, if you don't feel like riding in the rain and you can't get polo off your mind, I recommend watching some of these awesome video edits of the Milwaukee Bike Polo team, 2009 Midwest Champions. MKE Bike Polo is really pushin' the game. Great lookin' blog, too.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
SD Bike Polo!: Every Wednesday Nite!
Dear San Diego,
Bike Polo is here!
Compared to other big bike cities such as Seattle, Milwaukee, and Vancouver, SD has been a bit behind the curve when it comes to Bike Polo. But now we're finally catching up! Last nite was proof! Over 25 cyclists came out to Adams Ave. & 35h street park to support and/or play. The games were super fun and highly spirited.
Every Wednesday nite you have a chance to be apart of it. Meet at 7pm at Adams & 35th. If you don't have a mallet, you should come out anyways--you can probably borrow one.
Or, feel free to make some. All you need is a ski pole, a sturdy plastic pipe, drill, nut/bolt, a drill, and one supervisoring authority, preferably in the form of a cat.
Keep working on it until it looks like this:
Thanks to our friend Chris, you can now get all San Diego Bike Polo related news from the new polo-exclusive blog, SD Bike Polo.
See you next Wednesday!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Matt Kelly Fest & Upcoming Benefit Events
(Photo from Friends of Matt Kelly via Facebook).
Matt Kelly, whose pelvic bone was crushed by a motorist driving a semi-truck last month, is recovering well, according to his sister Erin Kelly's blog. On Saturday, Matt was strong enough to sit in a wheelchair.
A number of upcoming benefit events, including Matt Kelly Fest, are planned to help raise money for Matt's hospital bills, rehab, and resources which can help him walk again:
-This Saturday, January 16, Matt's long-time employer, Woodstock Pizza, will be hosting a benefit. All day long, from 11am to 1am, 50% of all Woodstock sales will be donated to help pay for a portion of the resources required Matt's recovery. If you want to directly donate, Matt's family will also be there. Woodstock Pizza is located at 6145 El Cajon Blvd.
-The following weekend, on Friday Jan. 22, a benefit show featuring local bands will take place at The Yard in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego. Bands include Death Crisis, Age of Collapse, Skenal and possibly one other local band waiting to be confirmed. Show starts at 8pm and suggested donation is 5$. If you want more info, including the cross streets, email BicControl[at]gmail[dot]com, per the request of the organizers.
-Matt Kelly Fest is to take place Friday, January 29 in North Park! Bands include All Leather, Magical Fuckers, Caravels, Life Deposits, The Beatless and Cousins. Show costs $5, starts at 2pm, and will take place at The Piano Shop house, 4237 Kansas St.
Come support!
Bicyclist Hospitalized After Crash with SDPD Motorcyle Officer
A bicyclist and a SDPD Police Officer driving a motorcycle collided on University Avenue between Tenth Avenue and Vermont Street in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego at 2:40pm today.
According to San Diego News Network, the bicyclist was hospitalized for treatment of 'cuts, bruises, and scrapes.' The officer sustained injuries and complained of back pain. It is unclear whether or not the officer was hospitalized as well, according to SDPD spokesman.
No information on the circumstances of the crash have been made available to the public.
On November 9 2009, an experienced cyclist was killed after being struck from behind by an SDPD officer responding to a non-urgent call in the University City neighborhood.
According to San Diego News Network, the bicyclist was hospitalized for treatment of 'cuts, bruises, and scrapes.' The officer sustained injuries and complained of back pain. It is unclear whether or not the officer was hospitalized as well, according to SDPD spokesman.
No information on the circumstances of the crash have been made available to the public.
On November 9 2009, an experienced cyclist was killed after being struck from behind by an SDPD officer responding to a non-urgent call in the University City neighborhood.
Kill a Cyclist in San Diego, Get Probation
Re-posted from Thom @ Bike San Diego
One year ago, Arthur Newman drove his BMW into (and killed) Walter Joller, who was riding in a bike lane with lights and reflective vest on Sabre Springs Parkway. Newman was apparently not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, just inattentive to the blinking, reflective presence to his right. For this act of gross negligence, Newman today received just three years probation, 100 hours of volunteer work, 20 days of public service, and a fine of $700. That’s the cost of a law-abiding human life, apparently, in San Diego
San Diego News Network originally reported this incident here.
Bic Control analysis:
This incident is horrific and the legal ruling is a huge step backwards. The judge handling this case has normalized negligent and lethal driving. This ruling reaffirms the popular misconception that cyclists are nothing more than “guests” on “motorists’ roads.” Furthermore, this ruling makes evident that in America, we as cyclists need a firm, well-educated, pro-active legal team out defending cyclists in the court of law to make sure that we are not treated as second-class citizens and sub-humans in this auto-centric establishment.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
'Road Rage' Dr. Christopher Thompson Gets 5 Years, Assault w/ a Deadly Weapon
(Photo by Los Angeles Times).
Yesterday, 'Road Rage' Dr. Christopher Thomspon was sentenced to five years in jail for intentionally causing a crash which hospitalized two cyclists on July 4, 2008 in Mandeville Canyon, Los Angeles County, CA. Thompson received a two year sentence for assault with a deadly weapon and a three year enhancement for causing great bodily injury, reports Streetsblog.
