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Ride Of Silence Honors Bicycle Traffic Fatalities

Ride of Silence photo
Courtesy photo
/
Tim Potter
Riders in the 2016 Ride of Silence

The annual Greater Lansing Ride of Silence is tonight, honoring bicyclists who have been killed or injured on public roadways.

Organizers of the ride say that in 2016, bicycle fatalities in Michigan were up 15 percent. That’s 38 dead in traffic crashes, including the five who died in one crash in Kalamazoo last June.

Mike Unsworth chairs the Greater Lansing Ride of Silence Advocacy Committee. He says the ride gets a solemn start at MSU’s Wells Hall Plaza. "Once you take off, the bagpipes go, and people just leave with no fuss," he explains. "It's all very quiet. It's pretty profound."

A police escort leads the riders to the state Capitol building for a ceremony. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Helmets are required.

The ride starts at Wells Hall at 6:30 p-m.

Scott Pohl is a general assignment news reporter and produces news features and interviews. He is also an alternate local host on NPR's "Morning Edition."
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