A push from a Wisconsin family to keep bicyclists safe is making its way to the legislature.
The Debbink-Langenkamp family has been advocating for more federal dollars to fund bike safety improvements after their loved one was killed riding her bike in 2022.
Now a bill in her honor is hoping to make roads safer.
Oconomowoc native, Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, was many things. A mother, a daughter, a U.S. Diplomat, and an avid bike rider.
In August of 2022, Langenkamp had just returned to the United States after a tour in Ukraine. She was riding her bike home in Maryland when a truck drove into the bike lane and killed her.
TMJ4 was there in May when Sarah’s father, Dirk Debbink, spoke to the Oconomowoc Common Council about a need for more funding to protect bicyclists on the road.
“We’ve come to accept, like you probably have too, that the grieving process will never end,” said Debbink. “Painted white lines on a street that are considered bike lanes are actually death traps. It’s just a white line on a pavement that a truck can drive right across and crush you as they did for Sarah.”
Read the full story: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/oconomowoc-familys-fight-for-bike-safety-makes-its-way-to-nations-capitol
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OUT OF THE AMBULANCE TO LOOK FOR HER. A PUSH FROM A WISCONSIN FAMILY TO KEEP BICYCLISTS SAFE IS NOW MAKING ITS WAY TO THE LEGISLATURE. THE DEP BEING FAMILY HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR A FEDERAL DOLLARS TO FUND BIKE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. IT’S THEIR WAY
TO HONOR SARAH DEBBIE CLANG IN CAMP WHO WAS KILLED IN 2020. 22 WHILE RIDING HER BIKE AS MARY HIM. A CARD SHOWS US A BILL WRITTEN IN HER HONOR IS HOPING TO MAKE THE ROADS SAFER. >> OCONOMOWOC NATIVE SARAH DEB
IN KLINGON CAMP WAS MANY THINGS OTHER A DAUGHTER, A U.S. DIPLOMAT AND AN AVID BIKE RIDER IN AUGUST OF 2022, SHE WAS RIDING HER BIKE HOME IN MARYLAND WHEN A TRUCK DROVE INTO THE BIKE LANE AND KILLED WE’VE COME TO ACCEPT LIKE YOU
PROBABLY HAVE TO THE GRIEVING PROCESS WILL NEVER IN. WE WERE THERE IN MAY. WHEN SARAH’S FATHER DEREK DEB INC SPOKE TO COM MILWAUKEE COMMON COUNCIL ABOUT A NEED FOR MORE FUNDING TO PROTECT BICYCLISTS ON THE ROADS WERE PAINTED WHITE LINES AND STREETS THAT ARE
CONSIDERED BIKE LANES ARE ACTUALLY DEATH JUST A WHITE LINE AND THE PAVEMENT. >> AND A CONTRUCTION JOYRIDE ACROSS IMPRESSION WAS THEY AS IT DID FOR SARAH. THE FAMILY HAS BEEN ADVOCATING TIRELESSLY SINCE THEN TO SUPPORT MORE SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> THEIR CALLS FOR ACTION NOW MAKING MOVEMENT IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL. >> ON TUESDAY, WISCONSIN SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN INTRODUCING THE SARAH DEAD INKLING IN CAMP TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ACT, WHICH WOULD ALLOW MORE FUNDING UNDER THE NATION’S BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL TO BE USED
FOR BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. AND SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT THIS MONEY WOULD ALLOW THOSE TOWNS TO BUILD THAT SIDEWALK. KIRSTEN WITH THE WISCONSIN BIKE FEDERATION WAS IN DC ADVOCATING FOR THIS VERY BILL A WEEK AGO. THE FEDERATION HAS
JOINED THE DEMING FAMILY IN FIGHTING FOR MORE SUPPORT FOR BIKE RIDERS HOSTING A RIDE FOR YOUR LIFE EVENT IN SARAH’S HONOR THIS PAST FALL IN MADISON. THE WHOLE FAMILY IS SO PASSIONATE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY SO WELL SPOKEN, SO DETERMINED TO GET
THIS. THIS A LAW PASSED NO WORD WHEN THE BILL WILL BE VOTED ON. BUT FINN SAYS IF PASSED, IT COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. THIS A LAW WILL ALSO MAKE IT EASIER FOR WISCONSIN TO FIND THOSE DOLLARS AND GET THOSE PROJECTS DONE IN PREVENTING ANOTHER