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The Josie Johnson Memborial ride is an annual ride held in remembrance to those killed in car collisions while riding their bicycles and honors Josie Johnson, who was killed while riding up Big Cottonwood Canyon on September 18, 2004.  Josie was an avid road and mountain biker, overall outdoor enthusiast, and aspiring doctoral student at the University of Utah. 

 

2005 KEN B. JOHNSON SPEECH

I would like to offer my sincere condolences and sympathy to the Williams (Patty Brasher) and Pymm families who have lost loved ones this last year, killed while riding their bikes.  I know your heartfelt grief and hope that the presence of all of us to memorialize them will in some small way help you through these trying times.  Today we mourn their passing.

It has been over a year since my sister Josie was hit and killed while riding her bike up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  Like many of you, she was an outdoor enthusiast and would always  look forward to a good long strenuous bike ride.  Unfortunately, her life was cut short while climbing up one of our beautiful canyons along the Wasatch Front.  She was 25, a graduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Utah, and most importantly a lover of life and all that it had to offer.  She is sorely missed by family and friends.

The circumstances of her death are worrisome.  She was hit from behind while riding up hill near Solitude Ski Resort, almost to the top of the canyon.  She was riding next to the white fog line on the right hand side of the road.  She was hit on a segment of the road that had three lanes of traffic.  There were no other vehicles on the road.  I imagine we have all thought: this could have been me, and it could have.

And yet through these hard times, Josie's legacy lives on and makes us stronger.  Motivated in part by this tragic event, the cycling public has joined forces to make cycling safer.  Shortly following her death, a grassroots group of cycling enthusiasts deeply concerned about the plight of cyclists on Utah roadways came together to try an make a difference.  I think they have. 

In the aftermath of tragic events where cyclists have been killed, it has become clear that many who use Utah roadways do not have a good understanding of cyclist's rights.  Might I remind you that shortly after my sister was killed, one critic wrote: "I teach my kids to ride on the sidewalk, bikes have no place on the road".  There is a tremendous unmet need to educate the Utah public regarding cyclist's rights.  That is in part why we are all here today.  As we ride home, I would encourage all of us to talk to everyone within our circle of influence about: Sharing the Road with Cyclists & Three Feet it's the Law.

Over the last year, we've made some significant headway at improving bicycle safety in Utah.  However, there is more work to be done.  What's missing?  Where should bicycle safety in Utah be in 5 years?  Might I share with you 3 goals I would like to work toward:

1.  Perhaps, one important step to safer roads would be to have a strong permanent, voting, voice in roadway construction and renovation.

Certainly not every road in Utah needs to accommodate cyclists, but selected commuter and recreational routes that provide safety measures for cyclists and pedestrians would be of benefit to all. 

I love to ride these canyons.  On several rides up these canyons, I have met up with a cyclist in his 60's.  After a morning ride up Little Cottonwood, we met at the top and chatted for a few minutes. He's an engineer who works at the airport and put into words a dream I've had for a long time.  He asked: Hey why can't we widen the road and make a place for cyclists to ride up this canyon?  It wouldn't be that difficult.  I applaud his vision.

2.  Better laws for cyclists.  We've made some progress here.  Many thanks to John Weis and others for getting the 3 foot law through the state legislature and signed into law.  I'd like to see a law that states that if you are found to be a negligent motorist and hit and kill a cyclist or pedestrian, you loose your license for a minimum of 5 years.  Period.  You only get it back after you re-certify as a qualified driver.  In the 5 year interim, you can join me on the road riding your bike.

3.  As citizens of the road, cyclists need to respect the laws of the road.  Many Utah motorists have a bad attitude towards cyclists because they see cyclists ride without regard to traffic signs and signals. This kind of behavior undermines our cause.  Cyclists should obey traffic laws and when possible, minimize traffic congestion on narrow roads (i.e. ride single file).  Perhaps we should all adopt a phrase used by other cycling groups around the country: "Same Roads, Same Rules, Same Rights".

I recently received a note from a neighbor.  She writes : "I think of Josie, although I never met her, every time I pass a bicyclist on the road, and for what little it may be worth, I give those riders a wider berth because of her."  As the number of cycling enthusiasts grows in Utah, the more of the motoring public that accommodates our presence with a "wider berth" the better!

In closing, cycling is here to stay in Utah.  With soaring energy costs and more and more people who need to shed a few pounds, it's a great way to recreate, stay fit, or commute. 

I thank all of you for supporting this ride and in so doing drawing the public's attention to the importance of bicycle safety.  It has tremendous meaning to me and my family.  For decades I have been trying to get my Mom out on a bike.  Through Josie's enduring spirit and with your help, today she rides!  Thank you!

Ken