Ghost Bike- the beginning

a project a friend started in St. Louis - now it's international. They appear in places cyclist have been struck by motorists. Usually chained to a nearby pole of some sort.

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Comments

greg_jonsson says:

Heyyyyy, I think I read about these somewhere...
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

velo_city says:

Yup. Some guy named Greg wrote an article about this in the Post-Dispatch in 2003.
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

schroepfer says:

Probably a vast automobile industry conspiracy to scare people out of riding bikes.
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

Sorry no. Just a guy in St. Louis who started it - Here's part of the article:

The mangled [white or ghost] bicycles are part "Watch for Cyclists" signs and part descansos, the roadside crosses often erected near the sites of fatal car accidents, a practice that started in the Southwest. The bikes are meant to make drivers more aware of cyclists and others on the road.

"Just because I'm using two wheels and don't have four tons of metal doesn't mean you don't need to look out for me."

For information about the project, e-mail
brokenbikesbrokenlives@hotmail.com.

Author: Greg Jonsson Of The Post-Dispatch, November 2003
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

velo_city says:

Thanks *out here.
I should mention that these bikes aren't always placed near "fatal accidents" typically they're placed near bike/car collisions in general. No one has to die. It took off internationally after a group in the Eastern part of the US took the ball and ran with it. I wish I had a link for everyone for the entire article written in StL, but I don't.

This photo was taken just before the first "ghost bikes" anonymously went out - a group of people put up about 15 one Sunday night so they were in full view during rush hour the next day.
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

greg_jonsson says:

Here's a link that includes the article (second item down):
www.bfa.asn.au/bfanew/whatsnew/whats_new_in_w orld.htm

Here's a link to a (probably better-written) article on the project in Pittsburgh:
www.post-gazette.com/pg/04148/322514.stm
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

wendie7 says:

Wow, interesting concept
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

timmycorkery says:

There are a bunch of these on flickr; we definitely saw them in Seattle. Check ghostcycle.org/, too.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

tonii says:

I guess bikes are white because of the "white bicycle plan" organized by Provos in Amsterdam in the '60s.

We still love their actions...:-)
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

Justseeds Visual Resistance says:

link to new york city ghost bikes
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

tonii says:

hu hu the glorious NY CM! also here among italian c-massers we are following the news from you bikers there. hold on.

peak oil is here. car-sauros are at the edge of extinction. a better world is ahead (or no world at all)
Posted 47 months ago. ( permalink )

Professional Recreationalist says:

fantastic idea

luv the image - great post for the STUPID CYCLISTS Pool!
www.flickr.com/groups/stupid_cyclists/pool/
Posted 45 months ago. ( permalink )

Ana Louro says:

"or no world at all", I agree. I'm working in advocacy for cyclists too, here in Portugal (for a national NGO) and I also have a bicycle set, but the much interesting ones are in my faves.
Posted 43 months ago. ( permalink )

Runaway Wind says:

(It was your name that drew me to your photos, so I had to look at your bike photos...) As someone who has had many friends with close calls, had 2 friends permanently injured from being struck by vehicles, and knows of at least one who was killed... this is chilling. It's one thing when there is an accident, fatal or otherwise, during a closed course race, but vehicle/cyclist accidents are just heartbreaking.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

velo_city says:

Sorry to hear, Greeneyesmilw. It's a scary thing! But I do ride anyhow. It's almost an inner need anymore. One person I know says he'd rather go riding his bike than enclosed in an auto ... neither is an option I'd like, but if push came to shove... I'd have to choose the bike too.

Best of luck with the advocacy work, Ana!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

umountain says:

ride as slow near intersections, but all cyclists will die some day, hope not on the road......
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

umountain says:

I mean ride slowly
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

SerialCoder says:

This image has been added to the Flickr Museum for making explore's top 25. Kudos!You can check it out here...
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

velo_city says:

I agree umountain.

Thanks mucho, SerialCoder - nice site. :)
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

alacrity_danger says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Saint Louis Alternative Transportation, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

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Ghost Bike- the beginning

Comments

greg_jonsson says:

velo_city says:

schroepfer says:

velo_city says:

velo_city says:

greg_jonsson says:

wendie7 says:

timmycorkery says:

tonii says:

Justseeds Visual Resistance says:

tonii says:

Professional Recreationalist says:

Ana Louro says:

Runaway Wind says:

velo_city says:

umountain says:

umountain says:

SerialCoder says:

velo_city says:

alacrity_danger says:

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