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The Orioles' lineup, from one through nine, has clicked on very few nights this season, but this was certainly one of them as the Orioles posted a season-high in runs (12) and extra-base hits (eight), and did it against an opponent that has bullied them around for the past couple of seasons.

“This team has beaten up on us pretty good. It’s nice to come in here, score some runs and get a win,” said first baseman Derrek Lee who got everything started with a two-run double in the second inning that eluded diving Blue Jays’ center fielder Travis Snider. Lee now has 17 RBIs over his past 16 games

Lee went 4-for-5 with a double, a homer and a season-high five RBIs. Shortstop J.J. Hardy hit two home runs, giving him 16 for the season, and also drove in four. Left fielder Nolan Reimold, getting another start against a right-handed pitcher, went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs.

Every Oriole had at least one hit, and all nine starters reached base twice except for designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero, who returned from the disabled list to go 1-for-5 with a single and a run scored.

“There was a nice air about everybody tonight during batting practice. Hopefully it continues,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter whose team broke a seven-game road losing streak. “It was like every time they started to creep back in it, guys would come in and put another crooked number up. It was one of those not-to-be denied nights."

This was just the Orioles’ fourth victory here in the past 29 games at the Rogers Centre. They have now won two straight here after losing 16 in a row.

After failiing in his previous four tries and after not winning a game sicne June 20, Jake Arrieta collected his10th victory, allowing four runs over five innings.

“It does feel good,” Arrieta said. “It’s nice to get it out of the way. Hopefully, I can pile on a few more and finish the season with some momentum.”

Arrieta exited the game after getting nailed in the right foot by Edwin Encarnacion’s comebacker, the ball bouncing to Lee at first base for the final out of the inning. X-rays taken on Arrieta were negative, and he said that he expects to make his next start.

“Foot is good,” said Arrieta. “Initially, I thought it was maybe going to be a little worse than it was because I had trouble putting pressure on it but now, all my mobility is there. It just seems like a light bruise. I’ll be fine.”

Parts two and three of your questionnaire with Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky focused mainly on what I’m referring to as “People Powered Transportation” (the Alliance for Walking and Bicycling’s chosen term for traveling without a car and not by transit) and a separate section with two tongue-and-cheek questions.  Sadly, he didn’t take my bait and announce his candidacy for Mayor.

Photo of Zev Yaroslavsky by Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

There’s some interesting news in this section.  First, he announces a motion for Metro to pilot a Bike Share Program at the next Metro Board meeting.  I’m not sure how I missed that in the committee agendas.  Second, he discusses the need to fix and connect the pedestrian trail that runs next to the Marvin Braude bike trail.  Third, he discusses the need to create bike connections between the Westside and Valley.

But perhaps most impressively, Yaroslavsky becomes the first person to jump off the scripted questions and adds a couple of paragraphs on people powered transportation.  However, since he mentioned his passion for running, it gives us the excuse to use this picture again.

A big Streetsblog “Thank You” to the Supervisor for giving us such well thought-out answers.  Readers, stay tuned for our next questionnaire with Deputy Mayor for Transportation Borja Leon.

“People Powered Transportation”

First, a few words on “people powered transportation.”

I admit that I’m not a big bike rider. But, as a lifelong runner, I know our streets can be unfriendly (or worse) for those of us who use them for fitness and, in the case of cyclists, for transportation as well. So before diving into your questions, let me say for the record that I welcome Los Angeles’ growing bicycle movement.

I applaud the popular CicLAvia events that have tapped into our pent-up cravings to enjoy our neighborhoods in ways far more personal than speeding through them in cars. Indeed, we need more of these kinds of civic experiences, which bring us closer to each other, no matter what our ages, sizes or colors. On a policy level, as you’ll see below, I’m committed to incorporating the infrastructure needs of cyclists and pedestrians into transit projects, community developments and onto the streets themselves. Whether we’re talking about measurable benefits to our health or carbon footprint, we all gain from actions that encourage alternatives to driving and ease our communal stress levels, as Carmageddon weekend so thoroughly demonstrated. As we increasingly share the road, however, we must also become smarter about the law and our responsibilities to each other. Let’s all be safe.

Local cyclists are calling idea suggestion that bicycles should be  licensed unnecessary and too complicated.

The idea was presented to city council last week by Orléans Coun. Bob Monette, who said he received the idea from one of his constituents.

He said he wasn’t sure if even he backed the idea, but said he could see the appeal.

With bicycle licensing, stolen bicycles could be more easily returned to their owners and it may help officers identify riders who are not obeying the rules of the road, Monette told council.

But cyclist Evan Graham disagrees.

He said in his experience officers have had no problem stopping him and fellow riders for riding infractions.

“(An officer) stopped me right outside the police station on Elgin and yelled at me for not having a light on and wearing dark clothes,” said Graham. “He proceeded to tell me I was lucky that he wasn't a drunk driver or he'd be scraping me off of his wheel well..

“I thanked him for not driving drunk and kept on biking.”

The real problem, said Graham, is the lack of information about cycling rules.

“I think . . . teaching people the basics about signaling, legally required accessories, and the cyclist’s place on the road would be much more beneficial to commuters, than a licensing cash grab.”.

As far as bicycle licensing being an easier way to track stolen bicycles, Michael Powell, chair of the roads and cycling advisory commitee, said that’s already been taken care of.

“Bicycles already have serial numbers that are unique to them” located where the pedals are.

