| Formation | 1972 |
|---|---|
| Legal status | IRS 501(C)3 non-profit |
| Purpose | Promoting bicycling through advocacy and education |
| Headquarters | 1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1107 Philadelphia, PA 19102 |
Region served | Burlington, Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Gloucester, Mercer, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties |
Membership | 2,400 households |
Executive Director | Sarah Clark Stuart |
Staff | 150 |
| Website | https://bicyclecoalition.org/ |
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) is a nonprofit advocacy group that has been working to improve conditions for bicyclists in the Greater Philadelphia region through advocacy and education since its founding in 1972. [1] [2]
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia was founded in 1972 [3] and currently has a paid membership of more than 2,400 households.
During National Bike Month in May 2009, the Bicycle Coalition sponsored two events to raise awareness about the importance of bicycling as a key part of transportation offerings for modern commuters. In addition to urging residents of the Greater Philadelphia area to participate in National Bike to Work Day on May 15, coalition members sponsored a Ride of Silence on May 20 in honor of bicyclists who had been injured or killed in roadway accidents and a "commuter race" between a bicyclist, car rider and transit rider on May 27 to determine who would be the first to arrive at a Philadelphia destination, following a commute of four miles or less. Coalition members hoped "to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways." [4]
Later that same year, the coalition sponsored another cycling event in the city on September 13, 2009 "to raise funds and awareness of the possibilities for cycling in the city. More than 3,000 bicyclists participated in the ride, which began at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and proceeded down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and on through Chinatown, Old City, Queen Village, and along the Schuylkill River. [5]
In October 2009, controversy arose when several Philadelphia residents were struck by bicyclists while out walking or jogging in the city. Two died; a third, a nursing student, was hospitalized for three days and then "bedridden for weeks" at home after sustaining a fractured skull. According to statistics provided by the Bicycle Coalition to area newspapers, roughly eleven thousand bicyclists had begun biking to work every day in the Greater Philadelphia area by 2008 with roughly 36,000 biking to work at least one day per month. In response to a rise in "bike scofflaws" who were breaking traffic rules and causing accidents with pedestrians, joggers and automobiles, coalition members and members of the city's police department partnered on a joint outreach campaign to educate bicyclists and members of the public about responsible biking. [6]
The Bicycle Coalition also supports efforts to create complete streets and calm traffic.
In June 2010, members of the coalition appealed to the Delaware River Port Authority to add funds to its 2011 budget to support construction of a ramp to improve access for bicyclists and walkers to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. [7]
Transportation in Boston includes roadway, subway, regional rail, air, and sea options for passenger and freight transit in Boston, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) operates the Port of Boston, which includes a container shipping facility in South Boston, and Logan International Airport, in East Boston. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates bus, subway, short-distance rail, and water ferry passenger services throughout the city and region. Amtrak operates passenger rail service to and from major Northeastern cities, and a major bus terminal at South Station is served by varied intercity bus companies. The city is bisected by major highways I-90 and I-93, the intersection of which has undergone a major renovation, nicknamed the Big Dig.
Bicycle culture can refer to a mainstream culture that supports the use of bicycles or to a subculture. Although "bike culture" is often used to refer to various forms of associated fashion, it is erroneous to call fashion in and of itself a culture.
Vehicular cycling is the practice of riding bicycles on roads in a manner that is in accordance with the principles for driving in traffic. The phrase vehicular cycling was coined by John Forester in the 1970s. In his book Effective Cycling, Forester contends that "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles".
Non-motorized access on freeways may allow or restrict pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized traffic to use a freeway. Such roads are public ways intended primarily for high-speed travel over long distances, and they have resulted in highways in the United States with engineering features such as long sight-distances, wide marked lanes and the absence of cross traffic. These provide faster and safer travel, at least for vehicles driving at similar speeds.
Since the advent of the bicycle in the 1860s, Chicago has been distinguished as one of the premier cycling locations in the United States, with such public cycling destinations as Grant Park, Burnham Park and the Chicago Park District's Lakefront Trail.
A ghost bike is a bicycle roadside memorial, placed where a cyclist has been killed or severely injured, usually by the driver of a motor vehicle.
Bike to Work Day is an annual event that promotes the bicycle as an option for commuting to work. It is held in the Spring in a variety of locations including the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.
Complete streets is a transportation policy and design approach that requires streets to be planned, designed, operated and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. Complete Streets allow for safe travel by those walking, cycling, driving automobiles, riding public transportation, or delivering goods.
