In September of 2016 cyclist Gabriela O’Shea was struck by a vehicle and suffered life-threatening injuries. The New Paltz community quickly gathered around Gabriela and her family and organized a fundraiser to aid in her recovery and to spark conversation between motorists and cyclists regarding bike safety. Artist Ryan Cronin offered to create a piece of art and sell it with a portion of the sale going directly to Gabriela and her family to aid in her recovery. ‘Expect A Bike Ahead’ (EAB) was born and the original was sold before the paint was dry to one of Cronin’s collectors.

Two years after Gabriela's accident her father approached us to partner with him on a community supported public safety campaign. The creation of EAB lawn signs were originally done in collaboration with the Pedestrian/Cyclist committee of New Paltz. In subsequent years, the campaign has been funded by grants received through the Governor's Traffic and Safety Commission as well as sponsorships by local businesses. The partnerships enabled us to give the signs away for free, solidifying our core mission to remove all barriers to participation. Hundreds of lawn signs have been distributed since 2018. These signs can be seen along roadways throughout the county and are now a much beloved part of the visual landscape, encouraging motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians to look out for another. The EAB campaign is a unique opportunity for communities to combine resources to promote safety and encourage a more synergistic relationship between motorists and cyclists.

The power of the ‘Expect A Bike’ painting lies in the act of collaboration with the community and the social by-product more than in the physical work itself— in essence, the social interaction is the art and the impact of the project goes beyond the original piece. We didn’t set out to create a sign but this, like all of Ryan’s work is intended to provoke conversation and connection. We are very happy with the power of this piece to do just that. We invite you to join us and bring EAB to your community.