Details of a Green Street redesign in Philadelphia

A comprehensive overhaul of a stretch of American Street in Philadelphia includes a bioswale to better manage stormwater runoff along the corridor.

1 minute read

July 30, 2016, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"North American Street could become the [Philadelphia's] premiere example of a green street, using the road’s expansive width to soak up stormwater with a 28-foot wide bioswale running up the center median," reports Jon Geeting.

The project was funded in part by $5 million of the $10.2 Million in TIGER grant finding awarded to the city of Philadelphia in October 2015. Plans for the total, $17.4 million project include "removing the rail tracks running down the center of American Street and adding bike lanes, new sidewalks, incorporating green infrastructure tools to manage stormwater."

The article includes more details about the decade-plus of planning efforts that have led to the redesign project, which is now underway with a series of public open houses.

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