PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Federal cash is on the way to help improve safety on one of the nation’s most dangerous roadways.
Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey announced on Wednesday $78 million to upgrade Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia. The Department of Transportation grant will pay for improvements at 45 intersections, spanning from Broad Street to the Bucks County line.
“It’s going to shorten the crossing distance at a bunch of different locations and provide other, better pedestrian amenities,” said Chris Puchalsky, director of policy and strategic initiatives at the city’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability.
The work would include pedestrian refuge islands to help people crossing the 12 lanes of traffic.
Over the last six years, 12% of all fatal crashes in Philadelphia occurred on Roosevelt Boulevard, according to Casey’s office. At least 75 people have been killed in Roosevelt Boulevard crashes since 2016 — nearly half of them were pedestrians.
“It’s going to pay for everything from new and better crosswalks, realigning intersections, changing signal timing, improving transit and a host of other improvements,” Puchalsky added.
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The federal money represents about 60% of the $135 million price tag for near-term work under the city’s long-range Roosevelt Boulevard plan, dubbed Route for Change.
Puchalsky said engineering work should take three to six years, and construction would begin after that.