When 19-year old Tracey Sparling was killed while riding her bike in downtown Porltand on October 11th, 2007, it shook our city to the core. When, just 11 days later, Brett Jarolimek suffered a similar fate in a collision in north Portland, we experienced a unprecedented, citywide outpouring of grief and activism. For the community of students and staff at the Pacific Northwest College of Art the tragedies were particularly hard to accept because both Sparling and Jarolimek were students. Sparling was likely on her way to class when she was struck.
Later this month, PNCA will unveil the ‘Tracey Sparling Pedal Garden’, which will serve as a memorial to Sparling and, “an iconic bike-centric sculpture garden that supports and strengthens Portland’s cycling community.”