On a Fourth of July ride in the 2008 a group of bicyclists were riding in the normal traffic lane, as they're legally allowed to do, when the irate Thompson approached them from behind and began honking at the group, selfishly expecting the group of cycling road users to submit to the hegemonic power of his automobile. Reportedly, in response to Thompson's ignorant behavior 'words were exchanged,' and justifiably so. Thompson then passed the group of cyclists, pulled in front of them, and then slammed on his brakes to purposely cause a deadly collision which sent two cyclists at the front of the group crashing into Thompson's luxury sedan (pictured below).
The cyclists who were vehicularly assaulted were Ron Peterson, an experienced cyclist, racer, and a Traffic Skills instructor, and Christian Stoehr whose also an experienced cyclist and racer. The vehicular assault sent Mr. Peterson face-first into the rear window. As a result, Mr. Peterson's nose was tore off and had to be reattached--graphically depicted below.
(The two photos above are re-published courtesy of Streetsblog).
As the cyclists laid in the street with blood profusely pouring from Mr. Peterson's face , the audio tapes of a 911 call reveal that Thompson yelled at the cyclists and told them to take their bikes out of the street. Furthermore, Thompson lied to the 911 dispatcher by telling the dispatcher that the cyclists were fine even though he, as a trained emergency room doctor, could evidently see otherwise.
Both cyclists are now recovering fairly well.
Interestingly, Thompson's Mandeville Canyon neighbors rose to his defense and claimed that cyclists on the road were the real problem. The implication of his neighbors' statements is that public roads are supposed to be for motorists only, and not for cyclists. The fact that some neighbors came to defend Thompson's attempt to murder cyclists practicing their legal rights to the road, indicates that extreme auto-centric, motorists-first, cyclists-last group-think school-of-thought has had a socially contagious effect on a number of Mandeville Canyon residents.
Thompson has a history of attempts to vehicularly assault/murder cyclists. Three months prior to the July 4 incident, on the very same Mandeville Canyon road, Thompson pulled in front of a solo rider and slammed on his brakes. That cyclist avoided Thompson by bunny-hopping onto the curb. Fortunately, the cyclist filed a police report in response to the incident.
On July 4, Thompson struck again. Thompson originally pleaded not guilty to the July 4-related charges filed against him.
It's a breakthrough that this tragic incident is getting wide media coverage.
We hope that the message is clear: If you assault or act violently towards cyclists while using your car as a weapon, then you will be sentenced to jail.
Finally, some justice has been served.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Tonite! Matt Kelly Benefit Show at The Ruby Room
If you get this in time, go to The Matt Kelly Benefit Show at The Ruby Room right now! Bands include:
The Beatless
Weatherbox
and more, we're told.
The show is free. Please bring donations.
The Ruby Room (21+) is located on University Ave. & Richmond St. in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego.
We just learned about this minutes ago, ourselves. So, if you can't make it tonite, there will be more opportunities for you to make in-person donations at Matt Kelly benefit shows in the near future. Matt plays in local power-pop punk rock band CHAZ, and, as such, has many pro-active friends in the San Diego music scene.
On December 21, Matt was struck by a semi-truck and pinned underneath as the motorist dragged him along. Matt's pelvic bone was crushed and he experienced severe internal bleeding. For more information on this tragic incident and for more info on how you can help Matt out, please read the previous related entry here.
The Beatless
Weatherbox
and more, we're told.
The show is free. Please bring donations.
The Ruby Room (21+) is located on University Ave. & Richmond St. in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego.
We just learned about this minutes ago, ourselves. So, if you can't make it tonite, there will be more opportunities for you to make in-person donations at Matt Kelly benefit shows in the near future. Matt plays in local power-pop punk rock band CHAZ, and, as such, has many pro-active friends in the San Diego music scene.
On December 21, Matt was struck by a semi-truck and pinned underneath as the motorist dragged him along. Matt's pelvic bone was crushed and he experienced severe internal bleeding. For more information on this tragic incident and for more info on how you can help Matt out, please read the previous related entry here.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
San Diego's Best Of 2009
2009 was another huge year for the bicycle in San Diego. During the compilation of this list and the chronological thinking required, the sheer plethora of awesome bicycle art/developments/events/rides/good-times that popped up from the memory storage part of my brain, convinced me, at times, that all this stuff couldn't have possibly fit in one year!
Did Death Pedal really get released during late April of this year?! Kareem is almost done filming DP2 already! How can that be? Where did the time go? Perhaps, I've just been surrounding myself w/ people who get tons of stuff done in a short amount of time...And so, this Best of 2009 piece is, to an extent, a list of people in SD who have been making the biggest moves all year.
First, I'd like to offer a little context in regards to how SD fits into the US urban bicycling youth movement: San Diego still has one of the largest Critical Mass rides on the West Coast and has, in the last four years, experienced more growth than any other West Coast CM. In '05 there were 35 CMers and four years later CM rolls deep w/ around 900-1,000 riders on a monthly basis. Bike commuter ridership is still rising rapidly, according to UCSD's commuter research team. As far as fixed gears go, SD has been a huge player in the US fixed movement. Both Death Pedal and No Cassettes, two fixed-gear trick films, held their world premiers in SD. San Diego was the only city in the world to host two premiers for The Revival; both of which experienced great turnouts and were quite unique in style from one another, in my opinion. SD has been blowin' up since 2006. There's no question. But 2009 has taken it to a new level. With no further ado, here's Bic Control's Best of 2009:
Best Artist: Matt Lingo
Matt Lingo, reppin' SD while in Seattle.
