By Tom Fudge, @KPBS , From Tuesday, May 8, 2012
I felt this was extremely important to post as we mark a month following Mr. Galbraith’s death on the road. As a bicycle commuter, a motorcyclist, a driver and a pedestrian, I think about this EVERY DAY (I’ve actually started to entertain the thought of a living will). I think about how glad I am that I have my Road ID on in case I am found on the side of the road so that my loved ones can find me. I think about the fact that I feel fortunate that I have so many people around me that love me and I, them, and they know it. I feel like at this moment, if I were taken in a bike accident, that I’ve lived well— giving to my community, taking care of my personal responsibilities and that after death, my organs will hopefully be able to go to someone in desperate need. But right now, I have a lot to do, lots of projects to help with, and love to give. I WANT TO LIVE and I’m not willing to go down without a fight.
And I know I’m not alone in this.
On this note, I hope to keep these stories at the peripheries of our consciousness so that our community can heed the dangers we’ve drawn ourselves to by design of our infrastructures and develop a safer and healthier path that is more inclusive, economical and environmental. We simply can’t afford to ignore these warnings as our town tries to expand and redevelop and sprawl.
I leave you with a very poignant quote from bicyclist Timur Ender from the KPBS article and video you see embedded within this post:
“It’s about the bigger picture. It’s about creating a more sustainable city, healthier people, and better air quality”. “And we can’t do that if the very people who exemplify their actions on a daily basis by riding bicycles are being killed at a rate of once a month.”
