My husband was killed on his bike. Need for safe Pierce County drivers painfully clear

Re: “Bicyclist-driver friction persists on Tacoma-Seattle roads. Here’s how to relieve it,” (TNT, 5/15).

I applaud The News Tribune Editorial Board’s attempt to bring attention to the vulnerability of bike riders on our streets.

This is a subject that does not get enough attention, and as someone with a deeply personal view on this subject, I have some thoughts I would like to share.

To begin with, while I was happy to see the board address bike safety during Bike Month, my kids and I were angered by this topic being discussed with a headline about friction between drivers and bike riders.

We were especially shocked since one of the cyclists referenced was my husband, Thomas Johnson, who was killed riding his bike on a designated bike route May 9, 2020, And while there was mention of how his loved ones feel, no one contacted us to ask.

When we talk about bike riding safety, too often the discussion turns to the needs of drivers versus bike riders in our community. This is a false equivalency.

While both are important, let us be clear that it is cyclists who are most vulnerable on our roads, and they deserve our protection.

As a driver, I do not mind taking extra care to watch for cyclists, because they deserve that respect and it is our duty as members of a community, and human beings, to watch out for those who are more vulnerable.

Thomas, 56, was an avid cyclist his entire life. He was kind, healthy and active in the outdoors and in our local community. Riding his bike was not simply great exercise for him, it was something he loved, and he enjoyed sharing his passion with others.

He frequently rode his bike to work or with local groups and promoted bike riding for a healthier environment. He enjoyed sharing his love for cycling and the outdoors with family and friends.

Thomas was passionate about bike safety and worried about careless drivers. Many times, he would tell me about drivers who had cut him off or drove too close beside him, yet his love for cycling kept him riding, trusting that drivers would be more careful if they only knew how vulnerable riders were.

On that Saturday a little more than a year ago, he was out for a normal long ride on a sunny day when an impaired and careless driver struck him from behind as he rode on a marked bike route near Gig Harbor.

Thomas was not at fault in any way. He was an experienced rider, adhering to the rules of the road, wearing a helmet, clearly visible, and riding on the shoulder on the designated bike route.

The driver was later convicted of vehicular homicide and hit and run, but that does little to alleviate the grief of friends and family.

This tragedy deeply touched many lives — our families, his many friends and co-workers, the cycling community and many others who were saddened by the senseless loss.

It took me a while after Thomas’ death to get back on my bike and ride. When I do ride, I notice that many drivers in Tacoma are respectful and careful around bike riders. But many are not.

As drivers, we can and must do better. Because I have to, I urge all drivers to imagine that is your spouse, your child or your friend cycling on the road as you pass by and that you show them the care you would with your own loved ones.

But that is not enough. To truly honor the loss of Thomas and other cyclists who have been killed or hurt in our community, it is critical that we all speak out now, and loudly, about the need to protect vulnerable bike riders on our streets.

Teena Johnson is a divorce attorney and mediator in Tacoma, sometimes writer, and unexpectedly a bike safety advocate. She grew up in Tacoma, and her children and grandchildren live, and ride bikes, in Pierce County.

This story was originally published May 22, 2021 at 1:00 PM.