After a close call when a speeding car nearly struck a mother and child at a crosswalk, Chestnut Hill residents will meet with city and state officials next week to address longstanding pedestrian safety concerns along Germantown Avenue.

The incident, which occurred in November, crystallized years of community frustration over deteriorating crosswalks and traffic safety in the neighborhood's commercial corridor. Jane Nathanson was crossing Germantown Avenue at Moreland with her young child when a car sped around a stopped SEPTA bus, coming within feet of hitting them.

 "I screamed, the SEPTA bus driver slammed on their horn, and the speeding car stopped just in time — about one to two feet from my child," Nathanson said. "I was terrified. I'm also incredibly grateful that I'm not here reacting to something that turned out to be a fatality."

The January 15 meeting at Jenks School, organized by City Councilmember Cindy Bass's office, will bring together representatives from the Streets Department, State Rep. Tarik Khan (D., Phila.), and concerned members of the community to address what residents describe as a decade-long problem.

"The community absolutely has a right to basic safety, and the city needs to make sure that the crosswalks are visible and safe," said Anne McNiff, executive director of the Chestnut Hill Community Association. "The fact that you cannot see the crosswalks, that they're not visible to the people who are driving, is the immediate issue."

The problem is complicated by overlapping jurisdictions. While Germantown Avenue is a state route, maintenance is outsourced to Philadelphia, which is also responsible for traffic enforcement. SEPTA operates trolley lines and bus routes along the corridor.

Previous attempts to address the problem have fallen short. In 2017, the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District secured a $15,000 state grant for crosswalk improvements, but that funding only covered two intersections, the city never did the work, and the funding has since expired.

In 2018, the Streets Department did repaint the crosswalks. However, workers used the wrong paint – so the asphalt-rated striping paint on the concrete surfaces wore off within 90 days.

In 2019, Streets Commissioner Richard Montanez promised to come and fix the botched paint job. But as of early 2025, that work has yet to be done. 

State Sen. Art Haywood (D., Phila.), who helped secure the original grant, has pressed the Streets Department for action – to no avail. 

"It's a major problem that's gone on for more than a decade," said Courtney O'Neill, executive director of the Chestnut Hill Business Association. “The business association has been trying to address this issue since long before I came on board.”

The deteriorating infrastructure presents multiple hazards. Beyond faded crosswalk striping that fails to alert drivers, broken asphalt gets kicked up by passing vehicles and has struck pedestrians, according to McNiff.

The community task force, which has been meeting for several months, hopes to secure commitments for both immediate repairs and longer-term solutions. While the priority is repairing and restriping crosswalks, residents also want traffic studies and calming measures considered.

The meeting, scheduled for 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., is open to the public with no registration required. McNiff said she hopes to leave with "an understanding, and agreement, that there needs to be immediate action to make these crosswalks safe."

The work initially planned under the state grant would have paid for repairs to intersections at Highland and Springfield Avenues, including concrete repairs and new striping. The business improvement district had committed matching funds, but the opportunity lapsed when the grant expired in 2022.