• News
  • The Magazine
  • Finder
  • Maker

GOOD

Design

  • News
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Cities
    • Transportation
  • Business
    • Spin
    • Economy
    • Social Enterprise
    • Your Money
  • Culture
    • Books
    • Film & TV
    • Music
    • Art
    • Media
  • Design
    • Architecture
    • Graphic Design
    • Creativity
    • Diy
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Health
    • Spending
  • Technology
    • Social Media
    • Gadgets
    • Apps
  • Infographics
  • Videos
  • Projects
Design
 

Intermission: Transforming a City Through Neon Bikes

Previous ArticleNext Article
  • August 25, 2011 • 11:00 am PDT
  • + comments
  • See original
  • prevnext
7/72/7
1 / 7

Any city dweller is well acquainted with the sight of abandoned bicycles that stay locked to poles for months, rusting away and slowly being stripped of all of their parts. In Toronto, Caroline Macfarlane and Vanessa Nicholas decided to do something about it. The artists paint bikes in cheerful neon colors, often adding planters to their baskets, and place them around the city.

At first, the pair ran up against city bureaucracy, Macfarlane says—their initial piece of bike art received a ticket for being stored on public property. But since then, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has endorsed what is now called "The Good Bike Project," which has grown to include 36 reclaimed bikes, and the city government has begun donating abandoned bikes to the artists. "Each bike marks a site that embodies the spirit of regeneration and community that inspired us in the first place," Macfarlane says.

Here's a gallery of some of the transformed bikes brightening up Toronto's streets.

photos courtesy of The Good Bike Project

  • Megan GreenwellMegan Greenwell
    Managing Editor, GOOD.is
See Gallery
Posted in
Cities,
Culture,
Design,
News
Tags
bikes,
art,
public art,
transportation,
good bike project,
bike nation

More GOOD stuff

Intermission: Surfing Neon Waves
What If You Had 72 Hours to Transform Your City?
Intermission: Beautiful Mountain Biking Footage
Comments
Join or sign in to comment…
Comments loading
PopularMost DiscussedRecent
  • Fold My Ride: The Bike That Could Change Transit 1 Fold My Ride: The Bike That Could Change Transit
  • A Pickup Truck Grows an Educational Mini-Farm2 A Pickup Truck Grows an Educational Mini-Farm
  • Could Charging People for Uneaten Food in Restaurants Help Us Stop Wasting It?3 Could Charging People for Uneaten Food in Restaurants Help Us Stop Wasting It?
  • What Drivers Really Think About Bikers: The History and Psychology of Sharing the Road4 What Drivers Really Think About Bikers: The History and Psychology of Sharing the Road
  • Biking Saves Americans $4.6 Billion Each Year5 Biking Saves Americans $4.6 Billion Each Year
  • Project: Make a Sleep Music Playlist1 Project: Make a Sleep Music Playlist
  • Not Just Cerveza and Tamales: The Real Story of Cinco de Mayo2 Not Just Cerveza and Tamales: The Real Story of Cinco de Mayo
  • A Geodesic Dome Promises Fish from the Sky3 A Geodesic Dome Promises Fish from the Sky
  • Infographic: What's Wrong with Our Food System?4 Infographic: What's Wrong with Our Food System?
  • What Country Has the Best Higher Education System?5 What Country Has the Best Higher Education System?
  • Sold Out: Are Pro Sports Owners Obligated to Keep the Team in Town?1 Sold Out: Are Pro Sports Owners Obligated to Keep the Team in Town?
  • Biking Saves Americans $4.6 Billion Each Year2 Biking Saves Americans $4.6 Billion Each Year
  • The Robot Zombie: A Bitter Cocktail for the Van Halen Reunion3 The Robot Zombie: A Bitter Cocktail for the Van Halen Reunion
  • How Fingerprinting Food Stamp Recipients Hurts Everyone4 How Fingerprinting Food Stamp Recipients Hurts Everyone
  • U.S. General Says Soldiers Who Commit Suicide Are 'Selfish'5 U.S. General Says Soldiers Who Commit Suicide Are 'Selfish'

Get the Daily GOOD

One good thing a day.

Good Elsewhere

  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr

today's top stories from our friends at pitchfork

    Good Magazine

    GOOD Magazine
    Join GOOD+ and get the magazine.
    SUBSCRIBE

    Sponsored by University of PhoenixRelated posts

    • Cities

      Bixi's Multi-city Bike Sharing

      Montreal's Bixi bike sharing system has been really successful (in terms of volume of rides, at least). Compared to some of the other bike sharing...

      by Andrew Price
    • News

      Germany's Ante-Upping Ten-City Bike Share

      We've been watching bike sharing systems spring up in cities all over the world, from Paris to Denver to Montreal to Dublin. But the...

      by Andrew Price
    • News

      Animated Infographic: Which City Is Best for Biking?

