Okay now that they’ve raised the fine for bicyclists how about raising, or enforcing, some of the blantant motor vehicle violations; running red lights, gridlocking, double parking. I see more of those violations than cycle violations. That’s more revenue for the city for enforcing existing laws.

Park an officer at 22nd and Lombard in the mornings and ticket the cars parked in the bike lanes. There’s usually one getting donuts with a car parked in the bike lane anyway.

Thanks to Mr. Thompson for the reference to Pa. Vehicle Code (Title 75):

Center City is a business district, therefore bicycle riding on sidewalks is therefore illegal. That should be enough but The Philadelphia Code reaffirms it.

§12-808. Riding on Sidewalks:
(1) No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district, as such district is defined in The Vehicle Code.
(2) No person 12 years of age or more shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk in any district.
(3) Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian.”

This an excerpt of the University of Pennsylvania’s policy:
“B. Synopsis of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia law
1. Human powered, pedal cycles are vehicles according to the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.
2. Vehicles, as indicated in #1 above are subject to the provisions of the vehicle code when operated on the highways and may not stop, stand or park where prohibited or where controlled by official traffic control devices to include firelanes, handicapped zones, etc.
3. The Philadelphia Code prohibits any person above the age of 12 from riding a bicycle on any sidewalk or pedestrian pathway in a business district. The Penn Campus area meets the definition of a business district.”
Conclusion: It appears that the City of Philadelphia agrees with the State of Pennsylvania. Center City is a Business District and therefore bicycle riding on sidewalks by anyone over 12 years of age is illegal.

Just at Broad & Chestnut the police could ticket at least 20 bikers per hour. Let’s see: $50 per ticket on an 8 hour shift means $8,000 per day and $2.9 million per year. From just one intersection! No need to close libraries or pools.

I am a sidewalk biker, and this fine increase if anything has raised my desire to ride on the sidewalk. I will be out tomorrow, full-speeding down a sidewalk near you, so get the fuck out of my way. And if you are trying to “fine” me you’ve gotta

When they catch you, SB, not only will the waterboard be waiting but we’ll put electric clamps on your nipples.
Enjoy tomorrow, superstar rebel.

This bicycle on the road thing is all fine and dandy. Only problem being, most motorists don’t know bicyclist are supposed to use the road. I can’t tell you how many times motorists have yelled at me to “GET THE FU*K OFF THE ROAD!”

I believe it is unfair to force citizens into a known hazardous/hostile situation. The City of Philadelphia has a responsibility to properly inform all citizens of the rules of the road. More “share the road signs” and PSA’s are critical to ensuring safe motoring, biking and walking!

Pedestrians also need to learn the rules of the road. Crossing against the light without looking will get you hit. It’s nice that all the responsibleity is on bikers to keep everyone else safe.

I think the idea that drivers will ever accept bicyclists in the street is a dream. It’ll never happen, even if we become more inclusionary with messaging, signage and bike lanes.

I ride a bike, and I only ride in the street at night or during non-traffic-heavy hours. I’m fortunate that my ride in to work is a route of wide sidewalks with almost no pedestrians. But, as a bicyclist, my objectives are to a) get where I’m going and b) do it safely. The second that the latter is compromised while riding in the street, I will take to the sidewalk and stay there.

Also, drivers are mean and yell mean things.

I don’t have a point. Just sharing my experience.

