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

This Map of Philly Reveals the Locations with the Most Bike Crashes

This summer we had the pleasure of being part of Azavea's Summer of Maps program. We worked with grad student Tyler Dahlberg on several mapping projects related to bicycle activity in Philadelphia. One of the products of that collaboration we are excited to share here.

This map shows the locations of reported bike crashes in Philadelphia between 2007 and 2012. You can also view the map here.

The red dots on the map don't get more red with an increase beyond 4 crashes ("It's like, how much more red could this be? And the answer is...none, none more red.") Drilling down into the data reveals the locations with the greatest number of reported bike crashes:

1. Broad & Spruce - 10 crashes
2. Broad & Pine - 9 crashes
3. Broad & Spring Garden - 9 crashes
4. 34th & Spruce - 8 crashes
5. Broad & Washington - 7 crashes
6. Broad & Vine - 7 crashes
7. Schuylkill Ave & Chestnut - 6 crashes
8. 38th & Spruce - 6 crashes
9. 38th & Market - 6 crashes
10. 16th & Arch/BFP area - 5 crashes
11. 30th & Chestnut - 5 crashes
12. Broad & Walnut - 5 crashes
13. 5th & Market - 5 crashes
14. 22nd & Market - 5 crashes

There are some important caveats to be considered when looking at this map:

• This does not take into account bicycle volume. Broad & Spruce also sees some of the highest rates of bicycle traffic in the city, making the rate of crashes there significantly lower than this map would suggest.
• These are only reported bike crashes. Many bicyclists do not report their crashes to the police, either because there was neither injury nor damage, or because they believe (falsely) such things should not be reported to the police.

We will be doing further analysis to combine this data with bicycle volume data to determine which intersections see the highest rate of crashes and why that might be so. But one place where this map dovetails with intuitive feelings and conventional wisdom: Broad Street is not a good place to ride a bike. Hey Philly bicyclists: take 13th or 15th Streets instead.

And lastly, if you're a writer covering this map for another outlet, we don't want to see you call this an "accident map." These are crashes, not accidents. Most bike crashes are somebody's fault, be it the bicyclist, the driver, the pedestrian, or the built environment. And crashes can be prevented.

Like this work? Want to see more of it? Do your part by becoming a member of the Bicycle Coalition. Membership is what allows us to keep working for the safety of bicyclists in Philly and beyond.

Young Bicyclist Injured on Roosevelt Blvd in North Philly

CBS reports that an 11-year old girl riding a bicycle was struck by a vehicle while crossing Roosevelt Blvd near Garland St. in the Lawncrest section of North Philadelphia.

According to the article, the girl was crossing the southbound lanes against the light when she was struck by a car. The driver remained at the scene and the girl was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The CBS article is here.

Our heart goes out to the girl, her family, and the driver of the vehicle.

Moments like these remind us of the importance to talking to our children and students about street safety. Teaching them how to stay safe when walking or bicycling through city or suburbs can save a life. If you want help with such conversations, or would like to obtain free information, resources, or lessons for your school, contact our Safe Routes Philly program.

24 Year Old Cyclist On Warm Up Ride Killed In Burlington County

According to NJ.com and Phillyburbs.com 24 Year Old Andrew Caprizzi of Paramus, NJ was killed Sunday Morning on Route 563 in Woodland Township south of Chatsworth. Andrew was attempting to make a U-Turn when he was struck by a woman driving a vehicle northbound. The driver was treated for her injuries at Deborah Hospital.

Andrew was warming up for the NJ Individual Time Trial Championship, which is held annually on Route 563, a rural two lane road with bike lanes, very few intersections and a speed limit of 50 mph in the heart of the Pine Barrens. Like many amateur time trial events, this race is conducted on open roads.



View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2013 in a larger map

According to his obituary Andrew worked as an Assistant Track Team Coach for Holy Angels School in Demarest, NJ and at the Running Store in Ridgewood, NJ. We are saddened by another tragic death by automobile in our region and our condolences go out to Andrew's family and friends.

Cyclist Struck By Tractor-Trailer On Callowhill St

According to 6ABC a cyclist was struck by a tractor-trailer at 2nd and Callowhill St in Philadelphia at approximately 9 AM this morning. The victim was transported to Hahnemann University Hospital in critical condition. We will provide updates when they become available.


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2013 in a larger map

Bicyclist Killed On Boot Rd In Chester County

The West Chester Patch is reporting that 32 -year-old Kirsten Higley was killed early Monday morning while cycling to work on Boot Rd just east of Mary Jane Lane in West Goshen Township. The driver stopped and is cooperating with the investigation. West Goshen Police are asking anyone with relevant information to contact the department's Traffic Safety Division at 610-696-7400.

