Protect the South Street Bridge!

"I ride this bike frequently to get to/from West Philly & the Penn & Drexel campuses. It is ridiculously unsafe & I frequently have to go out of my way to use one of the other Schuylkill crossing options with actual bike infrastructure if I need to cross at rush hour. The fact that an unprotected bike lane crosses a highway onramp/exit is unacceptable, plus the turn lane crossover at the east end. We need a real infrastructure solution here ASAP!"

"Thank you! I ride this lane with my kids every day."

"Cyclists need and deserve a safe and protected environment. It’s a matter of life and death for us. These changes are past due."

"Please make the south street bridge safe for the thousands of bikers who cross it every week."

"Make our streets safe for all!!"

"Remove the "mixing zone" where the bike lane crosses traffic by adding a bike signal at 27th St Protect the bike lane with real barriers"

"Please make this happen- it is so critical to the health and safety of my colleague at the hospital"

"I communicate over the South Street bridge everyday, surrounded by dozens of other bikers, scooter riders, and pedestrian. The bike lanes need to be protected, and we need as many traffic calming measures as possible so all commuters can use the roads safely."

"This is the highest-traffic bike/ped bridge in Philly, combined with a freeway entrance and exit. Vulnerable road users need strong, physical infrastructure to keep us safe!"

"I want our roadways to be safe enough so I can bike with my child!"

"Why has this not already been fixed? Council members, do the right thing and implement safe infrastructure today."

"I dont bike in the city or let my child bike because it is far too dangerous. It makes me angry that I cant bike for such a stupid reason. My husband bikes almost every weekday and I worry constantly. Get it together Philly leadership, Im begging you."

"Let’s get the infrastructure in place to ensure all Philadelphians are safe on their daily commute!"

"I commute over this bridge almost every weekday and it's depressing to think about how little the City cares about the safety of bikers and pedestrians."

"I have nearly been hit by cars and buses countless times commuting by bike over the south street bridge. The bike path, especially as we approach 34th street, is so dangerous. There has to be a better solution!"

"I'm a daily user of the South Street bike lanes and they need to be made safer for bicylists."

"I am so sick of hearing news of bikers and pedestrians being run over in this city - DO SOMETHING"

"Please protect our bikers. This is the MOST TRAFFICKED bridge for bikes in all of Pennsylvania. It should be our pride and joy. Remove the mixing zone and install real barriers."

"Let’s make streets safe for everyone. As a driver I don’t feel safe without clearer barriers"

"Bike lanes going both ways need protection: both the mixing zone eastbound and the turn onto the bridge westbound from 27th are dangerous, as well as the turns onto 76 in both directions. This needs to be combined with enforcement of lights: drivers often speed through well after the light has turned red in a hurry to get on or off 76. The entire corridor of Spruce going through Penn campus needs a rethink."

"Please make the South street bridge safer to bike on! Protecting the bike lane and installing a bike signal would be important steps towards improving safety and preventing injuries or deaths."

"Easy fix! Makes no sense to put it off."

"Support Vision Zero!!"

"We need real barriers to protect cyclists on the South St bridge and elsewhere. VCars, Trucks, and Buses regularly run over the flexible plastic posts becuade they do nothing to stop a motorized vehicle. When the city wants to protect a building from vehicles (as around City Hall) they don't use plastic posts that can be knocked over easily. Cyclists deserve the same respect and commitment to our safety!"

"I use these bike lanes everyday to commute to and from work. I also find the slight bend on Spruce going eastbound at the intersection of 33rd st to be incredibly unsafe when the 40 bus is along side of you. The bus doesn’t realize that it needs to take a wider turn to avoid completely cutting off the bike lane. Had this happen to me and was almost hit by the bus."

"I work at the VA Medical Center and bike this bridge often."

"I bike across this bridge many times a week and it’s unsafe! The “mixing zone” on the west side is equally dangerous, in my opinion."

"I ride my bike on thus bridge all the time and fear for my life! We have to make it safe for the many people who use it. The current state is unacceptable. Flex posts are not a solution!"

"I use the South St bridge daily to commute. So frustrating"

"I’m a frequent Philadelphia visitor & avid cyclist for over 40+ years in the city. Bikeways have improved but more needs to be done, especially at this dangerous highly trafficked piece of infrastructure. Do the right thing make South street bridge crossing safe for all commuters."

"I bike to work at HUP every weekday and I would love for the bike lanes to be safer. Please do something!! I don't want to get hurt. Thank"

"Traffic violence is violence! This is a solvable problem on the state's busiest bike corridor! We need permanent solutions and protection for cyclists NOW!"

"My girlfriend bikes across that bridge twice a day. It’s wild that the city only acts after someone is nearly killed and it they only made a half-baked solution. These hardworking professionals deserve better."

