Newsletter: 🏖️ Beach Trip & Meetup / 📱 SEPTA Contactless Fare / 🧪 Pennovation Car Dependency

Weekly Newsletter, Issue 242

🏖️ Beach Trip this Saturday

It looks like this Saturday is going to have perfect beach weather! Join us in a daytrip to Atlantic City by beach train! We have a fun day planned of hoagie-eating, jitney-riding, beach-laying, and of course, margarita-drinking.  

This Saturday, August 12th, 8AM - 7PM


🤝 Meetup next Thursday

Join 5th Square organizers and volunteers for an informal, in-person meet-up over at the Mural City Cellars garden in Fishtown!  This is an outdoor, family-friendly event.

We'll be talking with Riverwards area projects of interest to members in this part of the city, like two city efforts aimed at improving bike and pedestrian connections, the possibility of a Lehigh Ave rail park, and some other exciting things happening in the Fishtown/Kensingon area. 

Next Thursday
August 17, 2023, 6-8pm
Mural City Cellars Garden, 2211 Frankford Ave


📱 Join the Contactless Fare Pilot

SEPTA is starting to unveil contactless fare payment in it's system and YOU can be among the first to use it! The agency is looking for a small group of participants for participants, sign up today and give it a try.

When signing up, put "5th Square" as the organization.

If selected, you will be able to use a contactless bank card or Apple/Google Pay instead of a SEPTA Key card to tap into subways, buses and trolleys.


5th Square in the News
🧪 Pennovation Car Dependency

The Inquirer's Jake Blumgart wrote last week about the University of Pennsylvania's expansion plans for Pennovation Works which is slated to include a mammoth 10-story parking garage with 858 spaces.

Tim Tai / Inquirer Staff Photographer

The article gets the reaction from 5th Square member, and 64 bus commuter, Chris Aho on this plan.

“The sheer number of parking spots in the garage demonstrates that Penn isn’t being innovative with their planning,”... This is “infrastructure that locks us into the most dangerous and unsustainable mode of transportation that we have.”

"If anything, this area needs less space for cars and more room for buses and bikes — modes that reduce congestion."


🐕 Greyhound Issue on Podcast

Last week, Transit Forward Philly's Connor Descheemaker appeared on KYW's Bridging Philly podcast discussing Greyhound, transit equity, and the future for inter-city bus riders here in Philly.

Transit Forward Philly is a co-sponsor of our petition demanding Mayor Kenney and the Streets Department to provide shelter for waiting inter-city bus riders.

Join us in advocating for basic human rights for bus riders and sign our petition today!


You can help us make a walkable, transit-friendly city for everyone. Become a 5th Square member today for $5 a month. New Member signups get a free Blvd Subway T-Shirt!

Annual Subscriber, $60 per yearMonthly Subscriber, $5 per monthOne Year of Membership, Starting at $60


The best way to stay cool this summer is to rock our "Build the Roosevelt Blvd Subway" CROP TOP -- now in stock!

Looking to buy the T-Shirt? Click Here!


EVENTS

NightCycle and Northwest Night Rides: Ardmore Adventure
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2023 AT 7 PM, Rocky Steps
NightCycle and Northwest Nights join forces and team up with Lower Merion's Chris Leswing to take scene out to Armore for a nighttime preview of the Ardmore Rock &Ride course.

Thu, Sep 15, 2022 at 10:00 AM
2770 Red Lion Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114
Free Philadelphia Hiring Fair for those in the building and construction trades! Attention employers and jobseekers!

Bike MS: City to Shore Ride 2023
September 30 & October 1, 2023, Cherry Hill, NJ
Bike MS: City to Shore Ride was just named one of USA TODAY’s 10 best road cycling events for 2023! Find out why and cycle through the beautiful back roads and flat terrain of South Jersey along with a community of riders dedicated to changing the world for people with MS.


WHAT WE'RE READING

🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE

🌳 PUBLIC SPACE

🚌 TRANSIT

🚴 MOBILITY


GRANTS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Vacant and Abandoned Properties Dashboard
This dashboard helps community organizations in Philadelphia prioritize vacant and abandoned properties for anti-gun violence interventions.

Seeking
  • Product manager (to pair w/founder)
  • Project management
  • User researcher
  • UX design/strategy
  • Front end engineer w/mapping experience
  • Python data engineer

StreetBoxPHL - Right Of Way Roundtable
Are you a BID manager, RCO Board Member, or are you the one on your block who organizes block clean ups, block parties, or other gatherings in the street? Join 
StreetBoxPHL for the Right Of Way Roundtable (ROW Roundtable) a monthly on-line meeting this Fall 2023. If you take care of public spaces in city streets, or want to learn how to build them, sign up here.


JOB OPPORTUNITIES

City of Philadelphia

Old City District / Marketing & Communications Manager

WSP / SVP, National Bus and Facilities Practice Director

DVRPC

The Bicycle Coalition Youth Cycling (BCYC) Program is looking for our next leader! BCYC is currently hiring a BCYC Director to lead the Youth Cycling Program to continue to grow and join the leadership team of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

Sam Schwartz, a TYLin Company, is a leading transportation engineering, planning, and environmental firm known nationally for our ability to solve complex transportation problems with creative, multi-modal solutions. Director, General Manager New Jersey/Pennsylvania

Forman Arts Initiative / Executive Director

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia /

U3 Advisors / Associate

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. 

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