The city pulled the plug on a proposed street redesign after community groups criticized the public engagement process for not listening to all local voices.

A plan to redesign a dangerous five-lane Philadelphia street by reducing it to three traffic lanes and adding parking-protected bike lanes has stalled after local opponents voiced concerns that the public engagement process didn't reach enough residents and stakeholders. As Jared Brey reports, the city's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS) developed the plan for Washington Avenue with a focus on Complete Streets principles, but ultimately decided to change the design.
"With U.S. pedestrian deaths spiking and the federal government calling for a national roadway safety initiative, Philly's surprise U-turn on Washington Avenue shows how efforts to redesign streets for multiple user groups can get complicated, particularly in gentrifying areas," Brey writes. "Road diets can be very visible signs of neighborhood change, and they’re driven by city government, so communities often associate them with a range of issues that go beyond traffic safety. Bike lanes in particular are often seen as symbols of gentrification."
Although more than 70 percent of respondents in a city survey supported the three-lane plan, some residents say they were never given information about the project or the opportunity to respond to the survey. According to Mike Carroll, deputy managing director for OTIS, the fact that the concerns came from Black, low-income communities made the office take pause and "recalled painful historical instances of destructive transportation planning done by technocrats without input from communities of color."
OTIS is going back to the drawing board and "moving forward with plans to redesign the street, using elements of the three-lane and four-lane mixed approach. The office says it will announce the construction plans at a public meeting on March 1."
The source article provides more details on the three alternatives for the Washington Avenue redesign, all of which include protected bike lanes.
FULL STORY: How a Philadelphia Road Redesign Went Off the Rails

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Washington State Plans Ambitious ‘Cycle Highway’ Network
The state is directing funding to close gaps in its existing bike network and make long-distance trips more accessible.

Homeowners Blame PG&E for Delays in ADU Permits
The utility says it has dramatically reduced its backlog, but applicants say they still face months-long delays for approvals for new electrical work.

Rethinking Wildfire Defense: How a Landscape Approach Can Protect Neighborhoods
Post-fire analysis of the Eaton Fire reveals that a landscape approach — including fire-resistant vegetation, home hardening, and strategic planning — can help reduce wildfire risk, challenging assumptions that trees and plants are primary fire hazards.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland