Members of the Alameda Police Department Bicycle Patrol Unit joined the community in the annual Ride of Silence on May 21.
The annual ride is a global event held on the third Wednesday of May to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while riding.
Here in Alameda, the ride started at 7 p.m., when cyclists rode eight miles through the city “in a silent show of solidarity,” according to an APD report on Facebook.
This year’s Alameda ride was organized by Team Alameda Cycling Club member Isabella DeMatos according to Bike East Bay. De Matos was struck by a car and seriously injured while cycling in Oakland nearly 40 years ago.
“Every day you ride, you could end up in that situation,” DeMatos told KTVU News. “Alameda is very proactive with putting out the bike lanes, so it’s making it a lot safer for us to ride in Alameda.”
Alameda is a Vision Zero city and is committed to eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries while promoting safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all, the APD report stated.
“Vision Zero is an international movement that aims to reduce traffic deaths and life-changing injuries to zero, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. It addresses all collisions, whether people travel by foot, wheelchair, bike, motorcycle, car, or truck,” the City’s Vision Zero web page states.
The City improved safety at 89 intersections in 2024. The 2024 Annual Report and 2025 Workplan is available to read and download online. It covers traffic safety work performed in Alameda in 2024 and plans for 2025, as well as 2024 collision data and descriptions of fatal and severe injury crashes. According to the report, in 2024 one person lost their life, 10 people were severely injured, and a total of 251 people were injured in traffic collisions on Alameda streets.
