2011-10-03 - Rider Down/Fatality, Kings Cross

So sad and moving. Thank you Mark for blogging this

Thanks Mark for your blog report. I will write to the Manager of the concrete mixer company. Their lorries have killed two cyclists in the last few years.

Sorry! It was never my intention to upset people - I don't set out to write an emotionally charged piece, but last night just wanted to write exactly how I felt. The whole event was very moving.

Thanks Mark for your blog report. I will write to the Manager of the concrete mixer company. Their lorries have killed two cyclists in the last few years.

Thanks Charlie. It was Hanson, more photos of the same truck here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ibikelondon/6283835531/

I'd guess there was a big concrete pour on at the KX construction site as there were loads of full concrete mixers zipping up York Way and coming back empty. We saw one every two minutes or so.

Don't apologize Mark, you simply made the reality behind a statistic tangible. Thanks!

God. So upsetting seeing all those people meeting for one terrible reason.

I work in Kings Cross but sadly couldn't come for the installation of the bike. I will leave some flowers and a small note.

My very deepest sympathy to all those who knew her.

Passed the Ghost Bike yesterday on the way to work.
It is prominent and moving
Well done to all who contributed to the memorial.

Just wanted to mention that today I went to the crash site (motorbike on A40) of a friend who died a few years back and we (the guys I was with) decided to split the flowers we had and leave some at this new ghost bike. Our thoughts are with her family and friends xx

well done to those who left flowers and the ghost bike and showed their respects.

sorry i could not make it.

nice writing. it is a truly mad world.

rip min jo lee.

I'm an estate agent in Hackney and got a call today from a lady explaining that her friend had been killed in an accident and needed the contact details of the landlord. I asked what the lady's name was and she told me it was Deep Lee. I had seen on the news about the cyclist being killed in Kings Cross but had never noticed her name. I had met her many times and she had even come into the office just a few weeks ago and she really was just a lovely person. You never think that you would actually know the person in these accidents. My thoughts are with her family.

I'm hearing on twitter that the ghost bike at Kings Cross has been removed. Can anyone confirm this?

@adamvaughan_uk: Kings cross ghost bike has gone. Theft, council maintainance or other?

Just checked. It's gone.
Reckon that Christina Patterson swooped in overnight with her bolt cutters, the bitch.

If it was the council, they have on occasions been know to give in to pressure to put ghost bikes back. I'll given them a ring, and see what they have to say.

I rode past two days ago and it had just been moved to the other side of the road...

OK, the council are currently saying that this is nothing to do with them, and that it appears that TFL have moved the bike. They pointed me at this article: http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2012/feb/ghost-riders-%E2%80%93-cyclists-king%E2%80%99s-cross-go-slow-protest

Has the bike gone, or in fact just been moved?

^^ Unless it has been removed within the last 48 hours I saw it with my own eyes chained up on the other side of the road to where it was before.

I saw it had been moved earlier in the week, but unless I'm being a total berk, it's not there at all now.

OK, the council are currently saying that this is nothing to do with them, and that it appears that TFL have moved the bike. They pointed me at this article: http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2012/feb/ghost-riders-%E2%80%93-cyclists-king%E2%80%99s-cross-go-slow-protest

Has the bike gone, or in fact just been moved?

I just checked. That article is correct: it's in the south side locked to traffic light at crossing.

I'd been trying to find out for a few days how the bike has moved. I was involved in making it and it didn't seem that anybody else that was involved knew anything about it.

Seems it has been moved to the south side of the road by TfL for their 'works on the traffic island' AKA removing it...

I believe that the works on the traffic island were to remove the railings. Wasn't the bike attached to those railings?

http://g.co/maps/cg456

Here is an article about what is going on in the area with regard to these guard-rails. I don't know enough to have a view as to whether removing them in this location will improve cycle safety but I personally prefer to have an escape route on to the pavement.

http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2011/nov/tfl%E2%80%99s-guardrail-removal-scheme-sees-safety-railings-ripped-camden-roadsides

I don't know any examples of places where guard-rails are a good thing. When talking to planners/council, we push to get them removed...which is what we've just found out will be happening on Jamaica Rd. :)

I believe that the works on the traffic island were to remove the railings. Wasn't the bike attached to those railings?

Deep's bike was locked to a post:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomadologist/6284105693/

There aren't any railings around it to remove from that island and I understand the island is going to be removed.

As far as I know, TfL got in touch with Kenji, the boyfriend of Deep Lee who has a key for the bike. They asked him to temporarily remove it for the construction work. I guess that's what happened but will double check with Kenji.
Olaf aka @cyclingblogger

Deep's bike was locked to a post:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomadologist/6284105693/

There aren't any railings around it to remove from that island and I understand the island is going to be removed.

The railling must have been moved sometime between the Googlecar visit and the ghost bike being placed. Was just a guess.

I don't know any examples of places where guard-rails are a good thing. When talking to planners/council, we push to get them removed...which is what we've just found out will be happening on Jamaica Rd. :)

From a civil engineering / traffic engineering stand point the guard rails have 2 very important roles -

1. This lightweight designed 'fence' is just strong enough to stop small cars leaving the road (accident or ice/oil/water patches etc causing loss of control , and hence give a decent level of protection to pedestrians and buildings.
   
2. They largely stop pedestrians stepping out in to either busy/fast/dual-lane roads.
   
   

They're not a perfect solution but there are benefits to them in the right places. Adding or removing them is probably a decision that should be debated at a much higher level than the engineers or planners employed to design our road layouts.

(not for or against, just saying it how it is currently)