Bicyclist Killed

A Bicyclist was struck and killed by a school bus in port richmond this morning at the intersection of aramingo and church

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New Jersey - You Can't Get There Anyway

Well the snow completely melted by noon but the Ben Franklin Bridge is still closed. If you were able cross into NJ you would find its citizens are asking questions about recent events.

1 - New Jersey has a Statute of Limitations for convictions? - A 96 Year Old man has refused to serve jail time after being convicted of hitting a 24 Year Old Deaf and Mute pedestrian twice.

2 - New Jersey is different? - Monmouth County engineer Inkyung Englehart shrugs her shoulders at progressive traffic calming solutions proposed for Red Bank Borough. Quoted in the Red Bank Hub - "Maybe it could work in other states, but not New Jersey. " Apparently Princeton which may be the traffic calming capital of the Northeast is not in New Jersey.

3 - New Jersey is tackling Bicycle Safety? - A bill is moving through the NJ State Assembly that will ban cell phone usage while driving a bicycle, fines would range from $100 - $250.

Free Ben Franklin!

Snow showers have left a wet coat on the streets of Philadelphia and you know what that means; The Ben Franklin Walkway is closed. (DRPA Walkway Information)

Next Mayor Bicycling Platform

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia would appreciate your input in shaping our Next Mayor Bicycling Platform campaign. Please take 5 minutes to fill out a brief online survey. To access the survey click on the link below or copy and paste it into your browser window:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=709973099737

This survey will remain active until Monday January 22nd.

Gray's Ferry Bridge

I don't know if you've noticed but the bike lanes on the Gray's Ferry Bridge are always covered in trash and glass. In addition all of the drainage inlet grates are totally blocked with trash and crud. When it rains there are little ponds at each inlet that don't dry up for 2 days or more.

I've been trying to get this fixed since spring of 2006. Since the Gray's FerryBridge is state property I started with PennDOT, who told me it was the problem of the Philly Streets Dept., who told me it was the problem of the Philly water dept., who told me it was PennDOT's problem. As you can see we have come full circle.

Since then I have talked to Anna Verna's office twice, once in early December and again this week. They have determined that it is the water department's problem. If you see and improvement let us know.

CCRA Neighborhood Plan Looks Like A Winner For Bikes

A glimpse of the draft Center City Residents Association Neighborhood Plan has some positive aspects for bicyclists West of Broad Street.

• A recommendation for an east and west bike routes via Locust and Spruce Streets respectively.
• Bicycle parking requirements for new parking facilities. Parking for 2 bikes for every 15 car spaces.

Bike parking is at a premium and even in the dead of winter and bike parking regulations have brought oodles of parking in places like Madison WI, Portland OR and Washington DC.

South Street Bridge Meeting Observations

A neighborhood meeting discussing the construction of the South Street Bridge was held in the basement of a church, with about 100 people attending. There were 3 minimalist displays and a PowerPoint presentation.

There were complaints that the Streets Department did not provide enough information and neighbors are concerned about the highway feel of the design of the new bridge. Bicycle Coalition member David O. describes the mood of the meeting

"What started out as a civil meeting turned into shouting and frustration on all sides. At the end there was little to suggest that we were in a sanctuary. Council members were not present but will be contacted by some of the disgruntled. There were signup sheets to organize neighbor meetings and mobilize some form of protest."

Give the Streets Department credit for allowing the Bicycle Coalition to comment on the process fairly early on. We did not get everything we wanted but we fended off attempts to mix bicyclists with pedestrians, and the South Street Bridge will have bike lanes and a connection to the Schuylkill River Trail however the intersection with the Schuykill Expressway will still pose a hazard to bikes and pedestrians.

Stay tuned also check out Inga Saffron "Skyline Online" blog for new posts regarding the meeting.

Wissahickon Bikeway To Be Closed for Reconstruction

Wissahickon Bikeway To Be Closed for Reconstruction

The Wissahickon Bikeway will be undergoing repairs/revision for the next 9 months. There may be access this week, but not beyond that. At the trailhead near the Wissahickon Transit Center there is no detailed information about the project posted, only "Men At Work" signs.

This is the first phase of three that will offer improved connections between the Wissahickon, Manayunk and Kelly Drive.

The downside is that there is no good alternate route for accessing Forbidden Drive, the easiest if hilly route is to take Ridge Avenue to Green Lane towards the Wissahickon.