(Photo courtesy Athena Burke)
Tonight, people from throughout the Portland region will gather in a gravel turnout adjacent to SW Barbur Blvd to remember Angela Burke (full details below). The 26-year old woman was hit and killed on Wednesday night by a man driving a car who has been charged for DUII and criminally negligent homicide (due to driving at “a high rate of speed,” police say).
Burke was walking her bike in the bike lane attempting to cross Barbur about three tenths of a mile south of SW Hamilton Blvd when she was hit. Police are continuing their investigation of the crash and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office is preparing the case for the grand jury.
Over the weekend, Burke’s friends of family left memories of her on BikePortland. Funeral services for Burke will be held for Burke in New York on Thursday. You can read more about her in her obituary published by the funeral home.
If you plan to attend the vigil tonight, please read more in the details below. The event has been planned by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, the local neighborhood association, and other community members.
If you plan to bike to the event, you are invited to join Rob Anderson, who is leading a ride of quiet reflection to the vigil site on Monday evening. If you’d like to be a part of this, please meet him up on the steps of the PSU campus library (725 SW Harrison, in the South Park Blocks). Ride at 5 PM.
Read more about this crash and about Angela Burke here.
Vigil to Remember Angela Burke
Monday, 20 December 2010 5:30-6:30pm
Meet at the gravel turnout on west side of the road about 1,000 ft. south of SW Barbur and Hamilton.
What to Bring: Participants are encouraged to bring a candle, lights, and personal signs commemorating Angela, a loved one lost or call for safer streets.
Note for Safety: The vigil is being held near the site where Angela Burke was recently killed. We suggest you bring lights and reflectivity and be mindful of your own safety and those around you, as this vigil will occur during rush hour. The road will not be closed to auto traffic.
Parking: Parking has been made available at the Tabernacle Adventist Church, just off the corner of SW Barbur and Hamilton (26 SW Condor Way).
We advise you not to park in nearby apartment lots, as you may get towed.
(Note to media: we advise you park your van at the Church and walk down to the vigil site)
Walking there: The best crossing in the area is the signalized crosswalk at Barbur & Hamilton (north of Tabernacle’s parking area). Cross to the west side of Barbur and walk south about 1000ft. Please note that, due to a curve in the road, the vigil site is obscured from the crosswalk.
Taking Transit: Here is information for the bus stop on the corner of SW Barbur and Hamilton. Bus stop information From the bus stop, please follow “Walking There” directions
Contact: If you have any questions, please contact Steph Routh (steph@wpcwalks.org, 503.223.1597) or Margaux Mennesson (margaux@bta4bikes.org, 503.226.0676 x28)
Important note to those walking to the vigil site:
There is no sidewalk on the south side of Barbur between Hamilton and the vigil location. To get there you must either walk in the southbound bike lane or southbound vehicle lane or make an illegal pedestrian crossing of Barbur from the east side, which does have a sidewalk. Walking there is extremely hazardous and serves to illustrate the woefully incomplete pedestrian facilities on Barbur. Please be careful!
I would like to go but I am scared to ride my bike to that area.
I am driving from downtown to the vigil if anyone needs a ride.