What green groups, cycling advocates want to hear from Philly mayoral candidates

Here at NinetyNine, we already know what one bicyclist wants from Philadelphia’s next mayor. 

Now, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, along with several partner organizations, have put out an agenda 10 items long with their ideas for how the next mayor (and city council) should help make the city a safer and more efficient place to get around. 

The platform, called “Better Mobility 2015,” includes goals such as adding 25 miles of new trails on “The Circuit” and more than 100 miles of new bike lanes, as well as boosting the Streets Department’s operating budget to repair roads and sidewalks faster. 

The groups, including the environmental organizations Clean Air Council and PennFuture, also want the next mayor to commit to cutting the number of traffic fatalities and serious injuries in half by 2020. It’s a policy known around the world as “Vision Zero,” or as the folks at our partners PlanPhilly called it “the hottest political issue you didn’t know you cared about yet.” So far, Jim Kenney is the only mayoral candidate who’s added a statement about Vision Zero to his campaign website. 

You can read the full Better Mobility 2015 platform here. You can also attend a mayoral forum on the subject on March 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Race Street Room at the Friends Center, 1501 Cherry St.