Alliance > Media center > People Powered Blog

Entries tagged: Philadelphia

In the first week of October, two students at Carnell Elementary in Philadelphia were struck by cars in separate accidents. While neither student was severely injured, the events left community members and school officials shaken.

In response to the accidents, the school’s principal approached Safe Routes Philly — a program of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia — for support creating a school-wide focus on pedestrian safety. Within a few days, all 1,600 Carnell Elementary students had attended one of seven interactive assemblies conducted by Safe Routes Philly on various aspects of pedestrian safety. The assemblies included call-and-response songs and videos demonstrating safe walking and biking behavior.

According to Safe Routes Philly, “Carnell’s response to two accidents in its community will help prevent future accidents, and reflects the importance of a school administration which cares how students get to and from school.”

Biking and walking to school provides daily exercise to students and fosters a sense of school community. However, it’s important that students understand the safety measures necessary to protect against accidents and injuries.

Interested in Safe Routes Philly? Learn more from Diana Owens, the program’s Assistant Director of Education, on the recent Alliance Mutual Aid Call on “Winning Local Policies for Safe Routes to School.” Stay up-to-date by subscribing to the BCGP blog.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) worked with six counties and agencies in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to secure $23 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program.

This multi-jurisdictional project, called Generating Recovery by Enhancing Active Transportation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (GREAT-PA/NJ), will help complete a network of biking and walking trails throughout the region, focused on connections to urban hubs in Philadelphia and Camden. The Bicycle Coalition and PEC assembled the proposal along with Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities and Mayor Nutter’s Metropolitan Caucus. The proposal received letters of support from more than 52 elected officials, institutions and non-profit organizations, including all four senators and eight members of congress in the region.

For more info visit the BCGP blog.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia was instrumental in the City of Philadelphia’s plan to reserve one lane for bicycles on two major streets. The lane designation is a trial until next spring when the streets are resurfaced. Although cycling in Philadelphia has doubled over the last three years, there are currently only four miles of bike lanes in Center City and cyclists cannot safely ride from the East to West sides of the city.

To read the press release, click here.

For more information on the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, click here…