Demonstrators showed up early Tuesday morning to mount their frustrations at the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police, the Philadelphia Parking Authority, and Wawa, for allowing the 22nd Street bike lane to become a decrepit mess, and becoming a glorified parking lot for delivery drivers and convenience store customers.
We participated in, and covered, the protest, which you can read about here. The message of the protest was heard, but now we need you to sign the petition calling on the City, Wawa, and the PPA to change the culture of 22nd Street.
The Wawa on 22nd and South Streets—a new business that went in this spring—has begun leaving signs outside its doors, asking patrons to leave the bike lane clear.
We’ve also been told that the individuals working at the Wawa were supportive of the human bike lane rally on Tuesday, and would work to get flex-posts installed in front of the store.
Cyclists have not yet seen whether or not delivery trucks would continue using the bike lane, though, and deliveries have continued in the bike lane at the 7-11 just a block down from the Wawa.
The Bicycle Coalition has been working with the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, and Councilman Kenyatta Johnson’s office, to get 22nd Street—all the way, between South Philly and Point Breeze, to Pennsylvania Avenue—restriped and repaved. Twenty-second Street was not set to be paved this year.
In the meantime, we have put out a petition calling upon Wawa to take it upon themselves to protect the lane, for the PPA to increase enforcement, and for the city to do what it can to create a safer space on 22nd Street for cyclists.
“While I appreciate the effort being made by the 22nd Street Wawa to enforce the bike lane it is imperative that they start by setting the example and not allowing their delivery trucks to park there,” noted Jameson Gitto of Vision Zero Direct Action, who organized the protest. “They must also vocally support a Protected Bike Lane along 22nd street to ensure no delivery truck, vendor, or customer can park in the only bike lane into center city West of Broad”