June 1, 20111 Comment on Hump Day roundup
Memorial Day is allegedly the unofficial beginning of summer, but cool and damp weather continues with the first day of June in California. I’m hearing from my bike camping friends who endured high winds and rain at various campsites last weekend. We’re running about five to ten degrees (F) below normal for this time of year.
May 27, 20114 Comments on Happy Friday
My commute this morning was a little more interesting than usual. While biking across Menlo Park I watched an obviously impaired driver in an old Subaru attempting something like a three point turn that became more like a 15 point turn. This is on a low speed school zone road, and the other drivers kept well away from this Subaru.
When three fire trucks, paramedic, ambulance, fire command truck, and a police car came roaring past with sirens and lights ablaze, the Subaru driver freaked out and darted out directly in front of the first fire truck. The fireman, fortunately, avoided hitting the little Subaru and continued to his fire emergency.
The police car in this parade held back to let traffic clear out a bit. Subaru driver continued into traffic at about walking speed — which is how I kept up to watch the shenanigans — and the police officer instructed her to pull over. She freaked out again and stopped in the middle of a four way intersection, tying up traffic in all directions. She then put her car into reverse and backed up (still in slow motion) into the cop car. That’s when the cop got on his horn and instructed the driver to put the car in park and put her hands on the wheel. When I finally edged past this driver she appeared to be an elderly woman who seemed to be suffering a stroke. Whatever it was, she looked very confused, poor woman.
May 19, 20112 Comments on San Francisco Wiggle PSA
“San Francisco has too many hills and too much traffic to be enjoyable and safe for cyclists.”
Or: “The Urban Myth that desperately needs to be exposed for what it really is: a myth.”
San Francisco has long been a great place to ride, and broad-spectrum bicycle infrastructure upgrades have made it even better in the past few years. Miles and miles of new, clearly-marked bike lanes, traffic calming measures, bike boxes, and designated routes that avoid busy streets and go around the steepest hills are just some of the things cyclists in the City by the Bay are smiling about.
One of the oldest and most used of the designated routes in SF is the “Wiggle” . (more…)
May 18, 2011Leave a Comment
May 17, 20114 Comments on 13-year-old Cyclist Killed in Traffic Accident
The city of Alameda, California, is known for its flat topography, low traffic volume, a near city-wide 25 MPH speed limit, and bike-friendliness. Alameda is my home, and I feel quite safe riding around town with my 9-year-old son.
My sense of safety is shaken today.
The life of Brandon Sorensen, a well-liked student at Lincoln Middle School, came to a tragic end at the intersection of Santa Clara and Everett yesterday afternoon. Reporter Peter Hegarty’s full report can be read here.
I’ve gone through that intersection thousands of times on my bicycle in the past 20+ years. Riding through it will never be the same. My heart goes out to family and friends of the young man.
RIP, Brandon.
May 11, 20111 Comment on Plasma for fuel!
