Efforts to expand bike lane access in Center City took a major step forward Thursday as the City Council unanimously passed an amendment to a bill changing parking rules and loading zones for a significant portion of Philadelphia streets between the rivers.
The bill proposes allowing all loading zones from Spring Garden to Bainbridge streets east of Broad Street, and from Bainbridge to the northern border of the 2nd Councilmanic District west of Broad. The amendment introduced Thursday expands the targeted areas beyond just Spruce and Pine streets between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers.
If passed, the bill would open specialized lanes for bikes and other non-car traffic, benefiting thousands of residents in and around Center City. Cyclists testified about the dangers they face and injuries they have suffered while biking alongside cars in the city. Some spoke in honor of Dr. Barbara Friedes, a child oncology resident at CHOP who was tragically killed by a drunken driver in July 2024 at the corner of 18th and Spruce streets.
“I looked at the map of the area and just made sure as we move forward, we’re not just protecting bicyclists but also keeping the lines of communication open in partnership with the residents when they have issues and concerns,” Council President Kenyatta Johnson said after the session. The bill was introduced on his behalf, as per Council rules.
“This is making sure that we deal with the issue comprehensively, and that’s why I decided, working in partnership with my colleague Mark Squilla, to expand the scope of it,” Johnson added.
West of Broad Street, the loading zones would expand to Market Street between the Schuylkill River and 22nd Street; Chestnut Street between 22nd and 20th streets and between 17th and Broad streets; and Locust Street between 20th and 17th streets around Rittenhouse Square.
Meanwhile, efforts to expand bike lanes in the southernmost region of the 5th District have stalled in the Streets Committee. Biking advocates blame committee chair Jeffery Young Jr., who represents the 5th District including the streets around City Hall.
“There’s nothing more left to learn about it,” said Jon Geeting, policy and advocacy director for Build Philly Now, in a post on X on Oct. 5, one day after the committee hearing failed to advance the legislation. “(Young) just thinks he’s smarter than OTIS (the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems) and PennDOT and doesn’t believe them that it won’t cause problems.”
In other Council business, Young also introduced a bill to end late fees charged to residential Philadelphia Water Department customers starting July 1, 2026. Council members have been introducing legislation to combat rising utility costs.
“In order to allow our residents to just be able to live a little more free in this city, this bill will enable residential customers to avoid paying late fees and penalties on your water,” Young said in a floor speech.
“We have to make sure this city is affordable for the people who live in the city. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay your water bill, all right. But we want to make sure that we are providing a level of service so that city residents can really appreciate it, and we want to again keep their costs down as much as possible, as other costs continue to rise up in the city,” he added.
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