Bicycles are a ghostly sight along Seattle streets 

09:57 AM PDT on Tuesday, August 2, 2005

By DEBORAH FELDMAN / KING 5 News

SEATTLE - They look a little worse for wear, and that's the point of the Ghost Cycles that have mysteriously appeared all around Seattle.

They're painted white, and instead of bearing riders, they carry signs that simply say "A cyclist was struck here."

This is the first time an entire fleet of Ghost Cycles has been deposited around Seattle. They were created by about two dozen anonymous, but concerned cyclists who gathered data about local collisions and then chained up 40 of the bikes Sunday night.

Seattle Police say they're called to car crashes that involve bicyclists much too frequently.

"This past year I can say that we've had three collisions that were so serious that the injuries were life-threatening or perhaps even fatal. And that number is too high," said Sean Whitcomb.

GhostCycle.org

GhostCycle.org has been collecting data on car-related bicycle accidents in Seattle since May 26, 2005.

If you're curious about the story behind any of the bikes you see on the street, just check out the number on the sign.

Then, when you get to your computer, you can go to the Ghost Cycle Web site, click on the number, and the cyclist will tell you exactly what happened at the spot.

Cyclists say they're pleased their case is being made in a silent, but striking manner.

"I have a close call at least every day," said EJ Reed. "There's a lot of bicyclists here and people just don't watch. They're just careless, in a hurry, too busy on their cell phone, I don't know."

"Yeah, I'm really glad. Because a lot of times people don't notice us. And I can't count how many times I've almost been run over by people," said Andrew Whiting.

GhostCycle.org has been collecting data on car-related bicycle accidents in Seattle since May 26, 2005.