It’s back to getting dark at 4:30pm, so Bicycle Coalition staff, volunteers and partners hit the streets for our 11th Annual Bike Light Giveaway this past Monday in North and South Philly. Between our locations at 11th and Washington, 13th and Cecil B. Moore and 29th and Girard, we were able to hand out 650 pairs of lights to make their rides safer! Throughout the evening, we gave lights to hundreds of cyclists biking by as well as pedestrians who also ride, and a SEPTA driver as well!
Thanks to our amazing 10+ volunteers, and Representative Donna Bullock‘s staff on Girard Ave. for your support handing out lights and getting the word out! Thank you to Council President Darrell Clarke’s office, Council Member Squilla’s office, the Philadelphia Activities Fund and PECO for continuing to support our Annual Bike Light Giveaway and allowing us to provide these necessary tools to our fellow cyclists, regardless of their ability to pay.
Safe cycling is a right, not a privilege, which in part means that everyone should have access to the equipment they need to navigate our streets free of harm. It’s not an overstatement to say that lights go a long way in keeping people safe and preventing crashes.
But bicycle safety requires both safety equipment, such as bike lights, AND safe infrastructure.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We are currently experiencing the highest numbers of bicyclists killed in Philadelphia’s recorded history in 2023. Philadelphia cannot afford to wait a second longer to fully fund Vision Zero and invest in safer infrastructure for our communities. Too long has our City been held back by outdated state laws.
2 Ways You Can Take Action:
- Please join us on Sunday, November 19th at 1pm, at the Lil’ Safety Village in Hunting Park for the World Day of Remembrance to remember all the lives lost because of traffic violence in the last year.
- Send an email today: Tell your representatives, enough is enough! There are two pieces of legislation in Harrisburg that would allow automated speed enforcement and parking protected bike lanes. Please send a message to your state senator to ask that they prioritize passing two bills in 2023 to protect the lives of vulnerable road users.