A City Council committee has chosen not to vote on a proposed bike lane surrounding City Hall this week, leading to frustration among cyclists and traffic safety advocates who were anticipating progress on the measure.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has already milled the asphalt around Penn Square, where City Hall is situated, and plans to repave and install the bike lane later this month. However, without the bill’s passage, the bike lane will only be considered a pilot project and may be dismantled in the future.
More than 20 individuals provided testimony in favor of the bill during the Council’s Committee on Streets and Services meeting on Monday, according to Dave Talone of Philly Bike Action.
Councilmember Jeffery Young, who sponsored the bill and serves as the committee chair, announced that he was putting the bill on hold.
Talone expressed concern over the decision, noting that PennDOT is covering the installation costs and that the project has received endorsements from area community organizations and hundreds of residents.
“Councilmember Young refused to even give a reason for holding the bill. Why hold it?” Talone questioned after the meeting.
He emphasized that over 1,400 people had signed a petition in support of the bike lane in June, and three local registered community organizations sent letters backing the initiative.
“There is no opposition to the bike lane. Why is he ignoring his constituents?” he asked.
Young represents the 5th councilmanic district, which encompasses the southeast corner of Penn Square. The reasons behind holding the bill remain unclear, as does the timeline for when he might release it for a vote.
Young indicated that he first wants to assess how the bike lane operates and determine if any adjustments are necessary.
“We understand that many people are eager to move forward with incorporating this type of traffic infrastructure,” Young remarked in an interview.
“We want to make sure that there is opportunity to review the impact of such infrastructure in our city’s densest corridor,” he added, highlighting the need to consider varying infrastructure requirements across the city.
The committee did proceed to vote in favor of several other bills related to streets, which are on track to receive full City Council votes and the mayor’s signature.
Despite the hold on the bike lane bill, it could still be brought up again in a future committee meeting.
Advocates for biking had begun lobbying for the lane’s installation earlier this year when they discovered that PennDOT’s repaving schedule would include Penn Square.
They urged the Council to authorize the bike lane in time to be integrated with the repaving work.
In June, Young introduced the legislation permitting the removal of a car lane and the addition of a bike lane along three segments of roadway: South Penn Square, East Penn Square/Juniper Street, and a portion of JFK Boulevard.
Fifteenth Street, located on the western side of Penn Square, already features a bike lane that would connect to these new sections.
The bill did not undergo a hearing before the Council’s summer recess, but its introduction allowed PennDOT to finalize a design in partnership with the city.
Since taking office in January 2024, Young has experienced a shift in his stance regarding bike lanes, occasionally supporting and opposing their presence.
Just months after his inauguration, he suggested removing a recently installed two-way bike lane on West Market Street due to complaints from nearby residents, citing confusion among pedestrians and other road users.
That lane, however, remains in place.
Earlier this year, Young adopted a more supportive role regarding bike lanes, introducing and voting for the addition of new lanes in three areas: 13th Street through Temple University, North 23rd Street north of Market, and North 22nd from Spring Garden to Green Street.
image source from：billypenn
