Just five days after Erick Munene Njue died in a collision while riding his bike near the University of Oregon campus, hundreds gathered for a vigil mourning the doctoral student. A stark white ghost bike memorial has since been surrounded by flowers just near the site of the crash. The community should not have to continuously grieve preventable deaths while waiting for safer infrastructure to be implemented.
Early this year, The Daily Emerald examined the local rise in traffic deaths and the seemingly slow response by the city of Eugene. While advocacy is essential in reducing the number of crashes, we have reached a point where direct action is urgently required to protect the broader community.
Darren Isenhour is a sales account manager for a local millwork shop in Eugene. He lives on River Road, directly across from where a traffic accident occurred on May 2 that resulted in the death of David Winston Morris, a local cyclist…