Free Republic

Bicyclists were twice as likely as drivers to be at fault in the nearly 2,000 collisions that killed or severely injured Bay Area bike riders in the past decade, an analysis by The Chronicle shows. Bicycle and safety advocates say the deaths two weeks ago of two cyclists hit by a Santa Clara sheriff's deputy's cruiser should serve as a call to improve relations between cars and bikes on the roadways.The advocates say large numbers of cyclists fail to follow the rules of the road, running stop signs and red lights, and drivers are becoming more aggressive. "There is a...

Driver and riders accuse each other of provoking the fight - A Friday clash between a Berkeley minivan and Critical Mass bicyclists continued to generate conflict Monday as the van driver said the bicyclists placed bicycles under his front tire during the violent melee. "A certain number of the bicyclists were prepared to do this with malice aforethought," said Harlan Head, 70, driver of the Chevrolet minivan. "They shoved bicycles under the car and attempted several other things." Critical Mass organizer Jason Meggs, 38, who filmed part of the incident (see video) on his digital camera, called Head's accusation "outrageously...

BERKELEY -- An angry confrontation erupted during Friday night's Critical Mass bike ride in Berkeley when cyclists accused a motorist of trying to run them over, a participant who videotaped part of the fracas said today. The incident, similar to an altercation that occurred during a Critical Mass in San Francisco in March, occurred about 8 p.m. as dozens of cyclists rode through the intersection of The Alameda and Monterey Avenue, said bicycle activist Jason Meggs. Tempers flared on both sides and the motorist's windshield was shattered and a wiper bent, but Berkeley police did not make any arrests, Meggs...

The political influence of San Francisco's pro-bike movement has risen steadily over the past decade to the point where the chief advocate for cyclists sits on a powerful city commission and elected officials rarely tell them no. It's a long way from the early days, when bike enthusiasts could barely get city officials to return their calls. But a series of attention-grabbing street protests that started 15 years ago in the form of the monthly Critical Mass rides, which attract hundreds to thousands of cyclists, put bike interests in full public view. Elected officials took notice. "We've achieved a lot....

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has a lot riding on the next Critical Mass bike free-for-all, with the basic question being whether he can control the city's streets come Friday night. Newsom has ruled out any attempt to stop the rush-hour ride, contain its route or keep cyclists from their mass running of red lights. Instead, police will beef up the number of cops monitoring the monthly ride to 40 officers on bicycles, Hondas and Harleys. That's about twice as many as rode along with last month's ride. Cmdr. Stephen Tacchini, who will be in charge of the police force...

Shattered window of family car wasn't only encounter -- limo had harrowing clash, too - Make of it as you will, but there was another ugly confrontation during the last Critical Mass ride in San Francisco, not just the one involving a Redwood City family celebrating a birthday in Japantown. Motorists and bike riders alike have been up in arms since our yarn Wednesday about bicyclists shattering the back window of a car that had unwittingly found itself in the middle of a pedaling Critical Mass pack. Motorists were outraged over the conduct of the cyclists; the riders insist they...

It was supposed to be a birthday night out for the kids in San Francisco, but instead turned into a Critical Mass horror show -- complete with a pummeled car, a smashed rear window and little children screaming in terror. The spontaneous Critical Mass bike rides, in which thousands of free-spirited cyclists roam the city, have been a fixture on the last Friday night of the month since the early 1990s. But even bike-weary cops, who have seen their share of traffic disturbances and minor skirmishes, weren't prepared for what happened during the latest exercise of pedal power. Here's the...

As the debate over Critical Mass and the clash between bicyclists and a minivan driver rages, two widely varying eyewitness versions of what happened Friday night in Japantown have emerged. It could be a case of a terrified family whose minivan was surrounded by angry bicyclists who rode their bikes in circles around the vehicle, harassed the driver and then pummeled the van, smashing a rear window and inflicting $5,300 in damage. Or it's a situation that spun out of control when a frustrated driver accelerated recklessly through a crowd of Critical Mass cyclists, struck one and continued driving until...

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said Thursday he will not order arrests of Critical Mass riders but cautioned that another incident could end the monthly event. "We hope (Friday's confrontation) is an anomaly," Newsom said, "and that if this event continues and something like this occurs again, the entire event is in peril." In the wake of Friday's clash between bicyclists and a family in a minivan, some have called for Critical Mass to be halted. Newsom said he would not call on police to make widespread arrests as former Mayor Willie Brown did in 1997. At the time, police...

Skirmish between driver, Critical Mass participants triggers another round of debate about monthly ride - San Francisco's often-heated dispute between bicyclists and drivers flared anew Wednesday as news of a confrontation between a minivan driver and Critical Mass riders sparked outrage. In blogs, as well as on the streets of San Francisco, Critical Mass seemed to turn everyone into a critic. An SFGate.com blog received hundreds of comments, many vitriolic, about Critical Mass. Mayor Gavin Newsom denounced the aggressive attitude of some cyclists, and police officials said they wanted to meet with biking activists about the monthly ride. The incident...

Redwood City family's van damaged after being caught up in ride - SAN FRANCISCO -- Mayor Gavin Newsom said today that he plans to take "a good look" at the city's response to Critical Mass after bicyclists allegedly smashed through the window of a minivan caught in the monthly bike ride, terrorizing an unwitting family from Redwood City. Police said the bike ride, in which thousands of bicyclists take to the streets, spun out of control on Friday, with bicyclists surrounding the van and using their bicycles as weapons. No one was hurt, although cyclists told police at the scene...