"Please protect the south street bike lane! Cars never pay attention when they go over the green mixing zone. I feel like I have to look 100 different directions. Very stressful especially after the woman was dragged by the septa bus. We need something better then flexible posts!!!"

"The mixing zone is terrifying and absolutely needs to be fixed."

"The South St mixing zone is the scariest part of my 7 mile bike ride home from CHOP! Plz fix itttt"

"This is a simple and necessary good to protect all of the citizens of philadelphia. Surely people who bike to work shouldn’t be punished because of a lack of will to do anything."

"Please make the most trafficked bike route in PA safer with physical barriers!"

"I live too far to ride my bike here, but protecting bikers and promoting safe mixed-used transportation infrastructure is a win for everyone! More people feeling safe riding their bikes means fewer people driving, improving traffic too!!!"

"I cycle on the bridge twice a day. It needs some traffic slowing measures to avoid bike/car collisions, especially in the west to east direction. Also, the pedestrian buttons to cross South Street in the center of the bridge, (for access to and from the Schuylkill trail) need to be more responsive and stop traffic in under 10 secs. Currently it is 25 - 35 secs. This will aid in slowing down traffic, and pedestrians and cyclist won't try and dash across the road between traffic."

"South St bridge is THE busiest bike and pedestrian crossing in the city. Basic safety and protection for ALL road users should be a given and not something people beg for."

"I am proud of how Penn and CHOP have been leaders in safety in other domains (campus police, shoveling sidewalks in front of their buildings in the winter). Philadelphia is the worst in the country for traffic safety (Vision Zero PHL 2024 report). I think this is a nice opportunity for Penn and CHOP to emerge as leaders in traffic safety surrounding their campuses."

"Keep commuters safe, restrict the horrible Philadelphia drivers!"

"Keep bikers safe!!"

"Protect the bike lane!"

"Please stop focusing on fancy buildings and focus more on protecting bikers and pedestrians. This city needs to hold drivers accountable for running lights and speeding around bike lanes. Enough is enough!!"

"MAKE A BIKE LANE!!! KEEP BIKERS SAFE"

"PROTECT BIKERS!!!!! Enough is enough!"

"Traveling by bike should not be a risky way to make your commute. Protect our residents with protected bike lanes!"

"Please protect us!"

"The South Street bridge gets the most bike traffic in Philadelphia! We need to protect our neighbors!!"

"Protect bikers!!!"

"I’m more likely to be a driver than a biker when I cross South Street bridge but I wholeheartedly support making the bike lane safer."

"I bike over the South Street bridge every day going to work at Penn. There are so many reckless drivers that I see on this ride who are putting my life at risk. I love being able to bike to work, and it is so important to make this as safe of an option as possible. I know many people that would bike around the city more except for safety concerns. We should be doing everything we can to make it a viable option for more people, and we can get that many more cars off the road particularly during peak rush hour traffic"

"We just moved to Glen Mills in May, 2026, after living at 410 S 25 th St, Phila for 23 yrs. I crossed the South Street Brudge almost every day to get to work st CHOP. Please make the bridge safer for everyone, especially pedestrians and bikers! Thank you, FH"

"I don't live in Philadelphia, but I do ride my bike in Philadelphia"

"Please help protect our healthcare workers, college students and commuters, this area is insane and its the least that we can do!"

"Please do not close down the bike"

"Please keep me safe on my commute. I have three little kids at home that need a mommy."

"Such a crucial transportation corridor should be safe for all types of users"

"Too many people have been killed or injured due to inadequate bike lanes. Please make a change."

"I support a protected bike lanes so it’s safer for bikers"

"Philadelphia should invest in structural and policy changes to protect bike commuters! I have been a bike commuter in Philly for a decade and have witnessed the children, students, and healthcare workers suffering preventable morbidity and mortality. VisionZero needs to be a reality and the South Street bridge should be a clear priority."

"Serious injuries or worse will continue to occur if nothing changes."

"Safe streets for bikers and walkers!"

"I ride my bike on the south street bridge every day. It saves me at least 25 one-way minutes compared to taking public transit, and also means I don't have to take a car and clog up the already busy roads more. There needs to be good infrastructure in place to prevent cycling deaths for normal people like me."

"This is one of the busiest bike lanes in the city! With the new CHOP buildings and additional traffic and new traffic patterns, it will only become more unsafe for bikers. The lane must be improved and protected."

"I bike on this bridge with my 1 and 3 year old on a regular basis. It feels dangerous, and we usually go on the sidewalk which is unkind to pedestrians. Please make the bike lanes safer!"

"Make South St bridge safe for all cyclists - permanently! Flex posts are not enough to keep cars away from cyclists. We need permanent infrastructure to keep cars out of the bike lane and cyclists safe."

