Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) announced Wednesday that it will begin public meetings this month to share recommendations and gather feedback about potential bike safety infrastructure and policies along the Spruce and Pine Street corridor.
“OTIS and my office want to hear from all residents living on Spruce and Pine streets in order to create the best solution possible,” said City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who is partnering with Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration, OTIS and Councilmember Mark Squilla on the meetings, in the city’s press release.
The mayor’s office and the city have faced pressure from cycling and pedestrian safety advocates since the death of cyclist Dr. Barbara Friedes, pedestrian Christopher Cabrera, and others in July. Vigils, Cycling protests, “bike lane parties,” and a petition signed by over 5,000 people and presented at City Hall have called for concrete barriers to protect traffic on the city’s bike lanes, starting with Spruce and Pine streets, and Allegheny Avenue, as well as an increase to the funding that was reduced by more than half from the Vision Zero line item in the city budget. The administration claims that safety efforts are paid from other budget lines, not just Vision Zero.
Since then, some churches have withdrawn temporary bike lane permits along Spruce and Pine streets, the Philly Voice reported in August. Kenyatta introduced a bill that will fine any cars that stop, stand, or park in a bike lane in parts of the city. That bill is scheduled for an Oct. 15 public hearing with City Council’s Streets and Services Committee. Legislation has also been introduced at the state level.
“In August, we held a press conference and bike ride with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia to signify this administration’s commitment to real change for improving traffic safety in our city,” Parker said in the press release. “We presented advocates with a letter of response to their petition … In the letter, the city outlined a call for community engagement to gain feedback on proposals for fully protecting the Spruce and Pine bike lanes. Now, we are coming to you, Philadelphia, to move this project forward.”
Recommendations revealed
The release also revealed the short- and long-term recommendations it was considering. For infrastructure, it listed “concrete curb sections in the existing painted buffer along each block,” and “potential planters in the painted buffer at intersections, if a maintenance partner and annual funding is provided.” The cost of these proposals was estimated at $4.8 million.
Policy recommendations included “additional daytime loading zones in the parking lanes,” changing curbside regulations to “No Stopping Anytime” along bike lanes, moving relaxed parking spaces for religious institutions to other streets, and increasing Philadelphia Parking Authority enforcement along the corridors.
The community engagement process will start with a public open house on Thursday, Oct. 17, at Jefferson University’s Bluemle Life Sciences Building, starting at 7:30 p.m. Residents living in the neighborhoods bordering the Spruce and Pine corridor can contact their respective registered community organizations and find more information and updates on the city’s webpage for the project, the press release said.
“I am pleased that OTIS is engaging the community to finalize the proposed changes to bike lanes on Pine and Spruce streets, so that these streets will be safer for ALL users,” Squilla said in the release.
