Hundreds show up to Philadelphia meeting about concrete protected bike lanes

The city of Philadelphia has a plan for concrete protection for cyclists using some of the city's most popular bike lanes but it's not a done deal and it's not without controversy.

However, some residents say concrete protection separating cyclists from vehicles goes too far and hurts their quality of life.

Thursday night, 400 people attended a public meeting where city staff showed off their plan, which includes, concrete curb sections and possible concrete planters at intersections along Spruce and Pine streets.

"We're presenting proposals to the public here in Center City to make Spruce and Pine safer for cyclists, for people who walk, and for people who drive," said Christopher Puchalsky with the Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS).

Nicole Brunet with the Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia was at the meeting Thursday. She said people are very motivated to enhance the safety surrounding cycling in the city and she thinks the city's current plan is a great first step.

Philadelphia Councilman Mark Squilla, whose district includes portions of Spruce and Pine, said safety is paramount and he wants to get more feedback.  A few days ago, Squilla and other council members heard from people opposed to another change that would increase fines for those who stop their cars in bike lanes, even just for a minute.

"The city's plans to enhance bike lanes address the perceived safety needs of only one group of Philadelphia residents. Not only do these measures fail to adequately address the safety needs of all residents, they severely negatively affect the quality of life for residents who live along these corridors," said Nicole Galli, a Pine Street resident.

Squilla said he'd consider another option altogether like parking protected bike lanes, where parked cars actually serve as the barrier and the bike lane is next to the sidewalk.

"A decision needs to be made on what Pine and Spruce is going to look like in the future and it's going to be some type of protected lane," said Squilla.

A city spokesperson said there could be more public meetings before they finalize their plans. According to an estimate by OTIS, the current proposal to put the concrete curbs and planters in would cost $4.8 million. The council would have to approve the funding.