Matt Lingo has had an impeccably huge year in 2009. Matt's photographs and their signature metallic style have garnered attention from cycling-enthusiasts and photography-connoisseurs from around the world. In 2009 alone, Matt published a photo-essay book on fixed gear cycling called This City Can't Swallow Me, launched his website, locked up a cover photo for COG, a cover for Fixe Magazine, shot the best West Coast fixed gear riders for Leader, The Revival, Death Pedal, No Cassettes, in every major West Coast city from Las Vegas to Seattle, in addition to keepin' it real in SD by shooting local events such as the Cult Classic, The Cretins' Day of The Dead Ride, Foot Down and more. As of late, Matt has dropped a number of ill lil videos on his Vimeo account, including the The Revival Premier at The Whistlestop and a fun video w/ our boy Terrence Patrick aka Heavy Pedal. All the while, Matt is able to keep a humble attitude and seems to always have fun shooting.
Now, enough talk, more shots:
(Jake Ricker (The Revival, Death Pedal) riding in Seattle).
(Emi Brown (MASH) riding in SF).
(Tyler Johnson (The Revival) riding in Seattle. Above photos by Matt Lingo).
Best Artist Honorable Mention: Kareem Shehab
(Photo by Matt Lingo. Font by Anthony Bareno).
Kareem's film Death Pedal, which he directed, filmed, and edited is like you're favorite punk-rock record--it's fast, fun, and just straight-up rips. As I'm thinking about it, I want to hear the soundtrack right now. In the meantime, X's album "Los Angeles" will have to suffice. That album is certainly a worthy comparison to where it is that Death Pedal fits into the fixed-gear film spectrum.
Death Pedal, which features our boys in SD (i.e. Joe Kelley, Richie Ditta, Kevin, Marcus Price and more) as well as some of the toughest West Coast riders from Seattle to Phoenix, also features riders from Singapore (i.e. Dre Reyes) and Beijing (i.e. Ines Brunn, who resides there). Death Pedal not only has employed a global perspective in terms of filmed content, but this film has also reached a global audience. Kareem toured Europe premiering DP. Check this fun video put together by a filmmaker in Paris. This short video is about the DP Paris Premier. When over 50 kids in Paris come out to party and have a good time at your bike art event, that's got to be tops. Big ups, Killa.
Best Artist Distinguished Mention: Gerardo "Acamonchi" Yepiz
No SD bike artist list is complete without Gerardo "Acamonchi" Yepiz's work. Acamonchi is a mainstay of the SD DIY, art, skating, riding, punk rock communities. Amidst making a big move to NYC in the middle of this year, Gerardo naturally didn't have as much time as he had in'07 and '08 to focus on art and bike-related art. Nevertheless, he still dropped some sick bike-related pieces and put out tons of rad buttons and patches for The Cretins, SDCM, and more. Kids throughout North America and especially Mexico, including the up-and-coming Mexico City D.F. Fixed community, keep an anticipatory watch on Acamonchi's latest works. Hope NYC is goin' well, man!
Best Artist Distinguished Mention: Jena Mind Tricks
At the SDFixed.com two year anniversary party, Eugene Cho described Jena as 'the queen of SD Fixed.' He meant it as a compliment. Jena is rad. No question. In '09, she came through big on some crucial posters for every Foot Down event, Bike Prom, the Cult Classic, Benefit For Ginger, and more.
Best Artist Distinguished Mention: Anthony Bareno
Anthony's style is super dynamic. His photographs are straight classy and he has a historian's appreciation for fine bicycle craft-work. It's no wonder that Sky Boyer (owner of Velo Cult, pictured on the randonneur above) has employed Anthony to take the lead on the Velo Cult blog and to shoot their incredible museum-like collection of classic bicycle machines.
When he wants, he can get down with a completely different style and create more edgy things like the Death Pedal font (above).
Best Artist Distinguished Mention: Brandon Means
(Rider Gus Molina tearing it up for No Co).
Brandon Means' work is putting North County fixed gear riders on the map. Brandon is blowing up and he just turned 16! He has all the signs of becoming one of the best bike photographers in the States. In fact, he already snapped two shots which made it to Prolly's Top 10 of 2009 Best Freestyle Pics. Dude's got 1/5th of the photos on the list! Keep up the great work, Brandon!
Best Artist Distinguished Mention: Marcus aka Muerte
San Diego bike life is better with Muerte. It's really great to have Marcus around. He blew us all away with this ill flier for The Cretins' Halloween Ride. So tough! Looking forward to his work in '010. And best of all Muerte reps the South Bay hard! C.V.!
Best Artist Noble Mention: Skyy aka Aperture Sargent
Skyy aka Aperture Sargent has had a good year as well. He took the above photo during the one year anniversary of Atip's passing.
There are a lot of great artists in SD who ride bikes. But to be eligible for the above category, the only art which applies is that which is directly related to bicycling or bicycling culture.
Best Bike Event: Cult Classic
(Flier by Jena Mind Tricks).
The Cult Classic was an absolute blast. The evening was full of laughs and posi-core vibes. It was a huge nite in San Diego and I think everybody came away from the event w/ high spirits. Not only were the comps super fun but the evening was very purposeful. We raised over $1,200 which will go to a permanent and city-sanctioned memorial bike rack dedicated to Atip!
Best Bike Event Honorable Mention: Bike Prom III
(Flier by Acamonchi).
