🚧 COBBS CREEK PARKWAY UPDATE
PennDOT will be having a meeting this Thursday to review and provide feedback for the 63rd Street/Cobbs Creek Parkway Safety Improvement Project. This covers 63rd St and Cobbs Creek Parkway from City Ave to Woodland Ave.
PennDOT has a proposal of improvements including:
- Traffic signal improvements and modernization
- Pavement marking and signing upgrades
- Road Diet/Lane Reduction on 63rd Street between Girard Avenue and Market Street
- Median and pedestrian crossing islands
- Curb bump outs
- Bus boarding island
- Guiderail and street lighting upgrades
All of these improvements have been in the works after organizations like 5th Square and Cobbs Creek Neighbors Association pushed for change. This should greatly enhance the current conditions for pedestrians and bus riders.
63rd Street/Cobbs Creek Parkway Safety Improvement Project
Thursday, July 21
Motivation High School Auditorium
5900 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
If you're unable to make the in-person event, you can also fill out a survey online.
🚲 HB140 UPDATE
Sarah Clark Stuart of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia wrote about the status of HB140, which was supposed to allow parking separated bike lanes. It's been amended with all sorts of things, some of which have nothing to do with bike lanes. The actual matter has been amended that the municipality must be compliant with the state's vehicle code, Title 75, otherwise it can't build a parking separated bike lane. This means that if the city somehow has an ordinance that conflicts with Title 75 or doesn't have a police officer enforcing the bike lane, the city cannot build it.
Curiously, HB140 included a section that lets the Attorney General appoint a special prosecuter for crimes that occur on SEPTA's jurisdiction. This is presumably an action in response to many high profile violent acts on SEPTA recently. Billy Penn ran an article last week that talks about the history of the SEPTA transit police which may give some insight to the plans underway. As always, we will keep you posted with more information as it becomes available.
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🏖 BEACH TRIP!
Our beach trip was moved to July 30th. If you couldn't make it, now's your chance to get in on the fun! We'll be meeting at 30th Street Station at 8:05am to ride the train to Atlantic City and catch some rays. Tickets are $60 for Adults 12+, $30 for children 5-11, kids 4 and under are free.
- Train & Jitney Fare
- Hoagie from White House Subs
- Food & 1 Drink or Appetizer from Landshark Bar & Grill
EVENTS
July 23rd from 11am – 2pm
FDR Park Meadows (1954 Pattison Ave)
Short information session about the importance of tree canopy, learn how to identify tree species, and then spend some time surveying. Please be prepared to work in our wild meadows, so long pants, closed shoes, sunscreen and bug spray are important.
Northwest Traffic Calming Committee Meeting
July 24 at 4:00 pm
Carpenter Lane Station (310 Carpenter Lane)
Please come to the NWTCC Organizing Meeting where will will discuss the next steps needed to make Lincoln Drive Safer for everyone. We will also discuss how to request traffic calming on your own neighborhood street as well as how to make walking to school safer this coming school year. Sign the corresponding petition if you haven't already.
59th Street Bridge Replacement Project
July 27th, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (Virtual)
The City of Philadelphia is planning to replace the 59th Street Bridge in West Philadelphia. The bridge plays an important role in connecting the neighborhoods of Wynnefield and Overbrook, crossing over the Amtrak and SEPTA rail lines. However, its condition has deteriorated over time. To ensure the long-term safety of the bridge, the City is working to replace it with one that is structurally sound, visually pleasing, and meets the needs of transportation users. Registration required.
GPLEX 360 Tour of Kensington + West Kensington
July 28th, 4:00pm
Meet at MFL Berks Station (1900 N Front St)
A bus tour of the Kensington neighborhood featuring the area's key business leaders, thinkers, and community members.
Saturday, July 30th from 9:30am - 3pm
More details forthcoming. This will once again start with FPC’s own “Walk and Talk”, followed by a strategy meeting around working groups, and concluded with a direct action training in collaboration with other Land/Housing Justice orgs.
Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia 50th Anniversary Gala & Awards
BCGP is celebrating their 50 year anniversary at the Ridgeland Mansion in Fairmount Park. Early Bird tickets available now through August 1. Event is Thursday, September 15.