"Need to also be added to 34th street. It is a death trap right outside of the hospitals due to all the people double parking in the bike lanes"

"Health providers, scientists, patients, and students training to be our future leaders in medicine should not have to worry about their safety commuting to work! I am one of those students who is working on how to save lives affected by chronic disease such as kidney disease and heart disease, yet I should not have to be forced to risk my life just getting to work. I bike over the south street bridge, and multiple times have been either cut off by cars dodging into the bike lane to avoid car traffic. When is Philadelphia going to realize and act to protect the lives of those who spend their lives saving other peoples' lives?"

"The mixing lane is extremely dangerous. Also barriers are sssential as they placed in south street after the bridge"

"CHOP Employee"

"Please keep us safe while cycling!"

"Biker run over by SEPTA bus in the bike lane. Please act like this matters. Biking on the south street bridge is unavoidable and I regularly feel unsafe. Permanent, structural bike safety improvements now."

"I commute by bike on this bridge and am penn med employee!!"

"I commute on this bridge everyday for work at CHOP and often feel incredibly unsafe. I have almost been hit by the 40 Septa bus while on my bike multiple times every week."

"Please work on a making this safer! I work at Penn and ride over the bridge everyday. There are not a lot of good ways to make it to the university from South Philly given limited bus routes and parking. Please protect the lives of citizens of Pbjlly over the convenience and distraction of drivers who might be zoning out or not looking while they try to get on 76."

"I work at CHOP and bike commute daily on the South Street Bridge. Make our streets safe!"

"It is also tricky getting across to the SRT because if it is green and you are going east you have to pull over to the right and many people have to pull over which creates a jam."

"I bike to the hospital every day for work. Last thing I want is to be hurt trying to help people"

"This is common sense city planning."

"This is such a vital and essential bridge for so many commuters. Cyclists and pedestrians deserve better protection while crossing it!"

"Please make the bridge safer so I can get home to my family every day from work! It's mayhem out there!"

"How many people have to die or be seriously injured on spruce and pine before the city does something? I have been hit and run off the road twice on this corridor so far. Near misses. Hopefully we can do something before mine or other's luck against aggressive drivers runs out."

"Getting safely across the bridge shouldn’t be a gamble. Implement protected bike lane infrastructure now. Fulfill your commitment to vision zero."

"I am a nurse practitioner at CHOP and I bike home on the South Street bridge every day. I have witnessed countless incidents of dangerous driving and I’m constantly worried I am going to get injured on this bike route."

"I bike on this bridge every day to get to work. I shouldn’t have to fear for my life to use a mode of transit that benefits the enforcement."

"Please protect it. As an icu physician who bikes it every day I always wish it were safer and I don’t end up like a trauma patient."

"I bike across this bridge at least twice a day as part of my commute, and have seen bicyclists endangered by car traffic frequently! Please protect the South St bike lines, and make Philly a safer city for all of us!"

"I bike across the south street bridge every day and I would like my commute to be safer."

"I commute to work via bike. I would feel so much safer with more permanent protection in the bike lane and not having to make the cut in with the current lane."

"Making cycling safer benefits everyone."

"Protect Philly bikers!!"

"Bridges serve as a point of concentrated traffic and especially one which contains access to an interstate. In these locations, cyclists experience the highest expose to danger and thus these locations deserve the highest priority when it comes to safety improvements."

"Myself and many others bike this bridge every day on our daily commute to work in healthcare, and we need safer conditions for our workers!"

"I ride these lanes to work at CHOP. Please help ensure my safety."

"We need bike lanes!"

"Protect the bike lane! Zero cyclist deaths NOW!"

"Please add protected bikes lanes!"

"I work at both CHOP and Penn and I commute on my bike everyday using the South Street bridge. It is a high traffic area that, without fail, is one of the most unpredictable parts of my commute. I would really appreciate the support of both of my employers in Penn and CHOP supporting this petition to make my colleagues' and my commute safer each day."

"Definitely a key bike corridor for students and workers in University City. If the Chestnut bridge can have such a good separated bike lane, surely we can do the same for this bridge which I believe gets even higher traffic."

"When people aren’t being critically injured (or killed), they’re having near misses almost daily."

"Zero Philly bike deaths!"

"Protected lanes are key to maintaining a reasonable standard of safety for cyclists on main arteries, especially where auto traffic is above 25 mph. The recent attempt to install flexible posts was clearly not sufficient."

"There’s nothing to lose by making things safer for the hundreds of individuals passing over this bridge daily!"

"PROTECT CYCLISTS!"

