UPDATE (7/1/2024): The repaving work, which includes construction of a parking-separated bike lane, began on 48th Street last week. The Streets Department crews have been moving from north to south and got as far as Osage Avenue as of Sunday, June 30 (see photo).

(6/21/2024): Here’s an update on the 48th Street repaving and safety project, which will include many new layout features presented at a community meeting earlier this year.

48th Street between Haverford and Kingsessing Avenues will be re-striped soon, with the work starting as early as in the second half of June, according to Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s Office spokesman Harrison Fineman (Councilmember Gauthier has been working on this project with local community members and organizations). A precise start date is not available at this time.

The final design is largely the same as the one presented to neighbors at the last large community meeting at St. Francis de Sales School and what was shared at interested block meetings in the spring. It includes a parking-separated bike lane that will run from Chestnut to Kingsessing, as well as traffic calming interventions such as speed tables and “daylighting” corner clearances using flex posts and planters for the whole corridor.

“Councilmember Gauthier prioritized this design because she believes it is both the safest for the most different types of road users as well as the design that got the most supportive response from residents across all phases of public engagement that was conducted,” Fineman wrote via e-mail.

The work being done this summer will only include 48th Street. A plan for the redesign of a portion of 47th Street was also presented at community meetings, but the repaving project is not expected to take place until next year. More public conversations are expected to be scheduled in the near future to work on traffic safety goals for this street.

You can find a detailed summary of the streets’ design and an updated FAQ on the OTIS project website here.