A bicyclist advocacy group plans to host a rally in Brecksville on Saturday to raise awareness about what its members perceive as mistreatment by motorists.
“There is a culture of forgiveness for careless motorists when the opposite should be happening,” said Bike Cleveland Executive Director Jacob VanSickle. “We need to establish a culture that insists on responsibility for one’s actions.”
The rally, which is being held at 11 a.m. in Brecksville’s Town Center, comes in the wake of the acquittal last month of Timothy Wolf, who was found not guilty by a jury on two counts of vehicular homicide in Garfield Heights Municipal Court.
Wolf was accused of killing two bicyclists, Matthew Billings and Jim Lambert, in a September crash. Wolf told investigators he could not see the bicyclists because the sun’s glare temporarily blocked his vision.
The families and friends of Billings and Lambert are expected to speak at the rally, and Bike Cleveland will share bicycle safety tips with attendees.
VanSickle said motorists too often are given asylum because of generations of car culture and because the public attempts to blame bicyclists in crashes between cars and bikes.
“The value of a person is not diminished merely because they choose an alternative mode of transportation to a car,” VanSickle said. “People on bikes are valuable members of our society: mothers and fathers, friends and family.”
