North West Philadelphia has a high concentration of roads on the high injury network. From Roosevelt Blvd, Henry Ave, Germantown Ave, and Lincoln drive there are a lot of examples of how road design perpetuates speeding, traffic fatalities, and severe injuries.
However, there are a lot of people working hard to reduce speeding and make the streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Recently, City of Philadelphia traffic engineers implemented a set of traffic calming measures a block away from Henry Avenue.
“Residents requested traffic calming & safety study for Hermit Street between Ridge Avenue and Henry Avenue. Present day conditions met the criteria for speed cushions and for the new All-Way Stop control at Hermit & Houghton Streets,” said Assistant Traffic Engineer, Mark Washington.
Intersection of Hermit St. and Houghton St.
So far several bicyclists have responded positively to the new stop signs stating that it makes the intersection safer and helps to turn onto the temporary Wissahickon Bike Trail. An asphalt speed cushion will also be installed by the city later in the summer.
This project is separate from the PennDOT project that involves 4.7 miles of safety improvements along Henry Avenue.
The North West Traffic Calming Committees or NWTCC is also calling for more traffic calming in the area. You can find more information and a petition on their website.