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Amen!
It is the position of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia that all users of the road should obey traffic laws. When people bend the rules to their personal benefit, whether they are a motorist, bicyclist or pedestrian, it contributes to chaos on the streets and everyone is endangered. To that end, the Bicycle Coalition has an outreach and education program called Bicycle Ambassadors, which is designed to encourage adult bicyclists to ride more often and ride more safely, by teaching bike safety, sharing the road, bike lane and bike path etiquette and how to bike to work and school.......As the rules of the road adapt to new users, and the roadways themselves are reconfigured to meet the needs of more vulnerable road users, everyone needs to adapt to the rules of the road – after all, a bicycle is a legal vehicle in all 50 states and all vehicles have to abide by the same rules......The position of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia on enforcement is that we welcome more consistent and visible enforcement of traffic laws. We want enforcement to be applied equitably to all users: motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. All three are a part of the current problem on the streets and each need to be part of the solution."
THANK YOU Kim for making this statement when NOBODY else dared too! What you have said is the absolute truth and it doesn't take anything away from the bicyclist who does the right thing or those driving other vehicles or walking who do the right thing. It does raise important questions for those who don't! And yes, the Mayor should have addressed this during his unveiling of the much needed bike lanes since it happened prior, but that would have been too much like right.
I have to say that I am appalled that in the statement above by "Bicycle Coalition" there was no mention of condolences to Andre Steed's family. Instead just a well crafted political message that does little more than your readers already think anyway.
I didn't know Andre', but I know that he lived in my neighborhood and I have seen him around...My authentic condolences go out to his family and I wish his spirit Godspeed. I also hope that the person responsible for this tragedy will come forward and accept responsibility.
I second the thanks to Kim for drawing attention to this tragedy and this issue. But it's discouraging that no one else has stepped forward with additional information for the authorities, as there are surely many more witnesses, as well as people who know the perpetrator. The reward fund is fact more than $10,000, as the Citizens Crime Commission is accepting contributions. If the Bicycle Coalition wants to restore the reputation of the bicycling community, it should encourage any bicyclists who know this killer to step forward.
SilliBilli: How about paying people to video bicyclists all over Center City riding on sidewalks and ignoring red lights and stop signs? Post them on YouTube and email them to the Bicycle Coalition. Better yet, video the same behaviors occurring in front of police with nothing being done and send those videos to the Police Commissioner.
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i agree! i'm sick of cyclist who hog the road. if there is one lane and you are biking half a mile per hour and there are 50 cars behind you let them by!!! I'm all for sharing the road but come on!!!!
I'm an avid cyclist in Center City, and I agree with Ms. Garrison. Keep the bikes off the sidewalks. Everyone, no matter the mode of transport, needs to slow down just a little. We'll all be safer.
Very well said. There seems to be some attitude with a lot of the people who bike in Center City that they just don't have the need to obey any rules. I've seen them speed through red lights at intersections causing cars to have to brake suddenly, I've seen them almost take out people walking down the street, etc. It's a problem.
All for enforcing traffic laws for bikes. Just make sure they do the same for jaywalking too.
Mr. Sneed's case is tragic, but it's not clear that he wasn't at fault. Plenty of pedestrians do not look before crossing, and dart out into streets and into a biker's path. When witnesses say they hear a crash and then see two people on the ground, you can't tell who is at fault.
This article makes an assumption that seems not to be supported by the statements of witnesses. Mr. Steed had stepped into the street, outside of a crosswalk. The cyclist then veered out of the lane he was in to avoid a car who abruptly cut him off. If the cyclist broke no law, how can he be "prosecuted" to the "fullest extent of the law?" What people have to do is first understand the law that controls pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. The only outcome of this sad case as the law now stands is a long civil suit that likely will result in clearing the cyclist, after an expensive, painful legal process that will drag on for years. Is that "justice?" There should be a better alternative, but there won't be until people better understand the law of the city and state they live in.
Mr. Steed also was reported by witnesses to be wearing ear buds. There is no way a judge will convict a cyclist of "killing" this man if it is shown in court that Mr. Steed stepped in to the street against the light or not in a crosswalk, or while he was wearing ear buds. It is likely what it is: a tragic accident that Mr. Street's actions contributed the most to causing. The cyclist was not "on the sidewalk" as the writer hysterically posits. Sadly, such sloppy journalism does little to advance the credibility of such "advocates."
I was hoping for some treatment of the law based in some understanding of the facts of the case that are known, and the law controlling pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. What the article should have said was that the law does not protect careless pedestrians from accidents that are the result of their own actions or negligence.
Cleanup: The focus of this article is rightly pointing out the bad behaviors of bicyclists, particularly when they endanger pedestrians by riding on sidewalks. The author stated how she can't feel comfortable walking with her toddler in Center City because of reckless bicyclists on sidewalks. I agree as my child was almost hit by a bicyclist on a sidewalk at 22nd & Market in August. This occurs everywhere, every day, in Center City. I am glad this issue has been taken up by the media in the last few months, it is long overdue. Unfortunately, it will take a bicyclist severely injuring or killing an elderly or toddler pedestrian before the police in the Business District finally begin to enforce the ban on sidewalk riding and other illegal and reckless behaviors like rolling stops. What it will really take is for a relative of a police officer to be hit by a bicyclist, then we'll see action. Oh, jaywalking is illegal too, so ticket those offenders as well.
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