$1.5 million in grants awarded for bike share and South Philly bikeway

Philly’s forthcoming bike share program and bike infrastructure improvements for South Philly were given a welcome boost thanks to grants approved by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) board this week.

The funding is part of $7.5 million in federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funds, which DVRPC awarded for Southeastern Pennsylvania projects that emphasize alternative transportation, like new recreational trails.

The city’s bike share program was awarded a $1.25 million grant. The funding will go toward the larger startup price tag, which is expected to run between $8 million and $12 million. Mayor Nutter has already committed $3 million toward bike share’s capital startup costs, and the city recently received additional grant funding to ensure a socially equitable system. More grant applications are in the works and the system is expected to launch next spring.

DVRPC’s Ryan Gallagher said they see bike share as “an important project to our region.” Come September, in a statewide TAP grant round, bike share will be considered for an additional $250,000 grant. 

The South Philadelphia Neighborhood Bikeway – which constitutes infrastructure upgrades for South 13th and 15th streets between South Street and Oregon Avenue – was awarded $250,000. That funding will go toward installing sharrows and signage on 13th and 15th streets, as well as Broad Street to redirect bike traffic to the adjacent sharrowed streets.