Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr., who introduced the bill in June 2025, had delayed moving it forward while seeking safety data. PennDOT built the lane around Penn Square during road resurfacing, and the bikeway — marked with paint and flexible posts — opened in December. Without an ordinance, however, it remained temporary and could have been removed.

Young said he received safety information that addressed his concerns, but he did not provide details about the data. He said his office had wanted to assess how the infrastructure would improve safety and give people time to adjust to it.

The bill advanced out of the Streets and Services Committee, which Young chairs, on Oct. 5. Its passage in the full Council was welcomed by cycling advocates who had worried about the lane’s uncertain future.

The City Hall route closes a gap in Philadelphia’s bicycle network, said Corinne Lagermasini, executive director of 5th Square Advocacy. In prepared remarks, she said it had made travel safer for people walking, biking or using wheelchairs. She thanked Young for advancing the bill and urged Council to act more quickly on future safety projects.

Other road-safety proposals in Young’s 5th District remain stalled. They include a proposed bike lane on 16th Street between Market Street and JFK Boulevard, and a red-light enforcement camera at 22nd Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The City Council requested a hold on the camera location, according to the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s 2025 report on its red-light camera program.