A deadly day in Philly for cyclist, pedestrian

Wednesday was a particularly treacherous day for cyclists and pedestrians in Philadelphia. Two people were killed — one standing at a corner on Allegheny Avenue in Kensington and another riding her bicycle on Spruce Street — and a third was in critical condition after being struck while crossing the street in Germantown.

The cyclist was thrown 20 feet into the air by a speeding vehicle that barreled into the bike lane on the 1800 block of Spruce Street, near Rittenhouse Square, at around 7 p.m., police said.

The cyclist, identified as 30-year-old Barbara Friedes, sustained major head trauma and was pronounced dead at Jefferson Hospital about 20 minutes after the crash.

“We heard [the vehicle] go over the pegs that block off the bike line and we thought it was gunshots,” Lee Newswanger, who lives in Rittenhouse Square, told 6ABC of the incident.

Friedes attended Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and was in the third year of the residency program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She had come to Philadelphia from Denver.

“She was loved by so many and embodied kindness, strength and a deep compassion for all who crossed her path,” said Dr. Jeanine Ronan, attending physician and the Program Director of the Pediatrics Residency Program, of Friedes. “This morning, the CHOP community is in mourning following her tragic loss and keeping her family, friends and loved ones in our hearts.”

The driver of the vehicle was a 68-year-old man, police said. It is unknown at this time how fast he was going and if he was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol.

Friedes was the city’s first cyclist fatality of the year, according to the Philadelphia Parking Authority. The city has averaged more than six annually in recent years. The location, though, is part of the High Injury Network (HIN) — the 12% of city streets that account for 80% of all traffic injuries and deaths. Mayor Cherelle Parker promised in March to improve traffic safety on all streets in the HIN by 2030 and eliminate traffic deaths by 2050 in accordance with the Vision Zero Network, an international strategy to eliminate traffic deaths.

In spite of the city’s commitment to the Vision Zero Network, this accident is part of a larger trend of pedestrians and cyclists being struck and killed in Center City. Pedestrians make up a large percentage of traffic deaths — 46% as of June 30, according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. 

A persistent problem

Calls to improve safety for pedestrians and bikers are longstanding. When a biker was struck and killed by a truck in 2017, Philadelphians called for improved safety measures for bikers. And while some work has been done in accordance with Vision Zero, Mayor Parker slashed funding for the program in this year’s proposed budget from $15 million to $9 million, raising concerns from advocacy groups.

Organizations like 5th Square, Philadelphia’s urbanist political action committee, say that accidents like Friedes’ are entirely preventable.

“We need our city government to respond with real change and real investment in roadway safety,” said Steph Davis, the chair of 5th Square. “We want everyone to be safe whether they are riding a bike lane in Rittenhouse, standing on a corner in Kensington, or crossing a street in Germantown.”

Philly Bike Action, an advocacy group dedicated to promoting improved bicycle infrastructure in Philadelphia, says that there are many ways that the city can improve safety for bikers in the city. It says that adding concrete bollards is one of the key ways that bike lanes could be made safer for cyclists.

“Plastic bike posts can be easily run over,” said Caleb Holtmeyer, co-founder and organizer of Philly Bike Action. “We’re asking for concrete bike posts across the entire lane. If that had been implemented, this crash wouldn’t have happened.”

Vigil planned for Sunday

Philly Bike Action will be holding a vigil for Friedes’ death on 17th and Spruce streets from 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday. Holtmeyer says that the vigil is meant to spread awareness of bike issues and address some of the emotions of the community.

Mayor Parker did release a statement after Wednesday’s events.

“For years, I have strongly supported proactive measures to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in our city — like the expansion of the Automated Speed Enforcement camera program, coming to Broad Street. When I served in Harrisburg and City Council, I also championed the installation of speed cameras on Roosevelt Boulevard, working with colleagues such as PA Rep. John Taylor, Rep. Mike Driscoll and others — an action that subsequent data revealed to have saved lives.” 

Council member Kenyatta Johnson took to X (what was once Twitter) to share this.