All Three Fairmount Area Civic Associations Support a Fairmount Ave Bike Lane

We've spent the past two months presenting to civic associations around Fairmount Ave, asking for their support of the installation of a bike lane on Fairmount Avenue. Finally, we can summarize our success.

Last night the Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation voted 38-1 in support of the installation of a bike lane on Fairmount Avenue.

Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation voting in support of the Fairmount Ave bike lane

On February 20th, the Spring Garden Civic Association held an unofficial vote of the room. Everyone but one person voted in support of the Fairmount Ave bike lane. 

Spring Garden Civic Association votes (unofficially)overwhelmingly in support of the bike lane

Back on January 31st, the Fairmount Civic Associated held a vote on whether to support the bike lane. Every voter save one supported the lane (our estimate was 60+ to 1).

Fairmount Civic Association voting in favor of the bike lane. Photo credit: Christine Fischer

The cumulative vote tally on supporting or opposing the Fairmount Ave bike lane:

Support the lane: 120+ (conservative estimate)

Oppose the lane: 3

A huge thank you to everyone who came out and attended these meetings. Parents, commuters, business owners, and landlords all supported the bike lane for manifold reasons. The Francisville members attended two meetings to make sure their vote was counted. Most importantly, you took the time to attend these meetings and speak up. This is how Philadelphia becomes a better, safer city for bicycling: residents speaking up and taking action.

What comes next?
The Spring Garden Civic Association still has to take an official vote of its membership and will be doing that via mail. If you live within the Spring Garden catchment area and don't yet belong to the Spring Garden Civic Association, please consider joining.

Once we receive official letters of support from the Civic Associations, we will be contacting the offices of Councilman Greenlee and Council President Clarke to inform them of the opinion survey results and the votes. We will ask the Councilmen to give a green light to the Streets Department to include Fairmount Avenue bike lanes in the line striping contract that should be processed this spring. If all goes well with the contract, the lanes will be put in during the 2013 construction season.