Boulevard Speed Cameras Vote Today, Vidas for Council, Come to Our Party
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QUICK ACTION
We need all Vision Zero supporters to call their state Reps and ask them to vote YES on SB172 when it comes up for a vote in the House today. This is a key piece of state-level Vision Zero legislation which would legalize pilot programs for speed enforcement cameras in on Roosevelt Boulevard and in construction work zones. Supporters of the bill are optimistic, but we need to do some last-minute rallying of the Philadelphia delegation to get everyone behind the bill. Find your House member and ask them to support SB172.
EVENTS
Thursday, September 6th, 6:30 pm
'Building the Bicycling City' Book Launch Party
5th Square is hosting a book launch party at Firth and Wilson Transport Cycles with Modacity principals Melissa and Chris Bruntlett, to celebrate the release of their book "Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality." Before the event, starting at 5:30 we'll be hosting Streetsblog Chicago's Steven Vance for a members-only happy hour and Q&A. Become a 5th Square member to join!
Saturday, September 8th and Sunday, September 9th
Front Street Green Benefit
This 'Queen Village Stroll' restaurant crawl benefits QVNA's Front Street Green public space improvement
Sunday, September 9th, 12:00 pm
ABCs of Family Biking
Learn about different options for biking with kids from Firth & Wilson and 5th Square chair Dena Driscoll, during the Bok 3rd Annual B[L]OK PARTY. Southwark school playground at 8th & Mifflin.
Tuesday, September 11, 6:00 pm
Philly Women in GIS First Meetup
One of our newest members, Anna Wegbreit, is hosting the first meet-up for a new Women in GIS chapter for Philadelphia.
MERCH
Get our limited run artist series t-shirt, featuring an original illustration by Kate Otte. Proceeds from sales will go to fund our 2019 political activities for City Council races. You can get a shirt at half price ($10 instead of $20) if you become a member, and sign up for a $5 recurring monthly donation. 
NEWS
Lauren Vidas, a card-carrying 5th Square member, is running against incumbent Councilman Kenyatta Johnson for the 2nd Council District, reports Ryan Briggs at City & State PA, and she plans to emphasize issues like housing affordability and zoning reform during the campaign. "She said the city should experiment with community land trusts – city-affiliated nonprofit organizations that affordably lease housing to low-income buyers, sharing in equity along the way – and what she terms “strategic upzoning” to add more housing to the burgeoning district." Here is an interview with Vidas at the Feet First Philly blog talking about what Philly can do to improve pedestrian safety. Become a 5th Square member to have a vote on our Council endorsements, and sign up to volunteer to help with election activities next year.
Those dockless e-scooters haven't yet appeared in Philadelphia, but the political debate is already here. And it's also already been addressed by City Council. Earlier this year, the Kenney administration and Council passed a basic licensing framework for dockless mobility companies, but there are key details the administration still has to work out, like how many scooters will be allowed in operation. The Inquirer’s Samantha Melamed recently provided a helpful overview of how different cities have reacted, and some early polling suggests they're very popular. 5th Square’s Dena Driscoll wrote back in January that dockless mobility providers like e-scooters and dockless bikes could expand access to shared mobility options more quickly than the City can, and in areas of Philadelphia that the Indego roll-out won't reach for years.
SEPTA shared some station boarding figures for the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines for fiscal years 2017-2018. Although not as drastic as the declines in bus ridership, stations generally saw a continued decline since FY 2014, with both the BSL and MFL down 3-4%. Notably, the stations with a substantial amount of bus transfers saw heavy declines, for example, Arrott Transportation Center with a 24% decline since 2014. This indicates that the decline in bus ridership has meant also fewer riders feeding the subways, even as SEPTA Key should have theoretically streamlined the transfer process. Among the few stations with growth included those in Center City, Northern Liberties, and South Philadelphia, reflecting the increased development activity there."
OPPORTUNITIES
Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority is hiring a Director of their new Restore, Repair, Renew home preservation loan program, and are seeking proposals from lenders for the Small Landlord Loan Program
OHCD released an RFP for Affordable Rental and Special Needs Housing Development
Benefits Data Trust is hiring for several positions, including a Director of Development, Benefits Outreach Specialist, Policy Attorney and Privacy Officer
LISC announced the new Belinda Mayo Community Leadership Fund offering $500 for things like trainings or conferences
5th Square is Philadelphia's urbanist political action committee. We're an all-volunteer grassroots organization advocating for safe and affordable transportation, abundant housing, and more and better public spaces. You’re receiving this email if you signed up via our website, attended one of our events, or supported one of our advocacy campaigns. Support our advocacy with a recurring monthly contribution of $5.