It has come to our attention that there have been a number of crashes at the corner of LeCount and South St. by drivers making right turns into the bike lane and hitting bicyclists and scooter users. Most recently, a 37 year old bicyclist was hit on Wednesday, July 9th and is in critical condition.
Our hearts are with the families and victims of these crashes. We hope that those impacted are able to heal quickly. In response to the recent crashes, neighbors have placed a planter, with information about the incidents, and a sign warning drivers to slow down and look for vulnerable road users.
The South St. bike lane is heavily trafficked by people going east on the South St bridge, the bridge with the highest micro mobility usage in the city, and acts as a connection to the 22nd St bike lane. While Philadelphia talks about the need to keep bike lanes clear of parked and loading vehicles it’s imperative that we don’t stop there. Paint is not protection. Too often do we hear stories of people being killed or seriously injured while riding in designated bike lanes with no protection. South Street is no different. The City needs to do more to not just put paint on the road but to ensure that every user gets home safely. We need a connected network of concrete separated bike lanes, parking protected bike lanes, and traffic calmed roads all over the city to ensure that micro mobility users everywhere can get home safe.
What improvements do we suggest for South Street?
Short Term solutions
- Reverse traffic on LeCount St. to northbound which allegedly has been used as a cut through from the South St. bridge to Grays Ferry ave.
- Install vertical protection such as slow turn wedges (often used in NYC) that can be placed in the bike lane buffer. This can also be done at the corners of S. Bambery and S. 24th Streets.
Long Term solutions
- Install hardened vertical separation to physically separate drivers from micro mobility users in the bike lane.
- Move the bike lane to the left side by transitioning the lane after the South St bridge with treatments such as a bike box and priority signalization.
- Replace the “suicide bike” lane at 27th and South St. with a protected curb lane. This could allow for an easier transition from the right to the left side of South St.
Current conditions of 27th St. and South St. looking east from the South St. bridge
Two possible ways to transition from the right side to the left side of South St at 27th. A bike box and/or a two stage turn, with corner islands to slow turning traffic.
Why Pennsylvania needs to legalize Parking Protected Bike Lanes?
Countless reports have shown that physical separation increases bike ridership and reduces serious and fatal crashes, so it seems like these lanes should be a priority, but there are only 15 roads with parking protected bike lanes in Philadelphia. It would be easy to lay blame at the feet of our local elected officials, but the issue is larger than just our city; it goes all the way to the state legislature.
Currently, PennDOT does not allow for the installation of parking-separated bike lanes on state-owned roads as this statute requires cars to park against a curb. Amending state legislation regarding the requirement for cars to park against the curb requires changing the vehicle code and is an issue that the Bicycle Coalition, Bike Pittsburgh, the City, and our partners have been working on since 2017. Find out more about the history of our fight for common sense legislation.
There is limited information available about the recent crashes but we will follow up and continue to update this statement as we learn more.
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If anyone you know has been involved in a crash or lost someone in a crash and is looking for community, please reach out to Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia by emailing nicole@bicyclecoalition.org.
Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia (FSSGP) is comprised of victims of traffic violence and families whose loved ones have been killed or severely injured by aggressive, reckless, or careless driving, behaviors enabled by dangerous street design. FSSGP represents the full range of greater Philadelphia’s rich diversity and collectively demands an end to traffic violence.