Loading zones and No Stopping Anytime curbside signs will be added to the corridor starting on June 5

PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) will begin installing new loading zone and “No Stopping Anytime” curbside regulation signage along the Spruce and Pine streets corridor over approximately two weeks beginning on Thursday, June 5, as part of Phase 1 of the Spruce and Pine Streets Bike Lane Safety Upgrades project.

The new loading zones will be installed on each block of Spruce and Pine streets between Front and 22nd streets and “No Stopping Anytime” signs will be placed along the entire length of each respective bike lane. PPA officers will issue warnings for a two-week period before ticketing enforcement begins on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

These new curbside regulations are a direct result of Council President Kenyatta Johnson’s (2nd District) ‘Get Out the Bike Lane’ legislation (Bill No. 240657), which was introduced on the first day of City Council’s Fall 2024 session and signed into law by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker last November. The new citywide ordinance penalizes stopping, standing, or parking in a bike lane with a fine of $125 in Center City and University City, and $75 in other parts of the city.

“The City and PPA worked together to roll out new No Stopping Anytime regulation signs on the Spruce and Pine corridor concurrently with the addition of new loading zones,” said Mike Carroll, Deputy Managing Director, Transportation and Infrastructure, City of Philadelphia. “This addresses the need for resident motorists, ride hailing services, and delivery vehicles to make short-term pick-ups and drop-offs, which formerly may have taken place in the designated bike lanes. We feel this balances long standing concerns over safety while doing our best to accommodate loading activity.”

Phase 1 of the project focuses on curbside regulations with the goals of: 

  • Providing a dedicated space for all users in the roadway, 
  • Meeting the vehicle-based loading needs of the corridor without obstructing the bike lane, and 
  • Encouraging drivers to use the loading zones instead of parking or loading in the bike lane. 

The City’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS), in partnership with City Council President Johnson and Councilmember Mark Squilla (1st District), conducted a community engagement process resulting in detailed recommendations for bike lane safety infrastructure and policy upgrades along Spruce and Pine streets in Center City. These efforts to improve traffic safety for people biking along the corridor follow an increased number of deaths and injuries over the last several years – most recently the tragic death of Dr. Barbara Friedes last July.

In October 2024, the City of Philadelphia co-hosted a public open house at Jefferson University with two registered community organizations (RCO) – Washington Square West Civic Association and Society Hill Civic Association – to present plans and gather feedback on the project. Nearly 400 people attended and 368 exit surveys were completed.

OTIS staff worked closely on this project with the Department of Streets, PPA, community and stakeholder groups, residents, and institutions to define the quantity and locations of loading zone on the corridor, as well as the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) camera monitoring to define the hours of greatest loading needs. View the new loading zones diagramed block-by-block here.

Since January 2025, the Spruce & Pine Stakeholder Working Group has met every month to share information and ideas for the corridor, review and share feedback on Phase 1 details, discuss possibilities for Phase 2, and address any other issues along the corridor.

The working group meetings included stakeholders representing:

  • Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia 
  • Center City Residents Association 
  • Families for Safe Streets 
  • Friends of Pine & Spruce 
  • Philly Bike Action! 
  • Society Hill Civic Association 
  • Washington West Civic Association 

 Following the installation of Phase 1, the City and PPA will measure:

  • Driver violations of No Stopping Anytime and loading zone regulations, 
  • Bike lane obstructions, and 
  • Usage of loading zones. 

 The City will continue to work on Phase 2 of the project, which includes the addition of traffic safety treatments, curb-separated bike lane infrastructure, as well as education and enforcement measures. The City will release a recommendation report for Phase 2 later this Summer.

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