Chestnut St Bike Lane Study

Philadelphia Department of Streets

Chestnut Street Bike Lane Study ReportChestnut Street Bike Lane Study ReportChestnut Street Bike Lane Study ReportChestnut Street Bike Lane Study Report

Revised

June 8th, 2015

Contents

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1

SUMMARY ............................................................................................. 1

SETTING ................................................................................................ 2

Project Context ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Policy Setting ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Existing Traffic Conditions .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Auto Travel ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Bike Travel ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Other Modes ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Safety Conditions ............................................................................................................................................................... 7

PROPOSED PROJECT ............................................................................. 10

Turns ................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Retiming ........................................................................................................................................................................... 11

With Project Travel Conditions .................................................................................................................................... 11

Auto Travel ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Bike Travel ....................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Other Modes ..................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Safety Conditions ............................................................................................................................................................. 14

Future Considerations ....................................................................................................................................................... 14

Philadelphia Department of Streets Chestnut Avenue Bike Lane Study Report

May 29, 2015 Page 1

INTRODUCTION

The Philadelphia Pedestrian and Bike Master plan identifies Chestnut Street as a high priority for

bicycle improvements. Currently it attracts bicycle use despite the lack of any designated bike

facilities. The Streets Department determined that a traffic study of Chestnut Street was in order

to assess the feasibility of the addition of a bicycle lane. The purpose of this study is to evaluate

traffic conditions and document safety history and to determine whether there are feasible

improvements that could be made that would significantly enhance the safety and comfort of

cycling on Chestnut Street with acceptable impacts to other modes.

SUMMARY

The segment of Chestnut Street evaluated in this study extends from Chestnut and 45th

Street to

Chestnut and 34th Street, and is approximately 1 mile in length. Chestnut Street is currently a

three lane one way arterial serving roughly 20,000 vehicles per day in the study area. From 2009

to 2013 Chestnut Street as a whole ranks as the highest crash rate per mile in the city of

Philadelphia is in the top 5 locations in for crashes involving pedestrian fatalities and serious

injuries and is in the top 10 locations for crashes involving bikes. The crash rate on the study

segment is especially high at 4.0 crashes per vehicle mile.

While the segment in question provides an exceptionally good level of service for automobiles,

particularly for a densely urbanized area, the level of service for bike use is demonstrably poor.

Both of these situations are a function of the wide cross section of the street which permits for

travel well above 30 miles per hour along many blocks even during peak travel times.

The proposal evaluated in this report is the conversion of one auto travel lane and a shift in

parking to create a left side parking protected bike lane. The project would connect the existing

north-south bike facility on the west side of University City to the existing conventional bike lane

on Chestnut Street extending from 34th

Street to east of the Schuylkill River. It is consistent with

the Citys 2012 Pedestrian and Bike Master Plan and supports possible future improvements west

of 45th

street as well as improvements in coordination with PennDOTs Chestnut Street Schuylkill

River Bridge Project.

The analysis shows that the lane conversion would result in considerable improvement in the LOS

for bicyclists. The reduction in LOS for auto users is acceptable given the urban environment this

segment traverses, however this does depend on the retiming of signals and careful attention to

turning treatments. Congestion at the intersections of 38th

and Chestnut and 42nd

and Chestnut

will increase, but overall the travel time on this segment will grow by less than one minute

according to the analysis. The benefits for bike use and the indirect benefits for pedestrian travel

justify these conditions.

It should be recognized that to be fully successful the project will require coordination with local

stakeholders including the University of Pennsylvania and the University City District. The nature

of that coordination is not the subject of this study.


May 29, 2015 Page 2

SETTING

Project Context

The area under study is Chestnut Street through University of Pennsylvania from 45th

Street to 34th

Street a segment of roughly 1 mile in length. This segment provides a link from West

Philadelphia in the vicinity of West Catholic High School, through the University of Pennsylvania to

the existing site of construction for U. Penn.s New College Hall at Hill Field. This is where

construction has currently narrowed traffic down along Chestnut Street to two lanes and where an

existing right side bike lane begins that extends past the 30th

street Post Office to Chestnut Street

Bridge and ends in west Center City Philadelphia at 23rd

Street. The existing bike lane east of 34th

Street provides access to the Schuylkill River Trail via the ramp and stairs built on the north side of

Chestnut Street Bridge. There is concern about bikes crossing from the south to the trail access.

