Damaged speed cushions on 2nd Street raise safety concerns in Northern Liberties

Damaged speed cushions raise safety concerns for Philadelphia drivers

All across the city, especially on 2nd Street in Northern Liberties, residents are worried about the hazards created by damaged speed cushions.

PHILADELPHIA - Damaged speed cushions on 2nd Street are raising concerns among drivers and residents who say the broken road features are causing new safety risks and car damage.

Concerns over damaged speed cushions on 2nd Street

What we know:

Many speed cushions along Second Street, from Turner in Fishtown to Noble Street in Northern Liberties, are damaged with metal bolts sticking out of the ground. 

FOX 29 drove the stretch and found a majority of the speed cushions in poor condition.

What they're saying:

"I am for the E-Bikes. We have a lot of children going to school and people are getting hit, and you have a lot of hit and runs, so speed bumps are necessary," said Sandra Attaway of Frankford. 

Attaway supports the idea of speed cushions to slow down traffic but worries about the materials used. "They need to change the type of material that they’re using because like I said if I get a nail in my tire who is going to pay for it," said Attaway.

Brendan Welch of Northern Liberties said, "It can be frustrating when you are trying to swerve around it and there’s another car in the lane next to you, it’s frustrating."

A resident posted on a local Fishtown Facebook page, stating, "I’m noticing a majority of them…especially down Second Street are 75 percent broken…people including me are swerving to prevent from hitting them and resulting in a flat tire… Is this just a 311 issue…. How are they breaking…how do we get them fixed…"

Residents say they support efforts to slow down traffic but want the city to fix damaged speed cushions quickly to avoid creating new hazards.

How the city is responding to complaints

The Philadelphia Streets Department did not disclose what is causing the damage to the speed cushions but encourages residents to report roadway damage by calling 311 or using the city’s mobile app or website.

Some residents feel that repairs are not always thorough. "This is kind of something they do all the time where they’ll half fix a problem, or they’ll put a problem up half hazardously, and then it breaks and they created another problem," said one resident.

People in the area say they want safer streets, but also want the city to use better materials and fix the speed cushions properly when they break.

What we don't know:

It is not clear what is causing the speed cushions to break or when repairs will be made. 

The city has not provided details on plans to change the materials or improve the repair process.