A Sign of the Times?

The City of Reno put up a 4 way stop at the intersection of Ralston and 1st this week.  Not sure what's up with that.  I don't think this was ever an intersection with many accidents and I don't think people generally drove too fast on 1st.  I'm not sure I care if it's there or not....although it does disrupt what was a nice flow for riding down 1st st.

What I am sure of, is there definitely wasn't any public process on this one.  So....if it's that easy City of Reno.....how about making our Bicycle Boulevard better!!

Improperly "Driving" on our Bicycle Boulevard!

This is a follow up article from the RGJ about Larry Pizorno (former Mayoral candidate) hitting a bicyclist with a golf club (while he also carried an illegal concealed firearm).  I won't go into a rant on how lame it is to use a self defense claim when you throw the "first punch" while also holding a firearm as backup.  Even if the cyclist had fully "run over" his dog as his initial police statement reads (and obviously didn't happen), there is no reason to just start swinging a golf club at someone's head.

What I will use the incident to point out, is that the cyclist was riding on the riverside pedestrian path.  This is clearly marked as no bicycles, so the cyclist should not have been there.  My question is why was he there?  After all we have a "designated" bicycle boulevard only 10 feet away, right?

The answer is our bicycle boulevard is anything but bicycle friendly!  Cars routinely hit 30+ mph despite the confusing variable 15-25 mph posted speed limits and ineffective speed bumps.  The vehicle traffic is pretty much continuous and cyclists certainly aren't the focus of the street's use despite it's designation.  Basically only strong, confident riders are comfortable biking on our bicycle boulevard!?

It's obviously bad enough on the bicycle boulevard that the cyclist (whom Larry Pizorno described as "He had a death look on his face.") chose to ride on the congested pedestrian path rather than "risk" our bicycle boulevard!!! 


It makes me wonder if maybe I'm not tough enough to be riding my bike on the bicycle boulevard!?  I mean I'm a confident rider....but I certainly don't can't channel a death look.  So perhaps in the future even I will stick to illegally riding on pedestrian path.  At least until the city of Reno can make our bicycle boulevard something other than just another road with a special name.


In the mean time enjoy the RGJ article on how to improperly wield a golf club....

Larry "Wolf Man" Pizorno shook his head and muttered, "He's lying" as he listened to the man he allegedly beat with a golf club testify against him in a preliminary hearing Tuesday in downtown Reno.

The 79-year-old former Reno mayoral candidate was accused of battery with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.

Pizorno, who declined to speak during the hearing, leaned back in his chair several times, occasionally muttering to himself and whispering to his attorney as Reno resident Edward Spaulding talked about the events that led up to the reported beating. Witness Bruce Brown of Reno and the arresting officer also recapped the incident during the hearing Tuesday in Reno Justice Court.

On Feb. 12, officers responded to a call of a disturbance between two individuals near Riverside Drive and Washington Street, according to an arrest report.

Upon arrival, they found Spaulding bleeding from the right side of his head. He told officers that Pizorno had hit him with a golf club, according to the arrest report.

In an earlier interview, Pizorno told the Reno Gazette-Journal that the act was in self-defense and that he felt threatened by the man on the bicycle.

Pizorno often walks with his therapy dogs along the path and stops to talk to the homeless, he said. A sign posted along the path prohibits people from riding bicycles on the walkway.

"I always bring my golf club to push trash and dog poop off the walkway," Pizorno said just before his preliminary hearing. "I use it as my cane."

Police said Pizorno told the arresting officer that Spaulding had run over his dog with a bicycle and so Pizorno swung his golf club him.

"You bet I feared for my life," Pizorno said last week. "He had a death look on his face.

"It wasn't a spur the moment thing, and it's not something I would ever do for no reason," he said, adding he was beaten by two men several years ago while walking his dogs.

On Tuesday, Pizorno's attorney, Jaci Millsap, declined to comment on the case, but confirmed in court that her client was "viciously beaten on the same pathway" years earlier.

Pizorno told police he only meant to hit the man on the body and not on the head, according to the arrest report.

Brown, the witness, also described the incident at the preliminary hearing.

"I heard a little yip, and I saw a guy tap the dog with the bike a little bit, then bam, the other guy (Pizorno) hit (Spaulding) on the head," Brown said.

"It was actually kind of funny, (Pizorno) was saying, 'Stop your crying and your sniveling,'" Brown said. "He was very condescending about it."

The impact landed Spaulding in the emergency room at Renown Regional Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with a concussion.

Spaulding said during the hearing that he politely asked Pizorno to move as he came up behind Pizorno before the incident.

"I came up behind him, and I asked if he could please move and he said no," Spaulding said.

Spaulding said he tried to ride around Pizorno tapping one of his dogs on the tail with his tire.

"I felt something pull me from behind," Spaulding said. "I thought he had slapped me on the side of my face, but when I touched my face, it was soaked in blood."

"He proceeded to tell me that I was lucky I didn't get my teeth knocked out of me, and that I should quit my crying," he said, adding he had a 4-inch gash on his head that eventually needed four staples.

