STILL WE RIDE...STILL THEY KILL US.

Sarah Ferguson of the village voice has an excellent article about Sunday's memorial ride on the Village Voice Blog including a slideshow of pictures:

By Sarah Ferguson | January 09, 2006

Their deaths seem so sadly ignoble. Crushed by a garbage carter. Plowed under by an ice cream delivery truck. Slammed from behind by a speeding SUV.

Twenty-one cyclists were killed in traffic accidents in New York City in 2005, up from 15 in 2004, and 13 in 2003. That made 2005 the most deadly year for bicyclists since 1999, when a record 35 died.
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The rest of the article at:

power plays

This seems to be a nationwide problem:

This man was seriously injured by an SUV because he yelled at a driver for being reckless. Police are searching for the assailant in Bay Area.

SEEKING INFORMATION ABOUT A HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT WITH A CYCLIST ON FRIDAY NIGHT @ 1AM
The police, friends and family are seeking any information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for a traffic collision that occurred at 12:33am late on Friday night/early Saturday morning (December 17) at the corner of Florida St. and 20th St. in the Mission. Our dear friend and honorable contributor to the SF community, Spider Davila (aka J. Comford), was riding his bicycle and was violently struck by a motorist believed to be driving an SUV. The motorist fled the scene. Police have a description of the SUV, which is likely to have front-end damage. The driver, or passenger(s), have yet to be identified. Police, family and friends are looking for any witnesses to this violent hit-and-run accident, or if someone saw this vehicle in the neighborhood around this time, if they have any information about the suspect(s), or if they were a passenger in the vehicle, we are asking them to please come forward.

More info at:

cyclecide
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Time's Up has this to say:

KEEP UP THE PRESSURE!

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Memorial Ride. (In NYC) Together, we made a powerful statement about how unsafe our streets are for cycling.

It shouldn't take the death of a pedestrian or cyclist to get City officials to pay attention to our issues. Without infrastructure, without improved public information about our rights to the road and unless laws protecting cyclists and pedestrians are enforced, New York will become a completely unlivable city.

Please remind City officials that the streets need to made safer for non-motorized vehicles. Write to Mayor Bloomberg, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, your City Councilmember, DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall, and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. Tell them that without improved infrastructure, enforcement and public information, motorized vehicles will continue to pose a deadly threat to cyclists and pedestrians.
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time's up new calender of events is available at the space or online.

And on a tradgic note:

This news comes from the NYPOST online addition:

CYCLIST KILLED ON CITY ISLAND
By TATIANA DELIGIANNAKIS
January 10, 2006 -- A Bronx man riding a bicycle was hit by a car and killed yesterday on City Island, police said.
Ivan Morales, 61, was struck as he rode along Shore Road at about 3:30 p.m. He died shortly after at Jacobi Hospital.

Police did not issue a summons to the driver, whose name was not released.
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Change comes slowly...still we ride...still we must educate.

Ride safe.