Dear Mayor Dixon,
I am writing as a native of Baltimore City, a resident of Baltimore City, as a huge fan of your administration and as a cyclist.
Please let Baltimore keep its first (and hopefully only) Ghost Bike. As a cyclist, I’m sure you know what we’ve all been feeling in a city where some people think that it’s an acceptable course of action to go onto The Baltimore Sun’s website and leave hateful comments in the wake of a real person losing his life in a violent manner. After getting yelling at, dodging potholes and bracing ourselves as cabs ride too fast and too close, we’d like to keep this symbol of the vitality of the Baltimore cycling community and this reminder of a very good life cut needlessly short.
I believe that a certain news station jumped the gun in telling its viewers that our Ghost Bike would be removed, maybe because their footage of it was a day late and fifty participants short of the event that only The Baltimore Sun showed up for Sunday night. Given all the good that you have personally done for cycling in Baltimore — and for making Baltimore a better city to live in generally speaking — I am confident that our Ghost Bike isn’t going anywhere. It’s your Ghost Bike, too, as a member of our cycling community. And, more than the press might be giving anyone credit for right now, you certainly know what this memorial means to cycling and to Baltimore.
Thank you for myriad things, not the least of which, keeping this memorial where it is.
(This idea was totally stolen from Harry. Or, rather, it is Harry’s challenge met. Will you complain when the Ghost Bike is gone, or will you email Mayor Dixon, too? Do it! And post your message here as a comment!)
mayor@baltimorecity.gov
14 comments
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08.11.09 at 7:17 am
Boson
Dear Mayor Dixon,
I’m writing about the news I’ve heard regarding the dismantling of the ghost bike on the corner of Lafayette and Maryland. I applaud the statement you’ve made regarding keeping the ghost bike there, and want to thank you for that. As a member of the Velocipede Bike Project, and as a resident of this city for seven years, I find the power of community based actions, from this Ghost Bike Memorial, to the Belair-Edison Herring Run Kids Program, to be a potent force in improving the quality of life in this city. I was one of the mourners at this memorial and it was a very powerful event. The victim’s brother and his family were also present, not to mention about 50 or so other members of the local bicycling community. It has always amazed me at how close knit this city is and how we do take care of our own.
Once again, I want to thank you for your response on WJZ13.
Sincrely,
Boson Au
08.11.09 at 8:09 am
Harry
I can’t say that the idea was stolen from me and I am happy that my fellow cyclists are following up on this.
08.11.09 at 10:26 am
damien
To: mayor@baltimorecity.gov
Mayor Dixon,
I would like to thank you for your comments to WJZ regarding the Baltimore City Department of Transportation’s stated intentions of removing the city’s first Ghost Bike. I was glad to see you come out in support of the Ghost Bike memorial that was put in place on Sunday night by many of the community’s local cyclists.
As you know, the hit and run accident resulting in Mr. Yates’ death on August 4th 2009 has galvanized the cycling community statewide. While I am no longer a resident of Baltimore City, I was born in the city and have lived in and around the city my entire life. I have seen a great transform over the last 30 years as Baltimore has become a cleaner, safer, more family oriented city. I consider Baltimore my home town, as do so many Marylanders. I am writing to let you know that your leadership will help to influence attitudes about cycling across the state.
Every cyclist knows that there are inherent risks to riding on the road, and we accept those risks. Many cyclists do their best to ride in a manner that is both safe for themselves and for the others on the road. Still, according to the State Highway Administrations website seven cyclists die on the roads of Maryland annually. In addition over 650 cyclists are severely injured in accidents. These statistics are highly disturbing in large part because many of these accidents are preventable.
It is my opinion that the average motorist is not as aware of cyclists as they should be, as evidenced by comments posted on the news articles on baltimoresun.com. The truth is that Maryland law treats bicycles as any other vehicle. With a few exceptions, bicycles are allow on all public roads in the state by law. In addition it is incumbent upon cyclist to follow all traffic laws while riding on the road.
