In Memory of Paul Benabides, 20

In was only just over a week ago, Saturday, that Paul Benabides was killed in a car "accident" near my house. This morning I went to go find any evidence, of the spot where he was tragically killed. I though I might spots flyers, posters, flowers, or candles. Since the newspaper report listed only Lois Ave., which runs North/South for about a mile, I peddled through the neiborhood slowly trying to find something that would remind neigbors ofthe tragic incident.

Peddling at a slow 5 mph I found no evidence of any accident.

Paul Benabides RIP

August 10, 1988 - May 15, 2009

Tivo this! From KQED Friday 9:00 PM "Blueprint America: Road to the Future"

Blueprint America: Road to the Future

Friday evening at 9:00 PM on KQED and tonight at 8:00 on PBS stations across the country, a new one-hour documentary film will highlight the state of affairs for Americas highway system.

Blueprint America:
"PBS reports on the infrastructure crisis"

Road to the Future:
Film Documentary

With examples drawn from Denver, New York, and Portland, veteran CNN correspondent and anchor Miles O'Brien will visit places where local officials and residents face agonizing choices between the easy status quo and the path less taken.

Good to see Jonathan Maus of Bike Portland and Janette Sadik-Khan

30 second video preview

Is This The End Of The (Suburban) World As We Know It?

Notice to Residents of Victorville - "Your Home May be Worth Less Than Your SUV"

As a follow up to my last post this morning (Is This The End ExUrbia as We Know It?). I went back to check on some of the other "possible unfinished developments" that Guaranty Bank, (currently at 64 cents a share - GFG) or any other bank may own. I had to stop because my eyes and hands were tired from clicking. If you think this real estate thing is over, you may want to think again.

Someone borrowed money from Guaranty, or B of A, or Chase/WAMU to pull the building permits and get the heavy machinery to start construction. Somebody lent on the hundreds of empty pads that dot the high desert. I'll tell you one thing; the bank presidents - they aint living in Victorville.

See Zillow Graph (You may have to scroll down)

Los Angles Times - "Housing Crunch Becomes Literal in Victorville"

Each Pin Represents a New Development in Victorville; a city of 100,000


View Victorville Real Estate in a larger map

Is This The End ExUrbia as We Know It?

Partially completed Southern California housing tract demolished

Original Article in the Daily Press Los Angeles Times - Article "Housing crunch becomes literal in Victorville"

In a story Associated Press article syndicated by the San Jose Mercury News, the demolition of the remaining partially constructed was noted. The article desribed the site as follows:

"The planned 16-unit tract on the fringes of a suburb about 65 miles northeast of Los Angeles included four finished homes with granite counter tops, whirlpool bathtubs and dual-pane windows."

Two things worth noting about the above statement. "Fringes of Suburb" is an understatement. Victorville is over 80 miles from downtown Los Angeles. According to Google Maps the drive to Victorville is over 80 miles which theoretically takes over 1 hour and 20 minutes and up to 2 hours, 40 minutes in traffic. Also to get to Victorville you would need to drive over a 4,200 foot high pass through the San Gabriel and San Bernadino Mountains. On some of the worst commutes; the trip could take over 5 hours, round trip.

Notice that the article described the homes with granite counter tops and whirlpool bathtubs, a classic add on at the hight of the real estate bubble.

Victorville is classic suburban type development gone wild and gets my Golden Asphalt Award . The gobbling up of desert land is clear noticeable from "the air" as you view the city on Google Maps . With only a 2007 population of just over 100,000 it has hit the suburban big time with their own mega mall, creatively called "The Mall" (I'm not making this up) featuring stores such as Sears, McDonalds, and Starbucks.

If you want to buy land next to this mall its only $7 million.

Book Review - Pedal Power

Just finished reading "Pedal Power - The Quiet Rise of the Bicycle in American Public Life" The author J. Harry Wray has been teaching a "Politics and the Bicycle" class at DePaul university

Vauban - Realistic Experiment?

Yesterday's New York Times reported on a town in southwestern Germany, nestled between the French and Swiss borders that has made a civic commitment to go car-free or more realistically as car-lite as possible.  Titled "In German Suburb, Life Goes On Without Cars", the article (along with photos) describes a suburb of Frielberg, Germany (Google - My Maps).  The Times also featured a discussion page about going "Carfree in America?". 

Comparing Sunnyvale to Vauban

After reading the article take a look at the pictures that I have linked above and also my map created on Google Maps to get an idea of the scope of the car-free village.  I am always curious the amount of land devoted to roadway.  In a previous blog post I took a look at a corner of Sunnyvale, California (which due to the square mile grid pattern makes it a little fun and easy).  In that post I estimated that this purely residential area devotes about 20% of its land area to road way (not counting the concrete used for driveways on private lots).  In Vauban I calculated that less than 4% is used for auto roadways!

