Weekly Newsletter, Issue 144 5th Square is Philadelphia's urbanist political action committee, organizing and advocating for better transportation, land use, and public space policies. Our advocacy is supported by over 260 members giving as little as $5 a month. 🏛️ ACTION: SUPPORT OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR SAFETY, HEALTH & MOBILITY Last week, Mayor Kenney delivered his annual budget address to City Council and 5th Square is excited to see many of our top priorities in the Mayor's proposal. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 143 5th Square is Philadelphia's urbanist political action committee, organizing and advocating for better transportation, land use, and public space policies. Our advocacy is supported by over 260 members giving as little as $5 a month. 🚋 ACTION: HELP SAVE OUR TROLLEY SERVICE SEPTA’s purchase of the site at 6901 Elmwood Avenue would grow access to jobs, drive economic development, and reduce car reliance throughout the region. We need your help to make this happen Continue reading

We are announcing the launch of our campaign for funding SEPTA’s Trolley Modernization Project starting with an online petition. Continue reading

5th Square is providing the following press release in reaction to the news that SEPTA may temporarily close Kensington’s Somerset Station over safety issues. Continue reading

In the 100-plus years since Jacques Gréber designed the Ben Franklin Parkway, the ways in which Philadelphians have moved in and utilized public spaces has changed dramatically.  Continue reading

5th Square is providing the following press release in reaction to newly-released SEPTA 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.    Continue reading

5th Square is providing the following press release in reaction to newly-released City Transit Plan: Continue reading

PennDOT just finished their work on the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge and the new westbound protected bike lane looks amazing! Continue reading

Thank you for signing our petition calling on SEPTA to adapt to the pandemic and grow its ridership by Restoring Service & Lowering Fares on Regional Rail. We have some big news to share! Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 135 5TH SQUARE IN THE NEWS - 🚉 The Future of Regional Rail The Inquirer's Pat Madej poses the existential question facing SEPTA's regional rail system -- Without commuters, what will happen to SEPTA Regional Rail?  Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 134 ACTION PennDOT’s is accepting public comment on their I-95 proposal for road work near the Frankford Arsenal in Northeast Philly. 🚵‍♀️ Demand safe bike and pedestrian facilities here! Continue reading

We have some small but exciting news to share about our campaign to reform regional rail fares and service in our region.As part of their FY2022 Work Program (still open for public comment), the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) will conduct a study of regional rail fare equity and restructuring. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 133 🚸 MANTUA TRAFFIC SAFETY PROJECT Do you live, work, or travel through the Mantua neighborhood in West Philly? Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 132 Note: This newsletter will be a special one with two urgent action items and a celebration of all the work we have done in the past year! Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 131 ❄️ HOLIDAY PARTY + 2020 URBANIST AWARDS Join 5th Square for our year-end Holiday Party over Zoom on Thursday, December 17th at 6:00 PM and our second annual Urbanist Awards ceremony! Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 130 🏆 Nominate Your Faves for Our Annual Urbanist Awards! Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 129 🏛️ PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN'S TRANSIT PLANS It was thrilling to see the pivotal role our region played in tipping the votes for President-elect Joe Biden in last week's Presidential election, and 5th Square is proud of the work our members and volunteers did helping turn out the vote in their communities on Election Day. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 128 🏞️ WIN FOR SAFETY ON COBBS CREEK PKWY At a virtual stakeholder meeting hosted by Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center last Thursday, PennDOT and the Philadelphia Streets Department shared some promising plans to improve safety along Cobbs Creek Parkway. Continue reading

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Weekly Newsletter, Issue 127 🌆 TELL MAYOR KENNEY: VETO EXCLUSIONARY ZONING OVERLAY IN SOCIETY HILL Councilmanic Prerogative won another round for exclusionary zoning, and City Council passed Councilmember Mark Squilla's zoning overlay for Society Hill. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 126 🌆 REJECT EXCLUSIONARY ZONING IN SOCIETY HILL Society Hill NIMBY ('Not in My Back Yard') activists have been lobbying Councilmember Mark Squilla to help them make their neighborhood even more exclusive. Despite the Mayor vetoing this push last year, the bill is back and likely to pass City Council THIS THURSDAY. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 125 🚴 BIG WIN FOR GRAYS FERRY BRIDGE Remember that petition for a westbound protected bike lane on the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge we published last year? PennDOT and the City heard our request and is making it happen! PennDOT anticipates that a modular curb system with flexible delineator posts will be installed by the end of November 2020 on the westbound side of the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge over the Schuylkill River. This means that both westbound and eastbound sides of the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge will have protected bike paths! Continue reading

