This week many of our community members, especially those in the bike courier and racing communities, have been grieving the loss of Robyn Hightman, who is the 12th cyclist killed in New York in 2019. If you feel sad, angry, or frustrated about the lack of protections for vulnerable road users in light of this recent tragic loss in the cycling community, we’d like to offer a small but impactful action to take.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia, and the rest of the Philly Vision Zero Alliance have been fighting for a bill that would better protect the state’s ‘vulnerable road users’ and punish those who harm them.

Currently, the punishment for injuring or killing a person with your motor vehicle in Pennsylvania is a small fine. But House Bill 1536, which we support, would help expand the state definition of a ‘vulnerable user’, increase the fines for those who injure them, and potentially suspend the driver’s license of those convicted or reckless or careless driving which results in the death or injury of a vulnerable road user.

So, on Wednesday, from 3pm-6pm, we encourage anyone wants to, to stop by our offices at 1500 Walnut St, Suite 1107, to write a letter to District Attorney Larry Krasner, requesting his office advocate for this change to state law to protect Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable road users.

We’ll have snacks and drinks available, as well as paper, pens, envelopes, and stamps. This is going to be an important issue to ensure safety—and justice—for cyclists when the Pennsylvania Legislature reconvenes in the fall, and we need all the advocacy we can get to make it the law.

Can’t make it to the letter writing event but still want to take action? Pledge to write a letter here, and we’ll give you talking points and the address to send your letter.