"PROTECT BIKERS"

"I commute across the bridge by bike multiple times a week. Cars get going very fast after the light at the highway intersection and speed eastbound and down the hill, right to the mixing zone. We need a better solution to keep everyone safe! The flex posts are falling off and then are just a hazard in the bike lane. Please do something soon before someone is killed here!"

"Getting to work and school shouldn't be a life or death experience."

"This bridge is an important connector between south and west Philly. Please protect cyclists as they travel across it!"

"This is one of the most used bike lanes in the city. Please make it safer by installing permanent bike lane protection."

"Please help us bike to work without worrying we will be killed. Thank you!"

"Please slow the cars down. As a bike commuter I don’t want to die to get to work. As a pedestrian I also don’t want to die. I live in west Philadelphia and work in center city."

"I'm a cyclist who doesn't have to cross this bridge to commute but I would be interested in using it to explore more of West Philly and the nearby neighborhoods, businesses, etc. I avoid it unless absolutely necessary, however, since its not safe."

"Physically protected bike lanes are a must!!!"

"This is the busiest bike corridor in the city. Cyclists are hit by cars on a regular basis on or near the bridge. It's essential to add safety protections before someone is killed here!"

"This is a low effort, common sense initiative that would be criminal to not enact."

"Please, keep people safe."

"Protect xycling safety!"

"That bridge is my main artery into center city from West, it's a great route but the cars treat it like a freeway. We need protection more than the motorists need space"

"I bike across the South St bridge multiple times every week on my commute to Penn. I’ve had more than one close call with vehicles edging into the bike lane. We need more safeguards protecting those of us who cross the bridge on bike."

"BETTER BIKE LANES FOR ALL PHILADELPHIANS!!!"

"My daily commute to CHOP. Very scary"

"If they can fix the lane on Walnut, they can fix the busier South bridge lane."

"I ride on this bridge every day. With a wife and 3 kids, every safety precaution should be taken to ensure people can get home safety to their families. Too many distracted drivers on their phones."

"Keep the bridge! Bikes are good for the city!"

"Protect cyclists, please. The improvements made so far are helpful but do not do enough to ensure safety."

"As one of the friends and neighbors of the woman who was hit, I have seen the devastation and pain that this poor bike lane design has caused. We need change now."

"We need more safety on South Street for pedestrians and cyclists!"

"This crossover area always feels so dangerous and sketchy, I'd feel much safer if it was changed"

"Using this route to get to work is frequently very scary. Despite having lights and reflective jackets and signalling well in advance, I don’t feel confident that cars will allow me to use the bike lane safely. The improvements so far have made a huge difference."

"Going through the mixing zone is a daily nerve wracking experience. Same goes for the mixing zone westbound spruce approaching 33rd st. South St Bridge must be one of the most heavily used bike routes in the state. Think of amount of car congestion relieved in center city. Bikers deserve more safety from the streets department."

"I don’t feel safe on the south street bridge when riding my bike to school"

"I bike along this stretch to go to my oncology appointments. I would love that my route is ensured to keep me as safe as possible."

"I regularly use this corridor and it is a harrowing experience. Please make it safer for everybody!"

"More protection makes every road user safer!"

"I bike the South Street bridge twice a week on my commute to work - please make it safer for me and all the other commuters and bikers!"

"I ride the South st bridge to get to school five days a week. I’ve almost been hit in the mixing zone more times that I can count. The solutions to make this vital bike route safer are right in front of us. We just need the will."

"I saw the woman who was struck down in the mixing zone receive emergency care and hope the bridge is redesigned so that will never be needed again."

"This is one of the most obviously highly trafficked bike routes in the city and it is criminal that it is so unprotected. I ride this route all the time and seeing knocked down flimsy flex posts makes me feel scared and unsafe. Unfortunately I know this is not an unfounded fear as people have been murdered by the city's lack of bike safety infrastructure in this location as well as countless other places. It is unacceptable to have so many preventable biker deaths. This should be a top priority for our city as well as the institution which benefit from being in our city such as Drexel and Penn. Stop cheaping out on our lives, put the time and money in for permanent barriers to save people's lives."

"I commute to work daily on my bicycle over the South Street Bridge and have three concerns related to safety for cyclists on the bridge. First, the bike lane crossover "mixing zone" on the eastbound side approaching 27th is very unsafe. I feel like I am taking my life in my hands when I cross traffic to stay in the EB bike lane during the crossover. Drivers approach very fast from behind and do not yield to me even though I am ahead of them in the crossover. Second, on both sides of the bridge, drivers frequently drift into the bike lane, putting cyclists at risk. I agree that physical barriers are needed to protect cyclists the entire length of the bridge. The third issue relates to accessing the bike path. I return home on the bike path (partly to avoid the "mixing zone") and trying to access the ramp, which is situated on the west side of the bridge, from the eastbound lanes is challenging and unsafe, especially at night. There is a traffic light and a pedestrian crossing at the level of the trail access ramp/stairs, but it is not always in use. When it is in use, drivers regularly run the red light, perhaps because they are not expecting it and don't "see" it on the rare occasions when it IS in use. Can this raffic light be set to run 24/7 and can we get a red-light camera on placed on it? Drivers would pay more attention if there were consequences to ignoring it."

