Greater Philadelphia Bicycle News

PENNDOT Bike Lane Striping Contract

Late last fall PENNDOT let a contract for an engineer to study the feasibility and design of bike lanes on state roads throughout the 4 suburban counties as part of PENNDOT's surface treatment program (road resurfacing). PENNDOT schedules 10% of all state roads to be resurfaced and brought up to modern standards. So in theory a regionwide network of bike lanes could be in place in about 10 years. Philadelphia already installs bike lanes on roads with sufficient width.

As this paving season comes to a close little progress has been seen. We do know that a short stretch of bike lanes have been installed on South Gulph Road in Upper Merion Township as part of the US 202 Project. The BCGP has been told by PENNDOT that the surface treatment program has been scaled back due to the costs of last winter's snowstorms.

The importance of this program cannot be understated, PENNDOT maintain 3,600 miles of roads in this region. If bike lanes are striped on just 25% of the state roads that would equal nearly 100 miles of new bike lanes a year. This money would come out PENNDOT regular maintenance budget. A regional bike friendly road network could be completed without competing for scarce transportation enhancements funds.

Traffic Planning and Design (TDP) is the contractor as part of the district 6-0 highway occupancy permit contract.

If you know of a state road that has been resurfaced with or without bike lanes this year let us know. Link to District 6-0 paving program