Road Rage Motorist vs. Cyclists on Mandeville Canyon Road

[ScottS]

http://laist.com/2008/07/07/road_rage_motorist_vs_cyclists_on_m.php#comments

Ron is a well known and highly respected cyclist and coach in the LA area.

-ss

[JB]

Good to see that this is being treated as a felony criminal assault and not a traffic infraction, per the comments on LAist.  Apparently the driver had been talked to about this by the police before, and is the subject of a civil suit from a previous altercation.

Of course, it still sucks that it happened, and I hope the two injured cyclists heal up soon.

[ScottS]

Good to see that this is being treated as a felony criminal assault and not a traffic infraction, per the comments on LAist.  Apparently the driver had been talked to about this by the police before, and is the subject of a civil suit from a previous altercation.

Of course, it still sucks that it happened, and I hope the two injured cyclists heal up soon.

According to the person who sent me the link, Ron may need surgery but both should recover fully.

It upholds my theory that the more affluent the neighborhood is, the more danger you're in.

It's all about entitlement.

I've never been hassled in East LA, El Sereno, Highland Park, etc. ALL the times I've encountered malicious drivers have been in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Palos Verdes, etc.

-ss

[buttrumpus]

It upholds my theory that the more affluent the neighborhood is, the more danger you're in.

It's all about entitlement.

I've never been hassled in East LA, El Sereno, Highland Park, etc. ALL the times I've encountered malicious drivers have been in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Palos Verdes, etc.

-ss

I'm in total agreement with you, Scott. Though I've never been hit on the Westside, I've been threatened a ton over there. That story is disgusting. I really hope that doctor gets what's coming to him, as well as anyone who shares his opinions on cyclists. I've been talking to a few people at Cynergy lately, and was going to do their rode ride this Sunday morning until the gf's parents came into town. I hope everyone recovers. F the westside!

[buttrumpus]

has there been any update as to what is happening in the case? i'd love to know this doctor is getting his license revoked and a nice, old fashioned county jail rapin'.

[JB]

The good Dr. has an Aug. 1 date for his arraignment.  You can feel free to go to the CA medical board and file a complaint against him. 

The whole saga is unfolding at -
http://midnightridazz.com/forums.php?topicId=3742&pgnum=1

The villagers haven't quite begun gathering torches and pitchforks, but it will be interesting to see what the D.A. decides to do.

[ScottS]

There's a meeting Monday evening at the Felicia Mahood Multipurpose Center in West LA, Monday July 14th from 6:30-8pm hosted by council member Bill Rosendahl to discuss issues of cycling in Mandeville Canyon.

See pdf for more detailed info.

http://www.lacity.org/council/cd11/hottopics/cd11hottopics255254342_07112008.pdf

-ss

[Alex Thompson]

We'll be riding to this meeting.  I encourage everyone to take a few hours out of their day on Monday and ride to this meeting as a show of solidarity amongst cyclists.  Here's the details, in flier form:

[Jaz]

Someone needs to stop with the Impact.

lolcatbicycleassault?



Too soon?

Sounds like an interesting ride though. If I get enough sleep I might join you all.

[JB]

It's never too soon for Lolcats.

This meeting's been canceled I believe.  There's the "Storm the Bastille" day at noon though.

[ScottS]

It's never too soon for Lolcats.

This meeting's been canceled I believe.  There's the "Storm the Bastille" day at noon though.

Yes, according to Bill Rosendahl's office (213) 473-7011, the meeting has been canceled for an unstated reason. At this time, nothing new has been scheduled.

-ss

[ScottS]

www.councilmanrosendahl.com

City Hall (213) 473-7011 West LA (310) 575-8461 Westchester (310) 568-8772

http://www.lacity.org/council/cd11/hottopics/cd11hottopics255254374_07132008.pdf

* **July 14, 2008
**Contact:*  Nate Kaplan-(213) 473-7011

 *MONDAY'S PUBLIC FORUM ON CYCLING ON MANDEVILLE CANYON ROAD IS CANCELLED*
*Rosendahl to Form Task Force of Residents, Cyclists and City Staff
** *

LOS ANGELES - In response to escalating tensions over a July 4incident that
sent two cyclists to the hospital, Councilmember Bill Rosendahl is replacing
a public Town Hall meeting with a task force on how cyclists and residents
can better and more safely share Mandeville Canyon Road.

"At the request of the residents and of the cyclists who use Mandeville
Canyon Road, I have decided that a more focused, deliberative task force
will achieve my goal of bringing the relevant people together to discuss
ideas and proposals for everyone to share this narrow canyon roadway,"
Rosendahl said.

Over the past few days, officials with homeowner associations and the
bicycling clubs that train on the winding, 5-mile stretch of road expressed
concern that the tenor of media coverage and of blog posts would make a
Monday public meeting counter-productive. Many said they worried the issue
had become larger than the specific issues of Mandeville Canyon

"While I always prefer more public dialogue and welcome it even now,"
Rosendahl said, "I appreciate the views and concerns of the residents and
cyclists most involved in this issue and most familiar with this road.'

The Town Hall meeting had been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. July 14 at the
Felicia Mahood Multipurpose Center in West Los Angeles

Instead, Rosendahl said he would convene a task force of representatives of
the three Mandeville Canyon homeowners associations, the four cycling clubs
that regularly train there, the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, the
Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation,
and his staff. The group will develop proposals to address issues of safety,
personal and public rights, and civic responsibility - among both cyclists
and residents of Mandeville Canyon.

Rosendahl said he hoped the more global issues of road-sharing between
cyclists and motorists throughout Los Angeles would get a more thorough
airing in a more appropriate, citywide venue. He noted he and several
colleagues last week introduced a motion endorsing the Cyclists' Bill of
Rights.

"When the Transportation Committee and the City Council take up that issue,
I think it will be an exceptional opportunity to begin a citywide education
campaign about the rights of cyclists and the need for everyone to share the
road. We're all stuck in gridlock in Los Angeles, and we need to voice our
frustration at the lack of a sensible transit system, and not at each other.

Rosendahl said he also welcomes any feedback at
councilmanrosendahl@lacity.org

[buttrumpus]

so to me that reads:
rather than having a meeting that was going to be overwhelmingly attended by rightfully angry bikers who were then going to give the aryan residents of madeville a little of what they deserved, we're going to create a "task force" that will never really assemble or do anything. we'll wait until someone of high enough status in the cycling world is killed, and then maybe do something to pretend we're going to make motorists drive the speed limit.

[JB]

Actually, from the meeting minutes I read, the Mandeville Canyon residents were surprisingly cool and understanding about the fact that the road is used for recreational cycling, and their main concern is making it safer for everyone, cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.

I'm not sure that the "Aryan residents" of Mandeville Canyon "deserve" anything, aside from Dr. Thompson, who will be facing felony charges.

http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/07/15/inside-the-mandeville-canyone-task-force/

"Homeowners acknowledged that the road has clear recreational value and should remain open for a variety of uses. They pointed out that it is, however, the neighborhood they live in, is narrow and needs maintenance. Their concerns about cyclists focused on the behavior of those who don't follow the rules, who speed, ride two abreast, blow through stop signs, are noisy in early morning hours, use coarse, aggressive language towards motorists who encounter them and the hazards that silent, speeding cyclists present to pedestrians."

That doesn't sound particularly unreasonable to me.

[steveby3]

JB: welcome to the world of LA bike activism