It’s been a busy Fall (and Summer) for our policy department. We’ve seen a lot of progress in our priority campaigns, including expanding the bike lane network, creating safer bike lanes free of parked cars, and movement on our campaign to legalize parking protected bike lanes. Read on to learn what’s happened so far and what you can do to keep the momentum going through the end of the calendar year.
Did you know that City Council approved three new bike lanes?
- Council Member Squilla introduced an ordinance for a bike lane on 3rd St in Society Hill/Old City.
- Council Member Bass introduced an ordinance for a bike lane on Maplewood Ave in Germantown.
- Council Member Gauthier introduced an ordinance for a bike lane on Woodland Ave in University City as part of the Woodland Ave improvement project: Project Flyer Woodland Ave
What is happening with signage along the City’s bike lane network?
On October 24th, Philadelphia City Council unanimously voted to approve the change of “no parking” signage to “no stopping” in bike lanes all across the city. Once signed by the mayor, it will go into effect immediately. However, we don’t know how long it will take to change the signage which will be required to enforce the regulations.
This win comes from heightened advocacy after Dr. Barbara Friedes was killed while biking in an unprotected bike lane on Spruce St. A majority of bike lanes across the city are already “no stopping” which would allow PPA and PPD to ticket drivers for parking or loading immediately. However, a few lanes remain that allow drivers to load up to 20 minutes, the most prominent being Spruce and Pine streets. This was one of the three asks on the August petition delivered to City Hall on August 15th.
What’s next for Spruce and Pine?
The City’s office of Infrastructure and Transportation Systems (oTIS) held an Open House on October 17th regarding building concrete separated bike lanes on Spruce and Pine Streets. This has been a primary request of the Bicycle Coalition’s since we first proposed the Spruce/Pine bike lanes in 2009. We look forward to continuing our advocacy for the most high-quality infrastructure that protects all road users. Over the years there have been numerous reports showing the positive impacts of building protected bike lanes. People for Bikes lays out a comprehensive blog on the benefits: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/economic-benefits
“Protected bike lanes are seven times more effective than painted ones. A 2015 survey of adults in the 50 largest U.S. metro areas found that adding a conventional painted bike lane to a four-lane commercial street increases the number of people who feel very comfortable biking there from 9 percent to 12 percent. Adding a protected bike lane boosts this to 29 percent. The reported comfort difference between a protected and conventional bike lane is about the same as the difference between a protected bike lane and an off-street path. Jennifer Dill, TREC at Portland State University” – Protected Bike Lanes 7 Times More Effective Than Painted Ones, Survey Says
This is just the beginning of the conversation about protected bike lanes. Building concrete protected bike lanes will set a new standard for safe bicycle infrastructure in the city.
What’s happening with the parking protected bike lane bill?
The most important thing to know: there is still a chance to pass one of two bills that would legalize parking protected bike lanes across the entire commonwealth. Legislators will be back in Harrisburg on November 13th to “wrap up” some bills. Both the stand alone bill, HB 1283, and the package of safety bills, SB 1147, are in the home stretch. HB 1283 would need a vote in the Senate Appropriations committee and a full floor vote in the Senate before it can go to the Governor’s desk. SB 1147 just needs to be concurred by the Senate in the Rules committee before it can go to the Governor’s desk. More information.
How can I help?
1.) Take a minute to send an email or a make call to express your support of legalizing parking protected bike lanes.
Hi my name is _____ and I live in ____, I’m calling in support of HB 1283: parking protected bike lanes and pedestrian plazas and SB 1147: motorcycle safety inspections and the amended language including parking protected bike lanes. These bills are important to me because ____. It’s common sense and would give municipalities all across the state the choice to build safe, affordable, and high quality bike infrastructure. I’m asking [Senator/Representative]____ to prioritize safety and pass either HB 1283 or SB 1147. Thank you.
Sen Joe Pittman – (717) 787-8724
Sen Tim Kearney- (717) 787-1350
Sen Rosemary Brown- (717) 787-6123
Sen Camera Bartolotta- (717) 787-1463
Rep Matt Bradford- (717) 772-2572
Rep Mary Jo Daley- (717) 787-9475
Rep Morgan Cephas- (717) 783-2192
If you’ve already taken these actions, (great job!) let’s take it even further.
2.) Send a handwritten letter to Senator Langerholc.
On October 9th, HB 1283 was voted out of the Senate Transportation committee unanimously. Every other session this has been the biggest hurdle, either the place the bill died or changed completely. We are very thankful that Senator Langerholc brought up the bill for a vote and that when a question came up about the installation of the lanes, he responded that the bill is not a mandate but instead gives municipalities the choice.
We want to thank everyone for their dedication. Part of our job as advocates is to educate the general public but also to educate elected officials and build more champions for change.
With that in mind, please send a thank you letter to Senator Langerholc and ask that he continue to urge Senator Pittman to schedule either HB 1283 or SB 1147 for a vote.
Harrisburg office address:
Senator Wayne Langerholc Jr.
Senate Box 203035
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3035
Room: 281 Main Capitol
