Demand a Safer Fairmount Park!

"Make it safer for all the cyclists. This prevents injury and death, helps the environment, and enhances the greatest park system in America."

"I seek to support efforts to make bicycle and non-car transportation as safe as possible, within and outside of Fairmount! This effort is one of many that can be undertaken to support such efforts."

"It is high time that we prioritize the safety of pedestrians. People in cars, even well meaning people, lose a sense of anything but move, move, move, faster, faster, faster. We need structures in place to help people do the right thing, and to save lives."

"I live close to Fairmount park and bike, run and walk everywhere in the city. Sadly I never feel safe, even in the “parks” because car drivers make all our beautiful places deadly. Parks are for playing, sports, picnics with family and friends. Cars don’t belong there."

"The people of Philadelphia deserve safe streets for all. Not just for motorists, but cyclists, pedestrians and our children. It is ridiculous the amount of accidents and needless deaths that happen in this city just to benefit car drivers and traffic flow. Our lives matter more, as well as having safe walkable and bikeable communities."

"Fairmount park should be a car free oasis for Philadelphians to truly make this a world class city."

"Simple actions will save lives. Please make traffic calming a priority - in the Park, and throughout the city."

"Protect cyclists!"

"Absolutely wild out there. Sad truth is you take your life in your hands anytime you have to cross the street in Philadelphia. But Belmont is TERRIFYING."

"The park is for the people"

"Too many damn cars and they go so damn fast"

"I like living in Philly and I want to keep living"

"We want to live!!"

"We need better infrastructure to protect people from cars and make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians."

"I ride in and around the park daily. I've been hit once already. I hope there's some way to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians."

"How come a multi-laned Belmont Ave which goes through the City's largest park a part of the High Injury Network? It should be unacceptable that 41 people have been killed in car crashes inside or directly adjacent to Fairmount Park just in the last 6 years. New York, DC, and San Francisco have already reduced, and in some cases, eliminated motor vehicle traffic in parks.If we want a greener and safer Philadelphia that must mean protecting places for people safely recreate."

"Prioritize safety!!"

"Maybe unpave sections, add speed cushions?"

"The park, including its roads, should be a refuge, not a graveyard. There is no excuse for predictable and preventable traffic violence to endure when we have the knowledge and tools to change the roads and traffic norms. Lower speed limits and design roads to prevent dangerous driving. Protect cyclists and pedestrians--our lives are on the line."

"I was biking through in the city this weekend and was hit by a car. I was only inches from being the next dead bicyclist on this city's hands. I had a helmet, visible gear, it was daylight, and STILL a driver turned across two lanes of traffic and aimed for me like a heat-seeking missile."

"I bike often it Fairmont Park. It is truly a harrowing experience on most days. We must better utilize Fairmont park and return it's focus back to people rather than a highway for cars."

"Everyone deserves parks that are safe for walking, biking, and playing. Belmont Avenue should not be a racing drag strip."

"Fairmount Park could be a beautiful resource, but it's currently used primarily as an unchecked speedway for cars. Recently I tried crossing from the horticultural center to Belmont plateau and had to give up after multiple minutes because there was not a single break in traffic in either direction. We deserve better than this from supposed recreational spaces."

"Keep our friends and our kids safe!"

"It has baffled me, each time i drive or ride through the park, why has this core urban recreational resource been relegated to traffic thoroughfares. It is not a comfortable place to drive, and certainly not a pleasant place for recreation. This broad swath of urban parkland certainly has a higher use."

"Speed and convenience should not be prioritized over lives."

"I’m in the ‘burbs, but like to safely ride in the park."

"Fairmount Park (and East Fairmount Park) are currently not accessible or safe to non-drivers (and even drivers!). Much more is needed to make it a safe and inviting to park users who use a variety of transportation methods to travel to and within the parks. This petition represents a *minimum* of what should be done for my family and all Philadelphia families."

"Fairmount Park is my local park, and my husband rides his bike to work every single day. Common sense infrastructural changes to slow down cars can help protect my husband's life and keep everyone who enjoys the park safe."

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic; as well as a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"A safe park area is important for all!"

"Fairmount Park could be so much nicer if there were fewer cars! It should be a park not a commuter route."

"Safe roadways for all users is paramount."

"I have commuted 20,000+ miles to school and work with my son on our cargo bike. We often use park trails and roads, and the above statements are so true. Many paths and roads are in desperate need of repairs and bike friendly safety improvements. Thank you for considering this measure to help all the residents of our city stay safe and enjoy an increased quality of life. Peace, MarkM"

"Please prioritize pedestrian and bicycle safety."

"Our parks should be places where citizens can get exercise and enjoy the outdoors, not high-speed corridors for vehicles! We need a stronger focus on road safety."

"Parks are for people! Safety first ! Not one more life lost to senseless vehicular manslaughter !"

"As a primary care provider, I constantly tell my patients to exercise on a routine basis. That's just not possible when doing exercise and commuting via biking and walking is dangerous and life-threatening itself. We need public infrastructure that encourages people to be happy and healthy, and it will contribute to savings in $$$ down the line too in healthcare costs!"

"Concrete now!"

"Safer parks mean saving lives!"

"Philadelphia is a historic city with a lot of things to be proud of. Fairmount park sits in the middle of the city and should be a grand park for locals to be proud of, but instead it’s loud and dangerous as cars using it as a cut-through have been given priority over the pedestrians and cyclists who are actually there to enjoy it."

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic; as well as a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"Missing Harry every moment of every day. Instead of just another statistic, his death can be the catalyst for meaningful changes in road safety."

"Please take concrete action to establish concrete protectors for bike lanes, elevated pedestrian walkways with mandatory yield to pedestrian signs in Fairmount Park."

"Tragic. Just fix the sidewalks already!"

"We need infrastructure to keep the people of Philly safe from cars."

"This city is lawless and dangerous. We can do better."

"Make the roads safer with traffic calming techniques. The roads are essentially lawless for autos let alone riders and pedestrians...implement red light cameras too. Do it NOW!"

"We all pay taxes. May the roads safe for cyclists!!!"

"Please for the love of god"

"Urban Parks should be wnjineers as safe places for escaping traffic speeding cars and be a place to recreate and rejuvenate away from the monolith of auto focused development. Thank you"

"Safer parks mean safer people!"

"Unfortunately the only way to deal with our situation is for our city to acknowledge that the people are the problem. We need to actually punish the miscreants as opposes to making excuses for their behavior."

"I ride my bike into the city for work."

"I bike here every day. Every day my life is at risk from speeding, incompetent, cell-phone-texting, impatient, immature drivers, often without license plates, often with tinted windows, and almost always in a Dodge Charger."

"I ride a bicycle in Fairmount park weekly and encountering dangerous drivers is common. I’ve had drivers yell at me through their windows while speeding by while I was in the bike lane. We all aspire for Fairmount park to be a peaceful and safe place for people of all kinds to enjoy. However, we clearly not expect people to self-regulate and act in a safe, cautious manner behind the wheel. It doesn’t work and, as a result, people are killed and injured. Make the changes needed to the infrastructure to create the peaceful place that we aspire Fairmount park to be."

"Philly needs to have safer parks for cycling (and walking)"

"People don't need to die in our parks. Fix the problem and prioritize pedestrian safety"

"I ride through Fairmount Park often to go between West Philly/Center City and Lower Merion. Driver behavior in this area is wildly dangerous and unacceptable, especially during rush hour."

"Love Belmont park! But it’s a park, so it’s one of the most important places to prioritize outdoor recreation safety."

"Please make streets safer for children, the elderly, pedestrians and bicyclists. Too many of our citizens are dying in car crashes because the streets are designed for fast moving cars. A lethal outcome of this lack of safety measures is costing lives and money. Implement live saving safety infrastructure now! Susan Dannenberg"

"My partner bikes on Belmont Ave every day on his commute, so I worry that he will be hurt or killed."

"As a biker, I want to feel safe on the roads! And as a driver, I want the bikers to feel safe too."

"Parks are for people, not cars"

"Slow it down"

"Let's protect our neighbors, please. No more deaths."

"Close Belmont and Montgomery to thru traffic . They have destroyed the park and killed too many people . The cherry blossom grove is cut in half because of Belmont , all so they can get to 76 a few mins faster"

"I love Fairmount Park. Before my bike got stolen, I would constantly ride near the river to 15th St. I hope y’all are able to achieve your goal."

"Fairmount Parks is civic treasure. Please make it safer for bicyclists!"

"I used to bike regularly in the city but stopped completely several years ago because of how dangerous it has become. Because of driver behavior and road design, there is virtually no safe place in the city to ride a bike."

"Make Fairmount Park more accessible without using a car!"

"Streets should be safe for bikers and pedestrians!!"

"Please make the sidewalks and bike lanes in and around fairmount park safe for commuters and recreational cyclists of all ages. I've taken my kid with me a couple times into fairmount park on our electric cargo bike and am hesitant to do it because it is definitely not safe! The park is such a great resource but should be safely accessible by cars and cyclists and pedestrians!"

"This area is dangerous for everyone - pedestrians, cyclists, and cars alike. There isn’t a convenience interest to protect since it’s not adjacent to residential. The dangerous setup likely reduces use of this beautiful area. Reimagining this to be safer, walkable, and bikable would almost certainly increase visitors to and ease congestion near the Mann and Please Touch, which will have a positive ROI for the city."

"I ride my bike in Fairmount Park multiple times a per week. I love it, keeps me sane and healthy. But I have 2 boys at home and I’ve experienced several close calls with speeding reckless drivers. Sometimes running stop signs or red lights, other times crossing the double yellow at high speed to pass traffic and coming within 2-3 feet of me. Enforce the traffic laws that exist. Lack of enforcement encourages and emboldens bad behavior. Get cameras at the worst spots and track down the offenders."

"I regularly drive on Belmont Ave but rarely ride my bicycle because I have seen too many cars drive recklessly along this road. Instilling traffic-calming measures would make this stretch safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers."

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic; as well as a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"It is incredibly dissapointing to me that the city (both elected officials and city workers) see death and injury as just a part of everyday life. The car culture of this town should be called what it is: an appetite for murder."

"It is unacceptable that Philadelphia bicyclists must take their lives into their hands to get around the city. Deaths and injuries should not be part of the story. Best practices are replicable here. Let's have the political spine to make safety a non-negotiable."

