Bike Riders

Bicycle riders who risk life and limb to commute to UCLA may one day be able to pedal above the madding crowd on a four-lane elevated bikeway. After six years of study, an environmental impact report has concluded that the envisioned two miles of bike freeway, called a veloway (from the Latin velox , for quick), can be built without significant harm to the environment. The report represents a significant step forward for what would be the first bikeway of its kind in the world.

Burbank police say they're concerned about an increase in the number of bicycle accidents over the last two years. Through October of this year, police have responded to 32 injury bike collisions — more than in all of 2007, when there were 24, and nearly as many as the 33 reported in 2008, Lt. J.J. Puglisi said. Based on the number of complaints from the public, police are worried that the rise is in part a result of cyclist behavior, such as running red lights. "I hear a lot of complaints from the community at large about the behavior they observe of people biking," Puglisi said, adding that, combined with a lack of awareness by motorists, the mix can be volatile.

Like many avid cyclists, Rick Wurtz has his share of horror stories from the road. His closest call came as he pedaled along an open highway in Montana and a big rig rushed by within inches of his handlebars, passing so close that the truck's wake blew him off the road. There is little more terrifying to a cyclist than sitting astride 20 pounds of carbon fiber and aluminum when a motorist encased in 2 tons of steel makes a sudden right turn or bumps the riders. Yet for Wurtz and other cyclists, few episodes have reinforced the dangers as powerfully as last year's crash in which a Brentwood doctor is accused of slamming on the brakes of his car in front of two bike riders, injuring both.

I couldn't help but wonder, as I sat idling through one traffic light, then two, then three, whether the mayor's broken elbow had anything to do with the ruination of my favorite street. For years, Wilbur Avenue had been a free-flowing community secret, a commuter street that bypassed the congestion of Northridge's main routes. Then a "street improvement" project last month turned our speedway into a parking lot. The street was repaved, restriped and reassigned. A "road diet," the city planners call it, aimed at slowing autos down and creating bicycle paths.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck is vowing to make his department more responsive to the rights of cyclists, responding to growing complaints from bikers who say the city isn't doing enough to protect them from careless and aggressive motorists. Beck made his pledge Wednesday during a City Hall meeting with bicycle advocates, who want the department to do more to crack down on motorists who don't respect cyclists' right to the road. Beck said bike riders are "our most vulnerable commuters" and that the Los Angeles Police Department needed to do a better job of protecting them.

Featuring more than 24 displays of L.A. landmarks, the DWP kicks off its 14th annual Holiday Light Festival tonight with a preview for bike riders only. The festival will be car-free through Dec. 17. Griffith Park. 4730 Crystal Springs Drive. 5-10 p.m. Free. (323) 913-4688. www.dwplightfestival.com.

The Orange County Bicycle Coalition, which represents bike riders in the county, has thrown its support behind a bill in the Legislature that would emphasize rights for bicyclists. The measure is SB515, being carried by state Sen. Lucy Killea (I-San Diego). An explanation of the bill was published in the March-April edition of SpokesPeople, the newsletter of the Orange County Bicycle Coalition.

Burbank police say they're concerned about an increase in the number of bicycle accidents over the last two years. Through October of this year, police have responded to 32 injury bike collisions — more than in all of 2007, when there were 24, and nearly as many as the 33 reported in 2008, Lt. J.J. Puglisi said. Based on the number of complaints from the public, police are worried that the rise is in part a result of cyclist behavior, such as running red lights. "I hear a lot of complaints from the community at large about the behavior they observe of people biking," Puglisi said, adding that, combined with a lack of awareness by motorists, the mix can be volatile.

It always saddens me to read of the untimely death of a good person, and Debra Goldsmith's death is no exception ("Cyclists Mourn Woman Killed in Accident," April 19). Being a native of Los Angeles as well as the mother of two young children who ride bikes, I can certainly empathize with the concerns of bicycle riders in this city. But I feel I must also speak up for the motorists. I know, as a whole, we have more than our fair share of terrible, rude and unobservant drivers, but bicycle riders also need to abide by the rules of the road.

"Riding on a Collision Course" (Jan. 31) enumerates a lot of the problems with bike riders on the roads. Very rude bike riders are the rule, not the exception. For some reason, they think that traffic laws do not apply to them. Just how often do you see any bike rider actually stop at a red traffic light? (Stop signs are not even considered!) In Irvine, there are bike lanes on most of the main roads, but quite often these bikers are riding three and four abreast in the traffic lanes, so they can talk to each other, it seems.

