PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Council on Thursday approved new bike lanes in West Philadelphia, despite opposition from residents. Council also moved forward with legislation supporting Mayor Cherelle Parker’s $800 million HOME initiative for affordable housing.
The 47th Street bike lanes have been in the works for a year and a half. They are part of a larger project that includes repaving the street and converting it to a one-way, northbound, from Kingsessing to Chestnut Street. Opponents began testifying against them as soon as they were introduced in March, right up until the vote, complaining about a loss of parking and theoretical hazards.
One resident said, “A 13-foot-wide bicycle highway on our street guarantees that ebikes will speed even faster.”
But Councilmember Jaime Gauthier, who sponsored the measure, said the 47th street corridor is dangerous as is.
“These bills will make that corridor safer for young people, for everyone in our community, for cyclists, for pedestrians, for drivers,” she said.
Also at this week’s session, Katherine Gilmore Richardson introduced a bill that would allow victims of deed fraud to recover transfer taxes paid when a family home is illegally transferred.
Another bill introduced Thursday would allow the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to issue $800 million in bonds that would be used for the mayor’s plan to build or preserve 30,000 affordable housing units.
Council President Kenyatta Johnson said that the council put language in the bill that would give it an oversight role.
“We’re making sure we’re working in partnership with the administration with this particular initiative, so that’s a step in the right direction,” he said.
The mayor wants the bonds issued this summer, meaning the council would have to pass the bill before its summer recess, which is currently scheduled to start in two weeks.
Most of the bills in the mayor's housing plan have now been introduced. The remaining ones would take district council members out of the land transfer process, which is expected to face some opposition.