Category: Ghost Bikes

February 6, 2014

Update: Susan, a ferry passenger and bike commuter just died…

Update: 2/6/14

One of the things we love about blogging here at I Love Biking SF & Oak is being able to connect with the bike community about issues that are important to bicyclists everywhere. Every once in a while, we get a message in our inbox that really stands out to us. Recently, we received an email by a gentleman named Doug Bowman who knew Susan Watson. He kindly sent us a lovely photo of her from back when he was close to her in the 70s and wrote some beautiful words about her. We have shared them below. Thank you Doug for giving us all this special glimpse into another part of Susan Watson.

“I had the privilege and honor to be very close to Dr. Watson for a number of years beginning soon after she arrived at NIH in the mid 1970s as a post-doc fellow. I had not heard from her since last Nov, and was stunned a couple of days ago to learn of her death. I do not recall ever being as stunned as I am by this. I want those who knew her only recently and were moved by her untimely death to see her as I saw her all those years ago. I have attached a photo I took of her in those early years after she arrived in the US. She was the most penetrating personality I have ever known, intense, deep, having endured much, having overcome much, and having accomplished much by force of her own will and intellect, yet, like so many long time “performers” she had an easiness about it all. Some of the comments seeking to characterize her are so very accurate. You are welcome to post this photo on your memorial to her.”

Truck drivers and traffic engineers need to rethink bicycle safety

Update: 12/27/13

I went back to the location of Susan’s collision (Market and 5th St. in Oakland) to investigate and I saw that a ghost bike was placed there for her. Below are the photos I took of it.

Going there again along with info from recent news reports, I got more insight into how the collision happened and will be writing my thoughts about it in an upcoming post.

Susan’s ghost bike at Market and 5th St.

Susan’s ghost bike.

Here are some news articles with more info:

KTVU.com – Cycling community grieves for woman killed

SFGate.com – Bicyclist killed by big-rig was from El Cerrito

San Jose Mercury News – Friends mourn scientist killed by truck while riding in West Oakland

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Posted on December 18, 2013:

In my last post, I talked about how nice the ferry ride is. Part of what makes the ride nice is that you get to ride with other bicycle commuters. We all commute from different parts of Oakland but join at the ferry terminal. We all know when it is time to get off the ferry by seeing others put on their helmets and gloves. That is when you know that the ferry is about to land at the pier. Then, we would line up to get off the ferry after all the non-bike passengers exit first. That’s our routine every day. Bike helmets on, then gloves, turn on our bike lights, and wait in line patiently.

There was this one lady in her ~~50s~~ (62 y.o.) whose bike was decked out with lights – MonkeyLectric lights on the wheels, lights on her backpack, and both front and rear bike lights. We all recognized her by the Stegosaurus-like spikes that decorated her helmet and she liked to wear a red jacket. She was always smiling and chatting with everyone of us. Her name was Susan Watson. She’s a scientist that worked at a small biotech in South San Francisco. That is the little info I know about her. Well, today she wasn’t on the ferry. I had read the horrible news this morning and had a thought it might have been her, but I wasn’t certain. The mystery of this lasted until this evening when we waited to get off the ferry- this gentleman told me and the rest of us that Susan just got into a bicycle collision with a truck driver. It’s heartbreaking. She had all the lights and safety measures correct and was even riding in the bike lane on Market St. The truck driver still didn’t see her and killed her. What else can bicyclists do to stay safe?! It’s up to the city and the drivers out there to look out for us!

Ride safe out there.

I will update if I find more info about her.

Rest in Peace, Susan… We will miss you.

January 19, 2014

Video: Susan Watson Memorial Ferry & Bike Ride

We put together this video to capture the spirit of Susan’s memorial ride last Friday evening. We were so impressed with all the people that came out for her and to show support. We hope that positive changes will come out of Susan’s death.

Once again, a huge thanks to all those who helped make this memorial possible. Lorn and Owen for building the ghost bike and setting up the event, Robert from the EBBC for advising, supporting us, and helping to get the word out, Chris from WOBO for advising, Wilson for helping us get the word out to all the folks at the East Bay Bike Party, Scraper Bikes for coming out and showing support, Denise at Banh Cuon Tay Ho Restaurant for accommodating us for dinner after the event, all the friends, family, and co-workers who knew Susan and others who came out that night for her and to support the cause. You guys are awesome!

There is an inexplicable feeling of camaraderie among the bike community that I hope shines through in this video and in all that we do. We are so glad to be a part of this great and growing bike community.

Please forward this video to anyone who knew Susan or that you think might be interested.

Be safe, ride well, and ride every day!

Please join us: A Memorial Ferry and Bike Ride for Susan R. Watson

Thanks to some wonderful organizers, there will be a memorial ferry and bike ride to honor fallen bicyclist Susan R. Watson while calling attention to bicycle infrastructure improvements. Please join us on the evening of Friday, January 17th as we start by taking our bikes aboard the 5:20pm ferry from Oyster Point in South San Francisco (the ferry Susan used to take) and landing at the ferry terminal in Jack London Square in Oakland. Those of you who cannot take the ferry can just meet us at Jack London Square where the ferry will land at 6:00pm.