Four police officers involved in a clash with cyclists in Hollywood during a protest ride have been removed from field duty while investigators review the incident, officials said Wednesday. The move comes as outrage over the videotaped incident grows, threatening to derail LAPD Chief Charlie Beck's recent efforts to improve relations between the department and cyclists who have complained about the way police treat them. The LAPD launched an internal investigation into the Friday night altercation after a videotape that appears to show an officer kicking the wheel of a passing bicyclist circulated across the Internet.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck is vowing to make his department more responsive to the rights of cyclists, responding to growing complaints from bikers who say the city isn't doing enough to protect them from careless and aggressive motorists. Beck made his pledge Wednesday during a City Hall meeting with bicycle advocates, who want the department to do more to crack down on motorists who don't respect cyclists' right to the road. Beck said bike riders are "our most vulnerable commuters" and that the Los Angeles Police Department needed to do a better job of protecting them.

Featuring more than 24 displays of L.A. landmarks, the DWP kicks off its 14th annual Holiday Light Festival tonight with a preview for bike riders only. The festival will be car-free through Dec. 17. Griffith Park. 4730 Crystal Springs Drive. 5-10 p.m. Free. (323) 913-4688. www.dwplightfestival.com.

Like many avid cyclists, Rick Wurtz has his share of horror stories from the road. His closest call came as he pedaled along an open highway in Montana and a big rig rushed by within inches of his handlebars, passing so close that the truck's wake blew him off the road. There is little more terrifying to a cyclist than sitting astride 20 pounds of carbon fiber and aluminum when a motorist encased in 2 tons of steel makes a sudden right turn or bumps the riders. Yet for Wurtz and other cyclists, few episodes have reinforced the dangers as powerfully as last year's crash in which a Brentwood doctor is accused of slamming on the brakes of his car in front of two bike riders, injuring both.

Speeding across a hill of wooden planks as steep as a black-diamond ski run, I pedal a bike with no brakes. I'm getting a quick lesson in track cycling, and the incline feels, threateningly, as if it were about to topple me sideways. My instructor's advice: Pedal faster. Super-kinetic pedaling won't necessarily burn off fear-fueled adrenaline, but the speed will generate enough centrifugal force to keep me from sliding down the heavily banked wooden track.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX) -- Taking the tour This year's route will give participants a tour of some of the city's landmarks and highlights. Hollywood Bowl Soon after the start near Universal City, runners will head downhill past the Hollywood Bowl. -- Hollywood & Highland At Hollywood & Highland Center, site of the Academy Awards ceremonies, Walk of Fame regulars such as Darth Vader, Superman and Elmo pose for pictures with tourists. -- Hancock Park South of Melrose Avenue, the route passes through a residential area of tree-lined streets and lovely old homes.

The death of a bicycle rider on Thursday in Santa Ana, the second such incident in two weeks, raised concerns anew about safety for the thousands of bicyclists who take to the county's streets. With warm weather approaching, the number of bicycle riders is expected to climb and officials are warning riders and motorists to be careful, especially during rush hours. "Motorists just don't look out for bike riders.

Re "Weekend Tally: 3 Bike Wrecks," July 19": Bike riders seem to feel they are exempt from the rules of the road. Wearing a helmet affords little protection to someone who disregards stop signs or rides on the wrong side of the street. On Harbor Boulevard as I awaited a green light, I saw an adult turning the corner in the bike lane on the opposite side of the street. There he almost collided with another adult in the same lane but traveling in the wrong direction. Looking over my shoulder for an opening in the flow of traffic to make a turn, I was startled just as I stepped on the gas by a bike rider who passed in front of me on the wrong side of the street.

Participants in tonight's Critical Mass bicycle ride are expecting arrests if police enforce new regulations requiring a permit for rides of more than 50 cyclists. The monthly gatherings routinely draw hundreds of riders, and tonight's will be the first under the new rules. "I'm afraid we are going to see a return to the police actions of 2004 and 2005," said Marilyn Horan, who has been participating in Critical Mass rides for a decade.

A bicyclist was struck by a car and killed Tuesday in an Anaheim intersection. Police did not release the man's name, but said they believed he was an Anaheim resident in his early 30s. The accident occurred about 5:30 p.m. at Euclid Street and Katella Avenue when the bicyclist, riding north on Euclid, was struck by a car driven by a woman whom police did not identify. Both were taken to Western Medical Center-Anaheim, where the man was pronounced dead and the woman treated for minor injuries.