David Ortiz Memorial Ride draws family, friends, co-workers, and strangers together
Yesterday shortly after 4PM, everyone who was affected by the death of David Ortiz gathered at Balboa Park to ride down to the City Administration Building. The purpose was express a collective frustration regarding the dangerous streets all San Diegans are exposed to on a daily basis.
The ride was moving. Michael Ortiz, David Ortiz's brother, flew in from New York City to participate in the ride. He was very touched by the gesture and expressed gratitude for allowing him to gain some sense of closure. The SDPD sent in several officers to accompany the riders and were very supportive of the ride.
Channel 5 was on hand to document the ride and interview Michael Ortiz. (Ed. Note: story taken down by Fox News)
I heard reports that Channel 10 again misreported the facts surrounding the case by stating that Ortiz was riding against traffic when he was struck by the first Ford Expedition. I've contacted Joel Davis[ joel_davis@10news.com], Channel 10's News Director, to issue a correction.
SDPD Press Release: Witnesses Sought In Fatal Traffic Collision
This press release [pdf] was issued last Wednesday.
SDCBC Statement on tonight's David Ortiz Memorial Ride
In a few hours, San Diegans will gather at the Big Fountain in Balboa Park to walk and bike to the City Administration Building to demand the following:
1) A public apology from the police department to the victim’s family & the cycling community for jumping to conclusions and immediately blaming the cyclist before fully completing the investigation.2) A stronger commitment (from City) to safer infrastructure and roadway design.3) A stronger commitment from PD to enforce traffic laws that have an adverse impact on cyclists/pedestrians (failure to stop/yield, distracted driving, etc.)4) The City immediately become a NACTO affiliate.
The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition wishes to express their sincerest condolences to the family and friends of David Ortiz. This was a tragic loss for them and for the local bicycling community. We are very concerned for a proper investigation into the factors thatcaused this unnecessary death and wish to express our demand for improvements at the location of the accident in order to avoid anyfuture injuries or fatalities to people who ride bikes at this location. Our cities and leaders need to take more action to help improve the safety of our roadways which are used by all types of commuters including pedestrians and bicyclists. Let's work together to make changes now so we do not have to see any more tragedies like this take place in our community.Andy Hanshaw, Executive Director
David Ortiz Memorial Ride this Wednesday 4/4 at 4pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
San Diego, CA- Local San Diego cyclists are organizing an advocacy ride in memory of David Ortiz, a local cyclist who was killed while lawfully riding his bike on his way to work last week.
The death of David Ortiz highlights the quintessential problems faced by San Diego cyclists on a daily basis: inattentive drivers, poorly designed roadway infrastructure, and a societal mindset that cyclists always ride recklessly.
Contrary to initial information provided by the San Diego Police Department, Mr. Ortiz was riding in the same direction of traffic, was properly positioned on the roadway, was wearing a helmet, and one of the motorists appears to have fled the scene prior to police arrival.
The ride will take place Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 4pm. The ride will begin at the fountain in Balboa Park and conclude at 202 C Street. in front of the City Administration Building. At the conclusion of the ride, cyclists will lay down on the ground with their bikes to represent the thousands of cyclists and pedestrians struck by motor vehicles every year in San Diego.
The latest statistics from San Diego County’s health and human services agency and emergency medical services indicate that 997 cyclists were either killed or injured while riding their bikes and 1,054 pedestrians were either killed or injured while walking the streets of San Diego in 2009. These numbers are quite high compared to other cities around the world. Paris, France, for example, did not have a single cycling death in the year 2011.
San Diegans deserve significantly better bicycle infrastructure. Too often cyclists are left to ride in narrow, poorly designed bike lanes filled with debris, potholes, and other hazards. A police department that lacks both the will and the resources to make traffic enforcement a stronger priority further complicates these issues. Those who choose to commute to work or school by bicycle should not have to risk their life for their commitment to healthy lives, a sustainable city, and a more livable urban environment.
Today America faces a significant number of issues: an obesity epidemic, a clean air problem, increasing deaths from motor vehicle collisions, crumbling roadway infrastructure, a diabetes epidemic, dependence on foreign oil, and climate change. All of these issues can be seriously mitigated by a stronger commitment to safer bicycle infrastructure in San Diego and other US cities.
