Spot of upcoming Tyson bike lane.
A new buffered bike lane is scheduled to be repaved and painted on Tyson Avenue before the end of the month.
According to the Streets Department’s schedule, there will be temporary nighttime street closures and parking restrictions on Tyson Avenue between Roosevelt Boulevard and Torresdale Avenue for street resurfacing.
When all complete, there will be a 10-foot buffered bike lane on Tyson — and one less lane of parking in the Northeast.
Councilman Bobby Henon has become a vocal advocate of bike lanes in his district.
Earlier this summer, he proposed the buffered bike lane, which the Bicycle Coalition testified in favor of on June 7.
The Bicycle Coalition’s Bob Previdi (left) testifies for a new buffered bike lane in Northeast Philly.
It passed City Council unanimously nine days later. That makes it Philadelphia’s first bike lane that will remove a lane of traffic since Council adopted an ordinance in 2012 that requires any such bike lane to get Council approval.
This ordinance is an unneeded process that intentionally, cynically, creates a more dangerous situation for Philadelphia’s cyclists, pedestrians and motor vehicle users. It has previously been used to block a no-brainer bike lane on 22nd Street north of Spring Garden Street, which, due to such recklessness, has made that stretch of 22nd confusing for all road users.
It should be known that Henon has also successfully advocated, with the Bicycle Coalition, for a parking-protected bike lane on Ryan Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. This is not that. But we expect that to be installed before the end of the summer, as well.