GHOST BIKES

Originally written by Whitley O’Connor and published in The Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma. [Editor’s note: One Step Away added Philadelphia specific information regarding Ghost Bikes, traffic fatalities, and Vision Zero.]

Each year, between 45,000 and 50,000 cyclists are injured in traffic accidents in the United States according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2016, 840 cyclists died. Stark white, chained to a fence or lamppost, and often bearing flowers, ghost bikes stand as somber memorials to these fallen riders.

Last fall, Henry Hargreaves, missed being counted among this statistic by less than two inches, narrowly avoiding his own ghost bike. Since then, Henry, an internationally renowned photographer, has gone on to share his photo series Ghost Bikes as a haunting reminder of just how close danger is for cyclists and to start a much-needed discussion on sharing the road.

Henry first noticed white bikes chained to lampposts around his apartment in Brooklyn several years ago. “When I moved to New York and went around, I’d see these white bikes that were chained up to lampposts on street corners. I never really paid much attention to them until one day I passed one with a little placard with someone’s name and a range of dates. I realized that they were marking the deaths of cyclists,” recalls Henry. “It’s kind of became this haunting symbol of the road for me. This was also around the time I started becoming a cyclist, so it was sort of a reminder that you’re always just two feet away from a fatality. It was this spooky thing.”

Ghost bikes are a relatively new phenomenon. The first recorded ghost bike appeared in 2003 in St. Louis, Missouri when Patrick Van Der Tuin — who had witnessed a motorist hit a cyclist in a dedicated bike lane — painted a bike white and placed it at the scene with a sign saying, “cyclist struck here.” Observing improved awareness from motorists near the scene following the bike’s placement, Patrick recruited people to help spread bikes across the city.

The movement soon took hold, with ghost bikes spreading as far as London by 2005. Now, more than 630 ghost bikes can be found around the globe.

A Metaphor for the corpse

Oklahoma, where street paper The Curbside Chronicle first published this article, has seen its own share of ghost bikes. In Oklahoma City, a ghost bike was placed along Lake Overholser in 2013 to honor a fallen cyclist who was killed while participating in a charity bike ride. Another bike placed in 2010 along East Britton Road still remains today to commemorate a fallen cyclist.

“To me, they’re kind of a metaphor for the corpse,” Henry said. “When they get placed, they’re pristine and white. But from the pictures I took, you can see various levels of decomposing that’s happened. People come in and steal the wheels off of ghost bikes, and to me, it’s almost like raiding a grave. Sometimes, they just completely disappear.”

New York City has been the epicenter of the ghost bike movement, and Henry had been photographing bikes in Brooklyn for several years. But it wasn’t until his own cycling accident that Henry realized the purpose for these photos. While riding his bike from his apartment to his photography studio, Henry was car-doored. Without looking, a man illegally parked opened his car door as Henry approached, sending him over the handle bars and catching his throat on the corner of the door. Bleeding profusely, Henry insisted the driver take him to a medical center several blocks away. The driver dropped Henry off and quickly sped away.

“The corner had caught me right between my jugular and my wind pipe, so a couple inches either way and it would have been much more serious,” said Henry. “I got a dozen stitches and a $1,500 medical bill.”

Henry left the experience determined to do something. “I had been working on the project before this happened, just documenting ghost bikes,” Henry said. “Then afterwards, I wanted to put it out as a way to make people more aware of cyclists on the road and to make the cyclists more aware of the dangers around them.”

Since releasing his photo series, Henry has received a lot of positive feedback, with many people saying they had seen the bikes but didn’t know what they symbolized. It has created a conversation.

“Cycling cuts down on congestion and environmental impact. It’s good for your health, and it doesn’t make noise. Most of the effects are pretty beneficial to everyone around you,” said Henry. “Cyclists have such a small footprint — tire print if that’s what you want to call it — on the road that we’re easily ignored. If a few more people think about cyclists and are a bit more cautious, then it has been worthwhile doing this whole series.”

With Oklahoma ranking 46th in the country in The League of American Bicyclists’ 2017 Bicycle Friendly State Rankings, this is a conversation we need to have. “The whole thing was wanting to put up a magnifying glass to just respect each other more and be more courteous on the road,” Henry explained. “Opening a dialogue through this project was the goal.”

According to the Bicycle Friendly State Rankings, Pennsylvania ranks 12th in the country, with Philadelphia receiving a silver ranking. The 2016 US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey estimates that 2.2 percent of workers commute by bicycle in Philadelphia — making it the most biked US city with over one million residents. However, at six percent, Philadelphia has the highest traffic deaths per capita compared to NYC, LA, and Boston. Every year 10,000 traffic crashes occur in Philadelphia — killing 100 people and severely injuring 250 more. Per each 10,000 bicycle commuter that number is higher in the city — averaging 426 crashes annually with three fatalities, compared to the gold standard average of 0.2 bicycle fatalities.

The Ghost Bikes of Philadelphia

Last December, a ghost bike memorial was created for 24-year-old Emily Fredericks at a traffic light at 11th & Spruce Streets. According to a Philly.com article about Emily’s memorial, she was riding in the bike lane when a private trash truck turned right onto 11th Street, striking her. The police reported she died at the scene. Sixty people attended the memorial to remember Emily, and the more than two dozen bicyclists who have died on Philadelphia streets since 2010.

