“On March 25, 2025, supporters of FOPS descended on City Hall to press our case.”

Friends of Pine & Spruce Oppose Concrete Barriers and No Stopping on Pine, Spruce, and 3rd Street

On March 25, 2025, Friends of Pine & Spruce (FOPS), a non-profit organization representing over 650 Philadelphia residents, submitted a letter to Mayor Cherelle Parker and City Council opposing the proposed $5 million budget for installing concrete barriers on Pine and Spruce Streets. FOPS argues that the barriers are unnecessary, contradict the City’s Vision Zero priorities, and would compromise safety for residents, including the elderly and disabled. They also allege that city agencies pre-decided the barrier installation without meaningful public input. FOPS calls for reallocating the funds to more dangerous streets and maintaining the long-standing compromise allowing brief stops in bike lanes. The City’s process has undermined credibility and trust and will only serve to dissuade residents from accepting new bike lanes. This is already evidenced by the overwhelming neighborhood opposition to the proposed 3rd Street bike lane, including SHCA’s request for that ordinance to be repealed.