In April, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and Bike Pittsburgh launched an effort to advance bipartisan bills in the Pennsylvania House and Senate which would make it easier for cities to install protected bike lanes.
Our organizations—from (Pennsylvania) coast to coast—have been pushing hard to get a vote on this legislation, asking our members and supporters to send emails to the Senate and House Transportation Committees. (Click this link to send an email of your own.)
So far, more than 600 people have sent emails to 15 members of the committees, demanding a vote on this bipartisan legislation.
These bills would change the PennDOT motor vehicle code so that vehicles do not have to park within 12 inches of the concrete curb, and would be allowed to park on what’s called “floating curb,” with a bike lane between parking and the sidewalk.
There are numerous potential protected bike lane projects in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, York, Harrisburg, Lancaster, and other cities and towns across the commonwealth, that are waiting for this legislation to pass—and we know, once it’s brought up for a vote it will pass. The issue, unfortunately, is getting the bill a vote.
Now, our mayors have gotten involved. As first reported in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the mayors of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lancaster and Harrisburg have co-written a letter calling for the passage of these bills, as soon as possible.
“It is critical that the legislation move expeditiously, so that projects can be designed with the consideration of parking protected bicycle lanes,” the letter said. “Protected bicycle lanes encourage a safer experience on our roads for all riders, and parking protected bicycle lanes have consistently been demonstrated as a best practice in cities across the country.”
Protected bike lanes are proven to make streets safer for all road users, and a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado and University of New Mexico found that cities with protected and separated bike lanes had 44 percent few traffic deaths than the average city.
The Pennsylvania House and Senate Transportation Committees have the power to make streets safer for all road users—now.
If you haven’t yet, please send those politicians an email demanding safer bike lanes in Pennsylvania.
HB792 and SB 565- Bike Lane… by on Scribd