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

[etotherock]

I always hear the same complaints about cyclists on the streets.

But, I think it's easy to say that cars need to take some responsibility for the situation on the road. The also constantly break the speed limit, cut lanes, fail to stop at stop signs and cause countless collisions and deaths because of reckless driving.

Don't make it out like cyclists are the ONLY road users that break the law.

[klesb]

If we are going to be spending tax dollars on bicycle lanes, then let's treat bicycles like the equal-rights vehicles they claim to be. Register them like motor vehicles, license the riders (after the appropriate testing), and require liability insurance for when they cause accidents as motorists try to avoid their sometimes erratic behavior. And, fine them when they are impeding the flow of traffic like you would a slow motorist. They are just ordinary citizens using the public right-of-ways, and deserve no special status. Given the fact that they die 14.7 times more often per mile travelled than motorists, they probably represent a net-cost to society, especially when we consider the costs they cause the other roadway users.

[BUMPY]

was the MAYOR of the City of Los Angeles wearing a helmet, and did he have the required safety devices on his bicycle; especially at dusk? What lane was he using?

[John]

"And, fine them when they are impeding the flow of traffic like you would a slow motorist."

Contrary to popular belief there is no "minimum speed limit" on city streets. If there is slower traffic PASS SAFELY. It's pretty easy. If everyone didn't feel entitled to go 45 at all times we'd have safer streets for everyone.

"They are just ordinary citizens using the public right-of-ways, and deserve no special status."

Agreed.

"Given the fact that they die 14.7 times more often per mile travelled than motorists, they probably represent a net-cost to society, especially when we consider the costs they cause the other roadway users."

You just made that up! The fatality rate per mile traveled is actually roughly equal to cars. This includes kids and wrong-way cyclists and drunks and the scofflaws. For adults riding in a safe, law abiding manner cycling is safe, AT LEAST no more dangerous than driving.

Wow, do you really want to talk about "net cost" to society? Cars pollute and expel greenhouse gases. Even if you could remove those two things, they cause cities to use up valuable space for roads and parking and force city planners to space things farther apart, causing sprawl. They encourage sedentary, fast-food fueled lifestyles. They waste countless hours from congestion. They also kill 40,000 people a year in the US alone.

[BJToepper]

"was the MAYOR of the City of Los Angeles wearing a helmet?"

The L.A. Times mentioned that the mayor didn't hit his head because he was wearing a helmet. If he had failed to wear a helmet, he would have hit his head. When you crash on your bike, and you don't wear a helmet, you always hit your head. Always. I always used to hit my head in bike crashes until I started wearing a helmet. Fortunately, the mayor was smarter than me. He was wearing a helmet. The helmet prevented him from hitting his head and he just broke his elbow instead. I read somewhere that elbow helmets are in development. Hail the helmet!

[Ray Villarreal]

AS A BIKE RIDER MY SELF MR MAYOR I HOPE YOUR DOING FINE AFTER YOUR ACCIDENT. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE FOR RIDING AS YOU KNOW NOW ITS ALL DEFENSE & SAFTY. I RIDEN 20 MILES ADAY FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS AND I LOVE IT. GOOD JOB & AGAIN THANK YOU

RAY VILLARREAL FORMER US MARINE ( RIDE TILL YOU DIE SEMPER FI )

[Ray Villarreal]

GOOD JOB MR. MAYOR
THANK YOU. ( RIDE TILL YOU DIE SEMPER FI )
RAY VILLARRREAL FORMER MARINE @ BIKE RIDER FOR LIFE

[Dave Wyman]

I love Jim8's contradictory comments:

"How do you share the road with a vehicle that can't go the minimum speed?"

Contrary to Jim8's thinking, it's cars that have trouble going slow.

"Bikes can be counted on to run stop signs and just about any other laws that aren't convenient."

In which case bikes are going faster than cars, which now bugs poor Jim8, and is the opposite of what he claims in the prior sentence.

[MR]

The rights (and responsibilities) of a motor vehicle are identical to that of a bicyclist. If you're trying to pass one, you need to execute a proper pass (signal, move all the way into the adjacent lane, etc.).

If you see a bicyclist running stop signs, call the cops, try go get them to give the person a ticket, but just to make it fair, make sure you do the same for all the cars you see doing it.

If you want fewer vehicles on the street, vote for funding for better public transportation (trains, not busses).

Many of us who bike own cars and choose only to use them when necessary, as it benefits everyone.

[p gonzalez]

Los Angeles voters... let's this mayor out of office! Even though the recent RecallCity Hall did not garner enough signatures, we can start now and gain momentum for next year. NOT one more year with his criminal. He's corrupt, arrogant, and lies about everything including his past credentials. Once a major MECHA leader, he runs a sanctuary city and in a totally unforgivable move, completely disrespected Jamiel Shawl's family, in order to protect illegal Latinos over the death of everyone else by gangbangers. He openly practices reverse racism. This man needs to be removed from office immediately. BTW he funnels money like a million dollars to projects in Mexico like the Library and Book fair; his contracts should all be investigated, his DWP scandal is well known -- the judge demanded he return 35 million of taxpayer's money... did he? City Hall insiders know he's running a Mexican Mafia -- time to get them all out. Los Angeles is in trouble and we need real leadship NOW. Band together... petition for his recall.