Police erected barricades along South Street in Philadelphia to restrict the driving of ATVs and dirt bikes; reactions from residents are mixed

PHILADLEPHIA (WPVI) — More than 30 dirt bike and ATV riders raced down South Street in Philadelphia on Saturday night.

For this reason, barricades may occur between 5th and 2nd streets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights during the summer, police said.

“Safety is my top priority,” said Philadelphia Police Lt. Steven Ricci. “I think this curbs a lot of the quality of life issues, the tailgating, the reckless behavior, the reckless driving.”

Lt. Ricci said the barricades, along with a parked police vehicle, are the best temporary solution to prevent dirt bike riders and tailgaters from causing chaos and danger in the area.

“We want to put up the barricades every night if we need to,” Ricci said. “There might be a night when we don’t need them. That’s great. We don’t want to close the streets, but if we have to, I’ll make that decision.”

Some say they support the closures.

“It’s definitely a plus because you don’t want anyone to get hurt,” said Andre Adams of Delaware County.

“If they help control crowds and disruptive behavior and keep the mob off the streets, I think they’re great,” said Kenneth Silver, president of Jim’s South Street.

Many business owners like John Foy, who runs Bridget Foy’s on South Street, said these barricades would create roadblocks for them.

“When they go off, business just comes to a halt,” Foy said. “The street is closed. It creates the impression that we as a company are closed for the night, even though that is not the case.”

“In recent years, the perception that South Street was unsafe or that a crime had just occurred there was generally a turn-off for one of the busiest districts in the city,” said Eleanor Ingersoll, executive director of the South Street Headhouse District.

Ingersoll said a multi-agency approach is needed to solve this long-standing problem.

“The city needs to provide more resources to help both of us deal with the situation because right now it’s not sustainable in its current form,” Ingersoll said.

Council member Mark Squilla said they would work together on solutions, including speed bumps, sound cameras for surveillance and cobblestone streets.

He also said that they are working with the police to confiscate the illegal vehicles. Police say that at least three motorcycles were confiscated on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Ricci and Ingersoll say they will continue to work together while hoping to work with Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration to find a long-term solution.

“Ultimately, we both want the safest and most pleasant part of town, and we can only achieve that by working together,” Ingersoll said.

Meanwhile, the police have a message for reckless drivers.

“Please don’t come here and do things like that,” Ricci said. “This is a great community. People live here. A lot of these businesses have been here for years and are struggling now. A lot of these annoying behaviors play a part in that.”