Crash in Society Hill illustrates the clear danger of speeding and bike lanes that are not protected with physical barriers
Advocates Call for Lower Speeds and Stronger Barriers to Protect Cyclists in Philadelphia
At 1 am on Sunday, October 26, 2025, a reckless SUV driver sped through a red light on Spruce Street, drove in and through a bike lane, then crashed into a vehicle at Spruce and 5th Street. Remarkably, no cyclists, pedestrians, or motorists were killed or injured.
Fox 29 reporter Jennifer Lee interviewed residents and cycling advocates, including Will Tung from 5th Square and our very own Joseph Piscitello of Piscitello Law. Residents and advocates made two key points: 1) speeds must be lower on our city streets; and 2) bike lanes need permanent physical barriers to protect cyclists.
Let’s take a closer look at these two critical points and the research that supports these positions.
Lower Speeds
According to the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA), speed was a key factor in nearly 30% of all traffic fatalities in 2023, causing 11,775 deaths and 332,598 injuries. That statistic means that over 32 people die a day because of speeding. Check out the NHTSA “Speeding Wrecks Lives” campaign here. Automated Speed Cameras (ASE) have proved invaluable when installed on High Injury Network roads. Check out this recent article featured in Traffic Technology Today that presents the benefits and issues associated with ASE. Philadelphia should consider installing these ASE on key bike lane corridors with repeated crashes.
Install Physical Barriers on Bike Lanes
It is indisputable that plastic flex posts lining bike lanes is simply not sufficient to protect vulnerable road users like cyclists. According to theFederal Highway Administration (FHA), a protected bike lane can reduce car v bike crashes by 50%. More info here from the FHA 2023 publication. There are many different tools to consider when cities or towns want to protect bike lanes in a more substantial way. Below are images of some options:
More News Coverage
6 ABC reporter Cheyenne Corin interviewed neighbors in Society Hill to get their perspective of the dangerous crash on 5th and Spruce Street. Ms. Corin interviewed cycling attorney Joseph Piscitello, and resident of Society Hill. Her story highlighted the same key facts found through the Fox report – residents want speeds to be lowered, and residents want physical barriers to be installed to protect bike lanes.
Attorney Piscitello gave a shout-out to the many organizations in the area working to promote these and other safety measures, including 5th Square, Philly Bike Action, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, PA Safe Roads PAC, and Families for Safe Streets. He went on to share that the Bicycle League of America is a national advocacy org pushing legislators to improve road safety infrastructure and change throughout the country. The full news clip from 6ABC can be found here.
6ABC reporter Cheyenne Corin interviews Cycling attorney Joseph Piscitello