Bike Prom was by far more magical than your average prom. That's saying a lot since we all know that the average prom is pretty much the most magical thing ever invented by humans. This year the theme was dirty sock hop, 50s-throwback, "blast from the past." Hands down, this was the most fun dance party all year, bike event or otherwise. Thanks to The Baja Bugs the "blast from the past" theme was real-deal. The Baja Bugs, who played some Chuck Berry and Chuck Berry-ish songs, was fronted by none other than Hector Penalosa, one of the frontmen for '77 Southern California punk rock legends, The Zeros, who are from South Bay, San Diego, to be exact! On top of that, we raised approximately $600 this nite! $300 of it went to our buddy who rode AIDS Lifecycle and $300 to our friends' mom who needed a type of surgery that could help her walk again.
(Yes! The frontman of the best band ever played at Bike Prom III= awesome).
Best Bike Event Distinguished Mention: Death Pedal World Premier
(Flier by Swampdonkey).
The Death Pedal premier was one of the proudest moments for San Diego bike life. This was it! San Diego's fixed gear film, directed by SD's Kareem, and featuring our SD friends turning tricks in SD! Many of us were connected to this film in one way another. And now the assembled work was finally ready to be premiered! There was tons of excitement for this film. Everyone was at their highest state of excitement, together in one room. The room--The Rat Tail Warehouse--erupted with good vibes. DJ sets, Leader frame raffle, and non-stop laughs---Overall, the evening was a straight rager.
Best Bike Event Noble Mention: Fat Lip at Foot Down (flier above)
Fat Lip from legendary 90s hip-hop crew The Pharcyde DJ'd bike nite in San Diego? Crazy, right? It happened and it was out-of-control. Fat Lips hearts the SD bike kids.
Best Bike Event that costs more than the average hourly wage: Bike The Bay
The most awesome thing about the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition's Bike The Bay event is that it's the one time a year, and the second time in modern history, where cyclists are allowed to ride on the Coronado Bridge. For those readers not familiar w/ the Coronado Bridge, this bridge discriminates against cyclists. Motorists are allowed to drive into Coronado for free and emit smog and GHG into the Coronado neighbhorhood all day long, but zero-emissions, pollution-free cyclists have to pay for a ferry or bus to enter this part of SD. Shouldn't the free-access be the other way around? San Diego has a knack for being backwards about many things. This is just one example. Motorists first, pedestrians and cyclist last.
Riding over the bridge is simply a beautiful and phenomenal experience. We, as sustainable public road users, should be allowed equal access to this public resource everyday. Until the bridge is modified for bicycle access, we have the Bike Coalition's Bike The Bay event to look forward to. Unfortunately, BTB costs $50-55 to ride. That is certainly more than the average wage. However, all the money goes back to the Bike Coalition, a non-profit org who works to improve bicycling throughout SD County. This is the Bike Coalition's largest fundraiser op and, as such, is an essential event for Bike Coalition to keep moving forward as an effective advocacy org.
If you couldn't make it in '09, contact the Bike Coalition to see if you can volunteer some time so that you can ride in 2010. Riding over this bridge is quite incredible.
Best Bike Event that costs more than the average hourly wage Honorable Mention: San Diego Custom Bicycle Show
(Some of the finest bikes on display were these two bikes designed and built in SD by our boy Carlos Maldoror at Slowcraft Maldoror. Photo by InterbikeTimes.com)
(Frame by Brian Baylis. Photo by Esteban for Velo Flaneur).
(Frame by Bilenky. Photo by Esteban for Velo Flaneur).
Sky Boyer, owner of Velo Cult, expressed to me that the first-ever San Diego Custom Bicycle Show spearheaded by the commendable Brian Baylis, was one of the coolest things to ever happen for bike culture in San Diego. I don't think Sky's statement was too far off at all. The bikes on display here were absolutely spectacular. There wasn't even enough time to nerd out on all of them. Having left--due to the show closing up--without seeing a number of the bikes, I couldn't help but feel like a deficient nerd. Certain nerding-out opportunities went untapped. So, camp out in the parking lot next year to get there as soon as the doors open. You can practice Park(ing) Day a few months early.
There were over 40 different frame-builders ranging from Texas to Portland, with bikes on display--too many to mention. Several that really stuck out to me were Slowcraft Maldoror, Brian Baylis, Rock Lobster, Bilenky, Moth Attack, Ditta, Gallus, Proletariat and of course the family w/ the collection of low-riders and so many more whose names escape me.
Best Ride: The Cretins' Third-Annual Halloween Ride (flier above)
This ride was out-of-control fun. Some awesome people in SD mobilized for this ride and I don't think there was one person who didn't have a blast. This ride brought back that DIY-large group -ride-spirit/camaraderie that characterized 2006, 2007, and the first half of 2008. Plus the costumes were so brutal! The Cretins'-shaped pinata was amazing and the games we played at Balboa Park afterward were straight hilarious. The Cretins still hold it down in SD.
Best Ride Honorable Mention: Chain Gang Second-Annual Waterpark Ride
We rode about 20 miles from Downtown SD to South East Chula Vista, with essential burrito stops and water-gun refill stops along the way. The ride itself was super fun, but the payoff was even better. We were happy to be there, as you can tell from the photo. Summer 2009 ruled. Never forget that inner-tubing is not a crime!
