The death of cyclist Susan Bard earlier this month is a stark reminder of the risks that people face when they choose to walk, cycle or roll throughout Guelph, and the urgent need for better protections for active transportation.
That was the underlying message at the ghost ride held in her honour on Saturday at city hall, after which nearly 150 riders cycled to the site of the collision on Victoria Road to lay down her ghost bike, with more spectators there waiting.
“I’ve been a member of GCAT for close to 10 years, and this is the first time, and I hope the last time, that we’ll have a ghost ride for a cyclist killed in a collision while doing what most of us do every day, just trying to get somewhere and make it home alive,” said Mike Darmon, Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation (GCAT) advocacy chair, who organized the ride.
He said while they don’t know the circumstances of the collision that caused her death, they do know the area it happened on Victoria Road is especially busy, with no bike lanes.
“I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve cycled along Victoria Road. It’s not a safe place to cycle,” said MPP Mike Schreiner, who grew tearful during his speech.
In fact, manager of sustainable transportation for the City of Guelph Jennifer Juste said just the week before the incident happened, her staff was onsite trying to figure out how they could put protected bike lanes on the street.
“I was very intentional about putting Vision Zero into our transportation master plan back in 2022, and we’re making good strides, but sadly, not fast enough or soon enough to prevent this from happening,” she said.
“So this is hard, and we’re sorry to everyone who lost a friend, a family member, we hope this is the last one for a long time,” she said, encouraging everyone to continue advocating for Vision Zero and protected bike lanes.
GCAT chair Adrian Salvatore said Bard was a “shining example of a sustainable active lifestyle and a fierce advocate for active transportation” who inspired countless people, and that her legacy “will continue to motivate us to work towards a safer and more livable city.
“Susan’s passing is a stark reminder of the risks that many of us face every day when we choose to walk, cycle or roll in our community. It is a reminder that our city is not always designed with our safety in mind, and now we must continue to push for change,” he said.
Salvatore said it’s not just about their own safety, but the safety of their children, friends and neighbours.
“Everybody in this community deserves safe streets, safe sidewalks. Let’s come together as a community and make sure that we honour Susan’s memory by building a community that’s safe for everyone,” said Schreiner.
Bard’s daughter, Corinna Matteliano, said she was overwhelmed by the show of support for her mom and bicycle safety awareness. During the speeches at city hall, she was handed a hockey stick signed by the Guelph Storm in honour of her Bard, who was a huge Guelph Storm fan.
After, the group cycled to the scene of the collision, just in front of St. James Catholic High School and Franchetto Park on Victoria Road.
As vehicles whizzed by at high speeds, the group presented a white bike, with flowers and a wooden plaque in Bard’s memory.
