Bicycle Friendly America Fall 2016 - 27

substance, offering little more than whether the cyclist was wearing a helmet, as if that is even relevant information into what caused the crash. These same media reports often even fail to call these tragedies by their proper name. They are "crashes." Bicycle fatalities are not "accidents." The word accident downplays the significance of these life-changing incidents. Accidents imply that nothing could have been done to prevent it. Rarely is that the case. Using the word accident, in essence, lets the driver off the hook as if it was "no big deal." Serious injuries and loss of life is a big deal. Most cyclists' deaths are completely preventable. We must demand a change in the way that we talk about and report bicycle crashes. That includes law enforcement and the media, but it starts with us, the cycling community. How we talk about these tragedies is important, but clearly we need to change more than just language. We must also change behavior. We must demand that any bicyclist death is one too many. In Michigan, we lag behind other states in protecting bicyclists. We are one of just eleven states without a safe passing law. Likewise, Michigan does not recognize bicyclists, pedestrians and wheelchair users as vulnerable roadway users. In the wake of the horrific events in Kalamazoo, and on behalf of all the bicyclists who have lost their lives needlessly, the League of Michigan Bicyclists is working diligently to make changes. For those who live in Michigan, you can help create that change by supporting efforts to enact a 5-foot passing and vulnerable road user legislation that creates enhanced penalties for drivers who injure or kill cyclists. Please urge your legislators to fast track these important bills at www.LMB.org/takeaction. For those outside of Michigan, please support similar campaigns focused on improving bicycle safety at the local, state and national level. Our strength as a cycling community is truly in our numbers, so whether you are a casual commuter, a competitive cyclists or somewhere in-between, please engage in ongoing advocacy efforts aimed at preventing these tragedies from happening in the first place. -John Lindenmayer Executive Director League of Michigan Bicyclists CHICAGO RIDE OF SILENCE Reflections from the Organizer ELIZABETH ADAMCZYK G host bikes. Those stark white bikes that stand as memorials alongside a roadway to honor a cyclist who was killed in a crash. In Chicago, ghost bikes dot our urban landscape and serve both to remind us of our fragility as cyclists and to rally us to advocate for safer roads for all road users. Each May as the annual Ride of Silence (ROS) rolls out in cities around the world, these local ghost bikes give life to the Chicago Ride of Silence. The organizer of the first ever Ride of Silence in Dallas, TX, in 2003, never intended for the Ride to become an annual event. However, the silence "roared" beyond Dallas and soon other cities wanted to host a similar memorial ride to honor their own fallen cyclists. In the spring of 2005, after my first year of bike commuting in Chicago, I felt compelled to start an ROS in Chicago. After too many near-miss crashes with motorists, I wanted an event that would call attention to motorists of the need to share the roads with cyclists. I also wanted to help give a voice to those cyclists I knew who had been killed or injured. By 2006, I was the organizer of the Chicago Ride of Silence and learning what it means to be an advocate. Also in 2006, Chicago installed its first ever ghost bike for Isai Medina. The connection could not be ignored, and the Chicago Ride of Silence route has always been tied to the ghost bikes. The ghost bikes personalize the Ride for many and give the Ride a distinctive resonance that calls each of us to rally on behalf of our fallen comrades. Over the years, the number and location of ghost bikes has varied. Some bikes endure years after being placed at a site; other bikes fall into disrepair and remain only a short time. Sometimes no bike is placed. Fellow cyclists have organized Ghost Bike Rides and have helped the ghost bikes live on virtually. While the Ride of Silence is not a Ghost Bike Ride, I have met many of the victims' friends and families. When a new ghost bike is placed, the route of that year's Chicago ROS often changes to incorporate the newly placed bike. Unfortunately, the route in this one single night cannot visit the locations of each of the ghost bikes now spanning the city. Yet after each year's Ride, as I mused last year, I appreciate the community spirit that inspires the Chicago ROS because "our Ride and route honors all of the fallen cyclists throughout the years and we hope that the sentiment of this Ride carries into all reaches of the city." Continued on Page 35 BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA 27 http://www.bikeleague.org/users/elizabeth-adamczyk http://www.LMB.org/takeaction http://www.bedno.com/body/bike/ghostbikes http://rideofsilencechicago.weebly.com/blog/thank-you

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Bicycle Friendly America Fall 2016