To mark the anniversary of Gabriela O’Shea’s bike accident and to celebrate her recovery, a slow bike ride from the new car-free zone on Huguenot Street to the corner of Butterville Road and Route 299 West in New Paltz will take place on Monday, September 11. The theme of the event will be “Share the Road New Paltz.”
Organizers will mark the spot where the crash took place and then loop back to the village for a rally at Water Street Market. Please arrive at the car-free zone at 5 p.m., the ride will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a police escort.
The rally at Water Street Market will feature refreshments, speakers and tables offering information and merchandise related to bicycle safety and advocacy.
In addition to the main ride, there will be an optional “pre-ride” from the corner of Henry W. DuBois Drive and North Putt Corners Road at 4:30 p.m. The pre-ride will lead riders down Henry W. DuBois Drive to the car-free zone on Huguenot Street. This part of the event will commemorate the accident that took place nearby where Hannah George was struck by a car while riding her bicycle. Organizers would like to acknowledge the good work of the village public works department and the town highway department on Henry W. DuBois Drive. This road shows that with adequate shoulders and bike stencils, motor vehicles and bicycles can safely co-exist.
Organizers feel strongly that they must advocate for safer road conditions to prevent future car/bicycle crashes. They ask that the county expedite the completion of the Route 299 bike lane shoulder from Butterville Road to Route 44-55, they call for the NYS Department of Transportation to lower the speed limit on Route 299 from 55 mph to 45, and they call for the NYS legislature to pass the “3 Foot Law,” which has been passed in many other states and which will be a big protection for riders of bicycles. In addition, they support “20 is Plenty” as the speed limit in the Village of New Paltz.
For additional information, visit the event page at Facebook, Share the Road New Paltz or call (845) 893-4761.
Join the family! 
