A tipster spotted this "for sale" post (see below) on Craigslist, from someone claiming to have removed over two dozen white bikes that were locked up around town. The ad, which offers 30 of the bikes for $3,200, does not explicitly acknowledge that these bikes are memorials to cyclists killed in accidents. So it seems whoever posted it is pretending to be astonishingly oblivious—most of the memorials have a small plaque with the name of the biker who was killed, so it's hard to imagine anyone not understanding their purpose. On the other hand, the ad could be some sort of trolling fake Craigslist post meant to outrage the cyclist community. Either way, it's pretty despicable. more ›

We received reports this morning that a cyclist was fatally hit by a car in a hit and run around 4:30 a.m. near the Atlantic Avenue on-ramp to the BQE, and now WABC is reporting that the cyclist was actually riding ON the BQE. The NYPD could not confirm any details to us at this time, but WABC says the unidentified male victim was hit in the westbound lanes of the BQE by a vehicle that drove away. The cyclist was then hit by a second vehicle and pinned underneath until first responders could get him out. That second driver stayed at the scene, and EMTs rushed the victim to Long Island College Hospital. more ›

A Ghost Bike on 100th Street and West End Avenue memorializing a nine-year-old boy named Jonah Shapiro has the locals scratching their heads. According to handwriting on the bike, the boy was the victim of a hit-and-run that occurred June 3rd. But no one seems to know anything about a boy being killed on his bike in the area, and some residents who live nearby say they want it removed. Upper West Side mom Monica Murphy tells the West Side Spirit that her daughter asked her about the bike, leading to a difficult conversation about death. "It makes me a little resentful that I had to speak to my child about it," says Murphy. "I don’t know what the purpose of placing the bike here is." more ›

The Sanitation Department has quickly reversed itself on a plan to remove all of the approximately 50 Ghost Bike memorials locked up around town. The original removal plan was part of a larger initiative to clear the sidewalks of derelict, broken down bikes that have been locked to city property (street signs, etc.) and forgotten. Those bikes would still be targeted under the proposal [pdf], but late yesterday the Sanitation Department issued a statement saying that a "memorial bicycle (ghost rider) will only be removed... if the memorial bicycle meets the derelict bicycle criteria." more ›

Ghost bikes, those white bike memorials dedicated to killed cyclists, have become a sadly familiar sight around NYC and cities nationwide. But they could soon become a distant memory if a new proposal [pdf] from the Department of Sanitation is approved. As part of an initiative to clear the sidewalks of unused and junked bikes, the department wants to get rid of Ghost Bikes as well. more ›

Last month 57-year-old Megan Charlop, an avid cyclist and foster mom, died when she fell under a bus after getting clipped by a car door in the Bronx. Tomorrow there will be a memorial ride and Ghost Bike dedication for Charlop, whom one local resident called "our angel. I waved her goodbye as she rode away. She looked so happy. She died doing something she loved." more ›

The Bronx will be getting another ghost bike: This morning an unidentified woman was run over by a BX 17 bus heading southbound on Crotona Avenue just before 8:30 a.m. Witnesses say the 57-year-old cyclist, whose name is being withheld for now, rode into the path of the bus after getting doored or swerving to avoid a car door. "The bus was coming and the lady swerved to get out of the way of the car door," passenger Angel Otero tells the Daily News. "It happened so fast. Everybody got off the bus gasping and crying when they saw her." more ›

On Tuesday Miss Heather at New York Shitty noticed that the Ghost Bike memorial for Solange Raulston, who was fatally sideswiped by a truck in Greenpoint in December, was gone. The memorial, a tragically common reminder that a cyclist died near a particular spot, was attached to a lamppost at the intersection of McGuinness Boulevard and Nassau Avenue. We've been unable to find out who removed the bike, or why, but there are a couple of clues. more ›

