A community organization in Northeast Philadelphia is suing PennDot, SEPTA, and State Rep. Jared Solomon over a $27 million plan to install bike lanes and reduce vehicle lanes on Castor Avenue between the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Oxford Circle to Cottman Avenue.

The lawsuit, filed by civic group Take Back Your Neighborhood, alleges that the project “proceeded without validated safety data, without credible traffic studies, and against the will of the community.”

The road construction project, scheduled to break ground in 2027, would reduce Castor Avenue from four lanes to two and have dedicated left-turn lanes and separated bike lanes. The project would also implement streetscape improvements — installing pedestrian streetlights, repairing damaged sidewalks, and planting new trees.

Business owners have expressed concern over increased traffic congestion and reduced parking along the commercial corridor. In the lawsuit, the project was cited as “overkill and blown out of proportion.”

“We don’t understand why somebody would want to reduce the roads because you won’t get them back,” Robert Rudnitsky, president of Take Back Your Neighborhood, told WHYY.

“The biggest concern is parking,” he told WHYY. “Right now, we have good parking. The second concern is the reduction of traffic. And three solid years of this road being torn up. Most of these businesses will not make it through three years. And they’re not going to apply for the insurance.”

Solomon, who represents the project’s district and has been spearheading the project, said his goal for the reconstruction was improved safety and security for his constituents.

“If you look at the stats, the number of fatalities and the number of accidents speak for themselves. This is not a safe corridor,” he said.

Between 2018 and 2022, 197 crashes were reported on Castor Avenue, which resulted in five fatalities, according to the state.

Lane reduction, also known as a “road diet,” is a transportation planning technique used to increase road safety. Studies have shown a lower crash rate when a road diet is installed on a four-lane roadway, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

The redesign for Castor Avenue was based on community feedback from meetings held throughout the fall as well as a survey, which received 571 responses in five different languages, according to the latest updates from the state.

The project is the largest neighborhood investment in decades, Solomon said. “We have engaged every business, residents young and old alike, and the overwhelming consensus is this is a positive development.”

Meanwhile, Rudnitsky told WHYY he supported the beautification of the avenue and bike lanes.

“Just don’t touch the road,” he said.