"Traffic calming makes driving better for people in cars, too, because it reduces tailgaters who pressure everyone to go faster than they want to."

"Pedestrians, bikers, etc. should be able to enjoy the wonderful Fairmount Park and feel safe."

"Please, we need safe places to bike."

"As an avid cyclist, I have had countless harrowing moments throughout Fairmount Park. It's time to stop drivers from speeding through recklessly."

"Car speed MUST not trump safety for pedestrians and cyclers. Solutions are well known. Adopt them!"

"Fairmount Park must be a safe space for those citizens enjoying its expansive natural beauty and historic attractions. Make the changes needed to slow the cars down including fining and tickets that are enforced!"

"Just put up tall speed bumps. It's not hard or expensive and will save lives."

"Our parks should be a safe space for bikers and pedestrians!"

"Was almost hit recently by a driver running the red light at Kelly Dr. and Fairmount while crossing with the walk sign. Driver had crossed the double yellow into the oncoming traffic lanes and passed the cars stopped at the light to run through the light. Drivers in Philly are nuts, and drivers in the Park doubly so. A few too many close calls the past few weeks for me. Can we get some safer roads and streets, please, especially in and around the Park?"

"The design of Belmont Avenue and MLK Drive prioritize speeding rather than safety. Traffic on these roads is regularly 10-20 mph faster than the posted limits, endangering the lives of all road users. Combined with the bike lane marked with nearly invisible faded paint on 34th south of Girard, these roads threaten anyone headed to University City from Roxborough, Manayunk, or Bala Cynwyd."

"I’m tired of attending funerals for friends killed by traffic violence."

"I ride through Fairmount park often, and drive through the park as well on Belmont avenue. It is ridiculous to have such a road in the park for through traffic, as a driver you wouldn't even know you're in Fairmount Park, but as a pedestrian or cyclist it is impossible to ignore the cars whizzing past, ignoring cross walks and driving recklessly in what's supposed to be a recreational area"

"Now open MLK will be the same"

"Commute on Belmont.. men are crazed to get ahead, reckless, Worst from Montgomery to Parkside to Girard .. little yellow markers already knocked over ... dig up the median make it impossible to pass. Prohibit all left turns across traffic at parkside and the avenue of the republic . Roundabout will create bumper car situation people nosing in...drivers too angry aggressive self centered and full of privilege one fender bender and everything comes to a halt... will be shooting for sure.. they will literally drive right across it to gain one car length Warning ....now MLK open it will be the same there .."

"cycling is a vital part of the Philadelphia area and cyclists deserve to be safe. Today they are not because of inadequate infrastructure and poor traffic control. This needs to change."

"Please implement traffic calming measures in this key area. In addition, please address speeding cars throughout the city. It is time to take seriously the speed limits that are posted. In the meantime, as an older resident and committed bike safety advocate, I support this initiative."

"The park should prioritize safe recreation and not facilitate aggressive driving and speeding."

"Keep our bikers safe, Philadelphia!"

"Fairmount Park should be a sanctuary, not a shortcut. I strongly support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Avenue, along with lower speed limits and urgent repairs to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. These changes aren’t just about traffic, they’re about dignity, access, and honoring the legacy of a park that once welcomed millions without a single car. As someone who values people-first design and strategic public investment, I believe Fairmount Park must reflect the best of Philadelphia: safe, inclusive, and built for connection. Let’s make this transformation happen before another life is lost."

"Fairmount Park is a celebrated space in our city, but we can and should make it safer for pedestrians, bikers, and drivers, young and old, Philadelphians and visitors."

"F CARS!!!"

"Philly should be on the forefront of bike & pedestrian safety, not falling behind the rest of the world. Make the streets softer for everyone!"

"Yet another preventable death at the hands of speeding murder boxes."

"I bike and drive through Fairmount Park often; the amount of times I’ve almost gotten hit on my bike and almost into accidents in my car due to insanely high speed drivers is unacceptable. Philadelphia has a huge reckless driver problem but we shouldn’t have to worry about dying in a public park."

"Biking in Philly makes our city a very desirable place to live. Making it safe is so important!"

"If our parks and recreation spaces aren't safe for bikes or pedestrians, where can anyone be safe in Philadelphia? We cannot lose anymore lives to reckless motor-friendly design. Let's put people first and make our parks safe for everyone. Thank you!"

"I used to ride through Fairmount every morning, but had to stop after being nearly hit one too many times. Seeing the news about Harry Fenton was devastating for many reasons, but terrified me to know that I had ridden the exact same route many times and could have been killed just like him. Fairmount is a park, not a highway, and should be centered around kids, the elderly, and families- not cars."

"Pedestrian/bicycle centered street design is an investment in the future of Philadelphia. It makes Philly more accessible for all and raises standard of living. No more preventable traffic deaths when we know we can design better to make the streets safer for everyone, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers!"

"Please help make our streets safer for pedestrians and bikes. we have had far too many bike and pedestrian deaths. There are very fast drivers all over our small streets. We have dozens of schools, universities, colleges, and older people and bikers. We also have very high speeding rates with unbelievably low penalties for speeding. support enclosed bike lanes, support safe streets for people, not just cars. too many deaths in Philadelphia"

"I walk around the city frequently, and have been hit by a negligent car driver in the past, affecting my academics and work. People are vulnerable to these heavy machines and great care and planning needs to be done to protect us. Of all places, the park should be safe for cyclists and pedestrians."

"I ride my bike all over the city for transportation. I ride through the parks for pleasure. Bikes should be safe everywhere but especially in parks. Bikes are great for our individual, municipal and planetary health. Philadelphia and Philadelphians only benefit from more of us riding bikes."

"Make our Parks safe for pedestrians and cyclists!"

"YES, we need safer roads in Fairmont Park. Kelly drive is the worth of all streets!!! Not patrolled by local police and the state police are no where to be seen. Put speed bumps on Kelly drive from museum to East Falls Bridge."

"Why is Fairmount park, one of the largest parks in a major American city, so inaccessible and dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists? This park was designed for people to escape the city and enjoy nature. It's glory has eroded over time as it's evolved into an elaborate series of "cut through" roads for cars. It should be restored to serve as a point of pride for Philadelphia!"

"The Park is a place of refuge from the urban environment, but too often the Park's roadways violate this spirit. That's especially true of the Belmont Avenue section, where you take your life in your hands just trying to cross the street. Roundabouts will slow traffic and remind drivers that this is a park, not a race course!"

"Need safer parks"

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic. I also support a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"Roads are not just for cars!"

"Humans should be able to have fun safely in fairmount without being encased in a car."

"Park should be for people not cars !"

"PennDoT needs to do the right thing at stop prioritizing vehicular speed and traffic volume over the lives of our neighbors. We need a road diet!"

"These safety improvements are absolutely needed! Motor vehicles cannot be prioritized in the spaces. People need safe places to be outside and together without fear of being injured or dealing with motor vehicle traffic."

"People drive on Belmont like it is a highway. Our streets our for us. Please give them back and stop the senseless traffic violence."

"I regularly bike in the Fairmount Park area go travel to the Edgely Ultimate Fields. It is consistently a rough area to bike or walk due to lack of crosswalks, crossing lights, and speeding cars. I'm always on high alert. The park of all places should have safety measures in place for bikers and pedestrians."

"Parks should be safe places for bikes and pedestrians."

"Would love to see a safer park for cyclists and pedestrians!"

"I drive on Belmont Avenue every day for work. It is a shame that our city’s greatest park has been turned into a highway cut through to avoid traffic on 76. I would gladly have a less convenient commute if it meant a better and safer a Fairmount Park.."

"Je vis en France mais je vais souvent à Philadelphie. On demande des rues plus sûres !"

"Something must be done about the wreck less driving in Philadelphia"

"Traffic calming is really needed before cars reach common pedestrian entrances and exits from the park."

"Bike safety is paramount! Get your shit together Philly!"

"What we are asking for isn’t crazy or hard to do or even expensive. At the most basic level, we just wanna be able to ride a bike without getting killed."

"Clean up the parks !"

"Safe passage is all we are talking about."

"why, why cant we have a safe city to ride and walk. Please, dont keeo waiting for others to die to react. Please prevent more bike and pedestrian deaths in our streets and our parks."

"We demand a safer infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, and runners."

"Would love to see a safer park for pedestrians and cyclists!"

"All users of West Fairmount Park deserve better, especially those there to enjoy recreation and relaxation."

"I run and ride through west fairmount park (and yes, drive too) multiple times per week. The speed of traffic for a public park is absolutely unacceptable and taints one of Philly's best green spaces."

"I regularly ride in Fairmount Park and it is far too unsafe. It needs to change now!"

"We need safer streets for all, especially bicycles and pedestrians."

"I support safer streets for cycling and pedestrians. In loving memory of Gregory Herman"

"Fairmount park is designed to kill people. It's barely a park, it's basically highways/freeways with a patch of green grass on the side. Remove the roads from our parks and give us a real city park like every other world class city. Other cities don't have people being killed by cars in their parks because PARKS are for people, NOT CARS in other cities."

"Road diets make streets safer for all users - drivers, bikers, and pedestrians. We need these improvements now."

"Fairmount Park is beautiful. Slowing down the cars will make it more beautiful. There is no good reason not to save the lives of next year’s potential victims."

"I bike to Fairmount Park on Belmont Ave, or walk through this intersection when I get off the 64 bus, frequently. I am extremely scared now, knowing the danger of that area. I don't want unsafe streets to stop people from enjoying our parks! Everyone deserves to bike and walk safely. Safer Streets Now!"

"as a person who commutes on bike, and values the alternative to driving, I ask that the City support the ability of us all, not just drivers, to be safe in our travel. We need to slow traffic in the park to everyone can use it safely. Thanky you"

"Thank you for stopping the needless deaths. Everyone sould be able to travel freely wihtout fearing for their safety. A car should not be a requirement to survive."

"much needed."

"Philadelphia is a wonderfully bikeable city but the frequency of preventable deaths and terrifying car interactions every cyclist faces on a weekly basis are far too much. Please do take steps to slow traffic and allow for safe driving and biking."

"Take any precautions necessary to end the murder of cyclists! Harry and all cyclists deserve better. We know how to prevent deaths; there is no reason not to be implementing them. Human lives are worth the cost; stop choosing cars over lives! Our public spaces should be prioritizing pedestrian enjoyment of nature, not car infrastructure."

