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Ghost Bikes
Ghost bikes are memorials to commemorate the death of bicyclist. A bicycle is painted entirely white, locked to a street sign near the scene of the fatal crash, and affixed with a plaque describing the rider and the circumstances of his/her death. The purpose of a ghost bike is to bring attention to the dangers that cyclists face on U.S. urban roadways, and to serve as a call for changes to address these risks.
In New York City, ghost bikes are organized by Time's Up[1] and Visual Resistance,[2] which is also associated with the NYC Street Memorial Project[3]. These groups memorialize bicyclists in part to encourage bicycling activists to ride more often, in recognition of the fact that
safety in numbers
will make bicycling safer.
According to NYC Memorial Project:
The first ghost bikes were created in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003, and they have since appeared in over 90 locations throughout the world. For those who create and install the memorials, the death of a fellow bicyclist hits home. We all travel the same unsafe streets and face the same risks; it could just as easily be any one of us. Each time we say we hope to never have to do it again -- but we remain committed to making these memorials as long as they are needed.[3]
The organization is working to establish teams to install ghost bikes in cities throughout the world, and compiles a list of deceased cyclists so honored on its website.[3]
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ALSO ON THE LIVABLE STREETS NETWORK
REFERENCES
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[3] NYC Street Memorial Project
[4]
PICTURE REFERENCES
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[1] Ghost bike, New York City. Photo from Wikis Take Manhattan via Wikimedia Commons
[2] Ghost bike, San Diego, CA. Photo by Osbornb via Flickr.
FURTHER READING
KEYWORDS
bicycle safety, memorial, safety in numbers
