John R. Yates

This memorial will be placed on Sunday August 9th a bit after 6:00 PM.
(Taken from the Baltimore Sun, August 5th 2009)
John R. Yates had a mirror on his helmet to see behind him, lights on his bike and even a little siren to alert drivers ahead of him.
...
But the avid cyclist died Tuesday morning while riding south on Maryland Avenue....
Members of the Velocipede Bike Project, which operates a bike shop on Lanvale Street near the scene of the crash, plan to dedicate a "ghost bike" memorial to Yates -- a bicycle painted white with the victim's name to commemorate his life, as well as to remind the community to be safe.
John Yates' wife, Ellen, said her husband avoided riding in the city, except "maybe once in a while, because he knew how dangerous the streets were."
On Tuesday, Yates left on his bike to run some errands, including a stop at the University of Baltimore, where the retired juvenile probation officer was earning his third master's degree.
"He said parking was so bad, he'd just ride his bike," his wife said.
Before leaving, Yates said he would call if he was going to be gone more than an hour. He never did.