Congestion Management Solutions for Dense Urban Corridors: A Plan for Center City, Philadelphia

摘要

Throughout the United States, downtown automobile congestion is viewed as a double-edged sword: vehicle traffic is both an indication of economic vitality (bringing people and activity) and a menace (bringing air and noise pollution and reducing safety). Using research into best practices for reducing vehicle congestion from cities around the country, this paper summarizes a set of recommendations developed to manage congestion in Center City, Philadelphia. These recommendations are categorized, based on implementation time and costs, as short-, mid-, and long-term physical and operational changes that are proposed to help a seventeenth century street grid accommodate twenty-first century users. Concrete solutions based on established precedent, their potential benefits and potential drawbacks are discussed. These include methods to balance the needs of pedestrians, bicycles, transit, delivery trucks, and private vehicles in a limited space. Recommendations include changes to lane usage, parking regulations, loading restrictions, sidewalk furniture, and street geometry. These solutions, when used in concert, have the potential to reduce vehicular congestion while maintaining urban vitality.