PennDOT is currently designing a project to retrofit the bridge which may result in a left side bike

lane from 34th

to 22nd

Street.

Figure 1: Chestnut Street Bike Lane Study Area

Vehicle traffic on Chestnut Street is one way eastbound and works in combination with Walnut

Street, which is one way west bound to permit higher speed traffic through west Philadelphia and

University City. There is some concern that during off peak hours, cars travel at speeds that

approach 50 miles per hour despite a posted speed limit on Chestnut of 25 miles per hour.

This is a study area is served by the University City District which coordinates with the City and

other stakeholders on public realm improvements and related maintenance activities. The


May 29, 2015 Page 3

University of Pennsylvania Police are responsible for a range of enforcement activities including

parking enforcement.

Policy Setting

In 2009 the City of Philadelphia has adopted a Complete Streets Policy which established that our

Streets should be safe for users of all modes of transportation. The Streets Departments

objective is to find opportunities to improve bicycle access and to enhance connectivity among the

over 200 miles of bike facilities in the City.

The Department has also set a goal to reduce overall traffic crashes and specifically traffic

fatalities. It is understood that crashes between pedestrians and bikes and vehicles travelling

more than 25 miles per hour show a progressively higher severity in terms of injury and fatality.

Chestnut Street is designated as a priority of location for bicycle network improvements and

represented in the draft 2013 Philadelphia Planning Commission Bike Priority map as a high

priority for a protected bike facility.

In order to accommodate any type of bike lane on Chestnut Street, a lane of traffic or parking

would need to be removed. This would require an ordinance from City Council.

The use of left side bike lanes on one-way streets has been adopted as best practice through the

the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Street Design Guide and

has been endorsed by the City of Philadelphia. The benefits of left side bike lanes include the

reduction of conflicts with trucks and buses and the placement of bikes in a position of higher

visibility by motorists.

Existing Traffic Conditions

Chestnut Street is a fully multimodal facility serving autos, buses, pedestrians, and bikes. Over

the past several years, traffic conditions for all modes have been affected by a number of recent

and ongoing construction projects that have narrowed portions of Chestnut Street to two lanes.

Auto Travel

It served roughly 22,500 vehicles per day in the study area in 2009 the date of the most recent

counts. 1 Daily volumes had been steady across multiple years at that time. More recently the

level of vehicle volume has been decreasing. Peak hour traffic counts taken on the 4000 block of

Chestnut Street support a comparison of volumes between 2011 and 2013 and show a roughly

12% decrease (see table 1).

1 DVRPC, http://www.dvrpc.org/webmaps/trafficcounts/ accessed May, 2015.


May 29, 2015 Page 4

Table 1 AM Peak Hour Volume on 4000 block of Chestnut Street

Year Peak Hour Volume (Vehicles per Hour)

2011 1,834

2013 1,617

Change -217 (or -11.8%)

This can be attributed in part to the effects of construction along Chestnut Street and to the

reopening of Market Street to traffic during this period, but it also is consistent with a general

trend in observed auto volumes despite an increase in population and employment.

Analysis of auto travel conditions is focused on the AM peak hour on Chestnut Street because this

represents the flow of inbound traffic into University City and towards Center City from residential

areas in West Philadelphia and outside of the City. Table 2 summarizes the results of intersection

level of service (LOS) evaluated using the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual methodology for

signalized intersections. Table 3 summarizes the arterial level of service using the 2010 HCM

methodologies. Both the intersection and arterial levels of service are acceptable under existing

(3-lane conditions) for all locations except for arterial level of service on eastbound Chestnut

Street west of 38th

Street which operates at LOS E with an average speed of 8 miles per hour.

Table 2 - EXISTING INTERSECTION LOS

INTERSECTION Delay

(sec.)

Level of

Service

34th Street & Chestnut Street 31.3 C


37th Street & Chestnut Street 9.1* A

38th Street & Chestnut St. 18.8 B

39th Street & Chestnut St. 20.2 C


41st Street & Chestnut St. 6.8* A

42nd Street & Chestnut St. 24.1 C

43rd Street & Chestnut St. 20.2 C



* LOS based on SYNCHRO approximation at a T-intersection with one-way main street.


