Mid-Block Crosswalks Help Reorient the City in Favor of Pedestrians

In Philadelphia, letting pedestrians cross at more places helps challenge the norms that privilege cars.

1 minute read

February 13, 2019, 9:00 AM PST

By Camille Fink


Mid-Block Crosswalks Help Reorient the City in Favor of Pedestrians

Paul Sableman / Flickr

Inga Saffron writes about mid-block crosswalks in Philadelphia, a strategy that helps prioritize pedestrians by giving them more locations to cross streets. Corner crosswalks are designed around vehicle traffic, while mid-block crosswalks better reflect how and where people want to use streets.

So far, many of these crosswalks in Philadelphia have been private projects. Comcast is behind one of the best, says Saffron — a mid-block crosswalk connecting two towers that many employees move between:

Flashing lights attached to poles alert motorists to slow down as they approach the unusual crossing. The street on both sides of the walkway also has been paved with rough granite blocks, another traffic-calming measure. Instead of simply painting black-and-white stripes in the street, Comcast installed bricks treated with a glazed, reflective coating in those colors.

The city says the budget for such street improvements is limited, and justifying the investment in the crosswalks in Philadelphia neighborhoods has been hard. Still, transit advocates say that they are needed at locations throughout the city where crossing is dangerous or pedestrians have limited options.

"It’s always been human nature to seek out the shortest path between Point A and Point B. If Philadelphia is going to be the walkable city we claim it is, then we have an obligation to make it safe, no matter where people insist on crossing the street," argues Saffron.

Thursday, February 7, 2019 in The Inquirer / Philly.com

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Floor-to-ceiling rotating gates at Fairmount subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems

SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.

April 28 - Mass Transit

South LA Wetlands Park in Los Angeles, California.

How South LA Green Spaces Power Community Health and Hope

Green spaces like South L.A. Wetlands Park are helping South Los Angeles residents promote healthy lifestyles, build community, and advocate for improvements that reflect local needs in historically underserved neighborhoods.

April 28 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Intersection in downtown Sacramento, California with neoclassical building with columns on left.

Sacramento Plans ‘Quick-Build’ Road Safety Projects

The city wants to accelerate small-scale safety improvements that use low-cost equipment to make an impact at dangerous intersections.

April 28 - The Sacramento Bee