Our state highways are littered with roadside memorials put there by families and friends in remembrance of loved ones who died in motor vehicle crashes. From what I can tell, The State Highway Administration makes no effort to remove these memorials. The Ghost Bike project is intended to raise public awareness of the fact that a living and breathing person died while riding a bike in a manner similar to these roadside memorials.
I am respectfully requesting that you continue to give your full support to the cycling community by ensuring that the Department of Transportation does not remove the Ghost Bike memorial that was put in place on Sunday. Thank you for your continued support of the cycling community.
–
Best Regards
Damien E. DeVille
08.11.09 at 1:09 pm
eleanorr
Dear Mayor Dixon,
I’m writing to add my voice to those asking you to keep the Ghost Bike in memory of John R. Yates where it is at the corner of Maryland and Lafayette. This is a beautiful and haunting tribute to Mr. Yates, and all of us who cycle the streets of the city we love hope that it will remind our automobile-driving friends to slow down and give us a little bit more room. You have been a great friend to cyclists in Baltimore, and your efforts to give us dedicated bike lanes and sharrows have put Baltimore in the same league with places like Seattle and Portland (something we love to remind our west coast friends about). With your help, we can keep this important memorial right where it belongs.
Thank you,
F.G.
08.11.09 at 2:08 pm
sean
Dear Mayor Dixon,
First, I would like to express my gratitude to you for your efforts to support cycling in Baltimore City. I do not own a car, and I commute to work and many other places on my bicycle. Cycling is an integral part of my lifestyle, both for tranportation and for recreation, and so I greatly appreciate the fact that you, as the mayor of the city in which I live, are an active cyclist. Your public rides through our streets send a strong message to the community that cycling in Baltimore is a safe and viable activity. Unfortunately the recent death of Mr. John Yates underlines the fact that we still have a long way to go regarding how cyclists and drivers share our roads. The Ghost Bike that was placed at the intersection of Maryland Avenue and Lafayette Street serves as a fitting memorial to an avid cyclist and engaged community member, but also as a crucial reminder that we all need to stay alert when navigating the streets of our city. I appreciate your statement as quoted on wjz.com regarding your willingness to sustain a dialogue about the permanence of the Ghost Bike. It is indeed, as you suggested, a great symbol of making people conscious. If you choose to support keeping this symbol in place, it will help to show that the city’s leaders and planners are serious about making Baltimore into the bike-friendly place it has the potential to become. Thank you for your time.
08.11.09 at 3:07 pm
Boson
I talked to Liz Kay, the reporter for the original article about the accident for the sun, and according to her contact at DOT there was never any intention to cut down the bike.
I also talked to Nate Evans and was reasurred they are not taking down the bike.
I’m guessing WJZ13 needs to check their sources
08.11.09 at 3:57 pm
Johnny
Wouldn’t be the first time, Boson:)
I got the impression that they just wanted to report on SOMETHING since they didn’t show up Sunday night.
08.11.09 at 6:10 pm
TD
Interesting followup, and a relief to hear.
I’m of the same mind as Johnny, wondering if WJZ was just trying to doing something to make news, too late for the real story. I thought it was a little weird that they didn’t give any indication of their sources.
Well, maybe a few more people are aware of it from the non-story, anyway. I’m relived that it’s hopefully up to stay.
08.11.09 at 10:09 pm
damien
I got a really awesome response from the city to my letter assuring me that there are currently no plans to remove the ghost bike.
I’ve asked them for permission to share the response in its entirety publicly.
08.11.09 at 10:24 pm
Johnny
Me, too. I love living in this city! An administration that LISTENS to citizens? Who’da thunk it?
08.11.09 at 10:45 pm
damien
I posted my exchange with Jessica Keller tonight on my site. She actually sent me a response to my request to share from her blackberry giving permission to share the response publicly.
Too much work to format it to repost here.
08.12.09 at 8:19 am
Johnny
I love this city.
08.12.09 at 9:45 am
will
So is anyone going to follow up with WJZ and ask why their reporters are making up stories?
08.12.09 at 11:20 pm
Johnny
Go for it. I think they were exaggerating to have a story, to save face for not coming Sunday.