"As a bicyclist & member of Families For Safe Streets, I strongly support a road diet & round about on Belmont Ave."

"I have crossed Belmont Ave. on my bike where that poor man was killed."

"Slower is safer. Simple as that."

"There has been enough death. Let the latest death of my friend Harry be the last."

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic; as well as a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"NO one should have the ability to speed through parks where people are riding bikes."

"Install traffic cameras at the intersection in front of the zoo please - that is one of the most abused intersection in Philadelphia and more and more pedestrians and cyclists are using it. It’s only a matter of time before it’s a regular killer"

"I support the improvements put forward by Philly Bike Action to prioritize pedestrian and cyclist safety. Everyone deserves to make it home."

"We all deserve safer parks!"

"I live in Norristown, but bike into the city fairly regularly. Traffic is a nightmare, and drivers are insane. Not much we can do about city streets, but cars have no place in parks, especially driving at high speeds and with little regard for non-motorized park users. Since the pandemic, traffic law enforcement is basically non-existent, and drivers know this. Let's put a stop to the insanity on the park!"

"Having been a reckless youth who abused these particular roadways, and now having matured to appreciate the diversity or uses and users of these same roadways, I can say that the roadways were not designed with safety in mind for the variety of modern uses now seen in this section of the park. I fully support a thorough redesign of these intersections and the inclusion of traffic calming measured to encourage non-motorized human-powered transportation."

"Fairmount park, East and West, does not need to be a highway network. It vastly over prioritizes car traffic and makes it dangerous and uninviting."

"I echo what so many people have written here. Vehicular traffic must be calmed!"

"On September 2, 2025, Harry Fenton, a resident of Philadelphia and a member of Philly Bike Action, was struck and killed by a speeding car while riding his bike in Fairmount Park at the intersection of Belmont Avenue and the Avenue of the Republic. We call on our city leaders and PennDOT to prioritize safety over speed in Fairmount Park and: Introduce a road diet on Belmont Avenue and install quick-build traffic calming immediately. Immediately lower the speed limit on ALL roads in the park to 25 mph. Repair the Park’s crumbling cycling and pedestrian paths, beginning by fixing the damaged multi-use path on both sides of Belmont Ave for the 2026 Semiquincentennial. Construct single-lane roundabouts at the intersections of Belmont Ave & Avenue of the Republic, and Belmont Ave & Concourse Dr."

"I bike to work every day and demand safer routes around the city with concrete barriers. Every day someone threatens my life and when I drive a car in the city I see how I can easily endanger bikers and civilians with our current infrastructure."

"Please make Fairmount Park a safe and fun place to be."

"The lack of safety for people trying to enjoy A PARK is disgusting."

"I’m in the UK right now and my friends here laugh at our pitiful street design—how we prioritize wide cars and fast traffic speeds over human life. Even in towns a third the population of philly, large downtown areas and public parks are pedestrian and bike only. I’d love to be able to convince more people to visit my hometown but it’s hard when our streets and even our parks are death traps. Make me proud to be a Philadelphian."

"Yes please. This beautiful park is totally diminished by the deathtrap highways laced through it. No need for that!!"

"Please support low-cost interventions that will make our streets safer!"

"RIP HARRY FENTON"

"I’ve been hit by a car while doing “all the right things” as a cyclist. We need to change the roads so drivers are more safe."

"If we want the City of Philadelphia be one of the leaders for the inevitable change that's coming...let's really make this action happen."

"I'm stressed traveling in Fairmount Park almost any time I go, regardless of transportation mode. It's a monumental shame considering how much potential there is and the lives lost and the fact that people spend less time outdoors in such a beautiful green space because it's inaccessible and uncomfortable."

"Please help stop these accidents from happening!"

"Bikers should have the same rights as car drivers"

"parks should be for people to enjoy nature and to protect our water and air quality, not for high-speed car traffic."

"It is so disappointing that such a beautiful park is cut through by dangerous roads and even a highway! There is not even a crosswalk on Montgomery drive, which cuts West Fairmount in two pieces that are nearly impossible to cross between safety on foot. Cars come flying off the highway between the horticultural society and Belmont Plateau, where people should be able to walk and ride bikes safely. It’s time to follow Central Park’s example and de-center cars, focusing on the safety and enjoyment of people who come to use the park."

"These cyclists' deaths are even the more horrible because they are so preventable. Please invest in better infrastructure to protect cyclists and reduce reckless speeding."

"In addition to being a lifelong cyclist, Harry was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. His tragic death was preventable. He should have enjoyed many more healthy, active years and his family should have had that time to share with him. Something must be done to assure the safety of others who, like Harry, enjoy visiting Fairmount Park. (Harry’s cousin)"

"We must stanch the bloodshed!"

"All of the park drives in west Fairmount park are too wide. The concourse drives are redundant and encourage speeding and dangerous driving. This area has fantastic amenities for walking, hiking, running biking and outdoor sports, but the road design makes accessing these spaces difficult and dangerous without a car, including getting down to the MLK drive trail. The neighborhoods surrounding, Belmont Ave. should be the best neighborhoods for Kids because all these amenities should be right out their door and accessible on their feet or bike."

"I have three adult children and spouses who ride their bikes in Philly. I spend time in Portland OR where drivers know how to treat bikers and pedestrians. Philly drivers are the worst—even when I have two young ones in a stroller—you take their lives and your own in your hands because drivers here speed and ignore pedestrians and bikers."

"If you drove/cycled/walked these roads regularly, you’d jump at the chance to slow some of these drivers down. Reckless."

"I have biked through Fairmount Park exactly twice since moving to Philly, despite living right next to it, and both times I have had near misses with cars that could have easily ended in me getting seriously injured or even killed. Incidents like these are never reported; they're only talked about at home once you return all shaken up. But I imagine experiences like mine are extremely common, with only the ones ending in tragic death such as Harry Fenton's ending up in statistics. The reason I was drawn to biking on a high speed roadway such as Belmont Ave is that on a map it looks very enticing: it's an avenue through a park that connects my neighborhood to the lovely Cynwyd Heritage Trail taking you on to Manayunk. Only upon arriving do you realize this is a park only in name: it has very few visitors, only through-drivers, and the park spaces are broken up by an intricate network of high speed, high throughput roads. The park is not designed for people: it is hostile to them, as shown by my experience, that of Harry Fenton, and countless others. Fairmount has hidden remnants of a glorious past dotted all around: crumbling, buried trolley platforms, several miles of trails, and historic buildings. But if you ask around, nobody goes there and for good reason; it's impossible to get around the park without a car, and attempting to walk around will have you sprinting across roads with no crosswalks or sidewalks, never fully escaping the road noise. I support a whole reimagining of Fairmount Park, to give Philadelphia's hidden treasure back to her residents."

"You gotta just do it. Cmon, don't you want less people to die and for more people to enjoy our beautiful city with fewer cars polluting the air we and our children breathe?"

"Safe streets and parks are for the people."

"I'm so terrified of being killed please"

"Making the park safer for bikes and pedestrians benefits everyone - less traffic, healthier air, and better infrastructure."

"Everyone deserves to get home to their loved ones. Philadelphia and all surround municipalities must plan amd deaign for all users, with a special focus on protecting the most vulnerable road users."

"We need to treat Fairmount Park as a park. It is for the citizens of Philadelphia, not suburban commuters!"

"No one should have to fear for or lose their life while cycling through the park, especially mid-morning on a weekday. Allocate the necessary funds and resources to make meaningful change. Do it in honor of Harry Fenton, his friends and family, and everyone else grieving the loss of someone they loved in a similar situation. (Harry's Cousin)"

"I used to work at least two days a week in West Fairmount Park. I frequently witnessed car crashes caused by speeding and reckless drivers. We need traffic calming on that street and the areas surrounding the park so that kids at the multiple schools surrounding the park can safely cross roads. We need road diets that cause drivers to slow enough to avoid dangerous crashes with each other and other road users. Parks should be safe places to find recreation and fun, not death traps."

"Park are for people!"

"Fairmount Park is supposed to be Philadelphia's crown jewel. We are fortunate to have this incredible expanse of green space that should be the envy of every other city in the country. It is used by Philadelphians of every income level, from all corners of the city, but Belmont Ave. currently serves as a speedway dividing east from west and is an awful experience to cross. It's an even worse experience to travel along, whether by foot, bike, or car given the excessive speeds and frequent reckless red light running. The side paths are in an embarrassing state and discourage people from traveling on them along the avenue if the speeding traffic wasn't deterrent enough already. Making Belmont Ave. a safer street would help draw more people to West Fairmount Park, which could really use more attention."

"There have been 41 more traffic deaths in Fairmount park since 2019 than in the entire city of Hoboken, NJ"

"Who's bright idea was it to build a series of highways through the largest most used park in the city? You have a chance to correct this monstrously absurd blunder. Stop prioritizing the park's use as a cut through for drivers and make Fairmount a safe space for the pedestrians, bikers, kids, sports teams, and everyone else that actually use this wonderful green space."

"Our parks are made for people not cars. Please support safer infrastructure throughout Fairmount Park for bikers and pedestrians to enjoy all our parks have to offer."

"We have to do everything we can to prevent biker deaths. This is not a hard or expensive intervention."

"Please make Fairmount Park safer for all users."

"How many people have to die before you make changes!"

"These improvements are desperately needed. (Harry’s cousin)"

"As a physician who specializes in rehabilitation medicine, I have seen far too many patients who are victims of traffic violence. Poor road design directly contributes to this epidemic."

"I work at The Mann center and bike through fairmount park to get there. Fairmount park has never felt like a park and barely has sidewalks. And the bike lanes that are there are too easy for drivers to drive into when they get frustrated with traffic. Just last week I was almost hit while I was in the bike lane on Belmont Ave at the intersection with Montgomery drive because a driver was impatient waiting for the light to change and he wanted to make a right on red so he went into the bike lane behind me to go around the traffic instead of waiting his turn. When I return to work at The Mann center in 2026 I hope fairmount park feels like a legitimate park instead of a highway."

"I fear for my life every time I ride in this part of Fairmount Park. Please help make pedestrians and cyclists feel safe visiting this park!"

"Cycling has been such an important way for me and my children to get around Philadelphia, but I fear putting my family at risk. Please help make the city safer for all!"

"People want to live"

"I cycle through Fairmount Park daily year-round. I've had SO MANY close calls and and they are terrifying. The traffic calming measures on Concourse and the bi-directional bike land on Parkside have made a real difference! Please expand upon these efforts by clearly marking the roundabouts and adding traffic calming and lower speed limits throughout the park."

