More bicycle lanes could come to Philly, connecting riders to the Schuylkill River Trail and Temple

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Three more bicycle lanes could be installed in Philadelphia if legislation by Councilmember Jeffrey Young Jr. is successful.

It’s a big change from when the City Council member suggested removing a bike lane that drew ire from neighbors along Market Street just west of City Hall in April 2024.

Young Jr. responded to several questions about the bicycle lanes through email.

“I suggested the removal of the 2-way bike lane on Market Street because it does not connect to a network and leads riders into traffic. The lane also has caused congestion from confused pedestrians, buses and other vehicles when it was first installed,” he said.

He cited his office’s community engagement efforts over the last year to build support for the bicycle lanes that do connect to the larger network.

“Wherever possible we will look to keep parking lanes with the installation of bike lanes,” he said.

The City Council Committee on Streets and Services, of which he chairs, voted unanimously Monday to approve three bills he introduced to add more bike lanes that sit in his district.

One bicycle lane would run along 13th Street from Cecil B. Moore Avenue to Diamond Street, crossing Temple University’s campus. Plans include barriers like flexible posts and planters in partnership with the college, while parking would be removed.

It’s unclear how this may affect the food truck vendors, of which there is a limit of 50 mobile businesses, but the council member said his office expects to work with any displaced businesses.

A second bicycle lane would be installed along North 23rd Street between Market and Race streets, with one driving lane removed but parking preserved.

The city’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems recommended that extension because it safely connects riders from the Schuylkill River Trail to city streets.

“We did extensive traffic studies at the intersection and saw that there were many folks that were coming up from the Schuylkill River Trail onto this corridor without a bike lane to connect to,” said Anna Kelly, senior policy advisor at the OTIS. “So that was part of the reason this project is moving forward, to make sure that connection is strong.”

City data shows that separated bike lanes can calm driver speeds and reduce crashes by 17%, Kelly said.

The third bicycle lane would be installed along North 22nd Street from Spring Garden Street to Green Street, removing one lane for vehicles but keeping parking intact.

Fairmount resident and bicycle commuter Alicia Hussey regularly rides that street with her daughter in tow. In November 2023, a vehicle collided with her bicycle after the light turned green. The driver didn’t look in the crosswalk for any pedestrians before turning, Hussey said.

“Luckily, [my daughter] and I were both wearing helmets and she was safely strapped into her seat, but I ride that same lane to this day with fear,” she said during a Monday hearing by the Committee on Streets and Services.

Hussey advocated for the legislation, saying it would make her neighborhood safer.

“I’ve thought since that day if the bike lane extended across the intersection, it could have signaled the driver to yield on the turn,” she said. “That extension is exactly what this ordinance is asking for.”

About a decade ago, there was a failed effort to add the North 22nd Street connection as then-Councilmember Bill Greenlee said there was neighborhood opposition to narrowing the streets.

Local neighborhood groups testified Monday, such as the Fairmount Civic Association, supporting the new bike lane.

FCA Vice President Dustin Dove said that the street is unsafe right now.

“Creating bike lanes along this route will give anyone using the street a safer experience because it will keep pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and buses in their own lanes — especially the separated lane that’s proposed,” Dove said.

Young Jr.’s new bill was voted out of committee and will be considered by the full council next month. The cost of these new bicycle lanes has not yet been estimated.