California Bicycle Coalition, also known as CalBike, is an advocacy organization based in Sacramento that seeks to expand bicycling in the U.S. state of California. A related organization, the California Bicycle Coalition Education Fund, conducts solely charitable functions. The California Bicycle Coalition was founded in 1994.
Bike Philly was a bicycle tour of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on a closed route cleared of motorized vehicular traffic. The tour is sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, and it occurs on the second Sunday of September. The inaugural event for Bike Philly was held on September 9, 2007, and consisted of two 10 mile loops, a Center City route, and a Fairmount Park route. The ride attracted 2,500 riders
Bike rage refers to form of road rage in which acts of verbal or gestural anger or physical aggression between cyclists and other users of bike paths or roadways, including pedestrians, other cyclists, motorcyclists, or drivers. Bike rage can consist of shouting at other road users, making obscene gestures or threats, hitting or punching, or in rare cases, even more violent acts. The term can refer either to acts committed by cyclists or by other road users against cyclists. Bike rage is related to other explosive outbursts of anger such as road rage.
Cycling in Illinois encompasses recreation, bikeways, laws and rules, and advocacy. The director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Joel Brunsvold, explained Illinois cycling opportunities: “Bicycle riding is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in Illinois, enjoyed by young and old alike...Illinois has a variety of trails for the public to enjoy. The terrain includes flat prairie land to rolling hills, towering bluffs to the breathtaking river and lakefront views.” Many communities across the state are updating bicycle infrastructure in order to accommodate the increased number of cyclists on the roads.
Detroit is a popular city for cycling. It is flat with an extensive road network with a number of recreational and competitive opportunities and is, according to cycling advocate David Byrne, one of the top eight biking cities in the world. The city has invested in greenways and bike lanes and other bicycle-friendly infrastructure. Bike rental is available from the riverfront and tours of the city's architecture can be booked.
Cycling in San Francisco has grown in popularity in recent years, aided by improving cycling infrastructure and community support. San Francisco's compact urban form and mild climate enable cyclists to reach work, shopping, and recreational destinations quickly and comfortably. Though San Francisco's famed steep hills can make cycling difficult, many parts of the city are relatively flat, including some of the most densely populated. However, heavy automobile traffic, the lack of bike lanes on many streets, and difficulty in crossing major streets deter most residents from cycling frequently in San Francisco.
Cycling in Canada is experienced in various ways across a geographically huge, economically and socially diverse country. Among the reasons for cycling in Canada are for practical reasons such as commuting to work or school, for sports such as road racing, BMX, mountain bike racing, freestyle BMX, as well as for pure recreation. The amount and quality of bicycle infrastructure varies widely across the country as do the laws pertaining to cyclists such as bicycle helmet laws which can differ by province.
Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except where cyclists are barred such as many freeways/motorways. It includes amenities such as bike racks for parking, shelters, service centers and specialized traffic signs and signals. The more cycling infrastructure, the more people get about by bicycle.
The Bicycles May Use Full Lane sign, also referred to as BMUFL or R4-11, is a traffic sign used in the United States to:
The Idaho stop is the common name for laws that allow bicyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign, and a red light as a stop sign. It first became law in Idaho in 1982, but was not adopted elsewhere until Delaware adopted a limited stop-as-yield law, the "Delaware Yield", in 2017. Arkansas was the second US state to legalize both stop-as-yield and red-light-as-stop in April 2019. Studies in Delaware and Idaho have shown significant decreases in crashes at stop-controlled intersections. In France and Belgium, some intersections use red-light-as-yield signs.
There is debate over the safety implications of cycling infrastructure. Recent studies generally affirm that segregated cycle tracks have a better safety record between intersections than cycling on major roads in traffic. Furthermore, cycling infrastructure tends to lead to more people cycling. A higher modal share of people cycling is correlated with lower incidences of cyclist fatalities, leading to a "safety in numbers" effect though some contributors caution against this hypothesis. On the contrary, older studies tended to come to negative conclusions about mid-block cycle track safety.
The American city of San Jose, California has various cycling routes on roads and trails used by both commuters and recreational riders. The city has plans to expand the current 285 miles (459 km) of bike lanes to 400 miles (640 km), and the current 60 miles (97 km) of trails to 100 miles (160 km). San Jose was ranked as a bronze-level bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists.
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