Girard Avenue has become a consistently dangerous corridor for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians due to poor street design and lack of enforcement.

Drivers are forced to navigate unclear and inconsistent lane markings, including turns that are not clearly designated or visible. In multiple sections, lane configurations are confusing or misleading, leading to sudden merging, illegal passing, and unpredictable vehicle movement. This is compounded by vehicles routinely traveling at unsafe speeds and cutting through lanes from both directions with little to no enforcement.

This is not just a matter of individual driver behavior - it is a design and infrastructure problem.

Philadelphia continues to experience significant traffic safety challenges. In recent years, the city has seen over 100 traffic fatalities annually, and the majority of severe crashes occur on a small number of high-risk corridors. Girard Avenue is one of these corridors.

Under the city’s Vision Zero commitment, traffic deaths are considered preventable and are supposed to be addressed through engineering, enforcement, and policy changes. However, the current conditions on Girard Avenue do not reflect that commitment.

We are calling on the City of Philadelphia, the Streets Department, and City Council to take immediate action to improve safety at Girard Avenue and Columbia Avenue by:

• Clearly repainting and standardizing all lane markings, including turn-only lanes
• Installing unambiguous signage for lane direction and turning movements
• Reviewing and redesigning intersections with confusing or conflicting traffic patterns
  Adding traffic calming measures where appropriate
• Increasing visible traffic enforcement in this corridor

This is a highly active and heavily used corridor. Without intervention, the current conditions will continue to put lives at risk.

We are asking the city to act now before more serious injuries or fatalities occur.