Ride of Silence honors Philadelphia cyclists killed or injured by motorists

It had been 2,195 days since Graciela Avendano last hugged her son Pablo, who died after being struck by an SUV while delivering food in Philadelphia. He is one of the 935 people to have died in city traffic crashes since 2016, according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

In their memory, more than 200 cyclists defied the rain on Wednesday evening to gather at City Hall for the annual Ride of Silence.

“We need to raise [motorists’] awareness,” said organizer Ray Scheinfeld. “They should not be looking at their cell phones, talking to their passengers, or distracted in some other way. Please be aware of us.”

Helmets on and bikes at hand, an ocean of riders in neon-colored jackets quietly listened to the list of names of crash victims, including Masterman teacher Kevin Saint Clair and community leader Andrea Gonzalez. Both died while riding their bikes in 2023.

Among the crowd was a bike decorated with pink and yellow flowers and a sign that read “We miss you,” next to a Mexican flag.

Rider Yolanda Gomez Gálvez adorned it that way in memory of Gonzalez. She was one of 30 people who showed up to memorialize her, all carrying little Mexican flags.

Gonzalez was killed when her bike was struck by a car while she was riding in Cherry Hill. Since then, Gomez Gálvez says her joy for riding has disappeared.

“It’s so frustrating that this is still necessary to do every single year and you don’t know who is going to be next,” Gomez Gálvez said. “We are people, too. We have loved ones waiting for us at home. We want to make it back. Your rush isn’t more important than our lives.”

Amid the pain came a call for action. Volunteers from Philly Bike Action! passed out small papers with a QR code asking riders to “Tell Mayor Parker: Don’t Defund Traffic Safety!”

Earlier this month, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker proposed a budget that slashed funding for the Vision Zero program, created to eliminate traffic-related deaths and severe injuries. Parker proposed $1 million for the program in 2025, down from the $2.5 million that former Mayor Jim Kenney spent last year.

“The money set up for Vision Zero is necessary to make the streets safer and to help with education programs,” said Scheinfeld.

The cyclists rode through Center City for about eight miles before arriving at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a memorial bicycle lift.

For 30 seconds, riders stood in silence, lifting their bikes above their heads in honor of loved ones lost too soon.

“Please don’t keep adding to the silencing of these lives,” said Avendano, Pablo’s grieving mother. “When you see a person on a bike, remember they mean the world to someone.”