Wednesday, August 10th, 5:00-9:00pm (rain date Weds 8/24)
7100 block of Germantown Avenue
Mt Airy CDC’s signature outdoor event is back for the first time since the pandemic. Come out and rediscover the community and small businesses that make our neighborhood unforgettable!
SURVEYS & EMAIL ACTIONS
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State National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Plan Survey - The NEVI Formula Program provides dedicated funding to Pennsylvania and other states to strategically deploy EV charging infrastructure and establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability.
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Vision Zero | Cecil B. Moore - DVRPC is conducting a survey about possible street safety implementations on Cecil B. Moore Ave from Willington Street to 10th Street.
- Reimagine the Parkway - Survey 1 This public survey is part of the first round of engagement to help refine the vision and goals for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Public Realm Plan and gather the priorities for uses of the Parkway from a diverse audience. As you take the survey, please think about the "Parkway" within the planning area focus.
WHAT WE'RE READING
🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE
NPR / There's a massive housing shortage across the U.S. Here's how bad it is where you live
Philadelphia Inquirer / How three new housing policies could help Philadelphians with home repairs and affordability
🌳 PUBLIC SPACE
Philadelphia Inquirer / Spanish-speaking families struggled to sign up for Parks and Rec summer camps. They organized to demand change.
The Philadelphia Citizen / How surplus state money could clean up Philadelphia — for good
Smart Growth America / Dangerous by Design 2022
Philadelphia Inquirer / Philadelphia city services reach crisis point as 1 in 7 municipal jobs sit vacant
GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS & CFPs
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ULI Philadelphia UrbanPlan for Communities Application - UrbanPlan, from the Urban Land Institute Philadelphia, aims to engage local community members in an interactive dialogue about the challenging issues, varying private and public sector roles, complex tradeoffs, and economics that are at play in land use in communities nationwide. This program is open to Citizens Planning Institute (CPI) graduates and/or Registered Community Organizations (RCO) board members/committee chairs and will be hosted on Thursday, August 18, from 8:30am-4:30pm in Philadelphia.
- Join the New Leaders Council PHL board! NLC trains and connects the local changemakers who champion equity and fuel progress. We invest in those historically excluded from leadership pipelines, yet are best equipped to solve our nation’s most challenging issues. More information is on their website.
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Applications for the Committee of Seventy’s 2022-2023 Buchholz Fellows program are now open! The Buchholz Fellows are emerging young leaders (recommended age is 25-35) working in the private or nonprofit sector. Fellows will have the opportunity to gain invaluable experience in nonprofit leadership by serving as one of our board members. Fellows are matched with a current board member who will serve as a mentor and advisor during the fellowship year.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Philadelphia City Council / Director of Communications for Councilmember Gautier
Transit Forward Philadelphia / Coalition Manager
PeopleForBikes / OpenStreetMap editor
US Dept of Transportation / Supervisory Transportation Specialist
PA Dept of Environmental Protection / Energy Program Specialist
Community Legal Services of Philadelphia / Communications and Social Media Associate
Rebuilding Together Philadelphia / Communications Manager
School District of Philadelphia /
Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon / Communications Assistant
Green Building United / Development Manager
Independence Blue Cross / Lead Provider Experience Measurement & Insights Lead
Comcast / Sr Specialist, Employee Communications
Nationalities Service Center / Various positions
Philadelphia Department of Public Health / Canvass Data Coordinator
Delaware Nature Society / Youth Development Coordinator - DEEC
Habitat for Humanity / Grants Coordinator
Women's Community Revitalization Project (WCRP) / Organizing Director
YIMBY Action / Development Associate
The New Pennsylvania Project / Chief Operating Officer
Robert Schalkenbach Foundation / Assistant Director
City of Philadelphia
- Complete Streets District Supervisor
- Equitable Engagement Manager
- Equitable Engagement Trainer
- Senior Infrastructure Coordinator
- Lifeguard
- Crossing Guard
- Community Development Corporations Program Manager
Civic Eagle / Various (Programmers, finance)
Smart Growth America / Thriving Communities program associate
5th Square is Philadelphia's urbanist political action committee.
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