Roosevelt Boulevard (Philadelphia)

Infobox U.S. Route
article_route=1
alternate_name=Roosevelt Boulevard


length_mi=15.7
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length_ref= [ [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=I-76+and+Roosevelt+Blvd,+Philadelphia,+Pennsylvania&daddr=Roosevelt+Blvd+and+Lincoln+Hwy,+Philadelphia,+Pennsylvania&sll=40.074656,-75.05928&sspn=0.126102,0.32135&ie=UTF8&ll=40.06257,-75.085716&spn=0.126124,0.32135&z=12&om=1 I-76 & Roosevelt Expy, Philadelphia, PA 19131 to Roosevelt Blvd & Lincoln Hwy, PA - Google Maps] ]
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direction_a=South
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Roosevelt Boulevard (official name, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Boulevard), often referred to simply as "the Boulevard," [ [http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/16225845.htm "Focus on lethal Roosevelt Blvd.," "The Philadelphia Inquirer", December 13, 2006] ] is a major traffic artery through North and Northeast Philadelphia. The road begins at the Schuylkill Expressway in Fairmount Park, running as a freeway also known as the Roosevelt Boulevard Extension or the Roosevelt Expressway through North Philadelphia, then transitioning into a twelve-lane divided highway that forms the spine of Northeast Philadelphia to its end at the city line.

Historically, Roosevelt Boulevard is a part of the Lincoln Highway, the first road across America which spanned 3389 miles from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park on the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco, California.

Today, Roosevelt Boulevard is designated as U.S. 1 for its entire length, with small portions designated as U.S. Route 13 (between Hunting Park Avenue and Robbins Street), and Pennsylvania Route 63 (between Red Lion and Woodhaven Roads). [http://www.phillyroads.com/roads/roosevelt/ The Roads of Metro Philadelphia: Roosevelt Expressway (US 1)] ]

The road is notorious for two intersections which have been designated the second and third most dangerous intersections in the country by State Farm Insurance, at Red Lion Road and Grant Avenue respectively. [http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/06/27/dangerous.intersections/ "List of 'most dangerous' intersections released," "CNN", June 27, 2001] ] The dangerous reputation of the road led to installation of the first red light cameras in Philadelphia in 2004. The road has been the scene of numerous pedestrian casualties and studies are underway to allow pedestrian traffic to be separated from vehicular traffic. [ [http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php?id=103676&utm_source=ny_070207&utm_medium=enews&utm_content=story "Study Evaluates the Effectiveness of Red Light Camera Enforcement in Philadelphia," "Government Technology", January 31, 2007] ]

Route description

The Roosevelt Boulevard Extension, also known as the Roosevelt Expressway, begins at the Schuylkill Expressway in Fairmount Park adjacent to the Philadelphia city line, as an expressway also known as the Roosevelt Boulevard Expressway U.S. Route 1 . It crosses the Schuylkill River and runs eastward through the neighborhoods of East Falls and Hunting Park. East of Broad Street (Pennsylvania Route 611), U.S. Route 13 merges in from the south, and it transitions into Roosevelt Boulevard proper, a 12-lane surface arterial with local and express lanes and at-grade intersections.cite web|url=ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_PDF_FILES/MAPS/Statewide/otm/2006/otm_2006.PDF|title=Pennsylvania Official Tourism and Transportation Map 2006|format=PDF|accessdate=2007-03-26]

The road continues east through Hunting Park and Feltonville, where it curves and starts running in a northeasterly direction. It meets Oxford Avenue (Pennsylvania Route 232) at a large traffic circle known as Oxford Circle (the express lanes pass through the circle via an underpass). The road carries northbound U.S. Route 13 one more mile until it splits off onto Robbins Street and Levick Street (both one-way streets). The road continues to a large interchange with Cottman Avenue (Pennsylvania Route 73) and the Roosevelt Mall and a traffic circle with Holme Avenue known as the Pennypack Circle. It continues past Pennypack Park and Northeast Philadelphia Airport, passing through two notoriously dangerous intersections with Grant Avenue and Red Lion Road.

The road continues northeast, interchanging with Woodhaven Road (Pennsylvania Route 63), then narrowing as it approaches its end at an intersection on the Philadelphia-Bucks County border. After 2 traffic light intersections in Trevose in Bensalem Township, U.S. 1 continues as a freeway to the north.

History

Proposed in 1903 by Mayor Samuel H. Ashbridge as part of the City Beautiful movement, the 300-foot-wide thoroughfare originally extended from Broad Street to the Torresdale neighborhood, and was first named Torresdale Boulevard, then Northeast Boulevard in 1914 when the road was completed. On its extension to Pennypack Creek in 1918, it was finally renamed to Roosevelt Boulevard, in honor of Theodore Roosevelt. The road was designated U.S. 1 in 1926, and was extended through Philadelphia to neighboring Bucks County in the post-World War II years.

The Roosevelt Expressway was built to connect the boulevard with the nearby Schuylkill Expressway (I-76).

There have been several plans to change the boulevard into an expressway-like artery, like the Roosevelt Expressway itself, and construct a subway underneath the boulevard, but no such plans have been acted upon.

Today, Roosevelt Boulevard is among the most congested arteries in the country. According to a 2001 report by State Farm Insurance, the second- and third-worst intersections in the country are both found on the Boulevard, at Red Lion Road and Grant Avenue, respectively, only a mile apart from each other. Red-light enforcement cameras have been installed at these intersections, as well as Cottman Avenue, and have been operational since June 1 2005. New cameras installed at the intersections with Southampton Road, Welsh Road, Rhawn Street, Levick Street, Rising Sun Avenue, and Mascher Street became operational in summer 2007. Additional plans include adding cameras at Tyson Avenue and Devereaux Avenue.

Major intersections

Note: Mileage is distance along U.S. Route 1 from the Maryland border.

Roosevelt Expressway

Roosevelt Boulevard

PAint
county=Philadelphia
cspan=8
location_special=Northeast Philadelphia
lspan=8
type=mplex
mile=55.32
road=
street=Hunting Park Avenue
notes=PAint
mile=58.87
road=
street=Oxford Avenue
notes=PAint
type=mplex
mile=59.65
road=
street=Robbins Street
notes=Northbound one-way pair of US 13.PAint
type=mplex
mile=59.71
road= US 13
street=Levick Street
notes=Southbound one-way pair of US 13.PAint
mile=60.79
road=
street=Cottman Avenue
notes=PAint
mile=63.14
road=
street=Welsh Road
notes=Southern terminus of PA 532.PAint
type=mplex
mile=64.88
road=
street=Red Lion Road
notes=PAint
type=mplex
mile=66.23
road=
street=Woodhaven Road
notes=Interchange.

References

External links

* [http://www.phillyroads.com/roads/roosevelt/ Phillyroads.com] Article covering history of the Boulevard
* [http://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-images Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network] - historical maps and atlases of Philadelphia
* [http://www.pahighways.com/us/US1.html Article on US-1 with history of Roosevelt Boulevard]