May 29, 2015 Page 5

Table 3 EXISTING ARTERIAL LOS

SEGMENT (WEST OF): Speed

(mph) Level of Service




38th Street & Chestnut St. 8.0 E



41st Street & Chestnut St. 18.1 C

42nd Street & Chestnut St. 15.3 C

43rd Street & Chestnut St. 14.2 C



Total 16.1 C

Table 4 summarizes the estimated travel time which is expected to be between 3 and 4 minutes

from 45th

street to 34th

Street (206 seconds).

Table 4 EXISTING ARTERIAL TRAVEL TIME

SEGMENT (WEST OF)

TRAVEL

TIME (Sec.)

34th Street & Chestnut Street 24



38th Street & Chestnut St. 33



41st Street & Chestnut St. 12

42nd Street & Chestnut St. 21

43rd Street & Chestnut St. 11



Total 206 sec.

Bike Travel

Just as it is possible to evaluate auto level of service conditions similar measures exist to evaluate

Bike level of service. Whereas auto level of service is evaluated in terms of volume and capacity

and the resulting influence on delay, Bicycle level of service is determined based on design


May 29, 2015 Page 6

characteristics, exposure to traffic and the consequences in terms of comfort and potential safety.

A computationally simplified version of the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual, bicycle level of service

method has been evaluated for this report.2 Here each block of the study area has been evaluated

based on what proportion of cyclists would grade it from A through F. For simplicity A or B is

designated good C or D is shown as fair and E or F is considered poor for biking based on

physical characteristics and vehicle traffic conditions. The bike level of service is not considered as

a peak hour condition specifically.

Figure 1 illustrates the results aggregated for Chestnut Street from 45th

Street to 34th

Street.

Overall, 51 percent of cyclists would rate this road as poor for cycling compared to other facilities.

Only 11 percent of cyclists would rate this road as good. These results are primarily a function of

the lack of any protection from high speed traffic. The multi lane configuration of Chestnut Street

also contributes to the poor rating. Multi-lane roads experience weaving, lane changing and

passing behavior that hinders cycling above the effect of facilitating higher speeds.

The poor level of service is a representation of uncomfortable conditions for the average cyclist to

ride a bike but as indicated below it is also an indication of potential safety concerns.

Figure 3 EXISTING BIKE LEVEL OF SERVICE

2 Based on Ali, Asma Tayyab; Cristei, Cerasela; Flannery, Aimee. Using Cumulative Logistic Regression Model for

Evaluating Bicycle Facilities on Urban Arterials. In Compendium of 92th Transportation Research Board Annual

meeting, Washington D.C., January 10- 14, 2012.

LOS = A or B LOS = C or D LOS = E or F

11%

38%

51%

Esimated Bike Quality of Service

Existing Conditions

"GOOD" "FAIR" "POOR"


May 29, 2015 Page 7

Other Modes

Pedestrians - Chestnut Street provides pedestrians with roughly 12- 15 foot sidewalks one each

side along this segment with this divided on most blocks between a furnishing zone which

sometimes includes street trees and a walking zone that abundantly provides for standard

minimum footways (5) with no permanent pinch points. A recent project was undertaken to

upgrade signals along this stretch with pedestrian countdown signal indicators.

Transit - The entire length of Chestnut Street in Philadelphia is served by the Route 42 bus which

also extends to 69th

street terminal. The Gold Loop of the LUCY bus serving University City also

runs along Chestnut Street, between 40th

Street and 38th

Street with a stop near the intersection

of 40th

and Chestnut.

Freight - Goods movement along Chestnut Street is somewhat constrained by the narrow parking

lanes as well as the speed of travel along Chestnut. Deliveries which do occur in the travel lanes

can be bypassed by the remaining two lanes except in locations where the current cross-section is

currently reduced because of ongoing construction.

