Philadelphia does not have “E-Lanes” for distracted pedestrians. The Philadelphia Mayor’s Office played an April Fool’s Day joke on everyone to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted walking because so many pedestrians are looking at their phones while walking and getting injured.
From 2005 – 2012 there was a 400% increase in ER visits from pedestrians injured while distracted. Unfortunately, this problem has only gotten worse. As of 2017, look anywhere in Philly and you will see locals reading emails and texting while walking and tourists are hailing Uber drivers, using Google Maps for directions and posting pictures to Instagram and Snapchat.
The most infamous example of distracted walking in Philadelphia is the viral video of a man who walked off of a subway platform and fell onto the tracks below while looking at his phone.
The problem is not limited to Philly. In Honolulu police are now issuing tickets to distracted pedestrians. Fines start at $15 and increase more for repeat offenders.
If you’re interested, you can read more about the April Fool’s Day Joke here.