Late last month, construction reopened, and the planned bike lane and street improvements began with it. Already, we’ve seen a section of Columbus Boulevard repaved and restriped, but more long-awaited upgrades are coming. They include 2-way protected bike lanes on Parkside, and Belmont, and an exciting, and long-awaited project in Southwest Philadelphia.
Here is a map of the streets up for bike lane upgrades this year.
We hope to update our readers in real time as these projects are installed.
In the meantime, though, we want to point out two specific projects that are going to be as good as they are, specifically because of community involvement.
49th Street, Grays, Lindbergh
As was presented at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s Vision Zero Conference by Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, Southwest CDC Community Organizer Mark Harrell, and Philadelphia’s Bike/Ped Coordinator Jeannette Brugger, sections of Lindberg and 49th Street are getting two-way protected bike lanes and upgraded trolley stops, among other things, as part of a Complete Streets project. A description of the full project is here.
As noted as the conference in early March, this project’s planning was successful because the city spent months meeting with the community and figuring out what they wanted.
The Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability provided multiple options and laid out the pros and cons of each, which allowed community leaders and residents to figure out what worked for them.
In the end, Mark Harrell noted at the conference, virtually everyone was satisfied with the plans, which will be made reality later this summer.
22nd Street
Additionally, it’s worth noting that 22nd Street will finally be repaved, the bike lane moved to the left-hand side of the street, and made protected.
This project is a long-time coming, but a neighborhood organization has made the original project better than it was originally going to be.
The South of South Neighborhood Association has been in favor of protecting the bike lane south of South Street — hence its name — and a parking-protected bike lane has been added to the project in part because of their advocacy.
Check out the flier for the 22nd Street project here.
And keep watch on our blog for the many projects that should be completed throughout the summer.