Mayor Villaraigosa breaks elbow in bicycle accident

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa broke his elbow in a bicycle accident Saturday evening, a spokesman said.

The mayor was riding in the bicycle lane on Venice Boulevard in Mid-City at about 6:50 p.m. when a taxi abruptly pulled in front of him. The mayor hit his brakes and fell off the bike.

He was transported to Ronald Reagan/UCLA Medical Center, where he was treated for the broken bone.

By 10 p.m. he had been released and was resting comfortably at Getty House, the mayor's official residence.

The mayor's accident comes as bicyclists in the city have increasingly been complaining about safety issues and pressing city officials to do more to make cycling safe.

Bicycle advocates have called for more dedicated bike lanes and appeared repeatedly before the City Council to argue that a specific share of funds from Measure R, the 2008 sales tax for transportation projects, should be set aside for bicycle- and pedestrian-related initiatives.

Bicycle activist Stephen Box filled out paperwork last week to run for City Council in the district represented by Councilman Tom LaBonge that includes Hollywood, Koreatown and North Hollywood. Box, who was run off the road by a bus while cycling on Sunset Boulevard several years ago, said Venice Boulevard already has bike lanes but needs considerably more attention from city officials.

"Venice Boulevard is notorious for having all of the trash cans block the bike lanes. Venice Boulevard is notorious for having motor homes block the bike lanes. And Venice Boulevard is notorious for having fast traffic that uses the bike lane to squeeze through even when bicyclists are in the bike lane," he said.

Police Chief Charlie Beck has made overtures to bicyclists, promising to make their safety a bigger priority and sending some of his officers to ride in the monthly Critical Mass bicycle ride in June. The LAPD issued a directive instructing officers that a motorist can be held responsible for causing a bicycle accident even if he or she did not make direct contact with the rider -- and can be arrested for fleeing the scene, Box said.

-- Andrew Blankstein and David Zahniser

Comments

[lou]

hail the cab driver

[dcola]

Taxi drivers are the most dangerous drivers on the road. I have been on a few "horror rides" when traveling to or from the airport in the back of a cab. These guys are dangerous. However, they also are great when it comes to seeing and reporting crimes, because they are out there night and day when and where stuff happens. So the cops give em a break when it comes to issuing citations. Gotta keep em on the cops side. Kinda like special order 40, only for taxi drivers. Oh well, maybe the mayor will take bicycle safety a little more seriously now. As far as public funds going to bicycle causes, well, when bicyclists start paying californias outrageous DMV fees (the countries highest), and californias 18.5 cent-per-gallon gasoline taxes (also the nations highest), then maybe they will have a bigger voice about how road monies are to be spent. Its the car drivers who pay the burden of road costs, boys. Bicyclists get to use the roads for free. No taxation, no representation.

[Fabio]

Was the bike he was riding another free gift?

[lou]

rewrite the title of this news"Mayor of l.a. won`t be able to (attend)get freebies for awhile"

[John]

"Automobiles have roads to drive on because every car pays to register, pays in gas tax and pays through tolls (on some roads). Bicyclists (or natural gas or electric powered vehicles) should not get a free ride on roads that were paid for by others."

Total BS, stop repeating it. Gas and registration don't cover most the costs of car roads, most of it is paid for with general fund. People who don't drive and don't own cars subsidize drivers.

"You know, there is a place in this world where they have too many people and bicyclists rule the road... Communist China."

Nice troll! Your knowledge of China obviously comes from looking at 1960s Life Magazine photos!

How about mentioning Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, most of Scandanavia, and other countries where there are proper bike ways and bikes are respected as transportation.

[JOHN Q]

Why waste money on bike lanes ! No Way ! To many good programs for disabled and elderly are being cut !
BESIDE'S LOOK AT THE GOOD RESULTS WE GOT FROM THE PRESENT SET UP !

[Phil Osopher]

Was he on the way to one of those "Special Events"?

