Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
North Carolina

A Pumpkin-Protected Bike Lane on All Hallows’ Eve

Volunteers with Bike Durham protected a vital bike lane with pumpkins for Halloween on Thursday. Photo: Shaun King/Visual Rituals

The advocacy group Bike Durham carried out a bit of guerrilla “tactical urbanism,” placing over 50 carved jack-o’-lanterns in the buffer zone of a painted bike lane on Broad Street, one of the city’s main north-south corridors. The action was a rebuke to city government for failing to install a protected bike lane when they resurfaced Broad street last summer, as detailed by Streetsblog.

Bike Durham organizers came up with the idea of using pumpkins after reading about activists in other cities using tomatoes, red Solo cups, and toilet plungers as DIY barriers. The pumpkins are about the same size as the new “armadillo” dividers that some cities are using to make bike lanes safer.

The murderer’s row of cheery orange spheroids was dropped into place just before the afternoon rush hour. Numerous passers-by stopped for pictures; one stopped to help himself to a free pumpkin. The rest remained on the street as darkness fell, just before a thunderstorm ended the night early for trick-or-treaters. No pumpkins were smashed, though one was brushed by a car and tipped over.

Photo: Shaun King/Visual Rituals
Photo: Shaun King/Visual Rituals
Photo: Shaun King/Visual Rituals

Bicycle commuters using the lane were surprised to find it protected, however temporarily. “It’s amazing how much more comfortable it felt to be separated from cars by these little bumps in the road,” said Bike Durham member Marc Maximov. The scary symbols of Halloween made riding on the street a lot less scary.

Here’s a video of the event, made by Shaun King of Bike Durham.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Stick With What Works

Forget robotaxis. Just make the bus come frequently and on time.

July 16, 2025

Can Colleges Do A Better Job of Fighting Car Dependency?

"How great would it be if kids graduated without the assumption that they must be completely dependent on a personal automobile?"

July 16, 2025

Commentary: The French City of Lyon Shows How to Connect Communities Without Cars

An amazing 24/7 bike-ped-transit connection can be made for pennies on the dollar.

July 15, 2025

America’s Kids Deserve Better Than a Waymo Subscription

What do America's young people lose when they have to buy independence from a corporation that rents out driverless cars?

July 15, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Aren’t Falling Fast Enough

Pedestrian deaths dropped by 4 percent last year, but remain well above pre-pandemic figures.

July 15, 2025

Advocates Fight To Prevent 40% Transit Service Cuts in Illinois

Public transit riders, workers, and advocates showed up in force for Saturday's Save Transit Rally at Daley Plaza, calling on state lawmakers to pass a bill to address Chicagoland's looming $771 million fiscal cliff.

July 14, 2025
See all posts