Here are some additional links on Vauban
Bike Portland - "Germany's Car Conscious Community"

The Christian Science Monitor - "New German Community Models Car-Free Living"

Also this article is linked to in the New York Times article - "Students Give Up Wheels For Their Own Two Feet"



Vauban Photo courtesy of Ecofaubourg at Fickr



View Vauban in a larger map

Victorville, California - Foreclusure Amongst The Sprawl

After seen the national attention given to the recent demolition of a semi-completed suburban development I decided to look further into the town of Victorville.  From the air you can see where it has taken on the characteristic look of sprawled out suburban living.  The Mall at Victor Valley is remarkably noticible even and a distance almost resembling the oribital path of geosychonos satellites.

• 4-30-07: Bear Valley Road Traffic
  I lived in Victorville for many years and recently moved to Jess Ranch in Apple Valley. Now that I live in Apple Valley, I realize that some of the traffic is coming from Apple Valley drivers trying to get to the freeway or the Mall. I know Victorville is responsible for Bear Valley Road, but does Apple Valley give Victorville any money to improve Bear Valley Road?
  
  Brian's Answer:
  The average daily traffic (ADT) on Bear Valley Road (number of vehicles in a 24 hour period) from the fall of 2005 was as follows:

Location	Highest day	7-day Average
At the Mojave River	58,200	52,200
West of 2nd Ave	53,100	49,100
Between Mariposa Rd & the I-15 northbound ramps	73,500	69,300

The ADT at the Mojave River was about 75% to 79% of the ADT near I-15. Victorville is responsible for only part of Bear Valley Road, because it lies within four different jurisdictions. Each of the local governments are responsible for maintaining the road within their respective jurisdiction. In general, they do not pay one another for improvements or maintenance outside of their limits.

The jurisdictional limits are as follows: From the Mojave River to the east, it lies within Apple Valley (to the Town limits). Between the Mojave River and I-15, the north half is in Victorville, and the south half is in Hesperia (although because the road curves, the City limits are not always at the center of the road). From I-15 to the City limits (two miles west of US 395) it lies within Victorville. It is called Duncan Road west of US 395. Beyond the Town or City limits, it lies within the unincorporated County of San Bernardino.

There is a cooperative agreement between Victorville and Hesperia for maintenance and timing modification of the traffic signals for twelve shared intersections. Apple Valley, Hesperia and Victorville also completed a joint federally funded project that rehabilitated pavement and improved a number of intersections from I-15 to Kiowa Road, on about eight miles of Bear Valley Road. The local governments matched the federal grant with some of their local funding.

Tragedy in the South San Francisco Bay This Weekend.

This weekend the Bay Area lost two 16 year olds to tragic traffic accidents this weekend; one in Union City and One in Half Moon Bay. Not only is the coincidence of the events striking, but the young age that they were taken from us should not go unnoticed.

Juan Rodelas Jr . was killed and his passenger was injured after Rodelas lost control of his speeding Corvette on Central Avenue in Union City.

An unidentified 16 year old male was struck by a car while crossing Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay just before midnight on Friday (Google Maps ).


View 2009 Fatal Vehicular Accidents in South San Franciso Bay in a larger map

Santa Clara County Sheriff Pleads Guilty in the Death of Two Cyclists

Sentencing Set for June 25

Deputy James "Tommy" Council pleaded guilty yesterday (May 8, 2009) in the deaths of two local cyclists Matt Peterson and Kristianna Gough. 

Two Year Anniversary - Two Year Experiment

Well it's been two years now. What started as a one year experiment is now entering its third year;to be, to live car free in the Silicon Valley. It was two years ago today that a car ran a red light seriously injuring a family of three and destroying my own car. Since I was preparing to leave on a summer cycling trip through Quebec, Canada, I decided to wait until returning to look into getting a new car.

After cycling through Quebec that summer, I reflected on just how far behind we are in our own here in California in terms of a cycling culture, public health, the livability in our cities, and in general just enjoying what we have here in this state. Here was an area with over 4,000 km of some of the most beautiful cycling trails, known as La Route Verte. The organization and investment evident in the trail was superior to anything I have seen in the states.

Bay Area and Silicon Valley

The Silicon Valley lies between two mountain ranges, the Santa Cruz mountains and the Diablo range of mountains. From ridge to ridge its about 26 miles and from foothills to foothills (using highway 280 as a guide from west to east) its about 17 or 18 miles across. The valley contained by these two ranges and the San Francisco Bay is generally flat.

With a Mediterranean climate that makes for livable area I always wonder; why aren't their more cyclists in this area? Why are their more cars in the bay area then the population of Sweden (9 million), or Quebec, Canada? Why are there more cars (vehicles) in California than the poulation of Iraq (31 mil vs. 29 mil). With a population of 36 million and total vehicle registration of 31 million there is a car for just about every resident (86% of residents) of the state! This is over the U.S. vehicle penetration rate of 84%.

