Cyclists Taking Advantage Of Closed Off Streets During Papal Visit
By Andrew Kramer
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- You won't see many vehicles on the roads during the Papal visit this weekend, making it an ideal time to go for a bike ride.
On Saturday, a large group of cyclists are planning to do just that throughout the city.
"The 'PopeRide' is a community bike ride taking advantage of the closed streets in Philadelphia," says Alexandria Schneider, the event's founder.
The ride is not intended to interfere with any of the Papal activities. In fact, Schneider says, when the Pope is in one area, the riders will be in another:
"We actually don't go anywhere near where the Pope is when the ride is going on."
Schneider adds this is a leisure ride, geared toward everybody:
"I didn't want to make it too punishing, I didn't want to make it too easy. I wanted to go for that nice, happy medium."
The initial plan, she says, was to ride on the Schuylkill Expressway, which will be closed to traffic this weekend, but authorities shot that down.
For more information or to see a map of the current route, check out the PopeRide Facebook page, where 2,000 people have already said they will be participating.
A night ride is also being organized this Friday.