[Above, photo credit: Kyle Ramey] Did you know that the third Sunday of every November is World Remembrance Day? This Sunday, we followed Peter Cheung on a remembrance bike ride around Boston in honor and in memory of those who lost their lives in traffic fatalities. The ride ended near Boston Commons and was followed by a vigil, led by Laura Everett, where stories were shared by family members of loved ones and friends who became victims of road tragedies. We had 150 yellow roses that were laid on the steps and then later taken to the ghost bikes around town, along with “Crash Not Accident” signs. I am still learning about the origins of some of these movements – another important one being #VisionZero (a study showing that once a European city adopted Vision Zero, the rate of fatalities went down significantly). But in the meantime, it’s good to know that at least there are people who are doing something and care, including the Massachusetts VisionZero Coalition and the Boston Vision Zero Task Force. So thank you to all the organizers, including Boston Cyclists Union, Walk Boston, Mass Bike, and LivableStreets Alliance!
Phyo’s ghost bike on Mass Ave & Vassar St with yellow roses from the World Remembrance Day bike ride organized by BCU (the Crash Not Accident sign is placed on the side of the pole, visible to motorists and vehicles making right turns from Mass Ave onto Vassar St)