T. Kenji Sugahara
Dear Friend of Cycling:
The Ride of Silence is less than three months away. Again this year,
the ride is being put together as a grassroots project, without
organizational sponsorship. However, we are looking for endorsements
from bicycle-friendly businesses and organizations.
If you are unfamiliar with the Ride of Silence, you can find a brief
explanation at www.rideofsilence.org. The ride began as a memorial
for one cyclist in 2003, and has quickly grown to a worldwide event in
over three hundred towns and cities. Chris Phelan of Dallas, Texas
organized the first ride when his friend, endurance cyclist Larry
Schwartz, was struck and killed by the mirror on an overtaking bus.
That first ride drew more than a thousand cyclists through word of
mouth and email communication over a period of only ten days. There
was no registration and no fees. Local media reported the ride to be
incredibly moving as these cyclists rode in silence, occasionally
wiping away a tear or patting a friend on the back.
The Ride is staged on the third Wednesday in May, which this year
falls on the 19th. Endorsements can be submitted to
rideofsilenceportland051910@googlegroups.com. Ride coordinators Brian
Echerer and Russ Willis may also be contacted at this e-mail address.
A press release will go out in early May, and endorsements may be
included within the release.
It is important to note that the Ride of Silence is not a "Critical
Mass"-style ride. It is not a protest, but more in the nature of a
memorial procession to remember cyclists who have been killed or
injured on the roads. The primary purpose of the Ride is to create
awareness among the public that cyclists have a rightful place on the
roads, and that motorists need to be attentive to the risks they pose
to more vulnerable road users.
To give you a sense of why this is so important, consider the
following comment left on the KTVZ.com website under a story about a
cyclist in Eugene, Oregon who was killed in August, 2008 when a
motorist turned left across his path (the cyclist was in a striped
bike lane at the time):
“Just because there's a bike lane, it doesn’t mean that the cyclists
have the supreme right of way. If he was in an "automobile", would
this be as big a story? I'll bet not. Why? Because it was "fair
fight"? Get off the cyclist kick. Wanna go all out on a bike? Go off
road. Wanna do it on asphalt? Go slower untill the race. Common
Courtesy is mutual regardless of what type of vehicle you're operating
on the road."
http://www.ktvz.com/global/story.asp?S=8837949. As you know, there
are countless stories like this, and some of the comments posted by
readers are startling in their hostility toward cyclists.
A Facebook page has been opened at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-Ride-of-Silence-19-May-2010/253836464395,
where we will post updated information. Our present plan is to start
the ride at BikeFarm at 305 NE Wygant Street, with riders gathering at
6:30 p.m. and wheels rolling at 7:00 p.m. We would ask you to become
a "fan" of the Facebook page and to post a link to the page on your
website.
Regards,
Brian Echerer
Organizer of NW Butts On Bikes AKA BOB
http://www.meetup.com/Rubber2theroad/
rubber2theroad = get your butt on a bike!