Mapped: The Ghost Bikes of Chicago

Ghost bikes, sad, silent tribute to those killed while riding bikes, are more controversial than seems possible. The Chicago Tribune has a map that endeavors to track their locations around the Chicago area.

1 minute read

February 18, 2017, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Ghost bike in New York

Nick Gray / flickr

The Chicago Tribune has an interactive map of all the "ghost bikes" located around the region

Charles J. Johnson writes a passage explaining the significance of ghost bikes to accompany the map:

These "ghost bikes," old bicycles stripped of extraneous parts and painted white, are chained near the site of fatal cycling crashes. They serve as memorials to the deceased, but also as a statement for cyclist rights in areas where bikers share close quarters with faster, heavier automobiles. Sacred to some, and despised by others, ghost bikes have become a fixture of streetscapes in Chicago and around the world.

The post includes a caveat that there is no entity regulating the placement or maintenance of ghost bikes, and they are often removed by "those who dislike the practice." The Tribune also request more information, if available, about the location of ghost bikes.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017 in Chicago Tribune

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