Philadelphia’s Mayor plays a critical role in ensuring that all citizens can use city streets to bike, walk, take transit or drive. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia prepared a questionnaire for all 2015 mayoral candidates. These responses serve as campaign commitments to Better Mobility in 2015. Doug Oliver’s responses are in italics.
1. Implementing a Vision Zero Policy. According to Penn DOT, over the past five years Philadelphia averages 94 deaths on our streets, with 33 being pedestrians. You have gone on the record as being in support of a Vision Zero policy. What steps will you take to implement a Vision Zero goal and policy?
I want to increase public awareness of Vision Zero, generate buy in and then have conversations with various entities and persons to determine an action plan.
2. Streets State of Repair. This year, the Streets Department has plans to replace 60 miles of roadway. To maintain a state of good repair, Streets needs to rebuild or resurface approximately 130 miles of roadway each year, and this does not account for the 900-mile backlog, which is approximately 35% of the city’s roadways. Will you commit to doubling the paving budget in the capital budget to reduce the 900-mile paving backlog?
Yes. Provided that these are resources that we can create.
3. The Circuit: The Circuit is Greater Philadelphia’s multi-use trail network connecting communities throughout the Delaware valley and beyond. 300 miles are open, 50 will be on line soon and 400 miles remain to be built. Will you complete 25 miles of Circuit trails in Philadelphia (8 miles along Schuylkill River, 10 miles along Delaware River & 7 miles along Cresheim, Tacony-Frankford and Pennypack Trails)?
Yes.
4. Protected Bike Lanes: The city has over 230 miles of bike lanes but does not have a single mile of a physically protected bike lane, which is now the best practice among bicycle-friendly cities. Protected bike lanes provide physical separation, which can be accomplished by simply moving parking lanes over to provide a physical barrier. Would you support the installation of 30 miles of physically-protected bike lanes over the next five years and 15 miles of standards bike lanes annually?
Yes.
5. Expand Bike Share: Philadelphia is inaugurating bike share in 2015. The Bicycle Coalition has partnered with Bike Share to provide community outreach outside Center City. We believe making bike share accessible to all neighborhoods in Philadelphia where there is demand and opportunity is important. Would you expand Bike Share to all Philadelphia neighborhoods after 2016?
Yes.
6. Securing Sidewalk Safety: Philadelphia is going through a construction boom and while this is a good thing for the city, too often contractors close sidewalks making passage dangerous for pedestrians. Will you implement strengthen policy and regulations to ensure that contractors maintain a safe passage around construction projects?
Yes.
7. Complete 3 showcase Projects for the DNC: With the eyes of the entire nation on Philadelphia in 2016, the Bicycle Coalition and other organizations would like to see 3 projects completed to encourage delegates to bike safely to and from the Wells Fargo Center. Will you complete three bicycle projects along JFK/Market Streets, 13th & 15th Streets, and Broad Street in time for the DNC Convention?
Yes.
8. Create an Active Transportation Office. Philadelphia cannot be a leading city for bicycling, walking and traffic safety without a dedicated office. Will you create an office that is tasked with implementing the 2012 Pedestrian/Bicycle Plan and other measures to make Philadelphia’s streets and sidewalks safer?
Yes.
9. Safe Routes to School. Philadelphia has 162 elementary schools with roughly 100,000 students. The City of Philadelphia has a very small Safe Routes to School program that provides biking and walking curriculum to students and conducts walkability audits to identify how routes can be made safer to encourage more biking and walking to school. Will you support the Health Department having a robust Safe Routes to School program to reach as many students and schools as possible?
Yes.