[phoenixandrew]

It's not fair that motorists have to share the road with bicyclists. Bicyclists are a hazard and obstruction to traffic. They belong on the sidewalks, not on the streets. Besides, bicyclists have this attitude that the rules of the road don't apply to them. Many bicyclists are ghetto people and outlaws no different from the anarchists who rioted after the cop who killed Oscar Grant was convicted on lesser charges.

[Bob's Country Bunker]

Bicyclists rarely obey traffic laws -- hitting someone maneuvering illegally is a shame, but it isn't a crime.

Stick to beachside communities, parks and residential side streets. Biking around Silver Lake Reservoir = nice. Biking down Hollywood Blvd = menace.

[Steve Bardfield]

The mayor in my opinion is just another casualty of the way people drive in Southern California. A pedestrian or bicyclist is an inconvenience to an impatient driver not willing to share the road.

As a person who walks every day I regularly have to jump out of the way of a car not wanting to wait for me to cross a driveway. I was knocked over by a car using a construction zone to get around the traffic that construction created.

Just 2 weeks ago a police officer was killed by a driver using the shoulder as a passing lane. How many of us see these offenses, failure to signal, not waiting their turn in line, blocking intersections, using the shoulder and right turn only lanes as passing lanes every day wondering why nothing is done? Has rude and inconsiderate driving become acceptable? Is it a symptom of our selfish society?
I would think enforcement could raise money for the city. Perhaps double traffic fines during peak traffic periods or around construction zones might reduce abhorrent driving.

It is unfortunate that people of stature have to be injured or killed to bring attention to this larger issue. I wish the mayor a speedy recovery.

Steve Bardfield

[Brian Gomez]

HAHAHAHHAHA I'm glad this happened to him.

[Brian Gomez]

HAHAHAHHAHA I'm glad this happened to him.

[ssimons]

Good timing for Stephen Box, although he is much more than a bicycle activist. I think you could just say Stephen Box, activist. He is as concerned with the city's budget and created BudgetLA where everyday concerned citizens were given access to city officials and information regarding the city's budget crisis. All this as a volunteer. Just imagine what the guy can do once he is in office. I for one can't wait!

[Brian Gomez]

I wonder if we had riding to another illegal alien activist gathering

[Ken]

Awww poor Mayor. I was hoping for the worst but Ill take it I guess

[George]

Is the so called Karma everyone speaks of?

[Pedro]

Having a painted stripe on the side of a busy road does *not* equal safety. Only here would someone think that painting a line on the ground would keep cars on one side with bicycles on the other. Other examples of this fallacy exist on Santa Monica Blvd., Sepulveda, etc.

Drivers and cars don't respect painted lines. (Neither do the laws of physics.)

In short this city is dangerous to bicyclists.

Venice is certainly big enough to put at least a curb to protect bicyclists. The city would be a better place for it and we'd have a place where bicycles and cars can coexist like so many other cities around the world.

Thanks

[concon]

I wonder who was driving the cab?

[Jackedup]

Too bad he didn't break his neck! He's the worst mayor in the history of Los Angeles. I wish I.C.E. would deport him.

[Chuck]

Ahahahahahahahaha! Thanks Mayor Freeloadagosa, you made my day!

[Jeff]

Breaking news: Nobody cares

[RabidinL.A.]

I have not seen one bicyclist stop for a stop sign, they sail right through as though they don't even exist...but it's the motorist's fault if there's an accident? Apparently hand signals are also a thing of the past and we're all telepathic. And there is, of course, no enforcement. Their abusive arrogance rivals only that of their whining.

[candy]

oh who cares he was probably going to one of his girlfriends house

[Dennis T.]

Hey Mr Mayor,
don't you think its time to give up? you can't have a marrage, you can't have a affair, you can't even run a city!!!! you are dumber than a pile of hammers!!! lame duck is the nicest thing we can call you. if I was your keeper, I would have taken you out and shot you a long time ago. but since this is this is the LA Times, they have your back. I wonder if anyone cares that y0u're a former gang banger? I moved out of LA because of you and your corrupt ways.

[Bob Robinson]

LAPD Chief is the biggest Kiss... that I ever hears about. Am I wrong or not?