More than 2,000 south Florida cyclists gathered in Key Biscayne on Sunday morning for a memorial ride to honor hit-and-run victim Christophe LeCanne.
It was an amazing outpouring of support to demonstrate to elected officials and the motoring public that bike riders are tired of second-class citizenship on the road.
LeCanne, 44, was struck by an allegedly drunken motorist as he rode his bike in the bicycle lane on the Rickenbacher Causeway a week ago Sunday.
Long delay
He lay bleeding to death in the road for over 15 minutes because the closest fire-rescue station was closed due to a reduction in hours, and emergency operators didn't contact the next closest station.
Bicyclists are calling for lower speed limits on the causeway, as well as some sort of barrier of physical separation between the driving and bicycle lanes.
They're also seeking more hours for the nearby station — it doesn't open until 10 a.m. on Sundays — operated by Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue. They say that the Key Biscayne and Virginia Key area is full of people recreating and exercising who might might need medical attention early Sunday mornings.
Rap sheet
LeCanne was struck down about 8 a.m. the morning of Jan. 17. The driver, Carlos Bertanotti, 28, of Key Biscayne is charged with several felonies, including driving-under-the-influence manslaughter, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
Other charges include vehicular homicide, driving without a license, leaving the scene of a fatality and resisting arrest, reports Miami New Times.
Police stopped Bertanotti near his home; LeCanne's bike was still stuck under the car, reports CBS4.com. His rap sheet includes 42 previous driving citations.
Florida bicyclists certainly have reason to call attention to their plight. Year in and year out, the state tallies by far the most bicycle traffic deaths in the nation.
Traffic deaths
In 2008, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports that 125 bike riders died on Florida's highways. California was the state with the next highest bicyclist death toll at 109.
Based on population, Florida had 6.87 bicycle deaths per million population, nearly three times the national average.
Sunday's memorial ride was organized by Bike Miami Days, Ride Safe in Key Biscayne, Miami Critical Mass, TransitMiami.com, the Miami Bicycle Coalition, Miami Open Streets Team, Emerge Miami, and the South Florida Triathletes.
View Site of hit and run in a larger map
Meanwhile, hundreds of residents turned out in Naples, Florida, to ride in support of more bike paths in that city.
More than 500 rode their bikes in Naples Pathways Coalition’s fourth annual Pedaling for Pathways bike ride and brunch at Lowdermilk Park.
In reporting the ride, the Naples News mentioned that the city recently was turned down as a Bicycle-Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.
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