2024 Zach’s Ride for Safe Streets A SUCCESS
Saturday, May 18th
The 2024 Zachary Manago’s Ride in Paradise for Safe Streets was a huge success!
Mayor Blangiardi proclaimed May 18th, 2024 as “Safe Streets for All Day.” (See a photo of the proclamation below!)
About 100 people participated in the short ride from Kaka‘ako to the Capitol where we heard remarks from Zach’s brother Nicholas Manago, Marina Riker (family member of Volker Weiss who was killed last year while riding his bike on Maui), Major Tanaka, Commander of HPD Traffic Division, George Abcede, Highway Administration for Hawai‘i Dept. of Transportation, Mike Formby, Managing Director of the City & County of Honolulu, as well as Travis Counsell, Executive Director of HBL.
Following the remarks, event participants waived signs at the Capitol to bring awareness and attention to the continued need for safe streets for all. This need was further highlighted by the morning’s announcement that a 66-year-old man died from injuries sustained when a vehicle door was opened into the Waikīkī bike lane he was riding in earlier this week.
The participants then returned to Kaka‘ako for a potluck lunch with talk story. Thankfully the weather held until the event was finished!
Mahalo to everyone who participated, supported, and donated to keep Zach’s legacy alive and advocate for safe streets for all.
Coverage of Zach’s Ride 2024 can be found at the links below:
ABOUT ZACHARY MANAGO
On December 17, 2010 one of Hawai‘i’s own, Zachary Manago, was killed by a hit and run drunk driver on Kamehameha Highway near Wahiawā while riding his bicycle. Zach was an 18-year-old baseball pitching ace from Moanalua High School, due to start his college career at Hawai‘i Pacific University in the Spring. Zach and his friends loved cycling for fun, exercise, and as commuters.
From the road, he saw first hand the challenges cyclists have sharing the roads with motorists and the need for more bike infrastructure and bike lanes.
Zach’s Vision for Safe Streets: Zach’s last major research paper as a student at Hawai‘i Pacific University, written a few weeks before his death, was titled “Should There Be More Bicycle Lanes in the State of Hawai‘i”. The paper asserts the need for more bicycle lanes in Hawaiʻi to make roads safer for people of all ages and abilities riding bicycles , reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, and reduce pollution. HBL continues to push towards Zach’s Vision through our advocacy work.
