This Wednesday our ride will be a tour of the southern portion of City Council District 5, led by Wesley of Philly Bike Action (PBA). Starting at Rittenhouse Square, the southernmost point in the district, we will loop up through Center City before heading to Brewerytown on N 22nd Street, a corridor PBA is actively organizing around. After riding by Athletic Square, which hosted the first-ever major league baseball game, we will take Jefferson Street all the way west to Fishtown. Due to the one-way streets and protruding nature of the Fishtown section of District 5, we will have to momentarily cross into District 7 at two points in the ride. After, we head down 4th Street then Fairmount Ave. In order to avoid the precarious Broad, Ridge, and Fairmount intersection (where PBA is also organizing to improve safety), we will cross Broad on Parrish Street. Our ride ends at Our Town Taproom (@ourtowntaproomphilly).

As usual, we’ll ride according to our How We Ride guide. Please follow these ride norms so everyone’s on the same page, and we keep the ride safe and fun. We’d like to highlight:

Stop at lights. Please, please DO NOT block intersections contrary to the traffic light. Our group can be very large and extended, and holding traffic risks serious conflict. If the light turns red, please stop.

Roll past conflict. Whether it’s angry motorists or unruly pedestrians, please do not engage with conflict and move on in a way that de-escalates the situation.

Finally, a reminder of risks and responsibilities. You don’t need to sign a waiver to join a Wednesday Night Ride, because it’s an entirely voluntary & free group activity. But please keep in mind:

• Everyone rides at their own risk.
• Every rider is responsible for themselves, their behavior, and their bike.
• Keep your bike properly maintained. Here’s a link to a basic bike check.
• Cycling has inherent risks–you could crash, fall down, or get hit by a car, and get hurt or even killed–though we try to minimize these risks.
• If you have a health condition that could affect your ride or put you at additional risk, consider a) checking in with a doctor, b) letting us or a friend know, c) having a backup plan to get home if riding doesn’t work out.
• We always plan to have a sweeper, but can’t rule out that you could get lost, or that your bike could break down and you’ll need to find another way home.

We’re always looking for new ride leaders, volunteers, and organizers. If you’d like to get more involved, drop us a DM! The more voices and ideas our community can contribute, the better.

Thanks for riding! See you Wednesday.