While we don't know the specifics of the crash, we know that it occurred at 6:44 am, more than a half hour before sunrise. The shoulder and width of Boot Road, which is one of Chester County's most important cycling routes, varies greatly and as you pass Mary Jane Lane the shoulder totally disappears as the road crests at a hill. Bike lanes are recommended for Boot Rd. in the Central Chester County Bicycle and Pedestrian Circulation Plan. In the near term we are urging PENNDOT and the Chester County Planning Commission to look at low cost ways to make Boot Road safer.


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2013 in a larger map

Friends of the victim reflected on her character in the article's comments section. They claimed that she was an experienced cyclist, traveling that route for more than 6 years, and that her bike was properly equipped with lights. Our condolences go out to the friends and family of Kirsten Higley.

Springfield Cyclist Killed By PECO Utility Truck Near Glen Mills

The News of Delaware County reports that a 63 year-old man from Springfield Township was killed on Tuesday afternoon while riding his bicycle on Creek Rd in Thornbury Township.

The article states that the cyclist ran into a PECO Utility Truck. The road was closed at the time due to a power line that was brought down by a fallen tree. We will amend this post as we learn more details about this tragedy.

Our deepest sympathies go out to the victim's family.


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

UPDATE: The victim has been identified as James Patrick Diskin III, his obituary is here.

Bob Wheeler, White Clay Bicycle Club Co-Founder, Dies In Crash

From BobWheeler.com

Bob Wheeler, 80, was killed on Friday June 29th by a motorist in the Carrcroft section of North Wilmington, DE. Wheeler was riding with other members of the White Clay Bicycle Club (WCBC) on Baynard Blvd when he was struck while crossing Marsh Rd by an 83-year old female driver turning left onto Baynard. No charges have been filed against the driver. It turned out to be the first of two fatal bicycle-car crashes in Delaware over the weekend in a state that averages 4 bicycle fatalities per year.

Wheeler was one of the original members of WCBC, which formed in 1972 (the same year as BCGP). Bob quickly became a club leader by hosting rides and producing bike safety slide shows. A techie, he was constantly working on improving GPS software for recreational bike rides. He created Googly Cue, which converts paths drawn in Google Maps into a cue sheet compatible with Garmin GPS devices or PDF print-outs.

There are some nice tributes to Bob on the WCBC Facebook page and on the Bike Delaware Blog. Our condolences go out to his family and to our colleagues in Delaware who rode with him.

Trenton Cyclist Killed At Busy US-1 Interchange

The Princeton Patch reported that a 58-year old Trenton man was struck by a motorist while cycling and killed on US-1. The crash happened just after 9:30 on Monday morning at the merge with the off ramp from I-295. Aguedo Cruz, 59, died shortly after the crash at Capital Health System Regional Medical Center in Trenton.

 
View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

Like many US Highway arterials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, US-1 is inhospitable for bicyclists and pedestrians. However, Route 1 is also a commercial corridor where people work, visit the doctor, and shop. Thus bicycle and pedestrian traffic persists despite previous efforts of highway engineers to make it nearly impossible to do so. This tragedy is another reminder that re-configuring our existing suburban road network to make Complete Streets is not only desirable but a matter of life and death.

We mourn the death of Aguedo Cruz and offer our sympathy to his family and friends.

Cyclist Suffers Major Injuries in Franconia Township Crash

According to The Reporter (Lansdale, PA), a bicyclist suffered serious injuries in a crash with a motor vehicle this morning. The crash occured at the S curve on Moyer near Haltermen Rd in a rural section of Franconia Township.

The bicyclist was airlifted to an unnamed hospital. The photo in the article shows a severely damaged front end of the bicycle and a car with a smashed in front window and hood.

UPDATE - The victim has been identified as Lehman E. Kapp, Jr., 66 who suffered serious injuries and was flown to Hahneman Hospital. 


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

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."

Bicycle Safety Advocate Killed in Bethlehem

Lehigh Valley Wheelman member and Coalition for Appropriate Transportation (CAT) volunteer Patrick Ytsma died early Thursday morning. He was struck from behind Sunday shortly after sunset by a 79 year old driver on the Fahy Bridge. At the time of the crash he was wearing a reflective vest and helmet. Patrick was a safety advocate and volunteer instructor for CAT.

To date no charges have been filed.


