Metro Philadelphia
The City of Philadelphia and Center City District announced a series of upgrades to the 13th Street bike lane intended to improve cyclist safety in Center City.
The improvements stretch along 13th Street from Locust to Wood streets and include flexible delineator posts aimed at increasing separation between cyclists and motorists. Officials also installed 18 modular plastic curbs between Locust and Chestnut streets.
CCD President and CEO Prema Katari Gupta said the additions are modeled after similar infrastructure used in Mexico City.
“Mexico City used protected lane separators like these to build over 150 miles of safer bike infrastructure, and we’re proud to donate 18 to pilot that same approach here,” Gupta said. “It’s a low-cost way to create a safer, more accessible downtown that works for cyclists and businesses alike.”
The upgrades come as local advocacy groups continue to push for stronger cyclist safety measures following a rise in fatal crashes in recent years.
Bicyclist fatalities statewide increased from 19 in 2024 to 28 in 2025, according to PennDOT data.
Philadelphia officials released the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan 2030 late last year, outlining a series of traffic safety initiatives focused on reducing deaths and serious injuries on city streets. The plan calls for improvements along the High Injury Network, the 12% of Philadelphia streets that account for 80% of traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration has said it plans to implement safety improvements on the city’s most dangerous roadways over the next five years. Proposed measures include changes to how speed limits are set, expanded use of speed cameras and increased traffic enforcement campaigns.
Cycling activity continues to grow
City officials said the bike lane upgrades come as cycling activity continues to increase in Philadelphia.
According to 2025 data from Replica, more than 18,000 bicycle trips to and through Center City occur on an average weekday.
American Community Survey data show that 4.5% of Center City residents and 5.8% of South Philadelphia residents commute to work by bicycle. Indego bikeshare also reported nearly 700,000 rides beginning or ending in Center City through the end of 2025.
“The updates along the 13th Street bike lane will make this critical downtown corridor safer for everyone: cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers,” said Kelley Yemen, director of the Office of Multimodal Planning for the City of Philadelphia.
Yemen said the project supports the city’s Vision Zero initiative, which seeks to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on Philadelphia streets.