Memorial Dedicated To Tourist Killed In Central Park W Bike Lane

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Safe streets advocates and friends of Madison Jane Lyden — an Australian tourist who was struck and killed on Central Park West — dedicated a "ghost bike" in her honor near the scene of the fatal collision.

The bike —painted white and adorned with photos of Lyden, the Australian flag and stuffed animals — was unveiled Monday on Central Park West near West 67th Street. During the ceremony, speakers reflected on the life of the 23-year-old Tasmania native and called on city officials to provide greater protection for bicyclists on the busy Upper West Side avenue.

"I know the healing this will do, for a family that’s seen such deep grief," Lyden’s friend Carolyn Bischof said during the ceremony, as first reported by Streetsblog. "Looking at this [bike] — this is the hippie in me — my heart chakra expands. This gives me hope that we’ll get change."

The memorial was organized by safe streets advocacy groups such as Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets, which have called for a protected bike lane on Central Park West following Lyden's death on Aug. 10. Local elected officials have joined the push, noting the tragic fact that Lyden's death could have been prevented by better bicyclist protections.

"Our hearts are heavy for Madison Jane Lyden’s family and friends, and a tragedy like this is even more difficult to process knowing that her death was preventable," Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal said in a statement. "Thousands of New Yorkers and tourists rely on bikes to navigate our city every single day, and we have an obligation to act in Madison’s memory to build the infrastructure and promote the change in culture that will make this city safer for cyclists and pedestrians alike."

A protected bike lane on Central Park West is also being backed by City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

Community Board 7's transportation committee responded to the call by passing a resolution requesting the city Department of Transportation design protected bike infrastructure for Central Park West. Captain Timothy J. Malin of the NYPD's 20th Precinct also endorsed the protected bike lane plan during the transportation committee meeting. In the month following Lyden's death, the 20th precinct issued 260 summonses to cars for bike lane infractions on the busy roadway, Malin said earlier in September.

Since 2012, 113 cyclists have been injured while riding along the avenue, according to a presentation shown during the Community Board 7 transportation committee meeting.

Photos courtesy @bikeloveny