Cyclists call for improved roads in Ride of Silence
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Cyclists during last year's Ride of Silence in Austin. Photo: Courtesy of Doug McLaren
Austin cyclists will gather Wednesday evening for a rally and silent ride honoring people who were killed or injured by cars while riding bikes on city streets.
Why it matters: The event is part of the International Ride of Silence, which began in Dallas in 2003 after cyclist Larry Schwartz was killed when he was struck by the mirror of a passing school bus.
- The annual event commemorates cyclists killed by motorists and calls attention to road safety.
Catch up quick: Advocates say Austin has made progress adding bike lanes in recent years, but cyclists are still dying on local roads.
- Organizers are calling on the city to add more protected bike lanes, solve hit-and-run cold cases involving cyclists and hold drivers accountable when bicyclists are injured or killed.
- They're also urging city officials and property owners to leave white "ghost bike" memorials at crash sites.
What they're saying: Skylar Crain, the son of Roger Crain, who was killed on his bike in Austin in 2023, said he wants the city to prioritize safer streets — especially along Lamar Boulevard.
- "Fatalities continue while cyclists wait for the city to improve safety conditions," Crain said in a statement.
By the numbers: Fatal and serious-injury bike crashes in Austin have declined from a 10-year high of 36 in 2017 to 27 in 2025, according to the latest data available.
Zoom in: The route will pass the site of a fatal crash near the University of Texas on San Jacinto Boulevard, where advocates say officials have not allowed a white memorial ghost bike to remain permanently in place since a student cyclist was killed in 2019.
If you go: Austin's cycling community will gather at Wooldridge Park, 900 Guadalupe St.
- Speakers on Wednesday include Leta Moser, a friend of cyclist Paul Wuersig who was killed in October 2025; Safe Streets Austin's Adam Greenfield; Austin's transportation safety officer Joel Meyer; and Social Cycling Austin's Ricardo Treviño.
- The group's 8-mile route will travel around 9-10 mph.