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Posted on Sun, May 16, 2010 : 12:34 p.m.

Ghost Bikes displays in Ypsilanti aim to raise awareness

By AnnArbor.com Staff

In an attempt to increase motorists and bicyclists' need for safety and mutual respect on the streets, the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition (WBWC) is having a trial Ghost Bikes display for the City of Ypsilanti during Bike To Work Week.

Starting today until May 23, the Ghost Bikes will be displayed at the southeast corner of Cross Street and College Place, as well at Forest Avenue and Dwight Street, according to the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition. The display is being held during the same week as the national Ride Of Silence.

Thumbnail image for bike-memorial.JPG

A Ghost Bike display is made up of a bicycle, painted white, with a sign on the frame stating “A Bicyclist Was Struck Near This Spot - Please Share The Road - It's The Law.” The bike is intended to be a memorial and a reminder to drivers to share the road.

In 2009, a Ghost Bikes display served as a memorial to Tim Pincikowski, a cyclist from Saline who was struck and killed by a van on the road July 28, 2009.

Comments

Ignatz

Mon, May 17, 2010 : 12:13 p.m.

I've seen some terrible bicyclists around U-M campus. There's one, who I've seen several times, who crosses Hill going south on Forest. She blows right though the sign everytime. The almost tragic thing about her is that she has a third wheel trailing where a child can ride. Happily, the seat is empty. When I'm on my bicycle, I display extra caution because I know I don't have all that steel, plastic and rubber around me. I wonder why more don't do the same.

Gaboo

Mon, May 17, 2010 : 9:45 a.m.

ERM ghost: Of course bikers can hurt other than themselves. Blowing through a stop sign or other dangerous (and illegal) action can cause a driver to swerve to avoid hitting the bicyclist, potentially causing a much greater danger than just to the biker. We all have to be more conscious of and courteous to each other.

amazonwarrior

Mon, May 17, 2010 : 7:06 a.m.

The first time I saw the Ghost Bikes was in New York. There they put the name of the person and the date of their death on a sign attached to the bike. I thought they were very moving tributes and certainly make a person stop and think. I frequently see cars and bikes totally disregarding stop signs, red lights, and "rules of the road" in general. I've decided that these people either have a death wish or are just so arrogant they don't care, and expect the cars to get out of their way. We ALL need to learn to share the road and stop being in such a big hurry. Sure, I own a cell phone, but what the heck is so IMPORTANT that people have to be talking on them when they are driving?? Shut up and drive, people!

Steve Pepple

Mon, May 17, 2010 : 6:08 a.m.

The story has been corrected to reflect that Cross is a street, not an avenue.

Paul Taylor

Mon, May 17, 2010 : 5:07 a.m.

Cross Avenue??? Cross Street, perhaps?

BikingJeff

Sun, May 16, 2010 : 8:23 p.m.

As as cyclist for the past two years. I have seen others texting while on a bike. I frankly was amased he could do it. We were in an isolated area with no traffic but it still happens. I obey the traffic laws as a cyclist. Not only is it the law it keeps me safe. Next week starts the getdowntown bike week challenge. I hope there will be a strong presence of cyclist on the streets next week. I know I will be there. Please all drivers and cyclist not only next week but always. Watch out for each other. There is plenty of road out there and we can all share and be safe. Thanks safe riding and driving to everyone. I'll see you out there.

Edward R Murrow's Ghost

Sun, May 16, 2010 : 7:47 p.m.

I've never seen a biker texting while riding. Quite a trick, that. I see numerous drivers texting on a daily basis. This morning I was nearly run down as I crossed a clearly marked crosswalk by a woman who was talking on her cell phone with one hand and eating a bagel with another as she drove. Bikers who break traffic laws have no excuse, and if they are injured or killed while so doing, they have no one to blame but themselves. But bikers who violate traffic law endanger no one but themselves. Drivers of automobiles who refuse to yield to a biker who is on the road legally risks the other person's life, not their own. And, as an avid biker, I cannot tell you the number of times that I've been run off the road by a driver who refused to yield to me the road I was due, or who blew through a stop sign or a yield sign (yes, belboz, it happens the other way, too). So, contrary to belboz's implication, there is no equivalence between drivers who violate the law and bikers who do. More to the point, two wrongs don't make a right. Good Night and Good Luck

Smiley

Sun, May 16, 2010 : 6:48 p.m.

I missed a bicyclist by inches the other day. I'm a bicyclist myself, so I pay extra attention, but this particular cyclist was making a right and ran through a red light. I had the green and just barely missed him when he came out about 3 feet into the lane. I think we all need to be careful and obey the laws.

Reneey

Sun, May 16, 2010 : 3:55 p.m.

Both bikers and drivers need to respect the rules of the roads. Just like belboz said alot of bikers don't respect the laws that are made. Drivers are really the worst though, most drivers don't yield to pedestrians, drive to fast, talk on cell phones and text. We all need to slow down and be more careful.

belboz

Sun, May 16, 2010 : 3:29 p.m.

"Each person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or moped or operating a low-speed vehicle upon a roadway has all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter, except as to special regulations in this article and except as to the provisions of this chapter which by their nature do not have application." I see many bikers just blowing through stop signs, wearing mp3 players, texting while riding, impeding the flow of traffic, etc... It would be nice if they spent as much time and effort working on following the law as they do asking others to follow the law.