Safety Conditions

A five-year crash history taken from 2009 -2013 for the entire length of Chestnut Street shows

that this street has the highest rate of crashes per mile in the City of Philadelphia (Table 5). It

ranks fourth in the number of bike crashes (Table 6) and is tied for seventh in the number of

pedestrians killed or severely injured (Table 7). It can be demonstrated that to a very significant

degree, the safety issues reflected in overall crash statistics available for the entire length of

Chestnut Street are, in fact, localized to the study segment from 45th

Street to 34th

Street.

Table 5 Chestnut Street (Entire Length) Crash Ranking

Rank Stree tNumber of Cra she s

Stree t Le ngth in Miles

Cra shRate (Crashe s/Mile )

1 Chestnut Street 143 5.8 24.5

2 Market Street 112 5.8 19.5

3 52nd Street 85 4.4 19.3

4 Frankford Avenue 176 11.3 15.6

5 Broad Street 262 17.5 15.0

6 Walnut Street 104 9.5 11.0

7 5th Street 102 9.5 10.7

8 Germantown Avenue 107 10.2 10.5

9 Ridge Avenue 99 10.3 9.6

10 Roosevelt Boulevard/Expressway 147 27.4 5.4


May 29, 2015 Page 8

Table 6 Chestnut Street (Entire Length) Ranking of Total Bicycle Crashes

(T) = Tied ranking

Table 7 Chestnut Street (Entire Length) Ranking of Pedestrians Killed or Severely Injured

Rank Street Pedestrians

Killed or Severely Injured

1 Roosevelt Boulevard 34

2 Broad Street 16

3 Frankford Avenue 16

4 Lehigh Avenue 10

5 (T) Cottman Avenue 8

5 (T) Market Street 8

7 (T) Chestnut Street 7

7 (T) Delaware Avenue 7

7 (T) Torresdale Avenue 7

7 (T) Aramingo Avenue 7 (T) = Tied ranking

The study segment from 45th

to 34th

Street is associated with a substantial number of these

crashes. For the most recent three year period from 2011 to 2013, there were 92 crashes

involving vehicles, 19 crashes involving pedestrians and 12 crashes involving bikes. This means

that almost 75 percent of the crashes recorded along the entire length Chestnut Street occur in

this study segment.

The annual average rate of vehicle crashes is over 50 percent higher than what would be expected

based only on road type and volume (4.18 a homogenous rate of 1.88, See Table 8). The share of

bike crashes on Chestnut Street is over three times higher than the city average. This is certainly

Rank Stree t Bike Crashe s

1 Broad Street 64

2 SPRING GARDEN 30

3 Walnut Street 30

4 Chestnut Street 27

5 (T) 5th Street 26

5 (T) Frankford Avenue 26

7 Spruce Street 23

8 (T) Market Street 20

8 (T) Roosevelt Boulevard 20

9 (T) Front Street 19

9 (T) Girard Avenue 19

9 (T) Ridge Avenue 19


May 29, 2015 Page 9

a function of the fact that the fact the street serves relatively more bikes and it indicates the

potential benefit of the proposed significant safety improvements

Table 8 Chestnut Street from 45th

to 34th

Street Crash Comparisons (2011-2013)

Measurement

Chestnut

Street 34th

to 44th

Comparison Percent

Difference

Crash Rate 2.84 1.88 Statewide Expected Rate 51%

Share of Crashes involving a Bike 14% 4% City of Philadelphia Average 257%

Philadelphia Department of StreetsChestnut Avenue Bike Lane Study Report

PROPOSED PROJECT

For several years proposals have been considered to provide a bike lane along Chestnut Street.

This study considers a proposal that consists of removing

buffered bike lane. A comparison of the existing and the

presented in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Existing and Proposed Lane Configuration

The proposed configuration would allow for

lane for open door clearance as well as for loading and unloading of passengers and light goods.

The left hand parking lane would be increased in size from the minimum seven to the current

standard 8-foot width.

Left side bike lane avoids conflicts with buses along stretches where there is no buffer

have an easier time seeing the bikes and maintaining a clear distance on the left side of their

vehicles.

The implementation of these conce

be most effective if undertaken in coordination with local partners including the University City

District, the University of Pennsylvania and other local organizations.