"I fully support extra protection for bikes here. I ride across the bridge twice a day and it is a very dangerous spot. I see that more and more people are biking here, which is a good thing, but now the infrastructure has to keep up with the increased demand. Something also needs to be done about getting on the bike path (northbound) from the bridge. Bikers simply take a left turn on the middle of the bridge, crossing over several lanes of car traffic without waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green. I am surprised that nobody has been killed doing this!"

"Please do this. Save lives, decrease traffic. It's a simple investment."

"I ride over the South St bridge daily. It is extremely dangerous in bothg directions, especially going East towards Center City, where the merge is a free for all. It is terrifying for cyclists. I hope that dedicated bike lanes will be installed on both sides and a better solution will be identified to replace the merge on the east. Thank you very much."

"While I commute to CHOP every day from the west, I do often bike over the South St bridge and attest that it can be a harrowing experience. The intersection at I-76 has very long light cycles, clearly prioritizing moving motor vehicles over pedestrian and cyclist safety. The connection to the SRT on the east side of the bridge requires sharp turns onto the sidewalk and long waits for the crossing light. And the mixing zone before the right turn lane onto 27th St is at best a stressful experience, but clearly the incident on 9/9/26 shows that this area needs to be improved before someone is killed. I think a good rule of thumb is: would you let a child ride their bike here? If the answer is no, the infrastructure isn't safe enough."

"The current protections on this lane are an embarrassment to the City of Philadelphia and a serious danger to our fellow Philadelphians who use this bridge to commute by bike. We should, and can, be better than this."

"Let's see CHOP and HUP live up to their mission of improving health by protecting people on this bridge!"

"Protect people from traffic by physically separating the bike lanes with stronger, more robust barriers, and continue that protection all the way to the intersections. People's lives are at stake. This is not complicated."

"My wife works at Penn and sometimes when she’s running late, I’ll drive her in the morning. Our route takes us across the South Street Bridge, and the protection is almost laughably inadequate. Especially given the heavy traffic on this bridge and the amount of front line hospital workers crossing it every day to save lives, concrete protection should be the floor."

"It's absurd that we've ever had to ask for this. The south st bridge was one of the better bike facilities in the city when it reopened in 2009, but times have changed and now it's the most stressful part of many cross-river commutes. Stop making excuses about bridge weight, the pros and cons of gluing flexposts. Just cones put up by volunteers make the bridge safer, which should be embarrassing to the streets department."

"I ride this route almost daily - protection is critical!"

"As a graduate worker and resident of West Philadelphia, this pinch point is the scariest part of any bike journey into center city. I should not fear getting maimed, or worse, having the police make every parent's worst nightmare of a phone call every time I wish to travel into center city on my only affordable means of transportation."

"I bike this bridge often. Please make it less scary and deadly."

"Real investment in bike infrastructure would be a meaningful signal to encourage bike commuting and reduce congestion on South and Civic Center Blvd area."

"Stop killing the bikers!!!"

"Signing in support of Abby and for all who use the South Street bridge as bikers. No one else's life should be risked because of sub-par city infrastructure. Philadelphians deserve concrete barriers that protect them from drivers of cars or SEPTA buses. The city should address this immediately!"

"South Street Bridge desperately needs safety improvements for people on bikes. Please install concrete protection and remove the dangerous mixing zone before someone else's life is put at risk."

"Share the road! Make it safer for pedestrians/bicyclists to use especially because it’s a heavy traffic area. Everybody deserves safety when using the road."

"We need more protections for bike lanes, Paint is all but a suggestion. Ive had so many close calls with cars flying by way too close or cars have even brushed against me. Its just not safe, please support the people of Philadelphia just trying to get to their destination in one piece."

"Supporting friends who are bikers in Philadelphia who have fell victim to and have witnessed countless bike accidents."

"It shouldn’t take yet another injury to finally protect the south street bridge bike lane. Now is the time to act."

"I use the bridge to bike to volunteer at Ronald McDonald House. It is super unsafe where the bike lane has to merge and the bike lane should be better protected! Shame on you Philly! Do better!"

"I am a healthcare worker at HUP and an avid cyclist. I have not ridden my bike to work for over 2 years because the south street bridge is a literal death trap for cyclists and nothing has been done to improve safety. It is not IF but WHEN will I be killed if I choose to commute by bike until measures are taken by the city to improve safety. We need a physical barrier that cars can't just run over."

