A designer’s rendering of what the Market Street bridge over the Schuylkill River will look like after a PennDOT reconstruction project is completed. (Benesch/PennDOT) Cyclists who regularly ride on the Market Street bridge over the Schuylkill River have mixed feelings about a new two-way bike lane planned for the route.
On one hand, the project promises to provide safer passage across the bridge. Currently cyclists have to ride in often heavy traffic or go (illegally) onto the sidewalk. The bikeway will be separated from cars with a line of concrete “pills,” similar to curbing, that are topped with flex posts.
Concrete separation is rare in Philadelphia, and advocates have been demanding it following several car crashes that have killed bicyclists.
“We’re very excited to see PennDOT do concrete protection on the bridge, and we look forward to seeing that treatment used on more bridges,” said Nicole Brunet, policy director at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.
But some riders say they’re disappointed that the new lane will be on the south side of the bridge.
Sawyer Morgan, an energy policy analyst who lives in East Passyunk and often bikes around the city, called it “a confusing decision” because the new bikeway won’t line up with the lane layout just to the east.
“The existing bike lane on Market Street that extends from 15th Street to 23rd Street is on the north side,” he said. “While those lanes already end abruptly at 23rd, forcing cyclists into traffic, forcing them to cross the street to the south […]
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