By Chris Togneri
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, October 2, 2007

An underground group of bicycling advocates is erecting “ghost bikes” in Pittsburgh at spots where cyclists recently have been hit by vehicles.

The bikes – painted white, adorned with flowers in the spokes and a sign reading “Cyclist Struck Here” – are intended to send a message to motorists:

“Think about what you’re doing when driving,” said cyclist Ashley Brickman, 24, of Oakland. “It’s like we (cyclists) aren’t even seen.”

Brickman was struck by a car in late August on Halket Street between Fifth and Forbes avenues in Oakland. About two weeks ago, a ghost bike appeared there. Three other ghost bikes have gone up: at Baum Boulevard and Liberty Avenue, in front of the Doherty Apartments on Forbes Avenue, and on Craig Street near Fifth.

Brickman and other cyclists would not say who is putting up the posters. They fear they would be targeted by police for littering or other crimes if their identities are revealed, she said.

That’s not likely. Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard said she isn’t sure the ghost bikes violate laws. She added that she has not fielded any complaints regarding the bikes.

Still, Brickman and others said the “who” is less important than the “why.”

“The hope is that by placing visual reminders, it will cause people to stop and think, ‘Oh, a cyclist got hit here,’ ” said Morgan Ress, 26, of the North Side, a member of the local advocacy group Bike Pittsburgh. “More are definitely coming up.”

The first ghost bikes were erected in St. Louis in 2002, Pittsburgh in 2003 and New York City in 2005. Today, ghost bikes are found in cities throughout North America, including Seattle, Reno, Nev., and Edmonton, Canada, according to ghostbike.org.

Brickman was not seriously injured in her crash. She was hit from behind and fell to the pavement, but the driver of sport utility vehicle that struck her stopped before running over her, she said. She did not press charges against the driver.

“It was very quick — you get hit, you fall, and then the next couple seconds are not in your control,” Brickman said. “It’s incredibly lucky I made it out of a bike accident like that with such a large vehicle. It was a very high stress situation.”

It is not clear if bike-car collisions are increasing in Pittsburgh. University of Pittsburgh police said they have not noticed a rise, and city police officials did not have statistics available Monday.

Local cyclists said the ghost bikes are not intended to cast blame on drivers, but to raise awareness.

“Take notice of your surroundings,” said Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsburgh. “We deserve as much respect as anyone else using the street.”

Chris Togneri can be reached at ctogneri@tribweb.com or 412-380-5632.