Ghost Bikes: A Somber Public Service Announcement

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If you’ve ever walked around a major city’s traffic-heavy downtown, you’ve probably seen one or two all-white bicycles leaning against telephone poles. What you might not realize is that they’re part of the international Ghost Bike project that originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2003. Today, the project’s founders estimate that more than 630 bikes have been installed in more than 210 cities worldwide.

The goal of the project is to bring attention to the dangers that cyclists face every day on the road. Each bike represents a cyclist who was killed while riding, and artists usually install the bikes close to the location of the crash. Some memorial pieces feature just a plain white bike locked in place, while others include a plaque that offers details about the life of the person who died.

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The stark whiteness of the bikes makes them visible even at night, and they’re almost impossible to miss. That’s what takes the project beyond a basic memorial art piece: The project’s founders want to use the bikes to bring more attention to rider safety and to serve as a reminder for both drivers and cyclists that no one is immortal.

You can see the importance of this message most clearly when you walk or drive through a city center and notice at least one bike every few blocks. Since the bikes are real, it’s easier to remember that a person once rode that bike, and that these sudden, fatal accidents happen all too frequently.

Not only do the bikes serve as an artistic PSA on road safety, they help those who have lost loved ones to bicycle crashes cope. Mary Beth Kelly, who lost her husband in a bike accident, says this about the project:

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“Your placement of a bike at the site of my husband’s (Dr. Carl Henry Nacht) fatal accident was an extremely meaningful act. For myself, my children, our family and friends, it has provided solace at the place of great tragedy. I have visited the bike often and use it to meditate about my husband of thirty-three years…I have seen people stop, read the plaque, and think about its simple but poignant message.”

Accidents are so unexpected that it can take months or even years for the shock to wear off. When families and friends put their energy into these Ghost Bikes, they give meaning to their loss, educate their community, and make the road safer for bicyclists.