Roadway upgrades will increase safety and accessibility to historic corridor including a new pedestrian plaza ahead of anticipated tourism boost in 2026
PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia Department of Streets, Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS), and several partners today ceremonially broke ground on the Market Street Old City Improvement Project. Based on support and input from the community, this project moves forward the goal of improving a key historic corridor ahead of increased tourism in 2026 for the nation’s Semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary celebrations.
The project will make multimodal safety improvements on Market Street, between 6th Street and 2nd Street, which is listed on the City’s Vision Zero High Injury Network (HIN) – or the 12 percent of city streets with 80 percent of all traffic deaths and serious injuries. Similar traffic safety improvement projects have resulted in fewer injuries and fatalities, according to the City’s 2024 Vision Zero Annual Report – released in early December.
“This month, we released our 2024 Vision Zero Annual Report, which highlights the outcomes of traffic safety improvements projects much like this one on Market Street,” said Mike Carroll, Deputy Managing Director, Transportation and Infrastructure. “These safety improvements, including the new pedestrian plaza, will create a welcoming public space for residents and a destination for 2026 tourists as well as a hub of activity for years to come.”
The new design will include a rebalancing of travel lanes to better serve all street users, whether they are walking, biking, driving, or taking transit. Travel lanes will be reduced to one lane in each direction with dedicated left turn lanes at cross street intersections. Intersection bump outs and upgraded Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sidewalk ramps will be constructed along with new traffic signals.
Concrete bump outs at bus stops will be lengthened to improve speed and accessibility of bus boarding. Sidewalk-level bike lanes will be installed between the parking lane and the sidewalk. The project also includes a curbless plaza design at the intersection of Market Street and 2nd Street. The new design will shorten pedestrian crossing distances and change signal timing to prioritize pedestrians in an area of the city with particularly high foot traffic.
“I was happy to work with the Independence Historical Trust and Old City District as they garnered feedback from the surrounding community on a multi modal design for this historic corridor to help achieve Vision Zero goals,” said Councilmember Mark Squilla, 1st District.
The Market Street Old City project will improve safety and accessibility for all road users while creating a destination for residents and tourists in the heart of our historic district. Planning for this project has been years in the making with Old City District – the neighborhood’s business improvement district (BID) – releasing its Vision2026 report in 2016. Starting construction now is critical to achieving that vision.
The City has also worked with Independence Historical Trust which produced the Historical Philadelphia Vision Framework for longer-term improvements. While this project will improve safety and infrastructure needs, it will also serve as a platform to share Philadelphia’s greatness on the larger stage.
Construction is being performed by C. Abbonizio Contractors of New Jersey. The value of the construction contract is approximately $16 million and is being funded through state Automated Red-Light Enforcement (ARLE), Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), and Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) funds as well as the City’s Vision Zero capital funds. The project is also receiving funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Land Development (HUD) and the state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) via generous contributions from the Independence Historical Trust and Old City District.
The project is expected to be completed by Summer of 2026, in time for celebrations of the country’s 250th anniversary. The City previously published a construction notice for the project on November 27, 2024.
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