Since its inception in 1972, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) has been leading the charge in promoting a safe and fun way to get around the Greater Philadelphia region. From their recent 2023 Better Mobility Platform proposal for Philly's new mayor to their upcoming Vision Zero Conference, BCGP has no plans of slowing down. They just wish Philly's cars would.
Philadelphia has made major strides over the years to make its streets and communities safer for all, with tangible human-centered enhancements to our streets like the green-painted bike lanes and the emergence of Indego’s bike share. But like most things, there is always more work to be done.
Last year, 125 Philadelphians were killed in motor vehicle crashes. At Jawnt, we believe that number should be zero, which is why we have partnered with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) and their Vision Zero project, which aims for zero traffic deaths by 2030. With their Vision Zero Conference happening this coming Friday, March 31st at Temple University, we thought we’d share a bit more about BCGP, the important work that they do for the city, and what Friday’s conference will look like.
Since their inception in 1972, BCGP has been championing a safe and fun way to get around the Greater Philadelphia region.
Throughout those 50+ years, BCGP has played a pivotal role in shaping our city, serving as the driving force behind such vital changes as allowing bicycle access on the Ben Franklin Bridge (1975), opening the Schuylkill Banks boardwalk (2014), and establishing Philly’s first protected bike lane along Ryan Avenue (2016) (more info here).
BCGP’s fingerprints are all over Philadelphia’s human-friendly infrastructure - quietly improving the health, wellness, and sustainability of Philly and its people.
But despite these decades-long wins, Philadelphia still has a long way to go in protecting its pedestrians. From the aforementioned 120+ traffic deaths in 2022 to the police department’s 40 calls about hit-and-runs per day, there is more work to be done. And luckily, thanks to BCGP, the city, and other local orgs, there is a framework in place with Vision Zero.
The Vision Zero movement began in Sweden in 1997 and has since spread to towns and cities worldwide. As the Inquirer’s Thomas Fitzgerald reported in 2022, Vision Zero is “based on a “safe systems” approach” to street planning — designing roads and traffic controls to minimize crashes and reduce vehicle speeds so when crashes do happen, they are less harmful. Examples include fewer lanes for vehicles, protected bicycle lanes, better-timed signals, speed humps, and roundabouts at dangerous four-way intersections. Sometimes people call the approach “complete streets” or “smart streets.”
In November of 2016, Mayor Jim Kenney signed Executive Order 11-16, adopting Sweden’s Vision Zero plan for Philadelphia and committing to reduce traffic deaths to zero by 2030 (source). Since that signing, BCGP has been the strong, consistent voice pushing the movement forward.
This year, BCGP crafted their 2023 Better Mobility Platform, with one of the major tenets of the program being a four-part proposal for the next mayor of Philadelphia:
1- Reduce annual traffic deaths by half by 2026
2- Motivate 2 out of every 3 Philadelphians to bike, walk, or take transit to get around
3- Reimagine and redesign streets to prioritize human life, public health, and community
4- Provide every resident with access to safe streets and sidewalks to get to school or work, to play, and to enjoy Philadelphia and its great neighborhoods
At Jawnt, we work every day to get more people out of single occupancy vehicles, and we want to ensure that everyone is safe as they make this transition, which is why we are so excited to attend Friday’s Vision Zero Conference.
BCGP’s Vision Zero Conference is the pinnacle event for amplifying the Vision Zero movement, as it brings together experts in health, transportation, tech, design, and government from across the country to discuss the ways in which the city of Philadelphia can bring its pedestrian road deaths down to zero.
This year’s conference includes the following session topics:
Panelists and speakers include representatives from:
If you or someone you know would like to go to this year’s conference, reach out to us! We have two free tickets that we’re giving away!
Email us at hello@jawntpass.com to let us know why Vision Zero is important to both you and to Philadelphia, and you just might be selected to join us! :)
To read up on BCGP’s 2023 Better Mobility Platform, click here!
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Jawnt is a Philadelphia-based technology company focused on helping more people access their cities through public and shared transit. Jawnt partners directly with transit and mobility providers to increase the ease of purchasing and using transit. The Jawnt platform enables employers to offer better, unified transit benefits for their entire workforce and includes HR/benefits integrations, commute planning tools, analytics, and ongoing support. The city is yours again – with Jawnt. For more, visit jawntpass.com.
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