Who can you sue when an AV hits you? “Everyone,” says our lawyer, Jim Pocrass. 4:52
Taylor, still on his bike tour, reaches Adventure Cycling Headquarters in Missoula, Montana and gets a tour of bike “Mecca” from Customer Experience Coordinator Josh Bowden. 13:04
Dan Langenkamp talks about getting the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act into the Federal Transportation Reauthorization Act. The bill is named for Dan’s wife Sarah, who was killed by a truck driver while riding in a bike lane. It highlights the need to fill gaps in biking and walking networks and makes it easier for states and local governments to use Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) dollars to build safe bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
19:15
Another email from Baltimore Fred and one from Nick’s mom, both rooting for Taylor on his ride.
29:00
Irwin from the Netherlands rides with an American flag since getting hit by a car in Kentucky.
How San Francisco is responding to a 32% growth in biking and ebikelash in the state of California, with Robin Pam of Streets For All, Brett Thurber of The New Wheel, and Claire Amable, Advocacy Director of the SF Bicycle Coalition.
29:45
Taylor talks with Hiker Lars and biker Hugh in Humbug State Park. All three took advantage of “hike and bike,” California parks’ inexpensive, no-reservation policies.
Despite fierce opposition from Beverly Hills NIMBYs, the Los Angeles D Line can now take you from Downtown LA to Beverly Hills faster than anything except a helicopter, Joe Linton, Streetsblog LA Editor, reports. As proof, Streetsblog LA will host a race between a cyclist, a driver, and a D Line rider.
Taylor gets one last session on bike tour readiness before his SF to Michigan ride from the Adventure Cycling Customer Experience Coordinator Josh Bowden.
17:10
P.L. and Kristen Meindertsma of Cycle 5 To Survive are making good on their pledge to bike five continents over five years while raising $500,000 from each of 5 different charities.
31:22
Bridge Street Elementary parents Lauren Kaskey and Howard Moore start a bike bus to their Northampton, Massachusetts elementary school for Walk, Bike and Roll Day.
47:55
With Bike Talk co-host and Livable Communities Initiative co-founder Lindsay Sturman.
UC Davis’ “Justice 4 Lincoln” group demands separated and protected bike lanes and pedestrian corridor, a “Lincoln Loop,” where UC Davis student Lincoln Sabini was killed by a car driver. With Aaron Shaw 13:30.
Taylor and Nick discuss whether a mother’s criminal liability for her son’s e-moto killing of an elderly man is justified, and whether our concern is proportionate to the percentage of traffic deaths involving ebikes with our bike lawyer, Jim Pocrass (24:24).
The worst bike lane contest, bike month, and taking charge of designing complete streets in Pasadena with Jonah Kanner of the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition (30:23).
The Kittie Knox Plays “in place” (and on bikes) dramatize the story of the 21 year old bi-racial African American woman seamstress and cycling enthusiast. Winner of the League of American Bicyclists’ Kittie Knox Award, Kittie Knox Plays playwright Patrick Gabridge talks bikes and history from Northampton, Massachusetts (45:10).
At the California Bike Summit April 23–24, advocates met with legislators to champion safer streets and better bike infrastructure. CalBike Executive Director Kendra Ramsey reports on the Summit (10:45).
The Car Harm study by corresponding author Patrick Miner finds that cars are destructive to every aspect of life. With Patrick and Bike Talk listener Kevin Grishkot (23:30)
The venerable La Grange bike club of Los Angeles joins forces with The Challenged Athletes Foundation. Taylor talks with challenged athlete coach Deb Carabet of the La Grange Bike Club (41:13).
Taylor talks with featured advocate Bronwyn Brightener and Director Ben Wolf of the documentary Changing Lanes about the contested Road Diet on McGuiness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn(2:15).
A concerned listener and bike safety designer/advocate, Abe a.k.a. Sundance, offers his “lane saber,” a light-up safety flag/space bar, for Taylor’s May trip up Highway 1(9:18).
The second installment of a series on Gloria Ines getting a bike. Taylor and Gloria decide that Taylor will give her a bike to fix up at a bike co-op, the Los Angeles Bike Oven (15:38).
Listener Email: Solidarity for Taylor’s ride through Minneapolis from Brett McGraw, another biker who wears backpacks, Nietifa Van Suiker on Bluesky, and another vote for more ebike power from BirdmanStevens, also on Bluesky (18:38).
In Northampton, Massachusetts, complete streets opponents are claiming that fixing the unsafe downtown streets will hurt the town’s kids by taking money from schools. Proponents of the Picture Main Street redesign say most of the money comes from a Department of Transportation grant, not the city. Also, where are kids supposed to go after school? Math teacher Ray Paquette, a bike rider who’s an active member of the Northampton teacher’s union, NASE, along with Northampton Strong Towns members Jen Nery and Benjamin Spencer (22:38).
72nd st. on New York City’s Upper West Side will get a two-way protected bike lane, converting four lanes of traffic to two, thanks to Mayor Mamdani’s Department of Transportation. Taylor talks to Carl Mahaney, Director of Streetopia Upper West Side (39:38).
Why is CicLAvia, Los Angeles’ open streets event, so great? CicLAvia Chief Strategist Tafarai Bayne contextualizes the next event, on LA’s West Side April 26 (54:14).
A school bike bus is recognized by the Burbank, California City Council for promoting safe, active Transportation. With Alfonso Directo, Jr. Advocacy Director of Act-LA and Roosevelt Elementary School parent (2:53).
“Changing Lanes,” a documentary about the conflict over a protected bike lane in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on McGuinness Boulevard. Taylor talks with the Director of Changing Lanes, Ben Wolf (10:28).
Listener Email: Julian disputes Asha Weinstein’s take on high powered bikes from Bike Talk’s 26/12 episode (15:04).
Taylor plans a May bikepacking trip from San Francisco to Michigan.
A listener explains why she uses a backpack instead of panniers, and Tim Dyet’s review says “everyone gets a seat at the (Bike Talk) table.” (5:15)
The Safe Speeds Act will require the CSPC to distinguish ebikes from illegal emotos, if passed. However, the CSPC, charged with protecting consumers from things like exploding e-bike batteries, was gutted by the Trump administration for regulating lithium ebike batteries. Caron Whitaker, Deputy Director of the League of American Bicyclists, explains (8:04).
The Mamdani administration has reversed the Adams administration policy of criminalizing ebikes. Oonee bike storage founder Shabazz Stuart and Streetsblog NYC reporter Sophia Lebowitz put it in context (18:21).
Terence Heuston spent ten years fighting for Sunset For All, a protected bike lane on the famous arterial Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Now he’s burned out, because the city spends too much time seeking community input on data-supported street safety designs that save lives (37:00).
Broadcasting on FM and streaming since 2008 from our home station in Los Angeles, KPFK, our sister station Valley Free Radio in Florence, Massachusetts and Pacifica affiliates:
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