The issues are enforcement and education. Until the police are onboard to enforce this law, all of this discussion/venting is for naught. Bikers will continue to do what they have done for years, which is the reason I will continue to keep on hating them. I love it when I see police do nothing while these behaviors happen right in front of them, when I read another City Paper article quoting,of all people,a bike shop owner saying he chooses to ride on sidewalks(is that what he tells his customers?),when some of these posters say in essence “screw you” I’m still riding on sidewalks. With respect to Center City, there is no better motivator than for the Phila. Police to be given a share of the revenue raised by enforcement. This would cover all ticketable offenses like running red lights,stop signs etc. Get the jaywalkers too,they are just as bad. Get the motorists for not sharing the road with bikers - the right lane of Chestnut Street is supposed to be off limits to everything except bikes and busses, but is it enforced? There is a plan to put rookie police on foot patrols. Why not incentivize them to enforce by means of a bonus system, a “bike count” of sorts. Write tickets,raise money! The Parking Authority has taken this to a level which is the envy of other cities and the detriment of street parkers, but revenue is being raised, just where it goes is another matter. I would bet if the police were properly motivated to enforce this and other traffic laws, word would spread among you bikers and behaviors would change. In regards to education or should I say ignorance: The Bicycle Coalition wants to “suggest” staying off sidewalks as if they are afraid to offend bikers with something more direct, I hope the Bicycle Ambassadors affect change. The author of this article smugly put it out there until corrected later, that it really is legal to ride on sidewalks. Do bike shop owners educate their customers? What about in Chinatown where it seems everyone is on a bike on a sidewalk, does the Chinese community there educate it’s own? Do they even know the laws? Same applies to the Mexican community in the Italian Market area. I have been told Mexican immigrants here refuse to ride on the streets because they are run over in Mexico. Are restaurant owners educating their bike deliverymen? On and on. Nothing happens overnight. But at the end of the day, you and I and more importantly, our grandmothers, should be able to walk the sidewalks in peace in this City without an uneducated or just plain jackass bicyclist weaving around us and using the lame excuse that “the big bad cars made me do it”. Other cities have the balls to do this, why can’t we?

Ray- You come off like a DORK and a RACIST. “mexican community in the Italian market area?” Dude… get a clue. I also really enjoyed your “incentive” idea for ticket-writing POLICE… in a city where citizens and police alike are being gunned down at an alarming rate, it’s nice to see you’ve got your big dorky racist brain working overtime on how to make Philly nicer.

Loser.

@ Ray Cist

Uhhhhh . . . so there isn’t a Mexican community in the Italian Market? Because I’m pretty sure there’s a huge one. What’s your point? How is it racist to discuss the existence of a community? He wasn’t saying Mexicans ride on the side walk SO THAT MEANS THEY ARE A RACE OF BAD BAD PEOPLE, he was simply discussing what goes on and the reasons behind it. Chill the fuck out. You sound like a dork for attacking a stranger on the internet over something really stupid.

Yoo lovey sexslave smokeyjoe long time.

Aah-soh, smokeyjoe. You come in visit again, hypocrite.

A couple of comments — it is nice to know that there is a law forbidding cycling on the sidewalk. I’ve been sidewalk-riding (as necessary) when a bike lane is crowded with cars, or the sidewalk is free of pedestrians, or street construction forces me onto the sidewalk. Now, I should watch out. I still don’t see what is so wrong with riding on the sidewalks as long as you use good bike etiquette and announce your presence (so not to sneak up on an unsuspecting pedestrian ambling along while on a cell phone). I am all for cyclists announcing “on your left…on your right, etc.). I do think people appreciate that - besides sharing the sidewalk or road is so much nicer than the antagonism and anger. Finally, since City Council voted 17-0 (reported on June 16 on Philly.com) to ban handheld cell phones while driving, doesn’t it seem that fair that unapologetic and incorrigible drivers who continue to drive and chat should also be penalized (as cyclists are going to be fined). I thought I read that Mayor Nutter signed the cell phone ban but I have not observed any decrease in cell phone use by drivers. Even as a pedestrian, I’ve nearly been driven over (several times) while a driver drifts through a crosswalk while trying to finish up their call or text message.

