These bikes are part of the Washington D.C. bike share program. (Photo from Newsytype.com)

Bike sharing in Philadelphia took another step closer to becoming a reality yesterday when the city’s Office of Transportation and Utilities (MOTU) released some details during a public meeting at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

The proposal divides the city into two zones. The first would include Center City, University City and the streets near Temple University and would include 1,000 to 1,500 bikes. A second zone, which would include neighborhoods from near the navy Yard north to Lehigh Avenue, would see about 500-1,000 bikes, the Philly Post reports.

The bikes would be housed at stations and can be picked up at one station and dropped off at another. The program will likely require a membership (in Washington D.C.’s program this ranges from a day to a year) and a usage fee (around a couple of bucks an hour). You will probably have to supply your own helmet.

Bike share programs already exist in Boston, Denver and Washington D.C. New York and Chicago are considering plans. Those programs, like the one planned for Philly, are managed by private contractors. The company Alta Bicycle Share operates the program in Washington – Capital Bikeshare – and Boston – Hubway.

City officials believe the improvement in Philadelphia’s biking infrastructure – including more dedicated lanes – has helped prepare the city for a bike share program. The downside is that we’ll have to keep waiting. The program won’t be up and running until 2014.

The University Avenue/34th Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River has reopened, according to a Traffic Advisory by Penn Division of Public Safety. The bridge, which is part of a common route to access Interstate 76, was closed for two weeks for repairs and opened one week ahead of the schedule.

As we reported earlier, the University Avenue/34th Street Bridge over the Schuylkill river has been closed for repairs since Jan. 2 for approximately three weeks. As it was expected the area near the bridge is congested and motorists are advised to take detours over Grays Ferry Avenue, Woodland Avenue and 38th Street.

Penn and city police are deploying additional overtime officers to assist motorists in congested areas and to assist with traffic control at some vital intersections. One of the problems that the police are dealing with during the bridge closure is illegal U-Turns from the Westbound I-76 South Street ramp to the Eastbound South I-76 South Street ramp. “U-turns on the South street bridge is both illegal and hazardous, and negatively impact the congestion,” reads a Traffic Advisory by Penn Public Safety.

After a week-long service disruption due to the fire at Elena’s Soul, Route 34 trolley has resumed normal operation this morning. SEPTA advises to expect some residual delays while full operations are restored.

The University Avenue/34th Street Bridge crossing the Schuylkill River in the Grays Ferry section will be closed for repairs and cleaning for approximately three weeks beginning Wednesday, Jan. 2, according to a PennDOT announcement. The bridge is part of a common route to access Interstate 76.

The bridge will be closed to all traffic, including pedestrians. During this period drivers should expect an increase in traffic and are advised to detour over Grays Ferry Ave., Woodland Ave. and 38th St. The bridge, which is a double-leaf drawstring bridge, has been in operation since 1930 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

In addition, Penn Public Safety has posted an announcement that Spruce Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from 34th Street to 38th Street from 12:00 a.m. (midnight) on Friday, Jan. 4 to 5 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, for installation of a crane. Drivers are advised to follow marked detour signs during this time.

Shuttle buses have been replacing Route 34 trolleys between the 40th Street portal and 61st Street since Monday due to the fire at Elena’s Soul. We’ll let you know when the trolley resumes its service. In the meantime, here’s more information on the shuttle bus route.

Westbound (via Chester Ave)

– Right at 42nd St.

– Left at Baltimore

– Left onto 49^th St.

– Right at Springfield

– Right at 50th St.

– Left at Baltimore, resuming regular routing

Eastbound (via Baltimore Ave)

– Right at 50^th St.

– Left at Springfield

– Left at 49^th St.

– Right at Baltimore

– Right at VA Medical Center Dr.

– Right on Woodland and back to 40^th Street, resuming regular routing