Philadelphia Three-Year Road Improvement Plan

In September 2017, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney presented the city’s Vision Zero Three-Year Action Plan, a program to make Philadelphia’s streets safer with a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities entirely by 2030. The plan includes more than 100 actions the city will take over the next three years, which include the addition of bicycle lanes, reducing the speed limit on certain roads, and changes to existing intersections. A 44-page safety report was included in the proposed plan that identified the most dangerous roads in the city. These roads included Market Street, Roosevelt Boulevard, and Broad Street. Many of the changes to the city’s infrastructure will occur on these roads and their nearby cross streets.

The plan identified speed as a major cause of car accidents and focuses on reducing speed as a sweeping safety change to the city’s roadways. To remedy the issue of congested roadways, the city will add bicycle paths and take steps to encourage walking, rather than driving. This will not only have a positive impact on traffic by removing vehicles from the road, but it will ideally make the population healthier by reducing the amount of vehicle emissions in the air and encouraging exercise among residents.

 Opponents of the Plan Worry About Increased Accidents

Not everyone is on board with the Vision Zero Three-Year Action Plan. Critics of the plan argue that by giving the city engineer the autonomy to implement actions with less council oversight, it can result in choices that are not necessarily in residents’ best interests. The party making these choices are not familiar with individual neighborhoods. Others argue that adding bicycle lanes will make traffic difficulties worse because traffic lanes will need to be reduced or eliminated to fit the bike lanes on roads. Slowing down traffic on certain roadways will also add to the congestion, making drivers more stressed and prone to road rage. This, coupled with the increase of emissions in the air from idling on roadways, will negate the positive changes brought by the plan, certain council members and other critics argue.

Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers at DiTomaso Law Help Victims Seek Compensation for Their Damages

If you have been involved in a car accident and you are now suffering financial damages related to your injury, consider working with Philadlephia car accident lawyers at DiTomaso Law to pursue compensation for your damages. To get started, fill out our online form or call 215-426-4493 to set up your initial consultation with a member of our firm. We are in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and serve clients from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and South Jersey.