White bicycle installations appear in New York as a reminder of road safety – vopbuzz
On a crisp Saturday evening in April, Kevin Daloia took a bicycle he had painted white and locked it to a pole on East 161st Street and Melrose Avenue in the Bronx. He then climbed onto the seat of the bike and hung a metal sign from the pole above it. The sign read: “Cyclist Died Here/Rest in Peace.”
cyclistThierno Balde was hit by a car on his way home after praying at his mosque on February 23.The driver fled after the crash and then abandoned the crumpled Jeep Grand Cherokee several blocks away, according to reports. Police said Balde ran through a red light. However, authorities also said that the driver was speeding excessively. Daloia didn’t know Balde, but that didn’t matter.
In his spare time, Daloia volunteers to paint old bikes and tie them to poles as “ghost bikes” for New York City Street monument The project consists of marking places around the city where cyclists died. The bikes, all white including tires, spokes and pedals, serve as both a warning to passersby that a cyclist has been killed and a striking reminder of the dangerous conditions cyclists face in New York. The activist store will also attract the attention of drivers.
Daloia isn’t sure exactly how many he planted. “I’ve been doing this for a long time,” he said. “Everything I touched in the Bronx and so much more all over the city. I don’t know the number, man. Probably 20, 25?” Last year was the deadliest year for cyclists in New York since 1999. According to the city’s transportation department, 30 cyclists will be killed in 2023. Of these, 23 were using e-bikes. Most deaths occurred in collisions with cars and trucks on streets without bike lanes.
In New York, a group of artists called Visual Resistance ghost bikes In response to the deaths of several cyclists in 2005. “He had to speak louder than words,” said Leah Todd, another volunteer. “A quiet but highly communicative monument.” The idea caught on and continues to gain momentum. “We had a great idea that we hoped people would care about and want to limit these deaths.”
Ghost bike volunteers receive donated bikes from bike shops, friends or word of mouth. By removing a few key parts from each bike, they make it unrideable and therefore less likely to be stolen. Although cyclist deaths often result from car crashes, volunteers who install ghost bikes are not necessarily anti-car. Daloia describes himself as “a bicycle traffic safety advocate who starts his car every day.” He believes that cars, people and bikes should be able to co-exist peacefully. “I want some of the roads around here to be safer for pedestrians and cyclists.”
cyclistThierno Balde was hit by a car on his way home after praying at his mosque on February 23.The driver fled after the crash and then abandoned the crumpled Jeep Grand Cherokee several blocks away, according to reports. Police said Balde ran through a red light. However, authorities also said that the driver was speeding excessively. Daloia didn’t know Balde, but that didn’t matter.
In his spare time, Daloia volunteers to paint old bikes and tie them to poles as “ghost bikes” for New York City Street monument The project consists of marking places around the city where cyclists died. The bikes, all white including tires, spokes and pedals, serve as both a warning to passersby that a cyclist has been killed and a striking reminder of the dangerous conditions cyclists face in New York. The activist store will also attract the attention of drivers.
Daloia isn’t sure exactly how many he planted. “I’ve been doing this for a long time,” he said. “Everything I touched in the Bronx and so much more all over the city. I don’t know the number, man. Probably 20, 25?” Last year was the deadliest year for cyclists in New York since 1999. According to the city’s transportation department, 30 cyclists will be killed in 2023. Of these, 23 were using e-bikes. Most deaths occurred in collisions with cars and trucks on streets without bike lanes.
In New York, a group of artists called Visual Resistance ghost bikes In response to the deaths of several cyclists in 2005. “He had to speak louder than words,” said Leah Todd, another volunteer. “A quiet but highly communicative monument.” The idea caught on and continues to gain momentum. “We had a great idea that we hoped people would care about and want to limit these deaths.”
Ghost bike volunteers receive donated bikes from bike shops, friends or word of mouth. By removing a few key parts from each bike, they make it unrideable and therefore less likely to be stolen. Although cyclist deaths often result from car crashes, volunteers who install ghost bikes are not necessarily anti-car. Daloia describes himself as “a bicycle traffic safety advocate who starts his car every day.” He believes that cars, people and bikes should be able to co-exist peacefully. “I want some of the roads around here to be safer for pedestrians and cyclists.”
