Remembrance Forum started for Mark Grgurich

Mon August 31 2009
Posted Aug 31, 2009
11,410

statewide If you have comments about Mark or his killing, we've started a forum. He was a friend to many, and we will dearly miss him in the bicycling community. Mark Grgurich Forum Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mark's family and friends. Another tragic killing in Iowa. I'm very disappointed in the media blasts. There has been almost as much attention toward the banning of bicycles as there is on a death of a person who was legally riding on a highway. C'mon people! Someone literally ran a person over, killed him instantly and threw his body 100 feet off the road, and then left the scene!!! and the people are still on the motorist's side ??? I'm speechless. Literally speechless. In the whole schema, we are still a pretty bike-friendly state, but lately there is too much growing tension between motorists and cyclists. The blogs posting really scare the hell out of me! There are certainly some heartless folks out there. Bicycles are here to stay. Bicycles are a LEGAL form of transportation on all Iowa roadways except for the interstate. We need more buy-in from law enforcement, media, the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. We need a state-wide "Share the Road"Public Service Announcement (PSA) with the same focus as the "Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving" or the "Fines Double in the Construction Zone" Campaigns. Both those campaigns are very successful and have worked. I think the drunk boating PSA was as success as well. ABATE has a nice campaign going for motorcycle safety and awareness and we can learn a lot from their actions. Yes, this all takes money and dedicated resources to make this happen, but when "Is the right time" for such a campaign? It is NOW. Previous BIKEIOWA editorials