Rockland Bike Club 'Ride of Silence' Remembers Cyclists Killed in Car Crashes

From Rockland Bike Club: On May 17 at 6:30p, the Rockland Bicycling Club (RBC) will again join cyclists from all over the country to ride silently in the 14th annual Ride of Silence to raise awareness of bike safety issues on local roads.

Since the first Ride of Silence following the death of Plano, Texas bike enthusiast Larry Schwartz in 2003, several thousand rides have been held to honor the thousands of cyclists that have been killed or injured by cars that drove too fast or too close to cyclists. Last year, 445 separate Ride of Silence events were held in all 50 states and 48 countries across seven continents.

Locally, the Ride of Silence has special meaning. Earlier RBC Rides of Silence honored the memories of Rockland residents killed while riding their bikes. From 2003 through 2015, Janet Martinez, Alfred Zaldivar, William “Matt” George, Ennio Spiri and Robert Carl Pinckert were killed on Rockland’s roads — several of them by hit-and-run motorists, all of them by motorists driving too fast or too close or too distracted for the cyclists they encountered.

The Rockland Bicycling Club will lead the Ride of Silence on Wednesday May 17 from the parking lot of the Rockland County Courthouse at the corner of Main Street and New Hempstead Road, New City, NY. The six mile route, escorted by the Clarkstown Police, will follow Main Street and Little Tor Road and finish back at the starting point. The Bicycling Club will provide each cyclist with either a red or black armband. A red band denotes someone who has been injured by a motorist. A black armband means the rider mourns a cyclist who was fatally injured.

Rockland cyclists are gratified that, unlike in other recent years, no cyclists were killed or badly injured in collisions on Rockland County’s roads in 2016. It’s hoped the combination of increased awareness by motorists and the county’s adoption of a Complete Streets initiative will yield continued benefits toward safety for vulnerable road users. Area cyclists are invited to join in this effort to promote greater safety for walking and biking in the county as we bring attention to the risks faced by cyclists and pedestrians on our roads.

The Ride of Silence is an opportunity for both drivers and cyclists to consider how to more safely Share the Road and drive and cycle more courteously. In Rockland County drivers are frequently annoyed by cyclists who ride two abreast, a practice that is unlawful in some places and under some conditions in the county. Cyclists are frustrated by drivers and law enforcement who seem unaware of New York State’s Safe Passing Law. There are 22 states that require motorists to provide three or more feet of space when passing a cyclist. New York's Safe Passing Law is called "Merrill's Law" in memory of area resident Merrill Cassell, who was killed when he was struck in Tarrytown.

Additional background: Previously, the RBC has held Rides of Silence to honor the memories of Rockland residents Janet Martinez, Alfred Zaldivar, William “Matt” George, Robert Carl Pinckert and Ennio Spiri. Martinez was killed by a speeding motorist on Route 9W in Piermont in June, 2012, leaving two daughters and a grandson. In 2015 two cyclists were killed in separate incidents by hit-and-run motorists. In May Alfred Zaldivar was struck near his New City home and left gravely injured by a driver who fled. He died days later. Then in December William “Matt” George was hit while standing by the guardrail on Route 202 in Ramapo. His killer has not been apprehended. Pinckert, a cyclist from Upper Nyack, died after being fatally struck by a tractor trailer on Route 303 in June, 2003. Spiri, who lived in Valley Cottage, died from injuries after being hit by a car just a few hundred feet from a school crossing guard in New City in September, 2004.

The first Ride of Silence was held in May 2003 Friends of Larry Schwartz honored his memory with a silent procession of cyclists. The 2003 ride attracted 1000 riders cycling silently at 12 mph around White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX.

For more information about the Ride of Silence, contact the Rockland Bike Club visit Rocklandbike.org or email RocklandBike@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of Rockland Bike Club