Ghost Bike

This morning, 22 white ghost bikes were placed at the intersection of Connecticut and R St. for 22-year-old cyclist Alice Swanson, who was killed in the intersection last July. After the accident, the Washington Area Bicycle Association placed a single ghost bike in the spot to memorialize Swanson. Two weeks ago, the city removed the bike without notice to Swanson’s family and friends. Now the bike is back, with 21 more. See more information here.  

See a picture of the spot when the bike was removed two weeks ago, and get my initial reaction, here.

The city removed the ghost bike on Connecticut and R St dedicated to Alice Swanson, a cyclist killed in that intersection in July of 2008.  According to some notes at the scene, the mayor unexpectedly ordered the city to remove the bike on Thursday.  I suppose these things can’t stay up forever, but I was struck by Swanson’s death a year ago (she was only 22 and had just graduated from college) and I thought it was a nice memorial.  I’m a little sad to see that it’s gone.