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Houston Ride of Silence May 19 |
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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 10 May 2004 |
THIS ARTICLE REFERS TO THE 2004 RIDE. PLEASE VISIT THIS ARTICLE ANNOUNCING THE 2005 RIDE.
The nation-wide Ride of Silence honors the memory of cyclists killed or injured on the road.
WHEN: May 19th 2004 at 7PM (Ride Starts promptly at 7 pm so get there early)
WHERE: Herman Park/ZOO Parking Lot
PACE: 12MPH riding 2ABREAST
WHAT TO WEAR: Black or RED Armband or Clothing.
ROUTE:Here's the route.
1. Exit the HP zoo parking lot and follow Golf Course Drive to Caroline St. (The street on the east side of the Museum) (Designated bike route)
2. Turn Right onto Caroline St. follow Caroline to Alabama. Turn left on Alabama for one block then right onto San Jacinto Street and take San Jacinto into downtown.
3. In downtown, turn left on Congress and left again onto Fannin to return.
4. Exit Fannin with a left turn on Ewing Street then right onto Caroline St.
5. Turn left onto Golf Course Drive from Caroline St. and follow the Golf Course Dr. loop back to the HP ZOO parking lot.
OBEY ALL LAWS!
MAKE SURE TO CALLOUT SLOWING, STOPPING, etc...
This ride is not tied to any organization (although various organizations such as BikeHouston are helping to promote it), is not a fundraiser, and is not for commercial gain. It arises from the a lot of concerned citizens that want a moment of silence in remembrance of fallen cyclists.
Seems that many cyclists in our area have become fatalities recently due to inattentive motorists.
Many more have been injured in similar situations - with a rather high number of hit and run.
In response to that reality, Texas cyclist and duathlete Chris Phelan came up with a very simple idea. He would organize a ride that he christened "The Ride of Silence". His idea was simple. Ride to honor those who have been killed or injured by crashes with motorists. Ride one lap with cyclists riding 2 abreast (the maximum amount allowed legally) and IN SILENCE. He also asked the cyclists to keep the speed under 12 mph.This year Chris has been working the e-mail circuit and there are currently over 30 locations across the country where a Ride of Silence is being organized. The date is May 19, 2004.
Our goals are simple. There is no registration, no fees, no t-shirt. The ride, which is being held during Bike month, aims to raise motorists, police and city officials awareness of cycling and cyclists. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured. We would like to get the attention of the motorists and elected officials in the Houston area so that they will get mobilized and spend some effort to educate motorists about cyclists and their rights to the roadway. This fits perfectly with the LAB goal of the Share the Road campaign.
For more information on rides across the country see www.rideofsilence.net
or www.rideofsilence.org
or www.rideofsilence.com
BikeHouston has a forum for cyclists killed in the Houston area... if you know of others, please add them.
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