Daley celebrates House passage of bike lane protections
Rep. Mary Jo Daley February 3, 2025 | 2:44 PM
HARRISBURG, Feb. 3 – State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, said she is pleased to report that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed her bill creating parking-protected bike lanes today.
These special lanes would allow street parking to be reconfigured with vehicles parked further from the curb to leave space for a protected bike lane.
“Under current law, a vehicle has to park within 12 inches of a curb,” Daley said. “This bill will update the law and allow vehicles to park farther away from these curbs, creating a bike lane between the curb and the parked car.
“This change has been a long time coming, and I hope that the Senate picks up this critical work soon. Lives are depending on it.”
House Bill 291 is also referred to as Susan’s and Emily’s Law. In October 2015, Susan Hicks was struck from behind and killed at the corner of Forbes and Bigelow in Pittsburgh. In November 2017, Emily Fredricks was riding her bike to work on Spruce Street in Philadelphia when she was struck and killed by a sanitation truck.
This measure is supported by PennDOT’s Pedalcycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, BikePGH, and the Pennsylvania Municipal League, among others.
This bill does not require changes to be made; it simply provides local authorities with a legal option to consider, Daley said.
For more information, those interested can contact Daley’s district office at 610-832-1679.