What are the Philadelphia Bicycle Laws?

We have been getting a lot of questions from people who are unsure about bicycling laws in Philadelphia.

If you are looking for info on the rules of the road, please refer to the Bicycle Ambassadors handouts (in both English and Spanish), and look at our 'Guide to Biking in Philly', or for more extensive info the 'Safe Bicycling in Philadelphia' guidebook. 'Safe Bicycling in Philadelphia' lists the laws that relate to bikes, and also has plenty of tips and advice for how to safely follow them.

The Regulations for bicycles in Philadelphia are a bit more strict than the laws of the State. Make sure you know the Pennsylvania laws and Philadelphia regulations. Click here for amended sections in the Philadelphia Bicycle Regulations and Penalties Chapter 12-800.

For even more info, the BCGP's Education and Safety Materials includes more links, such as PA's 'Bicycle Drivers Manual'.

Please be advised... Police to Launch Enforcement Campaign

The Bicycle Coalition’s Education Department sat down with Captain Wilson from the Philadelphia Police 9th District today (November 19, 2009). This meeting confirmed that Police intend to begin an enforcement and education campaign beginning tomorrow, November 20, 2009. The campaign will focus on egregious actions of motorists and cyclists in the Center City area.

Bicycle police officers from the 9th and 6th Districts and Center City District will be on the streets enforcing the rules of the road in Center City. In addition to other violations, the Police will be stopping bicyclists riding on the sidewalk, not stopping at red lights or stop signs, and riding the wrong way in the road. The police department will also have vehicle units out on Spruce and Pine streets ticketing motorists who are driving in the bike lanes, illegally double parking and driving aggressively.

In response to this enforcement campaign, the Bicycle Coalition will have Bicycle Ambassadors out on the streets helping to educate bicyclists who may not know the rules of the road and provide tips for riding in traffic. For more information on the Bicycle Ambassadors click here.

Please be advised that this is not a test and tickets will be written. Safety education coupled with enforcement, applied equitably to all road users, is the first step to improve safety for all.

Please read below for violations and associated fines provided by the Police Department. To contact your local police district, click here.

Vehicle Code Violations:

• 3112-A-3i- Disregard Traffic Signal ($119.50)

• 3112-A-3ii- Turn on Red, Fail to Stop/Yield Pedestrian/Traffic ($119.50)

• 3308-B- Wrong Way 1-Way ($119.50)

• 3323-B- Disregard Stop Sign ($119.50)

• 3323-C- Disregard Yield Sign ($119.50)

• 3345-A- Improper Passing of a School Bus ($364.50)

• 3542-A- Failure to Yield to Pedestrian in crosswalk court ($119.50)

• 3711-A- Clinging to a Moving Vehicle ($119.50)

• 3714- Careless Driving ($119.50)

• 3736-A- Reckless Driving ($294.50)

Philadelphia Traffic Ordinances:

• 12-808 Riding a Bicycle on a Sidewalk ($54.00)

What to do if you are in a crash

With bicycling issues making headlines, especially relating to traffic safety and enforcement, we thought it is important to re-post the Bicycle Coalition's advice for what to do in the event of a crash. This information can be found on our website as well.


It is very important if it is at all possible to call the Police and report the crash. In other words, if you are not seriously hurt, don't walk away.

If you are in a crash with a car, do not leave the scene without:

• the tag number of the car
• the names and phone numbers of any witnesses
• driver name and contact information
• police officer name and badge number

If you don't call the police, for them it's like your crash never happened. It is extremely important that the police record as much of the above information as you have. The ambulance personnel will not include this information in their report – you must make sure the information gets recorded by the police. If it is a hit and run, you need to file a police report as soon as you are able, giving them as much information as possible.

Even in cases where cyclists are badly hurt, the police have not always identified the vehicle or driver involved. Make sure to take down the police officers' badge numbers and follow-up with your local office (more on that below).

If there is no follow-up by the police, call your local district office and ask to speak to the Captain. Let him know what happened, complete with all the information above. A list of local district police offices can be found here (if you don't know your district, check this map).

For more information, or specific questions, please refer to Bob Mionske's BicycleLaw.Com.


For our part, the Bicycle Coalition is doing our best to educate the police department and police officers on following through with enforcing the laws and protecting all road-users.

Why Sidewalk Riding is Illegal

If you are over 12 years old, riding on the sidewalk is illegal in Philadelphia (and many other areas throughout the state).

