On February 14, 2024, William Mize was struck and killed by a driver as he was exiting the Acequia Creek trail on his bicycle. He was 65 years old. His was the first bicyclist death of 2024. The details of the crash are sparse, but it highlights the dangers of entering and exiting the great creek trails that San Antonio has created for safer recreation. If one cannot safely take advantage of the trails and is at risk of becoming a casualty just trying to get some exercise, the whole purpose of these routes is defeated.
Unfortunately, the start of 2024 has been more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists than the beginning of 2023 in almost every category. Overall incidents are up from 189 to 214 and serious injuries are up from 22 to 35. The lone categories in which 2024 has been better for those who want to use alternative transportation are “Fatal Injuries” and “Not Injured”. At this point last year 10 pedestrians had been killed, compared to only 6 so far in 2024. No bicyclists were killed in the first 2 months of 2023.
It’s still early in 2024, so there’s time for San Antonio to reverse these trends. Work continues on the new Bike Network Plan and ActivateSA has been making a strong push for the city to adopt an updated Complete Streets Policy for the city. Take the surveys and let San Antonio that our streets don’t need to be dominated by cars!
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