On Sunday, September 27, nearly 50 people joined us throughout the day for the Slow Down, Save Lives Advocacy Walk along a 9.4-mile stretch of Route 13 in Philadelphia.
Members of Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia, advocates, supporters, representatives from the Philadelphia Parking Authority, and staff from the Office of Infrastructure and Transportation Services came together to bring attention to a life-saving technology: automated speed enforcement.
But this walk was about more than speed cameras.It was about experiencing our streets firsthand. It was about seeing the conditions pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, and other vulnerable road users encounter every day.
And it was about making one thing clear: Enough with the traffic deaths.
Starting at Hunting Park and Broad
We began our day at Hunting Park and Broad with a press conference.
We were grateful to have Representative Tarik Khan join us and speak about his efforts to pass statewide legislation that would expand municipalities’ ability to use automated speed enforcement.
Representative Khan also discussed a bipartisan co-sponsorship memorandum addressing concerns surrounding automated license plate readers, also known as ALPRs, particularly issues involving privacy and data sharing.
After the press conference, we began our walk.
Our first leg took us approximately 3.4 miles from Hunting Park and Broad to 3400 Ridge Avenue, where one of the first cameras along the newly installed route is located.
Walking the Route Tells a Different Story
The route we walked is planned to receive pedestrian and traffic-safety infrastructure improvements. The process for installing additional speed cameras is based on an analysis of crashes and speeding. The protocol is to install traffic-calming measures before speed cameras can be installed. But walking the route gave us a firsthand look at what people experience today.
The walk felt dangerous.
We encountered:
- Obstructed sidewalks
- Uneven pavement
- Tree branches and debris
- Missing or unusable sidewalk sections
- Vehicles traveling at high speeds
- Drivers running red lights
- Long crossings without adequate pedestrian protection
These conditions are particularly concerning for people with mobility challenges and people who use wheelchairs.
A sidewalk that technically exists does not necessarily provide a safe or accessible path when it is blocked, uneven, covered in debris, or suddenly disappears.
From Ridge Avenue to Strawberry Mansion
Once we reached 3400 Ridge Avenue, we continued to encounter speeding vehicles and other obstacles.
At times, we had to switch from one side of the road to the other because there was no usable sidewalk. Tree branches and debris made the journey even more difficult.
For someone using a wheelchair, pushing a stroller, using a walker, or simply having difficulty walking, these aren’t minor inconveniences.
They can make reaching a destination safely extremely difficult.
As we approached the Strawberry Mansion portion of the walk around 33rd Street, however, we noticed a significant difference.
Traffic appeared to be moving more slowly. There were more people walking, and the area felt more connected to the surrounding residential community and park.
That difference was noticeable.
It reinforced an important point: the design and environment of a street can influence how people drive and how comfortable people feel walking.
Long Crossings Need Better Protection
At one intersection around 33rd Street, we encountered a particularly long pedestrian crossing without the infrastructure needed to make the crossing feel safer.
There was no pedestrian refuge island, and the crossing appeared to provide limited protection for people walking across the entire roadway.
For someone walking slowly, a crossing like this can feel like a very long distance to travel while exposed to moving traffic.
Pedestrian infrastructure needs to account for everyone—not just the fastest and most able-bodied person crossing the street.
Girard Avenue: Speeding Returns
As we curved onto Girard Avenue, the feeling of safety changed again.
We saw numerous speeding vehicles, and we observed speed cameras being triggered frequently.
Near 34th Street and the Philadelphia Zoo, close to an expressway ramp, one of our participants had an especially frightening encounter.
A driver exiting the ramp appeared to be texting while driving and came extremely close to the participant. The driver eventually raised a hand in what appeared to be an apology.
But an apology after a near collision does not make the situation safe.
Continuing Through University City
We continued down Powelton Avenue and then made our way toward University City before beginning the final stretch of our walk along Baltimore Avenue.
