Improving auto risk mitigation on Philadelphia’s most dangerous road

/in /by

1/6/25

Kyle Langan

The cost of risk mitigation

Risk mitigation inherently comes at a cost. Mark Spitznagel says we “lower our risks and it costs us money, but hey—we’re able to sleep at night.” [1]

Central Philadelphia employed some auto risk mitigation tactics effectively on the Saturday night after Christmas. The center city area had some sections closed off with police/fire personnel stationed appropriately in the area of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The mitigation served as a redemption for absent mechanisms on the night prior.

The city was lucky that no pedestrians were injured or killed on Friday night, 12/27

On Friday after Christmas, the Broad St at Cherry St area was missing a strategic allocation of closed streets and police traffic direction to prevent Helter Skelter in the streets. Center city Philadelphia looked dangerous for pedestrians as it saw roughly 20,000 attendees on foot near the PA Convention Center, which hosted its “Hijinx” concert on Friday, Dec 27th and Saturday, Dec 28th.

Tactical vs. Strategic mitigation

Last summer, Aaron Moselle coined Broad Street “Philly’s most dangerous roadway.” [2] This was a brilliant way to describe it. It has 6-lanes: 3 going north, 3 going south, with a 25 MPH speed limit. Many drivers go 30 MPH and higher. A walking pedestrian can witness these speeds practically while on a visit to City Hall.

At the half-way point of 2024, Philadelphia was on pace for 102 deaths resulting from traffic crashes. [3] Nearly half of them were pedestrians. [4]

Frequency: ~ 51 pedestrian accident deaths per year in Philadelphia

How might pedestrian victims’ families feel afterward? Imagine, the last time parents ever see their child is Christmas day, and before the New Year arrives, their child is killed by an auto.  The occurrence of an auto collision is quite easy to envision with 20,000 additional pedestrians in a highly concentrated circumference around the PA Convention Center. A lack of vigilance from convention center attendees can also bring concerns. Finally, an event may bring even more indirect pedestrians, e.g. individuals selling merchandise to the attendees.

The best outcome in a hypothetical auto accident results in a simple fender bender handled by two properly-insured parties, to repair their damaged autos. The worst outcome is one of the 51 annual pedestrians struck and killed by an auto in Philadelphia.

Tactically, Philadelphia responded to this potential peril with some safety improvements on Saturday, in contrast to Friday. However, a strategic mitigation plan would have the surrounding area of the Convention Center proactively shut down for the entire duration of the event.

Broad Street should implement the following strategic mechanisms

Recommendations for the Broad St at Cherry St Area during large events at the PA Convention Center:

  • Lower speed limits;
    • Recommendation: 20 MPH (20% reduction).
  • More police cars focused on traffic stops for speed, reckless driving and DUI concerns;
    • Recommendation: Pinal County, AZ sets a great example for this, and documents it publicly.
  • Full streets or certain blocks get shut down for the duration of the event bringing increased pedestrians;
    • Recommendation: Downtown Miami, FL has practical experience successfully organizing this for its’ event, “Ultra Music Festival.”

The Most Important Risk Transfer?

The pace for over 100 auto-related deaths in one city per year shows why Auto Insurance remains the most important kind to purchase. Autos move, and humans operate them. This is why any owner of autos should partner with an expert to confirm adequacy of Auto Insurance, especially for a commercial fleet.

Conclusion: Strategic mitigation is critical

Strategic risk mitigation: Close the immediately surrounding streets of a facility’s venue proactively, at a defined time interval that is communicated in advance of the event. Street signs should make drivers aware. A temporary street sign may read “SOME STREETS CLOSED; CAUTION: SLOW FOR INCREASED PEDESTRIANS” or something of that nature.

Example: Ultra Music Festival in Downtown Miami, FL

References

[1] Bradley, R. (2023, September 20). Universa’s Mark Spitznagel on making money while markets crash. Worth. https://worth.com/universas-mark-spitznagel-on-making-money-while-markets-crash/

[2, 3] Moselle, A. (2024, July 8). PPA is getting ready to install speed cameras along Philly’s most dangerous roadway. WHYY. https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-speed-cameras-broad-street-traffic-safety/