Feet First Philly partnered with PennDOT consultant HNTB Corporation to host the Cobbs Creek Parkway Safety Improvement Walk on Saturday, May 21, 2022. The 1.6 mile tour walked attendees through existing road safety upgrades and offered neighbors the opportunity to learn more about the proposed improvements to Cobbs Creek Parkway. Most importantly the tour gave residents the opportunity to ask questions and offer comments and feedback directly to the project manager for the safety improvements.

Comments submitted to HSIP virtual engagement website by Feet First Philly earlier this year included observations and opinions from community residents and stakeholders. During the walk, residents continued to raise issues including illegal car parking and dangerous driving next to the Spruce Street slip lane, a need for increased speed humps on the southern half of the Parkway, and questions about the lane narrowing near Walnut Street. Neighbors’ voices and insight will continue to help shape the improvement project. 

People gathered at table along Cobbs Creek Trail.

In addition to neighbors attending the walk, Feet First Philly was thrilled to have local community leaders and stakeholders attend. The 40th Ward RCO leader Ron Waters, Cobbs Creek Neighbors president Larissa Magano, several committee people, block captains, ward leaders, and long term Parkway advocate Register of Wills Tracey Gordan all showed up to support the improvements and give background into the Parkway’s legacy as one of Philadelphia’s most dangerous roads. 

Feet First Philly would also like to give a big thank you to Nik Kharva, the Project Manager for PennDOT’s Cobbs Creek/63rd Street Improvements for coming out to co-host the walk and for his detailed breakdown of the road safety improvements from a data driven perspective.

This project is particularly important to pedestrians who face difficulty crossing the street to access the park, and to vulnerable populations such as seniors and children. We hope this walk helped inform attendees about the improvements already happening and those still coming through this project, and encourages them to stay involved in engagement efforts like the upcoming meeting PennDOT will host at the end of June or early July. 


To get involved in the pedestrian advocacy surrounding Cobbs Creek Parkway please contact Will Fraser at wfraser@cleanair.org.