News summary November 10

2013/11/112013/11/12 Dan AllisonLeave a comment

Carnage

Man sought in fatal West Sacramento hit-and-run in custody (SacBee 2013-11-07); UPDATE: West Sacramento police release photo of RV sought in fatal hit-and-run (SacBee 2013-11-06); I wonder about posting these incidents where the victim was intentionally hit by a motor vehicle driver, not the classic pedestrian death, but then I wonder how many other pedestrian deaths, the “unexplained” ones, might be the same cause, the well known idea that if you want to kill someone and get away with it, just use a motor vehicle, so here it is

Other

Suburbs, private enterprise & public governance (Sacramento Press 2013-11-08); there are already many well written counterpoint comments on this article, and there no doubt will be more
Car and Ride Share Programs Thrive in Sacramento (CapRadio 2013-11-07)
On Joel Kotkin’s contentious appearance in Sacramento (Sacramento News & Review 2013-11-07)
LAFCO turns down plan to expand Elk Grove’s boundaries (SacBee 2013-11-06)
Zipcar expands in Sacramento (SacBee 2013-11-05); Zipcar Expands in Sacramento Becoming 26th Major Metro Market (SacBee 2013-11-06); Zipcar adding cars, spaces in Sacramento (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-11-07)
Could part of midtown’s 20th Street become an urban park? (SacBee 2013-11-05)
Sacramento gets starting spot in Amgen Tour of California (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-11-05); Sacramento chosen to kick off 2014 Amgen bike race (SacBee 2013-11-05)
Work on R Street could spur development (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-11-05)

News summary October 27

2013/10/272013/10/28 Dan AllisonLeave a comment

Carnage

Bicyclist killed in collision with SUV in Marysville (SacBee 2013-10-25)
Bicyclist killed in collision with SUV in Carmichael (SacBee 2013-10-24); Bicyclist in fatal Carmichael crash is identified (SacBee 2013-10-28)
Woman lying on track struck and killed by RT train (SacBee 2013-10-24)
Midtown Sacramento cyclist seriously injured in collision with city garbage truck (SacBee 2013-10-23)
Sacramento cyclist killed after swerving in front of SUV (SacBee 2013-10-22); Cyclist killed in Monday accident in south Sacramento identified (SacBee 2013-10-22)
3 dead, 1 injured in separate pedestrian accidents in Sacramento area (SacBee 2013-10-22)
Girl struck by car while walking to school in south Sacramento (SacBee 2013-10-22)
Man killed in auto-pedestrian accident in north Sacramento (SacBee 2013-10-22);Man killed in auto-pedestrian accident in north Sacramento identified (SacBee 2013-10-23)
Elderly Sacramento woman killed in auto-pedestrian accident (SacBee 2013-10-22)
Woman killed in hit and run accident in Elk Grove (SacBee 2013-10-22); Woman killed in Elk Grove hit and run accident identified (SacBee 2013-10-23)

Other

Can new sidewalks boost Sacramento’s aging suburbs? (SacBee 2013-10-27)
Viewpoints: Top 10 reasons for denying Elk Grove’s growth overreach (SacBee 2013-10-26)
Rocklin mixed-use land becomes subdivision (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-10-25); alternative headline: Rocklin shoots itself in the foot, wound will heal in about 50 years
Life on the #15 Bus (Sacramento Press 2013-10-24)
Data Center: See Sacramento schools with most, least students at unhealthy weight (SacBee 2013-10-23)
Council votes to launch bike corrals, plan parklets in Sacramento (SacBee 2013-10-22)
Highway 99 Elverta interchange ready to open (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-10-21)

Slaughter on the roadways

2013/10/242013/11/12 Dan Allison3 Comments

In the last there days, Monday through Wednesday, at least four people died when struck by car drivers, and two others were injured. I know that the Sacramento Bee does not report all pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and injuries, so there may have been more in the region, but this is an incredible level of slaughter.

