MW08-100 Years in the Making: The Vision for Roosevelt Boulevard

Update: This Mobile Workshop ends at 2pm, not 12:45 as originally published. The lunch is an authentic Chinese dim sum buffet.

Roosevelt Boulevard, 12 lanes wide, runs through northeast Philadelphia, carrying 90,000 vehicles and 20,000 people via bus per day. It is one of the deadliest roads in the country, with a crash every 4.5 hours by some estimates. Roughly a half a million people live along the route. While immediate work focuses on improving traffic signals and adding curb extensions and other pedestrian safety features, there’s a bigger conversation about alternatives for transforming the boulevard for the long term. One of the options is to revive a 100-year-old plan for a subway under Roosevelt Boulevard, transforming the street environment while reducing traffic and emissions, improving safety and spurring new housing and business development. Is this a moment for the big vision for what transit investments could be? Challenges include securing funding, obtaining regulatory approvals, and addressing community concerns. It’s a discussion that involves government agencies, transportation authorities and community groups. Get all the details and see the Boulevard.

Photo: Roosevelt Boulevard today and rendering of a subway station entrance. Credit: Thom Carroll (top); Jay Arzu (bottom)