Nov. 16 is World Day of Remembrance
Honoring Lives, Healing Communities: World Day of Remembrance 2025
Each November, communities across the globe gather to remember those lost or seriously injured in traffic crashes and to demand change. On Sunday, November 16, 2025, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDoR) invites all of us to pause, reflect, and act for safer streets. In New York State, the New York Bicycling Coalition (NYBC) encourages local advocates, clubs, and community groups to host or join remembrance events that honor loved ones while advancing life-saving policies. Whether through a memorial ride, vigil, or street safety action, WDoR is a powerful opportunity to transform grief into purpose and solidarity.
At this year’s Empire State Greenways Conference in Kingston, advocates did just that. The panel “Mending Broken Trails: Centering People, Safety, and Communities”, moderated by Taylor Jaffe of Catskill Mountainkeeper, brought together voices personally touched by tragedy including Rose Quinn Communications Manager for NYBC and founder of Safe Pass Ulster, Andy Bicking of Ulster County’s Department of the Environment, and Dan Langenkamp, founder of Ride for Your Life. Their discussion centered on how incomplete trail networks and unsafe road designs too often lead to preventable loss, and how local partnerships and policy engagement can repair those “broken trails” in both our infrastructure and our communities.
Rose Quinn’s presentation rooted in her work honoring John “Host” Lynch, killed while crossing an disconnected portion of the O &W Trail in Kingston resonated deeply with attendees. Her message was clear: safety improvements must center the experiences of those most affected. Similarly, Dan Langenkamp’s national advocacy continues to grow following the tragic death of his wife, U.S. diplomat Sarah Langenkamp, whose life was cut short while biking in unprotected bike infrastructure near her sons’ school in Maryland. His Ride for Your Life movement, featured in the Gearzette “Show Congress” piece, continues to rally families and legislators toward meaningful change.
Resources and micro-grant opportunities through the League of American Bicyclists and Sarah’s Basket are available to help communities host local remembrance and safety events. As we look toward World Day of Remembrance 2025, NYBC invites New Yorkers to participate and to share their photos, stories, and event press so we can amplify your voices statewide.
For planning guidance and materials, visit Vision Zero Network’s World Day of Remembrance . We also celebrate the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act (H.R. 2011), which strengthens federal support for safer walking and biking infrastructure. Honoring Sarah’s legacy through both community action and policy change reminds us that every life lost on our roads is one too many and that together, we can create safer streets for all. To take action on Act (H.R. 2011) follow this link.
The New York Bicycling Coalition is the only statewide organization focused primarily on cycling. Our unique role is to unite, inspire, and support the New York cycling community and to provide a cohesive voice for people who ride bikes across New York State. We work closely with the New York Safe Streets Coalition to advocate for safe streets for everyone in New York.
Find us at www.nybc.net, https://www.facebook.com/nybicyclingcoalition, or https://www.instagram.com/nybicyclingcoalition