So what started as a one year experiment is slowly evolving beyond that initial goal. Who knows how long I will keep this up. I have tried to highlight the state of cycle transportation in the valley, along with other topical and current issues such as; traffic safety, livability, public health, community, and non-auto advocacy. With the recent and continual decline of automakers, auto dealers, and the other industries that feed off of Detroit, I hope to continue to highlight and tell the story of others that choose not own a car. Although I choose, at this time not to be a "car-nivore", that doesn't mean I do not ride or drive in cars. I do occasionally and have rented a car for the weekend on one occasion. I like to consider myself an "Omni-tran", one who does not exclusively seek out transportation options by automobile.

Along the way I have met some great people in Portland (thanks Meghan and Elly), New York (Clearance), San Francisco (Dave), and Brazil (Thiaggo). Also others out there who advocate for transportation options; Katie Alvord - "Divorce Your Car", Donald Shoup- "The High Cost of Free Parking", Jonathan Maus - "Bike Portland", Clarance Eckerson - "StreetFilms.org"and James Kuntsler - "The Geography of Nowhere".

Anyway thanks to all of you who have made this experiment a fun one!

Population and Vehicle Density Correlation

This was a little fun I had playing with a graphical representation of the amount of land converted to parking; assuming a density of 6,000 residents per square mile (Sunnyvale, CA). I came up with just under 25% of the land would be needed to park cars, on average. This does not assume land needed to move those cars. I haven't gotten there yet.

The land here in the Silicon Valley only 50 years ago used to be full of orchards now parking lots have taken there place.

Parking Requirement Calculations (Google Docs)

The larger square represents one mile square. Notice how the old orchard roads were one mile distant. Now these "one mile roads" make for perfect suburban arterial roads. The smaller red square represents one quarter of a square mile.




View Asphalt Jungle in a larger map

James Howard Kuntlser - TED.org Talk

This is a great talk by James H. Kuntsler author of "The Geogarphy of Nowhere", "Home from Nowhere", and "The World Made by Hand".

Thinking of the Current Transportation System as a Health and Safety Issue

All I know is that first you've got to get mad.

You've got to say, 
"I'm a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My life has VALUE!" 


Three vehicular events in the Silicon Valley area this weekend highlight the fact that we are all subject to property damage, trauma, critical injury and even death from vehicles.  With this weekends death of a solo driver in Los Altos, a hit and run pedestrian accident in downtown San Jose, and a hit and run accident involving two cyclists, we need to stop and seriously consider the pain and suffering these events cause.

I am acquainted with Ashley (Ashleigh), through work and we share several mutual friends.  Ashley was riding with her boyfriend  this weekend when she was struck by a car that drove into the bike lane.  As I have written before, death and injury has visited family members, a favored author (David Hallberstam's tragic death near the Dumbarton Bridge), three high school friends, a college friend, and bike riding buddies.  Many years ago, while riding my bike, I witnessed a accident victim's final seconds as the blood from his head flowed onto the asphalt, on that early spring morning.  I was stunned and helpless.  Unable to move the truck that had just slammed his head to the ground and was now pinning his body to the roadway, all  I remember was the color of  his face, and how it seemed to change color the more his blood drained from his motionless head.

Several years after witnessing speeding and erratic behavior by a driver on a southbound San Diego Freeway, I came upon the prostrate body of the driver in the middle lane; motionless as we drove by, suddenly making the connection that the driver had met his end in his own horrific way.

With almost two years of a car free lifestyle under my belt, people often ask me; "isn't bike riding dangerous?  I'm to afraid to ride my bike.  I think I'll just go to a spin class instead."  First, bikes can be dangerous, but not many people fail to consider the large number of car accidents every year; whether classified as solo vehicular accidents, alcohol related accidents, accidents due to youth and inexperience, or just sheer and utter stupidity.  We seem to just accept, "as if that's the way it's supposed to be.   

"We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, "Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone." 

Ask anyone who rides or walks and they will tell you horror stories of the streets.  Freeing yourself from the cocoon of your car you notice more.  In the two years since my own accident, I have witnessed four accidents involving a car running a red light ( myself  a victem as well).  Of those four, I was the first responder on three of them.  One involved a person trying to flee the scene.  Six victims required medical attention.  

 In the two years since giving up my car in favor of a lifestyle involving cycling, walking and public transportation as a means of mobility, I have kept tract of most of the accidents involving cars, whether solo, with other cars, with bicycles, or pedestrians.  Also motorcycle accidents; which seem almost to be predictable in rider age and accident location are document.

We strikes me and also troubles me the most however is the continued increase in hit and run accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists.  I have read somewhere that it may approach 50%.  That would be one out of two accidents involve a vehicle leaving the scene; an absolute disgrace on any measure of moral, ethic, or civic responsibility.

Anyway here are three Google Maps so far that I have put together.
(Blue - Vehicle, Red - Pedestrian, Yellow - Motorcycle, Green - Cyclists) Dot in the marker represents a fatality.

2007

2008 

2009

Car Wash for Car Crash Victims

This isn't the first time I have seen car washes held to raise funds for car crash victim's. The article states that the young victims loved cars, only to die in a car.
Friends, family pitch in to aid young San Jose crash victims-San Jose Mercury News

with permission from A. Singer