A white bike chained to a fence begs passers-by not to drink and drive.
The family of Rebecca Harris, a UF student killed July 11, 2012 in a hit and run, installed a ghost bike at the intersection of Southwest 16th Avenue and Archer Road for the anniversary of her death.
“We wanted to try and find a way to balance the brightness and joy with also a thought that people would think about drinking and driving,” said her father, 48-year-old James Harris. “Maybe students who pass by the ghost bike will see it and think about its purpose.”
Ghost bikes are small somber memorials for bicyclists killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted entirely white and locked to a street sign near the crash site to serve as a reminder of the tragedy and as a quiet statement in support of cyclists’ rights to safe travel.
James Harris and his family decided to bring ghost bikes to Gainesville and felt it would be the ideal way to remember their “Becca.”
They used a bike belonging to Rebecca Harris’ older sister, Anna Harris. James Harris spray-painted it white and decorated it with flowers and trinkets.
“I wanted it to look kind of ghostly at night,” James Harris said. “We used flowers and butterflies because Rebecca was a very happy young lady and full of life.”
The Harris family put a poster by the bike that reads “Drive Sober.” A picture of Rebecca Harris along with a description of what happened the night of the accident is there as well.
The bike hangs on university property so it’s exempt from Department of Transportation jurisdiction.
Tanja Philhower, assistant dean and case manager for the Dean of Students Office at UF, worked with the family to coordinate the ghost bike project. Philhower is responsible for providing support to students and families in crisis.
“I was glad to hear from Rebecca’s family when they contacted me and was heartened to know that they were trying to create something positive out of Rebecca’s tragic death last year,” she said. “I thought that the ghost bike was a beautiful and powerful way to honor Rebecca’s memory.”
Catherine Harris, 21, Rebecca Harris’ twin sister and a UF public relations senior, said she believed the ghost bike would raise awareness of the situation.
“Even if the bike will only affect one person, that’s a plus,” she said. “I hope that people will see it and think twice. Just stop for a minute and think.”
A ghost bike hangs at the intersection of Southwest 16th Avenue and Archer Road on Monday night in memorial of Rebecca Harris, a UF student who was killed in a hit and run last year.
