Safety concerns after day of bike crashes in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Riding a bike has proven to be a dangerous proposition Tuesday in Philadelphia and while police are investigating the incidents, they're also imploring riders and drivers to be aware and to take some care.

Police are still looking for the driver who hit a cyclist in West Philadelphia and are investigating a deadly crash involving a cyclist and a SEPTA bus. All within 24 hours of each other.

"I was four cars behind the bus. I didn't find out for a few hours later that there was an accident," Mike Moody of Somerton said.

Police say a cyclist cut in front of a bus driver moments before impact.

"The number of people on bikes being killed is too high," Sarah Clark Stuart of Bicycle Coalition Philadelphia said.

Last year, nine cyclists were killed in crashes on city streets and so far this year, there's been two.

According to PennDOT, almost half of the state's 1,271 crashes involving bikes happened in Philadelphia.

The Bicycle Coalition says new intersection designs and red light cameras might curb the problem.

"It is very troublesome that we've had two bicycle deaths already and it's not even the end of May and two bicycle crashes in 24 hours," Stuart said.

Cyclist Alex Turner of South Philadelphia says he would like to see more protected lanes.

"Because even the bike lanes that we have, cars swerve into them all the time," Turner said.

But drivers say sharing the road is a two way street.

"Sometimes they won't even drive on the side, they'll weave through traffic and it's dangerous for them, but also for us because we're liable for that," Timothy Huang of South Philadelphia said.

"The driver has to give the person that's driving the bike a little courtesy, and so does the person on the bike," Carolyn Rider of Yeadon, Pa. said.

Next Wednesday, the Bicycle Coalition will have a ride of silence to raise awareness that cyclists have a legal right to public roadways, and to honor those injured and killed on city roads.