Five Weeks of Bike Lane Snow…and counting
Jeff Illig was a veteran, a dedicated mail carrier for over 30 years in Reno, and a passionate cyclist. On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, Jeff was tragically killed in a fatal hit-and-run crash while riding in the bike lane near South McCarran Boulevard and West Plumb Lane in Reno. The loss has left his family and community heartbroken, as Jeff was known for his kindness, commitment, and positive spirit.
Jeff’s son Nick now faces the daunting prospect of leaving his job in Japan to return to Reno multiple times to settle his father’s estate. The sudden loss has upended Nick’s life, forcing him to navigate travel costs, legal fees, and the many expenses associated with managing his father’s affairs. The financial strain is compounded by the risk of losing his job, making this already difficult time even more challenging.
Nick and his mother Melany are healthy, community-minded individuals whose unwavering faith in humanity has been shaken by Jeff’s tragic death and the circumstances surrounding it. With your support, the guiding light of Jeff can continue to shine for Nick and Melany, helping restore their faith and guiding all of us toward a safer and more compassionate future. Your generosity will make a meaningful difference as they navigate these challenging times.
All donations are tax deductible with 501c3 not-for-profit Nevada Bicycle Coalition as the pass through organization (EIN: 39-2067469). We are waiting on our Charitable Giving Fund approval. NevadaBike.org.
Do you have a link to that 1998 study? 🙂
Adult Bicyclists in the U.S.
http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Library/Moritz2.htm
Another bike lane obstacle is road construction signs. I just got back from 2 weeks riding in Tucson and noticed the signs are placed on the sidewalk or shoulder-not blocking 95% of the bike lane. This would be a simple request we could make of road construction crews (public and private).
I have to ask if people are aware that the city is in the midst of a severe budget crisis. They just laid off several firemen, for example. That’s a real safety concern. It’s the first time they’ve had to do that since 1933 (check out KOLO’s report on the matter that appeared this evening to verify these facts). Likewise, this year’s weather pattern has a name, “El Nino,” for a reason. It’s not the norm. The city can’t justify buying loads of snow removal equipment when, technically, we live in a desert. Like the winter of 2003, it’s worth realizing that this amount of snow does not fall here often enough for them to justify the cost and the depreciation of the equipment. While we all want to be able to ride, while we all know it’s good for our health, reduction of carbon emissions, etc., the current economic situation likely means that the city can’t do much to help us right now. If we want to ride at this time of the year, we have to be realistic about the circumstances and be patient. If you REALLY want to ride, consider studded bike tires. There are such things and they really are great.
I talked to the Carson City transportation manager about signs in the bike lane, and unfortunately, placing them on the sidewalks would violate ADA rules. The blind, or people in wheelchairs are the most vulnerable (and often forgotten) users of our transportation system. With bicycle mode share down around 1% of all traffic users, it doesn’t make sense to stick the signs out in the car lane either. It sucks to have the signs in our bike lanes, but at least we can go around them with caution. In many cases, I haven’t seen better solutions due to fences, hedges, and other obstacles.