Turns

Left turns from Chestnut Street can

create a left turn lane. Depending on the results of signal retiming u

ent of Streets Chestnut Avenue Bike Lane Study Report

proposals have been considered to provide a bike lane along Chestnut Street.

that consists of removing a travel lane and providing

A comparison of the existing and the proposed cross section of the street is

Existing and Proposed Lane Configuration

The proposed configuration would allow for a 4 foot buffer between left side parking and the bike



Left side bike lane avoids conflicts with buses along stretches where there is no buffer


The implementation of these conceptual improvements, their enforcement and maintenance will


niversity of Pennsylvania and other local organizations.

can be accommodated by eliminating parking at six locations to

Depending on the results of signal retiming up to 12 parking

May 29, 2015 Page 10

proposals have been considered to provide a bike lane along Chestnut Street.

travel lane and providing a parking

proposed cross section of the street is

Existing and Proposed Lane Configuration

a 4 foot buffer between left side parking and the bike



Left side bike lane avoids conflicts with buses along stretches where there is no buffer. Bus drivers


ptual improvements, their enforcement and maintenance will


be accommodated by eliminating parking at six locations to

parking stalls may


May 29, 2015 Page 11

considered for elimination to accommodate turns. This out of roughly 300 on-street spaces along

the length of the study segment.

Left turn treatments will require marking out conflict zones to accommodate bike movements.

This analysis assumes that right turns from Chestnut Street to the southbound direction utilize the

existing bus pads as typically occurs when this space is available

Retiming

Analysis of signal timing indicates that more green time would need to be provided at several

intersections for eastbound traffic and that signal offsets should be optimized. The signal cycles

would remain at 60 seconds from 45th

to 39th

Street and at 90 second from 38th

Street east.

With Project Travel Conditions

Auto Travel

Table 5 shows a comparison of intersection level of service (LOS) between existing and With bike

lane conditions. The results for each of the measures of performance reflect the effect of the

reduction from three lanes to two, retiming of the signals, and accommodation for turns. Under

these conditions, the most substantial effects of the proposal would be to reduce level of service

at 36th

Street and Chestnut and at 42nd

Street and Chestnut; both of which would operate at LOS

D. Given the land use density in this area that is acceptable.

Table 5 COMPARISON OF EXISTING AND WITH BIKE LANE INTERSECTION LOS

INTERSECTION

Existing With Bike Lane

Delay Level of

Service Delay

Level of

Service

34th Street & Chestnut Street 31.3 C 25.2 C

36th Street & Chestnut Street 30.3 C 35.5 D

37th Street & Chestnut Street 9.1* A 12.1* B

38th Street & Chestnut St. 18.8 B 25 C

39th Street & Chestnut St. 20.2 C 23.9 C

40th Street & Chestnut St. 19.0 B 23.6 C

41st Street & Chestnut St. 6.8* A 10.3* B

42nd Street & Chestnut St. 24.1 C 42.4 D

43rd Street & Chestnut St. 20.2 C 23.4 C



* LOS based on SYNCHRO approximation at a T-intersection with one-way main street.


May 29, 2015 Page 12

Table 6 compares the peak hour arterial level of service. This analysis shows that eastbound

travel along the segments of Chestnut Street west of 42nd

Street would degrade significantly and

that that speed west of 38th

Street which is currently constrained would suffer a further marginal

degradation.

Table 6 COMPARISON OF EXISTING AND WITH BIKE LANE ARTERIAL LOS

SEGMENT (WEST OF)

Existing With Bike Lane

Speed Level of

Service Speed

Level of

Service




38th Street & Chestnut St. 8.0 E 6.9 F



41st Street & Chestnut St. 18.1 C 13.0 C

42nd Street & Chestnut St. 15.3 C 7.5 E

43rd Street & Chestnut St. 14.2 C 10.2 D

44th Street & Chestnut St. 18.2 C 16.5 C

45th Street & Chestnut St. 18.6 C 12.4 D

Total 16.1 C 12.3 C

Table 7 compares the estimated travel time. Over the whole length of the study area the travel time

would increase by just under 1 minute.

