It’s time to get on your bike and ride.
Philadelphia will be celebrating National Bicycle Safety Month with an array of events and incentives to encourage people to bike more often around the city, and to do so safely.
Throughout the month, Philadelphia will be hosting events that will teach students how to bike safely, celebrate Indego bike share, highlight bicycle commuters, and commemorate bicyclists’ lives lost.
“During National Bicycle Safety Month, the City is inviting Philadelphians to join us in enjoying the nice weather and exploring our city by biking on our streets and trails,” said Kelley Yemen, Director of Complete Streets, Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability. “No matter how a person chooses to travel, they deserve to reach their destination safely.”
The city is on track to reach its Vision Zero goal of adding separated bike lanes to 40 total miles of streets by 2025. To help people bicycling get to and from their destination safely and comfortably, Philadelphia’s bike network includes more than 39 lane miles of separated bike lanes (lane miles count direction of travel, representing all the network travel options available to people bicycling). Growing the bike network creates new opportunities for people to plan their bike route and navigate the city safely. The network also adds resiliency, with safe alternate routes in the event of a street closure or detour.
“People bicycling have more options than ever before when planning a safe bike route to their workplaces, shops, schools, or parks thanks to the progress we’ve made over the years,” added Yemen.
The city joins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Bicycle Safety Month. The Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS)’s Indego Bike Share, Safe Routes Philly, and Vision Zero PHL programs are organizing various events to celebrate.
On Wednesday, May 17, at 6:45 p.m., a Ride of Silence will take place from City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The annual bike ride honors bicyclists who have been killed or injured by motor vehicles. For more information and to register, visit bicyclecoalition.org.
On Friday, May 19, at 8:15 a.m. the Bike to Work & Wherever Day will take place from Penn Museum to Dilworth Park. The event is led by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and supported by Independence Blue Cross. For more information and to register, visit bicyclecoalition.org.
“Philadelphia has the highest percentage of people who commute by bicycle of any large city in the United States – and this administration has always been committed to not only sustain but increase those numbers,” said Mayor Jim Kenney in a statement. “As highlighted in our Vision Zero Action Plan, creating a high quality bike network remains a priority for my administration… We are proud to celebrate Bicycle Safety Month and remain committed to making our city’s streets safer for all.”
