The decision was unanimous—this morning, the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) Finance Committee moved to build a pedestrian and bicycle ramp on the Ben Franklin Bridge. The ramp will replace a three-story stair tower on the bridge’s New Jersey side, which will let pedestrians, bicyclists, and wheelchair users get to and from Philadelphia with ease.

Since the DRPA Finance Committee approved a draft Capital Program that excluded the long-promised ramp, TSTC and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia have worked to get the project restored. Today, we’re pleased to report that there’s a timeline on the ramp’s construction:

• A consultant to design the ramp will be chosen in the next 3-4 months;
• The design phase will take around 6 months and is expected to cost DRPA around $350,000;
• Near the end of 2012, when the ramp design is complete, DRPA believes it may be awarded about $1 million of federal and private foundation money, which would cover about 1/3 of the project’s estimated $3.2 million price tag;
• The proposed construction phase will began in 2013 and be complete by early 2014.

While a number of steps remain before the ramp is built, there is reason to believe that the project will come to fruition. Speaking to other board members, DRPA Finance Committee Chairman Jeffrey Nash said that spending money on the project design and then not building the ramp would be “foolish” and “a waste of time.” The board, he said, was “intent on getting it done.”