Jill Byelich - Lawrence Hogue

Some photos from yesterday’s tribute ride for Jill Byelich and the rally at the state Capitol that followed. Jill’s husband, Jordan Byelich, gave a moving speech to the crowd at her gravesite. At the Capitol, there was one bit of good news from John Lindenmayer of the League of Michigan Bicyclists: both the state house and senate have now passed Nathan’s Law, which provides for more education to encourage bicycle awareness in Michigan’s drivers’ ed classes. Governor Snyder will sign the bill next week, on Nathan Bower’s birthday. Work is still needed on the proposed Vulnerable Roadway Users Law. Next year, LMB will begin a campaign to pass a five-foot passing requirement. Currently, Michigan is just one of a handful of states that has no requirement for motorists when passing bicyclists.

More photos of the ride, which drew over 100 cyclists on a chilly fall day, are available in a gallery from the Lansing State Journal.

In Memory of Jill Byelich

Michigan: Time to Pass the Vulnerable Roadway User Act

UPDATE 4/29/15: According to the Lansing State Journal, Mitzi Nelson today pleaded “no contest” to the misdemeanor charge of reckless driving resulting in the death of bicyclist Jill Byelich in September 2014. Her sentence could include up to one year of jail time.

This one hits close to home – fifteen miles from home, to be exact. From the Lansing State Journal:

Jill Byelich, 35, was struck by a car and killed Tuesday night while riding her bike on West Howe Road, between Francis and South Forest Hill roads. Jill Byelich was riding east when she was struck by an eastbound car driven by a 23-year-old woman who lives nearby, Kangas said. Byelich was taken to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, where she was pronounced dead.

Byelich leaves behind her husband, Jordan, and two small children. It’s a senseless tragedy, rendered more senseless by the fact that Byelich seemed to be doing everything right: she was wearing a helmet and reflective vest and typically used front and back lights. She was on a flat, straight, low-volume road with good daylight visibility at the time the vehicle hit her.