We are seeking volunteers to help provide the data necessary to advocate for more changes to Spruce and Pine Streets in Center City, Philadelphia, which are Philadelphia’s most-biked lanes. There is currently a plan to, a) Switch the lane from the right to the left, and b) Add protection to intersections.
But cycling advocates do not think this plan goes far enough. That’s why we plan on monitoring the lanes before and after the street treatments to gain a better understanding of when, where, and why motorists park in the bike lane — and how the proposed treatments could change that. This plan to better monitor bike lanes along Spruce and Pine before and after construction was hatched, in part, by Bicycle Coalition members Oren Eisenberg and Owen Sindler.
Now, we will need volunteers to monitor the bike lanes during rush hour and count the number of motor vehicles parked in the bike lanes, between August 15-21.
We will then analyze those counts, follow-up with additional counts after the street is repaved and repainted, and put together a report to change city policy.
What we need counted:
- How many cars are parked in the bike lane on specific blocks during rush hour
- How many cyclists are forced around those parked cars
What this will help us conclude:
- How traffic flow and lane obstructions vary by day/time
- How much revenue PPA does not collect under current enforcement policies for ticketing motor vehicles
- Whether or not more people would ride a bicycle for transportation if vehicles were kept out of bike lanes
What the conclusion will help us do:
- Advocate for better enforcement on Spruce and Pine Streets
- Advocate for full protection of Spruce and Pine Streets
- Advocate for “No Stopping” during rush hour
- Illustrate how obstructed bike lanes pose immediate and frequent danger to cyclists, and create more confusing road conditions for motorists
- Change business delivery times on Spruce/Pine
Want to help? Click here to sign up for a count!
Update: Thank you to all the people who signed up for car counts! We filled up our volunteer slots within a half hour of our Thursday newsletter. There will be many more opportunities to volunteer on this project, and future projects.