#UnblockBikeLanes with Anthony Kuczynski
Just under a year ago, we launched #UnblockBikeLanes on Twitter. Since its inception, #UnblockBikeLanes has increased our ability to engage with Philadelphia’s cycling community while addressing problematic parking areas. The continued success of #UnblockBikeLanes is attributed to the relentless work ethic of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, who devised the plan, and Anthony Kuczynski, who helped launch it within the PPA.
Anthony sat down to answer a few questions about how it’s been going…
Describe your initial thoughts when #UnblockBikeLanes was proposed by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.
“I was a bit nervous about how it would be implemented. But I thought the more it was tapped into, the more instrumental it could be in helping cyclists and the traffic flow in Philadelphia.”
When it was being initiated, what steps did you and your staff take to ensure its success?
“Sarah from the Bicycle Coalition reached out to me asking for statistics for areas where we’re generally issuing bike lane tickets. We ran reports from January 1st to March 24th of this year and broke them down into different areas where parking and traffic congestions were at a high rate.”
What can cyclists in Philadelphia expect in the future from the PPA?
Cyclists can expect a responsive agency that is more than willing to address the legitimate concerns of citizens. We’ve also been floating around the idea of patrolling bike lanes on a bike.
Do you consider #UnblockBikeLanes to be a success?
“In the beginning, we had some hiccups just as there are whenever you’re implementing something new. But it opened the door for citizens to voice their concerns to us directly. It’s good to communicate with citizens the best we can because in the end, I think everyone is going to win. We get to see what citizens go through, and they see how we go about enforcing.”
Describe how #UnblockBikeLanes has added to PPA’s customer service.
“It has added more responsiveness and lets the public know that we’re more than willing to help.”
What have you learned through the implementation of #UnblockBikeLanes?
“The passion of the Bicycle Coalition. Everybody should be able to ride a bike through the city if they choose to do so. From a commuter’s point of view, it makes me realize how we can all share the road. Everyone is equal and they’re free to use the roads anyway they can.”
As Anthony said, everybody should be able to ride a bike through the city if they choose. If you’re walking the streets of Philly and notice cars parked in bike lanes, reach out to us on Twitter with #UnblockBikeLanes.