Annual Philly Bike Ride pushes renewed effort to protect bicycle lanes in wake of doctor's death

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's going to be a big weekend for cyclists in Philadelphia. The annual Philly Bike Ride kicks off Saturday morning, with several streets closing to allow people to enjoy a car-free course.

There's been a renewed effort to protect bike lanes since the death of a doctor, hit by a car with deadly force in Center City this past July.

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Advocates want painted stripes and plastic barriers in the city, like the ones along 18th and Spruce, to be upgraded. They hope the proposed improvements could help prevent cars from crossing into the bike lanes.

However, the city is also addressing concerns motorists have.

"We've heard some concerns from people that this is going to affect their quality of life, their ability to park and load along the corridor, so we have some suggestions, some improvements to implement more loading zones so people can still access their house," said Christopher Puchalsky, the director of policy and strategic initiatives for Philadelphia's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems.

The plans were showcased Thursday night at Jefferson Hospital. The city is trying to tackle bike safety along the Spruce and Pine streets corridor from an infrastructure and policy standpoint.

The effort comes after an increased number of deaths and injuries over the last several years, including most recently, the tragic death of Dr. Barbara Friedes in July.

RELATED: Bicycle safety advocates hold rally at Philadelphia City Hall in wake of CHOP doctor's death

The biggest proposal is to protect the current bike lanes on Spruce and Pine with either planters or low concrete barriers that would prevent cars or trucks from entering into the cycle lane and injuring cyclists.

All of this comes as the Philly Bike Ride returns on Saturday, where 6,000 riders are expected to bike 20 miles.

Organizers are hoping people will have a better grasp of bike safety after this event.

"It's really about awareness," said Danielle Ruiz, the director of partner service and communications. "It's about experience and I think just for folks that may not have this experience, it's giving them that so they can build on that and grow and share, and maybe become a supporter of some of the advocacy work that folks like the coalition are doing to make our streets safer for cyclists."

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The earliest you could see changes come to bike lanes is 2025.

The bike ride on Saturday is free to the public.