In 2017, flex-posts were installed on a small portion of the South Street Bridge because of speeding vehicles getting on and off of the bridge, and the hazardous CHOP Roberts Center garage entrance. Currently, there are no protective flex-post on either side of the bridge for bikes traveling eastbound or westbound. We need the public’s support, and the support of CHOP and Penn employees, to help make this happen.
The Bicycle Coalition is working with a group of employees at Children’s Hospital (CHOP Commuter Advocacy Group, or CCAG) to better understand how bicycle commuters and the community feel about their overall safety experience when using the bridge and to see what other corridors they feel improvements are needed so we can focus our advocacy efforts in this area.
With CHAG, we will work on a proposal that creates safety, equity, and inclusion for all users of the South Street Bridge and the communities it connects with. This can be an opportunity to request improvements, from CHOP, for the bridge by installing protected bike lanes with Tuff Curb pillars which provides a seamless barrier between cars and bikes.
If you use the South Street Bridge, work at CHOP or Penn, or just ride in the area, please take a few minutes to fill out and share our survey.
I bike to work every day at Penn and use the bridge. Flex posts are needed throughout the bridge especially by the CHOP building. Also, when biking eastbound past the CHOP building down towards the end of the bridge there is a right turn lane and the bike lane is between the driving lane and turn lane. This is a very scary area as people move across the bike lane to enter the turn lane. Something to keep cars out of the bike lane is needed.
Going westbound at the corner of 27th and South cars turning right onto the bridge almost always cut off the bike lane while making the turn. This is another place I am frequently scared I will get hit.
One more area of concern to me is not on the bridge but at the intersection of 34th and Spruce. It is a small area between 34th and 33rd on Spruce and there are frequently too many cars for the small turn lane (turning left onto 34th street by the hospital). Cars fill up the turn lane and end up in the main driving lane. Since the main driving lane is full many cars will use the bike lane to get around. Flex posts are needed here to keep cars from going into the bike lane. Many times I have almost been hit by cars driving really fast into the bike lane.
A major hazard that Penn and CHOP are responsible for is the failure to protect the bike line that runs against traffic on Civic Center boulevard. Although the lane is buffered, cars park in it constantly forcing cyclists to ride in head-on traffic. Penn Police frequently also park in the bike lane and cannot be persuaded to keep the bike lane clear.
This has been my experience as well. The bike lanes are always being invaded by motorists on Penn and CHOPs campus, I’ve even been hit by one, and Penn Police park in the bike lanes as well.