The author and his redacted buddy on the current Spring Garden Street. A better option is possible.
After nearly a decade of waiting, plans to redesign Spring Garden Street, making it safer for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists, are finally moving forward.
The City unveiled its virtual open house on Wednesday, asking Spring Garden Street users to watch a video, share their experiences using the corridor, and respond to images of different design ideas for Spring Garden.
We recommend all Philadelphia cyclists who’ve ever used Spring Garden Street (which is probably most of you) attend the virtual open house, fill out the survey and map, and specifically ask for the curbside protected bike lane option for Spring Garden Street.
As our partners in the East Coast Greenway Alliance have noted of the Spring Garden project,
The best option for the Spring Garden Street Greenway is a pair of curbside raised bike lanes, separated from vehicular traffic by parking lanes, and continuous on each curb for the entire corridor, maximizing the ease, directness, and intuitiveness of the user experience to match existing behavior, thereby also minimizing sidewalk riding, which could lead to discriminatory enforcement.
The curbside bikeway and sidewalk together should provide ample space for both people with mobility issues, pedestrians, people with luggage and deliveries, transit users, and cyclists.
We agree, and ask that anyone filling out Section 2 of this survey note you “like” Option 1 featuring a parking-protected bike lane and dislike the other options (a median bike lane and a standard bike lane, respectively).
That said, we recommend you also fill out the map section of the survey and take the time to understand what the City intends to do on the well-used Spring Garden corridor.
While a median bike lane was originally slated for Spring Garden Street, those plans have changed, or, at least have the ability to be changed by people like you, who attend the virtual open house and fill out the survey.
suffering shoulder surgery from a crazy driver going thru a stop sign. separate the bikes from cars!!
This is a great idea for those who are young, and those who are afraid to ride in the city. It also takes the element of car doors out of the equation.
And option 1 is the best anyway. Thanks for all you do bicycle coalition!!
This is in place on South 11th St and it seems to work well. I am all for more protected bike lanes.
Happy to support the recommendations of BCGP and ECGA, but curious why median bike lanes are inferior to parking protected curbside lanes? Assuming similar protection (trees for example), what makes median lanes less safe?
How will drivers get cross the bike lane to get to the side walk safely to and from their destination.
A. This neighborhood is “spring garden”. The street should look like a GARDEN. Green green green. Put low maintenance bushes or something on the median. Right now it is a giant trash receptacle It is an embarrassment to everyone and this city that things have been allowed to sink to such a level. B. I often ride a bicycle down Spring Garden to Delaware Ave. (the Delaware Ave median is a good example of what greenery can do). The current bike lane on Spring Garden St is really not that bad. My only suggestion would be to definitely keep the bike lane on the side and create a barrier between the bicyclists and the traffic. Again, this is Spring GARDEN. Make the barrier greenery, not white traffic sticks. It is better to leave the bike lane as it is instead of putting unattractive white “sticks” as a barrier. This is a great opportunity to improve things and make the neighborhood the jewel it should be. C. Absolutely do not put the bike lane down the center of spring garden, unless the bike lane will be surrounded on both sides with barriers of greenery. I did not see that as even an option in the choices. Why is it not? D. Only barriers of greenery are acceptable. No white sticks of any type, anywhere.