What’s awesome is: we bikers own this city’s streets, and can navigate from A to B quicker than any of you crybaby whining “anti bike” dumb asses. We will ALWAYS be out, in your face and sharing your streets, sidewalks and anything else that’s rideable here in the beautiful, free U S of A. If you can move with common sense, chances are you won’t get hit. But if youre a moron on your cell phone holding a giant fucking coffee than you’re just as likely to get creamed by SEPTA as smoked by the friendly mexican delivery guy. Just be happy that every biker you see running a red light or jumping a curb is one less moron in a car polluting your air and running yellow-to-red lights.

Don’t hate cuz YOU CAN’T HANG on your bike anymore… geezer!

Automobiles break as many laws as biker do, running reds, double parking, turning against the light, no signals, only they do so with much more danger. Getting hit by a car running a red light is much different than getting hit by a bicyclist. Everyone should be able to see the difference. I’m unsure of why pedestrians are afraid of bikes. Bikes are the most unstable thing you can ride. Bump them and they go over. I walk and ride bike and have little patience for anyone, no matter their mode of transportation, who blatantly thumbs their nose at laws required to keep everyone safe. As it should be for anyone but to single bicyclist out as the sole cause for all commuting hazards is ridiculous.

City Council passed the bill (Bill # 090444) on June 11, and Mayor Nutter signed the bill into law on June 24. The bill’s provisions have already gone into effect.

It remains to be seen if that means the PPD will actively pursue people who bike on the sidewalk. After all, the the fine has existed for years, albeit at a reduced rate, and anecdotal evidence points to close to zero enforcement during that time.

Have any of you Clog readers seen someone get fined for biking on the sidewalk?

- Tom Dreisbach

The issue of bicycles and scooters coexisting with cars and pedestrians on city streets is a complex issue, requiring a much broader approach than the enforcement of one law. I’m no expert, but in recent discussions with some very knowledgeable people on this subject, I’ve been able to get a broader understanding of the challenges we face in trying to become a 21st century city. Just a few things to consider, for example. A growing number of young families are moving into neighborhoods on the periphery of center city, and biking into town on a daily basis. Seems to me, the more we can do to encourage young creative people to stay in the city, the better off we’ll be as a city. If they can do so without the expense of owning a car, even better.

Having said that, we do not yet have the infrastructure in place to support a Bike Share program, for example, which would give all citizens unlimited access to bikes. But, I believe we will have that infrastructure in place before too long. It makes too much sense, and there are too many people who believe in the vision of a true bike-friendly city, to believe otherwise.

Our biggest challenge, I’m told, is that we live in a city which has mostly narrow streets. A wonderful thing for pedestrians, and general quality of life. But challenging for planners wrestling with transportation issues.

An increase in bike lanes, which would negate the need to use sidewalks, would necessitate additional parking alternatives, as the number of parking spaces would decrease in the city. So, parking alternatives are tied to the solution.

There is also the question of where to store/park bikes and scooters in the city. So, shared parking lots for bikes and cars might be part of the solution, too.

i could go on and on, but what I’m trying to point out is that this is a complex issue, but imminently solvable. It will require innovative solutions borrowed from other cities, and other countries. It will require a communication plan that, over time, breaks down the vitriolic attitudes on both sides of this issue, and recognizes that if we’re going to move forward as a city, we’re going to have to do it together. Bikes, scooters, cars, pedestrians… all. It’s going to require new approaches to traffic patterns, shared resources, and law enforcement.

It will require public discussions, civic engagement, political pressure, and some small steps to begin to change the city in ways that invite alternative transportation options that move people efficiently, effectively, and with less stress.

Why we start imaging what’s possible and go form there?

it should be mandatory for every aggressive driver to ride a bike through the city

Asked another cop, this time in car T12 at the Wawa at 11th & Arch this morning, about the $50 fine: She says don’t pay any attention to it because she isn’t doing anything about it. What a great City!!!

it is a GREAT city… cops do real work, while we bikers get to whiz around the city- thru red lights, and on sidewalks- completely unchecked! it’s grrrreat!
join us ray, I mean smitty, or keep whining on the bike threads…you suck!! hahahah.