The white "Ghost Bike" at the corner of North Decatur and Superior roads served as a memorial to a cyclist who was struck and killed in April 2012 and as a reminder to motorists to be more cautious...up until Monday, that is.
Now, the "Ghost Bike" and its "Ghost Chair" have vanished. And people in the community want answers.
On Tuesday afternoon, Decatur Community Development Assistant Director Linda Harris told North Druid Hills Patch that our inquiry was the first she'd heard of the missing memorial and would look into it.
Tuesday night, the memorial's creator Dave Mathews posted on his Bike Friendlyatlanta Facebook page that the Decatur City Manager and a commissioner contacted him and informed him that the city did not remove the memorial.
Mathews, an outspoken cyclist advocate who created the Ghost Bike and Ghost Chair memorial, posted, "Please keep your eyes and ears open for them laying in someones trash or along side someones house!! Please leave me any information here so it can be seen and acted on!!! BFA will act on it and prosecute if possible!! Pass the word folks, IN HONOR OF OUR FRIENDS!!!"
Mathews created the Ghost Bike memorial first for Paul Taylor, a cyclist who was struck and killed on April 30, 2012 while riding his bike on North Decatur Road near the intersection of Willivee Road.
Taylor's widow, Barbara Taylor, donated Taylor's bike in November to the Ghost Bike cause as Mathews had begun placing various roadside "ghost bikes" throughout Georgia.
She said then to Decatur Patch, "In the months since his death, I continue to be amazed at the number of cycling accidents there are. Truthfully, I know there were many before Paul, but I never really paid attention to them. Rarely a week goes by when someone does not make a comment to me about Paul's ghost bike...It was a great way to honor Paul and hopefully bring more awareness to the community."
Anyone with information about the missing Ghost Bike and Ghost Chair are asked to contact Mathews on his Bike Friendlyatlanta Facebook page.
What do you think about the missing memorial? What did it mean to you? Should it be replaced? Tell us in the comments below.
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