We could have been a leader. Instead we will be slow followers, picking our way along the parade route, dodging the horse droppings left by the cavalry in the lead. Philadelphia used to be a leader, back in the days of Dilworth and Bacon. Yes, we made a lot of mistakes, but at least we were attempting to mold the future in a positive direction.
New York City recently announced that it was going to do 100 miles of Open Streets, upping the ante on Oakland, California, which is only doing 74 miles.
We're not doing anything; we're not going to do anything. And City Hall won't even tell us why.
I and many others have politely asked the City for a number of marginal improvements - repurposing the outer lanes of the Ben Franklin Parkway and roads in West Fairmount Park and Roosevelt Park and a few other places. This would involve closing them to cars and opening them to pedestrians and bicyclists.
The small ask didn't work. So, just for the record, I'm going to tell you what I really think. Why should Dilworth and Bacon have all the fun?
This idea got its start with the outer lanes of the Ben Franklin Parkway. Giving these lanes to peds and bikes is a no-brainer. If you'd like a fuller explanation, click here. And then Inga Saffron of the Inquirer suggested repurposing Walnut Street. This isn't quite a no-brainer, but I'll leave struggling with the details to our capable traffic engineers.
So I was staring at these two stretches on a map, and the thought occurred to me that we could connect them, and provide a highway for pedestrians and bicyclists from the heart of Center City to the Art Museum and the wilds of Fairmount Park beyond. Well, at least to Martin Luther King Drive and Kelly Drive. It's pretty bucolic, but no elk or moose or bison. And you can ride a bike to Valley Forge if you're so inclined.
I looked at 20th and 22nd streets, and picked 22nd because it's a bit wider and already has a bike lane. Then I said let's make it two-way; finding a southbound mate for the bike lane on 22nd has been basically impossible. So we'll club up the northbound and southbound traffic on 22nd, and while we're at it make the other pieces two-way as well.
Certain people will immediately say this repurposing of 22nd Street is impossible. Just look at Trader Joe's with its heavy traffic into the parking lot on 22nd. And then of course, there are the entrances and exits to the Vine Street Expressway. To quote the Princess Bride: "Inconceivable!"
Well, here's the thing. We're still letting cars onto 22nd Street. But only for one block or less, and they have to go slow. They're doing this on 14th Street in New York City, and it's working well.
But that won't work here, you say. Yes, people can turn onto 22nd from Market, but when they're done shopping and leave the parking lot, they'll have to go to Arch, and then they can only turn left.
But wait. The street is two-way for cars also. So a customer leaving the Trader Joe's lot can turn left or right and go to Market or Arch. Actually better options for egress than exist currently.
As for the Vine Street Expressway, the eastbound entrance and exit are largely unaffected by these changes. Drivers exiting would still have the option of turning on 23rd or proceeding on Winter. And if they're headed for Park Towne, they can do that because it's less than one block.
As for the westbound exit, drivers could still go to the Parkway and turn, or head up into Fairmount on 22nd. People would have to use the Parkway to access the westbound entrance - no more tromping up 22nd Street at 50 mph. Sorry for the inconvenience.
What does all this give us? The future. I'm not going to rehearse all the arguments in favor of a balanced transportation system, instead of the predominantly automotive system that we currently have. What I will say is that I think this setup would be pretty cool, and like the Schuylkill Banks and the bike lanes, the City could brag about it when they try to attract large corporations like Amazon. And I think it would be extremely popular with the people who live here. And pay taxes. And vote.
Will it happen? No. With Dilworth and Bacon in the saddle, I think we might have had a good shot at actually getting some of this stuff done. With this mayor, and this city council, and this streets department, I just don't see it.
Still, to paraphrase Senator McConnell, I will persist. Why? I am a member of the Vaclav Havel school of optimism. Here's what he said:
"Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out." - Vaclav Havel
See also My Life in Fairmount Park, Transportation Should Not Trump Destination, Do We Secretly Want Ugly Cities and Dangerous Streets? Love Park Redesign: Why Are There Still Five Traffic Lanes on 16th Street? Put Traffic Lights on the Schuylkill Expressway.
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