Families of cyclists killed in Waukesha County join Ride of Silence
They will be silent to be noticed.
At nine locations around Wisconsin, cyclists will start pedaling at 7 p.m. Wednesday as part of the international Ride of Silence, slow-moving memorials to bikers killed and injured on the road.
By grieving and riding quietly, they hope to remind motorists and fellow bicyclists to follow the law and share the road.
The consequences of not doing so will be exemplified with emotion in Waukesha, where the widows and families of two men killed in crashes last year will join the riders.
Brett Netke, 42, was hit by a car while riding on Highway 18 in the Village of Summit on Father’s Day, May 20.
Jeff Littmann, 56, was hit by a car while riding on Wisconsin Ave. in Nashotah on Oct. 1.
They were among the nine bicyclists killed in crashes with motor vehicles in Wisconsin in 2010.
“I’ll be there to support Darlene (Netke) and to put a face to what has happened, just so that people know this is life and death,” said Rachel Bishop, Netke’s sister. “I want people to know that this has been a major disruption for everyone involved.”
Bishop will travel from Holland, Mich., to join the memorial with Netke’s widow and his children, Tyer, 8, Alyssa, 6, and Gabrielle, 4.
“My hope and my prayer for Darlene is she gets some peace from this, and some comfort,” Bishop said. “I hope she can see that people are standing up for some sort of awareness, and for safety on the road.
“It won’t heal her completely. Nothing will. But I hope this will, a little bit.”
Littmann’s widow, Kelly James-Littmann, said she hopes motorists will notice the memorial ride and remember to be more watchful and more compassionate. That might help ease the fears she has for her children, Ashley and Michael James, two cyclists who train and compete like their stepfather.
The Ride of Silence started in Texas in 2003, in memory of Larry Schwartz, a cyclist who was hit and killed by the mirror of a school bus. Rides are expected to take place this year in 150 locations.
In Waukesha, the Spring City Spinners Bicycle Club will host its memorial event for a second year. The ride will start at the Waukesha State Bank, 151 E. St. Paul Ave.
Similarly, this will be year two for the ride starting at the Wheel & Sprocket store in Fox Point.
The Warshafsky Law Office helped coordinate the ride in Fox Point and promoted the cause with a list of five bicycle-related laws motorists should know. Topping the list is the requirement that motorists provide three feet of clearance when passing a cyclist.
The driver who killed Brett Netke was ticketed for failing to yield the three feet and paid a $114 fine.
On a more basic point, the participants want to remind drivers that they have a right to be on the road.
In addition to the events listed above, rides will be held in Appleton, Green Bay, Lake Geneva, Madison, Oshkosh, Racine and Viroqua. Details can be found at www.rideofsilence.org.
70 Comments for "Families of cyclists killed in Waukesha County join Ride of Silence"
In regards to riding on sidewalks or running lights at night, do any of you know the correct laws? Just curious. I'm sure I'm out of date on these, but I am careful watching for bicyclists and certainly support their interests in riding.
Defcon5 May 17, 2011 2:42 PM
@defcon5 - the link above, also given in an earlier post, has links along the right side to different rules of the road. Unless allowed by a community by specific ordinance, it is illegal to ride a bike on a sidewalk beyond the learning stage of riding. Lights are required for night time riding.
@greatape - there are no requirements for licensing bicycles, but I doubt that has anything to with a 'bike lobby' of any kind that is working to keep that from happening. I, for one, would have no problem paying a licensing fee, if that is what it takes for motorists to become more aware. And even though I don't believe one action will equate to the other, I would still be open to it.
TosaArch May 17, 2011 3:26 PM
A bicycle has the same rights to the road as a motorcycle and has to follow the same rules as such. I have seen too many car drivers and bicyclists be plain discourteous to the other.
What there needs to be is more enforcement on both sides of the issue - against errant bicyclists who do not follow the road rules and against car drivers who do not follow the road rules. A car is easy, it has plates on it. A bicyclist is far harder to catch. I can probably extend this that the habitually errant bicyclist is an errant car driver and vice versa. Until both sides respect each other, there will be no peace or coexistence possible.
jadedeye May 18, 2011 9:28 PM
with 3 feet of space and not a full lane, just as an FYI, but I personally
have no problem waiting until I can pass a cyclist with more space.
There are just too many aggressive and impatient drivers out there today.
It's no treat sharing the road with these people while I'm in my CAR, so I
can empathize with some of the frustrated cyclists out there. Just today
I got tapped from behind by a tailgater who didn't see me slow down. It
was just a tap- there was no damage other than perhaps the other guy's
senses after I yelled at him- but if he had hit a cyclist in the same
manner, the results could have been much worse.
Bucky6275 May 18, 2011 9:38 PM
StallisTim May 18, 2011 9:38 PM
tribadger May 18, 2011 9:42 PM
JS was trying to remove anonymity by using the Facebook interface. I have only seen it used once and not since then.
BTW, the quality of the stupidity stayed the same, just the quantity dropped.
Maybe this weekend I can hit the two-wheeler for a short ride.
jadedeye May 18, 2011 9:47 PM
publication that was prob. written by some intern. It sounded very
paternalistic: see Sedwick's post from 11:25
Here the Wis Statue, you can see that it makes no mention of the double
yellow line, Therefor foll the statute:
346.075 Overtaking and passing bicycles, electric personal assistive
mobility devices, and motor buses.
(1) The operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle or electric
personal assistive mobility device proceeding in the same
direction shall exercise due care, leaving a safe distance, but in no
case less than 3 feet clearance when passing the bicycle or electric
personal assistive mobility device, and shall maintain clearance
until safely past the overtaken bicycle or electric personal assistive
mobility device.
sssesq May 18, 2011 10:17 PM
the rules of the road that they more than infrequently ignore.
OTownBadger May 18, 2011 10:47 PM
Bicycles don't want to drive on side walks and weave pedestrians , WHY NOT ? , motor vehicles have to slow down and wait for you so they can pass and get were they have to go in a manor that was designed for that vehicle , most are on the road to get somewhere in a timely fashion and not trying to OBSTRUCT TRAFFIC with a carefree self centered life.
If it's so dangerous on the roads and HIGHWAYS for a slow moving bicycle why don't bicycler ride on there bicycle paths or just stay home and ride a stationary bicycle and show more common sense.
My parent's taught me to stay out of the road because I could get hit by a CAR.
harold123 May 19, 2011 8:31 AM
harold123 May 19, 2011 8:45 AM
Every car trip you take is important? You are always driving you wife to the hospital because a baby is on the way?
Just because you are in a car, your pleasure trip is not more important than a pleasure trip of a person on a bike.
Your mom telling you not to ride on the road, and other moms like her, have resulted in a nation of fat kids and fat adults. No wonder our health insurance is so costly.
BikerRon70 May 19, 2011 8:51 AM
shawnee May 19, 2011 10:43 AM
http://www.dot.state.wi.us/drivers/docs/e-handbook.pdf
I says quite clearly that Amish and bikes DO NOT NEED SMV signs. Try getting off your lard bottom and go for a ride, or are you chicken??
sssesq May 19, 2011 12:36 PM
1 Feb 12, 2012 2:21 PM