newsletter_119 - 5th Square

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 119

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ACTION

🚴 HELP LEGALIZE PROTECTED BIKE LANES

Currently, parking-protected bike lanes aren't allowed under PA law. A bill to fix that is nearing the finish line in Harrisburg right now, but it needs another push to get it over, with a vote of the full Senate.

We are signal-boosting an action by the Bicycle Coalition to help get this important bill passed.

Will you take a few minutes today to send an email to your State Senator making two requests?

Ask their leadership to bring SB565 up for a final floor vote
Vote YES on SB565 when it does come up for a final floor vote

Email Now

🚌 SEPTA's COVID-19 RECOVERY SURVEY

To help SEPTA continue to respond to the region’s changing travel needs and adjust service as ridership increases, they have released a survey seeking input from riders.

Customer feedback is critical to helping SEPTA improve its services.

Take the Survey

🚌 FEDERAL TRANSIT FUNDING RELIEF FOR PA

Transit agencies across the country are bleeding millions of dollars weekly due to the impacts COVID-19 is having on both ridership and the economy. U.S. Congress needs to invest the $32 billion to address this projected shortfall.

Unless Congress delivers more relief, this shortfall will mean fare hikes, service cuts, and shutdowns.

5th Square stands with labor, environmental, business and community orgs from across PA in asking our Senators to make sure that they include federal transit funding relief in the next stimulus package, the HEROES Act.

We are actively seeking more organizations to sign-on to this letter to Senate. If you are an authorized representative of your organization, please join us by signing!

Federal Transit Funding Relief Now

Also, stay tuned for an announcement of an upcoming tele-townhall with PA Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Dwight Evans, SEPTA GM Leslie Richards, and more about the need for transit funding relief for the state of Pennsylvania.

📅 EVENTS

Monday, July 20th, 7 PM
⭐ 5th Square Transit | SEPTA Wayfinding and Branding Update ⭐

Join 5th Square Transit for a discussion about recent work at SEPTA on wayfinding and branding, and how this fits into upcoming 5th Square priorities like trolley modernization, the bus network redesign, and more. We will be joined by Lex Powers, Long Range Planner with SEPTA Strategic Planning & Analysis.

Monday, July 20th, 6 - 7 PM
Young Professionals in Transportation | Philly Jeopardy Night

The sun is shining, the sky is clear...but things are still not fully open. Luckily, YPT Philly has at least one of your evenings covered, and all for a good cause. Join them for their first virtual Jeopardy Night! In a round-robin format, we will ask you the toughest transportation trivia from Philly and abroad. You can be on a team or go solo but we ask each participant to pay $5 to play, with all of the money going to Philabundance to fight hunger in our community.

Wednesday, July 29th, 12:30 PM
⭐ 5th Square | Anti-Racism Book Club Discussion ⭐

5th Square will be hosting a series of book club discussions to promote an ongoing discussion around racial justice in our community. Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman will lead a conversation on the first book we're reading together, "Clean and White," about the history of environmental racism in the United States. We'll be restarting our regular monthly meetings this summer, and are excited to broaden the conversation with these book club discussions as well.

📰 FEATURED NEWS

Thanks to the quick action of 5th Square working alongside many of our fellow environmental advocacy organizations like Clean Air Council, PennFuture, PennEnvironment, we were able to get many of our local members of the PA House to vote "No" on HB 2025 last week.

The bill passed, but thankfully fell five votes short of the margin needed to overcome the Governor's veto - which Gov. Wolf has indicated he will do.

Keystone Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant in Armstrong County, about 50 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

(Capital-Star photo by Stephen Caruso)

HB 2025 promised to strip Governor Tom Wolf's ability to enter into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)—a regional cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions between the governments of CT, DE, MD, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT.

Joining RGGI sends a very strong message that Pennsylvania is serious about climate change and is serious about limiting our greenhouse gas output here inside the commonwealth. Thank you for your emails last week in protecting this important action.

