bay area cycling news

Hours after the CHP release a report on how Lauren Ward allegedly biked into a big rig, her family is filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the big rig driver, Gabriel Manzur Vera, and his company, Randazzo Enterprises Inc. “Lauren was an experienced cyclist who was strong and confident on her bike, knew the rules of the road and advocated for bicycle safety. While the CHP was conducting its investigation, we brought in scientists and other experts to evaluate the circumstances surrounding Lauren’s tragic death, and the team disagrees with the CHP’s conclusions as to the cause. As a result, Bob and the Ward children would like a jury to hear the evidence and decide,” said John Feder of Rouda, Feder, Tietjen & McGuinn. Read more on the family's press release .

The Palo Alto Daily News (hosted by Mercury News) is covering last night's CHP report detailing Lauren Ward's fatal accident with a big rig on November 4. According to a redacted CHP report released Monday night, Vera was driving his truck west on Alpine Road in the right lane between 10 and 15 mph at about 3:40 p.m. and Ward was to the immediate left of the vehicle sharing the lane. Ward, who was riding at an unknown speed, "unsafely turned" her Trek bicycle and fell to her right side, the report states. ... The trucker told the CHP the collision happened as he was moving from the right westbound lane into a lane that turned right onto southbound Interstate Highway 280. Vera told the CHP he had his right blinker on and was looking at his right rear view mirror, but when he looked forward he heard a "bump." It strikes me that short of swerving across the entire lane, even an "unsafe turn" causing a crash means that the driver was *way* too close to

It seems news agencies are digging down into some of the news about Gabriel Vera, the driver of the big-rig who collided with cyclist Lauren Ward. The Contra Costa Times is now reporting that a civil wrongful death suit was settled against Vera for $1.5 million from the 2007 Santa Cruz death of John Myslin, the other cyclist-death accident that Vera was involved in. [demolition company] Randazzo [Enterprises] and Vera agreed to contribute insurance money in exchange for release of all claims and a dismissal of the lawsuit, according to the May 2008 civil case in Santa Cruz County Superior Court. Read more at the Contra Costa Times website .

Palo Alto Online is reporting that a cyclist was hit by a car and injured on El Camino Way in Palo Alto: The adult male was transported to a local hospital after the collision, which occurred in front of Palo Alto Commons senior housing in the 4000 block of El Camino Way , Battalion Chief Geo Blackshire said. Read (not much) more on their website .

It seems that the truck driver in the November 4 fatal collision with cyclist Lauren Ward was also involved in another cyclist getting killed in Santa Cruz in August 2007. On Aug. 7, 2007, Vera's big rig and cyclist John Myslin, a 25-year-old high school teacher, collided at the intersection of Mission and Bay streets in Santa Cruz. An investigation concluded that the popular Pacific Collegiate School teacher was at fault and police advised the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office not to file charges against Vera. Police have yet to release a final statement on the November 4 crash because a lack of eyewitnesses is making the analysis difficult. If you have any information regarding the November 4 crash, please call CHP investigators at 650-369-6261. Read more at the Palo Alto Daily News (on Mercury News' website).

A cyclist was injured while turning in traffic in santa Cruz yesterday. Just before 4 p.m., a 63-year-old Santa Cruz man was turning left from Water Street on to Front Street. He made a hand signal but collided with a small sedan, said Santa Cruz police spokesman Zach Friend. Santa Cruz police ask anyone with information on the incident to call investigations at 420-5820 or the anonymous tip line at 831-420-5995. Read more at the Mercury News .

A 13-year-old boy suffered a broken nose when he apparently ran a stop sign and hit a school bus this morning, thankfully avoiding being in front of the school bus as it was passing. The boy, who was not wearing a helmet, was coming through a passageway from Oregon Expressway to Oregon Avenue, according to Montiel. "He basically ran the stop sign and hit the right front of a school bus that was traveling east on Oregon Avenue," Montiel said. Read more at the Palo Alto Online .

Contra Costa Times and the Santa Cruz Sentinel are both reporting that information is desired in a Watsonville hit-and-run Monday morning: The cyclist had minor injuries from the collision and was not transported to the hospital, CHP officer Sarah Jackson said. The Toyota damaged its ride side mirror, and it was last seen headed toward southbound Highway 1, Jackson said. The CHP asks anyone with information on the incident to call [831] 796-2100. Read the sparse details on Contra Costa Times' website .

San Mateo County Times (via San Jose Mercury News website) has a great piece on Lauren Ward, the bicyclist who was killed Thursday by an 18 wheeler on Alpine road. Veronica Lentfer, a friend who knew Ward through the swim club and went on several bike rides with her, said she was always trying to help make the roads safer for bicyclists. Read more on their site .

