Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

City Councilman Greets Philly’s Bike Progress With Anti-Bike Legislation

According to a recent report from the Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition, Philly is now the bike-commutingest big city in the U.S., with the most people riding to work per capita of any of the nation's ten largest cities.

false

Just weeks after the city's bike progress made headlines, a city councilman has introduced legislation that could bog down further bike projects in politics and bureaucracy. Councilman William Greenlee wants to make every new bike lane in Philadelphia subject to a City Council vote.

Network blog Plan Philly reports:

Requiring City Council approval of all new bike lanes is bad policy because: It will delay making our streets safer. Motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists have all benefited from the 46% reduction in serious car crashes on Spruce and Pine streets since the new bike lanes were installed. (While the cost to motorist convenience has been tiny: a 2 mph reduction in average speed.) No City Council approval is needed for new vehicular travel lanes, crosswalks or bus stops.

"We're #1 in big city bicycle commuting," said [Bike Coalition] Executive Director Alex Doty. "Do we really want to be #1 in bike lane bureaucracy?"

Why single out a cheap, healthy way to commute? The City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan has already gone through a public review process and been approved by the Planning Commission. When taking out a travel lane, the Streets Department already consults with the local civic associations. It doesn't allow the traffic engineers at the Streets Department to do their job. Bike lanes installed as pilot projects will require review by City Council before the Streets Department can move the lanes to another street if that is what is recommended by their traffic engineers.

Plan Philly is urging local residents to contact the City Council and voice their opposition to this bone-headed measure.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Charlottesville Tomorrow reports that the local metropolitan planning agency is discussing reviving a decade-old, $161 million bypass plan despite questions about whether it is still, or ever was, necessary. PubliCola pans the design for Seattle's new light rail station, which lacks mixed-use amenities and has been compared to an "airport terminal. And GreenCityBlueLake reports on an opposition campaign that has emerged in Cleveland after a casino developer proposed demolishing a historic downtown structure to make way for -- what else? -- parking.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars

...and how they got to that impressive milestone.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Battle Galactus

Like the Marvel supervillain, U.S. interstate highway system seems to eat up everything in his path. A new book explores how to stop it.

July 11, 2025

New Report Shows Pedestrian Fatalities Drop — But Experts Say Not Enough

The Governors Highway Safety Association report showed a 4 percent drop in the number of pedestrian deaths last year, putting a slow on a dangerous trend — but advocates say the drop isn't nearly big enough.

July 11, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Localities Subsidize the State DOT

Adie Tomer of Brookings on how to improve regional coordination around infrastructure.

July 10, 2025

Five of the Ugliest Transportation Policies In the ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill

Here's a rundown of some of the transportation provisions in the Republicans' reconciliation package, and what they might mean for your community.

July 10, 2025

Viva La Thursday’s Headlines

Why is French transit ridership up 10 percent since before the pandemic, while American transit ridership is down 23 percent?

July 10, 2025
See all posts