Peabody police get dangerous criminals off the roads

It is curious how it is cyclists who can get their vehicle confiscated, but rarely car owners:

PEABODY, MA — Police confiscated bikes from more than 30 kids who were riding without a helmet Thursday morning as part of “a concerted effort to educate those children who are riding their bicycles in an unsafe manner.” The crackdown comes after complaints in social media forums for Peabody residents about kids riding bikes. Children who had their bikes taken by police were told they could get it back by going to the Peabody Police Station with a parent.

 

Read Full Post »

Climate Mayors who remove bike lanes

Yet another Climate Mayor who had bike lanes removed:

 It was a short-lived ride for Eaton Street’s brand-new bike lanes in Providence. NBC 10 News asked Mayor Jorge Elorza: What went into the planning?

“We’ve held a number of community sessions for a number of years now,” the mayor said.

Elorza said this investment into the city’s Great Streets Program didn’t work. “What happened on Eaton Street is that I think frankly that was the wrong street to start on,” Elorza added. The lanes installed on the narrow street rolled in a lot of negative feedback. Now, they’re coming out.

Elorza joins an illustrious group that includes the Mayors of Berkeley, San Jose, and Baltimore. If these “Climate Mayors” want to be taken seriously, its membership needs to stop promoting auto-centric policies.

Mayor Elorza said this street was too narrow for a bike project

 

 

Read Full Post »

If you think that’s bad, wait until you see what car drivers are doing

Cyclists criss-crossing the city in large packs, oh my:

SCHENECTADY — The city agrees young bicyclists are posing a public safety risk by criss-crossing the city in large packs.

But lawmakers disagree on the scope of the problem and how to quash it.

Some City Council members want a law that would allow police to seize bicycles from adolescents engaged in “reckless” trick riding like popping wheelies and zig-zagging, while others called the proposal “extreme” and advocated for less severe options for dealing with the behavior.

“It sounds like it’s not even legally viable, really,” said Councilwoman Leesa Perazzo. “I just struggle with taking a kid’s bike away.”

 

Read Full Post »

If it has Stop signs, then it is not a Bike Boulevard

Robert Prinz reports that Richmond has (what they are calling) a new bike boulevard on 16th St:

As seen in the photo, there is still a Stop sign at the minor street crossing up ahead. By my count, there are in fact 2 Stop signs and a traffic signal along this short 3-block stretch — meaning this is not a bike boulevard. Quoting from the NACTO design guideline:

At intersections with local streets and minor collectors, bicycle boulevards should have right-of-way priority and reduce or minimize delay by limiting the number of stop signs along the route. Stretches of at least a half mile or more of continuous travel without stop sign control are desirable.

This has been an on-going problem in the Bay Area, where planners paint Bike-BLVD stencils on the roadway and call it a day. As long as Stop signs remain — At. Each. And. Every. Block. — the road does not function as a proper bike-priority route. It compels cyclists to violate the CVC, and will inevitably result in police harassment of cyclists.

Read Full Post »

The Vice President visits Iceland

When VP Pence met the mayor of Reykjavík on this 7-hour-layover in Iceland, he brought along an armada that included dozens of armored SUV’s, three CV-22B Osprey, two C-130 Hercules, a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, and even a B-2 bomber.

The mayor of Reykjavík arrived on a bike:

“I’ve never met a Mayor on a bike before,” said the chief of US security matters at Höfði, after asking U.S. embassy staff three times whether I was (really) the mayor of Reykjavík. “First time for everything,” was [my] natural response.

 

Read Full Post »

Oh, Canada

Saskatoon City Council gives in to NIMBYs, and removes a cycletrack from downtown:

City crews are already hard at work removing bike lanes from Fourth Avenue N in Saskatoon. In April, city council voted to remove the protected bike lanes from the street after members of the public complained.

The dedicated bike lanes were added to the city’s downtown two years ago as a way to keep cyclists safe and a way to promote cycling in the downtown. Detractors were concerned about the lanes limiting parking spaces and creating an unsafe, confusing situation for drivers.

Previously, council had wanted to begin expanding the city’s bike lane network by 2021, but that plan’s timeline now seems to be up in the air.

This was a parking-protected cycletrack, so the complaints about loss of parking is bizarre. And just for giggles, here is the Saskatoon Climate Action Plan.

Read Full Post »

Nevada democrats want mandatory bike helmet law

Because riding in 100+ degree desert heat with a helmet is so comfortable:

Assembly Bill 187, which was introduced on the Assembly Floor on Monday, would require that anyone 17 years old or younger to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, scooter, roller skates or something similar. The bill is sponsored by Assemblywoman Ellen Spiegel, D-Henderson, and is co-sponsored by four Assembly Democrats from Las Vegas: Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod, Bea Duran, Ozzie Fumo and Connie Munk.

“One of the things that differentiates children from adults is that children don’t have the ability to make these decisions for themselves. So I want to make sure that they’re safe,” Spiegel added.

Apparently, Spiegel does not believe parents have the ability to make decisions for their kids either.

Read Full Post »