Along the route, we saw numerous signs indicating that automated photo enforcement was occurring.
These signs are an important reminder that speed enforcement is about more than issuing tickets. The goal is to change driver behavior and reduce dangerous speeding before someone is seriously injured or killed.
Taking the Message to Baltimore Avenue
When we reached Baltimore Avenue, we were joined by additional supporters, We used the opportunity to connect directly with local businesses.
Along the route, we stopped at businesses that were open, introduced ourselves, explained the purpose of the walk, and talked with owners and workers about automated speed enforcement. We asked for their support for safer streets.
We also raised awareness about the fine-reduction bill introduced by Jeffrey J. Young which we are opposed to.
Safer streets require community participation. The people who live, work, shop, bike, and walk along these corridors should have a voice in how our streets are designed and how traffic safety is enforced.
Sidewalk Obstructions and Competing Uses of Street Space
Baltimore Avenue brought more examples of the challenges pedestrians face.
We encountered numerous sidewalk obstructions. We also encountered someone who was upset about a bike rack that had been moved from the sidewalk to the roadway because of concerns about parking.
It was another reminder that decisions about street space can create competing concerns.
But we also have to ask:
Who gets to safely move through our city?
People walking, biking, driving, using wheelchairs, taking transit, and accessing local businesses all need space.
Designing streets around safety and accessibility means finding ways for everyone to move around Philadelphia without placing one person’s safety at the expense of another’s.
Remembering a Life Lost
As we approached 58th and Baltimore, we passed the location where a cyclist had been killed.
We paused to honor Jeff Ishibasi life.
Moments like this bring the purpose of the walk into sharp focus.
Behind every crash statistic is a person—a neighbor, a friend, a family member, a colleague, someone whose life mattered.
Traffic safety is not an abstract issue.
Every traffic death leaves a family, a community, and a city grieving.
30,000 Steps Later
For those of us who started at the beginning, the walk ended with approximately 30,000 steps.
We reached 60th and Baltimore at about 5:15 p.m., completing roughly 9.4 miles.
It was a long day.
But it was also an important day.
We walked the route. We experienced the sidewalks. We saw the speeding vehicles. We crossed the intersections. We talked with residents and businesses. We witnessed firsthand the challenges people face simply trying to get from one place to another.
And we were reminded why this work matters.
No More Traffic Deaths
Thirty thousand steps later, the work does not end.
Every day, people in Philadelphia are walking, biking, taking transit, and driving on streets where speeding, distraction, dangerous roadway design, and other factors can change a life forever.
We don’t have to accept these deaths as inevitable.
We can demand safer streets. We can support proven safety measures. We can advocate for better infrastructure. We can encourage responsible driving. And we can hold our elected officials and transportation agencies accountable for making safety a priority.
But we need more people with us.
Become a Member of Families for Safe Streets
If you believe that no family should have to lose a loved one to traffic violence, join Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia.
Become a member. Get involved. Share your voice. Help us advocate for safer streets and policies that protect people who walk, bike, use wheelchairs, take transit, and travel throughout our city.
You don’t have to be an expert.
You just have to care.
Change happens when people come together—and we need more people standing with us.
Join Us for World Day of Remembrance
On November 15, we will come together for World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
We will remember the people whose lives have been lost, stand with the families left behind, and demand action to prevent future deaths.
This is more than a memorial.
It is a call to action.
Slow down. Pay attention. Look out for one another.
And together, let’s work toward a Philadelphia where everyone—whether walking, biking, driving, using a wheelchair, or taking transit—can get where they’re going and get home safely.
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia leads the movement to make every bicycle ride safe, to empower youth and adults to ride, and to foster a ridership that reflects the diversity of the region. Join or renew to continue that advocacy and education work throughout the region. More info here.
Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia (FSSGP), a program of the Bicycle Coalition, confronts traffic violence by advocating for lifesaving infrastructure changes and providing support to those affected by deadly crashes in our communities.