Yesterday a small but dedicated group of cyclists braved the brutal winter winds for the fifth annual Memorial Ride across Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn to dedicate eleven "Ghost Bikes." The all-white bikes, a tragically common reminder of bicyclist fatalities, commemorate the estimated ten lives lost while bicycling in NYC during 2009. Linda Langergaard, whose son James Langergaard was killed biking across Queens Boulevard in August, said in a statement, "James was a wonderful part of so many lives and we miss him terribly. It hurts to know so many families are feeling the same loss as we are. It is so important that we come together to prevent these tragedies from ever happening to another family." more ›

It's been just over a week since 33-year-old Brit-born Brooklynite, Solange Raulston, was killed on her bicycle after a truck, going in the same direction, sideswiped her. Her ghost bike (pictured) is now up in her memory, as activists fight to change what is the most dangerous intersection in North Brooklyn — McGuinness Blvd. at Nassau Ave. in Greenpoint. more ›

On Friday night some two dozen cyclists gathered in Queens for what has become a sadly familiar ritual in NYC: The installation of an all-white ghost bike commemorating the traffic death of a cyclist. The notoriously dangerous Queen Boulevard has claimed the lives of two cyclists in the past 19 months; the most recent victim, 38-year-old James Langergaard, was killed by a car as he crossed the boulevard at 69th Street on the evening of August 14th. (In February 2008, Asif Rahman, 22, was killed when he was hit by a truck at an intersection in Elmhurst.) more ›

The parents of a 10-year-old Bronx boy who was killed by an allegedly speeding van while riding his bike are suing the city for $10 million for failing to install a speed bump. 10-year-old Michael Needham was riding his bike with friends outside the Allerton Library after school on June 5th, 2008 when the van struck him; he died after 19 days in a coma. The suit, filed Tuesday in Bronx Supreme Court, argues that the city should have known that drivers near the Allerton Library "regularly exceeded the speed limit, failed to obey stop signs, raced to make traffic lights and otherwise operated their vehicles in dangerous and unlawful manners." more ›

Today, the 4th Annual Memorial Ride and Walk, organized by the Street Memorial Project, is taking place. The Memorial Ride and Walk visits the sites where bicyclists and pedestrians were killed—according to Transportation Alternatives, "There were 14 known bicyclist fatalities and more than 100 pedestrian deaths in 2008, according to media reports." more ›

Reader Allan send us these photographs, which show that the Ghost Bike Memorial for Carl Nacht had been "knocked down and mangled, still attached to the sign post it was locked to. it looked like the sign post was cut down." A note had been left at the sign post, and Allan called the person, who believes Gray Line Duck vehicle knocked it down. Gray Line, however, told Allan they don't know anything about it. more ›

Curious about the fate of all those orange bikes with the DKNY website that were locked up around town? The ones the police didn’t cart away (some were illegally chained to trees) are being picked clean for spare parts. The tone deaf Fashion Week publicity stunt was presented by DKNY as an effort to promote cycling in New York, and the company did help raise awareness by, uh, distributing bicycle maps in their stores. Oh, and their website for the campaign has a photo of models riding a bike, though they’re too cool for helmets, of course. more ›

DKNY is usurping a grassroots campaign to memorialize cyclists killed in New York City's traffic, with a guerrilla marketing campaign to push their product. Above is a picture of several orange-painted DKNY bikes, first widely noted at BikeBlog. more ›

This Sunday, Time's Up! is organizing a 2006 Cyclist Memorial Ride that will honor all cyclists who were killed on NYC streets last year. There are two routes - one for Queens/Brooklyn/Manhattan and one for Bronx/Upper Manhattan - that will converge at West Houston and LaGuardia Place, where Derek Lake died in June and then visit other spots where cyclists were killed. More information after the jump; additionally, here's a list of Ghost Bike Memorials in the city. more ›

Speedy Delivery, by Jean Lafitte. more ›

After three biker deaths in three weeks, New York City cyclists are mad as hell-- and they're not going to take it anymore. At least, that's what they said to Mayor Bloomberg at their protest on the city hall steps this morning. Streetsblog has a good report from the scene: more ›

- Looking at the this years tax returns for the folks who would be Governor. more ›