[URBAN NOTE] Actually, that was a ghost bike on Wychwood at St. Clair

[rfmcdonald]

lpetrazickis corrected me on the subject of the white-painted bike that was the subject of yesterday's morning photo post. That bike likely wasn't part of the Good Bike Project, but was rather a ghost bike memorializing a fatal accident at that location. To wit:

The cyclist killed on Wychwood Avenue this Monday has been identified by his family as Joseph Mavec, a 47-year-old man whose sense of humour and good nature earned him nicknames like “Joe Maverick” and “The Legend.”

[. . .]

Mr. Mavec was killed on Monday evening while traveling southbound on Wychwood Avenue, just south of St. Clair. The quiet stretch of street is lined with a short section of decommissioned streetcar track, which snagged Mr. Mavec’s wheel, throwing him to the pavement.

[. . .]

The group typically uses unrideable bicycles to create the memorials, but Ms. Por, who has not yet spoken to Mr. Bercarich, said she would like to see her cousin’s bike used instead. She hopes other cyclists see the memorial and remember to exercise caution on the road.

[. . .]

Even before he had been publicly identified, Mr. Mavec’s death highlighted the danger that cycling advocates say streetcar tracks pose to urban riders.

TTC spokesperson Brad Ross said there are about 31/2 kilometres of unused track in Toronto. He also said the TTC would only remove the tracks if the city was conducting major road work on Wychwood.

My apologies for the error.