Tonight: “Ride of Silence” Visits Deadly Streets to Honor Ten Fallen Cyclists
This evening, the tenth annual Ride of Silence will visit the locations where ten people have been killed on bikes in San Francisco since 2001.
“Our purpose is to draw attention to the fact that cyclists are humans moving from one point to another and are vulnerable users of the road, and that each of us deserves respect, whether riding a bike, walking, or driving a motor vehicle,” organizers said in a statement.
The event began in Dallas, Texas, in 2003, after Larry Schwartz was killed on his bike after being struck by the mirror of a passing bus.
The ride begins at 6:30 pm at Justin Herman Plaza (the foot of Market Street). You can find the Facebook page for the local event here, and the main event page here.
The organizers note in their press release that visiting these dangerous streets can itself be risky, and that “many of the stops on the 12 mile ride remain among the most dangerous intersections in the city, although the riders will follow road rules, official bike routes, and will move slowly and safely to reach each location.”
Here are the locations that the ride will visit. Two of the victims were killed at the same location (Oak and Franklin Streets):
- Kirk Janes — Fulton and Steiner, 5/21/08
- Nancy Ho — Mission and Fremont 7/20/11
- Diana Sullivan — 3rd Street and King, 2/8/13
- Renata Gonzalez and her dog, Ari — Market and Octavia, 3/9/08
- Jordan McKay — 15th Avenue and Cabrillo, 9/17/08
- Nils Linke — Masonic and Turk, 8/13/10
- Robert Yegge — Oak and Franklin, 5/29/12
- Michelle O’Connor — Oak and Franklin, 2001
- Sarah Tucker — Geary and Polk, 1/12/06
- Derek Allen — 6th Avenue between Clement and Geary, 10/7/10
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