We were saddened to hear that former Deputy Mayor Rina Cutler has died at the age of 70 in West Palm Beach Florida. Ms. Cutler served as the Deputy Mayor of Transportation and Utilities for most of Mayor Nutter’s term from 2008 to 2015, before moving on to a senior position at Amtrak.
Rina’s style was brash but fair. She favored an incremental approach to change, which the Bicycle Coalition took issue with at times, but she got a lot done. We took a look back at her accomplishments to show how she led the change to how Philadelphia configures its streets.
The South Street Bridge – The first battle inherited from the John Street Administration was the final design of the South Street Bridge. Cutler, who early-on defended the highway styled final design that the Streets Department greenlighted, did work out a compromise with the South Street Bridge Coalition that resulted in the wider buffered bike lanes and a safer crossing for bikes and pedestrians at the I-76 interchange. The re-opening of the bridge was a glorious celebration, with the Streets Department Commissioner (Clarena Tolson) playing bridge on the Bridge and a parade led by Spiral Q puppets & a stepping band.
Spruce and Pine Bike Lanes pilot project Although Philadelphia was creating bike lanes by reducing travel lanes in the outer neighborhoods since the mid 1990’s, Spruce and Pine Streets were the first buffered bike lanes ever installed in the Central Business District. In the summer of 2009, the City launched a pilot project by replacing a traffic lane with a bike lane before before Spruce & Pine was to be resurfaced. (Remember, the Bicycle Coalition asked Mayor Nutter in a candidate survey if he would create an east-west pair of bike lanes.) The experiment garnered a lot media attention and subsequent backlash from residents and elected officials. Cutler clapped back, citing the before/after study showed that bike traffic increased between 65% and 100% while motor vehicle traffic dropped 11% and travel times for motor vehicles was essentially the same. Rina declared that the bike lanes permanent in December 2009.
A joint $23 Million Dollar TIGER Grant for Philadelphia and Camden In 2009, Rina greenlit a proposal that would be submitted by the City (on behalf of Camden and other counties) a TIGER grant for a regional trail network. USDOT awarded $23 Million to help fund the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, the Connector Bridge, and 8 other projects in Philadephia and Camden. The award was one of only two bicycle and pedestrian projects selected in the first round. The TIGER Grant win directly led to the formation of the Circuit Trails Network and the Circuit Trails Coalition. Ultimately, Philadelphia was awarded 6 TIGER Grants during her tenure.
Manayunk Bridge – She helped gather the funds from PennDOT and the Federal Government to make the conversion of the Manayunk Bridge from an inactive rail line into a beautiful trail. (photos from the 2011 Groundbreaking)
Indego Bike Share – For many years, the Nutter Administration was reluctant to implement bike share. Rina Cutler finally moved the project forward and Indego Bike Share kicked off just days after she left City government. In hindsight this was the right move. Philadelphia built a bike share program that emphasized equity with access programs that have been replicated in other cities through the Better Bike Share Partnership.
JFK/Market St Protected Bike Lane Proposal – In 2011, the City studied the effects of closing a travel lane on JFK Blvd and Market St District for a proposed protected bike lanes on Market and JFK. The project became a reality in 2018. In 2014 WHYY journalist Ashley Hahn talked to Cutler for her Eyes on the Street series “One of her biggest regrets, she said, is not getting to install a truly protected bike lane. Cutler noted that designs for protected lanes on JFK Boulevard and Market Street exist, but the political will just isn’t there yet.“
Philadelphia is a better place to bike and walk because of Rina Cutler. We honor her memory.