SIDE STREETS: Ghost bikes a reminder of need to share road

We've all seen white crosses erected along roadsides or at intersections as memorials for victims of wrecks.
But there's a new type of memorial that's attracting the attention of motorists and bicyclists who cruise the Springs' west side. It features two "ghost bikes" - frames and wheels painted a stark white. And they are a haunting sight when they appear in your headlights at night.
(See photos on my Side Streets blog at Gazette.com.)
The ghost bikes are chained to a utility pole at 26th Street and Westend Avenue at the spot where two bicyclists died in August. The ghost bikes have flowers entwined in their spokes. A cycling jersey, water bottles, shoes, gears and pedals are scattered around. A handmade wooden case includes photos of the victims.
The bikes are a tribute to Edgar "E.J." Juarez, 30, and Jayson Kilroy, 28, who suffered massive internal injuries and died Aug. 6 when, police say, they were run over by a pickup truck driven by Barbara Thomas.
Police say Thomas, 63, was under the influence of an illegal cocktail of morphine and barbiturates when she plowed into a group of five bicyclists coming down 26th Street, striking Juarez and Kilroy.
The shrine was erected to remember Juarez and Kilroy and to provide a place for their friends to gather since both were buried out of state.
"It's important for the grieving process to have a place to go, to be with them, and that seemed like a natural place," said Scott Boyer, a longtime friend of both victims. "We've all ridden up and down that hill at some time. It's a place that has resonance in the cycling community."
Another friend of the victims, Chris Fiedler, painted the victims' names on the pavement nearby. He's glad people are noticing the ghost bikes.
"It's a very powerful image, and I hope it elicits that feeling," Fiedler said. "We want people to know what happened there. It was such a tragedy."
But it's more than just about preserving a memory. The ghost bikes are a warning, as well.
"That is a huge thoroughfare for cyclists on their way to Cheyenne Cañon," Fiedler said. "The ghost bikes are a cautionary sign that cyclists are out there. And everyone needs to look out for them."
Boyer and Fiedler hope the ghost bikes and wooden shrine become a permanent fixture at the intersection.
And, despite some complaints that such roadside shrines are inappropriate, it appears the ghost bikes are going to stay for now.
"There are about six roadside memorials around town," said Ken Lewis, the city's code enforcement administrator. "Mostly crosses and flowers and pictures. I've never seen the ghost bikes before."
They can stay, as long as they don't obstruct visibility of motorists or street signs or traffic signals.
"I get calls from people who yell at me and say that stuff belongs in a cemetery, not along a city street," Lewis said. "But as long as it's not a traffic hazard, we're leaving them alone."
That's fine with west-side neighbors of the ghost bikes.
"To me, the bikes are a reminder how fragile life is," said Les Wagner, who heard the wreck and ran to the scene to find the victims sprawled in the street.
"That memorial is a reminder of what happened, and it brings attention and awareness of the need for drivers and bikers to slow down," Wagner said.
"I hope they leave it up, and I know the neighbors agree with me."
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