Penn Circle Two Way Conversion
The final phases of the Penn Circle Two Way Conversion will reconnect two abandoned streets (Harvard and Beatty), return two-way vehicular traffic to Euclid Avenue and Station Street, improve crosswalks to make pedestrian movement safer, and install 8,000 linear feet of new protected bike lanes.
Creating8K+Linear Ft of New Protected Bike Lanes
Planting51New Street Trees
Creating6,492Sq. Ft. of Additional Green Space
The Penn Circle Two Way Conversion project is an integral part of Phase 1 of the East Liberty Transit Revitalization Investment District (ELTRIDA) implementation plan. It continues efforts by the URA to reconnect the East Liberty neighborhood into an urban grid while increasing pedestrian access and improving safety.
Background
Reconnecting East Liberty's street grid has been called out repeatedly in community plans for East Liberty. Originally created in the 1960's, the Penn Circle ring road created four lanes of traffic in a neighborhood that did not require it. As the vehicular infrastructure is dramatically outsized for the demand, the URA has been working alongside the city to better use the car way to improve overall mobility in the area.
In recent years, the URA successfully converted Penn Circle East and Penn Circle South from one-way, high-speed thoroughfares to two-way thoroughfares. This resulted in increased density around transit, reduced traffic congestion, increased pedestrian access and bicycle use, and improved air quality. The Penn Circle North and West Two-Way Conversion is expected to yield similar results.
Schedule
Construction is projected to begin in 2019 in three phases. The final phase will likely be completed in 2024.
Results
• 6,492 Square Feet of Additional Green Space
• 8,000+ Linear Feet of New Protected Bike Lanes
• 51 New Street Trees
• 3,900 Linear Feet of New Directional Lanes
• 10 Additional Parking Spaces
• 34 Total Striped Crosswalks
Questions? Send an email to Gordon Hall, Project Manager, at ghall@ura.org.