After Magnus White, 17, was struck and killed by a reckless driver in Boulder, Colorado, final July, his mother and father made the choice to show their grief into motion by creating The White Line Basis, a nonprofit devoted to advocating for improved biking infrastructure and legal guidelines defending cyclists.
The White Line Basis has been current at some Colorado-based biking occasions in 2024, however this previous weekend, the group held its largest occasion but: the Journey For Magnus: Journey For Your Life 13.5-mile memorial journey, held on August 11 in Boulder, Colorado.
Greater than 4,000 cyclists representing all 50 states and 20 international locations joined the journey, which started and ended on the College of Colorado, Boulder (CU Boulder) campus. The route was fully closed to vehicular site visitors.
(Picture credit score: KJ Kroetch)
The journey handed White’s “ghost bike,” a white-painted bike positioned on the location the place White was hit by the motorist final yr. Though riders have been requested to not cease on the ghost bike throughout the journey for security causes, many rang bike bells as they handed in reminiscence of the teenage Crew USA bike owner.
As soon as riders returned to the CU Boulder campus, they have been invited to remain for a rally calling for optimistic change for biking infrastructure and for cyclists’ security that includes speeches from the likes of Colorado Governor Jared Polis, U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse and Federal Freeway Administrator Shailen Bhatt – in addition to emotional speeches from each of White’s mother and father.
White’s dad, Michael White, wore to the rally the very sun shades Magnus had on when he was struck by the motive force final July, saying,
“It’s my hope that by sporting these sun shades, I can someday see the world the way in which Magnus noticed it.”
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Congressman Neguse shared his assist of The White Line Basis:
“One of many hardest issues on this life is to transform one’s anger and anguish into motion,” Neguse stated on the rally. “And that’s precisely what Jill and Michael White have finished since Magnus’ demise and we owe them a debt of gratitude.”
The rally inspired cyclists and lawmakers alike to assist the next three actions to enhance security for cyclists:
- A brand new federal rule that requires U.S. cars to have Computerized Emergency Braking (AEB) that may detect and forestall collisions with cyclists and motorcyclists. A research by the Worldwide Institute of Freeway Security confirmed that AEB for cyclists might forestall 52 p.c of all deadly crashes between bicyclists and vehicles.
- Elevated penalties for vehicular murder in Colorado. “Careless driving leading to demise” is at present a misdemeanor site visitors offense. “Reckless driving leading to demise” is a Class IV felony of vehicular murder. These discovered responsible of felony vehicular murder obtain non-mandatory sentences of 2-6 years in jail and a minimal $2,000 fantastic. Drivers typically obtain probation and nil jail time as a result of the sentencing pointers are non-mandatory.
- Speed up the planning and building of bicycle and pedestrian tasks. We’re demanding that Colorado officers take coverage measures to hurry up all bicycle and pedestrian transportation tasks, beginning with guaranteeing the North Foothills Bikeway venture that connects Boulder to Lyons alongside US 36 is quick tracked and accomplished by 2029. 90,000 cyclists a yr use this route.
Magnus was killed by a motorist whereas on a coaching journey to compete within the 2023 Junior Males’s Mountain Bike Cross-Nation World Championship, held in Scotland. He was about quarter-hour from house.
The motive force who hit and killed White pleaded not responsible to felony vehicular murder again in Could 2024, claiming as an alternative that her steering wheel malfunctioned.
Her trial is at present set for December 16, 2024.
Magnus’ mother and father proceed to acknowledge their grief whereas refusing to let it devour them.
“He beloved his bike and the truth that he cannot journey that anymore, I do know it bums him out. And I do know he would not need anybody else to not have the ability to journey their bike,” stated Jill White by way of an article from Colorado Public Radio. “He knew how a lot it means to those that like to journey their bikes. So, I feel he could be pleased with us for what we’re doing.”
