Thousands of cyclists from every state and twenty countries rode through Boulder on Sunday to honor the life of teenager Magnus White, a local cycling star who died last year while training for the Junior Mountain Bike World Championships.
On a recent foggy morning, cyclists rang their bike bells as they streamed off CU Boulder’s campus and passed Highway 119, near Gunbarrel, where White was struck and killed last year. A white ghost bike and American flag still mark the spot.
At a rally after the ride, Governor Jared Polis, Congressman Joe Neguse and other officials spoke about the need for urgent reforms to protect cyclists and pedestrians.
“We know we need to do more to make sure our roads are safe for everyone,” Polis said. “We are doing everything we can to make (Highway) 119 and roads across Colorado safer.”
In July 2023, White was struck by a motorist while cycling on the shoulder of the highway. White was just days away from leaving for the Men’s Junior Mountain Bike Cross Country World Championships in Scotland. He died while wearing his Team USA jersey.
In December 2023, police arrested 23-year-old Yeva Smilianska and charged her with involuntary manslaughter. In an affidavit, police claimed Smilianska fell asleep at the wheel before swerving and hitting White. In May, she pleaded not guilty, telling investigators her steering wheel was malfunctioning.
Her trial is scheduled for December 16.
White’s parents, Jill and Michael, organized the ride through their nonprofit, the White Line Foundation, which they founded after their son’s death to end preventable traffic deaths.
“We call ourselves the new voice of change because Magnus paid the ultimate price,” said Michael White.
Ishan Thakore/CPR News
Dan Langenkamp, founder of the Ride For Your Life movement, also organized the event. In 2022, a truck driver killed Langenkamp’s wife in Bethesda, Maryland, while she was traveling by car.
“We should be watching Magnus on TV or cheering him on at the next Olympic Games,” Langenkamp said. “Instead, we are begging our politicians to make changes to road safety so that people like him don’t have to die.”
According to Langenkamp, over 4,000 people have registered for the event.
Pushing for reforms
The organizers hope for three major reforms at the local, state and federal levels to protect cyclists and pedestrians.
The Whites hope to speed up construction of the North Foothills Bikeway on US-36, which connects Boulder to Lyons and is used by tens of thousands of cyclists each year, according to Michael White.
Ishan Thakore/CPR News
At the state level, organizers want to increase penalties for careless and reckless driving that results in death or serious injury. Under state law, careless driving resulting in death is a Class 1 misdemeanor that can result in up to one year in jail. Reckless driving is a Class 4 felony that can result in a non-mandatory jail sentence.
“It’s not about putting people in prison, it’s about deterrence,” said Michael White. “If people know there are severe penalties for killing another human being, they may drive more responsibly.”
At the federal level, the Whites hope Congress will pass a law requiring all vehicles to be equipped with automatic emergency braking systems that can prevent collisions between cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians.
In 2023, nearly 41,000 people will die on American roads nationwide. Federal Highway Administration Commissioner Shailen Bhatt, who attended the event, attributed the number of deaths to an increase in distracted driving.
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“You see this as an epidemic of distracted driving, drunk driving, fatigued driving,” Bhatt said. “When you’re surrounded by 3,000 pounds of metal and steel, hitting someone on a bike or on foot is not a problem.”
Preliminary data from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) shows that traffic fatalities decreased by 6 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. However, there were 20 deaths among cyclists in 2023, which is 33 percent more than in 2022.
Colorado lawmakers recently passed a bill authorizing CDOT to deploy automated speed cameras on highways. The bill originally called for a car registration fee that increases based on vehicle weight and would provide up to $20 million for projects to improve road safety for pedestrians and cyclists. But Governor Polis did not support the fee and it was eliminated, according to spokeswoman Shelby Wieman. Instead, the bill now requires CDOT to spend at least $7 million of State Highway Fund revenue on traffic safety projects.
“One in a billion”
Amedeo Claudia, 18, was one of White’s closest friends and rode his cross-country road bike to the Ride for Magnus event on Sunday. He and White did everything together, he said, describing him as a humble athlete and loyal friend.
“Magnus was one in a billion,” Claudia said. “Now there’s a big gap in my life.”
Ishan Thakore/CPR News
Alex Perkins, 17, volunteered at Sunday’s event because his father was killed by a car while riding his bike, and he hoped cyclists would understand the safety risks drivers pose to them.
“I hope drivers think of the people who have been injured and killed on the road by motorists,” he said.
According to USA Cycling, his numerous successes include winning the 2021 17-18 Cyclocross Junior Championships and participating in the European Cyclocross Championships on Team USA.
Ethan Glading/USA Cycling
As soon as White could walk, his parents began teaching him to ride a bike. Soon he was better than them.
“When I pushed him in the stroller, I had the bike on it because he always wanted to ride,” she said.
Wiping tears from her eyes at the rally, Jill said that in addition to his sporting achievements, part of White’s legacy is bringing cyclists from around the world together to campaign for road death prevention.
“He was just beginning to see his dreams come true,” Jill said. “And that’s why we’re here today. Not just to remember, but to act.”
