Barriers Will Bring More Chaos to Pine Street

Last week’s incident on Pine Street gave us a troubling preview of what life will be like if the City moves ahead with its Phase Two plan to install concrete barriers along the bike lanes.

A Mambo Moving truck, unable to park in front of a residence due to an SUV encroaching into the travel lane, was forced into an impossible situation. Traffic could not pass, tempers flared, and in the process, a neighbor’s tree limb was damaged. The moving truck attempted to maneuver by driving over bike lane delineators, while cyclists, some of whom knew the movers personally, confronted the driver. The Philadelphia Parking Authority arrived, tensions escalated, and a heated argument broke out among drivers, cyclists, and neighbors.

The result? Gridlock stretched as far as the eye could see, with car horns blaring and pedestrians stepping into the street to help direct traffic. In the sweltering 90+ degree heat, the movers were forced to carry items from a distant loading zone, their frustration and exhaustion palpable.

This was without concrete barriers in place. Imagine the same scenario with permanent physical structures blocking any chance of maneuvering. Emergency vehicles, delivery trucks, moving vans, and residents’ cars would have no option but to wait in a standstill. Disabled residents and the elderly would face even greater barriers, literal and figurative, to reaching their homes safely.

Incidents like this are not “rare accidents” to be ignored; they are predictable outcomes when street design prioritizes rigidity over flexibility, and ideology over accessibility. FOPS has long maintained that balance is possible, safe bike lanes and reasonable curbside access can coexist. But barriers will turn temporary delays into unresolvable gridlock, threatening safety, commerce, and community life.

We are fighting to prevent this future. Help us protect Pine and Spruce from a design that works on paper but fails in reality.

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