Mayor Nutter starts bike board, coalition thinks down the road

Adding more bike lanes, especially in more narrowed areas, is the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s first request to the next mayor of Philadelphia.

Sarah Clark Stuart, the coalition’s deputy director, said the morning of Tuesday’s midterm election that her group is already starting to prepare its pitch when the city’s next mayor is elected in 2015.

“The city,” she said, “needs to double the paving budget in order to pave 130 miles of street a year. The city the past two years have only been able to pave less than 25 a year.”

And as roads are repaved, she said, it’s an opportunity to layout more bike lanes.

Nutter signed an executive order Wednesday establishing a bicycle advocacy board. The board will advise his office on ways of “promoting and protecting recreational and professional cycling,” according to a statement.

Alex Doty, executive director of the coalition, said Nutter has been helpful, but “There are certain things we can be building on that Nutter’s been successful with,” he said.

​Rubber and roads

– The city has more than 500 miles of bike lanes.

– The new bike-share system launches in Spring 2015.

– Nutter is credited with growing a pedestrian and bike trail connecting city and suburbs.