Licensing a bicycle is a bureaucratic move that doesn’t make sense, he said.

Hans Moor, president of the Citizens for Safe Cycling, agrees.

Implementing a bicycle-licensing program would require a complex database system, he says.

One of the problems may come down to a person selling their bicycle and not providing that information to the company managing the database.

“The problem may be not telling the database owner that (your bike) may have been sold to someone else,” says Moor.

The former owner of the bike may not have gathered or transferred the information to the new owner.

“(You’d say) ‘I sold my bike to a guy in a red shirt’,” he said. “You’d have to build a very complicated database.”

For Graham, it all comes down to the responsibility of the rider to know what their rights are, but also what is illegal rider conduct.

“One thing I can't stand, even more than swerving cars who ignore cyclists, are cyclists riding the wrong way down a one-way street who think this is perfectly fine because they're wearing a helmet,” said Graham.

“These people don't understand that wearing a helmet isn't a legal requirement but riding in the proper direction is.”

At council, Mayor Jim Watson dismissed the idea, citing that it could possibly discourage citizens from riding their bikes.

Graham echoed Watson’s sentiments.

“A licensing system would discourage new commuters and piss off this one.”

Tuesday night, the City Council discussed plans for Roberts Business Park – one of three projects making up the Mixed Use Creative District that will replace the aging buildings.

“It's not something that we're used to here...having literally vast areas that are under discussion for development,” said Mayor Richard Bloom. “It's an opportunity for us to some interesting planning.”

Tuesday's “float-up” discussion was designed to give City planners the advantage of Council input before they negotiate a Development Agreement (DA) with EDDG, Inc., the business park developer.

If approved, the Roberts Business Park will occupy the middle third of the block immediately south of Colorado Boulevard and east of Stewart Street. It will be sandwiched between the proposed executive headquarters for Lionsgate films and the Village Trailer Park.

After review by city planners and the Planning Commission, the project's architects have broken what were criticized as “boxy-bulky mass(es)” into smaller buildings surrounding a central plaza and walkways.

Current plans for the business park call for four structures ranging from four to five stories high on 2.8 acres of land.

The planned buildings house 250,000 square feet of floor space, including 120,000 square feet of creative, office and retail spaces and up to 170 residential units atop subterranean parking and a 10,000-square-foot gym.

After hearing from a handful of residents, including former Mayor Paul Rosenstein, it became clear that density and traffic are likely to be sticking points among the project's neighbors.

Public speakers also expressed concern that the three projects making up the mixed use district are at different stages of development and ought to be evaluated as a unit.

“We definitely need the area plan so that we can see how these projects all fit together,” said Rosenstein.

“The key tool is the creation of the Bergamot Area Plan,” said the Planning Department's Special Projects Manager Jing Neo.

The Bergamot Area Plan will provide guidelines City planners can use as they review projects in the area around the future Light Rail Station, but it isn't finished yet, Neo said. More community workshops have to be held and digested before it's done.

“As we hear feedback from the community...we take that forward as sort of draft direction and it helps to inform the evaluation of these projects as they're brought forward,” said Neo.

“What we hope to come out of this is community building for this next generation,” said Councilmember Pam O'Connor, after ruminating on the history of development failures and successes in Santa Monica.

Taking a cue from their counterparts in 11 towns and cities in the country, 27 municipal mayors in Nueva Ecija have signed a resolution declaring a ban on the use of plastic bags to cut down on litter and pollution in support of the campaign for environmental protection.

Mayor Ferdinand R. Abesamis, president of the 27-member League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Nueva Ecija chapter, said the prohibition on the use of plastic bags is contained in LMP-NE Resolution 003-2011 passed during its regular meeting last July 5.
He said each of the member municipalities will convene its respective Sangguniang Bayan or municipal councils and enact ordinances parallel to the league resolution.

He added the league resolution will be transmitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan which will adopt the same and pass an ordinance, including the penalties for violations.

Abesamis said that prior to the passage of the LMP resolution, the ban had already been in effect in this town. “We are now enforcing it in Penaranda as part of our environmental plan and in support of the fight against global warming,” he said.

The league took the cue from the city government of Muntinlupa which implemented the plastic bag and styrofoam ban six months ago in order to ease the flooding and reduce the volume of collected garbage.

Muntinlupa City Mayor Alvin San Pedro said that since the ban took effect, the city was spared from flooding at the height of Typhoon Falcon last month.
In place of plastic bags, consumers now use alternative receptacles to place their groceries such as cardboard boxes, reusable green bags and paper bags made of old newspapers and magazines or the traditional “bayong” (native bags).

Truckee police have determined that a bicyclist failed to stop at a red light before he collided with a vehicle that fled the scene.

At about 5:30 p.m. Sunday a 31-year-old Truckee bicyclist collided with the vehicle at Donner Pass Road at Northwoods Boulevard. The driver of the vehicle got out of his vehicle but then fled northbound on Donner Pass Road.

A Truckee Fire District ambulance crew on its way to the collision spotted the vehicle driving at a high rate of speed as it passed the fire station, providing police a good description.

The bicyclist was taken to Tahoe Forest Hospital with head injuries. Truckee police said that their investigation revealed that the bicyclist failed to stop for the red signal light and collided with the vehicle.

At 6:20 p.m. a police officer found the suspect vehicle at a mobile home park. Truckee police said that they arrested Miguel Martinez-Lopez, 43, of Truckee was arrested on suspicion of being an unlicensed driver, no proof of insurance and felony hit and run.