Ghost bikes

That ghost bike stands in remembrance of David Nieft, 45, who died at that location on June 28, 2009. Nieft was reportedly riding east on East Wilson when he was hit by a car heading north on South Baldwin. East Wilson has a stop sign while traffic on South Baldwin does not. A witness told police Nieft was not wearing a helmet when he failed to stop before crossing Baldwin. The Capital City Trail crosses that intersection.

As a cyclist, there’s no way to shut out talk of a fellow cyclist struck by a motor vehicle.  The blip on the news is something most noncyclists overlook. But the thoughtfully written articles and blog posts on bicycle advocacy sites, like Wisconsinbikefed.org, make you feel like you knew the injured or killed individual even if you didn’t. After all, we bicycle riders belong to an ever expanding family.

There have been days I questioned when my time might be up. I ride consistently, in all types of weather. And after 30 years of doing so, it sometimes feels like a game of Russian roulette. I know that can sound pessimistic. I rarely think about myself in the scenario, but I’ve been struck by a motor vehicle a couple times, luckily escaping with only minor injuries and broken bikes. I begin to wonder if I’m really safe out there.

There are three ghost bikes I pass routinely in Madison, and each time I do, chills run down my spine and I silently beg the universe for change.

Roots & reasons

The first ghost bike in the U.S. appeared in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2003. But the idea goes back to Amsterdam in the 1960s. They are meant to remind others that a cyclist was struck, usually fatally, by a motor vehicle at that site. By making everyone aware of these collisions, the hope is everyone will be more careful sharing the road.

Although some cities like New York, Seattle and Chicago have embraced ghost bikes as memorials, in Madison and Milwaukee they get strong mixed reactions.

When one was placed on the corner of East Washington and First Street almost two years ago for 22-year-old Brendan Primm, a complaint was made and it was removed. City officials considered the bike a safety hazard and abandoned property. Nevertheless, one on County Road M and the one on Baldwin have been left alone by police.

The sites of these simple white bikes serve as gathering places for friends and family members of the deceased, as well as for the cycling community to reflect. I have friends who see them as distractions and feel they make intersections more dangerous. I, however, see them no more distracting than billboards or signs and feel they are an excellent reminder that we all need to be more aware of your surroundings at all times.

Although I didn’t know any of the cyclists who have ghost bikes placed for them in Madison, I think about them frequently. In fact, I was riding near Governor Nelson State Park just 30 minutes before a 37-year-old woman was hit there by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel.

After working a night shift, Timothy Grulke, 21, admitted he fell asleep at the wheel of the pickup truck he was driving before he struck and killed Carrie Pete on October 8, 2012. This past March, Grulke was sentenced to a year in jail. He pleaded guilty to homicide by negligent driving and apologized in court for Pete’s death.

Now, every time I ride by her ghost bike on County Highway M I get a bit emotional. I feel like I knew her because she could have so easily been me.

The ghost bike placed on Wilson and Baldwin for Nieft prompts me to come to a complete stop prior to crossing Baldwin every time. I have a strong feeling that ghost bike has actually saved lives on the busy road crossing of the Capital City Trail. 

Removals & reappearances

Last year I was forced to think hard about the existence of ghost bikes when several were taken down for Tom Van Hoof, a cyclist and community leader in Milwaukee. Friends of his would place one at the scene of his fatal collision and the next day it would be gone. After several attempts to permanently install a ghost bike, all of which were taken down by Milwaukee police, Tom’s friends gave up on the idea.

A similar situation happened to Primm’s ghost bike on the corner of East Washington and North First Street in Madison, as I mentioned above. People would come by and decorate the bike for holidays, including Christmas lights and Mardis Gras beads. It was a place for Primm’s uncle, who first placed the ghost bike, and his father and fiancé to honor the young man.

Primm reportedly rode his bike into the path of an SUV driven by a young University of Wisconsin-Madison student in her 20s South First Street. The driver, who was not cited, told police she didn’t see Primm until he was right in front of her vehicle. It is not known if Primm was attempting to cross East Washington Avenue or turning.

The police were not acting in a malicious manner when they removed the ghost bike for Primm. Local city ordinance states if a complaint is made, an impromptu memorial must be removed. The police placed a sign on the bike giving Primm’s family and friends 24 hours to take it themselves.

Shortly after that ghost bike was removed, a regular bike was put up in its place and soon taken away. A third bike was placed in the same location that, last I checked, still stands there decorated in Primm’s honor.

On the heels of this incident, two of Madison’s council members began working on changing city ordinances to allow for ghost bikes. Both Marsha Rummel and Ledell Zellers feel optimistic that a change will be made.

So here’s the question I have for cyclists and noncyclists alike: If ghost bikes fail to be widely accepted, what can be put in their place to serve both serve as a memorial and means of raising awareness of the tragedies that can result from either bicyclists or motorists not paying attention? In this age when everyone seems to be in a rush and/or multi-tasking as they drive, what will get us to slow down and realize our vehicles are fully-loaded weapons?

I am tired and ashamed of telling myself after hearing of another cyclist struck by a vehicle “Thank God it wasn’t me or someone I knew.” I know it is statistically much safer to bike on city streets than even 10 years ago. But I can not help but think we still have a long way to go. And if a simple white bike reminds us of this from time to time, isn’t that a good thing?

Kierstin Kloeckner used to race bikes and now commutes by bike in Madison, Wisconsin, where she is a personal trainer and yoga/pilates instructor. She blogs at twowheelsfromhome.blogspot.com.