We are calling on the city to immediately adopt guidelines developed by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). These progressive bicycle infrastructure designs strongly contribute to both perceived and actual safety for the cyclists using them.
It is our hope that publicity about this event will remind motorists that cyclists are your neighbors, co-workers, doctors, teachers, firefighters, programmers, and dentists. Most importantly, cyclists are humans, not an object on two-wheels.
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For more information contact:
Timur Ender
Endert@tjsl.edu
919-219-4976
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For more on the story, read Ted Roger's post on this.
UPDATE (4/3/2012): Michael H. Ortiz, David Ortiz's brother, will be flying in from NY tomorrow to participate in the David Ortiz Memorial Ride. Michael said the following statement via email to Timur Ender and me,
Hi Timur, I wanted to contact you and Sam Ollinger and tell you know that I really appreciate what you are doing. David was my brother. In many ways, his passing makes me feel helpless, but the event you are organizing makes it so that his passing is not in vain. I live in New York, but I would like to participate in your event.
Michael is looking to borrow a bicycle to take part in the ride, please leave a comment or contact Michael via email at: 
UPDATE: This is what we want from the City and the SDPD:
1) A public apology from the police department to the victim's family & the cycling community for jumping to conclusions and immediately blaming the cyclist before fully completing the investigation.2) A stronger commitment (from City) to safer infrastructure and roadway design.3) A stronger commitment from PD to enforce traffic laws that have an adverse impact on cyclists/pedestrians (failure to stop/yield, distracted driving, etc.)4) The City immediately become a NACTO affiliate.
Dangerous Balboa Avenue Claims Another Life
Last Thursday while over 800 bike advocates (including myself) were in Washington D.C. urging members of the House to vote in favor of a clean extension of the existing Transportation Bill and support the Petri Amendment in order to ensure safe routes for bicyclists of all capabilities, twenty nine year old David Ortiz began his ride to work as he had countless times in the past.
As Ortiz climbed Balboa Avenue from his home in Pacific Beach, Ortiz had no way of knowing that the extremely dangerous and fast paced traffic on Balboa Avenue would claim his life giving him absolutely no chance of survival. As he headed east toward the I-805 on-ramp, he was hit by an inattentive driver in three ton Ford Expedition that knocked him off his bike where he was then struck by two Toyotas. Only a miracle could have saved Ortiz from this horrific collision.
To make the pain worse for Ortiz's family and friends, the local media quoted Lt. Jerry Hara who simply blamed Ortiz for his own death by falsely stating that he had been riding the wrong way, facing traffic on Balboa Avenue, and the local media further blamed Ortiz for his death by noting that he hadn't been wearing a helmet - something that could never have protected him against a three ton vehicle from striking him.
For years, residents living in Clairemont along Balboa Avenue have been asking the City of San Diego [pdf] to turn Balboa Avenue from a 55 mph high speed thoroughfare into a source of community pride that would invite its residents to walk, bike and enjoy Balboa Avenue at a slower, more humane pace. The plan that the Balboa Avenue Citizens Advisory
Committe helped prepare addressed a lot of the downsides that currently make Balboa Avenue very dangerous road for cyclists despite being a major thoroughfare that connects residents to the major job centers in San Diego. Yet, five years after this plan received widespread community support, the City continues to drag its feet and has only allocated funds for a bike lane that has yet to be striped along Balboa Avenue. Meanwhile, the wide width of Balboa Avenue encourages all its motorized users to travel at excessive speeds contributing toward an unpleasant and dangerous riding and living environment.
It is this very dangerous environment that needlessly took away the life of a very young David Ortiz. My deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Ortiz.
UPDATE: I just spoke with Lieutenant of Traffic Division, Rick O’Hanlon who stated that the SDPD acknowledged the error in stating that Ortiz was riding the wrong way when he was not and has issued a retraction.
UPDATE from the comments: From Channel 6, Police Looking for Witnesses to Fatal Accident. NBC San Diego has a story asking for witnesses to step forward.
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I will post any more updates as I learn more. Members in the cycling community have been asking the SDPD for answers on what precisely happened last Thursday. I will also follow the legal proceedings that relate to the driver who initially struck Ortiz and post any updates as I learn them. If you learn of any new information, please share them in the comments or contact me.
