by KYW's Steve Tawa
When the crumbling South Street Bridge closes next month for that long reconstruction job (see previous story), motorists aren't the only ones who will look for alternate routes.
Despite its poor condition and lack of bona fide bike lanes, the South Street Bridge is the most bicycled bridge across the Schuylkill River. Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia executive director Alex Doty expects cyclists to migrate to the Walnut and Chestnut Street bridges.
He says the connector routes off Chestnut are not as bike friendly and he's concerned some riders might opt for the sidewalk on Walnut.
Taking a look at the larger picture, the coalition is recommending an east-west bicycle boulevard from 25th to Front Street and a north-south route from Girard to Washington Avenue:
"83 percent of bicycle commuters in Philadelphia live within four miles of city hall. We have 215 miles of bike lanes and only four miles of those are in center city."
Doty says cycling is in high gear - doubling in the last three years - and could be even higher if Philadelphia had a complete bicycle lane network.
File photo of South Street bridge inspection by KYW's Tony Hanson)
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