Cyclist seriously injured in South St bridge bike lane

On Sept 9, 2026, a SEPTA bus crashed into a woman who was biking in the bike lane on the South Street bridge, running over her legs. She's stable but severely injured.

Both the bus and the cyclist were traveling straight when the crash occurred; however the crash happened right before where the bike lane jogs to the left and is painted with a dashed line to allow the vehicles entering the turning lane to cross it. In theory, this is to prevent right hooks, but it is a very dangerous, especially on high speed roads like South St bridge where cars are flying off highway off ramps.

Nearly 500 people commute across the bridge per hour during peak times. Many of them are students and health care professionals. Crashes and near-misses are frequent. The City must act before another person is seriously injured or killed.

Safety improvements should include:

• Remove the mixing zone by adding a bike signal and keep bike lane along curb
• Placing jersey barriers to protect the bike lane.

In a statement released to Philly Bike Action via email, the City of Philadelphia on Sept 11, 2026 read:

"The City is aware of the crash that occurred this week on the South Street Bridge between a cyclist and a SEPTA bus. While we are relieved the crash victim is in stable condition, we are saddened a crash occurred in the first place. We’re grateful to the bystanders and medical professionals who assisted on scene. We are wishing a speedy recovery to the victim. 

Riding a bicycle in Philadelphia should be a safe, convenient way to get around. People walking, rolling, and biking are among the most vulnerable road users. The City is actively designing safety improvements for the east side of the South Street Bridge, in close collaboration with CHOP. The goal of these improvements is to make the road more intuitive for cyclists and drivers, and safer for everyone. We will provide updates to residents, the community, and stakeholders when we have a timeline for implementation"

-Michael A. Carroll, Deputy Managing Director for Transportation and Infrastructure, City of Philadelphia