2026 Update: Where is the concrete protection for Spruce and Pine bike lanes?
It has been 1.5 years since a reckless driver struck and killed Dr. Barbara Friedes while she was biking in the Spruce Street bike lane in July 2024. Why is there still no concrete protection on Spruce and Pine Streets?
Photo by Elizabeth Robertson (Inquirer)
Despite 6,000 petition signatures, two full scale protest rides, multiple community meetings, public hearings, and political promises, a myopic lawsuit has seriously delayed safety upgrades.
Here is what you need to know...
Early progress
2024: Mayor Parker commits to addressing the unprotected bike lane after Barbara Friedes' death and includes $5 million for "concrete barriers" in her annual budget.
Council President Johnson passes a citywide "Get out the Bike Lane Bill" that officially makes stopping in the bike lane illegal.
2025: After a long period of community engagement including an Open House survey, direct mailers, online resident survey, public hearings, and stakeholder meetings, which consistently showed substantial majorities of supportive Spruce and Pine residents, the City finally installs Loading Zones as precursor to protecting the bike lane. The Loading Zones are a huge success and immediately reduced the number of cars parked in the bike lane.
You can read a more detailed timeline with press links on our campaign page.
FOPS lawsuit blocks safety measures
2025: Opposition group "Friends of Pine and Spruce" (FOPS) forms to stop bike lane protection of any kind. They hired controversial lawyer George Bochetto to sue the City on procedural grounds.
FOPS has spent over $100,000 in legal fees, including $25,000 that was "donated" by Society Hill Civic Association, an RCO that shares board members with FOPS.
They claimed that the Streets Department did not have authority to install Loading Zones without an ordinance from City Council. Judge Sierra Thomas Street agreed and issued a temporary injunction to force the City to take down the newly installed signs.
To correct the injunction, Council President Johnson passed a bill that explicitly codified the long-standing delegation of power to install Loading Zones to the Streets Department. Having rectified the complaint, the City motioned to have the injunction dissolved.
2026: Inexplicably, Judge Sierra Thomas Street denied the motion, but the City's case will be re-heard by a new judge sometime soon. In the meantime, we are still waiting for that life-saving concrete protection.
End Game
The opposition's strategy has been to move the conversation about protected bike lanes into a venue where the public can't participate and cause as much delay as possible hoping that we will all forget and move on.
Philly Bike Action has been keeping the pressure on. We collected and delivered nearly 700 hand-written postcards in support of concrete protection.
The outspoken objections of a vocal minority overruling overwhelming public support is exactly why these bike lanes were not protected years ago - long before Barbara was killed. We will not let it happen again. We will not forget.
What can you do?
This lawsuit will eventually get thrown out. There is no court order preventing the City from installing concrete curb separation. Waiting for the Loading Zones is a political decision.
Don't let City Council and the Mayor forget that they promised to keep Philly bikers safe. Send an email every month asking for updates. If you live near Spruce and Pine, organize your block or apartment building to send a joint letter. Organize your school or workplace to send a letter. This spring, join Philly Bike Action in the streets.
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