As Teen Mourned Bicycling Association Demands Changes

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — Families and friends gathered at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Trinity Saturday to say their final farewells to a 14-year-old ninth-grader at River Ridge High School.

On Tuesday at 7:24 a.m., Jayden (Jay) Alexander Relyea was riding his bike to school when he rode into the path of a Jeep Wrangler at the intersection of Moon Lake Road and Slidell Street. He was transported to the hospital where he died.

An avid soccer player, Jayden's family said he loved building his own gaming computer and making YouTube gaming videos.

Jayden, his brother, Maximus, and his parents, Ron and Karen, moved to New Port Richey from New York in 2013. Jayden attended Cypress Elementary School, then River Ridge Middle School before becoming a freshman at the high school.

A grief counselor was made available for students at the high school following the teen's death.

"He was a great friend," said student Sean Hayes. "His dedication for his friends and family showed the most. We met at middle school and as we continued our friendship ... I'm glad that I had the chance to meet him and become his friend."

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, last year there were 191 crashes involving bicycles, killing eight people and injuring 178.

• Among those killed were John Mowry, 43, who was riding his bike on U.S. 19 near Holiday Hills Boulevard, when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver Feb. 18. Florida State Highway Patrol troopers are searching for a blue 2004 Saturn Ion Coupe.
• Land O' Lakes resident, 57 year-old William Lyle also died when he was struck by a Land Rover Nov. 17 while crossing State Road 54 at Black Lake Road.
• The day after Christmas, 35-year-old Nora Anne Casson and her dog died when she was crossing U.S. 19 and New York Avenue accompanied by her dog.

The previous year, 2018, had fewer crashes but more fatalities. There were 148 bicycle crashes in which 10 people died and 131 were injured in Pasco County.

Already in 2020, there have been 27 bicycle crashes in Pasco County with 27 injuries.

According to the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization, the data "indicates Pasco County’s five-year rolling average for fatalities and serious injuries could continue to trend upward."

During March, Florida Bicycle Month, the Florida Bicycle Association is urging residents to sign its Vision Zero Florida petition to prevent bicycle deaths and injuries in Florida, which ranks first in the nation for the number of bicycle deaths.

The Vision Zero movement began in Sweden, which was able to reduce deaths by 34 percent over 12 years, and the idea has since been adopted by many U.S. cities and counties. Both Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa have endorsed Vision Zero and developed action plans.

"It is heart-wrenching to hear of another preventable traffic death, another family mourning for a loved one lost, due to traffic violence on our roadways," said Gena Torres, Hillsborough MPO Vision Zero project manager. "The progress we all want so badly to see in our community toward safe streets with zero injuries and deaths is not happening fast enough."

Like surrounding counties, the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization's Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee is working toward creating a Vision Zero plan for Pasco County. Among its proposals is updating the county's land development code to require the construction of more bike lanes on existing roads and the preservation of right of way for bike lanes when roads are constructed or widened.