Table 7 COMPARISON OF EXISTING AND WITH BIKE LANE ARTERIAL TRAVEL TIME

ARTERIAL TRAVEL TIME IN SECONDS

SEGMENT (WEST OF) Existing

With Bike

Lane

34th Street & Chestnut Street 24 31



38th Street & Chestnut St. 33 31



41st Street & Chestnut St. 12 18

42nd Street & Chestnut St. 21 25

43rd Street & Chestnut St. 11 16



Total 206 264


May 29, 2015 Page 13

Bike Travel

The addition of a protected bike lane on Chestnut Street will have significant effects on the level of

service for cyclists using this route. Figure 3 provides a comparison between existing conditions

and conditions with a protected bike lane. The analysis demonstrates the effects of the additional

space the lane provides as well as the reduction in exposure to high speed traffic which results

from the reduction in lanes and from the presence of the parking buffer. The results show an

expected improvement from 11% to 67% rating the road Good (LOS A or B) when compared to

other facilities and a reduction from 51% to 6% Poor (LOS A or B).

Figure 3 A COMPARISON OF EXISTING AND WITH BIKE LANE

BIKE LEVEL OF SERVICE

Other Modes

Pedestrians will benefit from speed reduction and on the north side of Chestnut Street will gain an

additional 10 feet of buffering from the vehicle travel lanes. This is associated with improved

pedestrian level of service but the effect was not quantified for this study. Pedestrian delay may

increase at a some intersections when retiming is undertaken but all crossing will maintain the

required pedestrian minimum times.

Buses operating on Chestnut Street would benefit by having the bike traffic located away from the

right lane where the buses operate and stops occur and where most trucks travel. Along with

other vehicle traffic, there would be an increase in the travel time along this segment of Chestnut

but there would be no relative increase in travel time compared to car traffic on the same blocks.

LOS = A or B LOS = C or D LOS = E or F

11%

38%

51%

67%

28%

6%

Comparision of Estimated Bike LOS

Existing W/Bike Lane

"GOOD" "FAIR" "POOR"


May 29, 2015 Page 14

Safety Conditions

The reduction from three lanes to two lanes will contribute to a reduction in higher speed travel as

well as weaving behavior, especially during off peak periods. This should reduce crashes for all

modes. Studies were not identified to quantify the benefit of reductions from 3 lanes to 2 lanes

but for illustrative purposes studies have shown that a reduction from 2 through lanes to 1

through lane can be expected to reduce crashes by 47% (refer to FHWA, Crash Reduction Factor

Clearinghouse, http://www.cmfclearinghouse.org/).

The protection offered by the parking protected bike lane should eliminate side swipe and rear

end collisions between vehicles and bikes along road segments. The reduction of crashes at

intersections will require the installation of standard conflict markings.

Conclusions

A parking protected bike lane would have demonstrable benefits to the level of service for cyclists

along Chestnut Street. From the perspective of traffic circulation and safety, the implementation

is feasible but it will require signal retiming and will involve the removal of parking to

accommodate left turns. There will be impacts to intersection delay and travel speed and travel

through this segment of Chestnut Street will take approximately one minute longer. Given that

this is the heart of a dense university community with significant pedestrian activity the additional

delay constitutes an acceptable tradeoff for the anticipated benefits.

Future Considerations

There is an opportunity to extend the left side bike lane to segments both east of 34th Street and

west of 45th

Street. In each case these would constitute entirely separate projects from what is

evaluated here.

East of 34th

Street, PennDOT has a project to rehabilitate the Chestnut Street Bridge across the

Schuylkill River. The bounds of this project extend west to allow for additional structure work as

well as construction detours and the City has held discussions with PennDOT to determine

whether paving and striping would be possible incorporated into that project to shift the existing

right hand bike lane to the left side. It may be possible on some blocks to incorporate parking

protection. A number of design issues would need to be resolved but one benefit of such a

connection is that it could provide direct access to the Schuylkill River trail using the ramp and

stairs located on the north (left side) of the Chestnut Street Bridge

West of 45th

Street, from Cobbs Creek to 45th

has also been a candidate for modification to two

lanes of through traffic with a buffered bike lane. The Crash history on Chestnut west of 45th

Street is significant though not as high as on the study segment. This is a more residential area

than the study segment and may merit a different design.

Chestnut St Bike Lane Study

Documents

Transcript of Chestnut St Bike Lane Study