"Belmont Ave shouldn’t be a highway."

"Improve the street lighting, as well! Visibility saves lives!"

"Philly’s biggest park should prioritize walking, biking, and being outdoors rather than cars."

"Our parks are critical for people to enjoy and recreate.Please prioritize slowing down drivers."

"I've been hit by a car in Philly and it sucks. The sheer number of people means that even if just 1 out of every 100 drivers isn't paying attention, it'll happen eventually. Fairmount Park needs better infrastructure to prevent unnecessary deaths. This is a core function of a government."

"Making our city and our premiere park truly bike friendly is only going to happen with continued support from each mayoral administration. Be on the right side of history, make Philly’s Fairmount safe for everybody."

"A safer city for pedestrians & cyclists is a safer and better city for everyone."

"Fairmount Park should be a safe place to enjoy with friends, family, and neighbors. Not somewhere we have to worry about speeding cars. The wide roads and broken paths put everyone at risk. Slowing traffic, fixing trails, and redesigning Belmont Ave will save lives and make the park the welcoming public space Philadelphia deserves."

"Philly has such potential to be a great (and safe) cycling city!"

"Traffic calming measures and physically separated bike lanes are safer for ALL modes of transportation, and would encourage a lower dependence on cars."

"Prioritize the park, not commuters!"

"Our parks should not be death zones! This is unacceptable"

"Allowing car users to injure and kill people is a choice. Please make a different choice and implement strong safety measures now. It seems clear that relying on drivers to regulate themselves is not working."

"bike and pedestrian friendly infrastructure that reduces car speeds in human-scale places like fairmount park, where families live on one side of the gulf-like street situation of montgomery and parkside and kids are walking around kelly pool on the other, where so many people go to bike, run, walk, see concerts at night before walking or biking home… SAVES LIVES"

"Furthermore, I support a campaign to educate drivers about cyclists' rights. I'm tired of the city's refusal to acknowledge the very basic issue of drivers thinking they have the right to pass cyclists, let alone of them pulling over in bike lanes, or when a driver does have the sense to stop in the road, the other drivers swerving into the bike lane to pass them. Why is the city so afraid to talk to drivers?"

"We need to make Philadelphia safer and greener for all."

"Montgomery is absolutely impossible to cross as a pedestrian (or cyclist) from MLK Drive up to Belmont. Say a prayer and RUN. The path is on the south side only so you are completely cut off from Belmont Plateau. And the intersection of Belmont and Montgomery is a pedestrian's worst nightmare. Fairmount Park should be a place to be enjoyed not raced through at top speed."

"The safety of People walking and on bicycles should take precedence over through traffic. Please immediately make speeding and dangerous driving less possible. Philly is lucky to have large parks in the city. We should make this resource safe for ALL to use!"

"Prioritize people, not cars, in Philadelphia"

"Nothing would make me happier. (Harry’s Sister)"

"Everyone benefits from safer roads!"

"People drive way too aggressively and I’ve never seen any resources posted to ensure cars are driving safely."

"Bikes are important"

"Please prioritize the safety of ALL people in Fairmount park. Fairmount park is an urban park for recreation, not a race track. The city should take action immediately to stop reckless use of the park including speeding and create safe pathways for all non-vehicle users."

"A park should always be a safe place for one to ride a bicycle or enjoy any recreational activity without worry of being struck by a motor vehicle."

"It shouldn’t be this difficult to ask and fight for something as simple as safer roads for those of us who bike, whether we’re commuters or biking recreationally. Drivers need to be held more accountable for their actions and if these changes help us get there, we should all be behind this effort."

"My brother-in-law, Harry, should have been able to ride back home safely that day."

"Please help us make Philly a safer place and one we are proud to be a part of. Many of these streets are so scary to ride on! Even as a pedestrian or cyclist on the Kelly drive SRT, it is so scary to be that close to cars driving SO fast. When will the 25 mph speed be enforced?"

"It is shameful that the city refuses to take the inexpensive steps necessary to save lives of pedestrians and cyclists."

"Bike safety should be a top priority for the city. Even car drivers benefit as safer riding will allow more people to ride which will take cars off the road and reduces congestion."

"I commute through the Belmont Ave side of Fairmount Park, near Parkside Ave several times a week. I cannot even begin to express how dangerous it is. This is a park, not a highway, and the speeds, road design, and safety should reflect such. People can’t even use the park on this side for recreational activities because it is so dangerous to walk or bike, and the neighborhoods adjacent are primarily neighborhoods of color."

"Design the city for people, not cars."

"Park should be a safe place for pedestrians and cyclists. I understand sometimes cars need to drive through there, but it should be at slow speeds. Crossing Montgomery Drive or Belmont Drive is frightening."

"Please! The streets in Fairmount park are absolutely terrifying. I walk on them, I bike on them, and most frequently I drive on them. I have never felt safe with ANY mode of transport on these streets. Please implement these improvements for everyone, cars included!"

"Fairmount park is such a gem, it should be so much easier to get here on a bike! The fact that pedestrians and cyclists are regularly killed by reckless drivers is completely a failure of local and state government."

"climate change is here and we need this!"

"Biking in Fairmount park- a place meant for the people- shouldn’t be a life or death situation. Make Fairmount and all of Philly safer for hikers and pedestrians!"

"please make our roads safer for all users!"

"Our city's parks should not be thoroughfares. The speed limit for all vehicle should not exceed 20 mph. My preference would be 10 to 15 mph speed limit in all parks."

"We need to take a step back from car-centric infrastructure and reward and encourage those not constantly pumping pollutants into the atmosphere with every trip. People first, not car first."

"Punished speeding drivers and make Fairmount safer, drivers and cars shouldn't have priority nor the ability to speed in parks."

"41 cyclist deaths in and around Fairmount park since 2019 is a disgrace."

"Plus more enforcement against dangerous driver behavior."

"I don't feel safe biking through Fairmount Park near roads that lead to highway ramps or Belmont Ave. It should be safe enough for families to explore. 41 deaths is awful."

"Please prioritize pedestrian and biker safety! Parks should prioritize the people using them and not the drivers passing through."

"Safety for pedestrians and cyclists should be the city’s highest priority."

"Biking is my main means of transportation. I don’t want to fear being hit by a car every time I leave my house to go to the grocery store or to work. I’ve been run off the road multiple times by angry drivers and passed by speeding cars. I’ve also seen scary and totally preventable bike accidents. I want better bike infrastructure in Philadelphia so we can feel safe getting around."

"Shameful that the park is treated like a car sewer instead of a destination for human beings to enjoy. It should not be dangerous to bicycle or walk in a park."

"I support a safer Fairmont Park for all. The City of Philadelphia owes its residents and visitors safe passage, regardless of their ability to buy or drive a car."

"Put pedestrians and cyclists first in philly!"

"I stopped riding on roads and paths through Fairmount Park 3 years ago because of drivers speeding, racing, and running lights on a regular basis. It is a sad state of affairs that one of the most dangerous places for people outside of cars in our city is a park. Please stop ignoring car violence and stop surrendering our public spaces to people in cars with no regard for others."

"Safer streets everywhere!!!!!"

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic; as well as a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"Please, they need to slow down. Thank you!"

"Cities are for people, not cars. Infrastructure that allows everyone in all modes of transportation to move safely and share public spaces is what keeps people in the city, using these spaces, making density work."

"Safe green space is already limited in our city. The current prioritization of drivers over pedestrians/cyclists using our largest park renders it inaccessible and dangerous. Thousands more people would be inclined to enjoy Fairmount Park if it was actually treated as a park and not as an obstacle for drivers to get through as quickly as possible."

"Fairmount park on both sides of the river infrastructure need to be updated to connect the people to the park safely"

"I recently moved to Philadelphia from a city with very strong bicycling infrastructure. I found myself in Fairmount Park on a bike ride a week before the tragic death of Mr. Fenton, and it was very clear how unsafe the roads there are for cyclists. The park is beautiful and has so much potential to be a bike haven, and I ask that that city work to make the streets safer."

"Traffic calming is inexpensive and will go a very long way towards making Belmont safer."

"Unacceptable the city planning and how uneducated drivers in ths city are"

"Please make Fairmount Park safer for all parkgoers, whether they're in cars and especially if they're not. Parks should not be so car-focused as how Fairmount and other Philadelphia parks currently exist."

"I am a somewhat recent newcomer to Philadelphia, and I continue to be shocked that the powers that be don't take more steps to make our streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Please listen to the people and work to make Fairmount Park safer by instituting safety measures!"

"I live in Fairmount and ride past the Please Touch Museum and Belmont Plateau multiple times per week. We need safer roads and bike lanes. Please work to save lives."

"It shouldn't take someone's death, let alone the deaths of 41 people, for the city to take action to keep everyone safe."

"We deserve a park that is centered NOT on cars and vehicular traffic."

"Parks are for people! Parks need to be a place for people to feel safe, and designing the roads in such a way that makes it impossible for another person to die in Fairmount Park is essential"

"Fairmont park could be a world class park every bit as good as Prospect Park or Golden Gate Park, but it is held back by the city of philadelphia’s and PENDOT’s insistence of massive racetracks traveling through it every which way. The park is genuinely dangerous and people are going to keep dying until the roads traveling through it are built for slower speeds and less traffic. it is absolutely unacceptable that cars are prioritized over pedestrians and cyclists in a city park!"

"This tragedy was completely avoidable. These measures are desperately needed to keep people safe while biking."

"Pedestrian and cyclists deserve equal access to safe roads. No one should have to worry for their lives when they use their feet or a bicycle to move about the city. We have to make roads accessible to non-motorized vehicles as the use of e-scooters and bicycle increases."

"I recently purchased a home in Philly. I am investing in this city and I truly hope it invests back in residents like me with safer, smarter urban design."

"Always here for bike safety, I was doored in the bike lane in West Philly a couple years back and it was the scariest flash of my life, we need safer roads for the many, many people that use a bike to get around the city."

"Philadelphia needs to support more transit options than cars. The lives and quality of lives of its residents are at stake."

"Fairmount Park is an embarrassing assortment of car shortcuts, too much asphalt, not enough paths or safe infrastructure. It needs to be reimagined as a PARK, not extra space for highways to cut through."