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

Services: Tomorrow (Saturday) 11 a.m. at Bachman, Kulik & Reinsmith Funeral Home, 17th & Hamilton Streets, Allentown. Burial will follow at Fountain Hill Cemetery, in the green section. Bicyclists are invited to follow with their bikes to the cemetery. This will be the very first green burial in the Lehigh Valley.

You can honor Patrick's legacy by signing the petition asking the Pennsylvania Senate to pass HB170 the 4 foot safe passing bill. Your efforts to date have helped kicked this bill out of committee and it is now closer than ever to final passage.

A memorial ride is being planned for sometime in the near future. Our sympathies go out to Patrick's family and we thank him for his service to the bicycling community.

TSTC Opens Up Crash Data, Reveals Most Dangerous Road In South Jersey

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign has a released a new report that analyzes bicycle crashes in 8 South Jersey Counties from 2008-2010 to determine particularly dangerous roadways for cyclists. The report extracts NJDOT's public (but difficult to access) traffic crash data and geocodes all the bicycle crashes in the region on Google Maps.
 
The analysis shows that many crashes were clustered on specific roads, with certain roads the most dangerous in more than one county. US 30 was one of Atlantic and Camden Counties’ most dangerous roads (65 crashes in these counties combined). NJ 47 was one of Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester Counties’ most dangerous roads (58 crashes in these counties combined).

Bicyclists Struck and Killed By Out of Control Motorist in Kensington

An unidentified bicyclist was killed in the bike lane on the 1900 Block of East Lehigh Avenue by a driver who struck four other vehicles early Friday evening. After the carnage the motorist tried to get away on foot but was caught and held down by witnesses.

According to CBS 3 the motorist has been charged with DUI and vehicular homicide. The bicyclist was the first fatality in Philadelphia that was reported by the media this year although we have observed over time that only about half of the fatal bike crashes in the City actually make the news.

The CBS 3 video includes a very moving account from witness Nicole Gerner and horrible images of the bike broken into several pieces, indicative of the speed at which the crazed motorist was travelling.

Our condolences to the family of the victim and our thanks go out to the Good Samaritans who tried to help the victim and prevented the offender from getting away.


 
View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

UPDATE 11-20-11 - The Offending Drivers has been identified as Brett Truskin, a 22-year-old from Ivyland, Pa. The ID of the victim has still not been released.

Teenager Injured in Middletown, Bucks County Crash

From Phillyburbs.com:

Boy injured in bike-car crash

Middletown

A 13-year-old boy was seriously injured Monday when he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle on Durham Road.

The accident occurred at 5:30 p.m. in the 900 block of Durham Road when the boy, who lives in Foxwood Manor Apartments, was riding his bicycle with a friend when he was struck. The boy was rushed to St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown and then transferred to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, police said.

The driver of the car was Stephen Dougherty, 59, of Langhorne. Police said the bike rider darted in front of Dougherty, who had no time to stop.


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

But Is Bicycling Too Dangerous?

This blog has been heavy on the crash reporting recently. July is always a tough month, however I don't think I have reported on more hit from behind crashes than I have in the past few weeks. We know that in at least 3 cases the drivers were where they shouldn't be, in the shoulder.

We bring these weakly reported incidents into the sunshine because the we want change and the victim's of these tragedies deserve to be recognized.

Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania lack vulnerable user law and safe passing laws. New Jersey has one of the toughest distracted driving laws in the country while the Pennsylvania legislature continues to grapple with a weaker young driver bill.

But it's also important to remember that the benefits of bicycling outweigh the risks which was confirmed in a recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Data synthesis: We quantified the impact on all-cause mortality when 500,000 people would make a transition from car to bicycle for short trips on a daily basis in the Netherlands. We have expressed mortality impacts in life years gained or lost making use of life table calculations.

For the individuals who shift from car to bicycle, we estimated that beneficial effects of increased physical activity are substantially larger (3 – 14 months gained) than the potential mortality effect of increased inhaled air pollution doses (0.8 – 40 days lost) and the increase in traffic accidents (5 – 9 days lost). Societal benefits are even larger due to a modest reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and traffic accidents.

Sure its Holland which has about a quarter of the deaths per mile, but margins in the study are so great that there is little doubt that the same holds true for the US. Which brings us to the point of safety in numbers, per Peter Jacobson's 2003 article in Injury Prevention. When bicycle use doubles, the risk of a motorist hitting a cyclist goes down by about a third.

So go out and ride your bike, for your health and for the safety of us all.

