Columbus cyclists hit the downtown streets Wednesday night for this year's Ride of Silence. The event is held in cities around the world to encourage drivers and cyclists to share the road.
Last year, 26 people died and 176 people were seriously injured in bike-related crashes, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Participants in Wednesday's ride hope increased safety and awareness will help reduce these instances.
Catherine Girves is the executive director of Yay! Bikes, the business organizing this year's event. She wants roads that are safe for everybody, especially cyclists.
"It is our goal to raise the visibility of bicyclists as legal street users and to remind other road users that people who ride bikes are allowed to be on roads," Girves said. "We're interested in seeing peaceful roads. That all road users are peacefully sharing roads."
The 2015 Ride of Silence in Columbus drew more than 300 riders and was the largest in the U.S., Girves said. Tomorrow's event starts at 5:30 p.m. outside Columbus City Hall.