Category: Bicycle Advocacy

After receiving 1,000 e-mails and a petition with 9,000 signatures, a Colorado prosecutor is trying to explain his choice of misdemeanor, instead of felony, charges against a hit-and-run driver who seriously injured a bicyclist.

District Attorney Mark Hurlbert and the case of wealthy fund manager Martin Joel Erzinger has become the focus of bicyclists across the country who are increasingly frustrated by the judicial system's apparent leniency toward motorists in crashes with bicyclists.

It's now up to a Colorado judge to accept or reject the plea bargain and determine a sentence, which can include loss of driver's license and one year of jail time ….

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If you're outraged by this lack of justice, sign the petition at Change.org: DA Mark Hurlbert: Don't Drop Felony Charges Against Hit and Run Wealth Manager

A Denver-based financial planner will be charged with two misdemeanor traffic charges, but not felony hit-and-run, after he allegedly hit a bicyclist from behind near Vail, Colorado, and didn't stop.

The prosecutor in the case, District Attorney Mark Hurlbert, said he chose not to seek the felony charges because it would effect the driver's ability to make restitution for medical costs to the victim.

The victim, Dr. Steven Milo, is “livid” about the case, according to the Vail Daily. Milo objected in writing to the district attorney about the case, which he says “has always been about responsibility, not money ….

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It's too soon to know for sure how the results from the mid-term elections will affect funding for bicycle programs, but most are doubtful that the news is good.

With Republicans taking over the House of Representatives by a 254 to 177 margin, that means any funding for alternative transportation — including bicycle projects — faces an uphill battle against a party that's interested in cutting the federal budget.

The tenor of the battle may have been set earlier this year by Republican Senators Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and John McCain of Arizona, both re-elected Tuesday. In a stimulus oversight report, they described money spent on two bicycle projects as “wasted, mismanaged, or directed toward silly and shortsighted projects.”

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How often do police confiscate a vehicle when the operator runs a stop sign? Probably never, unless the driver also is charged with drunken driving.

But that didn't stop Long Beach police from confiscating about 40 bicycles and ticketing many of the 100 cyclists in a Critical Mass rally Friday evening.

One of the promoters of Critical Mass ride told the Press-Telegram that they were met by a phalanx of police about five minutes into the ride. “We thought they were facilitating us ..

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Anyone who complains that local police officers don't take bicycle theft seriously would be envious of the situation in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale.

That's where two policemen cracked an hour-long string of three bike thefts earlier this month. It all started with a routine “traffic stop.” As a Ferndale police lieutenant explained it to the Detroit Free Press:

“We think going after a bike thief is just as important as nailing a bank robber, in terms of our residents’ feeling of security in their homes…..

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Toronto bicyclists awoke to the unpleasant news this morning that city councillor Rob Ford has been elected mayor of that Canadian city.

Aside from his notable physique, you may recognize him from his notorious comments regarding bicycling:

“Roads are built for buses, cars and trucks… Not for people on bikes. … My heart bleeds for them when I hear someone gets killed, but it's their own fault at the end of the day.”

Much to Ford chagrin, I'm sure, Toronto already has about 117 miles of bike lanes …..

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If you're interested in the future direction of the Seattle-based Cascade Bicycle Club, you might want to attend the Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday.

Board members of the 13,000-member club have been on the hot seat since the firing, and subsequent rehiring on an interim basis, of executive director Chuck Ayers.

A petition to recall the board has been put forward …

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In the midst of frequent stories about hit-and-run drivers in crashes with bicyclists, it's refreshing to be reminded about the Good Samaritans out there.

It's so unusual, in fact, that cyclist Steven Davis of the UK wants to find the woman who came to his aid when he crashed his bicycle this summer, breaking two ribs and his collarbone.

“I’d just like to say thank you and get her some flowers or a box of chocolates. It’s not often these days people stop to offer their help…..

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