Study shows: Summer season is the deadliest for cyclists in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – CBS News Philadelphia began investigating the issues surrounding the city’s bike lanes back in April, and now, during the summer months, data shows that this is the deadliest time of the year for cyclists.

Earlier this week, 30-year-old Barbara FriedesA doctor from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was struck and killed while riding her bike in Rittenhouse Square. It was the first bicycle death in the city this year. According to the Philadelphia Parking Authority, there were 10 deaths in 2023.

In 2017 Emily Fredericks was a pastry chef and lived in Philadelphia. She did not have a car in the city because her commute to work took only 12 minutes by bike. On November 28, 2017, the 24-year-old hit and killed by a garbage truck.

“We got a call from the hospital and the emergency room doctor told us she died. Now we’re in New Jersey and we’re told she died. Now we all have to drive to Philadelphia knowing she’s dead,” said Emily’s mother, Laura Fredricks.

Finally, in 2022, the charges were dropped after a judge dismissed the caseand decided that the truck driver had not acted recklessly.

“No one will be held accountable for the consequences of their actions unless they drive under the influence of alcohol or leave the scene of an accident,” said Rich and Laura Fredricks, Emily’s parents, who have joined with organizations and other grieving families to persuade lawmakers to make traffic safety a top priority.

“We should be allowed to grieve and miss our daughter without trying to make the streets safer, because that should be common sense and should already be in place,” said Laura Fredricks.

Last month, the Fredricks drove to Harrisburg to advocate for more parking-separated bike lanes. Philadelphia has a handful of these throughout the city. Parking-separated bike lanes (PSBLs) allow parked cars to act as a barrier between the bike lane and the traffic lane.

Nicole Brunet of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia said there have been no deaths on bike lanes in Philadelphia. She said a marked bike lane does not provide enough protection for cyclists.

CBS News Philadelphia found that one car after another was blocking bike lanes in the city, often causing cyclists to drive into traffic.

Most signs in the city say “No Parking” rather than “No Stopping,” meaning drivers can block the lane for up to twenty minutes without being fined.

Some residents along Spruce Street said they had to park there at least for a short time to drop off things or unload groceries.

Last year, the Philadelphia Parking Authority issued 3,887 parking tickets to Bicycle lane offendersThis is about three times the amount spent in the previous two years.

However, our investigations revealed that numerous cars were parked without a driver for more than 20 minutes and up to 75 minutes.

“Everyone sees themselves as a driver and not as a pedestrian or a cyclist or someone who uses a wheelchair or a scooter. Even though we are all pedestrians as soon as we get out of our car,” said Laura Fredricks.

After Friedas’ death earlier this week, Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson said he had asked the Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems to come up with safety measures that could be implemented in some parts of the city. He did not say whether permanent bike lane barriers were being considered.