HOLLAND CHARTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A ghost bike has been placed on Waverly in Holland Charter Township to mark the death of Jeffrey Green, who was killed last month while riding his bike.
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The stretch of Waverly is lit by streetlights placed on the south side of the road about every 150 feet, according to a news release Thursday.
This was the second fatal bike-car crash to happen in the area in the past four years.
In January 2018, Jonathan Herlein was killed when he was riding his bike southbound between 24th and 32nd Streets.
“It’s important that we don’t sweep these tragedies under the rug,” said Meika Weiss of Pedal Holland. “While there are things we can do as bicyclists to help reduce our risk, it will take the whole community making safe mobility a priority to keep this from happening again.”
Michigan law requires drivers to give bicyclists at least three feet of space while passing and allows a driver to cross the centerline if there is no traffic in the opposing direction in order to do so safely.
People riding bicycles after dark must have a red rear reflector visible from 100-600 feet and a front headlight that is visible from 500 feet.
In addition, bicycle safety organizations recommend a bright red rear tail light and helmet for bicyclists to reduce their risk.
Police say Green did not have a functioning rear light and wasn’t wearing a helmet when he was hit by two separate vehicles and killed.
Bike fatalities increased by 7% last year even though traffic volumes were down by 18%, according to Michigan State Police and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The ghost bike was placed by members of Pedal Holland, a nonprofit advocacy organization working to make bicycling an easy choice for transportation and recreation in the greater Holland-Zeeland area.
It will remain in place through Memorial Day.
