73-year-old cyclist’s death sparks call for safer streets in Charlotte (Axios)

On a Friday in May, 73-year-old Bill Yoder was riding his recumbent bike, as the grandfather often did to maintain his independence. Traffic had backed up at the intersection of East Woodlawn Road that afternoon, halting a tractor-trailer in a fading crosswalk.

Yoder attempted to move around the truck, as many cyclists might in that situation. But at the same time, the semi drove forward, striking Yoder. He died on the scene.

The big picture: Charlotte’s streets are becoming more dangerous, and Yoder’s death has raised new alarm over the issue.

What they’re saying: Yoder was the father of a member of the Sustain Charlotte team, a nonprofit advocating for safer streets and overall smarter city growth. The organization is using his death to push for street improvements, arguing that traffic violence has become normalized.

“If there was anything else happening in Charlotte that had caused 30 people to die, everybody would be talking about it,” says Shannon Binns, Sustain Charlotte’s executive director.

Read the Axios article.