The Bicycle Coalition is dedicated to safety for all road users throughout the Delaware Valley. And as a representative of the cycling community, we believe we have a unique responsibility to promote safe bicycling in Philadelphia. So, bright and early on Thursday, September 8th, staff, interns, and members of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia gathered the South Street Bridge.
We passed out Pro Bar energy bars and Bike Nice stickers to bicycle commuters stopped at the red light at the northwest corner. All photos for this blog were taken by Dan Chabanov.
The event promoted Bike Nice, BCGP campaign that encourages cyclists to follow the rules of the road and bike nicely.
Bike Nice is for the sake of all road users, cars, bikes, and pedestrians. By following the law, you respect the streets and the lives other people who are on them.
In less than an hour, we handed out 150 Pro Bars and even more Bike Nice stickers to bicyclists. Most were commuters on their way to work in University City and West Philly. We thanked them for: stopping at the red light, not riding on the sidewalk, and using a bell when passing other cyclists.
The Bike Nice campaign has been ongoing all summer. In addition to the street event, the Bicycle Coalition staff has been encouraging Bike Nice through our website, BikeNicePHL.org, and through a Dilworth Park billboard campaign, in which staff members have shared their reasons for biking nice with those who stroll past City Hall.
BCGP will be doing more Bike Nice events in the future. Join us on Thursday Sept 15th at Drinkers Pub for happy hour and/or become a member!
-Marina Stuart