"Permanent debris along the Parkside Ave with standing water seasonally at 53rd St. intersection, very sketchy trail part in the 52st St. underpass - feel unsafe, need lighting and scheduled regular cleanup."

"What happened to Vision Zero?"

"Bike deaths are preventable. Make Fairmount park safe now!"

"Biking in Fairmount should be safe and accessible for all."

"Fairmount is such a special park and we should all be able to spend time in it or travel through it without fearing for our safety."

"I ride through Fairmount Park regularly, especially at the intersection where Harry Fenton was killed. The fact that a park has roads that runs at highway speeds is unacceptable."

"I am a frequent visitor and my sister lives in the neighborhood. I was friends with Harry and Ruth Ann. This tragedy could have been prevented. Make Fairmount safer!"

"Philly needs to make bicycling safer!"

"I tried to ride with my kids to a picnic at Belmont Grove. We were nearly offroading, the path was so bad. And wow the noise from the highway next to us! Shameful for a park with so much potential. Oh and did I mention it was less than 24 hours between our ride and the killing of Harry Fenton?"

"Please bicycle lanrs on Belmont Ave"

"It's a park, not a racing court. People should have a safe access to it, so walking and cycling should be prioritized and made safe."

"Biking in Philadelphia can be so much safer than it currently is, bike safety protects everyone."

"I’m a medical student at PCOM and ride my bike down Belmont Ave to get to school. The speed of traffic is too high and I am scared to cross the streets on that road, even when I am on the bike trail and have right of way."

"Harry Fenton is my uncle. Our world and communities have lost an incredibly generous and intelligent participant. All deserve to love and enjoy cycling as long as he did - safe roads designed intentionally for safe cycling are crucial for this to happen."

"Please lookout for others and help to prevent further injuries/deaths from occurring."

"Turn back the clock and make Fairmount Park what it was designed for — a recreational space for the people, not motor vehicles and dangerous drivers. That would be true progress!"

"Fairmount Park has so much unrealized potential because it priorities cars cutting through over people using it as a park. It shouldn’t take people dying for things to get better!"

"Protect outdoor recreation in this city. Stop the needless traffic violence through good planning and design."

"Fewer cars moving at slower speeds will be better for the environment and our quality of life. Thank you."

"I support a bike safe Fairmount Park and bike lanes all over the city!"

"How many more people have to die before you do something?"

"Safer streets and parks for all!"

"I am not a Philly resident but a member of my family was killed in this area by poor antiquated road design that enables dangerous and careless driving. This plan will save lives and improve the overall safety and aesthetic of the park. Parks are for people and the roads in them should be designed for people to safely use them- not for the convenience of any vehicle."

"As a regular walker, biker and driver in fairmount park I believe making it safer will help the city immensely. I have two young children who often join me and I want it to be safe enough for them to one day bike there independently."

"The parks are so unsafe, with no monitoring...it shouldn't be dangerous for my kid to ride from Fairmount to Smith Playground, but somehow the park is as dangerous as city streets."

"Make philly safe for cyclists!"

"Today’s drivers are aggressive and reckless. Please protect the citizens of the city."

"Speed bumps should be mandatory in areas where we know these lawbreakers like to race.. the bike lanes have tons of debris, such as sand gravel, nuts, and bolts bottles we only have 3 feet of space available to us. It needs to be respected our lives depend on it. if there were a harsh consequence for violating the bike lane like picture this. Now this is pure fantasy, but a laserbeam cuts your car in half for making that horrible mistake. Certainly NOW it becomes important to you to avoid crossing over that line. Always checking your rearview mirror being aware of cyclist. ON can someone do something about bike lanes that suddenly come to an end due to it beingcovered with an overgrowth of plant life!!! Goes truly, Troy White."

"We desperately need safe bike lanes and a road diet in Fairmount Park. It should be possible to get to the Zoo and park amenities by bike without feeling that you are jeopardizing your life or that of your child's."

"It saddens me that as a Philadelphia resident, I would never consider going to Fairmount Park because it is too dangerous and hostile to anyone not in a car. Fairmount Park could be a world class park if we prioritized creating safe protected spaces for people to enjoy it."

"Please help make this a safer, more pleasant space for families by calming the traffic on Belmont Ave. Thanks!"

"We need safer streets. Philly has become the worst place to walk, ride a bike, or even drive a car. It’s driving lawlessness."

"We need more bike lanes and lower the speed limit throughout Fairmount Park!"

"Fairmount has the potential to be a world class urban park, if only it were designed for people to enjoy rather than the speeding drivers who go through it."

"Our streets need to be safe for all users, not just cars!"

"No more lives lost due to ignorance behind the wheel of an automobile"

"Fairmount park has the capacity to be a world class park. The roadways within the park are built to prioritize speed of 4,000 pound vehicles with little regard for those within the park. It's not a safe place to enjoy recreation. There are few places within Philadelphia to connect outside and this park is almost wasted given the danger of it's road network. Outright hostile to park goers."

"Definitely need to make our streets safer. Im all for stricter roads.."

"Fairmount Park could be an amazing urban amenity and instead it is a nightmare. We should not have to lose precious lives to get safety. Philly could be amazing for cyclists and pedestrians and instead it is backwards, embarrassing, and deadly."

"Fairmount Park is patently unsafe because of excessive vehicle speed and traffic through the Park. What should be the jewel of the city is an embarrassment compared to Central Park or Golden Gate Park. Parks exist for people and nature, not for cars."

"I bike and work in the area of this latest driver-caused bicyclist fatality, and traffic slowing, roundabouts, and road diets would make an enormous difference for those of us who ride in and around Fairmount Park. No more bike rider deaths in Philly!"

"Please make Fairmount Park safe for everyone! Pedestrians and cyclists should be able to use this space without fearing for our lives."

"This driver violence and murder is facilitated by traffic engineering and design by city and private officials of intersections and roadways in Fairmount Park that prioritize motor vehicle speed and volume over the safety of humans that utilize the public, open space."

"Imagine a major city where its biggest and most well known park is a place where families can walk and bike from nearby neighborhoods into the park safely and comfortably. That could be Philly and Fairmount Park, but that is not currently a reality. This is a simple concept that we can make real. We built these roads and we can design them to ensure safety, comfort, and access. Let's make the necessary changes and improve Philly's biggest park with the biggest potential for greatness."

"Turn all roads in Fairmount park to pedestrian only!!! Entitled drivers should be happy they have the 76"

"Bicyclist and pedestrian deaths are entirely preventable. We must make this city safe for its people, not only the cars."

"Similar to Republicans after repeated school shootings who fail to act, the City of Philadelphia repeatedly fails to take decisive action to prevent needless cyclist and pedestrian deaths as a result of unsafe routes throughout our city."

"It's wild that one of the biggest green spaces in the city acts as a highway. It should be used as a park! That starts with making driving more difficult and making recreation and active transportation the top priority."

"Stop leaving bicyclists safety up to chance! Design roads that prioritize bicyclists safety over vehicular speed and convenience."

"I voted🤝"

"What an avoidable tragedy. There's no reason not to prevent another."

"Let's make sure ALL the recommendations to Fairmount Park/Belmont Ave happen as soon as possible"

"I vote!"

"Make our streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians. We can easily prevent accidents, injuries and deaths by making the roads safer."

"Cars are a scourge on this city that must be stopped."

"Reduce car lanes. Do not allow Any through traffic. Close all highway entrances. Remove car lanes . Add protected by concrete well maintained multi use trails. Allow parking lots and people to drive in but a do not allow cars to drive through."

"I support a park for the people, where cyclists can feel safe enjoying our city."

"Please make Fairmount Park for pedestrians and cyclists!"

"Belmont Ave has become hands down more dangerous than Girard Ave, and that says something!"

"Please make Fairmount Park safe by introducing a road diet and repairing bike lanes. Parks are for people and nature!"

"I ride the exact same route where Harry Fenton was struck and killed several times a month. Cars race along Belmont, weaving in and out of lanes all the time. It is terrifying. There is also a school a few blocks before that intersection where children and their caregivers dodge through traffic to cross the street at pick up and drop off time. It is only a matter of time before a child is hit and severely injured or killed PLEASE do something. The traffic calming measures that are being installed elsewhere in the city HAVE made a difference. Keep up the work!"

"Please fix the damaged multi-use paths on both sides of Belmont Ave. These have been in disrepair for years."

"I love the Belmont area of Fairmount Park. Driving and biking through this area though is a danger and it doesn't need to be! We can make it a stellar city park if we choose to!"

"I agree and support."

"Fairmount Park desperately needs safety issues addressed and functions as a park restored. The cherry blossoms at the Cherry Blossom fest are cut in half by Belmont Ave and is a connection that should be restored"

"Fairmount park is the largest urban park network in the country, but I never go because it is neglected and nearly impossible to get to without a car. And on top of that, the few people that do go are getting murdered because of poor infrastructure."

"We need a car free Fairmount Park! Lives are at stake."

"I've crossed this intersection on my bike many times. It's very unsafe and threatening for cyclists. Owen"

"Fairmount Park should be more than a shortcut to avoid 76. A park for the people!"

"I ride this area a lot and would appreciate your support for making this safer."

"I agree with all the items to be addressed. I ride those roads weekly and crossing Belmont from the park can be a harrowing experience, as well as the intersection by the zoo at Girard Avenue. The pedestrian crossing light is on for literally 3 seconds. I also want to mention the intersection of Parkside and Belmont. Too many people speed through that intersection. There is also a school at the corner of Belmont and Parkside and parents line up IN THE BIKE LANE at pick up time."

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic; as well as a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"Make the park SAFE!! Stop prioritizing cars at the expense of biker & pedestrian LIVES!!!!"

"It is horrendous, tragic and preventable every time a cyclist dies. Something can and must be done!"

"We can do so much better, please fund safe roads and infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians!"

"Fairmount Park is full of wasted potential. While it should be a place where Philadelphians can go and walk/hike/bike around in nature, it's currently an anti-human hellscape dominated by ribbons of windy roads that cut it up and make it hard to traverse without a car. Although there are some bike lanes here and there, they are mostly a joke. Who wants to bike through the park with cars zoom-zooming by you at 50mph? The historical gems that remain in the park (Please Touch Museum, Smith Memorial Arch, Ohio House, etc.) only underscore how far the park has fallen from its former glory. Please make it safer to walk and bike around Fairmount park! We need to reclaim the park from the clutches of car-culture and make it a human friendly park where Philadelphian's feel safe to recreate."