“We don’t want Emily to disappear, to be forgotten about,” said her father, Richard Fredricks. “This dedication is just the beginning.”

In Philadelphia, ghost bikes are often removed after a few weeks, but some tributes remain. Randy LoBasso of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia said a ghost bike has stood for four years at 2nd Street & Girard Avenue in Northern Liberties, where it memorializes the 2014 death of Johnny Brenda’s cook Tony Aparecio. Another ghost bike is chained at 19th Street & Girard Avenue in Brewerytown, where PhillyCAM filmmaker Jay Mohen was killed in 2015, Randy said.

In the wake of Emily’s death, the Bicycle Coalition advocated for more protected bike lanes in Philadelphia. “Hopefully, the ghost bike will be here as long as the traffic light is here,” said Randy. “It’s important for people who drive by this corner to know and be reminded.”

In the summer of 2017, a protected bike lane was built on Chestnut Street through University City, and last year ended with the City of Philadelphia committing to protect more than six blocks of bike lanes on South Street to the Schuylkill. Mayor Kenney stated he wants 30 miles of protected bike lanes in the city by 2022 — presently 2.5 miles of the city’s 200 miles of bike lanes are protected.

According to the Bicycle Coalition’s database documenting Philadelphia’s traffic fatalities, 2018 saw 65 deaths, with six hit-and-runs claiming four child victims. Since May 2018, three bicyclists have died after being struck by vehicles: Tomas Montanez Jr., 40, in Hunting Park, Julian Angelucci, 11, at 10th & Shunk Streets in South Philly, and Pablo Avendano, 34, died near 10th & Spring Garden Streets days before the Ride of Silence.

The Ride of Silence takes place every May, and according to the event’s Philadelphia Facebook group, “the purposes of this silent ride are to honor cyclists killed/injured in motor vehicle related accidents and to raise awareness about the rights of cyclists to ride the roads.”

0 deaths by 2030, Vision Zero

On November 7, 2016, Mayor Kenney signed Executive Order 11-16, setting a target of zero traffic-related deaths by 2030. Vision Zero, adapted from Sweden, is meant to eliminate traffic-related deaths and severe inquiries, while increasing safety, health, and mobility for all.

“When I took office, I pledged my commitment to making Philadelphia streets safe for everyone, regardless of age, physical ability, or choice of transportation,” Mayor Kenney wrote in the city’s three-year Vision Zero plan.

Data from Vision Zero showed that 50 percent of all traffic deaths and severe inquiries occur on just 12 percent of Philadelphia streets, deemed the High Injury Network. According to the city, traffic crashes do not affect all Philadelphia neighborhoods equally. In Philadelphia, neighborhoods with higher proportions of residents living in poverty are subjected to a disproportionate number of traffic crashes. More traffic deaths and severe injuries occur in neighborhoods where most residents live below the poverty line. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia analyzed specific Census Tracts to determine if there was any connection between poverty, people of color, and the High Injury Network. Their work revealed that 46 percent of the High Injury Network and approximately 35 percent of Philadelphia’s street miles are located in these Census Tracts corresponding to poverty and race.

Meaning almost half (46 percent) of the High Injury Network streets are in impoverished communities of color. Based on these findings, the Bicycle Coalition encourages the city to uphold racial justice and engage low-income communities and communities of color prior to any enforcement tactics surrounding Vision Zero. To assist in ensuring all communities are fairly represented, a group of government, advocates, and businesses formed the Vision Zero Alliance. The Alliance aims to include more grassroots organizations and community voices across racial and socioeconomic groups. Together, the Alliance supports a comprehensive Vision Zero strategy in Philadelphia by providing input to city government officials working on implementing Vision Zero strategies.

Vision Zero does not consist of one solution, but multiple programs to keep our vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists safe. For tracking vehicles, the city installed speed cameras and automated enforcement. But the Bicycle Coalition is also looking at more innovative ideas, such as the Bike Nice Campaign, protected bike lanes, and tracking road fatalities in real-time online. Unveiled in fall 2016, PHLtrafficvictims.org puts the statistics and available information of every victim who needlessly lost their life due to traffic violence. The Vision Zero Alliance is the only organization in the City of Philadelphia to keep a public record of traffic victims.

Protected Bike Lanes in Philadelphia

In Kenney’s campaign document, he committed to increasing bike lanes, to create a safe bike network, and implementing at least 15 miles of new bike lanes a year. In 2016, not long after the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia proposed 30 miles of new protected bike lanes under the new Kenney Administration, funding was approved to begin that process.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) awarded the region $7.6 million in Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) project money. Philadelphia will receive $300,000 for “on-road improvements,” according to the DVRPC’s press release, “including flexible delineator posts, signage, and pavement markings, for cyclists at designated locations throughout the City of Philadelphia.” This is being coupled with an expected $200,000 from PennDOT for improvements.

The Bicycle Coalition believes this is the beginning of a series of high-quality on-street, protected bike lanes, which will make the roads safer for all road users in Philadelphia.

The city applied for funding for 15 projects through the TAP program. As construction on protected bike lanes throughout Philadelphia continues through 2019, the Bicycle Coalition is continuing to advocate for all of these lanes to be installed.

In the meantime, Philadelphia residents must continue to be mindful of each other when out on the roads. There are far too many injuries and deaths occurring on our streets. Especially in our most vulnerable communities.

Three bicyclist deaths in the past six months — come on Philly, we can do better.