HARRISBURG, Pa. — The State Capitol today will be packed with hundreds of cyclists to honor the lives of other bicyclists who died or were injured on roadways.
May is National Bike Month, and organizers are trying to bring awareness to motorists to share the roads with bicyclists.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1,000 cyclists die and 130,000 are injured every year in the United States. According to Recycle Bicycle in Harrisburg, 15 cyclists died in 2022. This was a decline from 24 in 2021, which saw the highest number of cyclist deaths ever reported in 20 years.
“Fifteen is way too many,” said Ross Willard, chief manufacturing officer at Recycle Bicycle. “I grew up in an industry where we called it 'Vision Zero' and it’s real tough to turn to your friends and employees and say 'how many people want to die today,' so 15 is way too many for Pennsylvania.”
Several white "ghost bikes" that signify the number of cyclists killed on roadways line the Capitol Steps. There is one red bike that represents the hundreds of people injured every year while on their bikes. Willard says they sit on the Capitol Steps to bring awareness to the issue at hand.
“The ghost bikes here are a barometer of every year to tell not only the state legislatures and the governor but the general public, we belong on the roads and we don’t want to see any more bikes like this,” said Willard.
Among one of the many cyclists killed is Leyla Monroy, who died riding home on her bike last summer. Monroy collided with a van after the driver made a U-turn on Market Street in Harrisburg, according to police.
“In Harrisburg, we had a terrible year,” said Willard.
The 2.5-mile ride will begin at 7 p.m. behind the Armed Forces Reserve Center on the 2900 block of Green Street in Harrisburg. The gathering will be from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m.
Cyclists will ride in SILENCE to the steps of the State Capitol, where there will be a ceremony to memorialize those lost on Pennsylvania’s roads in 2022. All levels and types of bikes and bikers are welcome. Helmets are mandatory for this ride, and bikers are encouraged to wear a black and/or red armband in solidarity.