San Antonio cyclists participate in the Ride of Silence to honor victims of cycling accidents.
SAN ANTONIO — A moving ride rolled out downtown on Wednesday night. The biking community met for San Antonio’s Ride of Silence. It is a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or hurt.
Organizer Jeff Moore wore a shirt with names of cyclists who have been killed in San Antonio.
“It is a big problem in San Antonio,” he said. “So far this year, we have had three fatalities, two of those were hit and runs and the other was a drunk driver.”
Moore also cited stats from TxDOT that found between 2020-to-2024 18 cyclists were killed and more than 100 others were badly hurt.
“Overall nationwide cycling fatalities are up so the trend is not going in the right direction,” Moore said.
Moore said cyclists and drivers alike need to pay attention.
“It is also a matter of better infrastructure and road design and development,” he said.
Bob Sharpley likes to cycle, and it is something he likes to do every day. He said not long ago a car got too close for comfort.
“It just feels like we are unseen and that nobody cares, he said. “This car came over into the bike lane. I don’t think they had realized they had done it. Of course, I said some choice words to them. I felt it on my leg. I felt the woosh.”
Moore and Sharpley said for drivers pay attention and give cyclists three feet of space.
“We still want to go home,” Sharpley said. “We want to be home with our families.”
The Ride of Silence began in Dallas 22 years ago and has since grown into an international movement. May also marks National Bike Month.