Weekly Newsletter, Issue 188 🚍 FUTURE TRANSIT FUNDING With ridership still down since the start of the pandemic, public transit agencies around the country will be grappling with a fiscal cliff for operation. SEPTA will be able to support operations with CARES Act funding until 2024, but without service increases and with ongoing bus driver shortages, it may not be enough. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 186 📚 BOOK TALK WITH NOLAN GRAY 5th Square is pleased to welcome author M. Nolan Gray to Philadelphia for a book talk about his newly-published book about U.S. housing policy titled "Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It." The event will take place on Friday, June 24th at 7:30pm at Resurrection Philadelphia near 42nd and Baltimore Ave. Light refreshments (pizza, beer, and seltzer) will be served. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 186 📧 EMAIL KENNEY RE: WASHINGTON AVE Councilmember Mark Squilla has passed through the Streets & Services Committee the legislation needed for his part of Washington Ave east of 11th. However, Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, will not be amending the bill to include his section of Washington Ave from 11th St to Grays Ferry Ave. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 185 🥪 NORTHWEST MEETUP ON THURSDAY! Our next meet-up has moved to THIS THURSDAY, June 9nd at 6 PM over at Manayunk Crossing (next to the movie theater)! We will be discussing mobility, safe streets, and access to transit specific to Northwest Philly neighborhoods. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 184 😡 MAD ABOUT WASHINGTON AVE Ask City Council to prioritize safety for Washington Ave. Heard the news? The City's plans for safety measures on Washington Ave are being jeopardized by one person: Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson. Continue reading

Dear Morris Arboretum, I have a lot of fun memories at Morris Arboretum. It’s the perfect place for family reunions. (The fernery is always a hit.) And I’ve also been there on a date, a highschool field trip and a birthday celebration, and it never gets old. It’s no wonder that you attract 130,000 visits a year. It is, however, odd that nearly all of these visits will be made by motor vehicle. Continue reading

5th Square members and volunteers submitted the following comments to SEPTA’s FY2023 Capital Budget Public Hearings.   Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 182 🚲 HB 140: PARKING PROTECTED BIKE LANES A bill to legalize parking protected lanes in Pennsylvania had a hearing last month, which included testimony by Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia's executive director Sarah Clark Stuart among others. However, no vote has been called. There are a few parking protected bike lanes already, but these are only pilot programs. There is nothing to assure that these would be permanent. Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 182 🗳 2022 PRIMARY ELECTION INFO Endorsements Paul Prescod for the 8th Senate District Marylouise Isaacson for the 175th House District Joe Hohenstein for the 177th House District Jonathan Lovitz for the 182nd House District Elizabeth Fiedler for the 184th House District Andre Carroll for the 201st House District Continue reading

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 181 🗳 2022 PRIMARY INFO Did you get your mail-in ballot but are unsure what to fill in? Here are our picks for the primaries and ballot questions. Continue reading