Ride the Rideau changes route after cyclist's death
50 km of route to be closed to traffic, will not include stretch of road where Laurie Strano died in crash
Organizers of the Ride the Rideau cycling fundraiser will soon be announcing changes to its route following last year's fatal crash between cyclist Laurie Strano and a dump truck.
After surveying riders and consulting with a task force that included Ottawa's chief of police, the fundraiser came up with a new route that will not include the spot where Strano died in September 2014.
As well, half of the route — 50 kilometres — will be closed to traffic.
Specific details of the route changes will be announced at a later date.
Ottawa police announced Wednesday that no charges will be laid against the dump truck driver involved in last year's crash.
Speaking to the media for the first time Thursday, Mike Tierney, who was engaged to Strano and was also cycling in last year's event, said the crash happened on a "challenging" section of wet road in traffic with bumps and cracks and no shoulder.
Tierney supports changes to the route, but said he's not yet ready to get back on his road bike.
He and some of the couple's closest friends are raising money for a scholarship in Strano's name at the University of Ottawa, which would go to a student seeking a master's degree in health administration.
While police are not laying charges, the area's regional supervising coroner is continuing an investigation into Strano's death, the findings of which could lead to safety recommendations.