BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
Read the Inquirer's coverage of TFP from over the weekend.
5th Square has beenĀ working to build a political constituency around our transit work over the past few years and we're thrilled to join forces with some heavy hitters in the Pennsylvania non-profit and advocacy world.
This new 10-member coalition will give transit suppoters a much louder voice in achieving the changes we want to see in the region's transportation priorities as we strive to improve equity and ridership on public transit.
The coalition has already hired a full-time organizer, Yasha Zarrinkelk, and we will be co-hosting the launch eventĀ thisĀ Thursday, March 5th starting at 5:30 PM with guest speakers:
- SEPTA GM Leslie Richards,
- Chris Puchalsky of OTIS, and
- Councilmember Helen Gym.
Join the fight for better mobility in Philadelphia.
Become a member today to help us advocate for better transit and to guide the conversation of this new coalition!
Vote with Us This Election Season
It's primary election season, not just for the Presidency, but also for our influential state legislature, which holds the keys to all kinds of transportation and planning issues we work on.
After closing our preliminary straw poll, we're readying our endorsement recommendations for an approval vote by our dues-paying membership.Ā Join us today to have a voice in this process.
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CALLING LOCAL ILLUSTRATORS
5th Square is interested in commissioning an original illustration for a new t-shirt this spring. We want to hear your ideas for conveying our vision of a more walkable, bikeable, accessible city with great public transit and public spaces. This is a paid opportunity. If interested, please reply to this email or email [email protected].
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EVENTS
Thursday, March 5th, 5:30 - 7:30 PM
ā Transit Forward Philadelphia | Launch EventĀ ā
Come learn about why this group of organizations has joined together to fight for better transit, what SEPTA and the Kenney administration want to accomplish, and how everyoneātransit riders, community organizations, and residentsāwho want to improve public transit in Philadelphia and its suburbs can join this fight alongside us.
Monday, March 9th, 6 - 7 PM
ā 5th Square Transit Committee | March MeetingĀ ā
Join us at Kismet where we'll talk about some of our recent transit advocacy wins, discuss 5th Square's draft Fare Plan, and the new Transit Coalition. We'll also get a short briefing on how transit issues are being addressed as part of budget discussions in Harrisburg.
Wednesday, March 4th, 5 - 8 PM
DVRPC | Frankford Ave Open House
You can stop by anytime between 5 PM and 8 PM to learn about potential improvements and identify other opportunities for transportation changes on Frankford Ave between Cottman Avenue and Rhawn Street.
Wednesday, March 4th, 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Event Series Kick-off: Connecting the Dots on //Public Space//
Connect the Dots and THINK.urban are hosting a networking happy hour. Join them at Tattooed Mom's for networking and discussion with other practicing urbanists involved professionally in public space, placemaking, outreach and surveying, and other public engagement work in Philadelphia.
Thursday, March 5th, 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
DAG | Historic Preservation, Public Memory and Social Justice
Faye Anderson is this month's guest speaker at Design Advocacy Group, discussing race and preservation, and efforts to preserve Philadelphia's Black historical footprint.
Thursday, March 5th, 6:30 - 9:30 PM
GRASP | South Philly State Rep. Meet-&-Greet
Join GRASP at Second District Brewing for a meet-and-greet with candidates running for all PA State Rep positions in South Philadelphia - these districts include the 175th, 182nd, 184th, 185th, and 186th.Ā
Saturday, March 7th, 10 AM - 4 PM
BCGP | Vision Zero Conference 2020
For six years, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphiaās Vision Zero Conference has been bringing leaders and expert voices from around the Delaware Valley and the country into Philadelphia for a day of talks, panels, and workshops.
Thursday, March 12th, 6:30 - 8 PM
DRWC | Graffiti Pier Public Engagement Meeting
Join the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation to discuss the project priorities generated by the first round of engagement and tag, write or speak your feedback in an interactive exhibition of ideas on the future of Graffiti Pier.
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5TH SQUARE IN THE NEWS
Thanks to our volunteers, we were able to pack SEPTA's Board meeting last week to support free transfers. Dozens of our advocates turned out to give public comment, and held up 'One City / One Fare' signs to drive home our message ask to eliminate the transfer penalty. This comes in advance of SEPTA's impending fare policy proposal, due out in mid-March. We were thrilled to hear this messageĀ echoed by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier and Deputy Managing Director Mike Carroll!Ā A big thank-you to everyone who came and to all the advocates joining this fight.
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As Supervised Injection Sites (SIS) have made headlines over this past week, 5th Square issued a letter of support, saying 'Yes in My Back Yard' to this controversial but necessary approach to our wildly out-of-control public health emergency. We want to express our compassion for those experiencing addiction and are disappointed that many of our elected officials fail to treat this issue with the same gravity as any other disease affecting so many of our citizens. Sign-on to our letter and use the #YIMBYforSIS hashtag to share personal messages of support.
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How will Pennsylvania pay for its looming infrastructure and transit shortfalls? Acting PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian says congestion ricing and rush hour highway tolling have to be on the table as a part of the funding mix. We support this innovative way to free up our road space in favor of more sustainable transit and active transportation, and applaud Secretary Gramian's efforts to start the conversation here in Pennsylvania.Ā
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