PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia officials have unveiled what they say is the final version of a plan to improve safety on Washington Avenue. The plan became controversial after officials made changes that they concede detract from safety goals. However, they say this latest version will make the thoroughfare safer than it is now.
Two years ago — after much study and months of outreach that attracted input from thousands of residents — officials proposed a plan that narrowed Washington Avenue from five lanes of traffic to three lanes for 10 blocks, timed lights to encourage speeds of no more than 25 mph, and improved safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, including children who must cross it to get to school.
The coronavirus pandemic delayed the plan’s execution. Then officials quietly re-opened the process after neighbors protested, saying they were overlooked in the outreach phase. The result is a new plan, which Deputy Managing Director Mike Carroll says addresses several concerns.
“This is a safe plan. It does a good job of balancing the traffic situation and safety situation,” Carroll said.
The new plan maintains five lanes of traffic for four blocks, then goes down to four and then down to three, with signals timed to discourage speeding and parking regulations to stop the double parking that hinders both traffic and safety.
Advocates say the first plan was safer, and they object to the process city planners used to change it — meeting privately with small groups instead of the robust public outreach that went into the first plan.
But Carroll says the first plan made trade-offs that didn’t make sense.
“It wasn’t really satisfying the goals we set out. We were looking at significant congestion or significant cut-through traffic through the neighborhood, which didn’t feel like the best balance,” he said.
Carroll says there are plans to add safety features, such as rumble strips and speed pads, after the main repaving project is done, which is scheduled for this summer.
The first public meeting on the plan is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Christian Street YMCA. There could be fireworks, as officials will be on hand to answer questions.
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