From Bicycle Coalition's Jill Minick:
Budgets cuts have created a sad fact of life for cyclists.
Yesterday while riding home at 24th and Gray’s Ferry Avenue, I heard the fatal woosh, a flat rear tire. The bike lanes are so full of glass and trash that it was inevitable. Woosh…….. and a flat rear tire.
So, today I called our new customer service department at 311. The sad news is that our city streets are no longer swept clean of glass and trash. Besides being an eyesore it is expensive for cyclists. I have now ruined 2 tires in the area between 24th St and the Gray’s Ferry Bridge. I know street sweeping isn’t cheap but neither are tires.
Even sadder, I was told by the 311 operator to get the homeowners to sweep it, when I said it was a non-residential area, they told me to go sweep it myself.
This is the legacy blog of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. It is an archive of posts from 2003 to 2014. Making your ride better since 1972. https://www.bicyclecoalition.org
3 comments:
With the government of Philadelphia dealing with budget gaps its unfortunate this has happened.
I would not be above sweeping the area if I rode there. After a heavy rain storm a section of the SRT I rode to work was covered with a thick layer of gravel. A week later when there was no sign of it being cleared I got a shovel and a broom and cleared it myself.
Big problem with bike lanes - unless the city consistently sweeps them they will fill up with glass and debris.
Without the bike lanes, car tires do most of the sweeping of the parts of the road I likely ride in.
I kinda expected this behavior in Philadelphia. That's one reason I don't think bike lanes are a good idea here.
people need to stop relying on the government to fix our problems and learn to do them ourselves.
people should be held responsible to keeping their properties clean. it is not difficult and costs little if nothing to sweep your walk and takes only a minute or two a day. cleaner streets reflect good community standards ad raiser property value.
come on philadelphia, have some respect for yourselves and for your property. even if you rent it is no excuse to litter and be slobs.
if the city has such budget problems tell them to come after those who litter and they should penalize those garbage truck employees who recklessly leave piles of garbage in the middle of the street on pick up day.
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