Ghost Bikes are basically city sanctioned roadside shrines dedicated to people who were killed riding bicycles on city streets. They are meant to call attention to traffic safety as well as serve as a memorial. The Ghost Bike organization and its volunteers are generally responsible for maintaining them. However, the Ghost Bike on Maurice Avenue at the Long Island Expressway is looking worse for wear. It was originally installed in March 2014 to honor the memory of beloved Elmhurst resident Pedro Lopez, who was struck by a hit-and-run truck driver on his way home from work on the day before Thanksgiving in 2013. Today, the seat and handlebars of the bike are missing (likely swiped by metal thieves), both tires are flat and the paint has worn off, leaving a rusty appearance. Another Ghost Bike on Metropolitan Avenue (above) on the Brooklyn-Queens border dedicated to an unnamed rider is also in poor condition, with its main issue being it has suffered severe damage, most likely by a truck. The Ghost Bike website is no longer active and the last maintenance event they held was more than a year ago. Surely, these victims’ memories deserve something better than this.
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SERVING MIDDLE VILLAGE AND MASPETH SINCE 1938.