Kansas City Ghost Bike Dedication Sunday

Today's ceremony from friends, family and City Hall funded Bike/Walk KC. . .

On Sunday, April 3, 2016, 32-year-old Anthony Saluto was riding his bike on Independence Avenue when a car heading the opposite direction veered across the yellow line, striking and killing Anthony. The driver of the car was sentenced to four months incarceration and five years probation, despite appeals for a harsher sentence from Anthony’s family and BikeWalkKC.

“My son, Matthew, originally came up with the idea of creating a memorial park bench for Anthony,” said Lorrie Brown, Anthony’s mother. “After talking with Anthony’s uncle, Howard, we reached out to BikeWalkKC about the idea. We learned more about the “ghost bike” rack idea, and ultimately decided that something like that would be more fitting for Anthony’s legacy.”

Eric Vaughan, director of bike share and business services for BikeWalkKC, explained the concept. “A typical ghost bike is a bike that is painted all white and placed at the spot where a cyclist lost their life. It is meant to symbolize the importance of the victim while in many instances forcing a reflection on the shortcomings of the built environment. In this case, we enhanced the concept to make it more utilitarian, so that it will not only serve as a memorial, but can also serve as a bike rack for cyclists today.”

BikeWalkKC worked with the Saluto family, Lorrie Brown, and the KC Realty Group staff at City Market to identify the ideal location and work through the necessary permitting to ensure the rack will not be disturbed once it is installed.
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Developing . . .