Jan Goddemaer and Jan Boonaert, also known as the “two Jans,” are well-known activists for cycling safety in Ghent. For over a decade, the pair organized vigils and placed white bicycles, also known as ghost bikes, at the sites of fatal cycling accidents to honor victims. However, they recently announced in The Last News that they would no longer continue with their efforts due to emotional strain. They felt ill-prepared to handle the intense emotions of grieving families, and felt they lacked sufficient training for this aspect of their activism.
The idea of ghost bikes originated from the United States, specifically in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003. The first white bicycle was placed in Ghent in 2012 following a 22-year-old cyclist was hit by a train. The activists hoped that the bikes would serve as a safer way to raise awareness regarding cycling safety and encourage public interest. This approach has been effective in certain cases when fatal accidents occurred at dangerous crossroads, and the use of ghost bikes helped draw public attention to these incidents.
Moreover, ghost bikes serve as a poignant reminder of the importance of cycling safety. They can attract attention even in the darkest hours of the night, and families have found comfort in visiting them instead of a traditional grave. Despite the success of the ghost bikes, it can be difficult to find volunteers willing to sustain this cause, as evidenced by the struggles faced by the two Jans. The fatal accidents in Ghent and across Flanders continue to occur frequently, with the region logging the highest number of fatal cycling accidents in the country.
Jan Goddemaer, 62, and Jan Boonaert, 54 – the “two Jans” – are two tireless activists for the cycling cause in Ghent. Since 2010, they have organized vigils when a cyclist loses their life in Ghent traffic and offer to place a white bicycle – or ghost bicycle – at the place of the accident in memory of the victim. In 12 years, they have placed fifteen of these ghost bikes in different places in the city and organized regarding twenty funeral wakes. But they announced, in the newspaper The last news and, then to all the media, that they now gave up doing it. They say they no longer have the emotional strength. Especially for the organization of vigils. “Calling a person who has just lost their child or partner is not easyexplained Jan Goddemaer to the Standard. We are not trained for this either. Until the moment of the accident, you are complete strangers to each other. And suddenly you have to deal with extreme emotions.” And his friend to add: “This is why we have always chosen to go see the families two by two”.
Came from the United States
The first bicycle painted white was placed in 2012 in Ghent to commemorate the death of a 22-year-old young man hit by a train. He still stands guard near the entrance to the Volvo factory where the accident took place, twelve years following the tragedy. The idea came from the United States, from the city of Saint-Louis (Missouri) more precisely where in 2003 and for the first time in Flanders, a bicycle painted white served as a makeshift mausoleum following a fatal accident in the road.
The Cyclists Union local to which the two men belong was not at its first attempt. From the 90s, he organized punch actions and the occupation of dangerous crossroads, which also earned their organizers to meet at regular intervals at the police station. But with the white bikes, the activists wanted a safer way to shake consciences and attract the attention of public opinion.
Draw attention
This was particularly the case in January 2013, when a young nursing student was killed by a drunk driver. And, even more, in February 2018, following the death of a 16-year-old girl run over by a truck that had not seen her, at a crossroads long known for its dangerousness. The installation of a ghost bike amplified, in both cases, the wave of indignation that these accidents caused in Flanders. She made them enter the collective memory. And, in some cases, forced the authorities to develop the infrastructure to reduce the risk of accidents.
These bikes can also act as landmarks in the darkest night. “For meconfided the mother of the deceased teenager, they have a lot of meaning. We don’t go to the cemetery often. But we go to his bike. This is where it happened. This is where my daughter is.”
The two volunteers tried hard to ensure their own relief. Another activist was even trained. But he gave up trying to perpetuate their action on his own. “This is the story of many non-profit organizationslamented Jan Goddemaer. It is difficult to find volunteers.” It is undoubtedly this impotence which moved the Flemish press. And the immensity of the task. Since the appearance of the first white bike, 21 other cyclists have lost their lives in traffic in Ghent. It is moreover in Flanders that the fatal accidents are the most numerous – but it is also in Flanders that the use of the bicycle is the most natural. According to road safety statistics, 73 cyclists lost their lives in 2022 on a Flemish road compared to 18 in Wallonia and 4 in Brussels.
The “two Jans” may have retired from their tireless activism for the cycling cause in Ghent, but their legacy lives on in the form of the ghost bikes they placed around the city. These bikes stand as a somber reminder of the lives lost in traffic accidents and draw attention to the need for safer infrastructure for cyclists. While the task of perpetuating their action may seem daunting, it is imperative that we continue their work and strive towards a future where no more white bikes need to be placed. Let us honor their efforts by working towards safer roads for all.