      The battle over which North American city is the best for biking is fierce and—most likely—unresolvable. This animated Transparency will tell you...

      by GOOD
    • Design

      GOOD Design Daily: How You Can Save New York's Neon Signs

      Kirsten Hively is documenting all the neon signs in New York. But she's also trying to make sure the businesses that own them can keep the lights on.

      by Alissa Walker
    • Design

      Better Bikeways: Turning a City Street Into a Bike Corridor

      A Los Angeles dream of turning 4th Street into a bike-friendly thoroughfare. This is the second entry in our miniseries "Better Bikeways." Read...

      by Joseph Prichard
    • News

      What L.A.'s New Bike Plan Means For Cyclists—and the City

      Today, Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa signs a comprehensive new bike plan for the city. We asked local experts what it means for cyclists.

      by Alissa Walker
    • Cities

      City Biking 101: Road Tips for a Safe Ride

      Learn expert techniques and the safest and best strategies for navigating city roads.

      by Gavin Potenza, Bekah Wright
    • Cities

      GOOD Ideas for Cities: Building a Bike Highway

      Portland is known for its bike-friendliness, but how can it get even more riders on the road? Convert its major streets into bike freeways.

      by Alissa Walker
    • GOOD Projects

      @GOOD Asks: Which City Has the Best Bike Lanes?

      We asked you which cities have the best bike lanes. How does your city stack up?

      by Hillary Newman
    • Environment

      Intermission: The Transcendent City

      Home to mechanical flowers, a forest of machinery, and bio-mimicking buildings, Richard Hardy's The Transcendent City was "developed for a...

      by Patrick James
    • Cities

      China Cities to Become Biking Paradise Once More

      Great news coming out of Beijing: The horrific air pollution there has inspired the local government to implement a slew of great reforms and...

      by Siobhan O'Connor
    • Technology

      Ride the City: An App for Smart Biking Directions

      If your city's crappy bike infrastructure is making it hard to cycle as much as you want, check out Ride the City. It's an iPhone app that will...

      by Andrew Price
    • Design

      feats.per.minute

      This Bike Generates Music While You Cruise the City

      Ready to marry your loves of vinyl and biking? This is the bike for you.

      by Liz Dwyer
    • Cities

      Metropolis II

      Intermission: A City in Miniature

      A new art exhibition features cars driving 240 scale mile per hour inside a dense, abstract cityscape.

      by Tim Fernholz
    • Cities

      Biking Is Way Up in New York City. Again.

      And here's another fun chart: According to the most recent data from the New York City Department of Transportation, biking in the city...

      by Andrew Price
    • Design

      Good City Design: The Bike-Friendly, Anti-Homeowner Edition

      Meet Rick Potestio: Portland architect and loudmouth. He's apparently a veritable celebrity in his hometown-he's been called one of the design...

      by Siobhan O'Connor
    • Environment

      ecobici, bikeshare, bike share, mexico city, mexico, transportation alternatives, livable streets, smart growth

      Bike Sharing Thrives, Even in Mexico City's Chaotic Streets

      Five years ago, it would have taken a brave soul to ride a bike in downtown Mexico City. Not anymore, thanks to a wildly popular bike share system.

      by Dani Simons
    • Cities

      NYC

      Intermission: A Year in New York City

      A video tribute to life, love, and the moments in time that make up both.

      by Jillian Anthony
    • News

      City Summit: How Can We Improve Biking in Los Angeles?

      For the novice or casual bike-rider, the sprawling streets of Los Angeles present a daunting if not downright terrifying landscape: Cars dominate...

      by Patrick James
    • News

      biking old age

      How Biking Can Save Cities Billions of Dollars in Health Expenses

      If Midwestern city dwellers started biking instead of driving when running errands, they could make their communities measurably better.

      by Zak Stone

    GOOD

    © GOOD Worldwide, LLC.

    For people who give a damn.
    Join

    Hubs

    • News
    • Business
    • Culture
    • Design
    • Lifestyle
    • Technology

    Features

    • Infographics
    • Videos
    • Slideshows
    • Projects
    • Get the magazine
    • Manage subscription
    • Current issue
    • Online Store

    Company

    • About
    • Contact
    • Support
    • Advertise
    • GOOD/Corps
    • Jobs
    • Privacy
    • Terms

    Connect

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Tumblr
    • YouTube
    • RSS
    • Magazine/Check Out the Current Issue
    • Finder/A Collection of What's Good Now
    • Maker/Make Good Things Happen