Of course, people still do. But since the city is now talking about strictly enforcing bicycle laws by ticketing cyclists on the sidewalk up to $50 (click here for our media round-up), we wanted to take a second to explain why riding on the street is important, and safer too.

• Riding on the sidewalk is more dangerous than riding on the street. It might feel more safe to ride on the sidewalk because you don't have cars along with you, but on the sidewalk there are more chances for conflict, and crashes. Statistically, bicycle crashes with injury are almost twice as likely on the sidewalk (and 3.6 times as likely if you are riding against traffic).

• Motorists aren't expecting fast moving vehicles on the sidewalk. Bicyclists coming off the sidewalk into a crosswalk or driveway are more likely to get hit by a car that's turning or pulling up to the road.

• If you crash into someone, you could be liable. The two recent deaths of pedestrians who were hit by bicyclists show that bicycles have the ability to cause serious injury to pedestrians, even if the rider doesn't get hurt.

• Bikes can legally ride in the center of the road, if there's not enough space to safely share a lane of travel. Click here for more on how to ride safely in the street.

• It is faster to ride on the street. You can avoid streets with lots of cars by knowing which streets have bike lanes, wide shoulders, or low traffic. Click for more tips on choosing a fast and safe route, plus our online Philadelphia Bicycle Map.

• For more safe biking tips, please refer to the Commuting Tips links on the right side of this blog.
  

As road users, we all have to do our part to make the roads safe, which means following the rules of the road. Bending the rules to ride on the sidewalk only pushes the chaos onto the sidewalk as well, where bikes become the bullies.

And lastly, we want to suggest, rather than riding your bike on the sidewalk, try walking your bike to the next block where the street has lower traffic volumes and is headed in the correct direction.

Thanks to Gary Rides Bikes Blog for the image.

Spruce Street Service Station Wednesday Morning! Volunteers needed.

Please join us for a Morning Spruce/Pine Bike Lane Service Station on Wed, November 18th from 7:30-9:30 AM (and if you can only join us until 9:00 AM, we still want your help). We will be setting up near 22nd and Spruce, and are looking for 3 volunteers to help us talk with bicyclists about about the new lanes, safety tips, and 'Giving Respect to Get Respect'. We will also be handing out sample-size cups of coffee as a way of encouraging people to stop and chat.

Please let max@bicyclecoalition.org know if you can join us this Wednesday. The 3 volunteers that join us will receive free 'I Bike PHL' T-shirts!

And after that, send your own letter to City Council in support of the new lanes. We are always looking for more volunteers to help out, so let anyone who might be interested! Please remember to remind them that we ask that all of our volunteers are current members of the Bicycle Coalition.

Thanks!

Intersections: Biking and Distracted Driving

One thing I noticed when I started biking around is that, on a bike, I really feel like I'm interacting with other road users. You get to look at people and make eye contact in a way feels very personal. And generally, I'm really happy with those interactions.
But this personal touch has also allowed me to noticed that when I've had close calls -where a driver didn't see me before turning or blew a stop sign- they were on cell phone.

'Distracted Driving' is being talked about everywhere from Capitol Hill to Missouri schools, where a woman who was texting with her sister when the sister got into a crash gives speeches to students about the dangers of distracted driving. The Phila. Inquirer reported that "nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year" in relation to distracted drivers.

And in Philly, the city has just begun implementing it's own distracted driving policy. The Police will give out warnings throughout November, and then start ticketing in December.

Lately, I've been learning to see the roads themselves as important parts of our public space. That is, the road is an important part of our neighborhoods and communities, rather than something that runs through it. Making our roads better is an important pre-requisite for building community.

Which is why distracted driving, whether you're in a car or on a bicycle, is important for making everyone's interactions on the road safer and better. Yes, bikes count too. Everyone is disctracted by cell phones, even pedestrians, as this study involving clowns on unicycles shows.

-If you want to find out more about the movement against distracted driving, check out http://txtresponsibly.org/ or our friends @Idrivefocused and @DontTwive on Twitter.

-More on Philly Distracted Driving Ban from NBC.

Air is important: How to pump a tire

There are a bunch of reasons to make sure your tires have enough air. Not having enough air in your tires makes your bike slower and harder to ride. Low air in your tires also increases the possibility that you will get a flat tire from sharp road debris.

Pumping up tires can be intimidating the first time, but once you know what to look for it's really easy!

