Ghost Bikes | A Boston Short Film 

The kids bike brought tears to my eyes. So did the backwards fork on your ghost bike.

Thank you so much for putting Gordon's bike back, he was a great guy!

Boston cyclist here - I had no idea what all the white bikes were for. Beautiful film AND you brought so much new meaning to the passed and our city. Thank you.

I’ve known several friends who tragically lost their lives while cycling. I make a point to visit the ghost bikes erected in their memory. Their stories inspire me to advocate for safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists. It’s not about the skill of the driver or cyclist; it’s about the lack of safe infrastructure. The phrase ‘Killed by an Engineer’ resonates with me.

Woah shouts out for restoring the ghost bike at Forsyth and Huntington. I go to law school right there and I passed it all the time, but I didn't even notice it was missing. Next time I'm on campus I'll keep an eye out for this one. It makes me pretty upset they removed it. Thank you for replacing it!!

Oh my god I’m a northeastern student - been there for 3 years - and i remember when this bike appeared. Thank you for preserving the memory of this person and for reminding people why safe roads are so important.

Great video, really important work to keep documenting and replacing the bikes! I also love the use of Nujabes, such a slept on artist (RIP)

from my city, a nujabes fan, and he made an awesome short film? this guy might be my favourite youtuber

There's a bike ride every year on May 15 in various cities called The Ride of Silence. The gist is that you ride from ghost bike to ghost bike in a city, honoring each cyclist in whichever way you see fit. I was lucky enough to be a part of the Ride this year in Davis, CA. We put up three new ghost bikes for cyclists who never had one or whose bikes were stolen at one point or another. If you get the chance, I highly recommend going on a Ride of Silence. Powerful stuff.

Christopher Weigl was in my 1st grade class and we went to each other’s houses. He moved away (to a new town but a neighborhood .5 miles away) then I learned about him again passing his ghost bike on Commonwealth Ave, just over a year after we graduated college. Thanks for making this

There's a ghost bike at the intersection of Broadway and Packard Ave in Somerville (near Tufts) that I pass by everyday. It appeared last year, and sometime this past winter someone added some vines and flowers to it and made it look really pretty. I always feel a brief moment of sadness when I see it, not necessarily because of the death itself, but because of the knowledge that there are people who hold a meaningful connection to the monument. Everytime I go for a ride, I pass by that bike, as well as the one in front of the Museum of Science and the one on the Minute Man Trail, which, mind you, is a bike path with very few crossings. Boston and the surrounding area has made great strides towards improving bike safety, but tragically it still isn't enough.

You know, I had the most interesting experience with the bike at Huntington @ Forsyth. Just a little while ago I saw this bike and it immediately dawned on me that it was a memorial. I think I remember seeing the original a long time ago, and was wondering why it was there. It makes sense now!

Sadly our city just got its first ghost bike after a tragic hit and run this spring. It was both incredibly difficult and beautiful the way the community came together.

Great stuff. I remember reading about the tradition and realizing how incredible it is. These people didn’t have to die, they deserved a city where they could safely bike.

Fantastic short film

just noticed one of these ghost bikes the other day on brookline ave and happened onto this video. wasn’t expecting the spot for gordon’s ghost bike to be somewhere i knew so well; i biked that intersection for a year when i went to northeastern. thanks for sharing

im glad you returned the ghost to its haunt, it means a lot to me.

I have no idea how I came across this video. I have never been to Boston and I don't cycle. I touched me in some way, specially the kids bike. Thank you for the short video! Great production and images, man. Keep it up!

Good for you. This is very constructive and meaningful.

Thank you for this video. Very well done. I also love Casey Neistat 😊

wonderful video, thanks for making boston a better place

That was so cool. That’s also my roof in the background. Whole new way to meet your neighbors.

When you first showed the map I was confused because the one I'd seen recently on Forsyth and Huntington wasn't there, cool that you were the one who put it back

Thanks for doing this and documenting the process.

The world needs more of this, keep going

Getting casey vibes here, and im all for it. Keep up the short films!

Really good and impactful video, keep it up!

What an under appreciated video this deserves so much more love

Thank you for making the video, as an avid Boston biker I believe these bikes memorials are super important, seen them from JP all the way to Medford Mass, just as a superstition I will never ride a white bike or build out a bike with a white frame thanks again

There was one of these near my buddies house in high school. I didn't know what the significance was until I saw this video - I wish I had treated it with the appropriate respect.

A very beautiful video I'm glad RU-vid recommended me this, very sad but genuinely really touching, it is always good to know that people out there care especially when they don't even know the person, when the very thought of it being removed and hearing their story is enough to move someone to put it back even if they didn't know them at all, it's very heartwarming that some people will still care even when others have forgotten

phenomenal videos, thx for bringing the bike back

hi from saint-petersburg (the russian one)! i wish we had that traditions, a lot of good people i know here got wounded or died because of car drivers lack of attention. always be careful while riding.

I go to Northeastern and just walked by this. Thank u

beautiful video

Nice vid but that backwards fork killed me.

Beautiful video. Thank you, Matt.

The effort is really appreciated because it really cant be easy to carry the bike that far and also drive w one hand :(

American cities are failing those who are bike dependent. Cyclists are an underserved population. Knowingly putting themselves at significant risk every single ride. It is a gift to have the ability to choose to be solely reliant on a bicycle, for there are those who do not have a choice.