"I bike the park and would love to be able to come home. It’s time that the city take cyclists safety seriously"

"I'm amazed that we have to even make a special effort to take action to save people's lives. Traffic calming and bike safety have zero downsides and can only save lives and injuries. As someone who drives AND bikes, I'm 100% supportive of all efforts to make our parks (and the rest of Philadelphia) bike friendly and bike safe."

"I wish it was easier to use the park as a cyclist and pedestrian. I avoid the park because it’s too dangerous and unpleasant. I would like to see the traffic calming requests in the petition implemented, and more!"

"Let's make Fairmount Park accessible for all Philadelphians --- we need URGENT safety reforms, not years of more study!"

"Can't believe this is still happening"

"Enforce these things and generate some income to support better bike infrastructure so people don't have to die these untimely deaths, please"

"More bikers on the road = less cars on the road = lower traffic = everyone wins!"

"Why do we have to ask for this? 41 deaths since 2019? Shame on you Philadelphia."

"Fairmount Park is an oasis for the people of Philadelphia. Roads that are speed tracks for cars are endangering the safety of pedestrians and bikers. Why not make the city safe and attractive - prioritize biking and walking/running in the city's green spaces."

"Fairmount has amazing potential to be a world class city park, but without bike lanes or proper sidewalks, the park will never live up to its potential."

"Save our bikers"

"We need a better and safer city! People are driving way too fast over the limit!"

"It would be nice to bike around a park without the threat of being run down by a car and killed."

"Make it safe so people stop dying on their bikes."

"We have too much high speed traffic in and around our parks. It degrades the experience, and worse, causes injury and death. Please fix Fairmount Park!"

"I wish there was something we can do about aggressive drivers!"

"Our park system and city at-large are undermined by prioritizing cars over people. We need safer parks and safer roads for all Philadelphians."

"I support the effort to make changes to Fairmount Park to stop the reckless driving that leads to unnecessary fatalities and injuries to Philadelphians! This park that is supposedly one of the largest urban parks in the countries has been co-opted as multiple cross town highways , limiting its usability as the public green space it is ! Things must change !"

"Safer bike rides!!!!!"

"Fairmount Park should be off-limits to cars in most places. It's a PARK! Special exemptions, sure, but on the whole most roads should be designated for pedestrian/cycle usage. Road diets help too, but until you put in a raised bike lane deaths will continue to happen all over the city."

"We deserve to not be killed when we travel outside of a car. We need support to be able to live and move without fear of dying by poor or unkept infrastructure that should otherwise be keeping us safe."

"My son and daughter-in-law ride their bikes to work (at Temple and Penn) from their home. This is the stuff of nightmares that keeps parents (even of adult children) awake. Blessings to this man who was recently killed, and his family, and to all those unconscionably harmed by reckless drivers."

"Unthinkable - parks are meant to be areas for recreation out of cars, yet somehow we are put at risk on our bikes in what should be a carefree environment meant to protect us. For shame! Philadelphia's vehicle violence is out of control, and we have a reputation for it. How embarrassing. How many more innocent people must die on bikes IN PARKS no less before you step up to care?"

"Philadelphians should not be dying in their parks!"

"I ride in Fairmount Park with my kids and it is so beautfiul and should not be hogged by dangerous cars."

"The park should be for PEOPLE not cars"

"I cycle in this park a lot and do not feel safe at the locations cited."

"Belmont is both unsafe for cycling to work and for recreation!"

"The needless deaths in what should be a safe and happy place must stop. There should be ways for pedestrians and cyclists to traverse the city without constant fear of being run over by drivers who do not care for their safety."

"Please make our city safer for pedestrians and bikers!"

"Close the entire park to cars."

"Make fairmount park safe for everyone!! The trails are a joy to ride but bikers must be able to safely get there!"

"Belmont Ave has been notorious for its dangerous conditions for years. Please act before another life is lost."

"make Fairmount park safer for everyone!!"

"Philly lacks proper green spaces and parks where people are the priority. We need to reduce the access AND speed of cars traveling within and around Fairmount Park using proven traffic calming methods and closing streets to vehicles. We can't accept any more deaths."

"Cars should not be the priority around the park, Philadelphians should be able to enjoy the park without lawless unsafe driving"

"Totally preventable. When will police start monitoring driving within the city? So many drunk and reckless drivers around and nothing is ever done. Sad."

"Please calm traffic in the park! I commute everyday through the park and essentially no one follows the speed limit, nearly every day a driver almost runs me over. It would be great just to block off certain roads with boulders to reduce cut through traffic until we find money for a more permanent solution."

"We should be able to enjoy our parks safely without drivers racing, using their phones, and otherwise being distracted. Vehicles also make a lot of noise and cause more pollution, which detracts from the enjoyment of nature. Have you ever used the SRT when Kelly Dr is closed to cars during boat events? It’s so nice and peaceful! Can we at least have parts of Fairmount Park permanently like that without the thru-traffic? Thank you for your time"

"Having almost being T-bone by a driver who ran a red light, bicycling through Fairmount Park is dangerous. It shouldn't be this way in our parks. Please put the lives of all pedestrians and bicyclists above vehicle drivers and their convenience. Implement these traffic calming measures. A human life is worth more than getting somewhere 60 seconds faster."

"If we want to take pride in Fairmount Park we actually have to make sure it is safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. I also support more aggressive speed and traffic enforcement by the PPD."

"Parks are for people not vehicles."

"Parks should be safe places for walking and biking and connecting with nature, not hotspots for reckless driving. It’s unacceptable!"

"We need infrastructure which will deter speeding and promote walking and cycling in our beautiful parks. Anything we invest now will pay dividends for years to come!"

"Everyone deserves to be able to safely enjoy our city without worrying about being killed or injured by speeding cars. Our parks and streets should not be highways. Safe parks and streets now! May Harry Fenton and all who needlessly died before him rest in power!"

"More sidewalks, More protected bike lanes, More multi use trails, Less cars, Less through roads, lower speeds, narrower roads."

"Almost hit by a speeding, reckless driver who drove into the shoulder to pass another car, just east of the Strawberry Mansion bridge."

"Making Philly safer for cyclists improves the experience for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. We need to prioritize safer commutes for those opting out of driving."

"Make Fairmount park pedestrian & bike friendly!"

"Please make parks safe places for people to walk and bike by banning cars."

"PROTECTED BIKE LANES & SAFETY - NOW!!"

"People need to drive in Fairmount Park as if they’re actually driving through a park. Speed limits should be enforced."

"I moved to Philly due to its bikeable and walkable nature. My retired mom moved to Bala. The park connects us; we love the nature, exercise, and other opportunities it brings. Please support making it a safer place!"

"Human life should be valued over the momentary convenience of drivers."

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic; as well as a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"Cities should be designed for people, not cars."

"Any preventable deaths should always be avoided. We need and deserve safer walking and biking paths on and around Fairmount Park."

"To: Mayor Parker, City Council and PENN DOT: This petition lays out reasonable requests needed to make the roads safe in and around the Fairmont Park area. Given the history of preventable traffic deaths and injuries in this area, you have an obligation to take action to reduce harm to cyclists and pedestrians. I implore you to take action now. Thank you, Marissa of Piscitello Law"

"We need safer streets for bikers and pedestrians."

"Fairmount Park should be one of the great green spaces in the United States. Instead, it has been allowed to atrophy. It's astonishing how difficult it is to access the park from the river trail. Similarly, the degree of difficulty in accessing say, Sedgley Woods from Lemon Hill is also far, far too high. Fairmount should be the jewel of the city. It was once, and it can be again. But we must return it to pedestrians and bikers, rather than let it be constricted by a highway in all but name"

"This is important and will save lives in the future"

"Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians all deserve safer streets — especially in a park!"

"I support parks for people!"

"Parks are not race tracks! Enforce traffic laws and make sensible changes to the roadways to make them safer for ALL users!!!!"

"my husband is an avid biker, who has witnessed so many near misses in and around fairmount park. too many people have been hurt, and killed. it’s enough already."

"As the parent of a nine year old I struggle with the letting my child bike anywhere in this city. Each senseless death plays through my mind every time we bike with him. Our own cycling safety can be perfect but when cars behave dangerously the safest cycling practices cannot overcome a 4,000 pound vehicle. A city like Philly should promote cycling instead of disincentivizing it through poor infrastructure and inadequate protection for cyclists. Safer roads and trails today!"

"I strongly support the “Demand a Safer Fairmount Park!” proposal. As a cyclist who rides these roads often — and now as a new parent — I want Fairmount Park to be a safe place for families. Belmont Avenue and nearby roads feel like highways, with speeding cars and unsafe crossings. The plan’s recommendations — road diets, lower speed limits, safer intersections, and repaired trails — are proven ways to prevent crashes and save lives. Please act quickly so Fairmount Park is a place where we can ride and walk without fear."

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic; as well as a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"Fairmount Park is one of America's original great parks and should be dedicated to the traditional purposes of a park: nature and recreation. The mistakes of the last century, allowing it to be claimed for transportation and prioritizing the wants of suburban commuters over the needs of local residents, should be reversed. These are common-sense changes that have met with great success in other cities."

"Philadelphia needs to protect people over cars!"

"Parks are for people and bikes, not noisy and polluting death machine cars! I have a car and use it regularly, but I want to go to Fairmount Park to enjoy the quiet park and nature."

"As a heavy user of Fairmount park, I implore city officials to examine how unusable and dangerous the park is to pedestrians and cyclists. One death is too many. Please consider taking action to make Fairmount Park safer, especially considering the upcoming events in the next year."

"SAFER PARKS"

"Safe streets now! Paint is not infrastructure! We are done with preventable deaths and hostile drivers terrorizing our communities."

"fairmount park could be the jewel of philadelphia. instead, the numerous busy roads make it extremely unpleasant to navigate without a car. let's make it a better park for everyone."

"I support anything and everything to make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists."

"I bike around the city with my children - this is terrifying and unacceptable. Parks especially should be safe for all users, not de facto highway deathtraps."

"Fairmont Park deserves to be the gem of Philadelphia's Park system, a safe, green space for safe recreation for all the city's residents, not the neglected interstate bypass traffic sewer that it currently is. Traffic calming is desperately needed on the biggest streets in the park, and car access should be eliminated entirely on many of smaller streets. We can make Fairmount the beautiful jewel that it once was, but only if we get cars out of it as much as possible and get pedestrians and bicyclists in."

