Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kinney is discovering on the job that planning is much easier than delivering when it comes to protected bike lanes—as is the case in many cities around the country.
Two years after the election of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, PlanPhilly contributor Patrick Kerr is ready to evaluate the city's successes in delivering on one of the mayor's key campaign promises: the addition of 30 miles of protected bicycle lanes.
"Last April, the city won funds for thirteen protected bicycle lane projects, which would fulfill the thirty miles pledge," writes Kerr. "But actual construction on those projects has lagged since, frustrating many bicyclists who voted for the Mayor."
The article includes a lot more detail about the status of the city's protected bike lane projects, including details about the challenges of implementation. According to Kerr, many Phildelphia neighborhoods have opposed the creation of protected bike lanes out of concern for lost parking, as exemplified in an example on Lonbard Street, "when neighbors along Lombard Street successfully appealed to Councilman Kenyatta Johnson to oppose the proposal."
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