Clean Air Council Sponsors Feet First Philly

Clean Air Council sponsors Feet First Philly, a pedestrian advocacy group comprised of concerned citizens and professionals that aims to increase awareness of walkability issues in the City of Philadelphia and protect the rights of pedestrians.  The program advocates walking as a means of transportation as well as for exercise or recreation.  All who are interested in the program are encouraged to attend the meetings, held at the Clean Air Council offices on the third Monday of every month at 6 pm.  Attendees are invited to provide input on pedestrian concerns and become involved in our projects.

Feet First Philly’s initial project is a traffic signal timing improvement initiative.  Our goal is to ensure that sufficient time is provided for pedestrians to cross the street at intersections in Philadelphia, first in Center City and then in the surrounding area.  Field surveys will be conducted in the preliminary phases of this project.  Cities are required by federal law to provide adequate time for pedestrians according to the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).  Recently approved revisions to the MUTCD include a slower standard pedestrian walking speed, meaning that some signals’ timing may need to be changed to conform to the revised standards and improve pedestrian safety.  Feet First Philly will work with the City of Philadelphia in the future to address these signals and other issues.

Other projects and initiatives that the pedestrian advocacy program supports include clean and safe streets, improvements to crosswalks and sidewalks, traffic calming initiatives (such as bulb-outs at intersections), open streets where appropriate, and the enforcement of traffic laws.

For more information, contact Krista Guerrieri at kguerrieri@cleanair.org