Mayor Jim Kenney’s proposed capital budget is good news for the Vision Zero program and our streets’ “good state of repair.”
Although the Bicycle Coalition will continue to analyze the numbers (especially of the operating side of the budget), it is apparent that Mayor Kenney is listening to his constituents and moving more city funding to redesigning and re-engineering Philadelphia’s streets to make them safe for all road users.
Here are our initial takeaways.
More City Funds Proposed for Vision Zero Capital Projects
Mayor Kenney is proposing to spend $2.6 million of new City Funds for Vision Zero capital projects in Fiscal Year 2020, which is a bump up from $1.5million in FY19 and $1.0 million in FY18.
Combined with state and federal funding, the Mayor is expecting $18.6 million to be dedicated for Vision Zero Projects in Fiscal Year 2020. (1)
New City Funds Proposed for Vision Zero Design
For the first time, Mayor Kenney’s budget is allocating in a new line item: $750,000 to design Vision Zero projects (“dedicated and non-matching fund projects for the purpose of fully funding design and construction of public works safety improvement projects”).
While good, the line item is not projected to continue future years of the six year capital budget. (2)
Capital Funding for Resurfacing Continues to Increase
Mayor Kenney continues to work toward the goal of paving 130 miles per year by FY24. Once funds for ADA ramps is backed out, the Streets Department capital budget is proposed to spend $25.2 million for resurfacing in FY20, which should allow the city to repave 101 miles.
This figures is roughly $4M more than what was allocated In FY19 and $7 M more than Fiscal Year 2018. (3)
Upward Trend Continues for Miles Resurfaced Continues
The Streets Department is expected to repave 95 miles in Fiscal Year 2019 and 101 miles in Fiscal Year 2020. In the first two quarters on Fiscal Year 2019, it paved 55 miles. (4)
No Separate Funds for Vision Zero Maintenance Supplies
Now, the bad news.
The Bicycle Coalition and Families for Safe Streets each have proposed to Mayor Kenney that $500,000 be set aside for Vision Zero maintenance to ensure that supplies such as thermaplast to refresh bike lanes and crosswalks, replacement delineator posts, and curb separators are procured and installed without having to compete against asphalt.
This proposal was not accepted by the Administration for the next fiscal year.
Those supplies will continue to come out of the resurfacing budget line item.
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(1) P. 180 of the FY2020-2025 Capital Program Streets Department-Traffic Engineering – Traffic Control Line 81, #6
(2) p. 180 of the FY2020-2025 Capital Program Streets Department-Traffic Engineering – Traffic Control Line 81, #5
(3) p. 169 of the 2020-25 Capital Program Streets Department – Grading & Paving, Reconstruction/Resurfacing of Streets Line 73, #1 –
(4) FY20 Performance Measures table on p. 286 of the FY20-24 Five Year Plan.