Fantastic. Thank you for doing this!

Great work, i've seen a few of these bikes across several cities i really appreciate your effort and dedication, best of luck.

Awesome video and great music choices!

As a resident of westroxbury of 26 years your short film brought a tear to my eye. The udder simplicy mixed with your nujabes sound tracks perfectly encapsulates why I am proud to be a member of this city. God bless the families of the cyclists. And boston strong brother. I'm gonna do the same soon thank you for inspiring me!

The little bike in Allston makes me tear up every time I pass it. With Boston drivers and in the absence of protected bike lanes, the ghost bikes always remind me to be on my guard.

thank you for this

your an absolute soul of a human for restoring and illuminating these fallen souls. RIP to all aforementioned and cyclists who have perished

Awesome of you doing this~!

Creation is the pinnacle of human achievement!! I was so happy to see this show up in my feed haha. Good stuff, man 💪💪

Loved this! Thank you

Great story, I hadn't heard of this before, only flowers & crosses etc on the side of the road from previous traffic accidents. Serves as a constant reminder 🤗

Great work

This was a beautiful video

I already fw the style

I have a tip for you: here in Germany we don't strip the bikes down, we make sure that they always appear "roadworthy" so that the city can't just remove them as scrap.

Love the nujabes❤ great vid too

This is beautiful.

This was beautiful, great work. In terms of the Forsynth ghost bike I wouldn't be surprised if Northeastern removed it, especially since it's right in front of the University logo. It's unfortunate they would do that (they'll probably remove it again), but im glad you took the effort to restore the memorial.

Wonderful and inspiring. I pass Marcia Diehl's bike all the time.I'm going to try to knock down some of the rust before winter. They're all heart-breaking, but Joe Lavin's especially so. He died so horribly. And then to have his ghost bike defaced...

The lack of views this has is criminal

Great video.

Great video, Great choice of music (love Nujabes), and love the dedication to Boston's cyclists.

Great video!

Lovely film, Matt. Thank you.

Wait we have a copyright on these as though people in cars notice. Always wonder and honor the riders final moments must have been like. Anger, terror, defiance and honor and very little suffering. Miss you and never had the pleasure of being at your side on the bike. Rest in Peace!

Hey man, I remember living near that kid's ghost bike. I've moved a lot over the past 5 years and don't exactly remember where I saw it. I thought it was on Mass ave in Arlington but I went by recently and couldn't find it.

Thank you

Really great video. Thank you for making this.

This was so so well done dude! keep it up and amazing work

what an amazing video, my cousin was hit by a car and passed away when i was young, and i always wonderd why my aunt had a white bike in her yard :C now i know at age 21, i always thought ghosts bikes just meant a pedal bike that was painted all white, as like a style choice.

Nice one mate

Job well done on the video and on replacing those cycles that honor the deceased

well done

My father who would bike to work everyday from Harvard into downtown everyday from before I was born till I was 16 when he got in a awful accident. Luckily he only came out of it with a broken arm and leg but has yet to bike on main roads since. Luckily he never became Ghost Bike but its scary that he may have.

The bike is still there as of 8/29/24

As someone who lives here its so sad seeing them especially cuz im a biker

Iv seen one near like Newburyport Haverhill maybe even Ipswich area. Sorry dont rememer exactly. Back roads too Seabrook nh 😅 always wondered what the white bike was

Misty ❤

recently ive started to see ghost bikes with the tires ziptied to the rims.

Came here to see if anyone pointed out the backwards fork and I'm happy to find that it's basically every other comment

Great film! Well documented and edited. 1 critique: the music does not match the content.

If somebody put a bike with a backwards fork on my memorial I would probably come back to life and die again

I hope I never have to erect a ghost bike. Drive your cars mindfully, wear your helmets and stay safe everyone. I love you all.

Great tribute and a worthy subject. A Like for sure. For yourself (just you, not us) try a re edit without the Tom Sachs narration. See if you find your voice in the silence.

step 6 rotate the fork the right way forwards

You can't expect these to be permanent,city bylaw , vandal's, eye sore in other people's opinion. Ride safe everyone

I know there is one near thw museum of science

Does the city remove them after a while?

such a sick video

Bravo, great video and reminder. But next time throw that ghost bike in the front rack of the bus, don't get unalived trying to carry a ghost bike on your bike 🙏🏻

Good stuff. I recommend lowering the music a little more during narration. it's kind of distracting.

We have them here in Portland also.Unfortunatly tweakers steal parts off them .

2010 Casey Neistat ahh video.

City officials should feel ashamed for allowing these monuments to the tragic deaths of their citizens, to be removed.. God bless.

Nice but the fork is backwards haha

4:16

how do i get in on this cute trend?

The Rick Archer bike has been removed and replaced so many times I've stopped looking.

Why would someone remove a memorial...

Beautiful video for a beautiful cause. I caution you to be careful about aestheticizing or "making cool" a video about dead bikers. While you have great editing skills and your music and shot choice is strong, they may not really fit a video of this nature. It shouldn't be about you and your style, it should be about them. These aren't criticisms, just things to keep in mind. Overall, an amazing project.

Fuck car infrastructure