Sadly, a sigalert says that a cyclist has been killed on Alpine & highway 280 this afternoon. Possible Fatality - Alpine Rd at 280 North 3:37 PM * Message/Item Delivered Fire 3:39 PM * 18 Wheeler vs Bicyclist 3:39 PM * Per 91-74 Inquire If a Comm Unit Can Rspn and Assist Please 3:43 PM * Female Advsing Subject not Moving Under Semi--Can See a Hat and Shoes Only Sticking Out 3:45 PM * Reporting Party on Line 10 Connected Fire--Fire Going On Scene 3:45 PM * Per 91-74 West Lanes is Closed 3:46 PM * CHP Unit on Scene 3:46 PM * Roll Corner 3:47 PM * CHP Unit on Scene 3:50 PM * Message/Item Delivered Smco Coroner, Will Call Back 3:51 PM * CHP Unit on Scene 3:51 PM * Transportation Management Center Copies-Confirm Only with B Alpine is Closed at this Time, E/b Still Open? Thanks 4:00 PM * CHP Unit on Scene 4:00 PM * Copy Thanks, Will Post in Media Log 4:02 PM * CHP Unit on Scene 4:03 PM * CHP Unit on Scene 4:05 PM * CHP Unit on Scene 4:26 PM * Thomas Guide Map Coordinates: 810 2E So it go

A 59-year-old bicyclist was found dead on the side of Highway 9 on Sunday afternoon, the California Highway Patrol said. It was not immediately clear if the male cyclist, a Cupertino resident, was the victim of a hit-and-run accident or died of other causes. Read a few more sparse notes at the Mercury News .

William Flint II was riding downhill on South Park Drive near the Grizzly picnic area at about 2 p.m. when his bicycle drifted into oncoming traffic, police said. He crashed into the side of a 2003 Ford Expedition sport utility vehicle. Read more at SFGate . Please descend safe out there. The thrill of the descent is no match for not making it home alive.

The driver of a blue Nissan Rogue hit three male bicyclists before hitting a fourth victim and then crashing into a light pole and a parked Jeep Cherokee at the corner of 17th and Missouri streets. The motorist then fled from the vehicle on foot. Read more at the SF Chronicle .

A poor oakland man was run over by a bus he had just exited after being doored by another man in a parked car. He began to ride eastbound on MacArthur when he swerved to avoid running into a car door that a 42-year-old Manteca motorist had opened, said police and AC Transit spokesman Clarence Johnson. Read more at the Contra Costa Times article .

Coinciding with Stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California leaving from San Jose, there are several bay area "Rides of Silence" tonight at 7pm . Rides include Sacramento, San Rafeal, San Francisco, and Modesto. On May 19, 2010, at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves. In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed. (Read the full history here...) The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There are no sponsors and no registrat

If you're following this blog then you're probably already much aware that Bike To Work Day is tomorrow, Thursday May 13. Energizer stations will be dotted around the peninsula , where you can get free swag like tote bags, clif bars, bananas, or just a cup of strong coffee. Most energizer stations shut down before 10am so be sure to get your pedal on early. sfbike.org has some information on free mechanics for those in the city. Additionally, the Team Bike Challenge is heating up even moreso than last year. In the large company division, Cisco and Apple are holding the top two spots, just as they did last year , when Cisco pulled ahead by hiding their points until the last few days and logging many all at once. This year, Apple is maintaining a strong lead and looks to hold the yellow jersey at the end of the month. And, as usually happens around the peninsula, there's never a shortage of beer with a few "bike away from work" beer bashes. One in San Carlo

San Jose Bike Party is looking for eyewitness accounts of a March 19 hit and run. This incident occurred on Race St on Friday, March 19th. The fact that this happened on the ride where we were honoring Joshua Ryan West who was killed by a driver on Feb. 1, 2010 is especially ironic.

Remember the NYC critical mass bodychecking incident last year? Turns out the NYPD officer (who was later fired) is now on trial for assault. The charges against Long were dropped. Pogan, who resigned from the force in February 2009, is charged with offenses including assault and falsifying business records. Read more at NBC26 .

A cyclist in Sacramento was killed Sunday by a vehicle traveling the same direction, who apparently did not see the cyclist. He was peddling north on Howe, by the Highway 50 overpass, when he was hit by a northbound Ford driven by a woman, said police spokesman Konrad von Shoech. Von Shoech said the driver apparently didn't see the cyclist. No charges were filed. Read more at the Sacramento Bee .

An interesting article on the SF StreetsBlog about the San Jose Bike Party . Overall, the Bike Party captured a lot of the magic that Critical Mass does. I found it frustrating and self-defeating to not hold intersections long enough for larger groups of cyclists to pass through, but one of the characteristics of mass bike rides is how they each find their own comfort level and culture. At least a half dozen sound systems were on the ride, pumping funk, hip-hop and other popular tunes.

An arrest was made in last year's hit-and-run accident involving Ashleigh Jackson: The Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff has arrested Saratoga resident Robert Paul Schiro in connection with last year's hit-and-run collision on Highway 9 that left competitive cyclist Ashley [sic] Jackson with permanent brain damage. ... Schiro was arrested at his office in Santa Clara where he runs RPS Properties, a property management business. The arrest comes almost a year to the date when the collision occurred. Read more at the Mercury News article .