"Please fix this very unsafe situation before someone else gets seriously hurt!"

"We need hardened bike infrastructure yesterday as well as a safer road alignment on this bridge. The current policy on the bridge treats everyone not crossing it in a car as second class citizen who doesn't matter. How many more need to be injured or killed in crashes before the city decides that trying to pretend our streets are highways isn't worth it?"

"Our doctors, nurses, students, and everyone else deserve to be able to get to work/school safely."

"This area needs to be protected to keep our communities safe!"

"Urgent need for more bike infrastructure!"

"The city should do everything in its power to make bike riding safer. Bikes are good for all of us and the cities that support bikes as common transportation have a high quality of life. Let’s make this happen."

"keep bikers safe!!! this is ridiculous"

"Flexible pylons are no protection! Cars, trucks and buses just plow over them- like they (and the cyclists behind them) are not there. *The cost of installing permanent barriers at a proven-dangerous stretch of a commuter zone is insignificant compared to the cost of just one life.*"

"This is part of my bike commute and I have almost been hit twice!"

"My daughter commutes by ebike to CHOP. This could have been her! When I drive across that bridge I can’t believe my daughter has to navigate that mess. Install a permanent safe barrier for bicyclists ASAP!!"

"Please protect bikers on the South Street Bridge and throughout our city!"

"Please make this frequently used commuter corridor safer!"

"South Street is very heavily used and very dangerous."

"Paint is not protection!"

"Philadelphia is too great of a city to have such poor design at a major bridge crossing!"

"I commute via the South St bridge 4+ times per week. It is the most dangerous part of my commute, and I'm sick of risking my life just to get to work. Permanent, substantial bike lane protections are long overdue."

"The south street bridge sees the highest amount of cyclist traffic in the state, it deserves high quality cycling infrastructure!"

"Install concrete process bike lanes on the south street bridge."

"I bike in Philadelphia regularly and want safe bike lanes."

"slow down the cars and protect those lanes!"

"In 5+ years commuting across the bridge to CHOP, I've almost been hit countless times. We need real protection now."

"Making car-alternatives safer should be among the highest priorities."

"Paint is not protection and the cheap, flimsy, plastic poles put in looked like they were glued with no intention of being permanent. There is NO reason not to have protected bike lanes across the entire bridge on BOTH sides with permanent protection. Please properly put protections in ASAP. People's lives need to be taken more seriously. The city did a great job putting in the planters further down on South St, why can't they do quality work here too? The people biking across the bridge in both directions literally save lives, why are they not being better protected?!"

"Just put it there. How hard could it be to do the obvious thing. This is why people think politicians don't work and don't do anything. Just do the obvious thing that needs to be done."

"Both my kids go to CHOP, and we bike there from South Philly, over the South St. Bridge, and back. Make this safe so my kids don't die. Install real barriers, not flex-posts. This should be a no-brainer."

"Let's get some serious protection for bicyclists on a busy/dangerous road!"

"our city streets are a disaster that has made them infamous as the most dangerous in the U.S. Where is the actual leadership when we need it to protect our fellow citizens who are doing their part to reduce car use in the city? Where!!!"

"My brother is Harry Fenton who was killed on a Philly street on Sept. 2, 2025."

"Protect the south Philly bridge ,along with cyclist, pedestrian.We must protect our roads in the communities."

"Make this bridge safer for cyclists and safer for drivers. Put up some real concrete barriers to split the traffic so neither group has to worry about the other."

"why is the USA always behind on EVERY SINGLE issue that matters??? Philadelphia: stop endorsing a failed near totalitarian transport system: try and get rid of your CAR BRAIN!!!!!!"

"Protect the bridge, save the bikers."

"We need protected bike lanes! I wish I could commute via bike but I worry that it’s simply not safe!"

"I cross this bridge to work every day and hope that more secure measures can be taken to keep bikers safe and encourage others to participate in sustainable modes of travel."

"I bike this bridge every day to get to medical school at Penn. I love how accessible philly is by bike but I do feel like I risk my life every morning and evening biking across this bridge and it's crazy to me that the city hasn't done something to make the hundreds of bike commuters across this bridge feel safe."

"I ride this bridge everyday to school. The bike lane needs real barriers!"

"PLEASE!"

"Bike and pedestrian safety, real safety, must be a City priority…now, before another person has to die!"

"Let's make it safe for cyclists on the South Street Bridge. Cycling Traffic will be increasing with the opening of the Swing Bridge. Thanks for your concern. Owen"

"The addition of the flex posts on the south street bridge show that the city recognizes that there is a need for improvement- 10+ flex posts down shows that we really need concrete protection! Please make this a long term fix!"