Step 1- Make sure your bike is stable by leaning it against something or flipping it over. Find the tire valve, which should be sticking out of the inside of the tire's rim, and unscrew the little cap on it. Put the cap somewhere safe!

Step 2- Attach the pump to the tire. There are two different types of tire valves. Schrader valves are the big, fat valves just like on car tires. With the lever down, press the pump onto the valve. Lift up the lever, which will lock the nozzle in place, and start pumping.

The other type of valve is called a Presta valve, and is taller and skinnier than Schrader valves. With a Presta valve, first unscrew the little nut at the top of the valve, which will let air in and out. Then press the pump's nozzle onto the valve, lift the lever, and pump.

Step 3- How do you know when the tire is full? Your tires will say along the rim how much air pressure they are supposed to take. If your pump tells you the air pressure, then pump to the amount listed on the tire. If you don't have the kind of pump with a pressure gauge, then you can figure it out by squeezing the tire until it feels firm.

If you're riding in bad weather, it's advised not to inflate to the full amount, because it will give your tires more surface area.

Step 4- When you're done, push down the lever and take off the nozzle. If you have a Presta valve, screw the little nut back down. Make sure to put the screw-cap back on! (if you're like me, you'll have to search through all your pockets trying to find it).


Sometimes it's easier to see how to do it, so here's a short video on how to pump a tire from BikeRepairVideos.com.

Bike-the-Strike 101

If you're pulling out your bike for the first time in months or years, or ride on the weekends but haven't tried commuting yet, here's some of the quick basics for getting to work by bike:

1. When you pull your bike out, make sure your tires are pumped, your breaks are working, and your pedals and chain are attached. Check out the ABC Quick-Check for more on how to check your bike.

2. A bike is a legal vehicle, and has the same right to the road as cars. That means that everything you do when driving a car, you should do while biking. Stop at Stop signs and Red lights and signal your turns by sticking your arm out and pointing in the direction you are turning. This will make you more predictable to others on the road (and may keep you from contributing to the already high amount of road rage).

3. The rule is to stay as far to the right as practical: you are allowed to ride in the middle of the lane if there's not enough space for cars to pass you safely. When riding on the side of the road, try to ride 4 feet away from cars to avoid opening doors. Click here for more on how your lane position on the road can make you safer.

4. It is illegal to ride on the sidewalk in the city of Philadelphia. It also can be very dangerous for pedestrians. We know that at first it can be scary to ride in the street, so we have written short tips on basic city riding skills, what lanes to use, and making left turns on multi-lane streets to help you adjust ASAP.

4. Don't let your pant legs get dirty or stuck in the chain: roll them up, tuck them into your socks (the stylish option, of course) or tie them with string or a rubber band.

5. Lights: Now that it gets dark so early, lights for your bike are extremely important for cars to see you when you're on your way home. It is the law to have a white front light and red rear light from dusk to dawn. You can get lights for under $20 at any bike shop. Click here for other ways to make sure you're visible.

6. We advise everyone to wear a helmet, but make sure you're wearing it correctly too. Click here to see how.

7. Pick a route that will be easy for biking! Our blog has a bike lanes map and advice for picking the safest, most convenient route for biking.


Good luck!

It's On! - Get Your Bike Ready Before You Leave

SEPTA workers walked out at 3AM this morning. Make sure you perform the ABC Quick Check on your bike before heading out. (A-Air, B-Brakes, C- Chain and Crankset, Quick Release)

And remember sunset is at 5 so make sure that you have lights for the trip home. Drug stores sell cheap LED lights that you can secure to your bike or body. Make sure you get one for the front and back. For better (safer) bike light sets, which are also inexpensive, try your local bike shop.

Check out our commuting tips on the right for some quick advice on planning a route and riding safely in the city!

Who will be the next Bicycling Super-Hero?

I learned this morning that the Philadelphia Water Department for a short time had a super-hero mascot named Captain Sewer: the City's Official Grime Fighter. The Captain was used for educational campaigns about issues such as watersheds and water pollution, and would go to park clean-up events and so forth. Apparently he even had a team of 'Clean Water Raingers' to back him up.









So what do you think a Bicycling Super-Hero Mascot would look like? And who would his back-up team be?

The only biking super-hero I found is Sprocket-Man, a bicycling safety super-hero from the late 70's who makes sure people are safe and protects the city from bike thieves. The comic is actually really fun- read it here! (Thanks to A Practical Cyclist Blog for unearthing the history of Sprocket-Man).


Anyone have any other ideas?