On the topic of safer streets for cyclists, there is another project aiming to promote bicycle safety. At the same time it serves two other purposes; one as an aesthetically appealing work of art, and two, as a memorial to those who have died in bicycle/motor-vehicle collisions. These are known as ghost bikes. Bicycles painted completely white, often covered in an appealing floral arrangement, rest chained to signs located at or near the site of an accident, often including a plaque displaying the name, age and sometimes a photo of the unfortunate victim. Ghost bikes first appeared in 2003, created in St. Louis, Missouri. This thoughtful and inspiring idea quickly spread, and since its creation, has appeared in over 150 locations around the world. GhostBikes.org, a website set up by The NYC Street Memorial Project, documents all of the memorials online. I feel this is a great project, as it serves as a beautiful memorial for those who are gone, and a blatant reminder to motorists to be aware of the damage they can cause by not being careful enough. The cost of this project is minimal, as it only requires an old bike, white paint, and an arrangement of flowers.

http://ghostbikes.org/

http://www.spontaneousinterventions.org/project/ghost-bikes

With the price of fuel rising, many people are turning to alternative forms of transportation. One of the best ways to move around quickly, while still staying active, is to ride a bicycle. However, even though there are laws that demand motor vehicle operators to “share the road” with cyclists, many people are injured, or even killed while biking. In 2009, 630 bicyclists were killed and 51,000 were injured (edgarsnyder.com) A large reason why so many accidents occur is because heavily trafficked, urban cities are just not adapting to a more bicycle friendly infrastructure.

Dubbed as guerrilla bike lane painters, cycling advocates around the world, and across the nation are, often in the middle of the night so as to avoid any trouble from the law, painting bike lanes on the side of the streets, as well as signs around the roads to better remind motorists to be cautious of anyone nearby trying to share the road. Toronto’s Urban Repair Squad is known as the pioneer of this practice, but a large group of activists known as the Department of D.I.Y. (Do-it-yourselfers) are doing the same thing in Los Angeles. This spontaneous intervention project is great for the community, and promotes eco-friendly practices like using a bicycle as transportation, as opposed to relying on fossil fuels. It is fairly inexpensive to do, costing around $200 for tools and materials, and creates a much safer way for cyclists to navigate the crowded urban streets of dense cities.

http://www.edgarsnyder.com/bicycle/bicycle-statistics.html

http://www.spontaneousinterventions.org/project/guerrilla-bike-lanes