Best Ride Noble Mention: July SD Critical Mass Ride
The approximately 1,200 people who showed up for July SDCM happened to come out for the best CM ride of the year, in our opinion. The first portion of the ride was reminiscent of old-school 2006 CM rides--riding into Hillcrest, down Uni, up to uptown, down Adams, 30th connection, locals-only-style-weaving through South Park to make one of the most well executed Mass turns I've ever seen, which went down at the Golf Course Dr. and 26th Street intersection, to continue down the long hill through Golden Hill's lone forest. It didn't end there. We rode all the way out to OB, into Mission Beach, up through Pacific Beach, around Mission Bay, and took Presidio back up where some of us broke off for a well-deserved kick-back sesh. The pace of the 25 mile-ish ride was above average that nite, which was a nice change for us daily cyclists. The vibes were very positive that nite and the overall riding flow and sociology of the ride was super impressive. Big ups to the old-school CMer who lead the first portion.
Best Alleycat Race: Beach Party Alleycat by Bogus
This was another great summertime event and easily the best alleycat of the year. About 40 heads came out to meet at Mission Bay and participate in Bogus' Beach Party-themed alleycat. The manifest destinations were very well chosen and made for a highly entertaining race. I was super stoked to come in 4th! So fun. The bonfire after-party was a riot.
Best Bike Advocacy Development: San Diego's new bike blog community
As Kathy Keehan, Executive Director of the Bike Coalition put it, 2009 was the year for the bike blog. We fully agree. Bike San Diego.org and Velo Flaneur are more than blogs--they're news sources. In San Diego--an extremely auto-centric, motorist-first, pedestrians/cyclist-last establishment, with many of the surrounding news institutions following suit in auto-centric group think--livable streets perspectives are terribly needed.
Sadly, this year we saw a number of news stories on pedestrian and cyclists fatalities where the speed of travel of the motorist involved in the deadly crash was never questioned by the journalist reporting the incident. This bias must stop.
SD bike blogs are representing news from the perspective of a cyclist and are breaking stories which pertain to bicycling, livable sreets, urban planning, traffic engineering, and traffic sociology. The SD bike blogs are the closest thing our city has to Streetsblog, a livable streets news source for Los Angeles, San Francisco, D.C., and NYC.
SD Bike Commuter.com has been a great platform for constructive advocacy discussion this year. Blogs like Brown Girl In The Lane, City Heights on Two Wheels, and Farewell To My Car: The 30 Day Trial have been useful sources for those interested in pursuing a happy life without owning a car.
A very important thing that the above-mentioned bike bloggers realize there is that there is a difference between talking about pro-bike change and actually doing what it takes to create change. The above-mentioned SD bike bloggers do both.
At the Tweed Ride and Bike Coalition Retreat afterparty at The Station, it was abundantly clear that we are more than a network of bike bloggers--we're a community.
Best Bike Infrastructure Development: Bayshore Bikeway Bike Path Extension, Imperial Beach to Chula Vista
(Photo by SANDAG).
Finally, a car-free alternative to the dangerous 8-lane, fast-food wasteland that is Palm Avenue, Imperial Beach. Previously, when trying to ride from IB to CV cyclists had to contend w/ the high volume of motorists cutting in front of you to access the dozen strip-malls along the road stretch. When they weren't cutting in front of you, many were going 55 mph+. When they weren't going 55mph+ many would not let you change lanes. Instead of yielding to your obvious, communicated, and signaled intention to change lanes many would just keep driving and expect you to stay clear of their hegemonic 3,000 lb vehicles, even when approaching a nearby red light that will require them to yield and stop anyways!
(Palm Ave in Imperial Beach; one of the deadliest places in the county to get around any way other than a car. On the other hand, Palm Ave. is one of the best spots to legally chill in your car on top of a sidewalk).
Palm Avenue is one of the deadliest areas to ride a bike or walk. The new IB-to-Chula extension of the Bayshore Bikeway allows for a livable, peaceful, and more fun alternative.
Thank you, SANDAG, for building this essential extension.
Best Bike Infrastructure Development Honorable Mention: Lake Hodges Pedestrian and Bicyclist Bridge
As a result of the Lake Hodges bridge, cyclists riding in this area of North County no longer have to ride on the side of the freeway.
Appreciation Award: Kathy Keehan, Executive Director of the Bike Coalition
Kathy Keehan is the epitome of a go-getter. She's doing tons of behind-the-scenes work to improve the lives of cyclists throughout our immense county. Working as a full-time bike advocate in an auto-centric establishment can be a struggle. Fortunately, we have a person like Kathy to keep fighting for us. If you've ever had a conversation with Kathy you'll know that she has tons of energy, a positive attitude, a brain full of useful knowledge, and most importantly she has the vision for a bike-friendly city and society, in addition to the passion and skills to work towards making that vision a reality.
Kathy is trying really hard to reach out to younger, center-city riders, too. She wants more young energy pushin' the Bike Coalition. In fact, at the recent 4-hour Board Retreat meeting earlier this month, it was determined that in 2010 the focus and priority for the Bike Coalition will be the urban core, center/mid-city area of San Diego. Can't wait!
Did Death Pedal really get released during late April of this year?! Kareem is almost done filming DP2 already! How can that be? Where did the time go? Perhaps, I've just been surrounding myself w/ people who get tons of stuff done in a short amount of time...And so, this Best of 2009 piece is, to an extent, a list of people in SD who have been making the biggest moves all year.
