A horrific car crash that critically injured a father and his 4 year-old son riding their bicycle on scenic West River Drive near the Art Museum in Philadelphia last week immediately called attention to the need for increased safety along roadways shared by motorists and cyclists or pedestrians.
It’s something the Philadelphia City Planning Commission has been working on since October. Led by planning and design firm Toole Design Group of Maryland, which previously built a citywide bicycle master plan for Seattle, the Philadelphia Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan aims to make getting around the city without a car easier, safer and a more attractive transportation option.
“The bike network is extensive but not necessarily well-connected,” says city planner Debby Schaaf, herself an avid walker in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.
Large areas of the city were developed after World War II and follow an auto-oriented, suburban model that isn’t pedestrian friendly or safe for walking. Pedestrian deaths, meanwhile, comprise one-third of all traffic fatalities in the city compared to 12 percent statewide. The city’s Bicycle Network Plan added more than 200 miles of bike lanes throughout Philadelphia in 2000 and cycling increased. Center City and North Broad Street are high-traffic areas but lack bike lanes and east-west connections.
The current plan is still gathering and analyzing information, having received more than 1,600 questionnaire responses and completed its first round of community workshops.
Recommendations for physical improvements will follow. Some good news came last week when City Council passed legislation to increase bicycle parking throughout the city–no easy task for Philadelphia.
“Our streets and sidewalks are narrow and competition for space is tight,” she says.
Source: Debby Schaaf, Philadelphia City Planning Commission
Writer: Joe Petrucci
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