Hundreds of cyclists shut down streets from the art museum to City Hall on July 26 to demand protected bike lanes across the city, following the recent deaths of two people who were struck by cars on Philadelphia streets.
Dr. Barbara Friedes, 30, who was recently named a chief resident at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was killed on July 11 while riding her bike along the 1800 block of Spruce Street. Christopher Cabrera, 38, was struck and killed on the corner of Frankford and East Allegheny avenues on July 17.
“The huge number of people who rode their bikes to City Hall tonight makes it clear: it’s past time for the city to make streets safe for everyone who bikes,” said Jessie Amadio of Philly Bike Action. “That means protected bike lanes with concrete barriers. It means no parking ever permitted in bike lanes. It means that paint is not protection: We need the city to treat our lives with dignity and take our safety seriously.”
Bicycle riders started at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and continued throughout Center City, shutting down streets to vehicle traffic in Rittenhouse Square, Graduate Hospital, Washington Square West and Society Hill before concluding at City Hall.
Philly Bike Action is demanding that the city fully protect all bike lanes throughout Philadelphia with concrete barriers, starting with Spruce Street, Pine Street and Allegheny Avenue. It is also demanding to end the legacy practice of allowing parking in bike lanes on the weekends, and for the city to replace all “No Parking” signage with “No Stopping” signage on all bike lanes.
