Investigation reveals summer season as deadliest for cyclists in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- CBS News Philadelphia started investigating the issues surrounding bike lanes in the city back in April and now, during the summer months, data shows it's the deadliest time of the year for cyclists.
Earlier this week, 30-year-old Barbara Friedes, a doctor at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was hit and killed while riding her bike in Rittenhouse Square. It marked the city's first cycling death of this year. There were 10 deaths in 2023 according to the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
In 2017, Emily Fredricks was a pastry chef living in Philadelphia. She didn't have her car in the city because her commute to work was just a 12-minute bike ride. On November 28, 2017, the 24-year-old was hit and killed by a sanitation truck.
"We got a phone call from the hospital and the emergency room doctor told us that she had been killed. So here we're in New Jersey and we were told that she was killed. Now we all have to drive to Philadelphia knowing that she's dead," Emily's Mom, Laura Fredricks said.
Eventually, in 2022, charges were dropped after a judge tossed the case, ruling the truck driver was not reckless.
"No one gets held accountable for any other consequences of their actions unless they're driving under the influence or leave the scene of an accident," said Rich and Laura Fredricks, Emily's parents who have teamed up with organizations and other grieving families to convince lawmakers to prioritize traffic safety.
"We should be allowed to grieve and miss our daughter without trying to make streets safer because that should be common sense and it should already be in place," Laura Fredricks said.
Last month the Fredricks went to Harrisburg to advocate for more parking-protected bike lanes. Philadelphia has a handful throughout the city. Parking Separated Bike Lanes (PSBLs) allow parked cars to serve as a barrier between the bike lane and the lane of traffic.
Nicole Brunet with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia said there have been no fatalities on PSBLs in Philadelphia. She said a painted bike lane does not offer enough protection for riders.
CBS News Philadelphia found car after car blocking bike lanes in the city, oftentimes forcing cyclists into traffic.
Most signs in the city say "no parking" as opposed to "no stopping" which means drivers can legally block the lane for up to twenty minutes before being ticketed.
Some residents along Spruce Street said they need to park there at least for a short time to drop off items or unload groceries.
Last year, the Philadelphia Parking Authority issued 3,887 tickets to bike lane violators. That's roughly triple the amount issued each of the previous two years.
Still, our investigation found numerous cars parked for more than 20 minutes and up to 75 minutes with no driver inside.
"Everyone sees themselves as a driver and not as a pedestrian or a cyclist or someone using a wheelchair or a scooter. Even though all of us, as soon as we get out of our car, we're a pedestrian," Laura Fredricks said.
After Friedas' death earlier this week, Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson said he's requested the Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems to come up with safety measures that can be implemented in some parts of the city. He did not say whether permanent bike lane barriers will be considered.