March 05, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
The Washington Avenue repaving and improvement project, which concluded in 2023, aimed to increase safety for bikers and available parking, while reducing speeding. A new evaluation shows mixed results.
Recent improvements along Washington Avenue have dramatically increased the number of bikers on the road, according to a new report.
On Monday, the city released its first evaluation on the project, which concluded last year after a decade of development. The report said the avenue is "safer, greener and more efficient" after the improvements, noting increases in Route 64 ridership, parking and loading capacity. One of the project's biggest wins was increased biker safety. Peak hour bike volumes shot up by 181% between Fourth and 11th streets after protected bike lanes were installed along this section of the avenue. Average annual daily bike volumes also increased by 62% east of Broad Street and 101% west of it.
Not all of the increases were positive. Despite an 87.9% decrease in double parking and 74.9% drop in median parking between Grays Ferry Avenue and Broad Street, sidewalk parking surged 81%. The issue was especially prevalent along the 700, 800 and 900 blocks of Washington Avenue during operating hours for nearby auto shops and construction sites.
The city notes a number of traffic issues, including sidewalk parking, worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Traffic fatalities hit a 10-year high in 2020, when Philadelphia recorded 152 deaths. Efforts to improve those numbers through the Vision Zero initiative have shown mixed results.
The report made several recommendations to continue improvements along Washington Avenue, including increased Philadelphia Parking Authority enforcement of regulations to discourage sidewalk parking. The Streets Department should also, the report continued, consider a 25 mph limit for the entire avenue.
The next evaluation will take place in March 2025, two years after the project's completion. In the meantime, the city plans to cement the temporary painted "bus islands," or curb extensions at bus stops where the bike lane runs behind the boarding area, with more permanent concrete. Changes to curbside regulations and signal timing will also be considered.
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