From there, we will then ride along a planned route which will increase our visibility to truck drivers coming from the Port of Oakland. Please make and have signs asking for truck drivers to ‘Share the Road’ and also asking the city to do more to improve bicycle safety and infrastructure.

Our ride will stop at the corner of 5th and Market which is where Susan Watson was killed. We will visit her ghost bike, say a few words, place candles and flowers, and clean the area around her ghost bike.

“While this will not bring Susan back, we have to celebrate her and do our best to improve on the conditions that resulted in her not being here any more.

I rode the ferry last Friday to work and the magic of being on the ferry was diminished for me. I had the upper-outside deck all to myself for most of the ride. It was a 40 min long moment of silence for Susan. I was just getting to know her…”
– inmemoryofsusanrwatson.wordpress.com

After the ceremony, those who want to can join us as we make our way to the Vietnamese restaurant Banh Cuon Tay Ho (344 12th St. between Harrison and Webster Sts.) in Oakland’s Chinatown for dinner. The restaurant is a bicycle-friendly business and offers a 10% discount if you come with your bike helmet. There is also plentiful bike parking on racks in front of the restaurant.

Please bring with you:

Signs asking truck drivers to ‘Share the Road’ and calling for the city to do more to improve bicycle safety and infrastructure
Bike lights, the more the better
Flowers, candles, etc. to place at Susan’s ghost bike
If riding the ferry, the fare is $7
Your bike helmet is required to get the Pedaler’s Discount at the restaurant

The route map is here.

For more information, visit: inmemoryofsusanrwatson.wordpress.com and the event page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/550355481726399/

Please help us get the word out!

Special thanks to Lorn and Owen for setting this up, Robert from the EBBC and Chris from WOBO for advising.

In Memory of Diana Sullivan, Ghost Bike Memorial

Diana Sullivan
December 5, 1964 – February 9, 2013

From the standpoint of eternity, there is hardly any difference between a “long” and a “short” life. Therefore, it’s not whether one’s life is long or short, but how one lives that is important. It is what we accomplish, the degree to which we develop our state of life, the number of people we help become happy—that is what matters. – Daisaku Ikeda

At this intersection an amazing human being, Diana Sullivan, was taken from this world and sent into her next existence. Diana had an amazing state of life. She made many people happy and indeed that’s what matters! She will be deeply missed!

Statement from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition in Memory of Diana Sullivan

“We are deeply saddened by the death of Diana Sullivan, who was killed while biking on 3rd and King streets last Saturday. Your calls and e-mails have let us know that you are also saddened by this tragedy. We are going through a thorough evaluation of the intersection of 3rd and King, as we do for other known dangerous locations, to see what engineering and/or other solutions we will push the City to make. Since last Saturday, we have heard from many of you that the intersection of 3rd and King feels unsafe because the bikeway disappears without warning, forcing you in to fast-moving car traffic. We are bundling this information in to our review of the location and will be sharing our recommendations with you — and the City — shortly. We know that the best way for us to honor Diana’s life is to step up our efforts that much more to make San Francisco a safe and welcoming place for everyone to bike.”

A Ghost Bike for Diana

Her ghost bike is at the corner of King and 3rd Streets across from AT&T Park, where she was hit.

Someone left fresh donuts and coffee next to Diana’s ghost bike.

Many thanks to Jo Slota from Ghost Bikes San Francisco, Rafi for providing the donated cruiser from Box Dog Bikes and Alan for creating the name plaque. This is a beautiful ghost bike to memorialize Diana’s tragic death. I echo Jo’s words, “Let’s hope it draws some attention to the need for greater cyclists’ safety. I think this is a good time for each of us to reach out to the SF Board of Supervisors & the SF Bike Coalition to ask them to re-evaluate this traffic situation.”

Ghost Bikes in San Francisco & Oakland

This post is dedicated to the memory of all the fallen cyclists or those who have lost loved ones in bicycle collisions. We hope you will find this to be a useful resource for obtaining information about the location of ghost bikes in SF and Oakland. We are currently in the process of collecting the names, location, and photos of all of the ghost bikes in the area. This is a community effort, so please let us know about any ghost bikes that are not included here.

San Francisco

Cheng Jin Lai (October 18th, 2013)
Placed at Division and 11th Sts.
More info here
Photo of ghost bike here

Amelie Le Moullac (August 14th, 2013)
Placed at 6th and Folsom Sts.
More info and photo here and here

Dylan Mitchell (May 23rd, 2013)
Currently, there is no ghost bike placed for Dylan at the location of the accident (16th and Van Ness Sts). Read more about why here.

Diana Sullivan (February 9th, 2013)
Placed at the corner of King and 3rd Sts. near AT&T Park
More info & photos: In Memory of Diana Sullivan, Ghost Bike Memorial

For more information about ghost bikes in San Francisco, visit: http://ghostbikesofsf.wordpress.com and http://ghostbikes.org/sf.

Oakland

Susan Watson (December 17th, 2013)
Placed at the corner of Market and 5th Sts.
More info and photos: here
Video of memorial ride for Susan Watson here

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Statement from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition in Memory of Diana Sullivan

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San Francisco

Oakland

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