"Zero car-related fatalities on our street should not be aspirational but a reality. Stop building for cars and start building for people."

"Nobody should be run over by a car in a city park!"

"Our parks needs to be safe!"

"As a regular bike rider through the roads and trails of Fairmount Park, I have witnessed first hand the reckless driving that happens throughout the park, and have been an almost-victim. The multiple 4-lane roads that run through the park are unnecessary, and detract from Philadelphia’s most beautiful natural retreats. Please slow traffic down to ensure that the residents of Philadelphia (and those from anywhere else in the world) can enjoy Philadelphia’s beauty without the risk of reckless driving."

"Belmont Avenue is a death trap bisecting one of the most beautiful parks in our city."

"Philly's largest green space needs to be designed as an urban escape for pedestrians and cyclists. The city has prioritized vehicles in a space that should be for families to enjoy without the fear of vehicular injury or death. We need safe infrastructure!"

"We all deserve safe streets."

"It is literally a park. For people. Not cars."

"I ride through Fairmount Park at least 2 - 3 times a week. Many of those rides include at least one terrifying experience with a motor vehicle. They speed, run redlights, crowd out cyclists, etc. I encourage the Mayor and Council to move quickly to return the Park to a safer and more tranquil state. If New York and San Francisco can fund, maintain, and protect their beautiful Olmstead Parks, so should Philadelphia."

"Despite living near Fairmount Park I use it far too little because whenever I do I feel like the "park" is designed to scare away or injure pedestrians like me. Many times I've seen families hold hands while they sprint through high speed traffic because the nearest crossing is 30 minutes out of the way. That is unacceptable. Fairmount Park should be a real park for Philadelphians to enjoy, not a scenic death trap."

"Fairmount Park is essentially a race track for drivers in this city. IT needs to be a park where pedestrians can ride, walk, run, skate, and otherwise enjoy a safe day with family. If New York could turn Central Park into an incredible pedestrian friendly park there's no reason we can't have the same for Fairmount on both sides of the river."

"I want to be able to bike safely through the park with my family!"

"This was a completely preventable tragedy. No person should have ever have to worry about their safety as a pedestrian or cyclist in a park! Philadelphia parks need a total overhaul. Other cities throughout the country have banned cars from their parks- we must do the same. How many people must die in order for the city to make a change?"

"I had met and spoken with Harry Fenton a few times, and his death was a tragedy caused by unsafe roads in Fairmount Park. Please act NOW to prevent any more traffic violence. I frequently bike to Fairmount Park to hike and play softball. The park is nearly impossible to get to via public transit, and very unsafe to walk and bike in. We need to make the park safer and more accessible for those who bike and walk -- it is a PARK, not a parkway. Please implement traffic calming and make the multiuse paths safer and better connected! I am sick of having to risk my life dodging traffic across Montgomery Avenue because none of the multi-use paths allow you to actually access the softball fields and Trolley Trail. Parks are for people, not cars traveling at deadly speeds!"

"Lets not let the small minority of reckless drivers make the park dangerous for other drivers, bikers, runners, and pedestrians. Repairing the sidewalks and introducing traffic calming measures help keep everyone safe and enjoying the park."

"Our parks should not be treated as alternatives to I-76 and Roosevelt Blvd. By doing so we as a city degrade or outright block the use and enjoyment of public parks by residents and visitors alike. Parks are for people, not cars."

"Imagine leaving home for work in the morning, kissing your family goodbye, hopping on your bicycle, for it to be your last moment. This is the fear cyclists and bike commuters alike reckon with every day in Fairmount Park and Philadelphia as a whole. Cyclists deserve safe infrastructure. Cyclist deserve to make it back home to their families every night."

"Parks are for people, not cars."

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic; as well as a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"There are easy, common-sense improvements we can make to Fairmount park roads right now that will prevent more people dying. We need to act on this now before more people die."

"Parks are for the people not for the cars"

"Parks are for people, not a short-cut for commuters! Centering Fairmount park around people instead of cars will elevate this valuable resource for Philadelphia. It will make the park more accessible for all citizens to enjoy. As someone who frequently rides through Fairmount I’m sadly not surprised by the shockingly high amount of fatal traffic deaths."

"Everyone deserves to safely get where they are going, no matter their means of travel. All of the demands made here to make the streets of the Fairmont Park area safer are proven to be effective at saving lives and reducing major traffic collisions."

"I ride my bike regularly in Fairmount Park, and am grateful to live so close to one of the largest city parks in the country. However, seeing the number of traffic fatalities in the park is absolutely appalling, and makes me afraid to spend time there. Harry Fenton’s recent death was preventable. I do not want to see another cyclist die anywhere, but especially in a city park, which should be one of the safest and most enjoyable places to recreate and ride a bicycle. I know people who actively avoid biking in the park due to fear of being hit by a car. If a park is not a safe place for pedestrians, cyclists, and wheelchair users, we have strayed too far from what a public park is supposed to be. Parks are not meant to be treated like highways — I want to see slower speeds and roads with adequate infrastructure for all users."

"Enough is enough, the people of Philadelphia need and deserve a safe and reliable space for recreation and travel on bicycles and on foot. Cars have taken over the entire city and pollute our air and kill our neighbors. We need to have separate spaces for everyone to feel safe."

"Fairmount "Park" feels more like a highway interchange than a park. 41 deaths is 41 too many!"

"Please take the necessary steps in this petition to keep our community safe. Kids and community love Fairmount park, especially in areas along Belmont and the please touch museum and Kelly pool. We have a beautiful park in Philly can draw people to our city and allow recreation and physical activity to promote public wellbeing. But only if we can do so safely. Infrastructure and speed limits that threaten our safety and permit driving behavior that kills people in our community is not acceptable. Please. Its life or death."

"This area is so hostile to people trying to enjoy the park that I dread going there even though I am desperate for the green natural space that Fairmount Park provides."

"Parks are for people. Ban cars now. Fairmount Park is the green lung of our city—an Olmsted park and a critical oasis of green in one of the cities with the least park access anywhere in the country. The systematic neglect of the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and other park users in order to shave a few minutes off of the commutes of suburban drivers is a shameful component of Philly’s dark history—and present—of environmental racism. The City of Philadelphia must follow the lead of peers like New York, Washington, and Pittsburgh and plan a managed retreat from car centric infrastructure; we must lower, and ultimately eliminate, through traffic in our parks."

"We have a world class, historic, utterly beautiful park in our city...and I am afraid to take my kids there because it is a dangerous speedway. Make Fairmount Park safe and welcoming for everyone! Calm motor vehicle traffic now! No more deaths!"

"I commute through Fairmont every day and the insane maneuvers pulled by drivers and supported by the infrastructure are out of control! We demand action now!"

"A park should be safe for pedestrians! Fairmount park is far too streamlined for high speed car traffic. It’s a park!! Parks should be enjoyed by people not just cars"

"I ride my bike in the park nearly everyday. Please don’t be the reason I don’t get to go home."

"Parks are for people and recreation. Drivers shouldn’t even be allowed to go fast enough to kill people. And if they try, it should be as frustrating and difficult as possible for them."

"come on, man. How is our park designed to be an alternative to 76. That's just WILD."

"Through inaction of bike safety improvements around the city Philadelphia is should be held accountable for the bicycle road deaths that are occurring. It is unacceptable."

"Most of Fairmount Park is as inaccessible as the medians of an interstate highway. It looks like a lot of green space on the map, but good luck trying to get around there without a car (and it’s dangerous in a car, too!). Our park should be a place all Philadelphians can visit and explore safely and easily."

"As both a driver and cyclist, I am constantly aghast by the conditions of West Fairmount Park, where motorists are allowed to effectively treat the roadways as a speedway. Harry Fenton's death, along with all those who have died as a result of a car crash, could have been preventable if the city had installed measures to prevent aggressive driving behaviors, as well as offered safe alternatives for cyclists."

"Fairmount park could be world class if the city hadn’t turned it into a highway. Make it safe for people, not convenient for drivers!"

"World class park. Completely undermined by unsafe roads."

"It’s gotta be safer there’s some crazy stuff happening in the park"

"I ride my bike through Fairmount often. Some roads like Belmont are designed like highways, encouraging speeding and making me feel like I'm running with the bulls when I should feel like I'm relaxing by biking through the park."

"Preventable deaths should way heavy on law makers minds. As an avid bike user it terrifies me that my loved ones are at risk."

"As a primary pedestrian, sometimes cyclist with a partner who cycles almost every day I am anxious each time that we will be murdered recklessly by a person driving a car. We need changes for safety, and also need to hold people accountable for their actions."

"We need safer and more accessible biking infrastructure to ensure our city is prepared for a more sustainable future, retains and attracts young residents and families, and has a vibrant and healthy streetscape."

"41 car related deaths in Fairmount Park since 2019? That is abysmal."

"Highways have no place in parks"

"Parks should prioritize people, not cars! Philadelphia has so much beautiful parkland that is underutilized because it is difficult to access and criss crossed with high speed roads. If we want to be the world class city we have the potential to be we need to address this. There are countless unrealized benefits because of this. Please do the right thing and prioritize people over vehicles."

"i ride through Fairmount Park on almost every ride i do, lately it feels more and more like a highway cut through than a a large public green area in a town, used for recreation. traffic speed is usually high, despite being a park, and crossing Belmont feels increasingly dangerous since Harry Fenton was tragically killed. Philadelphians deserve a better park."

"Enjoying Philadelphia's parks should not require bravery or accepting the risk of being crushed by a car."

"Our parks in Philadelphia should be safe for pedestrians and bikers. There is no reason that people should be worried about their safety when they want to visit one of our great parks in Philadelphia. Please make Fairmount a safer park to visit!"

"Parks are not for cars!!!!"

"I regularly bike through west Fairmount Park and it is embarrassing how car-focused it is for a “park”. Mr Fenton’s death was a policy decision."

"Begging for safer streets for all!"

"Biking through Fairmount Park should not require risking your life!"

"The state of the sidewalks and bike trails in Fairmount Park is abysmal and is an embarrassment. We have such an amazing asset in terms of open green space that is hardly utilized/accessible because you mostly have to drive to get to it, or you can't get to it safely by other means, and once you do get there it is overrun with car traffic and everything that goes with it (noise, pollution, speeding) that it is not enjoyable to be there. The City must do more to calm traffic and provide safe and usable alternative transportation options to take advantage of this great parkspace."

