Questions arise with ghost bike’s removal

A white bike has rested against the pole of a stoplight on the corner of 33rd Street and Grange Avenue for the past year, marking the site of a tragic car accident.

As holidays passed and seasons changed, the ghost bike remained and served as a memorial to Colin Tibbetts: a loving father, partner and cyclist.  

This fall, the university removed the bike on Sept. 20, 2023, per the city’s request, according to Rick Tupper, associate vice president of Campus Safety and logistics. 

“We wanted to make sure the bike was retained, so we put it in the bike storage area so that if somebody wanted it in the future, it was protected,” Tupper said. 

Julia Tasuil, Tibbetts’ partner, said she had not expected the removal. 

“The tragedy of what happened last year continues in the way this memorial has been treated,” Tasuil said. “It has weighed solely upon me to care for and the lack of support and basic respect towards not only honoring Colin’s life as well as raising awareness to ensure the safety of those who utilize that intersection every day — walking, biking or driving.”

On Aug. 29, 2022, Tibbetts was hit by a car while riding his bike to work. He died on Sept. 9, 2022, leaving behind Tasuil and their two children. 

“The shock and suddenness of this happening only days after his 40th birthday left our children and I grieving while struggling to live,” Tasuil said. 

Tibbetts’ friends and family knew him as a dedicated father to a close-knit family, who loved music and film. 

“His favorite memories were of local band shows he attended as a teen,” Tasuil said. “He had been looking forward to taking our oldest to her first show at the end of September. He always shared the best movies and TV shows. Some of his favorites were things like ‘SLC Punk!’ and ‘Life as a House.’” 

Among Tibbetts’ many interests, cycling was a constant within his daily life. He began biking as a child and never stopped. He would build and fix bikes, as well as volunteer within the local BMX group, bonding with those of similar interests. 

With the help of Falls Area Bicyclists, Tasuil selected one of Tibbetts’ bikes to become a memorial to her partner. The family and cycling group placed the ghost bike against the stoplight pole on Sept. 29, 2022. 

According to Sioux Falls Senior Planner Sam Trebilcock, the placement of ghost bike memorials does not go through a formal approval process with the city. However, he said Falls Area Bicyclists told the university and the city of its plans. 

Tupper said Augustana inquired about the bike’s removal after the one-year date of the accident because its location involved the main route for travel to and from the Elmen Center. Additionally, Tupper said he heard of incidents in which students used disrespectful words to refer to the bike. 

“I think it was losing its purpose for recognizing something tragic,” Tupper said. 

Trebilcock said ghost bikes are not meant to be permanent and are typically taken down within a year. 

“What we were told is the city attempted to call and talk with the bike club that had placed it and didn’t get any response from them,” Tupper said. “And then the city made the decision that the bike could be removed.” 

Jeff Mersch, president of Falls Area Bicyclists, said the city planners of the Sioux Falls Bicycle Committee asked about the bike’s removal over the winter, as they had concerns about snow removal. However, Mersch said they did not mention nor indicate that the city would remove the ghost bike at a specific time. 

“Falls Area Bicyclists will not take a ghost bike down,” Mersch said. “Once the ghost bike is chained to the location, it will stay there until removed.” 

Tupper said the city contacted Augustana and asked the university to remove the ghost bike, so Campus Safety placed it in the bike storage garage. 

Later that afternoon, Tasuil noticed the bike was missing as she drove home. She called Campus Safety but said the officer did not know of the bike’s location. According to Tasuil, she was not notified by the city or university prior to the bike’s removal. 

“I didn’t even know where it was — if it had been stolen, thrown away or what had happened to it, which is part of why it was so re-traumatizing,” Tasuil said.

Tasuil said her family had plans to take down the bike on Sept. 29, 2023, a year after its placing. 

Trebilcock said he knew family members wanted the bike to be returned to them, but the city and university did not know who to return the bike to. 

“There was communication that needed to be had and that’s why it was just put in storage,” Trebilcock said. “There wasn’t any intent to not reach out. I don’t think the university or the city knew who to contact.”  

When attempting to locate the bike after its removal, Tasuil received support from philosophy professor David O’Hara. 

“I got in touch with Rick Tupper because I figured he would be most likely to know where it was,” O’Hara said. “It was going to be emotionally challenging for Julia, so I offered to meet her.”

Tasuil said she hoped the ghost bike would remind all community members about the importance of sharing the road.

“This is partly why this memorial is so important because this could easily happen to a student,” Tasuil said. “Ensuring there are improvements to shared vehicle and pedestrian and bicyclist spaces makes it safer for everyone.” 

To highlight the importance of safe and alert driving, the city placed a THINK sign at the intersection of the accident in summer 2023.

THINK signs mark where fatal accidents occur, acting as a memorial for the victims and encouraging people to drive safely, according to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety. 

It is unclear who filed the THINK sign request with the South Dakota Department of Public Safety. However, Mersch said he advocated for a sign to be placed. 

“Falls Area Bicyclists suggested that the city should add a THINK sign to the location and did recommend that the form be filled out for a THINK sign by the Tibbetts family,” Mersch said.

Tasuil hopes to place a plaque in memory of Tibbetts near the site of the accident in the future. 

“It’s hard because it’s just me organizing all of it, but we definitely have hopes that we’ll be able to have something along with that THINK sign and just be able to continue to have that memorial for him,” Tasuil said.