Reflections on the 2013 Temecula Ride of Silence -- This town is changing

 

Reflections on the Temecula Ride of Silence

 

 

It was a great honor to be among cyclists Wednesday who participated in the Seventh Annual Temecula Ride of Silence as we paid special tribute to Randy Pruett, a local school teacher and active member of a cycling club, who lost his life in a bicycle accident last year.

 

Pruett’s widow Laura read a particularly moving piece, The Cyclists' Prayer, by Fr. Amado Picardal, which ends: “As we enjoy each other's company, as we feel we could bike forever, may we continue biking even as we grow old, and up to the day we die, and may you allow us to continue biking in heaven, forever and ever, Amen!”

 

The Ride of Silence is truly a worldwide event, held in 368 cities at the same time, 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of May. It honors the hundreds of cyclists killed on the road and thousands more injured.

 

 As I rode through Temecula in the dark, I thought about Temecula being named a Bike Friendly city, the City Council approving $45,000 to design more bike lanes, and news that the city was going to hold its first Bike to Work Day.

 

Things are changing in Temecula. It's time to thank Mayor Mike Naggar, Councilman Chuck Washington, City Planner Matt Peters, and everyone else who is involved at City Hall in leading these changes.

 

 And special thanks to the dozens of cyclists who rode Wednesday to honor their friends and family, their fellow cyclists. Temecula residents have always shown they care. The Ride of Silence is a simple, silent, testimony to that. By the way, photos from the event are available at www.rideofsilence.org and at Temecula Ride of Silence on Facebook.

Temecula earns Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community Status

 

 

This just in, Temecula has been awarded Bronze in the Bicycle Friendly Communities Program from the League of American Cyclists.

 

This is the first time the city has been on this list, which gives us national recognition.

 

Congratulations to the city, to Mayor Mike Naggar and Chuck Washington on the transporation subcommittee (they ...are friends to cyclists in Temecula), and to planner Matt Peters (the application is about a foot high worth of paper). I am pasting the details from the League website, to read more about what it means to be a BFC, the commitment to make improvements each year and work up to Silver, Gold, Platinum and now, Beyond Platinum (we can dream), go to http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/profiles/index_test.php?type=c&id=62&formid=245


Bicycle Friendly Community
City of Temecula | Bronze




Award: Bronze

BFC Since: 2013

Total Population: 103,092

Population density: 3,419 people per square mile

Total area: 30.15

Contact: Matt Peters, (951) 694-6408, matt.peters@cityoftemecula.org

Percentage of arterial streets with dedicated bicycle facilities:

26-50%

Modal split of commuters:

Bicycling: 0.8%

Walking: 1.3%

Transit: 0.6%

Percentage of schools offering bicycling education:

Elementary Schools: 1-25%

Middle Schools: 1-25%

Ride of Silence Video

The Temecula Ride of Silence, our seventh and the 10th for the event nationally and internationally, is only two weeks away. Here is a great video of last year's Ride of Silence.
https://vimeo.com/45293149