Enhancing Safety on 48th Street: A Complete Streets Project Overview

The 48th/47th Streets Traffic Safety & Complete Streets Project is underway to address traffic concerns and improve street conditions in Philadelphia. Specifically focusing on 48th Street, from Market Street to Kingsessing Avenue, and 47th Street, stretching from Chestnut Street to Paschall Avenue, this initiative aims to reduce the high incidence of traffic crashes and introduce effective traffic calming measures.

Addressing Safety Concerns on 48th Street

Recognized as excessively wide and prone to numerous traffic accidents, 48th Street is a primary focus of this project. Following repaving in 2023, 48th Street is slated for a comprehensive restriping in 2024. This redesign will prioritize enhanced safety conditions and incorporate valuable feedback gathered from local community groups. These improvements are designed to make 48th Street safer for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

Community Engagement and Project Development

Throughout the Fall of 2023 and Winter of 2023/2024, the project team held three public open houses. These meetings were crucial for gathering community input and ensuring that the proposed changes reflect the needs and concerns of residents who use 48th Street and the surrounding areas daily. This collaborative approach underscores the city’s commitment to creating safer and more accessible streets in Philadelphia.

Traffic Calming Measures for 48th Street and Beyond

To achieve the project’s safety goals, a variety of traffic calming measures are being considered for both 48th Street and 47th Street. These measures are not limited to and may include painted corner areas to reduce pedestrian crossing distances, speed tables to control vehicle speeds, conversions of traffic signals to stop signs or implementing all-way stop signs at appropriate intersections, and potentially the addition of separated bike lanes to promote safer cycling. The specific measures implemented on 48th Street will be determined based on ongoing analysis and community feedback, ensuring the most effective solutions are applied.

Project Timeline and Key Milestones

The project is being rolled out in phases. Looking ahead to Fall 2024, the focus for 48th Street includes finalizing the striping design, installing speed cushions, and completing repaving on select blocks. For 47th Street, the timeline includes focus group meetings and a public meeting to present the concept for the 2025 repaving and traffic safety project, specifically for the section between Chestnut and Kingsessing.

Summer 2024 marks the restriping implementation for 48th Street with the new safety-focused layout. Concurrently, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) has announced funding for a Transportation Community Development Initiative (TCDI) Program, supporting a broader 48th & Woodland Area Traffic Safety Study, which encompasses 47th Street from Kingsessing to Paschall Avenues.

During Winter 2023, an open house meeting was conducted to present the city’s recommended designs for 48th Street and to collect feedback on the proposed 2024 restriping plans. Simultaneously, efforts were underway to secure funding for a transportation safety study extending south of Kingsessing Avenue for 47th Street.

City discussions with Registered Community Organizations (RCOs) and community leaders regarding traffic calming measures took place from June to September 2023. In Fall 2023, two open house meetings were held in September to discuss various options for both streets, alongside smaller community discussions to explore options and trade-offs in detail. May 2023 saw the Department of Streets announce the repaving project for 48th Street, and in September 2022, initial concepts for a 48th Street Greenway were proposed by neighborhood residents, marking the early stages of this comprehensive safety initiative.