Philadelphia, PA — Community advocate and congressional candidate Jahmiel Jackson has officially been seated as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, bringing a new generation of leadership to one of the city’s most important transportation and mobility organizations.

Jackson’s appointment marks a full-circle moment. He first joined the Coalition as a teenager in its youth cycling program, where he competed in triathlons and cycling races across the region. At age 16, he suffered a broken collarbone during competition, an experience he says taught him resilience, discipline, and the importance of investing in young people through athletics.

He later served on the Coalition’s Youth Advisory Committee, helping pioneer career readiness and financial literacy programs for students across Philadelphia while participating in policy summits focused on safer trails, equitable mobility access, and neighborhood investment.

“The Bicycle Coalition helped shape my life and showed me how transportation policy can expand opportunity,” Jackson said. “I’m honored to return as a board member and help build the next generation of riders, leaders, and advocates.”

But Jackson also says Philadelphia must think bigger and move faster.

“For too long, Philadelphia has reserved enormous amounts of valuable land for parking lots, garages, and car storage while families struggle to afford rent,” Jackson said. “If we become a truly transit forward city, many of those lots can be transformed into affordable housing, mixed-use development, green space, and neighborhoods built for people instead of traffic.”

Jackson also criticized current elected officials for failing to meet the moment on public transit funding.

“Fully funding SEPTA, creating safer streets, and modernizing transportation are commitments many of my opponents, who currently serve as state legislators, have failed to deliver on,” Jackson said. “They’ve had the power. They’ve had the votes. Philadelphians are still waiting.”

Jackson argued the city and region must also prepare for rapid technological change.

“We are on the cusp of autonomous delivery robots, ride shares, AI driven logistics, and a transportation economy that will look radically different within the next decade,” Jackson said. “We need leaders focused on preparing workers, protecting neighborhoods, regulating new technology responsibly, and making sure innovation benefits the public instead of leaving communities behind.”

As Jackson campaigns across Philadelphia, he says residents consistently raise the same concerns: unreliable transit, dangerous streets, lack of protected bike lanes, pollution, traffic violence, and the need for a more walkable city.

“People are demanding a future that is safer, cleaner, more affordable, and more connected,” Jackson said. “I’m proud to have a seat at the table helping shape that future at the city and state level.”