August 17, 2024
Provided Image/Philly Bike Action
Demonstrators gathered by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and Philly Bike Action spoke at City Hall before hand-delivering a petition with over 6,000 signatures to Mayor Cherelle Parker's office.
Amid calls for increased safety for bicyclists and pedestrians in Philadelphia, demonstrators delivered a petition for protected concrete bike lanes and parking reform to Mayor Cherelle Parker's office — though activists say the hand-off didn't go as planned.
On Thursday afternoon, a gathering of citizens concerned over bicycle and pedestrian safety in Philadelphia formed outside City Hall, with plans to hand-deliver a printed copy of the petition, which has nearly 6,000 signatures and 4,000 individual comments to the offices of Mayor Cherelle Parker and City Council President Kenyatta Johnson.
The demonstration, organized by advocacy groups Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, Philly Bike Action and other organizations, included a press conference that had speakers including Children's Hospital of Philadelphia residents who knew Dr. Barbara Friedes, who was killed by a drunk driver while biking on Spruce Street on July 17.
According to a statement from Philly Bike Action, the advocacy groups had arranged for the in-person delivery of the petition at City Hall at least two weeks prior to the Aug. 15 press conference.
Before the press conference, the office of City's Managing Director released a statement saying that Parker, the Streets Department and the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Services would "look forward to reviewing the petitions."
When a small group of petitioners entered City Hall to deliver the petition, they were told by security that they would not be allowed upstairs, only relenting when learning about press and cameras being present, according to Philly Bike Action.
This is how the Mayor’s office chose to treat the voices of 6,000 constituents.
— 5th Square (@5thSq) August 17, 2024
Despite having an appointment, we had to beg our way upstairs in City Hall and were met with silent, expressionless staffers in the hallway. We left the petitions on a table.https://t.co/WikPj2FwET pic.twitter.com/Nm4atxG16V
Upon arriving upstairs, the petitioners say they were met by City staffers who did not speak or identify themselves and did not move to accept the petition.
"Surprised by the cold reception, petitioners pleaded from the stairwell for the City's representatives to acknowledge the voices of 6,000 Philadelphians," read the statement from Philly Bike Action.
The statement says that Nicole Brunet, policy director of the Bicycle Coalition, began reading a comment from the petition out loud while in tears. The petitioners left the petition on a table in the hallway, after which a representative for the Mayor retrieved it, according to Philly Bike Action.
Activists have criticized Parker for defunding Vision Zero initiatives for road safety and eliminating traffic fatalities. City Council President Kenyatta Johnson supports legislation to restore a million dollars back to Vision Zero funding, according to his director of communications Vincent Thompson.
"The Bicycle Coalition leaders have asked for a meeting with Council President Johnson, and we're trying to arrange that meeting as soon as possible," Thompson stated.
Thompson also added that the earliest legislation can be introduced to transfer money back to Vision Zero projects is when the City Council resumes sessions in September.
