Remember a few months ago when we were talking about making Philly streets safer for bikes?

Unfortunately, City Council has a bill right now that is set to do the opposite.

Councilmember Jannie Blackwell introduced Bill 18013400 last Thursday that says “any modification to an existing bicycle lane that would affect the flow of traffic” would require a City Council ordinance. According to Claire Sasko at Philly Mag, Blackwell is having regrets over the Chestnut 34-45th Sts protected bike lane because of driver complaints.

This bill is counterintuitive to the city’s Vision Zero plan and according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, would make ” would make it harder, costlier, and more time consuming for Philadelphia to make its streets safer.”

The Bike Coalition has a petition to send to City Council in opposition to the bill. Visit it on their website.

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Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher