On Saturday, February 19th, we read from 6ABC.com the tragic news that a cyclist was struck and killed in West Goshen, Chester County. Details later revealed on Monday that 75-year-old Michael Thomas Ghione was riding at 10am on North High Street under the 202 Overpass when a Westtown East Goshen Regional Police Officer crashed into him from behind.
“The victim on the bicycle was pronounced dead at the scene. They tried lifesaving measures but were unable to save him,” said Chief Michael Carroll from West Goshen Township Police, the investigating agency. “It’s a huge tragedy. Not only did someone lose their life in a traffic accident but it involved a police department, an officer who works every day to protect the public,” said Carroll.
Unfortunately, Carroll identified the crash as an “accident” in his report to ABC news. Residents who live near the crash scene noted that they do not feel safe walking in the area, especially when considering the speed limits ranging from 45 to 40 to 25 mph into the borough with no enforcement from local police.
Not one death is acceptable, and a lot can be done to avoid these tragedies from happening throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. Recently, USDOT announced historic Safe Streets 4 All funding including over $30 million awarded to the region. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) received a $1.5 million federal grant to develop a Regional Vision Zero Action Plan that will identify a high injury network (mapping the most dangerous roads) and assist the counties surrounding Philadelphia in developing their own Action Plans with the goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities.
Additionally, the Chester County Planning Commission has resources including their Complete Streets Policy that represents an updated method of thinking about how the county’s roadway corridors can be planned, designed, retrofitted, and maintained to facilitate travel in a safe and comfortable manner for all users regardless of their transportation mode.
Interested in getting involved? You can reach out to me at patrick@bicyclecoalition.org to learn more about our monthly Bike Chester County Steering Committee meetings.