SVBC is your best source for bicycling information in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Check this page to learn about interesting events, volunteering opportunities, and current issues facing bicyclists.
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Yesterday Jen and I met with a team in Los Altos Hills--the mayor, the city manager, and the lead for the new Traffic and Safety Committee.
We discussed bicyclist safety issues as well as the frustration some of their residents feel about cyclists, and proactive ways to deal with that.
BART Silicon Valley is advising folks who drive or bike through Fremont to take extra caution on Kato Road as Valley Transit Authority (VTA) begins construction on the Kato Road Grade Separation Project in the southern end of town.
Photo credit Patt Baenen, Scaled-Up Productions.
Great news in from the California Bicycle Coalition! The three-foot passing bill, SB 910, is one big step closer to implementation.
From CBC:
California is one step closer to enacting a three-foot passing law after Tuesday's 44-25 vote in the Assembly to approve Senate Bill 910.
Photo courtesy Chris Eichler, League of American Bicyclists
Our friends at Stanford University have earned the top honor in the League of American Bicyclists' first ever round of Bicycle Friendly University designation! Stanford, which has partnered with SVBC in the past on initiatives like our Share the Road campaign, is the only university to earn Platinum designation from the League.
San José resident David Garcia was placed in a medically induced coma on Sunday morning after being struck by a vehicle while riding his bike near the intersection of Crucero Drive and Dubert Lane. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene after dragging Garcia several feet. Fortunately, witnesses to the incident got Garcia out of the street and called for an ambulance as the vehicle fled south.
From the Mercury-News:
Here's a letter I recently received from reader "BR" about a near-miss with a VTA bus and the steps he took afterward. I particularly like this anecdote, as it shows that not only was BR being level-headed during and after his close encounter, but also that VTA responded quickly and thoroughly when they received a complaint.
More distressing news concerning Gabriel Manzur Vera, the big rig driver who allegedly collided with and killed cyclist Lauren Perdriau Ward earlier this month. In addition to the other cyclist who was killed by Vera's truck in 2007, it has come to light that Vera was involved in another traffic death, this time the driver of a car, in 2003. From the Mercury News:
Police are reporting that the same truck driver involved in the death of cyclist Lauren Perdriau Ward earlier this month was involved in another cyclist death in Santa Cruz three years ago.
Gabriel Manzur Vera was at the wheel of a big rig that struck a cyclist in August of 2007.
From the Mercury News:
The Santa Clara County Special Events Ordinance was passed by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, August 24th. This revised ordinance now addresses all of the concerns raised by the VTA/County BPAC, and SVBC. SVBC wishes to thank County staff and the Board of Supervisors for working with the bicycling community and revising the ordinance to make it a law everyone can live with.
As many of you may have heard, a cyclist was struck and killed by an SUV in Los Gatos on Monday, February 1. The victim was Joshua West, a 28 year old single father and car-free resident of Los Gatos. At SVBC we find this news deeply saddening, and we know from the many emails we have received that the cycling community at large is shocked and saddened by this tragedy.
This just in from Caltrans Bicycle Coordinator Ina Gerhard:
A man was struck and killed in Cupertino on Tuesday, November 10. The driver was a student in his 20s and was turning into De Anza college when he struck the cyclist. He has not been arrested.
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim. We have had far too many reminders lately of the dangers faced on the road when people don't stay cautious and observant.
Incidents like these are no reason to stay off your bike, though. Rather, accidents are sad reminders that we need to educate cyclists and motorists about how they can work together to stay safe on the road.
It's back! The SVBC Quarterly Report has returned to jog our collective memories and recount the last three months. Take a look and see what we've been up to. The third quarter was notable for abundant advocacy and volunteer efforts. Our Share the Road initiative kept going strong - a good thing in light of the several collisions reported around the state in recent months.
Enjoy the report, print it out if you like, and when your friends ask what SVBC has done for them lately, kindly share it with them.
Dr. Christopher Thompson, a Los Angeles doctor, was found guilty of six felonies and one misdemeanor on Monday, November 2. The convictions concerned an incident of motorist-on-cyclist road rage last summer that left two cyclists badly injured.
From the Los Angeles Times:
