Families, Friends Honor New Yorkers Killed on NYC Streets
NEW YORK CITY STREET MEMORIAL PROJECT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Leah Todd, New York City Street Memorial Project
Jessie Singer, Transportation Alternatives
April 21, 2013
FAMILIES, FRIENDS HONOR NEW YORKERS KILLED ON NYC STREETS
Eighth Annual Memorial Ride for Bicyclists and Pedestrians Killed in Traffic
What: Memorial Ride across five boroughs, dedication of twenty “ghost bikes”
When: April 21, 2013 (three times and locations available to the media)
Who: Family members of bicyclists killed in 2012 and 2013, hundreds on bike and foot
Times/Locations:
Memorial for Shaquille “Swizzy” Cochrane
Intersection of Park Avenue and 108th Street, Manhattan
3:00 pm
Memorial for Daniel “Danny” Martinez
Intersection of 5th Avenue and 80th Street, Manhattan
3:30 pm
2012 Memorial for Unknown Bicyclists and Pedestrians (convergence of all
participants)
Intersection of Queens Boulevard and Jackson Avenue, Queens
4:30 pm
Photos will be available at http://andrewhinderaker.photoshelter.com/gallery/Eighth-Annual-Memorial-... and http://bit.ly/ZzY4i0 with password “memorialride.”
Families and friends of New Yorkers killed while bicycling and walking on
New York City streets will lead the Eighth Annual Memorial Ride today in
an event organized by the New York City Street Memorial Project
(www.ghostbikes.org). A memorial bicycle ride across five boroughs will
visit the 20 white-painted “ghost bikes” installed at the scene of
bicyclist fatalities. Bicyclists and pedestrians will converge at the
intersection of Queens Boulevard and Jackson Avenue to dedicate a memorial
to all of the cyclists who were killed in traffic crashes in 2012 whose
names were not publicly released.
According to the New York City Department of Transportation, 136
pedestrians and 18 bicyclists were killed in 2012. In 2011, 134
pedestrians and 22 bicyclists were killed on New York City streets. To
date, at least two bicyclists have been killed in 2013. Participants call
on all road users to foster a culture of mutual respect and demand that
the City take stronger measures to reduce traffic fatalities citywide,
through conducting complete investigations when crashes occur and
initiating responsive improvements to street design, enforcement and
education to protect bicyclists and pedestrians.
“As more bike and pedestrian safety infrastructure is added to New York
City streets, Queens has been left behind, and fatality and injury numbers
reflect this. More cyclists were killed by drivers in Queens in 2012 than
any other borough, yet amenities that protect cyclists and pedestrians are
slow to arrive,” says Leah Todd, a volunteer with the New York City Street
Memorial Project. “Since the first Ghost Bike was installed in New York
City in 2005, the number of bicyclists killed has not changed
significantly. The message is clear: with bike share on the horizon and
more New Yorkers trying bicycling every day, more attention is needed as
to why cyclists are killed year after year.”
The New York City Street Memorial Project seeks to cultivate a
compassionate and supportive community for survivors and friends of those
killed on New York City streets, to raise public awareness as a means to
prevent future deaths, and to foster mutual respect among all people who
share the road. The project is currently fundraising to sustain the work
of creating ghost bike memorials at
http://www.crowdrise.com/ghostbike/fundraiser.
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NEW YORK CITY STREET MEMORIAL PROJECT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Leah Todd, New York City Street Memorial Project
Jessie Singer, Transportation Alternatives
April 21, 2013
FAMILIES, FRIENDS HONOR NEW YORKERS KILLED ON NYC STREETS
Eighth Annual Memorial Ride for Bicyclists and Pedestrians Killed in Traffic
What: Memorial Ride across five boroughs, dedication of twenty “ghost bikes”
When: April 21, 2013 (three times and locations available to the media)
Who: Family members of bicyclists killed in 2012 and 2013, hundreds on bike and foot
Times/Locations:
Memorial for Shaquille “Swizzy” Cochrane
Intersection of Park Avenue and 108th Street, Manhattan
3:00 pm
Memorial for Daniel “Danny” Martinez
Intersection of 5th Avenue and 80th Street, Manhattan
3:30 pm
2012 Memorial for Unknown Bicyclists and Pedestrians (convergence of all
participants)
Intersection of Queens Boulevard and Jackson Avenue, Queens
4:30 pm
Photos will be available at http://andrewhinderaker.photoshelter.com/gallery/Eighth-Annual-Memorial-... and http://bit.ly/ZzY4i0 with password “memorialride.”
Families and friends of New Yorkers killed while bicycling and walking on
New York City streets will lead the Eighth Annual Memorial Ride today in
an event organized by the New York City Street Memorial Project
(www.ghostbikes.org). A memorial bicycle ride across five boroughs will
visit the 20 white-painted “ghost bikes” installed at the scene of
bicyclist fatalities. Bicyclists and pedestrians will converge at the
intersection of Queens Boulevard and Jackson Avenue to dedicate a memorial
to all of the cyclists who were killed in traffic crashes in 2012 whose
names were not publicly released.
According to the New York City Department of Transportation, 136
pedestrians and 18 bicyclists were killed in 2012. In 2011, 134
pedestrians and 22 bicyclists were killed on New York City streets. To
date, at least two bicyclists have been killed in 2013. Participants call
on all road users to foster a culture of mutual respect and demand that
the City take stronger measures to reduce traffic fatalities citywide,
through conducting complete investigations when crashes occur and
initiating responsive improvements to street design, enforcement and
education to protect bicyclists and pedestrians.
“As more bike and pedestrian safety infrastructure is added to New York
City streets, Queens has been left behind, and fatality and injury numbers
reflect this. More cyclists were killed by drivers in Queens in 2012 than
any other borough, yet amenities that protect cyclists and pedestrians are
slow to arrive,” says Leah Todd, a volunteer with the New York City Street
Memorial Project. “Since the first Ghost Bike was installed in New York
City in 2005, the number of bicyclists killed has not changed
significantly. The message is clear: with bike share on the horizon and
more New Yorkers trying bicycling every day, more attention is needed as
to why cyclists are killed year after year.”
The New York City Street Memorial Project seeks to cultivate a
compassionate and supportive community for survivors and friends of those
killed on New York City streets, to raise public awareness as a means to
prevent future deaths, and to foster mutual respect among all people who
share the road. The project is currently fundraising to sustain the work
of creating ghost bike memorials at
http://www.crowdrise.com/ghostbike/fundraiser.
###