Philadelphia Awarded Funding to Improve Safety at the Minerva and Shawmont Intersection

The City of Philadelphia has been awarded $804,936 in Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) grant funding to overhaul and enhance safety at the critical intersection of Shawmont Avenue and Minerva Street in Roxborough.

Improving Access to the Schuylkill River Trail

Shawmont Ave serves as a route for Upper Roxborough residents to access the Schuylkill River Trail. Additionally, road cyclists use Minerva and Umbria Streets to avoid the gravel surface of the Manayunk Canal Towpath. However, high-speed motor vehicle traffic along Minerva Street has long posed serious safety risks and direct conflicts for people traveling on bicycles

Key Infrastructure Improvements

The infrastructure improvement plan includes:

Modifying the intersection’s physical geometry to create a controlled three-way stop.
Updating roadway striping to define clear, dedicated bicycle lanes.

Google Street View image of the Shawmont and Minerva Street Intersection.

Ongoing Advocacy and Future Plans

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has advocated for safety interventions on Shawmont Avenue since the Shawmont section of the Schuylkill River Trail opened in 2013. The route is popular with road cyclists using the trail as it is an alternative to the gravel surface of the Manayunk Canal Towpath.

Additionally, the City plans future safety enhancements at the Shawmont Avenue and Nixon Street trail crossing; additional funding is needed for that phase of the project.