"For a bicyclist to be killed in a “protected” bike lane is unacceptable. Only solid protection can provide safe travel."

"I bike across this bridge about twice a week and it is always a stressful and scary experience. I am highly exposed to high speed car traffic, and drivers frequently ignore the faded lane markings. Crossing over from the southside of the bridge to the ramp down to the SRT is always stressful, and every time I enter the "mixing zone" I have to double-check that no drivers are near me or that I'm highly visible to them. There is clearly room and a desperate need for much safer, better, and more comfortable bike and pedestrian infrastructure here. We do not need to wait for more tragedies involving REAL PEOPLE with families and communities to suffer or die from this violent design."

"Insist on making bike riding safe on the streets of Philadelphia!"

"I ride this a lot and while the repainting and flex posts help we need a real solution not makeshift."

"I want concrete! I run across this bridge several times a week, and bike a few times a month. The current design of the road is flawed - the eastbound bike lane is exposed to a dangerous right hook turn lane, and the road encourages drivers to go too fast in both directions. Put this road on a diet, and install heavy barriers. Protect the medical professionals looking after us now, and the students who will shape the future of our city."

"As a physician and colleague of the late Barbara Friedes, MD who also commutes to CHOP by bike, I am writing to implore you to support improvements to the South St Bridge now. We need concrete protection before another bicyclist is seriously injured or killed."

"FFS"

"We need concrete barriers on the South Street bridge!"

"Another dangerous place for bikes is going south on Greys Ferry at Washington Ave. Cars make wide turns from westbound Washington Ave onto Grey's Ferry south, knocking down many flex posts and endangering cyclists."

"This is my daily commute and is so scary! It doesn’t have to be like this!"

"In an urban city, there is is no reason why streets shouldn’t be safe for pedestrians and cyclists. More people would bike in the city if there were protected bike lanes."

"The Streets department's refusal to act is responsible for 10 people walking and biking on this bridge getting hit by cars since 2021. The Streets department has an obligation to protect the people of this City. They need to finally prioritize safe infrastructure over vehicle speed and convenience."

"Protect bicycle riders."

"I bike on South Street bridge all the time, sometimes with my child on the bike with me. We want to be able to travel safely."

"I drive on the south street bridge all the time and I want better bike infrastructure!"

"I ride on the South Street bridge to work and the drivers are anxious to get on the freeway and not thinking carefully about the cyclists. We need better protection!"

"Please make Philadelphia safer for pedestrians and bicyclists."

"As one who has a brother who was killed in Philly last year, i support whatever safer provisions can be given to bike riders. I also support more help from the police department whom have proven to be useless."

"Please prioritize protection of cyclists and pedestrians on the south street bridge!"

"Please provide better protections for the bike lines on the South Street bridge. It's being used by a lot of bikers."

"As a Penn grad student who lives in South Philly, I bike over this bridge at least twice a day—and I fear for my safety every time I do, especially in the mixing zone at the end of the eastbound lane. The South Street Bridge is the most transited bicycle corridor in all of Pennsylvania; it’s truly shameful that our leaders haven’t done more to protect the thousands of people who ride across it every day. Please make it safe before somebody else is hit."

"Please help us all stay safe and protect our bike lanes!"

"There is SO much room on that bridge, I drive it all the time. Add the barriers already!"

"Design streets safe enough for a parent to ride with their child. Please add concrete barriers to the south street bridge"

"Philadelphia has made some great strides in improving mobility and allowing for alternative transport options. Improvements like this will further encourage citizens to use bikes for commuting, exercise, and leisure. Thank you"

"Please help to make our bike lanes and streets safer!"

"I ride my bike across the south Street bridge to and from work every day. I always remind myself to be hyper vigilant near this mixing zone because drivers are more distracted than ever and will be looking at their phones and cross lanes and not see the cyclist they’re about to hit. I’ve successfully avoided two accidents where this exact scenario happened at the mixing zone. Please make changes to keep everyone safe."

"I'm close to many health care workers who take this route regularly and worry about their safety on this bridge in it's current state. A safer street for cyclists is a safer street for all."

"I take this route regularly and never feel safe. Please take action"

"Haha & I cross my fingers again that Philly government is more than just empty promises and that someone will start saying "NO!" in this autocentric city and start giving a damn about the lives of cyclist."

"The needless loss or injury of any commuter anywhere is unacceptable. Though I am not affiliated, I know many who work at CHOP and HUP and use the bridge every day commuting to work. I often think of how disruptive it would be to so many patients and the medical community if anything were to happen to those workers. The stakes are uniquely high and the city's inherent calculus here is baffling and incredibly disheartening. As a public health issue, I hope that those institutions will advocate for the safety of their staff."

