Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Philadelphia

Will Philadelphia Go Backward on Parking Requirements and Housing Affordability?

By Angie Schmitt | Jul 14, 2017 | No Comments

In many American cities, free on-street parking remains more abundant than affordable housing. Despite the housing crunch spreading to more urban areas, the politics of parking threatens to keep it that way.

The Backstory and Aftermath of Philly’s Teen Bicycle Freeway Takeover

By Stephen Miller | Apr 28, 2017 | No Comments

Perhaps you saw video on social media this week showing hundreds of teenagers riding bikes, popping wheelies on a Philadelphia expressway. It was an unauthorized freeway takeover that ought to have brought a smile to even the sourest face.

New Philly Mayor: Politicos Can No Longer Park on the City Hall Sidewalk

By Angie Schmitt | Jan 7, 2016 | No Comments

The Jim Kenney administration is off to a promising start in Philadelphia. One of the mayor’s first acts in office was to end the thoroughly obnoxious practice of letting government honchos park on the sidewalk “apron” around City Hall — a public space. There was a Tumblr dedicated to chronicling this highly visible abuse of government privilege. And ending the […]

Miraculous! Philly’s Open Streets Open Eyes During Papal Visit

By Angie Schmitt | Sep 29, 2015 | No Comments

Father-son soccer in the street on 16th near Spruce pic.twitter.com/Mt47dbiHJo — Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) September 27, 2015 The official name for it was the “traffic box” — the 4.7-square-mile chunk of center city Philadelphia where incoming motor vehicles weren’t allowed when Pope Francis was in town this weekend. But rather than the traffic nightmare some anticipated, […]

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The Philadelphia Bike Story

By Clarence Eckerson Jr. | May 12, 2015 | No Comments

Of U.S. cities with more than a million residents, the one where people bike the most is Philadelphia. In 2012, the U.S. Census estimated Philadelphia’s bicycle commute rate at 2.3 percent [PDF], higher than Chicago (1.6 percent) and New York (1.0 percent). It’s just about always been that way. That comes as a surprise to […]

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