Speed Cameras Can Slow Down Traffic - Why Not in Pennsylvania?

Reckless and dangerous speeding that results in the loss of innocent lives still occurs on Roosevelt Boulevard, despite the expenditure of nearly 3 millions of dollars by PennDOT to improve safety along one of the region's most dangerous highways. According to PennDOT, over the past 5 years, car crashes on the Boulevard have killed 40 people, and caused 57 to suffer major injuries, 343 suffer moderate injuries and 1103 to suffer minor injuries.

Last July, two men drag racing on Roosevelt Boulevard at speeds up to 73 MPH killed a young 28 year-old mother and three of her four sons, ages 7 years old, 23 months old and 4 months old, as they were crossing the 12-lane highway.

PennDOT's safety efforts have included "[signalizing] five mid-block crosswalks; removing five mid-block crosswalks; installing twelve pull-off areas in the median to provide police a safe location for enforcement and a visual presence; enhancing median pedestrian refuge areas in two locations; and installing speed advisory signs on three bridges over the Boulevard."

One solution not yet tried would be to install cameras that monitor speeds and enforce speed limits. Currently, speed cameras are illegal in Pennsylvania, but State Senator Mike Stack has introduced legislation to make it permissible for PennDOT to use them.

PenTrans is holding a panel discussion on January 31st about speed cameras, hosted by Senator Mike Stack. You can attend by registering here.

Panelists:
Michael Fagin, Insurance Institute of Highway Safety
Chief Charles Ramsey, Philadelphia Police Department
Andrew W. Schauder, American Traffic Solutions, Inc.™
Jenny Robinson, AAA Mid-Atlantic

Friday, January 31. 8:00 - 10:00 AM

Where:
Pepper Hamilton LLP
3000 Logan Square
18th and Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Bike Registration This Saturday Morning For 17th District Residents

A 17th Police District bike registration event is happening tomorrow morning from 10:00 am - noon. Residents of the 17th Police District can register their bikes with the police at Bicycle Therapy at 2211 South Street.

The 17th District, with a red star hovering mysteriously but conveniently over the location of Bicycle Therapy

From their e-mail:

Get a new bike for the holidays? Want to register it with the 17th Police District as part of the Bicycle Registration system? Come to Bicycle Therapy (2211 South Street) on Saturday, January 11th from 10 am to 12 pm to register your bike! Officers from the 17th Police District will be on-hand, as will members of the SOSNA Safety Committee to help you through the process.

Bike registration is helpful should your bike be stolen and recovered by the police. Other good preemptive steps to take include taking photographs of you with your bike, and recording its serial number.

Center City Traffic Enforcement Campaign to Start Next Week

People travelling through Center City should prepare for a new enforcement campaign beginning the week of June 3rd.   Starting next week, the Philadelphia Police Department will be committing police officers on foot and on bike to educate and enforce traffic laws in Center City.

This is the latest effort from the City's "Give Respect, Get Respect" campaign, which began first in the summer of 2011. That summer, the City distributed educational brochures and police conducted approximately 1,600 stops.

This summer, the active enforcement campaign will be renewed, targeting specific Center City areas with known high volumes of motor vehicle offenses. The campaign will be run until June 28th. The map below shows the zones where enforcement will be focused.


View Untitled in a larger map

We expect to see a rise in the number of citations given to motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians in Center City. You have a responsibility to know and follow the rules of the road no matter how you get around; giving respect to your fellow street users makes everyone safer. We support equitable enforcement of the laws and are heartened by the Police Department's renewed focus on this issue.

The goals of this campaign are to reduce pedestrian and bicycle crashes in Center City, increase motorist awareness, and improve the quality of life in Center City through education and enforcement. This is a joint effort of the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being made possible through funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. We expect to learn statistics from the Police Department on the number and nature of stops and violations involving drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, and will report them as we learn them.

Philadelphia Police May Not Respond To Calls Of A Bike-Car Crash

Occasionally cyclists involved in bike-car crashes reach out to us for resources, information, or just to vent. On Monday a local cyclist contacted us after being involved in a hit-and-run crash with a Philadelphia taxi. Fortunately he was not seriously hurt. A witness grabbed the taxi's license plate and called the police. The victim's experience, however, is a familiar one:

"...since no police officers arrived on the scene and since I was unable to flag down an officer I reported to the precinct office's behind Whole Foods. The officer on duty gave me a PA Driver's Accident Report which I am to fill out and send in to Harrisburg. After it is filed in Harrisburg I have to pay to get an official copy of the incident report which I can then take into the precinct office and file a complaint regarding the taxi driver leaving the scene."

"This is all very frustrating primarily because if a police officer had shown up we could have directed them to the taxi almost immediately, however now it will be days if not longer before any kind of complaint can even be made."

Upcoming Philadelphia Cycling Committee Meeting

The next monthly Philadelphia City Cycling Committee will be at the Bicycle Coalition Office, 1500 Walnut Street, Suite 305, Tuesday, June 21st 2011 at 6:30 - 8:00 PM (6:00 PM Pizza and Refreshments)

Our special guest will be Police Captain Allen Clark Commanding Officer of the Center City District. He is the police contact for the City’s “Give respect – Get Respect” education and enforcement program for motorized and non-motorized vehicles, as well as, pedestrians. This program is now in operation on the streets of Center City Philadelphia.

Give Respect Handouts