Checking In On The PPA Garage Overhaul At 8th & Filbert

Back in late May, the PPA unveiled designs for an overhaul of the dreary parking garage that straddles 8th street between Filbert and Arch. PlanPhilly covered the story, which features upgraded street-level retail, new lighting, and a design which will make the neighborhood look less like a set location from a Steven Seagal movie about a cop who doesn't play by the rules.

We are keeping an eye on the bike parking included in the final design. The Philadelphia Code requires 1 bicycle parking space for every 10 automobile parking spaces. Additionally, "bicycle parking spaces located in attended parking facilities shall be located next to the attendant booth or within an area under regular surveillance."

Monitored bicycle parking would help satiate the area's high demand for bicycle commuting parking. The design firm Wallace Roberts & Todd held a design charrette earlier this year which generated a word cloud for the project. Prominent in that word cloud was "bicycle parking."

Given the high level of design and creativity put into the plans for this project, and the sincere effort being made to obtain input from stakeholders, we hope the Philadelphia Parking Authority and Wallace Roberts & Todd will take this opportunity to provide innovative, high-quality, protected parking for bicycles. Renderings of the project unveiled at public meetings show a state of the art building. This gateway project deserves state of the art bicycle parking.

Rendering courtesy of Wallace Roberts & Todd LLC