John Ewing
@avimentor
Cancer Survivor, Canophile, Active Transport Cyclist, retired Pilot/Flight Instructor/Pilot Examiner, Life-long Human, born at 314.8 ppm
Me, hopefully in the near future, when I forget a bottle opener while visiting my favorite Berkeley shops on Hopkins.
The flashing yellow lights, Virginia at MLK in Berkeley, not working working today. Here’s a photo from over a month ago. They weren’t working then either. Why haven’t they been fixed? Asking for a friend. @berkeleyca.gov
CA Vehicle Code section 21460 (a) If double parallel solid yellow lines are in place, a person driving a vehicle shall not drive to the left of the lines, except as permitted in this section Perhaps a “NO LEFT TURN” sign would clarify a driver’s responsibilities? Better yet, a concrete K-rail?
Could it be that Berkeley’s newly opened ped/bike crossing design, Adeline at Woolsey, is not working as planned? Cars are not supposed to turn left onto Woolsey, but crossing those double yellow lines painted on the pavement is apparently just too hard to resist. @cityofberkley.bsky.social
3 years ago I cycled Rumrill Blvd in San Pablo to collect 3D video for Google StreetView. I still ride this route 1x/month, returning from Pt Pinol Park. Nasty flat today & the bike lanes are filthy. Saw other cyclists riding on the sidewalk! It’s one thing to build infra, another to maintain it.
Small world. While walking our dog this afternoon, I saw an unusual cargo bike & called out to the rider, "Is that a MONoPOLE?" It was indeed and the owner kindly stopped, & let me take a closer look. I've lusted after one, but had never seen one in real life. Now I'm thinking N+1, peut-être?
Seems we're pretty high on the backside of the hysteria curve. One hopes the bike lanes get built & then things settle down as opponents realize their world is not coming to an end. Calling the new config a freeway is nonsensical hysteria. May as well just go and yell at the clouds.
TFW your city council rep says: "I remain extremely concerned about the potential loss of parking spaces in the commercial section of the street, as well as along King Park, and am fighting to make sure whatever design is proposed retains as much of it as possible.” My thoughts? Reduce VMT.
Nothing new here, just the end result of a driver hopping curb in Albany and slamming their car into a bike rack, bending it out of shape. By my count, at least three bike racks on the sidewalk have been damaged or destroyed by drivers on Solano Avenue in the last 12 months or so.
Shared a news story with a friend about a driver who crashed into a building in Colorado. He replied, wondering if the image was just generated by AI. So I did a search for “Colorado car drives into building” which returned many more images that you might have imagined.
Name a movie that flopped at the box office but is actually great. #FilmSky
Sure, we have June Gloom, but climate change continues to accelerate. Our daily choices do have an impact, good or bad. Something to keep in mind when considering housing along transit corridors, public transit funding, enabling walking/biking, reducing car use, & continuing to protect parking.
Rode Prince-MLK-Adeline-Woolsey bike connector this morning. Nice beg-button at Prince/MLK but at BART exit/Adeline, dreaded, unreliable pavement bike detector. Across Adeline, bikes routed onto sidewalk to conflict w/peds? No, thank you. No bike lane markings on downhill path in parking lot?
SF Bay Trail, near Lucretia Edwards Shoreline Park. No sign this unoccupied vehicle is official, no EXEMPT lic plate, no markings. Guess the driver mounted this side walk &, because nothing prevented them, it’s just another case of “If it fits, it sits?” Reported to City of Richmond with their app.
Maybe it's just me, but CHP providing additional information for a Silver Alert only on the former Twitter site seems inappropriate. At the very least this info should be cross-posted to other sites, so I guess I'm doing that for them.
Drove the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge today in slow traffic, got a close look at the sorry state. Let’s start a replacement plan before it collapses. Here are 2 photos showing the dismantling of the old SF-Oakland Bay Bridge. We’ve done this before. Hopefully we can do it again with the RSR Bridge.
CA Code, Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 525 sez: "The abandonment of a vessel ... is prima facie evidence that the last registered owner of record ... is responsible for the abandonment and is thereby liable for the cost of the removal and disposition of the vessel." I've seen a few, too.
What's the worst bicycle tire puncture you ever had? Here's mine from 2022 on Sir Francis Drake near San Quintin. Amazingly, was able to install a tube and some Park Tool emergency tire boot that held for the 12 miles needed to get me home.
This is the second whimsical "monument" like this that I've seen. Makes one wonder who made and installed them. And how many more of them there are in Berkeley. If you know, please reply.
Forget sharing the last picture you saved, I want to see the very first picture on your phone.
Isn't AI supposed to solve all of our problems and prevent errors like this?
Unable to bike for 3 weeks & it's a stark reminder of how much I cycle for shopping/errands or just socializing. Also reminder of the Bay Area’s limited public transit. 3 years ago we were in NL, where you only wait a few minutes to catch a tram or bus. Here? 30 min headways on the route near me.
💯 The safest strategy I’ve found is to ride onto the sidewalk, yielding to any pedestrians, so I’m clear of any drivers turning left off of San Pablo, & so I’m able to reach the beg button. My justification? Last summer I saw 4 Albany PD officers on bikes in this area, riding on the sidewalk.
On Shellmound in Emeryville, a driver (looking at their phone, peut-être?) doesn’t move when the light turns green, then starts moving but still not paying close attention, strikes the median curb with enough force to blow-out their car's left front tire. Yeah, e-bikes are the real problem.
Make it stop! HAWK signals are a hot mess. I use the crossing at Delaware/San Pablo Ave in Albany dozens of times a week. The signal confuses drivers, the solid red cycle only last a few seconds, & without fail at least 1 driver is guaranteed to just blow through the solid or flashing red cycle.
