News Release
3/25/02

Subject: LEADING ADVOCATE SUSIE STEPHENS KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT

Susie Stephens, a national leader in bicycle advocacy, died March 21 after
being struck by a tour bus while crossing a street in downtown St. Louis.
Stephens, who was 36, was in St. Louis working as a consultant for the
National Center for Bicycling and Walking to help run a conference on
transportation choices. She was a founder and former Managing Director of
the Thunderhead Alliance and had also served as Executive Director of the
Bicycle Alliance of Washington and head of the Northwest Bicycle
Federation.

Elissa Margolin, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists,
said, „We are filled with sadness and grief. The League would like Susie's
family, friends and colleagues to know how privileged we feel to have had
the opportunity to work with her. Susie's energy, her passion and humanity
will be sorely missed.

Bill Wilkinson, Executive Director of the National Center for Bicycling
and Walking, called for an investigation of the crash and said, "Susie was
phenomenal with people. She was one of those people who was a bright light
in any group."

Stephens resided in Winthrop, WA, a tiny mountain biking community of
about 700 in the Cascade Mountains of central Washington. Friends in
Washington said she was a passionate cyclist who regularly biked to work.
Adam Spey, Executive Director of the Thunderhead Alliance, said, "The
bicycle advocacy community has lost one of our brightest stars. Once we've
mourned her death, we will have to celebrate her life by continuing her
work, by working even harder to make the streets safer for bicyclists and
pedestrians."

A fund will be established in Susie Stephens‚ memory to benefit the causes
and organizations that meant so much to her and to whom she meant so much:
the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, the Methow Conservancy, and the
Thunderhead Alliance. Please contact any of these organizations
(http://www.bicyclealliance.org, http://www.methowconservancy.org, and
http://www.thunderheadalliance.org, respectively) for more information.

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