Bob Previdi (left) and Kasim Ali (right) testify on new bike lane projects
Three bills that will make life a little easier for cyclists were reported out of the Committee of Streets and Services this morning.
As we noted yesterday, the new lanes will be on Race Street in Center City and Island and Enterprise Avenues in Southwest Philadelphia. A third project will allow the Streets Department to construct a bike lane and crosswalk to connect two entrances to the Pennypack Trail across Torresdale Avenue, making travel safer for cyclists.
“This is an important connection to the Pennypack, which is part of the region’s Circuit Trails,” said Bicycle Coalition policy coordinator Bob Previdi, who testified at the hearing.
Previdi and the City of Philadelphia’s Chief Traffic Engineer Kasim Ali spoke out in favor of all three ordinances at the hearing.
Asked about bike lanes in these highly-traveled areas (especially the new Race Street bike lane, which will provide commuters with easier access to the Ben Franklin Bridge), Previdi noted bike lanes have been proven to make streets safer for everyone.
“Anywhere you can create places for cyclists to be, it’s been proven over and over, they will go to that place,” said Previdi during questioning. “The more bike lanes we can create in corridors where we know cyclists are going to be, it’s going to be safer for everybody.”
Additionally, Ali noted the bike lanes on Race Street would provide easier access for families crossing the street to Franklin Park.
All three ordinances—and others, unrelated to bicycling—passed Committee.