"Roundabouts are proven to succeed in Philly. More would improve so much"

"Fairmount should be a park, not a shortcut!"

"If you build Belmont like a highway, people will treat it like a highway."

"Fairmount park should be a friendly and welcoming place, not a high-speed traffic corridor."

"obviously, ban all cars. but this is a start."

"I ride down Belmont Ave routinely from West Philly to access mountain bike trails at Belmont Plateau. The driver behavior I witness on Belmont is outrageous and can only be curtailed with infrastructure improvement. This NEEDS to be a safer place to walk and bike considering the presence of many children coming to and from schools in the area. Please consider taking action before more tragedies occur!"

"I live in Cedar Park (West Philly) & regularly bike through this area. This is one of the most inhospitable areas to bike (or drive) in the city. The driving culture faces no controls for recklessness & speed. I regularly witness horrible crashes on Belmont Ave. There is no safe way on a bike to cross Montgomery Ave & get to the incredible Belmont trail system. It’s a shame that so much safe cycling is blocked by this car-centric environment."

"It is unacceptable that priority is given to car traffic in city parks. They should be a safe space for families to enjoy without the fear of getting killed by high speed traffic."

"41 people killed since 2019. Enough is enough."

"People should be able to safely enjoy the park."

"Please help protect and enforce bike safety, the city street are becoming more and more dangerous and we all deserve safe streets."

"I ride in Fairmount at least once a week. Even going 20+ mph and trying my best to stay to the side, aggressive and shortsighted drivers make close calls in traffic a regular occurrence."

"Parks are for people, not high speed through traffic!"

"I worked on parkside ave and would bike to work every day from fairmont because there was no reliable public transportation and cars are too expensive. It was very dangerous, especially when going through the park - cars driving as if they are on highways."

"Safety of all - pedestrians, bikers and drivers - should come first. Regulating speed is a first step."

"Yet more needless tragedy as a cyclist is killed in a situation that we had the power to prevent. How many more people need to be sacrificed before we collectively see the wake up call to do something about this? This problem only stands to get worse in the wake of the SEPTA funding crisis, as more people are going to eventually be forced into driving, cycling, and walking as a means of getting around if current trends continue. This means greater potential for collisions between drivers and non-drivers, resulting in more cyclist and pedestrian deaths, unless we do something about the current state of our infrastructure."

"Going to parks should offer a relief from the stink, noise, and danger of cars everywhere in the city"

"I am tired of watching my neighbors get killed by cars. This must be fixed. Every traffic death allowed is a choice by those in power."

"My daughter Emily was killed in 2017 while cycling. Everyone deserves to get to their destination alive. Safe speeds. Safe vehicles and the correct infrastructure !!! Zero traffic deaths is the only acceptable number."

"Concrete-protected bike lanes now! Every day without them is another potential life lost!"

"This is an unacceptable situation. Safety measures must be implemented immediately to protect all road users. I use the roads of West Fairmount Park on my bicycle all the time and there should be appropriate safety protections and traffic control installed."

"Fairmount Park should be accessible and safe for all users, whether they are pedestrians, cyclists, or motorists."

"Bike safe on safe streets!"

"Get rid of all the roads going through Fairmount Park! Parks are for people, not cars!"

"It's a park, not a thoroughfare. This desire to optimize car movements at all costs has come at great cost to those outside of a car. Step up and change the design of Fairmont park. Give the park back to the people."

"Both west and east fairmount park need work. I've lost count of how many flipped cars Ive seen on kelly drive, some even going off the road and into the trail itself. Not to mention the busy Kelly + Sedgley intersection and how its lights are set up in a way that puts pedestrians, runners, and cyclists alike in danger. That one would only cost the labor of sending a team down to change the light timings!"

"Please take these simple steps to make Fairmount Park safer. Philly should prioritize safety over the speed and convenience of people driving."

"Action is needed immediately!"

"Help create a more livable and welcoming city!"

"I support a road diet and roundabouts on Belmont Ave to calm traffic; as well as a lower speed limit and high-quality walking and cycling trails throughout Fairmount Park."

"Park roads should have a design speed of 25MPH. The city should prioritize people and safe green space usage over traffic mitigation. Fairmount Park is a treasure in an otherwise urban landscape. No pedestrian or cyclist should have to fear for their safety. Unfortunately Belmont Ave, Montgomery Dr, Wynnefield Ave, Lansdowne Ave, among others, currently serve as high speed highway access and commuter routes. The city must adjust the park roads to discourage or eliminate high speed driving, unsafe vehicle maneuvers, and conflict with recreational users."

"Fairmount park is in my blood.I grew up running cross-country on Belmont plateau, watching my aunts play softball on the Dairy Fields, visiting the Please Touch Museum with my parents, and riding on MLK on weekends. Now I bike to work through the park every day. Every day I have to cross Belmont Ave and I hold my breath as cars speed and run red lights. Every day I have cars race past me along South Concourse and Lansdowne Ave. Every day I navigate the worst intersection in the city in front of the zoo at 34th and Girard. I don't dare ride on Belmont Ave as the paths are unpassable, the intersections treacherous, and riding in the traffic lane seems suicidal. I am signing because I want a park that I can enjoy without the threat of getting killed by a speeding car."

"Fairmount Park is a highway for cars, not a park. Let's make it a great safe park worth visiting by calming traffic!"

"I often bike from MLK up to the Mann center. If i get killed on a bicycle in philly, it’ll be because of negligence of the city in establishing a safe crossing of Belmont Ave at Montgomery."

"I also support restricting cars from Fairmount Park altogether."

"I’ve had way too many close calls with cars driving too fast through the park. If NYC can shutdown central park to vehicles we can do the same with fairmount park."

"It is truly incomprehensible that Fairmount Park, arguably our city's greatest public resource, is made nearly inaccessible and unusable due to the major roadways that cut through it. Philadelphians should be able to access and enjoy our outdoor spaces with confidence that we are safe from high speed car traffic. We need comprehensive traffic control measures across the entire park."

"No place should be safer to bike than our City parks. The City needs to get serious about prioritizing safety over the speed and convenience of people driving."

"I am so sick of not being able to go anywhere in this city without being able to get away from speeding, deadly cars. A PARK is the one place we should not have that, yet we do. Harry Fenton’s death should be a wake up call to the city to finally start saving people’s lives instead of prioritizing the convenience of drivers."

"I ride in Fairmount Park almost every week, and Harry’s death hit close to home. Belmont Ave and the surrounding roads are designed like highways cutting through what should be the green heart of Philadelphia. It’s unacceptable that wide, fast roads have been prioritized over the safety of people walking, running, and biking in our city’s premier park. The solutions outlined in this petition (road diets, roundabouts, repaired paths, and slower speed limits) are not radical. They’re proven, common sense safety measures that cities across the country have already implemented with success. Philadelphia deserves the same. Parks are for people. They should be places where families can spend time outdoors, kids can ride bikes without fear, and visitors can experience nature without the constant danger of speeding traffic. City leaders must act now to make Fairmount Park safe and welcoming for everyone."

"Belmont is close by to me but I rarely ride there because I feel so unsafe in the area. Entirely preventable deaths are happening that can be solved with reasonable infrastructure"

"I use the park regularly. I ride by the intersection where Harry Fenton was killed at least once a week if not more. The speed and unpredictability of cars on Belmont Avenue has made it one of the most dangerous places in the city. Traffic on Belmont and Montgomery Avenue make it nearly impossible to feel safe getting in and out of the park from West Philadelphia. We really need crosswalks on Montgomery Avenue and traffic calming measures on Belmont Avenue, perhaps speed cameras and bumps. While the protected bike lanes on Parkside Avenue are a great step forward. It really is incomplete until we have a way of reaching Chaminoux from other areas of the park safely. The intersection of Belmont and Montgomery is terrifying to cross of pedestrian or on a bike. Please make this a priority."

"I ride up and down Belmont Ave frequently, going right past the spot where Harry was killed. It's ridiculous that one of the biggest urban parks in the country is so unsafe for people to actually use. We need to keep the high-speed traffic on the freeway and open up Fairmount Park for the public to access safely."

"Parks should be safe places to exist outside of a car. The city has allowed fairmount park to become a cut through to avoid traffic at the expense of safety."

"My first experience with Fairmount Park was doing the Boxer Trail 5k. I love the way the park gives us a natural space embedded within the city. However, cars should not be going THROUGH the park at such speeds that it kills people. I believe that Fairmount Park should be accessible by all forms of transit, but that the park itself should be safe for people walking, cycling, in wheelchairs, in strollers etc."

"Fairmount Park should be a safe place for all Philadelphians to enjoy nature. No one should have to worry about being hit by a car when using the park. Road design can help us achieve this goal. Make Fairmount Park safe, clean, and green!"

"I bike in Fairmont frequently, like Harry Fenton did before he was killed by speeding drivers. Please prioritize people in the park, not traffic!"

"As a cyclist and pedestrian I enjoy Fairmount Park often throughout the year. The City has a chance to create some thing really wonderful here, especially since we are always pointing to the Park as one of our great assets. But by continuing to allow people to move at high speeds through this area, we will never allow it to realize its potential. If we want it to be an area that can be used by Philadelphia families and residents, then we need to take steps to actually make it a safe place for people to be."

"41 deaths around the park in 6 years is horrible. Anyone dying in a public park is horrid. We need to do something about this, and basic safety measures as proposed above are the right first step."

"I ride fairmount park all the time. Please make it safer."

"Belmont is one of the scariest roads in Philly to ride on, we need to fix it asap!"

"I like to ride my bicycle and have been to Fairmount Park. I would like it to feel and be safer"

"I understand cars need to get to parks of farimount park in order to access the facilities. But it does not neeed to be so convenient that it makes the park unsafe to children and others enjoying the park. Biking through the park recently I really do no reason so much of the park needs to be paved with two way traffic."

"Philly deserves safe parks. The City and PennDOT must prioritize a safe, clean, and green Fairmount Park by making these changes, following in the footsteps of other major cities. Harry Fenton was a tireless advocate for safety and will be missed. I went to his funeral. I hope it’s the last traffic death we experience—Philly leaders can make Vision Zero a reality by prioritizing modern, high-quality multimodal infrastructure throughout Philadelphia."

"I love Fairmount Park and would love to experience it without fear of getting hit by a car. All of us deserve safety and peace in our parks."