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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...34565018759.txt

Bike ride will raise safety awareness





By Lois Tomaszewski
Staff Writer

Published: Monday, May 14, 2012 5:07 PM CDT

MICHIGAN CITY — For those who ride the roads using pedal power, getting around is a scary task. Nationwide, cyclists are injured and sometimes killed in accidents, as was the case in June when La Porte County resident Gerald “Jerry” Jacobs died as a result of an accident.

“Last year La Porte and Porter County had cyclists who were indeed injured and in one case killed while riding their bikes,” said Trina Walsworth, an owner of the Bike Stop cycling store on U.S. 20 in Michigan City.

Walsworth has organized a “Ride of Silence” to take place at 6:30 p.m., on Wednesday May 16. Cyclists will meet at Michigan City High School, ride to the library and return to the high school. A police escort has been arranged to provide for the safety of the riders.

“This is an important event to help raise awareness,” Walsworth said. “We need drivers to pay attention. The goals of this ride is to memorialize cyclists who have been killed or injured, to raise awareness that we are here and to ask that we all share the road safely.”




The Ride of Silence is a global event that has been going on for 10 years. It is always slated to occur on the third Wednesday of May, the national bike month.

Last year, more than 300 locations scheduled rides. But this will be the first time a ride has been planned for Michigan City.

The pace of the nine-mile round trip ride is slow, Walsworth said. Riders must be able to complete the nine miles, be comfortable riding in a group and wear a helmet. Lights are recommended.

Participants should meet in the high school parking lot.

The ride starts promptly at 7 p.m. The route will begin at Pahs Road and progress to Cleveland Ave., then to Franklin Street. At the library, cyclists will head to Michigan Boulevard and use the new bike lanes to Woodland Avenue to return to the high school.

For more information, contact Walsworth at Bike Stop Cycling, 219-872-9228 or email: bikestopcycling@yahoo.com