A four-year project to improve the Market Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River is expected to begin this week, according to PennDOT. The project will be carried out in phases and will include a complete 14-month closure of the bridge to vehicular traffic.

The initial phase of the project includes construction activities by the general contractor on this project, Buckley & Company Inc., that will focus on extensive utility work to replace numerous electric, gas, water, fiber optic and other lines within the project area.

Further work will include structural work on the bridge. As part of this work, the superstructure on the existing Market Street bridge over Amtrak and I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) will be partially demolished and replaced. The deteriorated deck and sidewalks of the adjacent Market Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River will also be replaced, and the existing four-span Market Street bridge over the Schuylkill River Trail and CSX Railroad on the east side of the river will be replaced with a single-span bridge.

Continue Reading

In an effort to make pedestrian crossings safer, the Streets Department has begun installing “pedestrian refuge islands” along Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia. The construction work began this week.

A pedestrian refuge island is a concrete raised median at crosswalks that serves as pedestrian refuge on wide roadways (see image). They often separate traffic lanes and are used on wide roadways. This safety feature reduces crossing distances and provides refuge for pedestrians to be able to cross the road in stages.

The project on Chestnut Street includes the removal of the existing plastic delineator posts and construction of concrete pedestrian refuge islands in the bicycle lane buffer areas.

The pedestrian islands will be installed at multiple intersections from 43rd Street to 62nd Street:

Continue Reading

Trolley tracks will be replaced along 42nd Street between Spruce Street and Woodland Avenue, which is a portion of the trolley diversion route usually used in the summer during trolley tunnel maintenance, SEPTA recently announced. The project will begin March 17 and is expected to last until the end of May and will affect parking and vehicular traffic.

During the project’s pre-construction phase, from March 17 to March 29, parking will be restricted on the portions of 42nd Street affected by work. From March 30 to May 31, 42nd Street will be closed in segments as the project moves along. Only one block at a time will be closed. The intersections of 42nd and Spruce, 42nd and Baltimore, 42nd and Chester, and 42nd and Woodland will not be affected by the project.

Construction hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (sometimes later). Occasional weekend work may also take place.

Additional information about this project is available here.

SEPTA has updates about its Trolley Modernization project, a multi-year effort to replace its entire fleet of trolleys with new, more accessible vehicles. This Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., SEPTA is hosting a virtual public Open House where riders can learn more about improvements planned for service and infrastructure along the Route 36 [T5] Trolley. This modernization effort includes introducing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant, low-floor vehicles to improve accessibility for riders of all abilities and the creation of new trolley stations equipped with passenger amenities.

Currently, the Trolley Modernization project is in its design phase, which is expected to be completed in 2026, with construction planned for 2027-2030.

Continue Reading

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has recently signed a law allowing the installation of automated speed cameras along State Route 13 in West and North Philadelphia, which includes Baltimore Avenue.

“This program is a key part of making Philadelphia safe for all citizens, whether they are traveling by foot, bike, public transportation, or car,” Mayor Parker said. “…Automated Speed Cameras work and they help save lives.”

The bill unanimously passed City Council on December 5, 2024.

Continue Reading

SEPTA is planning to rename a popular West Philadelphia bus route. Beginning February 2025, the “G” bus will become Bus 63. The other lettered buses (H, J, L, R, and XH) will also change into numbers. Riders will get a chance to get used to the new name as SEPTA is planning to use both new numbers and old letters for a period of time.

SEPTA is planning these changes because it wants to use letters only for its Metro network – trains and some trolley routes: “L” for Market-Frankford Line, “B” for the Broadstreet Line, and “G” for Trolley Route 15. As for the other trolley routes, they are now numbered from 1 to 5 with “T” in front: T1 (Route 10), T2 (Route 34), T3 (Route 13), T4 (Route 11), and T5 (Route 36). These changes were introduced last year as part of SEPTA’s efforts to simplify its naming system, which is a part of the SEPTA Forward plan.

Continue Reading