A “traffic calming” proposal to be considered at a city meeting at Saint Francis de Sales Church on Wednesday includes the option to convert 47th Street into a one-way street.

The City’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability (OTIS), in cooperation with Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s Office, have been working with community leaders on traffic calming solutions for 47th and 48th Streets for the last couple of years.

This Wednesday, Feb. 7, the City is hosting an open house meeting where neighborhood residents have a chance to learn more about recommended new designs for 47th and 48th streets between Market Street and Kingsessing Avenue. The meeting will also discuss next steps for 47th Street south of Kingsessing Avenue.

Two new street layout options are being proposed:

Option 1: Small Changes, which include adding speed cushions on more blocks, select two-way to all-way stop sign conversions, and painted pedestrian areas at some corners.

Option 2: Complete Streets. This option includes all elements of Option 1, and additionally proposes converting 47th Street to one-way vehicle traffic (northbound between Paschall and Market) and adding parking separated bike lanes on both streets.

More project details and images are available on the OTIS website in this document.

The meeting will take place at St. Francis de Sales School Auditorium (917 S. 47th St.), from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday’s meeting is a follow up to September 2023 community meetings, where attendees were asked to complete exit surveys. More than 350 residents attended those meetings, and more than 200 exit surveys were completed with “helpful feedback,” according to OTIS.

If you can’t attend this community meeting, please share your feedback by Feb. 21, 2024 in one of two ways: email otis@phila.gov or call 215-436-9886. Additional information is available here.