The cyclist community continues to grieve for Jose Alzorriz. They’re honoring him by doing what he loved to do, going for a bike ride in Brooklyn, from Prospect Park to Coney Island.

Most of the people involved in the event never met him but, for Katie Mason, this is personal. She says her friend chose to ride on Coney Island Avenue for a change the scenery and to avoid traffic. Now she’s wishing he were still here.

“He was the most giving person I’ve ever met. And the fact that he’s not here, his life needs to make a difference,” Mason said.

Alzorriz was killed back on August 11. The teenager charged in the crash, allegedly was speeding, ran through a red light and set off a chain of collisions that killed the 52-year-old man who had the right of way. Cyclist Hercules Reid recently got back on his bike. He stopped after being struck by car himself.

“I come out here as someone who’s fortunate enough to still be alive,” Reid said at the event.

Alzorriz was the 19th cyclist killed in the city this year. That’s up from 10 cyclists killed in all of 2018. Also troubling is the fact that most of the deadly cyclist crashes have happened in Brooklyn. Borough President Eric Adams, who’s also a cyclist, says change can’t happen without the cooperation of drivers.

“You’re driving too fast,” Adams said. “That is why we’re here, let’s ride for safety.”

Most cyclists here say they hope this just doesn’t stop with a memorial ride. They’re hoping this means change from City Hall.

The de Blasio Administration committed to installing more bike lanes in southern Brooklyn following the city's 19th cycling death. But organizers say they want protected bike lanes. They support the immediate passage of Speaker Corey Johnson’s Streets Master Plan legislation.

The turnout was quite large and people in the crowd told us that this issue is especially important here. This borough has a large cyclist community and 14 out of the 18 cyclists killed lived in Brooklyn.