PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Jim Kenney and Deputy Managing Director for Transportation Mike Carroll applaud the approval by City Council of enabling legislation for nine Complete Street projects that increase safety for people who walk, bicycle, take transit, and drive. This is the most bills passed forward out of Council for safety improvements on record.
The projects include roadway redesign elements to reduce driver speeding and significant pedestrian improvements designed to establish safe roadway crossings and shorten crossing distances. Several projects convert vehicle and parking lanes to protected bicycle lanes, which define space within the roadway for people who bicycle and increase predictability for all roadway users.
“We have made improving our streets a priority, every repaving project is an opportunity for us to look at ways we can improve safety for all users,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “I commend our team at oTIS and the Streets Department for their work advancing these projects and I thank Council for moving all of these important Complete Streets projects forward.”
“Our office worked very closely with City Council President Clarke and Councilmembers Henon, Johnson, and Squilla,” said Mike Carroll, Deputy Managing Director for Transportation with the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (oTIS). “These projects demonstrate a commitment to safe streets by the City, Council, civic groups and the neighbors they represent.”
The projects enabled by the legislation this session include the following, shown on the attached map:
- Market JFK Vision Zero Safety Project, 15th – 20th Streets: vehicle lane conversion
- Germantown Avenue Flood Relief and Safety Project, Master – 2nd Streets: vehicle lane, parking, and one-way conversion
- 2nd Street Protected Bicycle Lane, Wood – Race Streets: vehicle lane conversion
- 11th Street Repaving & Safety Project, Catharine – Webster Streets: truck parking conversion
- Columbus Boulevard, Tasker – Swanson: parking removal/vehicle lane conversion
- 10th Street, Spring Garden – Callowhill: parking and vehicle lane conversion
- 13th Street, Spring Garden – Buttonwood: parking lane conversion
- Richmond Street, Berkshire – Lewis: parking conversion
- South Street, 21 – 27: No Stopping regulation
These nine projects represent City stakeholder outreach throughout several years, 14 distinct community groups, and seven public project open houses. The projects establish or strengthen links for people traveling to and from neighborhood residential areas, commercial corridors, trails, and existing and proposed on-road bikeways.
Each project is a planned high-quality bicycle lane link that will move the City towards the goal of 20 miles of protected bicycle lanes by the end of the 2020 construction season.
Each project was heard and favorably recommended by the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Streets and Services and scheduled for final approval in the Spring of 2019. The projects were led in tandem by the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, & Sustainability (oTIS) and the Streets Department.
More information about each project can be found at http://www.phillyotis.com/portfolio-item/complete-streets/ or by emailing oTIS@phila.gov.
About the Office of Complete Streets
The Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability (oTIS) coordinates the implementation of Complete Streets policies in Philadelphia. Complete Streets are designed to ensure safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders. The City’s Complete Streets policy was introduced in 2009 and requires a review of every construction project’s impact on roads, sidewalks, and the bicycle and transit network to ensure that all affected streets adhere to the City policy. This policy improves safety, promotes economic development, reduces congestion, and encourages active transportation. Under the Complete Streets program, oTIS manages the City’s parklet, bike corral, and pedestrian plaza programs.