A Fresno widow recalls her husband killed while riding his bike near Woodward Park | Opinion

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims will be observed this Sunday, Nov. 19th. I never thought this would be any part of my life until January 2022.

I am the widow of Paul Moore, who was killed when he was hit by a pickup truck at the corner of Friant Road and Audubon Drive. When I lost my husband and my son lost his dad, our lives were shattered and our world changed forever.

Paul was a loving husband, father, brother, son, friend, teacher and a lifelong avid cyclist. His death struck the lives of our family, his legacy of students at Kerman High School, co-workers at REI and the many cyclists in Fresno who had ridden with him.

I want you to know that grief does not have a time limit. Losing your loved one in such a traumatic way is devastating, and 22 months after my husband’s death, my son and I struggle each day without him.

My husband loved cycling, and that’s how I came up with the idea of having a “ghost bike” installed at the intersection of Friant and Audubon Drive where he was killed. People who have lost their loved ones in traffic fatalities want and need their memorials as part of our grief and healing process. Paul’s ghost bike stood at that corner and each time I saw it, I thought of him and was comforted.

Recently the ghost bike was vandalized and had to be removed for repair. On that morning, I received a text telling me it was gone. It was from the person who performed CPR on my husband in an effort to save his life.

She said that since the ghost bike had appeared, every morning on her way to work she would turn off her radio and say, “Good morning, Paul” and when she left work, she’d say “See you tomorrow, Paul”. The bike was a comforting symbol to this first responder, now my friend, who tried her best to save him.

Another person said “the bike has been a good reminder to be cautious in that area”, and another stated that “the bike reminds me of Paul and I think of him and I smile.”

This may be hard to understand, but the intersection where my husband died is sacred to us. It is the place where he lost his life and where he took his final breath.

My husband was indeed special, but he was just one of the many traffic victims in our city, each of whom were special to someone. Fresno must work to improve traffic safety and reduce the number of traffic victims, including drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.

The ghost bike is more than a memorial for my husband. It is a symbol meant to raise awareness about the danger of that intersection. It is there to remind drivers and cyclists of road safety and to be careful because a beautiful life was taken at that place.

In February 2022, my son and I stood in Woodward Park next to Friant and heard Mayor Jerry Dyer list the changes to make Friant and the intersections safer. While some small steps have been taken, still to this date work on Friant has not been completed and traffic is only getting worse.

A month after that press conference, we installed the ghost bike and it had an immediate positive effect by reminding people to drive, walk, run, and ride safely. We must improve traffic safety in Fresno, and a ghost bike acts as a catalyst for that change.

On this World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Victims, we must do all we can to improve awareness of safety and prevent more loss and tragedy.

Remembrance event

Several things are planned at Fresno City Hall on Sunday, Nov. 19 for World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Victims.

There will be a 2 p.m. bike ride. A press conference occurs at 3:30, with a vigil following at 5 p.m.

The event will include memorial displays including photos of victims and ghost bike and ghost shoe displays.

The Fresno event is organized by a coalition of organizations, including the Active Transportation Advisory Committee of the city of Fresno, Fresno County Bicycle Coalition, Safe2School and USGBC Central California.