Remember that petition for a westbound protected bike lane on the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge we published a little over a year ago? We just got an exciting update from PennDOT! PennDOT anticipates that a modular curb system with flexible delineator posts will be installed by the end of November 2020 on the westbound side of the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge over the Schuylkill River. This project safety enhancement will make the boundary between the westbound bike lane and the adjacent vehicular traffic lane more visible to both drivers and bicyclists. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 124 🏞️ PETITION FOR A SAFER COBBS CREEK PKWY For far too long Cobbs Creek Parkway has been a deadly thoroughfare weaving through the western edge of West and Southwest Philadelphia. PETITION TO CHANGE THIS TODAY Continue reading

By Larissa Mogano, For 5th Square On Thursday, newly elected Register of Wills and 50-year resident of Southwest Philadelphia Tracey Gordon held a press conference at the entrance to the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center to address traffic safety concerns along one of Philadelphia’s most dangerous roads: Cobbs Creek Parkway. Jokingly dubbed “NASCAR” by other longtime neighbors, the topic of the press conference was definitely no laughing matter. We gathered to remember yet another young life lost in a completely preventable incident. 25-year-old Avante Reynolds leaves behind a 2-month-old baby after she was violently killed by a driver who left the scene. While we are frustrated with the careless and callous actions of one individual, the responsibility is not theirs alone. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 123 🛣️ RECOVERY STREETS - EXCITING NEWS TODAY: Join us for a webinar about our Recovery Streets Platform and hear about the progress Philadelphia has made to date plus exciting new initiatives.  Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 122 ⭐ CLAIM YOUR FREE SHIRT ⭐ We need just 7 more sign-ups in order to reach 200 members.   Help us reach this milestone before the end of summer and build for important advocacy and election campaigns coming up! We are now offering all new member sign-ups a FREE 5th Square T-Shirt delivered to your home. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 121 ⭐ FREE SHIRT OFFER ⭐ We need just 13 more sign-ups in order to reach 200 members.  Help us reach this milestone before the end of summer and build for important advocacy and election campaigns coming up! Become a member today & get a FREE 5th Square T-Shirt delivered to your home. Join us today to help support our advocacy and electoral work for a better, more sustainable Philadelphia! Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 120 ⭐ FREE SHIRT OFFER ⭐ Become a member today & get a FREE 5th Square T-Shirt delivered to your home. We need just 18 more sign-ups in order to reach 200 members. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 119 ⭐ FREE 5TH SQUARE SHIRT! ⭐ Become a member today & get a FREE 5th Square T-Shirt delivered to your home. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 118 ⭐ NEW MEMBER SIGN-UP OFFER ⭐ We are thrilled to kick-off a limited-time membership drive today. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 117 ⭐ BIG WINS FOR SEPTA FARES ⭐ After an extended advocacy period for SEPTA's new fare structure - set to kick in NEXT WEEK - we got news from a SEPTA board committee meeting that the agency is proposing the following changes in the 11th hour: Continue reading

We at 5th Square are thrilled to see SEPTA’s Budget, Planning, and Information Technology Committee recommend changes to their fare restructuring plan that move substantially in the direction of our Fair Fares advocacy platform. We thank all the volunteers who made calls, gave testimony before SEPTA, and spoke about these issues with their elected officials.  Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 116 🥇 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION VICTORIES After an exceptionally long campaign season followed by weeks of waiting for mail-in ballots results, the dust has settled and we finally know the winners in all of the races we endorsed in. Continue reading

5th Square provided the following oral testimony to Philadelphia City Council's Committee on Streets and Services on June 15th, 2020. We are testifying in support of Bills #200351, and #200352 - which make it easier for restaurants city-wide to operate sidewalk cafes, and authorizes the Streets Department to reallocate street space for the use of people during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 115 🌇 SUPPORT EMERGENCY HOUSING PROTECTIONS 5th Square supports the Emergency Housing Protection Act proposed by Councilmembers Gym, Brooks and Gauthier, and calls on the full City Council to pass the 5 bills voted out of committee.  Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 114 BLACK LIVES MATTER We take this moment to bear witness to the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and mourn every Black and Brown life lost due to racist actions and policies. Continue reading

HEY PHILLY VOTERS! Still haven't voted yet? This thread will list all the options you have to vote, from now until 8PM on Election Day (which is Tuesday)! Continue reading

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Weekly Newsletter, Issue 113 Primary elections are now on June 2nd due to COVID-19 -- request your mail-in ballot today and get it in by next Tuesday, May 26th! SUPPORT THE RECOVERY STREETS PLATFORM Continue reading

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Weekly Newsletter, Issue 112 Primary elections are now on June 2nd due to COVID-19 -- request your mail-in ballot today! 📫 DID YOUR MAIL-IN BALLOT ARRIVE? Many of our members got ours in the mail last week! Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 111 ENDORSEMENTS 5th Square is pleased to announce our 2020 endorsements for PA State House! The primary election is coming up on June 2nd and we are encouraging everyone to maintain social distancing by requesting their mail-in ballot today. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 110 ACTION 🚇 Sign TODAY to Support our Fair Fares Agenda! 🚍 Continue reading