I wonder if there is such a monument to the vehicular homicide of 31 year old Cleveland+bicycling casualty Terrell Jones, by 54 year old executive Timothy G. Biro, the managing partner of the Ohio Innovation Fund. It would be around E.55th and Woodland, where suburbanites speed to the freeway onramps out of the city.

Disrupt IT

Norm:  There was no white bike posted at the E. 55th Street collision.  Here's the information from the ClevelandBikes website, which was posted the day after the collision:

Cyclist Killed on Cleveland's Eastside:  Cyclists are very troubled about a "hit and run" cycling fatality on Tuesday September 22nd.  As an organization, we support a thorough investigation of any cycling fatality and, at this point, the police are apparently still investigating.  The car/cyclist collision occurred at the busy intersection of Woodland Avenue and East 55th Street and Kinsman Avenue. This is a complex intersection, with major roads in all directions and cars and trucks accessing the interstate highway further south on East 55th Street. It's a real concern that the motorist left the scene, proceeding south on the highway.  Media reports indicate the motorist told police he was unaware he struck anyone.  ClevelandBikes encourages police to conduct a full, thorough investigation and urges the Prosecutor to pursue appropriate charges, based on the circumstances they identify, including reviewing video cameras from a nearby gas station.  As ClevelandBikes learns more, will be certain to pass the information along.  Here's the full story in the Plain Dealer.

_____________________

If there is anything positive to take from a cycling fatality, it is the opportunity to talk about safety, education and enforcement and cycling fatalities nation-wide have prompted discussion of change, including cycling education, helmets, texting/talking while driving and more strict speed limit enforcement. Let's plan for a safer community.

Considering the objective of the White Bikes seems to be to increase community awareness around bike tragedy, I feel very uninformed here about bike tragedies.

I believe the community and justice system response to Terrell's death was poor, and did more harm for the interests of bicyclists here than any other event in recent memory... no outrage and mourning.

What were the circumstances of Sylvia's death? I haven't seen detailed crime scene information - I believe she was riding a motorized bike - was she within the law and riding safely? Were there bike lanes involved? Do bike lanes add to rider safety? I'm not seeing these discussions in the media - are these discussions occuring elsewhere. Are the outcomes educating citizens to ride and drive more safely?

Today, at Euclid and Mayfield, a bicyclist came illegally across 6 lanes of traffic toward the van I was in, nearly causing an accident... if he had been hit, it would have been his fault... but, I suspect, if the rider was a white Case student or professor (which looked to be the case) my poor black friend driving the van would have been headed for 15-life.

Most of the education needs to be given to bicyclists, including those who must ride bikes every day around urban Cleveland as the only affordable means of transportation.

People need to care enough about the big picture to treat all the Terrells and Sylvias with the same degree of openness and honesty, showing the same level of response.

Disrupt IT