By Elizabeth Sims
Staff Writer
When a passing school bus mirror struck and killed cyclist Larry Schwartz on May 4, 2003, long time friend and
fellow cyclist Chris Phelan wanted to do something to honor his memory as well as those of other cyclists injured or killed in accidents.
Just two weeks later, the first Ride of Silence was held. What Phelan thought would be a one-time event is now approaching its 10th anniversary.
All are invited to participate in the Ride of Silence on May 15 at 7 p.m. to honor lost loved ones and spread awareness about this pressing issue. The ride begins in the Coppell High School parking lot.
Each May, the ride draws thousands of cyclists to White Rock Lake in Dallas. In 2006, Coppell cyclist Greg Dean started participating in the event.
In the summer of 2007, Dean set out on a long distance ride on his road bike. What would have been a routine ride quickly took a turn for the worst when he reached the intersection of Freeport Parkway and State Highway 121.
As he was crossing the road, a car driven by a 19-year-old woman ran a red light and struck him.
“He was one of those people who was hyper-careful. He was one of those parents who made me wear a helmet when I rode the little pony at the fair,” Dean’s daughter Betsy, who is now a senior at Coppell High School, said. “He was doing everything right that day and just trying to cross the road.”
Soon after the accident, Dean’s friend and cycling coordinator for Dallas Athletes David Stonecipher approached the family about hosting a Ride of Silence in Coppell. Though it was still hard for Betsy and her mother Patti Dean to talk about what had happened, they were comforted by the gesture and agreed.
“It is very heartwarming when you see everybody there because of course we miss him because he was my husband and Betsy’s dad, but to see that his friends miss him too is really comforting,” Patti Dean said.
The Deans were also touched by the community’s willingness to honor him through his love of cycling. The event
came to Coppell in 2008.
“Cycling was just his passion and something that really meant a lot to him,” Betsy said. “And to know that that community is still supporting him and people who rode with him for a ridiculous number of miles, I know he would be really touched to see that.”
Though the Ride of Silence is not funded in any way, it has no problem drawing a wide variety of participants, all wishing to honor a loved one and raise awareness about sharing the roads with cyclists.
“This event brings the importance of safety back to drivers and cyclists. Cycling is dangerous especially when not all drivers and cyclists know the laws set in place, and that is what leads to crashes,” former Coppell mayor and Ride of Silence participant Candy Sheehan said. “We are raising awareness that roads are made for cyclists and cars.”
Even before the Ride of Silence began, the city was working on developments that would improve the safety of the riding conditions for cyclists. When Sheehan served as mayor from 1997-2003, the city was able to complete trail systems and widen roadways for cyclists.
“We tried to add bike lanes, but resolved to widening roads because cyclists think they are safe in a bike lane when a car could just as easily drive in that lane,” Sheehan said. “We began maintaining and fixing roads to maintain safety for bikes as well.”
Despite these changes, cyclists and runners alike still face challenges on the roads, even with personal and city-produced safety measures. Those in Dallas Athletes, an athletics club for runner, cyclists and swimmers, must work around these challenges on a regular basis.
“We always go in the direction of traffic and in groups and never in the middle of the street. [The city] still wants us to stay on sidewalks but they are dangerous because of cracks and mud caused by sprinklers and their narrowness,” avid cyclist and run coordinator for Dallas Athletes Kuay Sullivan said. “There is always a possibility of getting hit by a car even if precautions are taken accidents still happen. Just recently a cyclist was hit and injured even though he was doing everything right.”
Though more current action from the city is not apparent, officials are very aware of the issues faced by cyclists and
runners and are in the early stages of planning for improvements.
“The city of Coppell is very aware that there are bike riders and runners, and we have been exploring the extension and expansion of the sidewalk systems,” Coppell city councilman Billy Faught said. “There is even talk of connections with our trail systems with already existing trails in Grapevine, Carrolton and even as far as Denton.”
Faught, though not a hard-core road cyclist, also participates in the Ride of Silence on his mountain bike for the love of cycling and the message it shares.
“It is just a good community experience and a very touching tribute for lost lives and spreading awareness for sharing the road,” Faught said. “You don’t have to be Lance Armstrong to ride.”
