BUFFALO, N.Y. — In the wake of the driver-related deaths of two young Western New Yorkers, Leah Mayer and Luke Guetti, and the recent hit-and-run death of 24-year-old Trevor Friedly, Go Bike Buffalo is continuing to call for change.
"We want folks to show up in large numbers to say we're not gonna tolerate this, this rise in hit and runs on top of all the other traffic violence that's happening," said Kevin Heffernan with GObike Buffalo.
The cyclist and pedestrian advocacy group is calling on the community to join them and the East Side Bike Club on a ghost bike ride. A group bicycle ride honoring cyclists who were killed in hit-and-run incidents.
You may have seen these white bikes around Buffalo. A sad reminder, Kevin says, that our streets are not safe enough for cyclists or pedestrians.
Nothing new to them... or the Buffalo community.. mourning pedestrian and cyclist deaths.
The solution? Kevin says it's up to lawmakers, on a local, state, and federal level to step up and speak out about reckless driving and unsafe streets.
"With violence levels this high, we're at a 41-year high in pedestrian death rates, we have to have urgency. It can't be the same business as usual of drag our feet to build safe infrastructure. If we want to meet our climate goals, if we want to see our neighbors live, we need to build out infrastructure much fast than we currently are," said Heffernan.
And when it comes to teaching cyclists and young pedestrians safe practices, he says there's only so much those not behind the wheel can do.
"There's drunk driving and reckless driving abound in our city and region, but we can't just point fingers forever and see nothing change. The way we fix this is better infrastructure," said Heffernan.
The group will meet tomorrow at Freedom Park at 9:45 a.m. for a 10 a.m. takeoff.