Ghost bikes all over Houston

Cyclist takes on mission to spread ghost bikes all over Houston



A Silsbee man has taken on a unique mission to make sure Houstonians don't forget the victims of fatal bicycle accidents. He is driving over 100 miles into Houston to install memorials all over the city.

Richard Tomlinson is a member of the city's cycling community, and now he's a big part of the Houston Ghost Bike group.

He spent his weekend installing 13 ghost bikes -- stripped bicycles painted all white -- across Houston. Each bike corresponds to the death of a cyclist, just as white crosses on the side of road mark nearby fatal car accidents.

He's part of an international effort, complete with a website that lists where most every ghost bike sits. The Houston Ghost Bike Facebook group has the sad task of keeping track of local cyclist fatalities.

So far, Tomlinson has installed close to 40 memorials. By the time he is done, he will have attached 61 to the side of Houston roads. He hopes to not have install any more past that.

Tomlinson is spending his own money, made mostly by doing odd jobs, to memorialize fellow cyclists. By his estimate, he spent nearly 35 hours this weekend attaching bikes to fences and telephone poles with heavy duty chain. Every 60 feet of chain costs him $150, he says.

Original Article

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