PPD photo of a mangled car on Roosevelt Boulevard
On Tuesday, a driver was killed while driving on Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia. It was the 13th traffic death on that particular road in 2018.
According to police, the driver was “traveling southbound on Roosevelt Blvd in the inner lanes at a high rate of speed. The operator attempted to enter the crossover to go south in the outer lanes and loss control of the vehicle, striking the guardrail, continuing south and then went airborne into the woods.”
While Tuesday’s preventable tragedy was the latest traffic death on the Boulevard in 2018, it is likely not the last.
Each year, more than 10 percent of all of Philadelphia’s road fatalities happen on Roosevelt Boulevard, though it represents only 0.6 percent of the city streets.
This is unacceptable.
But there is a measure in the State House that has the possibility to help curb the rampant culture of speed that thrives with no restrictions and the disregard for human life.
That legislation, Senate Bill 172, would legalize and implement a speed enforcement camera pilot on Roosevelt Boulevard. This would appropriately penalize people who speed recklessly on the Boulevard, and do so in a way that doesn’t put police officers at risk, as they could be when stopping cars on the Boulevard.
This speed enforcement camera measure is one that the Philadelphia Police support, as well. This is a Vision Zero legislative issue and will help change the culture of speeding that is rampant throughout Philadelphia.
This bill has passed State House and the State Senate, already. It is coming up for a final vote in the House later this month, and, now, we need our readers’ help.
Click the link below to easily email your state Representative and ask them to vote YES on this bill when they return to session!
EMAIL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE HERE
Once past the House, the bill will go to Governor Wolf’s desk. We’re really this close.
Tell your state Representative that Philadelphians should be allowed to use all available tools and strategies, including speed enforcement cameras, to protect themselves and their families from speeding drivers.