CALIFORNIA BICYCLE NEWS AND CYCLING SAFETY TIPS BLOG

Do Bike Lanes Hurt Local Businesses?

San Diego is well-known for being bike friendly, and with plans moving forward like the Downtown Mobility Plan and SANDAGs’ $200 million bike initiative, it’s clear our city is committed to cycling. Bikes lanes are a cornerstone of San Diego’s accessibility, but not everyone is happy when a new bike lane shows up. Namely, businesses. The main objection that some business owners have regarding new bike lanes is that bike lanes have an economic toll on businesses. The argument is that when a bike lane is built and takes up space on the curbside, that space means that businesses will have less parking for customers. Does the argument hold up? Not really. Firstly, when sharrows are added to a road (thin bike lanes that are painted on roads), it’s not common for parking spots to be taken up. When protected bike lanes are built, yes, spots do get taken up,…
Read More »

What is the Toward an Active California Plan?

Caltrans has announced that it plans to adopt the first statewide bicycle and pedestrian plan, known as Toward an Active California. The decision came after more than a year of discussions between California agencies, as well as advocacy groups and local communities. In previous years, Caltrans has put out the Non-Motorized Transportation Facilities Report, a less comprehensive plan that covers state work being done in a variety of other areas, such as greenhouse gas reduction, but Toward an Active California is much more ambitious. The goal of the plan is to move toward safe and convenient travel for cyclists and pedestrians across California. By 2040, Caltrans hopes to strengthen the connection between safe and efficient transportation, environmental health and public health. What are some of the proposals contained within the plan? To double walking and public transit use, as well as triple bicycling To reduce the rates of bicycle and…
Read More »

Toms Skujins Bike Crash: Concussions Are No Laughing Matter

Latvian cyclist Toms Skujins showed that he isn’t one to let a crash slow him down when he hopped back on his bike after a serious tumble in the second stage of the Tour of California. However, he soon discovered that he had been injured more seriously than he originally anticipated. Video footage shows him stumbling and staggering as he attempts to remount his bike following the crash, which left him with road rash, a broken collarbone and a minor traumatic brain injury. Skujins was pulled from the race later that day. He is a two-time stage winner of the Tour of California, but his cycling is taking a backseat to recovery. The cyclist seemed in good spirits, posting later to social media to advise his fans not to get into a fight with tarmac, because it’s a losing battle. Head Injuries in Bicycle Accidents A 2013 study by the…
Read More »