Sunday Slow Ride (PBA Event)

Philly Bike Action! will be meeting at the Schuylkill River Park at 10am on July 9th for our first Sunday Slow Ride. This ride is to bring awareness to the City  permitted bike lane parking afforded to the houses of worship on the Spruce/Pine corridor. We would like to to see an end to this practice. Our mission is to build support among the community for safer bike lanes and communicate that bike lane parking is dangerous for both cyclists and motorists.  Please read the following guidelines and essential information before choosing to participate:

• We will be following a 1 mile circuit where the bike lane parking is most utilized. We also considered the hazard of crossing Broad Street on bicycle. The ride will progress along Pine Street, left on 16th street, left on Spruce Street, left on 21st street, left on Pine street, and repeat.

• The ride will go for 1 and 1/2 hours until 11:30am. Feel free to arrive late or leave early. Bring your friends! We will be meeting for coffee, smoothies, and snacks afterwards at Cadence Cycling. The address is 201 South 25th street, Philadelphia, PA.
• We will be riding SLOWLY. This means about 4 or 5 mph, the speed of a brisk walk.
• We will be obeying all traffic laws. Specifically, this means obeying all traffic signals. This is a slow ride so there is no need to rush through a light. The only exception is to keep the group together.
• This is a RAIN or SHINE event. The exception is hazardous weather or an AQI exceeding 125. Please consider your health before riding and consider wearing a mask. N95s work the best. This will likely be a recurring ride so do not worry if you need to sit one out. This advice is given with understanding that there is a need to balance the air quality risks to the community with the ongoing risk of worsening air quality due to inaction.
• If there are over 40 people in attendance, we will be splitting into two groups in increase our visibility. The first group will roll out at 10:10 am. The second group will roll out at 10:15am.
• High visibility vests are encouraged, especially if you are at the front or back of the group.
• GoPros or other mobile cameras are encouraged. This is great for sharing our advocacy efforts with the public as well as encouraging civility.
• DO NOT respond to frustrated drivers or bystanders. This is especially important for those riding in the back. While we are doing everything we can to encourage civility, the likelihood of encountering a frustrated driver is always present as many of us know too well. If you are harassed or threatened, take a deep breath and do not retaliate. Escalation can only make these situations more dangerous and we will better our cause by addressing the systemic issues that lead to an unsafe cycling environment. Keep calm and pedal on.
• SAFETY IS OUR #1 PRIORITY. It is well known that riding a bicycle carries significant risk in Philadelphia. This ride is no exception. At Philly Bike Action! we minimize risk by following all traffic laws, communicating well with all street users, wearing high-visibility vests, keeping calm in confrontation, and documenting our rides through video.
• Stay engaged following the ride! This means reaching out to your district councilperson and registered community organization (RCO) following the ride. It also means reaching out to the houses of worship involved and letting them know we want to partner with them to find transportation alternatives that work for the whole community. This means decreased reliance on street parking and more utilization of micromobility, public transportation, walking, rideshare, and parking garages. Strong Towns is a great resource that highlights how advocacy for decreased urban motorization is a great tool for building faith and community:
  

  Strong Towns + Faith Communities: Announcing a New Series

Here is a list of the houses of worship that currently utilize bike lane parking permits and with whom we should focus on partnering with:

This information is available publicly at: https://stsweb.phila.gov/permitphl/

• Finally, we are here to change our city for the better. Let’s have fun doing it! This means making signs, making friends, wearing colorful clothing, playing music and any other form of creative expression.  To help in this endeavor, a sign making guide is in the link below.

Philly Bike Action! Sign making guide