Photo by Corey Jennings
Two months ago we stood beside Michael Hughes' family and placed ghost bike in his memory, pictured above. This Sunday, we will again be standing alongside a grieving family.
On July 30th, Wayne Richardson was killed after being struck from behind by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bike near the 2600 block of East Madison. We connected with Wayne's family and learned that he was retired from the Army Reserve, he served as an usher and sang in the choir at his church, and cared deeply for those around him, often taking in friends and family and helping them get on their feet.
Every single person that is killed on our streets has a story, has value just by way of being a human being. But when hit and runs are a frequent occurrence and when civic leaders don't stand up for safer streets — it sends a message that people who travel our streets by bike or on foot don't deserve dignity. That we don’t deserve safety.
Join us this Sunday to stand up against this message and demonstrate that, like all victims of traffic violence, Wayne deserved better. We'll be riding from the Washington Monument to Madison and Kenwood where Wayne was killed to place a ghost bike in his memory. This will be a slow 2.5 mile ride mostly on the Monument Street protected bike lane.
It’s time to show up in force. We need to come together to show leadership that we're human, that when we prioritize cars over the safety of people on our streets — this is the outcome. We lose people who meant something to someone, people like Wayne.
>> Click here to find more details about the ride and invite your friends and neighbors.