Drivers will want to be extra careful Wednesday evening as cyclists take part in a Ride of Silence across Windsor to commemorate those who have been killed or injured while riding on public roads.
The silent ride starts at 7pm at The Willistead Restaurant on Wyandotte St. E.
Two hearses will bookend the cyclists, and those that come will be asked to wear a red or black armband demonstrating the legal right of cyclists to use public roads without fear.
The ride will take a procession up Walker Rd. to Ontario St., through the city to Dominion Blvd., back east on Riverside Dr. and back to The Willistead Restaurant. The entire route is about 12 km.
This is the ninth year for the ride in Windsor and the 15th year globally. Last year, there were 445 events held in 48 countries. The local ride attracted 150 riders last May.
Bike Windsor Essex Executive Director Lori Newton says thankfully, this year the local ride will not be commemorating any cyclists who have died locally.
"The amazing thing about this ride is that it is ridden completely in silence. It's very slow. We have a hearse in the front and a hearse in the back," says Newton. "It's surprisingly an emotional event."
Newton admits there are also cyclists who do not follow the rules of the road.
"We are all human, and human beings make mistakes," she says. "While we visually see a lot of cyclists riding the wrong way, taking risks, blowing through stop signs -- I think we can say the same about motorists. How many motorists speed?"
Last year, the City of Windsor released a list of the worst intersections for accidents involving cyclists. At the top of the list was Lauzon Pkwy. and Tecumseh Rd. E with seven collisions between 2011 and 2015. There were five at Tecumseh Rd. E and Windsor Ave. and Drouillard Rd. and Wyandotte St. E. Walker Rd. and Ypres Blvd. was also listed.
"Our organization is working very hard to educate about the rules of the road," says Newton. "We're advocating at city hall to put that education on the road in the form of paint, in the form of arrows on the road so that motorists and cyclists and pedestrians can all look down and say 'Oh! This is where we belong."
Newton encourages cyclists who are involved in a collision to call the police so the city can track where accidents occur, and log it online at bikemaps.org, a North American organization working to make roads safer.
There is no cost to participants, and no pledges will be collected, but donations are welcomed to help Bike Windsor-Essex in its goal of making the region more bike-friendly.
