PHILADELPHIA – The City’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS) announced today the scoring results for the 33 applicants to the 2022-2023 Neighborhood Slow Zone Program.

Neighbors applied for traffic calming in an entire zone of residential streets. The City and selected neighborhoods will co-design their streets to lower speeds to 20 miles per hour and install traffic calming measures. The measures can include speed cushions, corner clearances, and raised crosswalks.

The Neighborhood Slow Zone program supports the City’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries on Philadelphia city streets and growing demand for traffic calming on neighborhood streets. The 33 applicants represent an 18 percent increase from the 28 applicants in the previous round of Neighborhood Slow Zones applications in 2019.

“The increased demand for Neighborhood Slow Zones shows that Philadelphia residents know that slower streets mean safer streets. Neighbors want to make it safer for people to walk in their neighborhoods,” said Mike Carroll, Deputy Managing Director for the City’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS).

The City has six Neighborhood Slow Zones either completed or in progress. Both Fairhill and Willard Elementary School were completed in 2022. Hamilton School slow zone is in pre-construction. Cramp Elementary School and Tenth Memorial Way slow zones are in the final design process. West Passyunk is in an earlier stage of community co-design.

“The City co-creates the Neighborhood Slow Zones with neighbors to empower communities and enable them to further refine the designs of their own streets,” added Carroll.

The Neighborhood Slow Zone Program is made possible by Automated Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) funding, which is distributed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and dedicated City capital funds. Each Neighborhood Slow Zone has a budget of up to $1,500,000.

Moving forward, the Neighborhood Slow Zone application process will be open on an every-other-year basis. The next round of applications is set to open in Fall 2024.

About Vision Zero: Vision Zero is the City of Philadelphia strategy to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and severe injuries on Philadelphia streets by 2030, while increasing safety, health, and mobility for all. Learn more at VisionZeroPHL.com.

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