UPDATE, July 18: On Wednesday, Christopher Young with the city's Streets Department said a temporary direction change will be implemented on the 600 block of LeCount Street by Friday.
According to Young, directional changes start with a six-month trial period, traffic observation and input from residents. Following the trial period, it will be up to Council President Kenyatta Johnson to introduce a law to make the directional change permanent.
After two cyclists were injured in separate crashes at the same intersection in less than a week, residents near Fitler Square are urging the city to make their neighborhood streets safer while taking matters into their own hands as they wait for regulatory measures.
On Wednesday, a 37-year-old man biking in the designated lane was struck by a vehicle turning right from South Street onto LeCount Street, just over the South Street Bridge. Philadelphia police told CBS News that the man was riding an e-bike, and neighbors who have kept in touch with his family said he remains in critical condition.
Just six days prior, Trophy Bikes, a nearby repair shop, posted on Facebook that a collision at the same block led to a cyclist in a cargo bike being transferred to the hospital with broken bones. This report was corroborated by Philly Bike Action, an advocacy group for cyclist infrastructure and safety measures, who got in touch with the victim.
Nearby residents claim they have recorded at least seven crashes at this intersection since 2022, including five that resulted in emergency medical services to be called. Matt Cassidy, communications manager with Philadelphia's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, had fewer incidents on the city's records, saying there have been two crashes there from 2020 to 2024 and both resulted in "suspected minor injuries." (This count doesn't include this year.)
Ashley Lepera, a registered nurse, has lived on the corner of South and LeCount streets for nearly three years. She said she assisted the injured cyclist until emergency services could transport him to the hospital — adding that Wednesday was not the first time she has had to offer medical support to people outside her home.
"As a nurse, what I see is an unsafe situation," Lepera said. "I don't mind stabilizing people … but I've been late to work because of how frequent it is."
Lepera and her neighbors signed a petition to City Council President Kenyatta Johnson's office calling for the traffic along LeCount Street to be reversed so that cars can no longer turn from South Street. Residents also met with OTIS officials on Monday to discuss the traffic safety issues.
Vincent Thompson, director of communications with Johnson's office, said the office is aware of the petition and will be working with residents and the city's Streets Department to come up with short- and long-term solutions.
In the meantime, the community is trying other measures to make the streets safer. Residents requested an edit to Google Maps' algorithm to keep its GPS services from directing traffic down LeCount Street. And on Friday, a planter was moved between South Street's bike lane and vehicle traffic with a note that explained the rationale behind the barrier.
"At this intersection, drivers frequently hit people on bikes when crossing the bike lane to turn right onto LeCount," it reads. "Neighborhood residents have moved this planter from the sidewalk to the bike lane as a safety measure, in hopes of preventing more injuries."