A candlelight vigil honoring Amanda Phillips will be held at Inman Square on Wednesday, June 29, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

By Jim Clark

UPDATE:

Amanda Phillips, a 27-year-old resident of Cambridge, was killed last Thursday as she collided with a truck in Inman Square. Phillips worked as a barista at Somerville’s Diesel Cafe.

According to reports, Phillips struck an open door of a parked vehicle and was propelled into oncoming traffic on the main roadway. The incident took place shortly after noontime, and traffic was temporarily halted while the scene was cleared.

Diesel Cafe closed early on Friday as an expression of grief for the loss of their employee and friend.

Amanda Phillips.
~ Photos courtesy of Diesel Cafe

A statement on Diesel Cafe’s Facebook page said in part, “We want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has reached out to us expressing their sadness, support and love. Diesel’s reach extends far and wide and it’s been reassuring to feel those arms wrapped around us as we mourn and celebrate the life of Amanda. These are certainly the saddest times Diesel has ever experienced but the love is both palpable and helpful. It really does take a village.”

The incident is still being investigated by police.

Cambridge City Councilor Jan Devereux introduced a policy order into Tuesday’s Cambridge City Council agenda to address many of the safety concerns in Inman Square. The policy order read as follows:

“ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with Traffic and Parking, DPW, CDD, Fire, Police, Budget and other departments to fast-track plans to completely redesign and reconstruct Inman Square’s dangerous 5-street intersection, prioritizing the safety of people who bike and walk; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with all appropriate departments to establish a firm and accelerated timetable and budget for the installation of protected bike lanes on Hampshire and Cambridge Streets; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with Public Safety officials, the Public Information Office and other staff to launch a high-profile public education campaign on the dangers of “dooring” to people who bike; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to require all city contractors operating trucks in Cambridge to install safety side guards as soon as possible; and be it further

ORDERED: That a future public plaza created as part of the redesign of Inman Square be dedicated in memory of Amanda Phillips.

On Wednesday, June 29, the cycling community will be holding a candlelight vigil to honor Phillips. The vigil will be held at Inman Square, Hampshire St. at Cambridge St, Cambridge, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Afterwards, there will be a reception at Ole Mexican Grill on Springfield Street in Inman, providing everyone a place to gather, mourn and heal together.

There will be a collection to support those planning the arrangements for Amanda. All proceeds will be contributed to the GoFundMe campaign, but you can also contribute to it directly here: https://www.gofundme.com/radloveforphillips.

Statement by MassBike:

In the wake of the tragic loss of Amanda Phillips in Cambridge last week, MassBike has sent the following letter to Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan. While the organization continues to work diligently to improve our roadways, pass new laws, and improve education for bicyclists and motorists, we cannot expect to see change unless existing laws are enforced. Other officials and lawmakers copied on the letter to Ms. Ryan include Cambridge Acting Police Commissioner Christopher Burke, Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons, Attorney General Maura Healey, State Rep. David M. Rogers, State Sen. Sal DiDomenico, State Sen. Patricia D. Jehlen, State Rep. Timothy J. Toomey, State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker, and State Rep. Jonathan Hecht to ensure that charges are filed against the motorists involved.

June 27, 2016

Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan

15 Commonwealth Avenue

Woburn, MA 01801

Ms. Ryan,

I write to you today on behalf of thousands of bicycle riders in Massachusetts. At MassBike we work tirelessly to make our streetscapes safer and healthier for all users. Without enforcement of the existing laws, however, we can never succeed.

For this reason we are asking that your office bring charges of vehicular manslaughter or negligent homicide against both drivers, whose actions led to the tragic and unnecessary death last week of Amanda Phillips in Cambridge, only the most recent death of a cyclist by a reckless motorist in Middlesex County. We seek more information regarding the June 16 collision that killed Eugene Thornberg in Lincoln.

In both instances no charges were filed.

Opening a car door into a cyclist without first looking is negligent and a violation of law. [See MGL c. 90 sec. 14, near the end of the very long first paragraph] When a driver does so and the victim dies, that is negligent homicide or manslaughter. Likewise, when a driver runs into a cyclist and hits her from behind, if the cyclist dies, that is negligent homicide or manslaughter. These are the facts that lead to the death of Amanda Phillips.

In our work to improve safety we often refer to the “Five E’s”. The first four are  education, engineering, encouragement, and evaluation. But the critical fifth “E” is enforcement. For too long there has been little or no enforcement in such circumstances involving bicycles. This failure to enforce such laws leads to institutionally blaming the victim.

Without enforcement, motorists will continue to operate with the same negligent and reckless disregard for the safety of bicyclists that has led most recently to the death of Amanda Phillips, a 27-year-old graduate student. We believe to use the term “accident” in this circumstance is both harmful and wrong. With enforcement, these crashes can be prevented. But we need enforcement to do so.

We can think of nowhere else than Massachusetts – which serves as the world’s college town – where such enforcement is appropriate and overdue.

I await your comments.

Thank you for giving the consideration it deserves.

Richard Fries, Executive Director

We encourage our members and the bicycling community to attend the Vigil for Amanda Philips this Wednesday at 7pm. Ride safe.

Lauren LeClaire

http://www.massbike.org/