Over 60 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed every year in Philadelphia in recent times.
In contrast with different massive cities, Philadelphia’s loss of life fee for each pedestrians and cyclists is increased than New York and Chicago however decrease than Los Angeles and Houston.
Throughout the U.S., extra pedestrians and bicyclists are killed or critically injured right this moment than any time over the previous 40 years. Over 7,500 pedestrians and over 1,100 bicyclists died in site visitors collisions in 2022, the latest yr with out there knowledge, in keeping with the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration.
As an harm epidemiologist in Philadelphia who research pedestrian and bicyclist accidents within the U.S. and Latin America, I wish to share a number of evidence-based ways in which Philadelphia could make strolling, biking and getting across the metropolis safer for everybody.
Shield bike lanes
Protected bike lanes have bodily limitations that forestall drivers from coming into the bike lane to park or go different drivers.
They’re significantly helpful on high-volume biking corridors and supply cyclists rather more safety than lanes which can be merely painted however don’t have any bodily limitations or lanes with versatile posts that may be pushed over.
Versatile posts, for instance, have been unable to dam the collision that killed Barbara Friedes, chief pediatric resident at Youngsters’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in Middle Metropolis in July 2024 when a drunk driver sped by the bike lane the place Friedes was bicycling.
Analysis suggests protected bike lanes can enhance security for pedestrians and drivers too. That is doubtless as a result of they have a tendency to trigger drivers to decelerate.
The Bicycle Coalition of Better Philadelphia and different native bike security advocacy teams have known as for the town to exchange unprotected lanes with protected lanes and in addition add protected bike lanes to extra roadways that presently don’t have any.
In October 2024, the town introduced it can set up concrete limitations to guard the bike lanes on Spruce and Pine streets in Middle Metropolis, together with the place Friedes was killed. That very same month, the Metropolis Council unanimously handed a “Get Out the Bike Lane” invoice that will increase the fines for drivers who cease or park in a motorbike lane.
Roosevelt Boulevard is taken into account probably the most harmful roads in America.
Matt Rourke/AP
Gradual drivers down
Site visitors-calming measures are engineering and highway design methods that gradual automobiles down, make pedestrians extra seen to motorists and supply safer crossing areas.
They embody velocity humps, curb extensions and guarded intersections, in addition to 20 mph velocity zones.
Site visitors-calming measures can profit all highway customers by lowering site visitors congestion so drivers and public transit riders face fewer delays. They’ll additionally enhance close by companies by growing foot site visitors and making enterprise corridors extra nice for buyers.
Encourage fewer vehicles on the highway
Philadelphia can undertake extra insurance policies that promote strolling or biking over driving. These embody open streets or ciclovías, the place streets are closed all the way down to motorized vehicle site visitors and opened to cyclists and pedestrians. Philadelphia sometimes does this on stretches of 18th Road and Walnut Road in Middle Metropolis.
Growing parking charges may scale back site visitors congestion. Parking charges usually don’t replicate the true value of driving in cities, which embody sustaining parking areas and infrastructure. The low value of parking is basically a subsidy to drivers. Whereas there are fears that diminished parking hurts enterprise house owners, substantial proof signifies companies profit from elevated foot and bicycle site visitors.
Town may additionally scale back the variety of parking areas and implement congestion pricing, which entails charging charges to drive in sure areas of a metropolis to cut back site visitors congestion.
This can be a problem, contemplating the latest expertise of New York Metropolis, which spent many years making ready for congestion pricing solely to have it blocked by the governor, although it appears it now has an opportunity of being carried out. How a lot success New York has with congestion pricing will doubtless decide the feasibility in Philadelphia and different U.S. cities.
Philly’s Imaginative and prescient Zero plan goals to cut back highway site visitors deaths to zero by 2030.
Leaping Rocks/UCG/Common Photos Group through Getty Photos
Enhance public transportation
Increasing public transportation and decreasing or eliminating fares may assist defend pedestrians and cyclists by lowering automobile use. I imagine these measures may assist guarantee the opposite insurance policies talked about above are efficient.
Nevertheless, Philadelphia’s public transportation is presently in a vital state. Going through funding shortfalls resulting from years of declining ridership, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has proposed service cuts and important fare will increase starting Jan. 1, 2025. Gov. Josh Shapiro has spared the system from these cuts for now by flexing federal freeway funds, however long-term options are wanted to make sure the survival and revival of public transportation in Philadelphia.
Addressing gun violence, drug use and different crimes may additionally make public transportation in Philadelphia safer and extra engaging. Whereas violent crimes on Philadelphia’s public transportation have dropped dramatically in 2024, 4 individuals have misplaced their lives on SEPTA automobiles thus far this yr.
Acquire higher knowledge
Contemplating the rise in highway site visitors deaths in Philly because the begin of the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial efforts are wanted to achieve the town’s Imaginative and prescient Zero objective of lowering highway site visitors deaths to zero by 2030.
In my opinion, this consists of higher knowledge on transportation use and which interventions and insurance policies are working and which aren’t.
Street security surveillance may very well be improved in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania by linking crash information to different knowledge, resembling hospital and scientific knowledge of crash victims, in addition to insurance coverage prices to raised perceive the burden of highway site visitors accidents on the town and the state.
Information can be key to making sure public insurance policies are carried out equitably. The Imaginative and prescient Zero plan features a give attention to lower-income neighborhoods and people with increased proportions of racial and ethnic minorities. These areas have 3 times as many critical accidents and deaths as different neighborhoods, and highway site visitors harm and deaths charges are 30% increased amongst individuals of colour in contrast with white residents.