LA mayor breaks elbow in bike crash

LOS ANGELES, July 18 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa broke his elbow Saturday evening in a bicycle accident in the Mid-City area, authorities say.

The mayor was riding in the bicycle lane of Venice Boulevard just before 7 p.m. when a taxi allegedly pulled in front of him and stopped short causing the mayor to brake hard and fall from his bike, the Los Angeles Times reported.

He was taken to UCLA Medical Center and treated for the injury and was back at his official residence, Getty House, by 10 p.m.

Bicyclists have pressed the City Council for more dedicated bicycle lanes, arguing funds from Measure R, the 2008 sales tax for transportation projects, be set aside for bicycle- and pedestrian-related initiatives, the Times said.

Bicycle activist Stephen Box, who was run off the road by a bus while cycling on Sunset Boulevard several years ago, had filed paperwork to run for City Council in the district represented by Tom LaBonge that includes Hollywood, North Hollywood and Koreatown.

"Venice Boulevard is notorious for having all of the trash cans block the bike lanes. Venice Boulevard is notorious for having motor homes block the bike lanes. And Venice Boulevard is notorious for having fast traffic that uses the bike lane to squeeze through even when bicyclists are in the bike lane," Box said.