Hundreds gather to mourn those hit and killed by cars on the city streets

On Sunday morning, safety activists gathered near Rittenhouse Square to commemorate and mourn the recent traffic fatalities among pedestrians and cyclists and to demand action to improve safety on the city’s streets, even though other fatal accidents had occurred just hours earlier.

The vigil was held for Barbara Friedes, who was struck and killed by a speeding car while riding her bike in Center City last Wednesday. Friedes was a resident at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she worked with children with cancer.

Cyclists, pedestrians and supporters gathered around the 1800 block of Spruce – where Friedes was struck from behind and flew more than 20 feet before landing. Despite wearing a helmet, she suffered severe head injuries and died shortly afterward in the hospital.

The crowd stood between the bike lane and the car lane, holding signs with messages including “No more bike deaths” and “Protect the bike lane.” Others held up photos of other pedestrians and cyclists who had been killed by cars.

Hundreds attended the vigil, filling most of the street with people and bicycles. Despite the large crowd, the street was very quiet – most stood in silence or spoke in whispers.

A memorial with flowers and personal memories was placed in the 1800 block of Spruce Street to remember Barbara Friedes, who died in a car accident last Wednesday. (Delaney Smith/Billy Penn)

A deadly week

There has been a rise in traffic fatalities in the past week. Dr. Friedes was one of three traffic fatalities in the past week. Less than 12 hours before the event, a 22-month-old child was killed and his mother and teenage sister were injured in a traffic accident in Feltonville at the intersection of North Front Street and East Wyoming Avenue, police said.

“They are both still in the hospital. We are deeply shocked and angry,” said Steph Davis, chair of the Fifth Square Urbanist Political Action Committee. “These deaths and these serious injuries were entirely preventable.”

And this is not an isolated incident. In the twelve hours before the vigil, two other incidents occurred.

A man was found with injuries consistent with a hit-and-run accident on Aramingo Avenue in Frankford early Sunday morning; he was pronounced dead, police said.
Another man crossing the street on Rising Sun Avenue was struck by a car Saturday night. He was taken to Temple University Hospital in critical condition Sunday.

Tears and possible solutions

“I’m tired of vigils and funerals,” said Nicole Burnet, policy director for the Greater Philadelphia Bike Coalition. “It’s unacceptable that the budget for Vision Zero (to improve traffic safety in the city) has been cut. With that money, we can build bike lanes that keep people safe, save lives and encourage people to move around the city in one of the most enjoyable ways possible.”

Caleb Holtmeyer, co-founder and organizer of Philly Bike Action, said one of the key provisions of their petition, banning parking in bike lanes, was not implemented because neighbors wanted to temporarily park in front of their homes.

He believes the solution could be temporary loading zones on every corner – a measure that is already being implemented in some neighborhoods. This would allow cyclists and drivers to make optimal use of the road.

“It’s very heartbreaking that the city council is not taking this seriously and that some of the neighbors have spoken out against protecting this bike lane because they wanted to park there,” Holtmeyer said. “I understand that people need to leave things at home, but that’s not the most important thing. The most important thing is that people are safe on the road.”

Both Davis and Holtmeyer stressed the need for physical protection of the city’s bike lanes. There are plastic bollards in the 1800 block of Spruce Street that failed to protect Freides.

“We need a response from our city government with real change and real investment in traffic safety,” Davis said. “We want everyone to be safe, whether they’re riding in a bike lane in Rittenhouse, standing on a corner in Kensington or crossing a street in Germantown. Paint and plastic posts don’t provide protection.”

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