Philadelphia Transportation Firsts
To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and Philadelphia’s central role in our nation’s founding, each month of 2026 we are sharing a Philadelphia Transportation First.
We don’t only travel by train, bike, foot, or car in Philadelphia: we can’t forget the waterways that define our city! John Fitch invented the steamboat in 1787. In the summer of 1790, the first American steamboat to carry both passengers and cargo, Fitch’s Experiment, was chartered between Philadelphia and Burlington, NJ. Today we can take the Riverline to Burlington in under an hour. In the summer of 1790 (on Sundays only), it would have taken around 3 hours by steamboat going at a top speed of 8mph.
He did not gain the success and fame of his contemporary Robert Fulton, who often is mis-attributed with the invention of the steamboat – but we remember him today with a statue at Cherry Street Pier as part of Philadelphia Historic District’s “52 Weeks of Firsts” (EBSCO).
This summer, remember to travel safely on all modes, including boats!
Summer 2026 will bring Philadelphians Safety for many Seasons to Come
This summer in Philadelphia will be one for the history books due to the World Cup, the Semiquincentennial, MLB All-Star week, and major Vision Zero investments! The City and State have coordinated to implement many traffic safety improvements that will support residents and visitors this summer and for many years to come.
- A new streetscape along Market Street in Old City made improvements for everyone, whether they walk, bike, use transit, or drive. The project added sidewalk-level bike lanes, concrete bus boarding bump outs, and dedicated left-turn lanes to improve safety and accessibility along one of Philadelphia’s most important historical and multimodal corridors.
- Along Ben Franklin Parkway, multiple projects are increasing safety and accessibility. The sidewalk around Logan Circle was reconstructed, including upgrades to ADA ramps and stormwater drains nearby. Improvements have been made to crosswalks and bike lanes around Eakins Oval.
- Improvements across Lemon Hill include roadway and trail paving, high-visibility traffic markings, and new and reconstructed sidewalks, bump-outs, and traffic calming at intersections. These updates will make the park safer long after the FIFA Fan Festival wraps up this July.
- New audible pedestrian signals were added at intersections along South Broad Street’s Avenue of the Arts. New traffic design, signals, and painted traffic markings added an additional left turn lane at two I-95 on-ramp locations: Christopher Columbus Blvd and I-95 North, as well as Front Street and I-95 South.
- Improvements were made to 11 intersections around the Sports Complex, including new audible pedestrian signals and ADA curb ramps.
- The City and SEPTA installed the first of two modular, movable bus boarding islands on 16th St between JFK Blvd and Cuthbert St. The second one will be installed this summer on Market St at 22nd St [Correction from previously published ’22nd St between Ludlow St and Market St’].
Travel Safely This Summer
On Wednesday, June 24, the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems joined PennDOT, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other regional partners to emphasize the importance of safe and sober travel this summer. This summer will be full of exciting events across our city. Please make the safe choice to plan for a designated driver (that includes SEPTA). No matter how you choose to celebrate, everyone should get home safely.
Paul Miller’s Law
One glance at your phone while driving is all it takes to kill someone – and it’s never worth it. In 2025, at least 24 people were killed or seriously injured in Philadelphia due to distracted driving. Paul Miller’s Law, Pennsylvania’s hands-free law, went into effect this month. Visit PennDOT’s website to learn more.
Infrastructure Solutions Team
The Infrastructure Solutions Team (IST) supports Vision Zero by preparing the way for construction on our High Injury Network and developing the capacity of Philadelphians to do that work. This month, IST has the following updates:
- IST released the sixth edition of the Procurement Forecast. This document helps businesses anticipate upcoming contract opportunities so they can prepare competitive bids and proposals. This edition features 250 contracting opportunities across 12 departments and agencies, representing more than $1 billion in anticipated investments.
- IST celebrated National Apprenticeship Week 2026 (April 26 – May 2) by highlighting the experiences and voices of pre-apprentices and apprentices in Philadelphia’s construction industries. Read more about their paths to apprenticeship, daily life on the job, and the lessons they have learned along the way.
- The City of Philadelphia is seeking expert services to develop and deliver a Mentor-Protégé Pilot Program that will build the capacity of small and local contractors to perform public works projects. The Selected Respondent will serve as the mentor firm and will provide both classroom instruction and hands-on construction experience to participating small and local “protégé” firms. Please review Solicitation B2727161 and submit proposals electronically until Thursday, July 2, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Safe Routes Philly closed out an exciting 2025–26 school year this month. The year began with Safe Routes presenting its first Leadership Award to Greg Wright, a community coordinator at Gideon Elementary School in Strawberry Mansion. To honor Greg and his lifetime advocacy of Safe Routes and his students, the Safe Routes Leadership award was named for him. In November, Safe Routes celebrated Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day alongside Councilmember Cindy Bass at Emlen School in Mt Airy, as well as six other schools across the city.
