Peter Javsicas (Facebook profile photo)

by Pete Mazzaccaro

Mt Airy resident Peter Javsicas, a prominent transportation activist, died of injuries he sustained in a Center City traffic accident on June 13.

Javsicas, 76, was walking near Suburban Station on John F. Kennedy Boulevard when a minivan struck an SUV while attempting to switch lanes, jumped the curb and slammed into a sidewalk newsstand. The newsstand swung 90 degrees, striking Javsicas and another pedestrian. Javsicas was taken to Hahneman University Hospital where he died from numerous injuries suffered in the accident. The other pedestrian suffered an injury to his left leg. No one else was seriously injured in the accident.

A well-known figure in Northwest Philadelphia, Javsicas was among a group who founded the Northwest Village Network, an organization dedicated to helping aging residents in the area stay in their homes. He was president of that organization until a month ago.

At the time of his death, Javsicas was was involved with Pennsylvania Transportation Solutions Inc. He worked for the organization since 2003 and served for much of the last 14 years as its executive director. In that capacity, he was a supporter of progressive transportation planning and funding. He was a strong supporter of Act 89, a gas tax passed in 2013 that provided significant funding for SEPTA.

“Peter devoted his life to improving all forms of transportation for Philadelphia and the region, and so his death from this crash is all the more wrenching to those who knew and worked with him,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in response to Javsicas’ death. “My Administration, through its Vision Zero initiative, remains committed to preventing all traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2030, and the death of Peter Javsicas is a stark reminder of the importance of that mission.”

“Often when there's a tragedy, you have people wagging their fingers and tisk tisking that you shouldn't "politicize" it,” Javsicas’ son Aaron wrote. “My dad knew that's usually a bunch of garbage.”

In that spirit, a petition to make the section of JFK Boulevard where Jasicas was struck safer is available online here.

In addition to his son, Jasicas is survived by his wife of 46 years,  Anne Javsicas; a daughter, Laura; and four grandchildren.

“His death is a horrible loss for our family, but also for the causes he fought for: dignity and community for aging people, safety and choice in transportation, environmental conservation, and social justice,” wrote Javsicas’ daughter-in-law (Aaron’s wife) Lucinda Bartley “He was also a kind, loving, funny man who always had a good story to tell and who sincerely wanted to hear what you had to say. I'm devastated. His four grandsons, all under the age of seven, won't get to know him better, but we'll tell stories.”

A memorial service for Javsicas will be held between 2 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, at Germantown Monthly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends, 47 West Coulter Street,

Donations in his memory can be made to the ACLU of Pennsylvania, P.O. Box 60173, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, or to the Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia here.