On February 10th, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced an investment of over $27 million through the Automated Red-Light Enforcement (ARLE) grants program to advance traffic safety projects statewide. In Southeast Pennsylvania, a total of 21 projects were awarded $17 million in funding to advance safety improvement projects in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia counties. These projects aim to advance pedestrian safety conditions, bicycle safety improvements and connecting the regional Circuit Trails network. The Bicycle Coalition strongly supports the inclusion of funding for No Stopping signs in bike lanes and loading zones for the City of Philadelphia. The ARLE has been a critical funding source for bicycle and pedestrian safety projects in the City of Philadelphia and neighboring counties in the Greater Philadelphia region.
The following projects that have been directly related to the Bicycle Coalition’s advocacy efforts to advance bicycle safety conditions throughout Southeast Pennsylvania, bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements led by Bike Montgomery County’s advocacy efforts, and the collaborative efforts led by the Circuit Trails Coalition to advance the region’s active transportation network and listed below.
| County | Municipality | Awarded Amount | Project Description |
| Bucks | Bristol Borough | $51,534.45 | for safety improvements to the signalized intersection of Bristol Pike and Green Lane. |
| Montgomery | Abington Township | $514,633 | for high visibility crosswalks, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB), ADA enhancements, and signage at the four intersections of Easton Road and Fairhill Avenue, Easton Road and Parkdale Avenue, Edge Hill Road and Keith Road, and Jenkintown Road and Evergreen Road. |
| Montgomery | Lansdale Borough | $308,900 | to improve pedestrian and vehicular mobility at six signalized intersections, including upgrading current push buttons, installing LED countdown pedestrian heads, and ADA curb ramp upgrades. |
| Montgomery | Upper Dublin Township | $500,000 | to extend the Cross County Trail along Virginia Drive and Dreshertown Road and widen the road from Susquehanna Road to the Beacon Hill Road/Bantry Drive signalized intersection. |
| Philadelphia | City of Philadelphia | $1,000,000 | to fund signage for the implementation of recent legislation prohibiting vehicles stopping in bike lanes citywide. The program will also fund signage for loading zones that will be installed along bicycle lane corridors. Included in this project is also signing to enforce No Right Turn on Red throughout Center City. |
| Philadelphia | City of Philadelphia | $2,000,000 | to modernize the trolley route on Elmwood Ave, Trolley Route T5 (formerly the Route 36), with new vehicles, on-street stations, and infrastructure. The project will also deliver new traffic signals, pedestrian safety bump-outs, ADA, and stormwater drainage improvements. |
| Philadelphia | City of Philadelphia | $2,000,000 | a continuation of the Sidepath Program focused on gaps in the watershed park trail network. This program will fund design and construction of curb-separated side paths and install traffic signals, signalized crossings, and other related traffic safety improvements as appropriate. |
| Philadelphia | City of Philadelphia | $5,000,000 | to fund the design and construction of a range of multimodal infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving safety, accessibility, and the overall experience for non-motorized users. Planned improvements include upgrading existing bike lanes with concrete curb separation, installing new traffic signals and signalized crossings, constructing center medians treatments, concrete bus boarding islands, and closing sidewalk gaps with new shared use paths. This project will also incorporate traffic calming measures to improve crosswalk visibility. Project locations within this program include Woodland Avenue (42nd Street to VA Drive), Tabor Avenue (Godfrey Avenue to Levick Street), and Walnut Lane (Henry Avenue to Wayne Avenue). |
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia leads the movement to make every bicycle ride safe, to empower youth and adults to ride, and to foster a ridership that reflects the diversity of the region. Join or renew to continue that advocacy and education work throughout the region. More info here.