First, I'd like to offer a little context in regards to how SD fits into the US urban bicycling youth movement: San Diego still has one of the largest Critical Mass rides on the West Coast and has, in the last four years, experienced more growth than any other West Coast CM. In '05 there were 35 CMers and four years later CM rolls deep w/ around 900-1,000 riders on a monthly basis. Bike commuter ridership is still rising rapidly, according to UCSD's commuter research team. As far as fixed gears go, SD has been a huge player in the US fixed movement. Both Death Pedal and No Cassettes, two fixed-gear trick films, held their world premiers in SD. San Diego was the only city in the world to host two premiers for The Revival; both of which experienced great turnouts and were quite unique in style from one another, in my opinion. SD has been blowin' up since 2006. There's no question. But 2009 has taken it to a new level. With no further ado, here's Bic Control's Best of 2009:
Best Artist: Matt Lingo
Matt Lingo, reppin' SD while in Seattle.
Matt Lingo has had an impeccably huge year in 2009. Matt's photographs and their signature metallic style have garnered attention from cycling-enthusiasts and photography-connoisseurs from around the world. In 2009 alone, Matt published a photo-essay book on fixed gear cycling called This City Can't Swallow Me, launched his website, locked up a cover photo for COG, a cover for Fixe Magazine, shot the best West Coast fixed gear riders for Leader, The Revival, Death Pedal, No Cassettes, in every major West Coast city from Las Vegas to Seattle, in addition to keepin' it real in SD by shooting local events such as the Cult Classic, The Cretins' Day of The Dead Ride, Foot Down and more. As of late, Matt has dropped a number of ill lil videos on his Vimeo account, including the The Revival Premier at The Whistlestop and a fun video w/ our boy Terrence Patrick aka Heavy Pedal. All the while, Matt is able to keep a humble attitude and seems to always have fun shooting.
Now, enough talk, more shots:
(Jake Ricker (The Revival, Death Pedal) riding in Seattle).
(Emi Brown (MASH) riding in SF).
(Tyler Johnson (The Revival) riding in Seattle. Above photos by Matt Lingo).
Best Artist Honorable Mention: Kareem Shehab
(Photo by Matt Lingo. Font by Anthony Bareno).
Kareem's film Death Pedal, which he directed, filmed, and edited is like you're favorite punk-rock record--it's fast, fun, and just straight-up rips. As I'm thinking about it, I want to hear the soundtrack right now. In the meantime, X's album "Los Angeles" will have to suffice. That album is certainly a worthy comparison to where it is that Death Pedal fits into the fixed-gear film spectrum.
Death Pedal, which features our boys in SD (i.e. Joe Kelley, Richie Ditta, Kevin, Marcus Price and more) as well as some of the toughest West Coast riders from Seattle to Phoenix, also features riders from Singapore (i.e. Dre Reyes) and Beijing (i.e. Ines Brunn, who resides there). Death Pedal not only has employed a global perspective in terms of filmed content, but this film has also reached a global audience. Kareem toured Europe premiering DP. Check this fun video put together by a filmmaker in Paris. This short video is about the DP Paris Premier. When over 50 kids in Paris come out to party and have a good time at your bike art event, that's got to be tops. Big ups, Killa.
The Life of Tom #01 / Death Pedal Paris 1st ! from Thomas Prudon on Vimeo.
Best Artist Distinguished Mention: Gerardo "Acamonchi" Yepiz
No SD bike artist list is complete without Gerardo "Acamonchi" Yepiz's work. Acamonchi is a mainstay of the SD DIY, art, skating, riding, punk rock communities. Amidst making a big move to NYC in the middle of this year, Gerardo naturally didn't have as much time as he had in'07 and '08 to focus on art and bike-related art. Nevertheless, he still dropped some sick bike-related pieces and put out tons of rad buttons and patches for The Cretins, SDCM, and more. Kids throughout North America and especially Mexico, including the up-and-coming Mexico City D.F. Fixed community, keep an anticipatory watch on Acamonchi's latest works. Hope NYC is goin' well, man!
Best Artist Distinguished Mention: Jena Mind Tricks
At the SDFixed.com two year anniversary party, Eugene Cho described Jena as 'the queen of SD Fixed.' He meant it as a compliment. Jena is rad. No question. In '09, she came through big on some crucial posters for every Foot Down event, Bike Prom, the Cult Classic, Benefit For Ginger, and more.
Best Artist Distinguished Mention: Anthony Bareno
Anthony's style is super dynamic. His photographs are straight classy and he has a historian's appreciation for fine bicycle craft-work. It's no wonder that Sky Boyer (owner of Velo Cult, pictured on the randonneur above) has employed Anthony to take the lead on the Velo Cult blog and to shoot their incredible museum-like collection of classic bicycle machines.
When he wants, he can get down with a completely different style and create more edgy things like the Death Pedal font (above).
Best Artist Distinguished Mention: Brandon Means
(Rider Gus Molina tearing it up for No Co).
Brandon Means' work is putting North County fixed gear riders on the map. Brandon is blowing up and he just turned 16! He has all the signs of becoming one of the best bike photographers in the States. In fact, he already snapped two shots which made it to Prolly's Top 10 of 2009 Best Freestyle Pics. Dude's got 1/5th of the photos on the list! Keep up the great work, Brandon!
Best Artist Distinguished Mention: Marcus aka Muerte
San Diego bike life is better with Muerte. It's really great to have Marcus around. He blew us all away with this ill flier for The Cretins' Halloween Ride. So tough! Looking forward to his work in '010. And best of all Muerte reps the South Bay hard! C.V.!
Best Artist Noble Mention: Skyy aka Aperture Sargent
Skyy aka Aperture Sargent has had a good year as well. He took the above photo during the one year anniversary of Atip's passing.
There are a lot of great artists in SD who ride bikes. But to be eligible for the above category, the only art which applies is that which is directly related to bicycling or bicycling culture.
