It’s the most amazing piece of news I’ve heard in a long long time. I’m sure you’ll agree.
They will invest six million. Not in a start-up business. Not in a new hotel. Not in a public park or a playground. They will invest this phenomenal amount of money to “improve safety”.
There is this stretch of road that has, according to a recent news report, “long been dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians”. They want to make that safer by, for example, reducing the width of the driving lanes by one foot on each side by moving the white line inward. “This should give cyclists more room”, said Chief Koch according to that report.
The work will be carried out by the State Department of Transportation. They will widen the side of the road for cyclists, and double the sidewalks on what, apparently, has been known for a long time to be a really dangerous stretch of the road for cyclists and pedestrians alike.
That stretch of the road, and here comes the bit that makes these news amazing, this stretch of the road is in Brewster, Massachusetts. None other than that where Pádraig was hit by a 4.3 ton van when he was cycling to work on the morning of 27th June last year.
The report with these news was published by the Cape Cod Times on 01 August 2014 under the headline: Fixes on the way for cycling trouble spot
At the end, the report mentions Pádraig’s accident and refers to a police report first published in a press release immediately after the accident, blaming not the driver of the van that hit him (a local man), not the dangerous condition of the road (apparently well known for a long time), but Pádraig himself because “he turned in front of a van”, leaving Pádraig fighting for his life, but his bicycle completely in tact.
Pádraig had a good day today, loads of therapy, a good lunch (about five small spoons of pureed vegetables and half a yoghurt), several hours sitting out in the wheelchair, and about an hour with a completely blocked tracheostomy – meaning that he was happily breathing in and out of his mouth and nose, something swimmers would call a PB, or a personal best. We are not the specialists, but we are enthusiastic, we know what he is capable of, and we notice even small signs of improvement. It might take a bit more time, but I think this tracheostomy is on its way out.
Oh – please keep voting for Hospi-tales on http://www.blogawardsireland.com/best-blog-post-2014/ and ask your family, friends, followers, everybody to vote as well, once a week. It’s currently in the #4 spot, but I know we can do better!!! We’ll dedicate the win to him and to all of you, his amazing friends!
Hospi-Tales 
Reinhard,
How infuriating that they knew the section was dangerous for cyclists!! Is there any way that the town or Mass DOT could be added to the civil case since it was a known hazzard? [Do you have a good personal injury lawyer over here?]
How I wish Padraig could tell everyone what happened that day! In his current condition unable to defend himself when they are quick to write it off as his fault. (Probably covering their own a$$es from fear of lawsuit).
I’m glad they are *finally* addressing the problem area. One has to wonder exactly how many cyclists and pedestrians had to be killed or hurt before they needed to act. Then to be spending this much money and fall short of creating a bike lane! (I was interested to know there’s a difference between 3 ft and whatever the width of an official bike path is.) Really such a dangerous area and they stop short of a proper bike lane – argh!
On the other hand, this is just one more way that Padraig has helped change the world (and 6A in Brewster, MA, in particular) for the better. 🙂
We’re just so thrilled to hear every update and all the steps, big and small, that Padraig continues to make. I can imagine how, when he moves to a new ward, you will miss the amazing people who’ve been part of his care thus far. I hope the ward is just as wonderful.
Cyberhugs,
Diane
Yes, it’s difficult to read this, isn’t it? I think you said it all. Maybe they’re going to name the 6A “Bóthar Phádraig” to help people remember what happened there and encourage them to drive with more care? And yes, it is great to see him improving, little by little!
Hello, Reinhard. “Has long been dangerous …’.it leaves one speechless. Also, the way the newspaper article is written fails to
make any logical connection !etween Pádraig’s accident and the state of the road, making one wonder what point exactly the journalist was aiming to make.
On a different but related and important note, it is not that often we get the chance (nay, are encouraged) to vote early and often without risking trouble! So I will enjoy it when I can.
With best wishes, Louise.
I think there is a slight change in tone, Louise, and there is a point that’s emerging from that article that the journalist is implying without making it explicitly. The same journalist wrote about the accident a bit more than a year ago and it was all much more ‘straight forward’. There is a message in this article, and I think that it will probably be get louder and clearer as time passes.
Thanks for voting for Hospi-tales! Get everybody you know involved too:)
Hello, Reinhard. I hope indeed that the change in tone is there. Thanks for making this point. With best wishes, Louise.
This news of route 6A in Brewster brings back the grief to me… how big he was and is to us yet how small we all are in the “Scheme of things”, the World, God’s Love, the traffic system, countries… oceans…
On that road unsuitable for cycling he was just another little cyclist running the gauntlet of American country macho 4.3 ton pick-ups, on his way to his summer work, when the accident occurred… he never even knew.
For them, he was a statistic, for us, he is a young prince, miraculously still alive despite what Route 6A threw at him.. and I cherish him, alive!!!
F**k Route 6A. The world is full of them, all too narrow for human use in competition with 4×4 lethal weapons, but power prefers power rather than little human beings on their bikes innocently trying to get to their place of duty, their work, to pay for it all!
Regretfully, Seos
What about closing Rt.6A for car traffic altogether, call it “Bóthar Phádraig”, and allow only pedestrians and bicycles to use it, Seos?
…and that’s without even mentioning the sordid insurance company that was only concerned to insure its own personal gain and not the medical needs of its all-too-trusting paying customers in their moment of need. Power and greed: these are attributes of the jungle and of bestiality, not of Civilisation. Humans create Society and are responsible for its values. When will human values rather than the laws of the jungle govern human society?
what about public transport for route 6A so people won’t have to risk their lives on a bike there?