The SacBee articles so far are:

Midtown Sacramento cyclist seriously injured in collision with city garbage truck (SacBee 2013-10-23)
Sacramento cyclist killed after swerving in front of SUV (SacBee 2013-10-22); Cyclist killed in Monday accident in south Sacramento identified (SacBee 2013-10-22)
3 dead, 1 injured in separate pedestrian accidents in Sacramento area (SacBee 2013-10-22)
Girl struck by car while walking to school in south Sacramento (SacBee 2013-10-22)
Man killed in auto-pedestrian accident in north Sacramento (SacBee 2013-10-22);Man killed in auto-pedestrian accident in north Sacramento identified (SacBee 2013-10-23)
Elderly Sacramento woman killed in auto-pedestrian accident (SacBee 2013-10-22)
Woman killed in hit and run accident in Elk Grove (SacBee 2013-10-22); Woman killed in Elk Grove hit and run accident identified (SacBee 2013-10-23)

The better of these articles describe the outcome and location in a factual manner. The poorer ones place the blame on the victim. This victim blaming is aided and abetted by the law enforcement officers who make the assumption that either a) it was a “tragic accident” that could not have been prevented or b) the driver was not drunk and remained at the scene, so clearly it is the pedestrian or bicyclist’s fault. Both are nonsensical statements and ideas.

News summary October 20

2013/10/20 Dan AllisonLeave a comment

Editorial: Miniparks, bike corrals, bicycle sharing are well worth exploring (SacBee 2013-10-19)
Back-seat Driver: The I-5 chicken, bike corrals and other streets sightings (SacBee 2013-10-18)
This year in Sacramento, falling leaves come with warnings (SacBee 2013-10-18)
Bike Share Business Plan (Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District 2013-10-14)
No more sprawl (Sacramento News & Review 2013-10-17)
Light rail is great. Light rail is awful. (Sacramento News & Review 2013-10-17)
Davis adopts new bicycle fines after public backlash (SacBee 2013-10-14)
Sacramento replaces old bridges with new (SacBee 2013-10-14)

News summary October 13

2013/10/14 Dan AllisonLeave a comment

Carnage

Pedestrian killed in Carmichael accident was retired CSUS professor (SacBee 2013-10-11); Elderly pedestrian dies in collision on Carmichael street (SacBee 2013-10-10)
Coroner releases name of woman run over by RT bus (SacBee 2013-10-08); Bicyclist dies in collision with Regional Transit bus (SacBee 2013-10-07)
Man with 8 DUIs convicted in death of Tahoe pedestrian (SacBee 2013-10-07)
Bicyclist seriously injured in North Natomas collision (SacBee 2013-10-07)
Yuba City woman dies after walking in front of vehicle on Highway 20 (SacBee 2013-10-07)

Other

Stuart Leavenworth: Sacramento County offers a platform to skewed scholar of suburbs (SacBee 2013-10-12)
Back-seat Driver: No more Blood Alley on Highway 99 (SacBee 2013-10-11)
North Franklin is ready for renewal (SacBee 2013-10-11)
Poor travel routes, emphasis on cars mean fewer students walk to school (SacBee 2013-10-10)
Ride Transit October celebrates RT travelers (Sacramento Press 2013-10-08)
Elk Grove wants to expand its boundaries (SacBee 2013-10-07); Elk Grove asking to expand (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-10-07)

AB-148 signed

2013/10/132013/10/13 Dan AllisonLeave a comment

Governor Brown signed AB-184: Statute of limitations (Gatto), which extends the statue of limitations for hit-and-run to make it similar to other crimes.

With this signing, all the bills that I was tracking have been resolved: signed, vetoed, or deferred. Tracked bills which passed were: AB-184, AB-206, AB-417, AB-1371, and SB-99.

SB-99, a budget bill which I was not tracking, included aspects of AB-1194, with a lower but guaranteed minimum for Safe Routes to School, and had a higher alternative transportation allocation than was expected.

SB-743 was a gut and amend bill that addressed the Sacramento arena and CEQA, and included elimination of level of service as the primary consideration in urban infill projects, which might in the long run be the most significant change of all.

AB-1290 did not pass, but the overall pass ratio was really great.

Of course many bills did not make it out of their house of origin or did not pass both houses, and they may be considered in the next session, or may be dropped.

More information is on my legislation page.

AB-1290 vetoed

2013/10/11 Dan AllisonLeave a comment

Governor Brown vetoed bill AB-1290: Transportation planning (John A. Pérez). The purpose of the bill was to expand the membership of the California Transportation Commission in order to create better representation of bicycling, pedestrian, and transit modes, and to better consider air quality and land use. His veto message is at http://gov.ca.gov/docs/AB_1290_2013_Veto_Message.pdf. He indicates that other reforms will achieve the intended effects, but I have my doubts. The car-centric transportation cabal in California is very resistant to reform.

TransForm’s bill information is at http://www.transformca.org/ca-federal/ca-legislation#1290.