"I lost a massive amount of blood," Spaulding said at the preliminary hearing. "It was the most horrific thing that ever happened to me."

In a letter to the Washoe County District Attorney's office, Spaulding said he suffered headaches, cognitive problems and had trouble sleeping, among other ailments. Eventually, he took a week off work and discontinued his online schooling to earn his master's degree as an addiction counselor.

When asked by Milsap if he had sought further medical care, Spaulding said that had not since the incident.

Pizorno, known for wearing a wolfskin to Nevada games, is set for an arraignment on May 27 at the Washoe County District Court.

Amazing Bicycle PSA People....Unfortunately, PSA Means "Pretty Scary Avenue"!!

 
Ok, before I vent a bit about the current status of our BBINO (Bicycle Boulevard in Name Only), let's take a minute to thank all the great people who came out to help get this filmed (and make me feel like I need a fashion lesson).

The one and only Reno-Rambler was there, in what can only be described as bicycle glory.  Rivendell bicycle with waxed canvas bags, personally swathed in Rapha apparel, cycling cap, and sipping a hub coffee!  The man screams bicycle, while being one of the most thoughtful, quiet, and well spoken people I know.

The Cuter Commuter (and her rock star racing machine husband) were also there.  I'm sure I should know what designer dress she was sporting (seriously I have no clue), but she radiates cycling fashion that makes Copenhagen cycle chic look bland!

And let's not forget Julie of Washoe County Clean Air who is at the helm of this, along with all of the amazing list of events that are planned for this years Bike to Work Week!  This lady (and her whole family) are making your town a better place and deserve your thanks.

Finally, we had some newer faces.  Since I'm not in the habit of using real names I like to make up names for people.....I'd have to call her climber girl.  Hopefully, this will work for her.  A newer Renoite, she (and her husband) publish the Climbing Business Journal all while she puts more miles on a single speed (with coaster brake) than most hipsters in Reno ride, while rivaling the Cuter Commuter for elegant style on a bicycle.  Also....since biking does a huge ZERO for upper body...you might consider checking out a local indoor climbing gym to buff up.

Ok...wow, that's the most credits I've ever listed!  Now to point.

Shooting video PSA material required us to ride a block or so of the "Bicycle Boulevard" about 6 or 8 times.  Notice in the picture above we're "huddled" at the edge of a side street.  This is because the vehicle traffic volume and speeds are almost prohibitive for anyone who isn't a seasoned cyclist to feel comfortable with.

The stars of our video were pretty young kids who were being asked to take a lane for the purpose of this filming.  They did a great job, but there where several times were I almost sucked my teeth into my throat when they drifted towards the other lane (and oncoming traffic, that didn't even tap the brakes) or someone overtook us at well over the posted 15 mph speed limit!  Seriously, these kids should get hazard pay!

They also shouldn't have to deal with this traffic volume and speeding on a designated bicycle boulevard!!!  It's the whole point of having it....and it's not working and it's not a safe environment to bike in!  So, with renewed vigor we need to fix this.

If you think I know how to do this, you'd be sadly mistaken....but I think it's time we figure it out.  In the past, I've had several pet projects in the background.  After my experience this weekend I think it's time to marshal the troops and get this BBINO reformatted into a real Bicycle Boulevard!

***For additional context please pop over to Reno-Rambler!

Bicycle Boulevards....can we make it work for downtown Reno?

Here's a little primer.....see what you think!  Notice that Portland was already thinking this way in 2007.  So we have a little catching up to do!

Bicycling on Kietzke....attend this meeting if you want it to be the best street ever!

I'm reporting this from the Reno Bike Project page.....it's important to get people here if you want to see the changes happen, so tell your friends and neighbors!

Help us make KIETZKE the most bicycle friendly road in Reno!

Calling all bicyclists to attend the Kietzke Lane Safety Management Plan Open House on February 21, 4-7pm at the Wooster High Gym. NDOT will be presenting their best options for improving Kietzke Lane and creating a safe, community street that connects neighborhoods in South Reno and improves travel between shopping, schools and work. This is a critical meeting to ensure that bicyclists and pedestrians demonstrate that all of the proposed improvements be kept in the plan.
These safety improvements include: Green bike boxes and bicycle signal heads at key intersections, buffered bikes lanes or cycle tracks, and possibly roundabouts at Plumb and 2nd Street intersections. Lastly NDOT is proposing to remove on-street parking and purchase right-of-way to allow space for the Complete Street components of wider sidewalks and bike lanes. This is one of the first times that this has occurred in Reno/Sparks, and it will set a precedent for safety planning and accommodating bicyclists in the community into the future. This project is also important because NDOT will consider relinquishing (trading) Kietzke to the City of Reno down the road, so we need to install these improvements now.
Please attend the Open House and submit comments supporting the improved safety proposals for Kietzke Lane. NDOT is depending on the cycling community to show support for these improvements and to show the governing agencies that we are committed to increasing the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians who will travel this corridor. The estimated cost for everything is $30 million, so they will have 3 levels of priority. We need to keep bicycling facilities at a Priority 1 or 2 to get them built within five years.
See you at the meeting!