"Philly, protect cyclist like your protecting home ownership"

"Take action"

"This bike lane needs real, permanent solutions. No more flex posts. We need concrete jersey barriers"

"Please install concrete barriers!"

"Another location where flex-posts don't work is the bike lane going south on Greys Ferry Avenue where it passes Washington Ave."

"The Streets Department is certainly aware of street safety best practices by this point. They've gotten our emails. They've heard our phone calls. It seems they simply lack the willpower and leadership to make safety improvements happen. The Department's decision-makers are just moving through the motions, while the staff advocating for change are quickly disregarded without any mechanism to create upward pressure on their leaders. It would benefit the upper leadership to engage with and listen to their younger, newer staff members. Keep doing the same things, get the same result. Philly deserves concrete protection now."

"We need safer bike lanes in philly now. Install concrete barriers"

"Don’t rely on paint to stop a car. It does not work. People die. People get severely hurt. Permanently hurt. Use concrete to separate cars from everybody else. Cars are death machines. Every opportunity to change the streets should make it so cars can not interact with pedestrians and cyclists."

"Please make this common sense improvement on a key corridor."

"The 10 new flex posts that were removed within a day is a clear example of how real cycling infrastructure needs to be considered if we want to keep cyclists safe in Philadelphia."

"We need concrete protection, not plastic flex posts that drivers can (and clearly do) drive over at the drop of a hat. Deaths and injuries in PA’s most-used bike lane are predictable and preventable until we get REAL infrastructure changes. The lack of bike lane protection is an active choice to prioritize drivers’ speed and convenience over our lives and bodies."

"Flex posts are a ridiculous solution to a real safety issue. This bridge is heavily trafficked and usually one of the scariest parts of my own bike trips between west Philly and center city. Please install a more permanent and safe solution to protect all road users."

"Real physical bike lane protection from Philly drivers"

"This is a dangerous stretch even with the existing bike lane. Please do all you can to make this safer. There's no need to have bikers killed by drivers when it's easily preventable."

"Flex posts are fake protection!"

"My wife will be cycling on this bridge on her daily commute next year, and after the great Schuylkill trail this section is kinda scary at the moment. Everything that makes this safer is welcome!"

"There are thousands of riders going over that Bridge all year long. Many of them are your children, medical students, college students and the physicians that care for you. Please, for the love of humanity, Protect the South Street Bridge and make it a safe place to cross to Penn and back. (and the light there!! delay for bikers and pedestrians to get across!!!)"

"PUT IN REAL BARRIERS!!"

"My husband, Teddy Einstein, was killed by a driver turning left and failing to yield . Concrete islands would have saved his life"

"More protective bike ways should be for every bike ways."

"A safer bike path is a what we need not just on south street. All over the Philadelphia area."

"this is the single busiest biking corridor in the city! protection is an easy win for safety, congestion, and cleaner air!"

"I appreciate any effort to make active travel in the city safer."

"Please make it possible to bike this route without risking one’s life!"

"We need a safer bicycle transit way"

"Please install real concrete barriers!"

"Concrete barriers save lives. Don't have blood on your hands when this is common sense. Bring Philly into line with other great cities around the country and world prioritizing its pedestrian and cyclist citizens over vehicles. Better for the city, children, families, and the climate."

"Please project the bike lane with real barriers!"

"Flex posts are not enough -- anyone who has biked over the South Street bridge knows that. It's time for the city to take safety seriously and install permanent concrete protection on this well-trafficked bike route."

"I am appalled at the slow response to an automobile crisis in the city. Aggressive driving has become the norm, and there has been a weak response to it, and none to the fake paper tags proliferating around the city. A driver can simply do what he or she wants to do with impunity. When will someone step up and protect our citizens with simple measures of speed mitigation, police patrols impounding cars with fake tags, and yes, installing safe bike lanes in the city? Simply painting bike lanes inside of parking lanes provides a natural and cheap barrier of cars to protect cyclists and pedestrians alike."

"I'm too scared to cross the S. Street bridge on a bike. Barriwrs would go a long way in protecting bicyclists here!"

"As a nurse who commutes by bike to work at Jefferson I often feel I am risking my life. If we can make the commute for other people even a tiny bit safer we should take the opportunity as a city to do what’s right"

"Please make bike lanes safer for for all. I had a bike accident recently that required ten stitches in my leg and plan to get back on my bike as soon as I can. I hope to do so on safer streets! Thank you!"

"This is a primary cycling route. Prioritize the safety of cyclists!"

"Paint alone does not protect!"

"As a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, I have seen too many patients suffer injuries due to traffic violence. The South Street bridge needs concrete protection as it is one of the most popular bike routes in Philadelphia. Flex posts do not provide adequate protection."

"Beyond ridiculous that this important route has been unprotected so long."