Wednesday, May 09, 2012

This report first appeared in The Greater Philadelphia Bicycle News and appears here with their permission.

The Princeton Patch reported that a 58-year old Trenton man was struck by a motorist while cycling and killed on US-1. The crash happened just after 9:30 on Monday morning at the merge with the off ramp from I-295. Aguedo Cruz, 59, died shortly after the crash at Capital Health System Regional Medical Center in Trenton.


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

Like many US Highway arterials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, US-1 is inhospitable for bicyclists and pedestrians. However, Route 1 is also a commercial corridor where people work, visit the doctor, and shop. Thus bicycle and pedestrian traffic persists despite previous efforts of highway engineers to make it nearly impossible to do so. This tragedy is another reminder that re-configuring our existing suburban road network to make Complete Streets is not only desirable but a matter of life and death.

We mourn the death of Aguedo Cruz and offer our sympathy to his family and friends.

3 comments:

Andrew J. Besold said...

From the Princeton Patch:

Lt. Edgar said police are still trying to determine why Cruz was riding a bicycle on Route 1.

“That is a very dangerous area to be riding a bicycle,” Edgar said. “It is extremely busy with traffic, particularly at the interchange with the interstate. It’s an extremely dangerous area for anyone with a bicycle to be riding.”

Nice to blame the victim! I would avoid riding there too but I also have a car. Maybe Mr. Cruz didn't have a car but had to get somewhere on the highway! Nice clueless comment.

Max Power said...

People on the Start-Ledger website have been referring to the DOT's list of prohibited highways.
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/bike/highways.shtm
I'm not sure if that is the section of Rt. 1 where he was killed, or if that's posted on the highway, or even if it's legal to prohibit people from the highway.
But blaming the victim is SOP for cops investigating cyclists killed on the roads. Otherwise, they'd have to do some real police work to determine what happened.

Andrew J. Besold said...

Max,

That is not one of the freeways where bike, peds and horseback riders are prohibited.