Press

Meet the woman behind Chicago’s ghost bikes

You’ve seen them. Leaning against a street-light,
they seem to almost glow, plastic flowers hung around their painted
white frames. A small plaque with a stark name serves as a haunting
reminder.

There are 30 ghost bikes in and surrounding Cook County, but the
bikes aren’t unique to Chicago. Originating in St. Louis in the early
2000’s, the bikes have become an international symbol, a memorial
constructed after a cyclist’s death by a motorist.

Who builds New Orleans' ghost bikes?

You may have seen them and not known what they were: ghost bikes.

Locked up to signs and light poles around the New Orleans area,
painted all white, they stand at the locations that cyclists have died
after being struck by cars and trucks. But who builds the bikes and why?

'Ghost bikes' memorialize fatal wrecks, serve as safety warning

note: a slideshow and map of ghost bike locations accompanies the original article

Kenneth Thomas Sr., a 54-year-old New Orleans resident, was riding
his bicycle to pay a bill when a vehicle struck and killed him near the
intersection of South Carrollton Avenue and Nelson Street. That was more
than two years ago.

GHOST BIKES: Draw attention to recent deaths of inland cyclists

The “ghost bike” on Central Avenue in Riverside. (STAFF/Bernstein)

Cyclist takes on mission to spread ghost bikes all over Houston

A Silsbee man has taken on a unique
mission to make sure Houstonians don't forget the victims of fatal
bicycle accidents. He is driving over 100 miles into Houston to install
memorials all over the city.

Ghost Bikes Honor All Cyclists & Pedestrians Killed in NYC Last Year

Ghost Bikes Remind of Cyclist Deaths

NEW YORK—Laura Rothfuss lit up every room she walked into and
rode everywhere on her bike. She had smiled and greeted a man at the
corner of 125th Street and Park Avenue on June 6 last summer.

He crossed the street—then heard a bang. He turned around and saw
Rothfuss lying still on the ground. Two cabs had struck her, knocking
her teal bike across the street just a few feet away from him.

Ghostly Rides Mark Cyclists' Deaths

Please go to the WNYC website to listen to the broadcast report.

Ghost bikes honor dead cyclists around the Twin Cities

Ghost bikes honor dead cyclists around the Twin Cities

The bike sits perched atop a
mound of ice in Minneapolis' Loring Park, its front wheel raised in a
permanent wheelie. Fresh, snow-white paint covers a simple, bare-bones
frame.

Although it hasn't been abandoned, this bike has no rider.

It's a ghost bike - a roadside memorial marking the site where a cyclist was killed.

Ghost bikes serve as 'powerful reminder of the importance of sharing the road'

Boulder cyclist started placing memorials around Boulder 5 years ago

A 'ghost bike' near the scene of the accident on Valmont Road on Tuesday that killed Randy Herndon, 62.
(
PAUL AIKEN
)

Just before 7 a.m. Tuesday, emergency crews responded to the scene of the accident that killed Randy Herndon, 62, near Boulder.