Safe Streets Advocates took Amtrak from Philadelphia to Harrisburg on Tuesday, June 6th to ask state elected officials to support several bills to make Philadelphia and Pennsylvania roads and road users safe.
Safe Street advocates on the Harrisburg Amtrak platform ready to start the day!
We focused most attention on automated speed enforcement legislation that will expand the program to all Philadelphia roads that need it and to make the program permanent. Over 20 members of Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia and other safety advocates came out to visit 30 members (Senators and House Members) in their offices and in the hallways, over a long day.
State Rep Ed Neilson’s HB1284 does expand the program to all of Philadelphia, and makes it permanent, while Senator Dave Argall and Judith Schwenk’s SB748 only makes the program permanent.
Additionally, advocates lobbied for the Parking Protected Bike Lane bill (HB1283), sponsored by Reps. Ed Neilson and Mary Jo Daley, which did pass out of the House Transportation Committee unanimously on Monday, June 5th.
We also spoke up for the Jay-Alert bill (SB730), which creates a Hit-n-Run Advisory system across the state to alert auto repair shops about motor vehicles involved in hit-n-run crashes.
Lastly, we alerted members about our support for HB 902 and HB 1307, sponsored by Rep. Ben Waxman and Rep. Joe Hohenstein, which creates a transportation funding mechanism by enabling designated municipalities (Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Delaware County, Chester County, Bucks County, and Allegheny County) to raise funds for transportation capital projects by enacting certain fees. This is critical for SEPTA to secure local funds to act as matching funds for federal grants.
Thank you to all the volunteers and advocates who joined us and to all the legislators who took the time to hear our stories. #SafeStreetsSaveLives