PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Now that Philadelphia officials have released the independent report research into possible impacts of 76ers arena project — which would be called 76 Place — planned for Market East in downtown, details of how the project could affect residents and businesses are beginning to emerge.
Will adding an arena that draws thousands of fans to Center City for Sixers games, concerts and other events create traffic jams and overload parking lots? Here are three key findings from the study traffic and transport report.
1. Public transport will be essential.
The magic number in the transportation report is 40%. According to the researchers, if no more than 40% of attendees drive to the event (and those cars carry an average of 2.5 people each), traffic will be manageable. The analysis assumes that 40% of attendees will drive, 40% will take public transit, 10% will use services like Uber and Lyft, and the rest will walk or use other transportation—a combination that the researchers say would be acceptable for parking and traffic in the area.
Reaching 40% of spectators by transit is not a “certainty,” but it is possible if certain strategies are put in place, the report says. Those strategies include adding a free transit pass to every ticket and even limiting on-street parking in some areas to make driving less attractive for those traveling to the arena.
More than 41% of participants who travel by car “would have a significant impact on delays and queue lengths at key intersections,” the report said.
“Even marginal increases in car travel [above 40%] …would cause traffic congestion at critical intersections,” said a memo from Michael A. Carroll, deputy general manager of the Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, accompanying the report.
2. If more than 40% of people drive to events, parking could become a problem.
Researchers estimate that 3,470 parking spaces would be needed for the arena and the adjoining residencesAccording to the report, approximately 3,561 spaces are available in 21 downtown garages based on current usage patterns.
The report also suggests that the current three-hour parking zones on Chinatown streets should be replaced with two-hour limits, including on Sundays, and that parking apps should not allow this time to be extended, to prevent people going to the arena from parking there.
Additional accessible parking spaces will also be needed near the arena, the report says.
Other recommendations include providing shuttles to parking lots more than a 15-minute walk away, defining parking zones to avoid encroaching on residential areas and ensuring that there is information on the arena’s website regarding parking.
Parkway Corporation is working with 76 Place to add a prepaid parking option to tickets, the report said, which could help distribute cars among garages.
3. The arena would likely have “minimal impact” on traffic on I-676, researchers say.
According to the analysis, traffic in the arena would not have “a significant impact on traffic conditions along the merger, divergence, segmentation and weaving study areas.” In other words, the researchers say that peak-hour traffic in 2031 would be similar whether the arena were built or not.
The report, which examined I-676 between Broad Street and 12th Street and several of the ramps near the proposed arena site, acknowledged that there is “existing congestion” in the area.
The report recommends additional traffic cameras and officers at the intersection where the I-676 westbound ramp meets Callowhill and 3rd streets. The researchers also acknowledge that their analysis does not take into account “downstream intersections,” meaning other intersections with traffic signals that could be affected by traffic.
The report also recommends that the arena have plenty of bike parking, including Indego bike-sharing stations. A “bottomless enclosure” for Indego bikes should be considered, the researchers write.
The transport report was prepared by Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, a consultancy.
The other three reports The studies released Monday, compiled by independent consultants but funded by 76 DevCo, cover the potential economic impact, community impact and design of the proposed arena.
The arena project could also hurt small businesses in Chinatown, which is just north of the proposed site, and indirectly displace residents due to higher costs, according to the community impact report. At the same time, the project could generate $1.9 billion in new economic activity, $390 million in new taxes for the state, city and school district and 710 new jobs, according to the economic report.
A decision A decision on whether to move forward with the proposal is expected to be made by city leaders this fall, Councilman Mark Squilla, who represents the area where it would be located, said Monday.
Read all reports on the city’s website.
