I had assumed the 30th street radial was what became 76, but I suppose they could have imagined a large frontage road. It'll be interesting to see what happens with 52nd street in the next few years. I agree that it should be dense and walkable, but I'm wondering what kind of increased pressure it will see when the Lowe's shopping center is built at Parkside. It may be that 48th will see most of the stress from that. I find 38th street frustrating as a N-S arterial as well, but I almost never use it. Driving it's almost always faster, I think, to take 49th to Woodland and the Grays Ferry Bridge to almost any point south of Market in Center City. Even on my bicycle I prefer that route.
Andrew Quoting Anthony West <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > I too wondered about the 30th St. "radial." Is this just another early > word for what became the Schuylkill Expy., or does some now-forgotten > concept of Gnostic highway planners lie buried beneath this terminology? > > A wide 48th St. crosstown road I can kind of see, even more so today. It > is very hard for drivers in this neighborhood cut N.-to-S. across the > major streets, which are mostly E-to-W. Yet crosstown traffic lanes are > important, even if one wants to travel E. to Center City and allied > points. Girard, Spring Garden and Grays Ferry Bridges join University > City to adjacent neighborhoods in North and South Philadelphia. > > It is frustrating to drive crosstown in University City and I think one > road (38th St.) is not enough. 48th St. is already wide on some > stretches, already supports commerce on some stretches, and still has > cheap land for widening on some stretches. It's not a "perfect package" > for inner-city roadbuilding, but it's about as good as we'll ever see. > > I'd stay away from 52nd St., which should foster the same dense, > walkable, transit-centered commercial strip it always has. While it may > not be a winning ticket, I can't see how road-building and > speed-enhancing on this street would help the stores on this street. > > -- Tony West > > > I don't see what the point of making 30th an arterial would be; > > there's what, three blocks of it west of the Schuylkill, and it all > > runs parallel to and a block west of I-76? And 48th seems fine as is, > > unless there's something I'm missing (i. e. was it different at the > > time this plan was hatched?). > > > > >From what I remember hearing once (maybe on this list), the reason > > that 38th is so wide is to make up for the fact that 36th, 37th, and > > 39th are pedestrian-only between Walnut and Spruce; it was felt that > > there needed to be some way for the cars to travel north-south in that > > area, so 38th was widened, and at least once a week I almost get run > > over crossing it on foot. > > > > Isabel > > > ---- > You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the > list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see > <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. > ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
