Advocacy & Safety - Ride Of Silence

http://www.rideofsilence.org/images/main_02.jpg

DATE: May 21, 2008
TIME: 7:00 pm
WHERE: Hundreds of locations world wide

Join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 mph/20 kph) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.
WHY DOES THIS SITE EXIST?

* To HONOR those who have been injured or killed
* To RAISE AWARENESS that we are here
* To ask that we all SHARE THE ROAD

THE RIDE OF SILENCE? WILL NOT BE QUIET

On May 21, 2008, at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence? will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.

In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride Of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed. (Read the full history here... (http://www.rideofsilence.org/history.php))

The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There is no brochure, no sponsors, no registration fees and no t-shirt. The ride, which is held during Bike Safety month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.

Please check the resources on this site. If there is a Ride Of Silence in your area, we encourage you to join them. If there is not a ride planned in your area, please consider adding your city to the ever-growing list of sites. To get information on how to organize and host a Ride of Silence, please click HERE (http://www.rideofsilence.org/howto.php). . .'

Tomorrow evening, 7PM, Headwaters Park West in my town; my daughter and I will be there.

Key Biscayne (Miami), Florida - 6:15 PM:

http://criticalmass.meetup.com/40/calendar/7932237/

-Kurt

Pomona, NJ 7:00pm at Stockton College gym parking lot.

It bugs me that there isn't one in San Francisco.

In for the one here in Charlotte, NC at the booty loop

It bugs me that there isn't one in San Francisco.

Caltrain will bring you to Los Altos and back. It will be very poignant as it will go by the crash site of the Gough/Peterson debacle.

Just got back a bit ago from ours (Columbus, OH). Over 500 cyclists from the count. Great ride, police escort, very powerful and very moving. The local bike advocacy organization put out 3 ghost bikes last night as well.

The DC area ride in Rockville had about 20 riders, which was a pretty similar tally to last year. Unfortunately we had some rain in the hour prior to the start, so we might have lost some riders. I'd like to see it more heavily promoted by our local bike org, WABA. With so many cyclists in the region there's no reason we should have so few riders show up. We had a nice 8-10 mile ride through the streets and MUPs of Rockville with excellent support from the Rockville Police who courteously blocked every intersection.

Went to the local one here in RTP last night, my first.

As if it wasn't moving enough....just before the ride I noticed a female rider wearing a "slow-moving-vehicle" triangle. My wife and I have been looking for one to mount on our daughter's bike trailer, so I asked her where she got it. She said, "My mother was killed while riding 8 days after the first Ride of Silence; they gave these out at the memorial banquet in her memory." :(

We had a good ride in Clinton, SC. Our police escort came on her police bike, and to me seemed pretty fearless about getting out in the intersections to stop traffic our 15-20 bike procession, then get back out ahead of us for the next intersection. A tip of the helmet to Kathryn (sp?) of the Clinton PD.

I understand the Spartenburg, SC ride had about 200 riders, and this happened:
http://www.wspa.com/midatlantic/spa/search.apx.-content-articles-SPA-2008-05-21-0029.html

i am sad that this was not followed here in s nj (that i am aware of).
i was not aware of event until yesterday, but no excuse.
i commuted, and represented bicycle utility, but no formal silent bike.
remember...

Tomorrow evening, 7PM, Headwaters Park West in my town; my daughter and I will be there.

hmmm, Fort wayne?

We had between 75 and 100 people attend here in Enid,Oklahoma. We have had 1 cyclist killed two weeks ago and another hit with a broken leg last week. Both by drivers over 84 years old. Here a story as published in our local paper .
The Enid News and Eagle.
Silence is loud and clear
By Violet Spader Staff Writer

Micah Stone, owner of The Bike Shop, hadn’t heard of Ride of Silence until about three weeks ago.

When he heard about it, he knew the event, which honors cyclists who have been injured or killed on public roadways, would be especially poignant in Enid.

“It’s important because a cyclist in Enid was killed recently,” Stone said.

David Lee Harrison, a 46-year-old physician’s assistant, died April 30, a day after he was hit while riding his bicycle on Oakwood. Another cyclist was injured just a week later.

“We want motorists to know we’re out there, and we need to share the road,” Stone said.

In addition to mourning cyclists killed while riding on public roadways and raising awareness among motorists, police and city officials, Ride of Silence also aims to show cyclists aren’t going away anytime soon.

With gas prices rising, Stone said he’s noticed people in Enid are riding bikes more often.

Cyclist awareness will continue to be an important issue in Enid, he said.

Lining up outside The Bike Shop, 202 W. Randolph, Wed-nesday evening, cyclists participated in a “quiet, ceremonious, five-mile ride,” Stone said.

Using hand signals only, the cyclists didn’t speak during the ride. Ride of Silence materials describe the event as “a safe, responsible, professional and mature response to the carnage on the roads we ride on.”

The first Ride of Silence was held in Dallas in 2003, according to rideofsilence.org, and, since then, cyclists in 272 cities in all 50 states, as well as 15 countries, have participated in the event.

From our local news. (http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-05-22-0011.html)

I read about RoS here on BF and posted details on my local club forum about 3 weeks ago. Club members picked up the idea and ran with it at full speed and organised the first one for our city where we had a couple of local politicians get in on the act and actually particpate as well. It was held this morning at 9am and approx 230 riders attended!

Here are some pics (http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?tmpl=56&user_id=33530&action=viewalbum&event=186009)

RoS in the town where I'm currently staying (visiting relatives) had 7 riders. I would have made it 8, but the ride specified helmets and I didn't bring one with me.