Best Bike Event: Cult Classic
(Flier by Jena Mind Tricks).
The Cult Classic was an absolute blast. The evening was full of laughs and posi-core vibes. It was a huge nite in San Diego and I think everybody came away from the event w/ high spirits. Not only were the comps super fun but the evening was very purposeful. We raised over $1,200 which will go to a permanent and city-sanctioned memorial bike rack dedicated to Atip!
Best Bike Event Honorable Mention: Bike Prom III
(Flier by Acamonchi).
Bike Prom was by far more magical than your average prom. That's saying a lot since we all know that the average prom is pretty much the most magical thing ever invented by humans. This year the theme was dirty sock hop, 50s-throwback, "blast from the past." Hands down, this was the most fun dance party all year, bike event or otherwise. Thanks to The Baja Bugs the "blast from the past" theme was real-deal. The Baja Bugs, who played some Chuck Berry and Chuck Berry-ish songs, was fronted by none other than Hector Penalosa, one of the frontmen for '77 Southern California punk rock legends, The Zeros, who are from South Bay, San Diego, to be exact! On top of that, we raised approximately $600 this nite! $300 of it went to our buddy who rode AIDS Lifecycle and $300 to our friends' mom who needed a type of surgery that could help her walk again.
(Yes! The frontman of the best band ever played at Bike Prom III= awesome).
Best Bike Event Distinguished Mention: Death Pedal World Premier
(Flier by Swampdonkey).
The Death Pedal premier was one of the proudest moments for San Diego bike life. This was it! San Diego's fixed gear film, directed by SD's Kareem, and featuring our SD friends turning tricks in SD! Many of us were connected to this film in one way another. And now the assembled work was finally ready to be premiered! There was tons of excitement for this film. Everyone was at their highest state of excitement, together in one room. The room--The Rat Tail Warehouse--erupted with good vibes. DJ sets, Leader frame raffle, and non-stop laughs---Overall, the evening was a straight rager.
Best Bike Event Noble Mention: Fat Lip at Foot Down (flier above)
Fat Lip from legendary 90s hip-hop crew The Pharcyde DJ'd bike nite in San Diego? Crazy, right? It happened and it was out-of-control. Fat Lips hearts the SD bike kids.
Best Bike Event that costs more than the average hourly wage: Bike The Bay
The most awesome thing about the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition's Bike The Bay event is that it's the one time a year, and the second time in modern history, where cyclists are allowed to ride on the Coronado Bridge. For those readers not familiar w/ the Coronado Bridge, this bridge discriminates against cyclists. Motorists are allowed to drive into Coronado for free and emit smog and GHG into the Coronado neighbhorhood all day long, but zero-emissions, pollution-free cyclists have to pay for a ferry or bus to enter this part of SD. Shouldn't the free-access be the other way around? San Diego has a knack for being backwards about many things. This is just one example. Motorists first, pedestrians and cyclist last.
Riding over the bridge is simply a beautiful and phenomenal experience. We, as sustainable public road users, should be allowed equal access to this public resource everyday. Until the bridge is modified for bicycle access, we have the Bike Coalition's Bike The Bay event to look forward to. Unfortunately, BTB costs $50-55 to ride. That is certainly more than the average wage. However, all the money goes back to the Bike Coalition, a non-profit org who works to improve bicycling throughout SD County. This is the Bike Coalition's largest fundraiser op and, as such, is an essential event for Bike Coalition to keep moving forward as an effective advocacy org.
If you couldn't make it in '09, contact the Bike Coalition to see if you can volunteer some time so that you can ride in 2010. Riding over this bridge is quite incredible.
Best Bike Event that costs more than the average hourly wage Honorable Mention: San Diego Custom Bicycle Show
(Some of the finest bikes on display were these two bikes designed and built in SD by our boy Carlos Maldoror at Slowcraft Maldoror. Photo by InterbikeTimes.com)
(Frame by Brian Baylis. Photo by Esteban for Velo Flaneur).
(Frame by Bilenky. Photo by Esteban for Velo Flaneur).
Sky Boyer, owner of Velo Cult, expressed to me that the first-ever San Diego Custom Bicycle Show spearheaded by the commendable Brian Baylis, was one of the coolest things to ever happen for bike culture in San Diego. I don't think Sky's statement was too far off at all. The bikes on display here were absolutely spectacular. There wasn't even enough time to nerd out on all of them. Having left--due to the show closing up--without seeing a number of the bikes, I couldn't help but feel like a deficient nerd. Certain nerding-out opportunities went untapped. So, camp out in the parking lot next year to get there as soon as the doors open. You can practice Park(ing) Day a few months early.
There were over 40 different frame-builders ranging from Texas to Portland, with bikes on display--too many to mention. Several that really stuck out to me were Slowcraft Maldoror, Brian Baylis, Rock Lobster, Bilenky, Moth Attack, Ditta, Gallus, Proletariat and of course the family w/ the collection of low-riders and so many more whose names escape me.
Best Ride: The Cretins' Third-Annual Halloween Ride (flier above)
This ride was out-of-control fun. Some awesome people in SD mobilized for this ride and I don't think there was one person who didn't have a blast. This ride brought back that DIY-large group -ride-spirit/camaraderie that characterized 2006, 2007, and the first half of 2008. Plus the costumes were so brutal! The Cretins'-shaped pinata was amazing and the games we played at Balboa Park afterward were straight hilarious. The Cretins still hold it down in SD.
