A Houston couple is asking for help installing 'ghost bike' memorials, a stark reminder of the dangers of unsafe roads to cyclists.
Ghost bikes—the stripped-down white bicycles memorializing cyclists killed on the road—are disappearing in Houston, writes Jay R. Jordan for the Houston Chronicle. The bikes, installed primarily by Steve and Melissa Sims, are sometimes stolen for parts, defaced, or removed by neighbors.
Thanks to the Houston Ghost Bike Facebook group, the Sims have accrued a sizable collection of replacement bikes. But the work of preparing and installing them is time-consuming, and the couple is calling on other Houstonians to volunteer their time and help them install the ghost bikes. "Their work is often thankless, but the memorials they place serve as solemn reminders for drivers and riders about the dangers of Houston's roadways."
Usually placed, informally, by volunteer activists like the Sims, ghost bikes have proliferated around the world as a somber memorial drawing attention to road safety and the dangers facing cyclists on urban roads. In 2017, the Chicago Tribune published a map of that city's ghost bikes.
FULL STORY: Volunteers need help replacing stolen ghost bikes in Houston
Houston Traffic Deaths Dipped in 2022
Fatal crashes killed slightly fewer people in 2022 than in 2021, but deaths are still significantly higher than in 2019.
Less Paint, More Barriers, Make for Better Urban Cycling
New research from the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico sheds light on how to make cities safer for cyclists and other road users and refutes some assumptions about bike safety, such as "safety-in-numbers."
The Geography of Fatal Car Crashes
Where do the most traffic deaths happen?
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
