The recent destruction of the “Endurance” sculpture at the Florida Road roundabout by an impaired driver is a tragic and poetic irony. As the installation is reassembled, we have a unique opportunity to make the piece even more meaningful and reflective of who we are as a cycling community.
Rather than restoring all five metal cyclists to their original, pristine condition, we should consider leaving one of the damaged sculptures as is. The shattered steel perfectly captures the dangers cyclists face when sharing the road with larger vehicles. Allowing the twisted metal to remain would serve as a permanent, high-visibility testament to the cyclists we have lost in this community – and the many more who have been injured by drivers failing to share the road, despite cyclists’ legal right to it. It would stand as a stark daily reminder of drivers’ responsibility to share the road safely, and in some way honor those who are no longer with us.
If a mangled sculpture is deemed too jarring for a public roundabout – though wouldn’t that be the point? – we could alternatively incorporate a white ghost bike with an empty saddle into the rebuilt display.
Durango is undeniably a cycling community. Let’s use this unfortunate event as a megaphone to advocate for safer streets and to remind everyone of the very real, life-and-death consequences of driving under the influence and distracted driving.
Christopher Stewart
Durango