📋 SURVEYS

SEPTA | SEPTA COVID-19 Travel Survey

To help SEPTA continue to respond to the region’s changing travel needs and adjust service as ridership increases, they have released a survey seeking input from riders.

Univ. of Penn | Examining Influences on the Work Commute Mode Choices of Essential Workers in Philadelphia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

You are invited to take part in a research survey examining influences on work commute mode choice in Philadelphia being conducted by the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

City of Philadelphia | Submit Your Thoughts on the Future of the Christopher Columbus Statue in Marconi Plaza

Like many communities across the country, Philadelphia is in the midst of a broad reckoning about the legacy of systemic racism and oppression in this country. Part of that reckoning is putting a spotlight on what historical figures deserve to be commemorated in our public spaces.

WHAT WE'RE READING

🌳 PUBLIC SPACE

WHYY | West Philly’s roller skating medical worker is turning an old park into ‘Skate U’

WHYY | East Passyunk nixes street closure for restaurant seating; NoLibs forges ahead

Pennsylvania Capital-Star | In bipartisan vote, House blocks Wolf from entering regional climate initiative; Senate vote awaits

The Philadelphia Inquirer | As pandemic continues, safe injection sites could save more lives

Billy Penn | Designers reveal plans for Graffiti Pier as a waterfront park

The New York Times | I’ve Seen a Future Without Cars, and It’s Amazing

🚌 TRANSIT

Roll Call | House to vote Wednesday on massive infrastructure bill - Roll Call

The Philadelphia Inquirer | Some SEPTA fare changes kick in Wednesday. Here’s what to know.

The Philadelphia Inquirer | SEPTA Key’s Travel Wallet, allowing riders to pay per trip, is coming to Regional Rail

🚴 MOBILITY

Grid Magazine | 22nd Street is Finally Getting a Protected Bike Lane

The Philadelphia Inquirer | Cyclist, 18, struck and killed by driver along Kelly Drive

The Philadelphia Inquirer | Bike shops are usually busy this time of year. Coronavirus took demand to the ‘next level.’

NPR.org | 'The Wrong Complexion For Protection.' How Race Shaped America's Roadways And Cities

NBC News | I'm tracking protesters rammed by cars. The data should scare you.

🏙️ LAND USE

nextcity.org | Philly’s Community Organizations Have a Critical Role In Development. Can They Play it Virtually?

The Philadelphia Inquirer | Philly landlords sue to overturn new coronavirus pandemic renter protections

The Philadelphia Inquirer | An analysis of Philly deeds reflects the challenges facing low- and moderate-income home buyers

The Philadelphia Inquirer | New owner of deteriorating, beloved, and contested Fishtown church asks to demolish it — quickly

NCRC | Study: Before COVID-19 and the protests, most of the nation was struggling, not booming » NCRC

nydailynews.com | NYC ‘density', exonerated

Revitalize, or Die. | The Real Parking Problem

Washington Post | Analysis | Black families pay significantly higher property taxes than white families, new analysis shows

Democracy Journal | The Post-Planning Pandemic

Volunteer with 5th Square

GRANT / PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES

Curb Usage | The Curb Lane: Call for Papers

Call for methodological and empirical works and scientifically based transportation research and pilot studies that can inform the academic community and practitioners on current curb usage behaviors and the future of curb space management, including COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia | Programs Manager, Creative Community Leadership Development

Ian Smith Design Group LLC | Architect/Designer II

Transit | Partner Communications

The Barnes Foundation | Director of Marketing and Social Media

Broad Street Ministry | Covid-19 Prevention Site Residential Tech

Benefits Data Trust (BDT) | Director of Policy

The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management | Emergency Management Liaison Officer

Clean Air Council | Transportation Outreach Coordinator

The Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, at Temple University | Director of Communications

Community Design Collaborative | Executive Director

WHYY PlanPhilly | Reporter

5th Square is Philadelphia's urbanist political action committee.

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Newsletter: 🌟 Free 5th Square Shirt (Limited Offer) 👕| 🚴 Help Legalize Protected Bike Lanes | 🏭 Limiting PA's Greenhouse Gases