Latest news with #bikesafety
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Oakland breaks ground on Lake Merritt bike path honoring 4-year-old Maia Correia
The City of Oakland broke ground Friday afternoon on a new protected bike lane alongside Lake Merritt, honoring the memory of 4-year-old Maia Correia, who was killed in a bicycle accident on the same stretch of road two years ago. The Maia Correia Memorial Bikeway will span 0.7 miles along Lakeshore Avenue, from East 18th Street to El Embarcadero. It will be a two-way, fully protected lane separated from vehicle traffic by concrete barriers. Currently, cyclists ride between parked cars and a painted white line—an arrangement that offers little protection from moving traffic or the risk of being "doored" by people exiting parked vehicles. "It was a big price to pay to get to where we are right now," said Maia's grandmother, Hydeh Ghaffari. In August 2023, Maia was riding in a child seat attached to the back of her father's bicycle when the driver of a parked car opened their door. Maia and her father were thrown to the pavement. Maia died six days later from her injuries. Since then, Ghaffari and her family have become leading advocates for safer bike infrastructure in Oakland. Although the bikeway project faced funding challenges, the family's persistence kept it alive. "We've been up and down, up and down, up and down. Today is an unbelievable day. I never thought we would get here," Ghaffari said during the groundbreaking event. City transportation officials confirmed the project would not result in the loss of any existing parking spots along Lakeshore Avenue. Supporters said the bikeway could save lives. "We can prevent those deaths," said Maia's aunt, Sheila McCracken. "I think that's the hardest part of this whole thing. It's an accident. But it's a preventable death." Oakland District 2 Councilmember Charlene Wang, who represents the area and often bikes as her primary mode of transportation, echoed the urgency. "I don't often feel safe biking. It's kind of like, 'I'm going to risk my life to bike today,'" Wang said. "This corridor is one where there's a lot of speeding. People frankly ignore the red lights here." Frequent cyclists around Lake Merritt expressed hope and relief. "I have close calls frequently. The big problem is speeding motorists," said Brian Simmons, who bikes around Lake Merritt at least twice a week. George Spies, a member of the nonprofit Traffic Violence Rapid Response, emphasized that real safety comes from infrastructure, not enforcement. "The cops can't be everywhere. Enforcement is not the answer for safety," Spies said. "Safety is about infrastructure. So when this project is done, we're going to have a protected bike lane that you can't get hit in." While the Correia family continues to grieve, Maia's nine-year-old brother, Kai, said he plans to be one of the first to ride in the completed bikeway. "It feels unreal because it shouldn't be happening. She should still be here with us physically," Kai said. "So this shouldn't even be a thing at all. She should just be at home with us and we should be going on multiple bike rides and having a fun, safe time." Ghaffari said the family's advocacy will continue beyond this project. "I have now become a board member of Bike East Bay to continue my advocacy," she said. "I want kids all over Oakland to be able to ride safely." City officials said the Maia Correia Memorial Bikeway will be completed by next summer.
CTV News
27-06-2025
- CTV News
One-way bike lanes on Wellington Crescent proposed at City Hall
Cyclists say a proposed safety plan for a Winnipeg street doesn't go far enough to keep them safe. Jeff Keele explains. Cyclists like Lorne Thompson must share the road with vehicles on this stretch of Wellington Crescent because there is no bike path. 'It's easy where the bike paths are but it's not so easy right here. You just have to be careful,' said Thompson. Now there's a pilot project proposal at City Hall to add one-way bike lanes on both sides of Wellington Crescent, between Academy Road and Stradbrook Avenue, using painted lanes, plastic bollards and adjustable concrete curbs. These measures would be in place until the street is upgraded one day, and a permanent path is constructed — which would see the speed limit would drop from 50 to 40 km/h. 'It will provide safer biking facilities and it will connect key destinations and key pieces of existing infrastructure,' said Janice Lukes, chair of the Public Works Committee. The new safety measures come following the death of cyclist Rob Jenner last year. Cycling and safety advocates say the bike path is a step in the right direction but they're not happy. It won't be in place until next spring, however, they want it installed now. 'I'm not just disappointed, I'm angry,' said Linda van de Laar, a registered nurse. 'It's really disappointing that we have to keep pushing these things. It feels like a lack of political will,' said Patty Wiens, a cycling advocate. Advocates say that 40 km/h is still too fast, and that the speed should be 30 km/h. 'It's just a very dangerous road, 40 is a compromise made by people who apparently never leave their car,' said van de Laar. But this section of Wellington Crescent is a regional street with high traffic counts. The section there will see traffic lanes drop down from four to two lanes. Thompson said he's also a driver and isn't convinced a bike path or a speed limit drop fits here. 'No, I don't think so, I think 50 is a decent speed if people stay to that speed.'
Fast Company
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fast Company
What's it like to use this new strong and light inflatable bike helmet
I'll admit it: I don't always wear a bike helmet. That's especially true for short, unplanned rides using bike share—it doesn't make sense to carry around a bulky helmet when I might not even use it. A new inflatable bike helmet, the Ventete aH-1, was designed to help tackle that problem. When the helmet's not in use, it flattens so it can more easily fit in a bag. When you need to use it, it comes with a tiny battery-powered pump that fully inflates it in 30 seconds. After a decade of development by a London-based startup, the helmet came out in the U.K. last year and immediately sold out. It's not yet available in the U.S., but I had the chance to try it out. (The design was one of the winners of Fast Company 's 2025 World Changing Ideas Awards.) It looks nothing like any helmet I've ever seen. Instead of foam, it's made from a series of ribs covered in strong, triple-laminated nylon. The flattened version isn't small—it's roughly as long as a laptop. Even when it's not inflated, it's still somewhat thick. But unlike a typical helmet, it did easily squeeze into my backpack. It took me a couple of attempts to figure out how to inflate it, although the company has now tweaked the design so that the pump can be operated hands-free. In the version I tested, I had to hold the pump at a particular angle on the helmet's Presta valve to work correctly. (When it did work, the buzz of the pump was also very loud: I was slightly embarrassed to use it in public.) But it was fast. A tiny level on the side shows when it's correctly inflated. A strap at the back helps customize the fit. The design actually outperforms typical helmets on safety. When Imperial College London ran a study testing 30 different bike helmets, the aH-1 scored 44.1% better than the others in linear impact tests. 'It's incredibly strong,' says Colin Herperger, cofounder and CEO of Ventete, the startup that designed the helmet. 'One of the founders drove his car on it. If you think about any other helmet, it would be in pieces. When people think about an inflatable structural system, they think it's probably soft or squishy, and in fact, it's the opposite. It's actually super stiff.' The design is also comfortable to wear. When I tried riding with it on a hot day, my head stayed cool. Herperger points out that EPS foam, the material used in conventional bike helmets, is the same material used to insulate coolers to keep ice from melting. In a standard foam helmet, 'heat is trying to leave your head, and it's reflecting it back down and causing you to further overheat,' Herperger says. In the new design, 'because of the chamber system, it's actually lifted off the head, and you get a conductive airflow between the head and the helmet. So the hot air is just drawn away from your head.' I liked the way the origami-like design looked, too. It's something I'd definitely be willing to wear—though at £350 (around $475) for the helmet and pump, it isn't cheap. And because it's still waiting for regulatory approval in the U.S., I can't keep using it now. While the timeline for approval isn't clear, it may roll out here later this year.