In the spring nearly 700 2nd & 3rd graders learned walking and biking safety skills through classroom presentations across the city. 7th graders at the Newlin Fell School in South Philadelphia received the first-ever series of in-class transit safety lessons—developed in collaboration with SEPTA. To cap off the year, the Phillie Phanatic joined Safe Routes and the Newlin Fell community to celebrate Bike to School Day. The Phanatic presented the Greg Wright Safe Routes Leadership award to Bernadine McGee, an amazing teacher and Safe Routes champion at Newlin Fell. Safe Routes is excited to see what the 2026-27 school year holds as the program continues to rapidly expand.
Partner Updates
Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP)
BCGP encourages everyone to check out these recent posts on important Vision Zero-related topics:
- Decode the Rules of the Road at the Lil’ Philly Safety Village Traffic Garden Can you remember a time before you could make sense of the seemingly random collection of colors, shapes, and symbols that make up our roads and intersections? The Lil’ Safety Village is not your ordinary playground– it is a colorful “traffic garden”, a pint-sized replica of several intersections, meant to be navigated by kids on bikes.
- The 2025 I Bike PHL (Bicycling and Micromobility Trends) Report is Out Bicycling rates are up, and Indego set a record, but New York has taken our bicycle commuter title. The bike count is an important tool for BCGP to advocate for improved cycling infrastructure and policies, as it provides concrete quantitative and demographic data about cyclists in Philadelphia.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the most dangerous time of year for teen drivers and passengers. Throughout the summer, the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at CHOP will be sharing teen driving safety tips and resources related to the #100SafestDaysofSummer campaign on its social media channels.
Indego
Everything You Need to Know About Using Indego During the World Cup: Philadelphia is prepared to host six FIFA World Cup matches in June and July, including a Round of 16 match on July 4. With increased traffic and congestion expected throughout the city, Indego’s network of 300+ stations and 3,000 bikes offers a convenient way to get around during the tournament. Indego even added two temporary stations in Lemon Hill, adding 100 docks for travelers to use this summer to get between the FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill and the rest of the city.
Whether you’re heading to stadium events, Fan Fest activities, SEPTA stations, hotels, restaurants, or exploring the city between matches, bike share makes it easy to experience more of Philadelphia without getting stuck in traffic. Visit the website to learn about expanded service, tips for first-time riders, and more.
RFP: Indego has a Request for Proposals (RFP) open to perform an assessment including a set of focus groups and an accompanying survey in Philadelphia to better understand how we can increase utilization of Indego bike share in specific populations by addressing issues of equity and access. Please visit the Indego website to learn more.
Vision Zero in the News
Philadelphia 
Philly’s Ride of Silence mourns the 13 cyclists killed over the past year (BillyPenn at WHYY)
Philly, CCD unveil 13th Street bike lane safety upgrades (Metro Philadelphia)
Mayor Parker Unveils Transportation and Access Plan for FIFA Fan Festival™ Philadelphia (City of Philadelphia)
Traffic and safety upgrades coming to Philadelphia Sports Complex (PHL17 CW)
Philadelphia officials question city’s lack of power over driverless cars (WHYY)
Parking passes, road closures, and ride share restrictions: How Philly is prepping to protect residents near Lemon Hill World Cup fest (BillyPenn at WHYY)
Speeding concerns prompt new traffic signs in Philly’s West Oak Lane (Fox 29)
New bike lane in Philadelphia’s Old City sparks split reactions from residents, cyclists and drivers (CBS News)
Market Street in Old City gets a $16 million glow-up in time for America 250 (BillyPenn at WHYY)
Speed cameras issuing $100 fines along Frankford Ave. in Northeast Philadelphia (6abc)
What We’re Reading 
New CDOT report finds that while bike lanes improved safety, they didn’t harm businesses, and may help make corridors more economically resilient (Streetsblog Chicago)
Vision Zero Jobs
School Crossing Guard, Streets Department
Join the Conversation
Vision Zero aims to eliminate all traffic deaths and severe injuries on Philadelphia streets www.visionzerophl.com. Follow OTIS on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and help us share safety messages with your networks using the hashtag #VisionZeroPHL.
Do you have events, accomplishments, or calls to action to share with the Vision Zero Task Force, subcommittees, and community? Send your updates for next month’s newsletter by Friday, July 10 to Virginia Lynn at virginia.lynn@phila.gov.