Memorial Ride for Four Cyclists Killed in the Twin Cities in September

In the first nine months of this year, emergency rooms in the Twin Cities have treated more seriously injured cyclists than they did in the whole of 2007.

This year, in part due to rising gas prices, more people are biking. Almost 4% of Minneapolitans bike to work, and there's no shortage of bike commuters and leisure riders in other cities in the metro area. With more bikes on the road, there's more potential for accidents, but it's still shocking that four local cyclists were killed in collisions with cars in September alone.

James "Jimmy" Nisser age 65, was killed on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 Excelsior Boulevard near 32nd Street in Minneapolis.
Dale Phillip Aanenson, 63, died Monday, September 22, 2008 in an accident near his home in Blaine.
Nicholas "Nick" Morton age 18, killed on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis in a collision with a truck on September 23, 2008.
Virginia M. Heuer was killed on September 27, 2008 on Summit Avenue in St. Paul.

This Saturday, October 4, a memorial ride will honor fallen bicyclists. The ride is also to raise awareness for the need for cars to be respectful of cyclists, and for cyclists to remember how important it is to ride safely.

The ride gathers at the intersection of Summit and Snelling Avenues in St. Paul, where Virginia Heuer was killed, and will follow a route to Excelsior Boulevard, and then up to Hennepin Avenue, where Jimmy Nisser and Nick Morton died. Ghost bike memorials have been placed at the site of these accidents, and the ride will pause at the site of each.

In the afternoon, cyclists will ride to Blaine to place a ghost bike memorial at the site Dale Phillip Aanenson was killed.

Cyclists will gather in St. Paul at 10.30 a.m. and the ride will begin at 11 a.m. The route between the three sites is 13.6 miles long.

Those riding to Blaine in the afternoon will follow this route.

For more information, contact ghostbikempls@gmail.com, telephone 612-276-1008, or visit mplsbikelove.com.

Last week, I was almost run down by a motorist driving the wrong way up Summit Avenue. Cyclists are so very vulnerable, and any one of us who use a bicycle for commuting, leisure or work could so easily have been a fifth death last month. All cyclists are invited to participate in this Saturday's ride.