On a cold, blustery evening last Wednesday, a few dozen people gathered on the Boston Harborwalk in front of the Children's Museum to mourn victims of roadway violence as part of the international Ride of Silence.
It was a varied crowd: there were bicyclists and firefighters, both decked out in high-viz jackets, a handful of government officials, and a few folks from the neighborhood.
Anne Griepenburg, a volunteer for the Boston Cyclist's Union, was the lead organizer of the Boston event.
"We are here in solidarity with folks who have lost their loved ones, with their families, with the first responders who respond to these incidents, with our elected officials who are working to end these tragedies," said Griepenburg.
The ride was starting at the Children's Museum in order to honor Gracie Gancheva, a four year-old who was killed by a driver last March on the nearby corner of Summer and Sleeper Streets.
Gina Gancheva, Gracie's mother, had returned to Boston from her home in Denver to join Wednesday's event.
"She was just a few months shy of turning 5 years old. Gracie was the brightest star... She was the kindest, softest, the happiest child," she said.
Gancheva noted that on an average day, 21 people die from being struck by drivers while out walking in the U.S.
"I'm sure all of you think that 'that could never happen to me,' or 'that can't happen to my family.' But just over a year ago we did become one of those families. And while our world was crumbling, 20 other families all across the country on that exact same day experienced the exact same devastating loss."
"We are here tonight because we know we can do better. We must do better," continued Gancheva. "This isn't just about statistics, it's about lives. It's about preventing the heartache and the silence that far too many families are forced to endure. It's about understanding that minor inconveniences like stop signs and traffic lights pale in comparison to the immense, unbearable loss of a child, or a parent, or a friend."
'We can do better'
Boston City Councilor Enrique Pepén spoke about other recent vehicular killings in his district, including the April 28 crash that killed Lens Arthur Joseph, a kindergartner in Hyde Park.
"On the City Council, the number one issue I get every single day is transportation safety. I have residents who want more stop signs, speed humps, raised crosswalks, better street conditions," said Pepén.
On the Friday after the Ride of Silence, the Boston Cyclists Union offered three specific recommendations that the City of Boston could take to immediately make residents safer from dangerous drivers:
- Banning right turns at red lights, as Cambridge did in 2022
- Eliminating the use of the subjective term "accident" from police crash reports
- Improving post-crash investigations, which today can often take months or even years, with a focus on how future crashes could be prevented.
'We need each other'
District Fire Chief Michael Feeney, who had been a captain in the Engine 10 firehouse when the company responded to the crash that killed Gracie, also attended Wednesday's memorial with several of his colleagues.
"One thing you know as a captain in the fire service, you know your guys. You know when something's wrong. And I certainly saw that after Gracie died. The guys were hurting," Feeney said. "Everyone who responded that day is also a father, some of them have children the same age as Gracie."
Feeney thanked Gancheva for giving them the opportunity to get to learn more about Gracie and her family.
"That helped us heal as firefighters from a very traumatic incident."
Before the group headed out on the ride, Rev. Laura Everett offered a blessing.
"We say this when we dedicate a ghost bike: we're only humans, and we're only here for a little while. We need each other. We need each other," said Everett.
"Bless us as we walk, as we ride, as we drive. We are all just people trying to make it home."
