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Philly Police Chief Muses on the “Wishful Thinking” of Pedestrian Walkways at the Sports Complex
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Joe Donahue does a nice job with his interviews for Birds Nest Media.
He recently talked to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel on the topic of sports complex traffic, and this quote in particular stood out:
This snippet:
“The challenge we often have is because we have to cross over Pattison Avenue from the lots. And now we have people who park in the (Navy Yard) who pass under 95. Every time they come across the roadway, they’re stopping traffic. Every time they come across Pattison Avenue, 13th street, 11th street, they’re stopping traffic. And so that impediment, the pedestrian movement, it creates a significant challenge for us, because in many places it’s separated. You can go over ramps and under things and the roadway (traffic) continues to move. So I think as they look to the future, that’s one of the goals is to how you build these structures and things that you may be able to let people go over Pattison or under Pattison. That’s my wishful thinking. But I think there are folks who have their eyes on how we can do that. Maybe as they go through the stadium (development), and I know they’re going to be doing other projects down there, that’s on the horizon.”
There’s been a lot of talk about traffic patterns and exit closures and whether or not the police are even helping down there, but this would be a slam dunk quality of life improvement. This would help SEPTA riders, Uber and Lyft users, regular drivers, and police, too. It’s basically a free-for-all when you exit because pedestrians and cars are using the same spaces and walking/driving in four different directions. A few dedicated bridges here and there would keep traffic moving and probably help with safety at the same time because you can’t get run over when you’re on a pedestrian bridge.
The new Sixers and Flyers arena is being built on the spot of the old Spectrum, which is closest to the SEPTA station. Even a bridge or two in that spot would help keep foot traffic off Pattison. We want people OFF Pattison, not ON Pattison, unless you’re reading the website that features Tim Kelly and Anthony San Filippo.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com