Thousands of vehicles travel on Philadelphia Drive daily. City officials say there are regular incidents of excessive speeds within the corridor, which contribute to a high crash rate and present a risk for pedestrians crossing Philadelphia Drive.
This project is funded in part by $830,000 in federal transportation dollars.
The project will narrow the travel lanes on Philadelphia Drive to promote traffic calming and provide space for bike lanes. Bike lanes will be added to the full extent of Philadelphia Drive — “except at the intersection of Philadelphia Drive and Cornell Drive where there is insufficient width,” according to city documents.
The project will also include new sidewalk on the west side of Philadelphia Drive, from Otterbein Avenue to Forest Grove Avenue, to address a gap in the sidewalk system, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The project will also remove on-street parking for most of the street, aside from a portion of Philadelphia Drive from Oxford Avenue to Riverview Avenue, where dedicated parking will remain.
Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein said the city held several community meetings about the project in 2024.
“The staff worked very closely with the community to try and create the ‘win-win,’” said Dickstein. “And I think they did a great job coming together with that win-win to try and accommodate all of the interests or needs in the plan.”
According to city documents, in a survey of more than 200 Dayton residents, 82% were in favor of removing on-street parking from Philadelphia Drive.
But only 36% were in favor of adding bike lanes to roadway, while 46% were in favor of the installation of center turn lanes.
“While a center turn lane was a popular response, further indications were that ODOT would not fund such for a safety project, nor would it achieve the goal of a safer Philadelphia Drive,” says a May 12, 2025 letter to Dickstein from Department of Planning, Neighborhoods and Development and Public Works leaders.
The Northwest Dayton street has been impacted by other safety projects in recent years. The Dayton city commission in 2024 approved a $2.5 million project at the intersection of Philadelphia Drive and Salem Avenue that rebuilt deteriorating pavement, curbs and sidewalks and made the intersection more pedestrian-friendly.
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