Cyclists rally in Philadelphia days after 67-year-old was killed in hit-and-run in Fairmount Park
Dozens of riders took to the streets of Germantown on Saturday to demand stronger protections and safer roads.
The "Safe Streets for Germantown" ride came just days after 67-year-old Harry Fenton was killed in a hit-and-run in Fairmount Park. Advocates say the accident highlights the city's slow progress on long-promised safety projects.
"It has been a tragic week. It's been a hard week for all of us," said Chris Gale of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. "That takes infrastructure, that takes enforcement, but it takes education — and it takes all of us simply sharing the street."
Among those in Saturday's ride was Sidney Ozer, whose son, Samuel, was struck and killed by a driver on Henry Avenue on Father's Day in 2020. Since then, Ozer has become an advocate for concrete-protected bike lanes and stronger enforcement of traffic laws.
"He was riding home for Father's Day dinner, and he never made it home. His life was cut short," Ozer said.
Riders also honored the memory of Dr. Barbara Friedes, who was killed by a drunk driver while cycling on Spruce Street last summer. Advocates say the crash underscored the urgency of the city's delayed Spruce and Pine bike lane upgrade project. City officials with the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure said this past week that proposals for phase two of the safety improvements are still under review.
But Ozer believes they should move more quickly.
"To have concrete-protected bike lanes on Spruce and Pine would've saved Dr. Friedes' life," he said.
Saturday's event was held with a police escort and marked the second cycling demonstration of the week. On Friday, hundreds rode from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to City Hall, calling on city leaders to move faster on promised projects.
Advocates warn that with SEPTA service cuts making transit less reliable, demand for safe streets is only growing.
"In a community as beautiful as Germantown is, we want to make sure that accessibility is key," Gale said.
Ozer says he's committed to keeping his son's memory alive through advocacy.
"We want to share the roads. We want to enjoy the roads," Ozer said. "What we want to do in Sam's memory — and in memory of all the other people we lost — we want to make our city a greater city."