Main Line Socialite Pleads Guilty to Hit and Run - Asks For House Arrest

From the Main Line Times:

By Richard Ilgenfritz

A Villanova woman will have to spend at least 90 days imprisoned after pleading guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from a hit-and-run crash that severely injured a teenager in Bryn Mawr one year ago. A judge will have to decide whether she will be allowed to serve out that mandatory minimum sentence at home under house arrest.

Suzanne Lammers, 76, admitted in the Norristown courtroom of Judge William R. Carpenter that she struck a 13-year-old Bryn Mawr boy as he rode his bike along New Gulph Road near Morris in Bryn Mawr last July.

According to Thomas W. McGoldrick, assistant district attorney for Montgomery County, Lammers was driving west on New Gulph Road when she struck the child. After being thrown from his bike, the child hit her windshield and fell from the car...

...She then turned around and drove back past the crash scene and went north on Morris Avenue before taking her car home and parking it in her garage. The car sat in her garage until police received an anonymous tip that the car that struck the teenager was inside the garage ...

...Frank DeSimone, the attorney for Lammers, said he would ask the court to allow her to serve the mandatory 90 days in prison under house arrest at her Villanova home. She has been on bail and has not been in jail since the crash occurred. McGoldrick said the state would oppose the house arrest. A sentencing date has not yet been determined.
We reported on this incident last July here and the ID on the driver here
Hit and Run is a despicable crime. Amazingly in PA it is only a summary offense. The fact that Ms. Lammers attorney still has a shot at getting her to spend her sentence in her comfortable home gives me the creeps, privilege has its privileges, like the lifeboat passengers on the Titanic. Let's hope the Judge prescribes a just sentence for the sake of the victim and for bicyclists everywhere in Pennsylvania.

Bicycle Messenger Seriously Hurt In Hit and Run

Details are sketchy right now but a call in from the Philadelphia Bicycle Messengers Association (PBMA) plus a secondhand report on Facebook indicate that a messenger was run off the road on Wednesday Night by an irate motorist who fled the scene. According to the account on the Philadelphia Bicycle Insurrection Facebook Page the female cyclist suffered severe injuries to her face and was in Surgery on Friday.

PBMA plans to stage a protest on Monday at JFK Plaza, they are reportedly unhappy with the way the Police have handled the situation. We will post an update with more details as we receive them.

UPDATE - The assembly at JFK Plaza (Love Park) will take place at 5:00 PM.

UPDATE #2 According to the PBMA the victim was allegedly struck by a silver hatchback at 2:30 AM early Thursday Morning. The driver yelled at her to get off the road and then hit her. The Police were not called until the victim arrived at Hahnemann Hospital.

The Police officer arrived to take the report and the Officer apparently conveyed less empathy than the messengers thought warranted and told them this was an "accident" and would be treated as such. Messengers went back to the crash scene and found blood and more evidence of the crash.

13YO Struck in Lower Merion Hit and Run

Main Line Times

A hit-and-run driver struck a 12-year-old child riding his bike along Old Gulph Road in Bryn Mawr early Wednesday afternoon. The unidentified child was then flown to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with head trauma and possibly a broken leg.

Police said the child was riding westbound on Old Gulph Road just past Morris Road when a car headed in the same direction struck him from behind.

Police are now asking for the public's help in locating the car and driver. The vehicle is described as a tan Volvo station wagon with a shattered windshield and damage to the passenger side.

The driver was described as a white female in her 40's.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Merion Police Department 610-649-1000.


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Bicycle Helmet Helmet Cam Witnesses Crash

On Thursday BCGP Ben Franklin Bridge Access Chair Matt Anastasi was struck by a car crossing an intersection in Fairmount. His helmet cam documented the crash and you can see the shadow of the striking vehicle moving moments before Anastasi hits the ground.


CRASH! from Matthew Anastasi on Vimeo.

Fortunately Matt was not seriously hurt although his bike predictably received some serious damage.

To the best of our knowledge at this time, the driver whom Anastasi alleges had failed to yield and has not been ticketed. We sincerely hope that the Philadelphia PD (9th District) will investigate this crash with due diligence and assign fault fairly.

The BCGP website offers information information about what to do in the event of a crash.
http://www.bicyclecoalition.org/report#Crash

It is very important if it is at all possible to call the Police and report the crash. In other words, if you are not seriously hurt, don't walk away.

If you are in a crash with a car, do not leave the scene without:

• the tag number of the car
• the names and phone numbers of any witnesses
• driver name and contact information
• police officer name and badge number