SAN ANTONIO – Throughout this week, the cycling community in San Antonio plans to honor a well-known cyclist who was killed after being struck by a suspected drunk driver.
Tito Bradshaw would have been 37 years old on Tuesday.
“This was a man who was very wise beyond his years,” said Jeff Moore, president of SATX Social Ride. “He talked to everybody. He was always open and very accepting of everybody.”
Bradshaw was ripped from both the cycling community and his loved ones after being struck on East Houston Street in April 2019.
“These tragic events, as unfortunate as they are, do remind us that this is very serious,” said Roberto Trevino, District 1 councilman. “This is the most serious thing we could talk about because it is somebody’s life.”
Since the tragic crash, those in the cycling community have called for action from city officials.
“We haven’t seen a whole lot of changes on the street,” Moore said. “There hasn’t been any additional bike infrastructure or protective bike lanes or anything like that. But what has happened, there has been a movement of nonprofit and private charitable groups that are becoming active to make the streets safer.”
Trevino said the city is using multiple resources, such as a pedestrian mobility officer, to get a plan for safe bike lanes done the right way.
“Again, people’s lives are at risk, and we don’t want to rush through something that needs to be considering all of the safety factors that concern traffic,” Trevino said.
Officials are still reviewing data from a survey they launched in September to develop a mobility policy for people who walk, bike or use e-scooters.
“One of the things we want to be aware of is that there are different streets in different areas of the city that require a different design of thinking,” Trevino said.
Moore said the cycling community is planning a virtual ride for Bradshaw on Tuesday, where riders can start from wherever they choose and ride by his memorial ghost bike located at 1938 East Houston Street.
“Solo riders, small groups, people who have small groups or want to ride with their friends -- basically get on your bikes and ride here,” Moore said. “We encourage people to take a group picture or a selfie and post it with the hashtag, ‘#TitoBradshawForever.’”
Trevino said the recommendations collected from the survey are expected to be presented in the near future.
