A lady spoke about how her son was killed while riding a bike, years ago, also on June 24th. A man from a politician's office spoke about prioritizing safety improvements on the streets in my neighborhood. Another couple of men spoke about their work with local activist groups, and the importance of Vision Zero.
The streets in my neighborhood don't seem any more unsafe than any other streets. I do understand the importance of improving infrastructure, as a tool to influence the perception that cyclists are present and allowed on the roadways. In my view, the real problem is with the hegemony of car culture. I'm aware I live on the fringe, outside much of our society because of my unwillingness to participate in this car culture. Sentences like "everyone needs to drive", "you need a car", "free street parking is important" and the like, are not ones you'll hear me uttering. But I hear them often.
Soon after we started off, we saw a man on a bike going the other way. He said, over and over, "I'm a ghost". He wore a white t-shirt. I have no idea what in the heck made him say that but it was effectively haunting.
We stopped at the light at the corner of Flavel and 82nd, the same spot where Lydia Johnson was right hooked and killed by a truck. A ghost bike appeared after her death, then quickly disappeared. It's a rough corner. There are new sidewalk ramps there now, along with a new utility box. I'm making it my mission to get a ghost bike painted on that utility box. Stay tuned for more on that.
We continued a couple more blocks, then u-turned at the cross walk. Our white streamers blew around us, marking us as a memorial procession to drivers, most of whom were respectful. We arrived at the sight of Lance's death and each rider kneeled in turn to tie flowers to the white ghost bike locked there. I tied mine to the chain and cried at this unnecessary and tragic loss of life.
