Calling on the Pennsylvania State Senate to pass House Bill 1283, Susan's and Emily's Law, to empower municipalities to create parking protected bike lanes on state-owned roads.

Calling on the Pennsylvania State Senate to pass House Bill 1283, Susan’s and Emily’s Law, to empower municipalities to create parking protected bike lanes on state-owned roads. WHEREAS, Bike safety is a critical issue for all Philadelphians, with a disproportionate impact on working-class communities and communities of color, who are more likely to rely on walking, biking, and public transit as primary modes of transportation; and WHEREAS, The City’s Vision Zero report revealed that 124 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2023, with Black and Hispanic residents suffering a higher rate of fatalities, including a notable increase in cyclist and pedestrian deaths from previous years; and WHEREAS, Already, in 2024, we have witnessed a slew of tragic cyclist and pedestrian fatalities, which all could have been prevented by a robust network of protective infrastructure; and WHEREAS, One critical tool that protects both bikers and pedestrians from accidents on roadways is the parking protected bike lane, which creates a barrier of parked cars between roadways and bike lanes; and WHEREAS, Parking protected bike lanes are also some of the least expensive road interventions that protect bikers and pedestrians; and WHEREAS, Current Pennsylvania law severely restricts our ability to create parking protected bike lanes in Philadelphia; and WHEREAS, Under current Pennsylvania law, vehicles must park along a state roadway within 12 inches of the curb, which effectively prohibits any p…