PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Drivers have probably noticed Philadelphia bike lanes painted green. Since last month, the bus lane on Chestnut Street between Broad and Second streets has been painted red to discourage people who aren’t driving buses from using that lane and to help SEPTA buses move faster.
“Within the traffic field, colors have very specific meanings,” said city Deputy Managing Director Michael Carroll. “Red is a way that’s recognized nationally and internationally to convey restriction.”
The fewer cars that drive or park in the bus lanes, the greater the chance that SEPTA buses will run on time.
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“This is a really important piece of real estate,” he added. “It’s dedicated to transit. And if you’re not operating a bus, you don’t belong here.”
The rule goes for all drivers — rideshares included.
“We recognize that people use Uber and Lyft and we will work to identify spaces over time where that’s appropriate,” Carroll noted. “There’s lots of other spots where that can take place, but not in the bus lane. That’s not OK, and we’re going to be on people about that.”
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Red paint alone discourages 30% to 50% of cars from using a marked lane, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials. If that’s not enough, the city will be issuing more tickets to drivers who park in the red. Carroll said something like a red-light camera — call it a “red lane” camera — may be used down the road.
“We have some other ideas about things we could do to make that enforcement more seamless that might involve some level of automation over time, which we’re really interested in exploring,” he explained.
In the meantime, the city is looking to expand the red lanes to other high-traffic bus routes.
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