City plans evaluations of bike-lane project

City officials plan to present by early December the first results of a pilot project that would give bicyclists a designated corridor through Center City.

The right-hand lanes of Spruce and Pine Streets will be converted into bike-only lanes in late September. Until now, cyclists can easily get into Center City, but not through it.

The city will evaluate the project after about a month, Stephen Buckley, the deputy transportation commissioner, told a meeting of neighborhood residents and bicycle enthusiasts Wednesday night.

There will be car and bike counts before and during the trial period, Buckley said, adding, "We will also look at motor-vehicle queue lengths at key intersections."

Buckley said the city would make sure there is a "relaxed parking situation" for churches, since the bicycle lane will take up parking spaces.

Under the plan, strict no-parking regulations will be enforced on the bike lanes. But taxis and residents' vehicles will be allowed to stand briefly on the curb sides of Spruce and Pine. Horse-drawn carriages will be allowed to use the bike lanes, Buckley said.

The pilot project's goal, he pointed out, is "to create a safe route to attract more cyclists."

The initiative also aims to remove cyclists from sidewalks, reduce bike traffic on other Center City streets, and calm traffic on Spruce and Pine, Buckley said.

Sarah Clark Stuart, campaign director for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, called the project "an extremely important and exciting step in the right direction."

Similar programs in cities such as New York or Baltimore have shown that the introduction of bike lanes leads to increased cycling, Stuart said.

At Wednesday's meeting, many Center City residents raised objections during what at times was a heated discussion.

The University of the Arts' Gershman Y on South Broad Street was packed for the event, with many of the 100 or so attendees standing in the back. Some had bicycle helmets attached to their backpacks.

Pictures showed what the new road markings will look like.

"I hope I'm wrong, but I expect this to only add to the frustration of the people who live here," said Kenneth J. Fleisher, a 25-year resident of Society Hill. "It takes long enough to get across the city now, and it will take even longer come September."

With one auto lane removed, Fleisher argued, cars would have to stop more frequently waiting for wide-bodied vehicles to turn or for drivers to back into a parking space.

Buckley said motor vehicles would be allowed into the bike lanes 100 feet before they intend to turn right.

He said Spruce and Pine were "the best candidates for a successful project" because conflicts with buses would be minimal compared with other streets.