San Jose Mercury News reports that Caltrain has almost literally gone broke and could cut service in many areas, including removing weeknight and weekend trains. Caltrain is broke and will almost certainly need to wipe out half its service, leaving no trains on weekends, weeknights or midday and leaving the agency's future in doubt, officials said Thursday. This follows on the heels of another special report by the Merc about Bay Area transit in general being in worlds of financial trouble.

Caltrain just posted that they're looking for public advisors to be on a new bicycle advisory committee. The committee will be a partnership composed of nine volunteer members who serve in an advisory capacity. There will be three representatives from each of the three counties served by Caltrain: San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara. One member from each county will be a public agency staff member responsible for bike planning and/or policy development; one will be a representative of the county’s bicycle coalition and one will be a Caltrain bike passenger from the general public. Head to their page to download an application for this post.

SF Streetsblog reports on some new street signs pointed at bicyclists that do not comply with any state vehicle codes. What's worse, the city of Sausalito recently installed a number of signs along Bridgeway that contradict California Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 21202 and tell cyclists that they "must ride single file in bike lane" and ride "single file on roadway" when passing through the town. In fact, the CVC allows cyclists to ride in the middle of a narrow lane, does not explicitly prohibit riding side by side, and allows cyclists to leave the bike lane under a number of circumstances. ... City Engineer Todd Teachout said the new signs are not anti-cyclist but are part of a strategy to deal with bicycle traffic. Teachout said that over the last three years "the city has been grappling with a large and increasing influx of not-so-skilled cyclists on city roads." He added, "the signs in question are advisory, not regulatory." The signs,

Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition reports that they are sponsoring San Mateo's Streets Alive! on April 11th. From 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, cities across the county will close streets to auto traffic and highlight public places such as parks, plazas and trails as a way to promote healthy outdoor activity for a healthy future. Check out the Streets Alive! website for more.

Silicon Valley Bike Coalition reports: The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) is gathering input from women and girls only on cycling issues through an online survey. The survey takes an average of 15 minutes, and is more fun than the census form. The survey will be open until May 1. And here's a link to the survey .

An interesting post on the U.S. Secretary of Transportation's blog offers a lot of hope for national cyclists. After last week's national bike summit , Ray LaHood now details his recommendations to state Departments of Transportation and local communities: We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. ... Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes. Collect data on walking and biking trips. Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling. Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)

If there's one thing happening more than people noticing Google Maps now has routes for biking directions, it's that these routes don't seem to work out so well. Or they advise routes other than what the majority of the cyclists in the area use. The Wall Street Journal has one such article : But more importantly it included a long stretch on something called “Old Canada Road,” in a place which would be quite convenient for road riders, if only it were actually a road. Old Canada Road would appear to be a hiking trail that takes you around the western side of Crystal Springs Reservoir. Assuming you were even allowed to access that area, I don’t think you’d get very far on a road bike following those directions.

The next Beat the Clock TT up on Cañada Road is next Saturday (March 20). A nice low-key TT event for training, benefit, and fun.

Google Maps has finally launched Biking Directions for it's maps service.

Rumors are that Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto is closed between Whiskey Hill and Portola Road because of a gas main leak. Whiskey Hill Road is open to traffic heading east on Sand Hill Road to Interstate 280 and Menlo Park, and Portola Road is open to traffic heading west to Portola Valley, a firefighter from the Woodside Fire Protection District said. Read more at Palo Alto Online .

Word on the street is that the June 19 Pescadero Road Race is filling up. Spectacular 28-mile loop through coastal dunes and redwood groves consisting of Stage Rd., Hwy.84 and Pescadero Rd. 1500’ of climbing per lap including the epic Haskin’s Hill grade. Start with promenade from High School to Pescadero town center. Then wind up for the big sprint prime before the first climb on Stage. Hosted by Alto Velo , you can register for it on Sports Basement .

NBC Bay Area has a tidbit about a law by Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Simitian, concerning extending the ban on cell phone use in cars to bikes as well. Read more over there .

A cyclist was seriously injured when he was cornering too quickly, crossed the yellow line, and struck a Ford Mustang. The bicyclist, a 43-year-old Sunol man whose name was not available, was riding south at 30 mph when he entered a right curve and drifted over the double-yellow line and struck the Mustang head-on. Read more at the Oakland Tribune . Please know your limits and corner safely... there's no point in racing if you're not going to cross the finish line.

A cyclist was killed in Modesto when he apparently stopped in the dark and rain on a country highway. Duran was sitting on his bicycle in the road as the Suburban approached at 65 mph. It was raining and the road was wet. The CHP said Avalos tried to slow down but couldn't avoid hitting Duran. Read more at the Modesto Bee . So it goes. Please don't make any assumptions about approaching vehicles, especially if it's dark; speeding cars won't see you, and even if they do, they likely can't stop in time.

Garica was riding east in the westbound lane of Highway 162 west of Charlie Hurt Highway without lights on his bicycle, CHP reported. He was weaving left and right using the entire westbound lane. Read more . So it goes. Please always use lights when you ride.