A Ghost Bike memorial will be placed this morning at 11am to mark the death of a cyclist following a collision with a pickup truck on Friday, May 3rd, 2013. This is the first traffic fatality of 2013 that involves a cyclist. The Ghost Bike will be placed at 107th Avenue and 127th Street. "This will be the first Ghost Bike that we have installed this year — unfortunately, based on past years, this won't be the last one. In 2008 three Ghost Bikes were installed and in 2009 and 2010 there were 2 in each year. One was placed in each of the past two years. There are many more cyclists on our roadways than 10 years ago," says Ghost Bike coordinator Michael Kalmanovitch. "Many cyclist deaths could be avoided if the city and provincial government would provide better cycling infrastructure and education — for cyclists and motor vehicle drivers. We need to implement the Bicycle Transportation Plan and save lives," adds Mr. Kalmanovitch.

Ghost Bikes, bicycles painted all-white and placed at the site where a cyclist has been killed, are small and sombre memorials for cyclists killed by automobiles. The installations are meant as reminders of the tragedy that took place, and as quiet statements in support of the right of cyclists and pedestrians to safe travel. They are reminders that we need to cooperate when we are sharing the space on the roadways so that we can all get safely to our destination.

"The death of another cyclist highlights the need for us to move forward on the city's bike route network. Simple bike lanes reduce collisions by 50% by providing a space where cyclists can feel comfortable and ride safely, allowing motorists and cyclists to get to their destinations with less conflict. Over the past decade, experience and research from cities across North America has converged on the same conclusion: the best way to improve public health, save lives, and prevent collisions is to build high-quality dedicated cycling infrastructure. Until we genuinely prioritize safety for all road users, including the ever-increasing numbers of pedestrians and cyclists, we'll continue seeing these tragedies," says EBC Executive Director Christopher Chan.

"If you look at where we have installed ghost bikes across the city you will find that quite a lot of the deaths have occurred in the same area as the one that we are installing today", observes Mr. Kalmanovitch (see http://ghostbikes.org/ghostbikemap/Edmonton)