Tag Archives: Alice Swanson Memorial

The Daily Feed
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More Ghost Bikes Appear in Dupont

In what appears to be an overreaction to the removal of the Alice Swanson Ghost Bike Memorial at 20th and R Streets NW, sixteen twenty-two new ghost bikes have been placed around the intersection this morning.  We haven’t seen a formal statement from the Washington Area Bicyclist Associate so it’s hard to say who’s responsible for this demonstration.  There are many different types and sizes of bikes scattered around, but none of them are locked down except for the bike that is located where the original memorial was.  We’d love to hear from you if you know who’s responsible and what their message may be, but it’s safe to say that these bikes won’t be around for long.  More awesome camera phone photos after the jump.

Update: According to this “quickly done” blog, the project is the work of “DC native, cyclist, and anarchist Legba Carrefour”.  The site claims that if the bike is removed by the city again, “We’ll put it back again.  And Again.  And again.”

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Talkin' Transit
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Questioning Ghost Bike Barricades


Photo by maxedexposure

As a cyclist, I have two minds about the Alice Swanson Memorial that WABA organized.

On one hand, I do see it as a way to remind drivers and cyclists that we all need to share the road and respect each other a bit more, no matter our presumed importance or right of way.

On the other, doesn’t this memorial itself present a danger to cyclist and motorist alike? Pretty soon, this will become yet another obstruction on the sidewalk, no matter its good intentions, and by diverting pedestrians into the street, it will cause cyclist and driver alike to quickly swerve into each others’ path.

Might there be a better way to remind us of the dangers of metal vs. human? Maybe a painted chalk outline of a cyclist on pavement or a rumble strip shaped like a bike?

I for one, would rather have dedicated bike lanes instead of a dedicated ghost bikes.