Evanston cyclists rode in silence Wednesday evening to commemorate cyclists who have died or been injured biking.
The second annual Ride of Silence in Evanston, which the Evanston Bicycle Club organized, aimed to raise awareness of road safety and commemorate cyclists who have been injured or killed while riding.
In 2008, 716 bicyclists died on U.S. roads, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A member of the Evanston Bicycle Club died last year when he rode into an irregularity in the roadway in Chicago, club President James Heller said.
To commemorate such deaths, 19 bikers participated in the silent ride this year. The group rode a 10-mile path starting at the Chandler-Newberger Community Center and ending at Tommy Nevin’s Pub.
However, the bikers met some ridicule on the way, Heller said.
“During the ride there were people laughing at us and fooling around,” he said.
Nevertheless, Evanston resident Suzan Stern enjoyed the ride.
“It felt nice to ride in silence with a large group,” she said.
Riding on the roads can be dangerous, Stern said. She has never been in an accident on the streets, but she knows cyclists who have.
Participants of the ride are committed to raising awareness of road safety, ride organizer David Barish said. Cyclists can easily sustain serious injuries while riding on the streets. In 2008, 52,000 bikers were injured in traffic, according to a report by the NHTSA.Drivers are not entirely responsible for injuries and deaths, Barish said. Rather, both drivers and cyclists must be more aware of each other.
“We’re just saying, ‘Please remember these fallen cyclists,'” Barish said. “It’s a non-confrontational thing.”
Heller said he hopes the ride drew more public attention to road safety for cyclists.The Ride of Silence is an international event that began in Dallas in 2003, founder Chris Phelan said. The event spread quickly because the problem of biker safety is universal.Now, it takes place at more than 300 locations and is run solely by volunteers.
“I was looking at the map the other night and it looked like the globe got infected with chicken pox; blue dots all across it,” he said. “No one has ever done anything like this before. I’m hoping someday that every city in this nation that has a Memorial Day has a Ride of Silence.”
Not many people are familiar with the Ride of Silence and not all realize cyclists have a right to share the road with drivers, participant Wendy Flood said. Evanston is a fairly safe place for cyclists, but motorists pay them little heed, she said.[email protected]
