Philadelphia is receiving a state grant that will support traffic safety measures on Lincoln Drive, a road that has sparked concern among residents for decades due to its history of crashes, sharp curves, and heavy commuter traffic.

The $2 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will fund the installment of traffic-calming measures on Lincoln Drive between Wayne Avenue and Kelly Drive.

The corridor, which runs through Wissahickon Valley Park and under the Henry Avenue bridge, saw 103 crashes from 2020-2024, according to PennDOT data. The grant will help fund the installment of speed humps and speed slots — both of which are traffic-slowing devices.

The initiative is one of six traffic-safety projects in Philadelphia that recently received support from PennDOT. On Feb. 11, the state announced that it will dedicate $13 million to the city projects through its Automated Speed Enforcement program, which gains revenue from traffic violations. The state has invested $49.7 million into traffic safety projects through the program.

Some of the $2 million for the Lincoln Drive project also will pay for speed humps at 100 schools in Philadelphia, PennDOT said in the release.

The state and city began traffic safety work on Lincoln Drive a few years ago, following decades of pressure by community members.

The Traffic Calming Committee of West Mt. Airy Neighbors (WMAN) and other neighborhood organizations petitioned for the city to help reduce speeding on Lincoln Drive, as well as on Cresheim Valley Drive and Wissahickon Avenue. Neighbors reported frequent accidents on the winding roadways, with some cars ending up on residents’ lawns.

Lincoln Drive is part of Philadelphia’s High Injury Network, which is the 12% of Philadelphia streets that account for 80% of traffic deaths and serious injuries. In January, a man died and four people were injured after a collision occurred between Gypsy Lane and Henry Avenue. There also was a fatal accident near the intersection of Cresheim Valley Drive and Lincoln Drive in November.

Starting in 2023, the city and PennDOT installed traffic-calming measures along Lincoln Drive between West Allens Lane and West Cliveden Street. The pilot program involved the addition of speed humps, rumble strips, traffic lane separators and other upgrades. In the spring of 2025, speed slots were installed on the stretch of Lincoln Drive between West Allens Lane and Wayne Avenue.

The city is working on converting the intersection of Lincoln Drive and Emlen Street from a circle to a four-way traffic signal stop as part of the plan.

Sam Lifson-Neubardt, co-chair of the WMAN Traffic Calming Committee, said he and other neighbors along Lincoln Drive have seen a significant improvement in traffic safety since the city installed the changes.

“The general consensus I’ve heard is that while many people don’t love the speed bumps, they much prefer them to the noise of racing and crashes,” he wrote to the Local. “I’ve really appreciated the grooved pavement along the shoulder, and how the crosswalk signals let pedestrians go first to make sure they have a chance to safely cross.”

The section of Lincoln Drive between West Allens Lane and West Cliveden Street saw 86 crashes from 2015-2019, according to PennDOT. That number lowered to 51 from 2020-2024.

“We’ve been really grateful for the Philly Streets department and PennDOT working with us to calm the traffic on Lincoln Drive,” Lifson-Neubardt added.

WMAN executive director Josephine Winter said she’s “tremendously satisfied” with the new safety measures, including the speed humps, flexible post dividers and the left turn lane signage.

“We were determined to make it happen, it did and now it feels much safer to me,” she said.

WMAN is working with neighborhood groups and elected officials to improve other Northwest streets, including Wissahickon Avenue, Winter said.

City officials are conducting other projects to improve traffic safety around Wissahickon Valley Park. Officials are reviewing design concepts for a safety project on Walnut Lane, between Henry and Wayne avenues, a Complete Streets Project Coordinator announced in January.

Friends of the Wissahickon’s Germantown Neighborhood Connection Project, also known as the Harvey Street Project, will improve pedestrian access to the park for Germantown residents. The project involves new sidewalks, a crosswalk and the park’s first “All Persons Trail” for people of varying abilities.

Philadelphians can request traffic-calming measures for the street where they live on the city’s website. If their request is approved, they must submit a neighborhood petition signed by 60% of residents on the block.