Tag Archives: traffic

Buena Park Cyclist Killed in Auto Collision 9-16-12

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9/19/12: Updated with some details but direction of travel wasn’t one of them

And then there were Three in the OC

In one of the deadliest weekends for cyclists in the Southland, we regret to have to add another name to the list of lives lost. For now we will leave it as “Unknown Rider” lost in a traffic collision with an automobile Sunday night (9/16/12) at 7:45pm.

The collision occurred on Artesia Blvd., east of Stanton Avenue, in Buena Park.

The male cyclist’s name is being withheld pending notification of his family.

Update: Thanks to Buena Park Police Corporal Andy Luong for providing the following information:

The rider, a male, 51, and resident of Buena Park had a collision with an automobile in the roadway and was not:

  • Wearing a helmet
  • Wearing any reflective safety gear (vest, ankle wraps)
  • Had no lighting on his bicycle

Having ridden through that area,  anything is possible and since the case is still under investigation we will not speculate as to the cause but present a map of the collision site for your consideration:

Cyclist Collision 9-16-12

OCTA Open House for Public Comment – Fare Increase

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The OCTA is hosting a series of open houses seeking input from the public regarding a proposed increase to bus fares. Additionally they are conducting an online survey to get your input.

Apparently the state contributes money to run the bus system and the OCTA is obligated to collect  money in a ratio which looks like a minimum of 20% in order to maintain funding from the state as we learn from the OCTA notice:

“OCTA’s bus system is primarily funded by the state and in order to continue receiving this money, the agency is required to collect from passengers a minimum of 20 cents for every dollar spent on bus service. Called “farebox recovery,”  OCTA is in jeopardy of falling below this mark.”

The meetings will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the following locations:

  • Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Southwest Senior Center, 2201 W. McFadden Ave. in Santa Ana, accessible by routes 47, 66 and 145
  • Friday, Sept. 21 at the Laguna Hills Community Center, 25555 Alicia Parkway in Laguna Hills, accessible by route 91
  • Thursday, Sept. 27 at the Fullerton Public Library, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave. in Fullerton, accessible by routes 24, 26 and 43
  • Tuesday, Oct. 2 at St. Anselm’s Cultural Center, 3707 W. Garden Grove Blvd. in Orange, accessible by routes 56 and 57
  • Thursday, Oct. 4 at the Los Alamitos Community Center, 10911 Oak St. in Los Alamitos, accessible by routes 42 and 50

The last fare increase took place in January 2009. Since then, the cost to provide bus service has increased from $98 per service hour to $108.

The proposed fare changes are listed below:

  • Proposed cash fare: $1.50 to $2 (+$0.50 / trip)
  • Proposed day pass: $4 to $5 (+$1.00 / day)
  • Proposed 30-day pass: $55 to $69 (+$14.00 / month, or +.50 a day for a 28 day-month)

Following the public meetings, the OCTA board is expected to vote on the proposed fare increase on Nov. 24. If approved, the changes would take effect Feb. 10, 2013.

Doheny Days and Bikes

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Wow, what a weekend! Let’s see, there was the Amtrack Century, the Pacific Coast Triathlon (results here), Doheny Days (daze?), and the Tall Ships Festival in Dana Point. Being a hot day and feeling lazy, our reporter cruised over to Dana Point and submits these pictures as evidence that he was there and not in Long Beach attending the CNU Transport Summit.

The first two were taken at the end of the harbor where there is an apparent lack of good cycle parking facilities. A few requisite pictures of tall ships and pirates, but no wenches were found on the benches.

Vehicle Parking

Authorized Vehicle Parking

Schwinn Cruisers Docked

Schwinn Cruisers Docked

Tall Ship 1

Tall Ship 1

Tall Ships

Tall Ships

Jack?

Jack?

Pirates!

Pirates!

Tall Ships

Tall Ships

Pirate Patrol

Pirate Patrol

Pirates at Rest

Pirates at Rest

Leaving the end of the harbor, a Bike Valet sign was spotted at the beach. Curious he sought out the oasis for bikes and found it mostly empty until two hours later when it was filling fast!

Shady Cycles

Shady Cycles

Room for More

Room for More

High Sea Fun

High Sea Fun

Filling Up

Filling Up

How Many Cars?

How Many Cars?

Bike Entry

Bike Entry

Perhaps nothing better illustrates the purchasing power of the cyclist community than seeing their number reflected in the bike pen. Each bike represents a paid admission to the event and attendant purchases (food, drink) in less square footage, with zero pollution, and a smile on darn near every face riding in.  Compare with a full parking lot, side streets overflowing, and shuttles having to run throughout the day getting drivers to and from their cars.

Our thanks to the folks at the Irvine Lake Mud Run and Doheny Days for putting on the bike valet service.  The sound of the cowbell as tips found their way into the tip jar was encouraging.  For those that missed out on the dirty fun of mud running – don’t despair, 10/13/12 marks the inaugural  mud run at the Santa Fe Dam just at the end of the SGRT! Riding and dirty running – oh yeah!

A Slice of Irvine

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After reviewing data charts from the upcoming Alliance for Biking and Walking conference in Long Beach, we noticed that while full of facts and figures, we couldn’t find specifics as seen below:

Irvine01-12 Pie

A Slice of Irvine

This chart shows the fault of most cyclist injuries and death to be that of the cyclist as determined by the appropriate authority. Of the 6 fatalities and 445 injuries represented here, you may use the specific CVC code such as 21453=”fail to stop” to get a clearer picture of the specific action on the part of each party. In contrast, there were only 2 pedestrian injuries recorded for the same time-frame, so despite the trend in other cities, pedestrians have an easier time of it than cyclists in Irvine.

Why pick on Irvine?

We’re not – really!
Irvine is one of the most bike friendly cities in the county offering multiple class1 and class 2 cycle paths, and is basically flat. It also happens to be where we are holding our next cycling seminar and we encourage you to attend.

As can clearly be seen, cyclists are their own worst enemy, and through our classroom and road skills portion of the course, you will gain the knowledge of how to avoid becoming a statistic, and have greater confidence when on the road. This class has sold out the last two months, and seating is limited.

If you’re not attending any of the great conferences in Long Beach next week, sign up now!

One might wonder if alcohol played a part in the above injury and death chart, and the answer is yes. There were 12 alcohol involved injuries but no fatalities. 6 were on the part of the cyclist, 2 on the part of the motorist, and 4 that could go either way because the field was marked “not stated”. So if you think it’s safe to drink and ride, think again and sober up before rolling out.

The OCBC uses information like this to better understand the underlying cause and issues related to cyclist injury and death throughout the county. With this level of understanding, we can make informed  suggestions to city planners or other interested parties on how to minimize cyclist conflict in the county.

Ride strong – ride smart – ride safe!