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Grand Rapids bicyclists join global Ride of Silence as city promotes bike safety

Bicyclists in Grand Rapids joined riders all over the world in the Ride of Silence Wednesday evening to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. The solemn procession was part of a global movement of cyclists who bike without speaking every third Wednesday in May.

"The Ride of Silence is a ride that was started in Texas to honor a specific person who had passed away in a bicycle crash," Grand Rapids Ride of Silence organizer Amy Duggan said. "It's now a worldwide event where we remember people who have been killed, and we honor those who have been injured in bicycle and car collisions.

Duggan says while bike awareness is improving in Grand Rapids not all drivers are ready to share the roads with bicyclists.

“I think there’s still are lot of people who aren’t aware that bicyclists have a right to be on the road," Duggan said. "There’s this misconception that ‘oh bikes should just be on the sidewalk, they’re safer there,’ but they really aren’t safer, because of people coming out of driveways, backing up out of places, and not being in the sightlines of people driving cars.”

The city of Grand Rapids is hoping to address bike safety. Last week the city announced the second annual Driving Change campaign. The city will partner with driving schools to educate both riders and drivers about a new ordinance that requires five feet between a car's right side and a bicycle.

“You know the biggest thing it hopes to address is awareness," Grand Rapids Deputy Police Chief Dan Savage said. "I mean, we’re just trying to get folks educated both the motoring public and the bicycling public so they can exist together in a safe manner on the roadways.”

Since the launch of the Driving Change campaign, Savage says the number of bike accidents involving a car has declined.

“I mean we are trying to build upon what was started last year, it did cause a reduction in bicyclist accidents at least here in the city of Grand Rapids and we want to continue that this year,” Savage said.  

The Ride of Silence Wednesday was held on every continent and in all 50 U.S. states.

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