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As more people are using bicycles as their main form of transportation, especially within metropolitan areas where most people only travel a few miles everyday, sharing the roads has become more of an issue.
In an attempt to raise public awareness and start a dialog about the rights of cyclists and the problems with our current road sharing systems, people across the country, and across the world, are creating Ghost Bikes as a memorial to those who have been struck or killed while riding on the public streets.
Photo by Howard Kaplan
What Are Ghost Bikes
Ghost Bikes are bikes that have been built from scrap or donated parts that can no longer be reused. They are stripped of all unnecessary parts that could potentially be desicrated or reclaimed for scrapes, painted stark white, then fixed to the site where a cyclist has been hit or killed.
Photo by wiki
The History of Ghost Bikes
The first ghost bike was erected in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003 by Patrick Van Der Tuin. He got the idea after witnessing a cyclist get hit by a car in the bike lane. He painted and placed a bike frame with a hand painted sign using red lettering which read: “Cyclist Struck Here.” Since then, similar projects have started across the US and other cities worldwide.
Photo by zalgon
The Meaning Of Ghost Bikes
Ghost Bikes become a beacon on an otherwise anonymous street corner, with the hope that each passing motorists, cyclist and pedestrians will realize the failures of how we currently share public space, and will in turn be more aware of the potential that it is as easy, and unexpected, to be a victim as it is to be a killer. It is a memorial to the person who was hit or killed, but it is also a bold statement of consciousness and awareness to the problems that we face as a community of people. One that will hopefully enact the necessary changes so we can all feel safe to use the public roads.
Photo by minvervah
More Info
There are a number of sites dedicated to ghost bike related projects, and there has been a push to create a central worldwide database of every ghost bike. Here are few of a number of sites currently involved in the project.
ghostbikes.org
ghostbike.org
wiki:Ghost bike
Ghost Bike Chicago
Title Photo by cecilanne
3 June, 2008 4 
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 Showing 1 - 4 of 4 Comments
 
despise3 Jun, 2008 @ 12:31 PM
as someone who rides in the city (philadelphia) every day, the ghost bikes hit close to home. I've been in so many near accidents because people take turns without blinkers or taking a look at what's around or just generally don't care. A lot of my friends have been in accidents and it's terrible.
I would love more bike lanes there's only a few roads that have them here and it's a shame since such a large number of people ride around this city every day 
wingedvic…3 Jun, 2008 @ 10:58 PM
I know that my father rides his bike daily through the bust Sydney street. I worry that some idiot will hit him. These ghost bikes are a fabulous idea and hopefully will create the right impact. 
cbpride3 Jun, 2008 @ 11:28 PM
I bike a lot, and it is very dangerous. The law is that you cannot ride on the sidewalk; you have to be on the rightmost side of the street or in a shoulder or bike lane. Unfortunately, there are many areas here that have neither a shoulder lane nor a bike lane. This makes left-hand turns very difficult, and even when you're not turning, many drivers don't have much tolerance for cyclists. There isn't much demand for bike lanes, so every time I go out for a ride, I put myself in danger. I've never been in an accident, but I've had several arguments with angry drivers who tell me to get off the road and onto the sidewalk, even though it's illegal.
I love these ghost bikes, they're such a good idea and I hope they raise awareness of cyclists and how often they are injured because of careless drivers. 
sunbeam4 Jun, 2008 @ 10:12 AM
I moved to Copenhagen from Britain. Everyone knows that if you cycle in Britain that you are putting your life in your own hands. In Denmark there are bike lanes everywhere and the few roads that theres not you feel as though you belong on the road just as much as the cars.
There are the occasional accidents here of course too- there are thousands who cycle daily. The thing that I first noticed here was that nobody wears helmets! My husband who cycles to work daily now does after witnessing several fatal accidents that could have as easily been him. They want to make it manditory for cyclists to wear helmets here but they are afraid that it would put people off cycling, which they recognise would be in some ways worse than if they cycled without helmets. Not only do the Danes never wear helmets, the girls cycle in skirts, and high heals, amazing!  You must be logged in to post a comment. 
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