Bill to be named in honor of Susan Hicks and Emily Frederick, both killed while commuting by bike

We are pleased to announce that Pennsylvania Representative Maloney (R-Berks) has introduced a new bill to allow for Parking Protected Bike Lanes and Plazas on Pennsylvania state roads. The bill, HB140, has already passed the House Transportation Committee, the first hurdle toward becoming law.

Pushing for this bill to become law has been a top priority of BikePGH’s advocacy for a number of years.

Below is our press statement in support of the bill.

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BikePGH Celebrates passage of “Susan and Emily’s Bill” out of House Transportation Committee 

The legislation honors local women Susan Hicks and Philadelphian Emily Frederick, both of whom were killed while bike commuting to and from work 

HARRISBURG – Today, HB140, legislation sponsored by Rep. David Maloney that would allow for the installation of parking-protected bike lanes on state-owned  roads, but most importantly, would keep everyone on the road safer, from cyclists to pedestrians to motorists.

The bill will be known as “Susan’s and Emily’s Law,” in honor of two women who were killed on their bicycle commutes to and from work. On the evening of October 23rd, 2015, Susan Hicks was riding home from her job at the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland when she was killed by a driver at the corner of Forbes and Bellefield. On the morning of November 28, 2017, Emily Frederick was riding her bicycle to her job at Le Cheri in Philadelphia when a sanitation truck struck her and she was killed. 

BikePGH has been pushing the state to allow traffic engineers to use all of the tools necessary to keep people safe.  Currently, municipalities in Pennsylvania lack the ability to easily install protected bike lanes and pedestrian plazas. These types of bike lanes use parked cars to physically separate pedestrians and people on bikes from car traffic. However, due to a technicality in the PA Vehicle Code that requires cars to be parked within 12” of the curb, Pennsylvanians are denied a life-saving tool that has been used successfully in states and municipalities across the country. Last year, this same legislation passed the PA House 200-1, but stalled in the PA Senate. 

Said HB140 Co-Sponsor Rep. Sara Innamaroto, “HB140 is a critically needed traffic-calming measure that could literally save lives. Simply, this bill gives local traffic engineers the flexibility and access to tools to prevent future crashes like the ones that resulted in the tragic deaths of Susan Hicks and Emily Fredericks and build safer streets for us all.”

“Protected bike lanes make streets safer and less stressful for everyone,” said Scott Bricker, Executive Director of BikePGH. He continued, “This is an important, life-saving bill and we look forward to it becoming law in Pennsylvania.”