by KYW's Mike Dunn
 
Philadelphia city council is considering a plan that would, for the first time, place a time limit on the closure of a sidewalk for a construction zone. Lawmakers say those closures often put pedestrians in danger.

Currently closures of sidewalks or lanes of traffic for construction usually last as long as the job itself. But city councilman Jim Kenney (right in file photo) is pushing a bill that would limit sidewalk closures to three months and lane closures to six months:

"I understand that sidewalks and streets sometimes need to be closed. But they should not be closed as a matter of right. We need to keep traffic lanes open in order to have traffic flow smoothly, and we need to keep sidewalks open to allow pedestrians to walk in safety."

Kenney's measure would also prohibit those closed sidewalks or lanes from serving as personal parking lots for the construction workers. And any closure permit could be revoked by the city even before expiration if officials think it is no longer necessary.

A council committee will review the measure.