After beloved cyclist dies in Santa Clara County, volunteer and cycling group plant tree in honor of her life
Le's would ride her bicycle to deliver healthy farm-fresh vegetables to the needy in the area and advocated for more women to start bicycling.
SAN JOSE – After beloved volunteer and avid cycler Ellen Le was tragically killed by an SUV driver while riding last month, volunteers from Veggielution Eastside Connect and Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition planted a tree in honor of her dedication for helping others.
During the commemoration at Emma Prusch Park on Saturday, the groups urged local drivers to slow down on Santa Clara County roads, and said they’re pushing local officials to take serious the need for better road conditions for riders, and take action to create more accessible roads for bicyclists.
Le’s mother Annie Mai, aunt Long Mai and son Quentin Nguyen said they were happy to see the memorial, and to witness the love and memories from the people she worked and volunteered with. Nguyen called Le’s death overwhelming and shocking, but he said it was nice seeing something like the tree planting, which will be enduring, erected by the people she spent her life with.
“It meant enough to her that she spent her time here. It meant enough to the people here that they sort of erected almost what I would consider a shrine. And it’s nice especially because she’s been cremated,” he said. “It’s nice to have almost a physical landmark of something to visit back.”
“Weep not that she has gone but smile that she has been,” a gold plaque placed behind the tree planted for Le reads near the entrance of the fruit and vegetable garden at the park.
Scott Everly, Le’s significant other, called her humble, and said always looked out for others and helped whenever she was asked without thinking twice. He said she would’ve thought she didn’t deserve the commemoration.
“I’ve never met a single person that impacted so many people,” he said, adding she not only impacted the cycling community, but her work community and family and friends.
Her legacy will indeed live on at the park, and in the minds of those advocating for better road conditions in Santa Clara County. Le was hit head-on by a driver in an SUV while riding her bike in a remote part of the county on Mines Road during an organized ride with a bicycle club on Feb 6, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is urging drivers to watch for cyclists and drive slower, and city officials to improve road conditions in San Jose and other parts of Santa Clara County for people riding bikes.
At the same time, they are encouraging more people, especially women, to start cycling, something Le did.
Veggielution launched a program about a year ago during the pandemic with the bicycle coalition to get more cyclists on the East Side streets to deliver farm-fresh vegetables to local families and individuals who need food, and build advocacy around the need for safer riding conditions, said Emily Schwing, who works with Veggielution. She said Le’s memory as someone who delivered vegetables and advocated for others to help out in the program lives on.
Shwing and Violeta Palatto, an engagement and development officer with the coalition, agreed they want to increase awareness of issues on the roads.
Palatto, who knew Le as a “great volunteer,” said Le “wanted to help everyone,” and she came to the volunteer often with her group of bicycle friends, and they delivered food boxes to the community.
“There’s not many women bicyclists around, but she was really trying to get every one woman to come and ride and get miles and go out. Go out, ride your bike and have fun,” she said.
Palatto said she’s extremely concerned about the high numbers of cyclist deaths on the roads, and fast drivers who aren’t looking out for the safety of others on the road. She and members of her group also take issue with the how wide roads are in the city because they entice people to driver faster. She said the city can build better infrastructure, make sure turns are designed so drivers have to slow down and turn.
“One of the issues is people are driving too fast. They’re not safe for children. And we’re not talking just about bicyclists. We’re talking about pedestrians, children and even people in vehicles,” she said.
It’s not the first time a local group has commemorated Le’s impact on the community. In February, hundreds of cyclists held a memorial ride for Le hoping to bring awareness to safety for cyclists on local roads. Cyclists at the memorial said the winding road where Le died “requires extreme caution and drivers to travel at much slower speeds,” KPIX reported.
There is also a commemoration for Le at the site of the collision on Mines Road, Everly said on Saturday.