A Peaceful Stretch of Road

Imagine a Street That's Not a Combat Zone 

Spruce at 17th.

A few days ago, my wife and I were at the beach. I had a 9 a.m. teleconference that went well (that doesn't always happen), and after that we hopped in our car and drove back to Philly. When we got across the Ben Franklin Bridge, we drove down Fourth street. Ordinarily we would go to Lombard and then drive west across town, but just for a change we took Spruce. It was easily the most pleasant part of our trip.

There was a fair amount of traffic, but it was, as we say, "calm." With only one lane for moving motor vehicles, there were none of the abrupt lane changes that are so common on two-lane streets like Lombard. If a delivery truck was stopped in our lane, we simply swung around it, borrowing a few feet of asphalt from the bike lane. If a car was parking at the curb, and the bike lane was fenced with flex posts, we simply stopped and waited. It all flowed, without honking or swearing.

I was wondering a bit what planet I was on, but then I had the image of a quiet, tree-lined country lane. Of course, we weren't in the country. There were all these pretty nineteenth-century houses to look at. And the trees of course, all donning their springtime green. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and I got to enjoy it.

I think we tend to overlook the benefits to cars and their occupants that have come from the redesign of Pine and Spruce. The addition of a bike lane, and subtraction of a motor-vehicle lane, have created an unusual and, I think, very positive space for motorists. A street does not need to be a combat zone. Who knew?

Same spot, different transportation modes.

See also The Traffic at J'aime; Looking and Not Seeing, Listening and Not Hearing; Flex Posts on Pine and Spruce.