Vigil held for Moncton cyclist who was struck by vehicle

Over a dozen cycling enthusiasts gathered at a vigil Saturday morning in Moncton for a 60 year-old man who was killed while riding his bicycle earlier this month.

The man, who has not been publicly identified by police, died after he was struck by a truck at the intersection of a bike trail and several roads in the city.

The location is considered dangerous in the cycling community and there have been calls to make it safer.

Calvin Martini, a cycling advocate who attended the vigil, said the design of the city is not unique and is indicative of the car-centric nature of infrastructure in Canada.

He said there was a lot of awareness around cycling safety after the passage of Ellen's Law. The law that mandates a one-metre buffer between cyclists and motorists was named after competitive cyclist Ellen Watters.

Watters died after being struck by a vehicle in 2016 in Sussex.

Martini worries people may have lapsed in their awareness.

"There were public awareness campaigns and there was some enforcement at the time," said Martini. "I think people forget and there's a lot of a lot more cars on the road today than there were even then."

Moncton city council has said it has plans to make the city safer for cyclists. City staff is expected to make a recommendation to council that would include investments of $1 million through the city's active transit plan.

While Martini said the possibility of new funding is good news, he doesn't think there's enough funding allocated to make a significant difference in the city.

Ghost bike

One of the most striking sights at the vigil was a "ghost bike."

The bike is painted white, stripped of parts so it won't be stolen, and chained to a telephone pole.

Martini said it's left as a memorial for those who have died and a reminder to motorists to watch out for cyclists.