🍻 MEETUP NEXT THURSDAY
Our October meetup is at the Mural City Cellars Wine Garden in Fishtown. Next Thursday 10/13 @ 6:00pm
This is an outdoor, family-friendly event where we will provide updates on our recent campaigns. We will also be discussing mobility, safe streets, and access to transit specific to Fishtown and the Riverwards neighborhoods.
We are honored to welcome:
- Maria Quinones-Sanchez, former 7th District Councilmember and candidate for Mayor.
- Quetcy Lozada, Democratic nominee for the upcoming 7th Council District special election
🚋 NOTE TO POLITICIANS: DON'T MESS WITH TRANSIT
SEPTA's long-overdue trolley modernization project will transform our trolley system to be accessible, fast, and easy to use for everyone.
Right now, SEPTA is soliciting input on Trolley Station Design through an online survey.
As part of getting the ball rolling on this long-overdue project, we rallied transit riders last year to advocate for SEPTA's acquisition of a former GE site in Southwest Philly. Land that ultimately went to Amazon in a back-room political deal.
The Inquirer reports that a new warehouse on that site now sits empty, with Amazon failing to communicate its intentions for the property. The promised jobs have yet to materialize.
State Senator Anthony Hardy Williams, who was a key player in the deal with Amazon, says he now wishes he had supported SEPTA’s plan.
This is an about-face after earlier saying that our push for better transit was "not right, and frankly elitist."
We need politicians who will go to the mat for Philly's transit riders, who want to build a sustainable and equitable 21st-century city -- and not get distracted by empty promises from corporations who damage our city's urban fabric with industrial warehouses for the tenuous prospect of unstable, low-wage, non-union jobs.
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🔒 JUST FOR MEMBERS We are holding policy platform meetings for members only, over Zoom:
Come and help us shape our policy platform as we head into the 2023 campaign season for Philly City Council and Mayor's races! Join us for an hour-long virtual session where we will lay out our current platform and elevate issues you want us to push for in the upcoming electoral cycle. Become a 5th Square member today and shape our city policies! |
💰 BOUNTY FOR BLOCKED BIKE LANES
On an typical bike ride around Philly, how many vehicles will you see parked in the bike lane? What if you got paid a bounty for reporting them? A bill in NYC proposes just that.
Citylab writes about this effort and examines its potential for unintended consequences.
Illegal parking is not just a nuisance, it can have deadly consequences by blocking sightlines and forcing pedestrians and cyclists in lanes with moving traffic. Here at 5th Square, we believe in good roadway design being the first line of defense against bad motorist behavior, followed with unarmed enforcement as a strong deterrent.
EVENTS
October 5th - Meet at 7p, roll at 7:10p
Start: Race Street Pier, End: Frankford Hall
BEYOND ZONING: Building Circulation Reform and Infill Housing
Wed, October 5, 2022, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT
Livestream
Building codes are often overlooked for their impact on who builds housing, for whom and where. This panel will discuss the impacts of egress requirements in North American building codes on housing affordability, location and design.
“How I Moved House by Bicycle” with Nelson Chu Pavlosky
October 8 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Iffy Books, 319 N. 11th St. #3E
Nelson Chu Pavlosky will give a presentation on how he moved from one house to another entirely by bike. It was a 12-mile trip uphill, from South Philly to the Mt. Airy neighborhood.
DAG Public Space Working Group
Tue, October 11, 2022, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
Sister Cities Park, 210 North 18th Street
Join DAG at Sister Cities Park at 6pm for the second working group meeting to discuss concerns of public space in Philadelphia. Bring a current event article or topic to talk about.
DAG Spring Garden Connector Project
Thu, October 27, 2022, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EDT
Virtual
Join DAG and representatives to discuss the project history, design best practices, funding, and future actions.
SURVEYS & EMAIL ACTIONS
- Trolley Modernization Station Design Feedback - SEPTA now has examples of trolley station designs that were based on the earlier survey and would like feedback for two new designs.
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SEPTA Bicycle and Micromobility Survey - SEPTA wants to understand how riders incorporate bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc. into their transit trips.
- West Mt Airy Neighbors Association wants to see an end to speeding vehicles on Lincoln Drive. If you missed the rally, you can sign their petition or pick up a yard sign.
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Vision Zero Conference 2023 survey - provide feedback from this year's conference and suggest topics for 2023.
- 2022 SEPTA Key 2.0 Survey - The survey will help in developing the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the next generation fare collection program, SEPTA Key 2.0. You can take the survey online, call in at (215) 580-7145 and selecting OPTION #3 (Commendations and Complaints) to take the survey over phone, or email [email protected] for a screen reader friendly PDF.
- Support Tiffany Fletcher's Sons- Crowdfunding for the family of the Parks & Rec employee caught in crossfire at Mill Creek Park.
WHAT WE'RE READING
🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE
San Francisco Examiner /
🌳 PUBLIC SPACE
Feet First Philly Public Space Enhancement Mini-Grant - Feet First Philly is partnering with the Department of Public Health to provide funding for mini-grants of $500 to $2000 to create public space enhancements and safety improvements where they are needed the most. Residents and community groups in low income communities and communities of color are strongly encouraged to apply. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, October 11th at 11:59PM.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Wednesday Night Rides is looking for volunteers to help plan routes, assist with the rides, or any other input. If you enjoyed past rides, this is a good way to get involved.
BCGP’s 2022 Bicycle Counts - Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is looking for volunteers interested in helping us with this process between September 6 and October 28. Bike counts happen on weekday mornings and evening from 7:30 – 9:00 AM and from 4:30 – 6:00 PM, weather permitting. Sign up today!
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
City of Philadelphia /
- Research and Information Analyst 1 (Public Safety)
- Research and Information Analyst 1 (Health and Human Services)
CARIE / Advocate
AARP /
Sustainable Business Network / Board Member
SEPTA / Director, Real Estate
Philadelphia Orchard Project /
Robert Schalkenbach Foundation / Full Stack Geospatial Developer
Climate Emergency Advocates / Voter Registration Field Director, Philadelphia
Northern Liberties Neighbors Association / Executive Director
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection / Environmental Community Relations Specialist
Habitat for Humanity / Chief Financial Officer
Center City District / Retail Development Manager
Tri-State Transportation Campaign / Active Transportation Coordinator
Free Library of Philadelphia / Library Assistant 1
Office of Congressman Dwight Evans / Digital Media Manager
Northern Liberties Neighbors Association / Executive Director
Transit Forward Philadelphia / Coalition Manager
Tiny WPA /
City of Philadelphia / Senior Director, Data and Analytics
Center City District / Retail Development Manager
Shift Capital / Development Finance Manager
- Executive Director
- Transportation Planner, Office of Freight and Clean Transportation
- Transportation Modeler / Analyst
Lawrence Hopewell Trail / Executive Director
Lutheran Settlement House / Administrative Assistant
jawnt / Customer Success Manager
Oonee / Chief of Staff to the CEO
5th Square is Philadelphia's urbanist political action committee.
We're an all-volunteer grassroots organization advocating for safe and affordable transportation, abundant housing, and more and better public spaces. You’re receiving this email if you signed up via our website, attended one of our events, or supported one of our advocacy campaigns.
Support our advocacy with a recurring monthly contribution of $5.