Judge's order could pause bike lane safety project on Spruce and Pine streets in Philadelphia

CBS News

2 hours ago

A judge issued a decision Wednesday affecting bike lane safety in Philadelphia.
The new court order prohibits the city from creating loading zones on Spruce and Pine streets, which was part of the city's larger Spruce and Pine Bike Lane Safety Upgrade Project. The purpose of the new loading zones was to give people somewhere to temporarily stop their car without blocking the bike lanes.
The new loading zones were created after new legislation was enacted changing bike lanes from "no parking zones" to "no stopping zones." That means drivers could now get a ticket for blocking the lane, even for a short time. Previously, when the lanes were "no parking zones," cars could legally block the lanes for 20 minutes before getting ticketed.
In June, a neighborhood group, Friends of Pine and Spruce, filed a lawsuit seeking to block the city from moving forward with the bike safety plan.
George Bochetto, the attorney for Friends of Pine and Spruce, said this ruling is a victory, adding, "We stopped the city in their tracks. They're trying to act illegally. They're trying to sweep in enormous changes in the living conditions on the full length of Pine and Spruce streets by administrative fiat, and you can't do that."
He believes this order also stops any further action by the city to protect bike lanes.
"A sweeping injunction order preventing the city from altering the parking arrangements on Pine and Spruce streets and from taking any other related actions regarding the bike lanes issue and that includes the city's stated intentions of putting up concrete barriers, which I think is now DOA," said Bochetto.
Caleb Holtmeyer with Philly Bike Action has been fighting for bike lane safety for years. He sees the ruling differently.
"There's nothing in the junction that says that (preventing concrete barriers). I do think it makes it harder for the city to do things that will make our streets safer because now they have to address this lawsuit," Holtmeyer said.
He says he's optimistic the city will do what it takes to make streets safer, but admits this ruling is a big roadblock, adding, "It's unfortunate that life-saving concrete protection might be delayed because of this lawsuit."
The city sent CBS News Philadelphia a statement saying: "The City's goal from the start has been to increase overall safety on Pine and Spruce Streets. The loading zone regulations were put in place simultaneously with the beginning of PPA enforcement of the No Stopping Anytime ordinance to allow for temporary parking space which had previously been allowed in the bike lane."
"The Friends of Pine and Spruce have now obtained a preliminary injunction that effectively eliminates all legal options for vehicles to legally stop for short-term loading along Pine and Spruce Streets," the statment continues. "The City is working with PPA to ensure compliance with the Court's order. We are not commenting on any further proposals at this time."
It's unclear if the loading zones recently installed this past summer will have to be removed.