The Streets Department of Transportation has announced they will be creating seven additional pedestrian refuge islands at intersections along Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia. These seven new islands will add to the eleven islands constructed in 2025 and are part of the City of Philadelphia’s Vision Zero Action Plan to eliminate traffic deaths on our city’s streets. Chestnut Street between 34th and 63rd Streets is on Vision Zero’s High Injury Network, where 80% of traffic deaths and serious injuries occur on just 12% of Philadelphia streets. Last year, we published a Transportation Report with insights and analysis pulled from over a decade of creating small streetscape interventions that serve to enhance pedestrian safety, calm traffic, and beautify the neighborhood.
The new pedestrian refuge islands upgrade the existing painted buffers and flex posts with an improved and more durable concrete design. They provide clear instructions and better visibility to everyone traveling at these intersections, whether they are walking, biking, or driving.
Intersections where new pedestrian refuge islands are being constructed:
- 54th Street and Chestnut Street
- 53rd Street and Chestnut Street
- 51st Street and Chestnut Street
- 50th Street and Chestnut Street
- 49th Street and Chestnut Street
- 47th Street and Chestnut Street
- Farragut Street and Chestnut Street
Construction will be managed by StreetsDOT and completed by Road-Con, Inc. We will share details on partial road closures that occur during active construction, which will be dependent on weather. This project is anticipated to be completed later in the summer of 2026.
The intersections where pedestrian refuge islands were constructed in 2025 are:
- 62nd Street and Chestnut Street
- 61st Street and Chestnut Street
- 59th Street and Chestnut Street
- 58th Street and Chestnut Street
- 57th Street and Chestnut Street
- 56th Street and Chestnut Street
- 55th Street and Chestnut Street
- 52nd Street and Chestnut Street
- 46th Street and Chestnut Street
- 45th Street and Chestnut Street
- 43rd Street and Chestnut Street
Spring 2025 Transportation Report: Pedestrian and Daylighting Plazas
