Please join us this week for the next in our ongoing series of councilmatic district tours, in partnership with Philly Bike Action. This week, PBA member and Bicycle Coalition intern Hanna K. will lead us on a tour of District 3, highlighting West Philadelphia’s parking protected bike lanes and separated paths! We will meet up in Clark Park at 45th & Kingsessing and end at Clarkville. And along the way, we will appreciate parking protected bike lanes along Walnut, Chestnut, 47th, and 48th, as well as the Cobbs Creek protected bike path! We will be joined by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier and State Representative Rick Krajewski.

We will cycle past the beautiful (newly-renovated!) Cobbs Creek Recreation Center and the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center. And local band Big Boy Brass will serenade us while simultaneously drawing attention to some traffic calming / hardened daylighting along Chestnut Street!

NOTE: Our protected bike lanes do cross a number of very busy intersections with fast-moving motor vehicle traffic. For everybody’s safety, riders must STOP for all red lights. Don’t worry if you get separated from the group at a light, we will wait for you!

You can read about the history of parking protected bike lanes in Philadelphia in this blog post from the Bicycle Coalition. You can view a gallery of beautiful photos of protected bike lanes in other cities.

If you want more protected bike lanes, please sign the Bicycle Coalition’s petition to legalize parking-protected bike lanes along state roads.

Meanwhile, Philly Bike Action continues its advocacy to protect the Spruce and Pine bike lanes with concrete barriers, recently hosting its 2nd of 4 planned “concrete pop-up” events. Read more in this Philly Voice article. Be sure to follow their social media to join for the next pop-ups in May and June.

Special ride notes:

• Be extra cautious to mind the lights at Walnut crossing 52nd - that intersection has both a dedicated bike signal and a left turn arrow (for cars). Do not ride through unless you have the image.jpeg.

• There is an obstruction across the entire bike lane on Chestnut between 56th & 55th, so we will need to take the lane for that block.

As usual, we’ll ride according to our How We Ride guide. Please follow these ride norms so everyone’s on the same page, and we keep the ride safe and fun. We’d like to highlight:

Stop at lights. Please, please DO NOT block intersections contrary to the traffic light. Our group can be very large and extended, and holding traffic risks serious conflict. If the light turns red, please stop.

Roll past conflict. Whether it’s angry motorists or unruly pedestrians, please do not engage with conflict and move on in a way that de-escalates the situation.

Finally, a reminder of risks and responsibilities. You don’t need to sign a waiver to join a Wednesday Night Ride, because it’s an entirely voluntary & free group activity. But please keep in mind:

• Everyone rides at their own risk.
• Every rider is responsible for themselves, their behavior, and their bike.
• Keep your bike properly maintained. Here’s a link to a basic bike check.
• Cycling has inherent risks–you could crash, fall down, or get hit by a car, and get hurt or even killed–though we try to minimize these risks.
• If you have a health condition that could affect your ride or put you at additional risk, consider a) checking in with a doctor, b) letting us or a friend know, c) having a backup plan to get home if riding doesn’t work out.
• We always plan to have a sweeper, but can’t rule out that you could get lost, or that your bike could break down and you’ll need to find another way home.

Want to lead a ride in 2026? We’re looking for ride leaders. Let us know if you’re interested! Our only criteria for leading a ride is that you’ve joined us before. You don’t need to have prior group ride lead experience or come up with the whole route on your own, we can help with that!

Thanks for riding! See you Wednesday.