Ride in Silence, Ride for Safety: Spokane Joins International Ride of Silence May 19 to Draw Attention to Bicycle Safety

Cyclists generally ride as a pretty chatty bunch, but we ask you to ride in silence the evening of Wednesday, May 19. Like hundreds of cities around the world Spokane will hold a Ride of Silence™ at 7pm to mourn those who have been killed and to raise awareness of cyclists on the road.

The assembly point will be at Sprague and Division where a white “ghost bike” memorializes David Squires, killed March 2, 2010 when he was hit by a driver who reportedly had been drinking.

All riders are welcome. Try to arrive around 6:45pm and meet in the parking lot by Meineke Muffler (which will be closed). For those who need to drive to the assembly point, parking is available at the America West building thanks to building owners Mick and Shelley McDowell.

Rules for participants:

• Follow all the rules of the road (including riding no more than two abreast)
• Wear a helmet; high-visibility clothing recommended
• Have lights on your bike; it will be approaching dusk as we finish
• Ride at no more than 12 mph—an easy pace that enables anyone to participate regardless of fitness level, and a pace appropriate to a funeral procession
• Remain silent during the ride
• Riders will wear black arm bands and those who have themselves been in a bike/motor vehicle crash also wear a red arm band (supplied by organizers)

The Route

• Riverside west from Division to Cedar; left on Cedar
• Cedar south to First Avenue; left on First
• First Avenue east to Washington; left on Washington
• Washington north to Riverside; right on Riverside
• Riverside east to our starting point

The Numbers

Police data show that from 2004 to 2008 there were 353 bike/motor vehicle collisions or crashes reported to the police in the City of Spokane alone. 

That’s 70 per year—more than one a week—and those are just the ones that were reported.

Spokane Valley Ride of Silence

In Spokane Valley, Paul Warner and his family have organized a Ride of Silence in honor of his sister Gloria, killed two years ago in a bike/car crash in Gig Harbor. That Ride of Silence begins at 7 p.m. at the Mirabeau Park parking lot next to the waterfall and runs 12 miles on the Centennial Trail.

Endorsing Organizations

We reached out to participants at the 2009 Bike Summit to ask organizations, businesses and individuals to endorse the Ride of Silence as a safety message that asks everyone to share the road. 

We're pleased that the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, Spokane Regional Health District, SpokeFest Association, Mayor Mary Verner, members of the City Council and others are on the list. We’re still hearing from people so the final list will be posted in the comments to this post later. 

For more on the origins and history of the Ride of Silence see their site.

More Numbers

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2008 bicycle fatality statistics