On Jan. 4, according to Gothamist, a small group of bicyclists participated in the fifth annual memorial bike ride for cyclist-related deaths in 2009, of which there were an estimated 10. The gathering rode across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens to sites of fatalities, which are indicated by white-painted “Ghost Bikes.”
Gothamist has photos of Ghost Bikes in Brooklyn, and reported that the ride culminated in a dedication of an eleventh Ghost Bike at Greenpoint Reformed Church. This bike honors unknown cyclists and walkers killed by motor vehicles
The memorial rides are intended to give a message. “We have to change the ‘Wild West’ atmosphere of our streets,” said Wiley Norvell, spokesman for bicycle advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, after last year’s ride.
The Ghost Bikes, Norvell explained, are “personal memorials that call attention to the cost our streets inflict on us.” Each one is personalized by families of cyclists who have been killed, and are a “perpetual reminder.”
The goal is to bring the number of deaths down to zero, he continued, explaining that right now, streets are designed for cars. "It would be different if safety were a priority."
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