South Broad Street Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project

 United by the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan, Philadelphia has laid out a strategy to reduce traffic deaths on streets to zero by 2030. South Broad Street is a part of the City’s Vision Zero high injury network, and along this corridor, almost 70 percent of pedestrian injuries occur in marked crosswalks. That is why improving the pedestrian crossing experience was this project’s top goal.

“On a typical day, over 80,000 people pass through the intersection of Broad & Chestnut, including people walking, biking, taking a bus, and driving,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “It’s our responsibility to make investments in public infrastructure to meet their needs.”

The project reconstructed intersections on Broad Street at Chestnut and Walnut Streets by modifying the elevation of the roadway surface and crosswalks to the same elevation as the adjacent sidewalk. To do this, over 15 inlets were removed or relocated, and replaced with new inlets and an upgraded drainage system in order to capture stormwater. The curb and a portion of the sidewalk at these intersections was also replaced.

Other important design elements at these two intersections include stamped asphalt that mimics red brick; weathered steel detectable warning surfaces at each of the ramps; new granite curb from New England, which match the original curbs; and tinted and scored concrete pavements to match the colors and patterns on the adjoining sidewalks.