Best Ride Honorable Mention: Chain Gang Second-Annual Waterpark Ride
We rode about 20 miles from Downtown SD to South East Chula Vista, with essential burrito stops and water-gun refill stops along the way. The ride itself was super fun, but the payoff was even better. We were happy to be there, as you can tell from the photo. Summer 2009 ruled. Never forget that inner-tubing is not a crime!
Best Ride Noble Mention: July SD Critical Mass Ride
The approximately 1,200 people who showed up for July SDCM happened to come out for the best CM ride of the year, in our opinion. The first portion of the ride was reminiscent of old-school 2006 CM rides--riding into Hillcrest, down Uni, up to uptown, down Adams, 30th connection, locals-only-style-weaving through South Park to make one of the most well executed Mass turns I've ever seen, which went down at the Golf Course Dr. and 26th Street intersection, to continue down the long hill through Golden Hill's lone forest. It didn't end there. We rode all the way out to OB, into Mission Beach, up through Pacific Beach, around Mission Bay, and took Presidio back up where some of us broke off for a well-deserved kick-back sesh. The pace of the 25 mile-ish ride was above average that nite, which was a nice change for us daily cyclists. The vibes were very positive that nite and the overall riding flow and sociology of the ride was super impressive. Big ups to the old-school CMer who lead the first portion.
Best Alleycat Race: Beach Party Alleycat by Bogus
This was another great summertime event and easily the best alleycat of the year. About 40 heads came out to meet at Mission Bay and participate in Bogus' Beach Party-themed alleycat. The manifest destinations were very well chosen and made for a highly entertaining race. I was super stoked to come in 4th! So fun. The bonfire after-party was a riot.
Best Bike Advocacy Development: San Diego's new bike blog community
As Kathy Keehan, Executive Director of the Bike Coalition put it, 2009 was the year for the bike blog. We fully agree. Bike San Diego.org and Velo Flaneur are more than blogs--they're news sources. In San Diego--an extremely auto-centric, motorist-first, pedestrians/cyclist-last establishment, with many of the surrounding news institutions following suit in auto-centric group think--livable streets perspectives are terribly needed.
Sadly, this year we saw a number of news stories on pedestrian and cyclists fatalities where the speed of travel of the motorist involved in the deadly crash was never questioned by the journalist reporting the incident. This bias must stop.
SD bike blogs are representing news from the perspective of a cyclist and are breaking stories which pertain to bicycling, livable sreets, urban planning, traffic engineering, and traffic sociology. The SD bike blogs are the closest thing our city has to Streetsblog, a livable streets news source for Los Angeles, San Francisco, D.C., and NYC.
SD Bike Commuter.com has been a great platform for constructive advocacy discussion this year. Blogs like Brown Girl In The Lane, City Heights on Two Wheels, and Farewell To My Car: The 30 Day Trial have been useful sources for those interested in pursuing a happy life without owning a car.
A very important thing that the above-mentioned bike bloggers realize there is that there is a difference between talking about pro-bike change and actually doing what it takes to create change. The above-mentioned SD bike bloggers do both.
At the Tweed Ride and Bike Coalition Retreat afterparty at The Station, it was abundantly clear that we are more than a network of bike bloggers--we're a community.
Best Bike Infrastructure Development: Bayshore Bikeway Bike Path Extension, Imperial Beach to Chula Vista
(Photo by SANDAG).
Finally, a car-free alternative to the dangerous 8-lane, fast-food wasteland that is Palm Avenue, Imperial Beach. Previously, when trying to ride from IB to CV cyclists had to contend w/ the high volume of motorists cutting in front of you to access the dozen strip-malls along the road stretch. When they weren't cutting in front of you, many were going 55 mph+. When they weren't going 55mph+ many would not let you change lanes. Instead of yielding to your obvious, communicated, and signaled intention to change lanes many would just keep driving and expect you to stay clear of their hegemonic 3,000 lb vehicles, even when approaching a nearby red light that will require them to yield and stop anyways!
(Palm Ave in Imperial Beach; one of the deadliest places in the county to get around any way other than a car. On the other hand, Palm Ave. is one of the best spots to legally chill in your car on top of a sidewalk).
Palm Avenue is one of the deadliest areas to ride a bike or walk. The new IB-to-Chula extension of the Bayshore Bikeway allows for a livable, peaceful, and more fun alternative.
Thank you, SANDAG, for building this essential extension.
Best Bike Infrastructure Development Honorable Mention: Lake Hodges Pedestrian and Bicyclist Bridge
As a result of the Lake Hodges bridge, cyclists riding in this area of North County no longer have to ride on the side of the freeway.
Appreciation Award: Kathy Keehan, Executive Director of the Bike Coalition
Kathy Keehan is the epitome of a go-getter. She's doing tons of behind-the-scenes work to improve the lives of cyclists throughout our immense county. Working as a full-time bike advocate in an auto-centric establishment can be a struggle. Fortunately, we have a person like Kathy to keep fighting for us. If you've ever had a conversation with Kathy you'll know that she has tons of energy, a positive attitude, a brain full of useful knowledge, and most importantly she has the vision for a bike-friendly city and society, in addition to the passion and skills to work towards making that vision a reality.
Kathy is trying really hard to reach out to younger, center-city riders, too. She wants more young energy pushin' the Bike Coalition. In fact, at the recent 4-hour Board Retreat meeting earlier this month, it was determined that in 2010 the focus and priority for the Bike Coalition will be the urban core, center/mid-city area of San Diego. Can't wait!
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