🚇 BLVD SUBWAY MEETING TONIGHT

Tonight's the night to show up to support the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway! We need supporters at tonight's meeting to solidify support for this critical project. 

1️⃣ TONIGHT, November 28 at 5:30 PM
Roosevelt Boulevard Subway Town Hall Meeting
CityReach Philly, 6814 Torresdale Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19135
[Add to Google Calendar]

Can’t make tonight’s meeting? There are two more public meetings hosted by PennDOT in December that we need supporters to show up for.

2️⃣ Monday, December 4 at 6:00 PM
Route for Change - Roosevelt Blvd Public Open House #1
Mayfair Community Center, 2990 St Vincent St, Philadelphia, PA 19149
[Add to Google Calendar]

3️⃣ Thursday, December 14 at 6:00 PM
Route for Change - Roosevelt Blvd Public Open House #2
Lenfest Center, 3890 N 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19140
[Add to Google Calendar]

We will be giving out pins at these meetings -- you have to ATTEND to get one!

We also have a limited quantity of Blvd Subway hoodies! Pick one up for $50 with free shipping.

Or become a 5th Square member today for $5 a month and get a free Blvd Subway T-Shirt!

⛔ PREVENTING TRAFFIC DEATHS

It's been a rough year in Philadelphia for the victims of traffic violence and their families. A heartbreaking 100+ lives have been lost so far in 2023, including a record number of bicyclist deaths.

The one ray of hope in this crisis is that there are solutions out there. In this Inquirer op-ed by Families for Safe Streets and the Bicycle Coalition, the authors point to specific pieces of legislation that would save lives and spare other families from the heartbreaking loss of a loved one to traffic violence.

Although things may seem bleak at times, we can live in a world free of tragic traffic deaths, but we must push our elected officials to implement these lifesaving policies.

🥶 COLD THANKSGIVING FOR BUS RIDERS

While many enjoyed Thanksgiving with their families, intercity bus riders across the country were left out in the cold. 

Source: The Inquirer / Tom Gralish

Philadelphia, along with many other cities across the country, has seen its Greyhound station shuttered without an adequate replacement. Streetsblog digs into the issue facing intercity bus passengers, reminding us that Philadelphians deserve a better solution than the current short-term station location.

🏆 HOLIDAY PARTY AND URBANIST AWARD NOMINATIONS

💸 SUPPORT SEPTA FUNDING

SEPTA is facing an urgent fiscal cliff which may see drastic service cuts and higher fares. Fortunately, the Pennsylvania House passed HB 1219 which would increase the portion of sales tax that is allocated to public transit funding without increasing the tax itself.

This bill still needs to pass the State Senate, so contact you legislator to ensure SEPTA gets the funding it needs!

EVENTS

Roosevelt Boulevard Subway Town Hall Meeting
TODAY November 28, 2023 at 5:30pm – 7pm, 6814 Torresdale Ave
Representatives Gallagher, Hohenstein, Solomon, and Councilman Driscoll will be hosting, and this is a great opportunity to solidify the Northeast's support for this critical project. Opposition to the subway is showing up at the meeting, and we need you to help us show up and demonstrate just how strong our movement is.

Roosevelt Blvd Route For Change Open House #1 - Mayfair
December 04, 2023 at 6:00pm – 8pm, 2990 St Vincent St
PennDOT, in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia and SEPTA, is hosting an Open House on Roosevelt Boulevard. PennDOT representatives will be discussing interim improvements and selecting transportation alternatives for Roosevelt Boulevard. Join us to convince PennDOT to move forward with the Blvd Subway.

5th Square Holiday Party + Urbanist Awards Ceremony
December 13, 2023 at 7:00pm – 9pm, 401 S 42nd St
Join 5th Square members and friends for our annual Holiday Party + Urbanist Awards Ceremony at Resurrection Philadelphia. 5th Square will be presenting awards to members of our community for their outstanding contributions to Philadelphia’s urbanist movement.

Bicycle Coalition Holiday Lights Ride 2023
December 13, 7:00PM - 9:00PM
It's time to dust off your bike decorations, bundle up and ride with us on our Annual Holiday Lights Ride! This ride is family-friendly and free to attend but an RSVP is required so we can plan our rollout & ride buddies accordingly!

Design Advocacy Group: Unlocking the Benjamin Franklin Parkway's Potential as a Great Urban Park
Thursday, December 14 · 10 - 11:30am EST, Virtual
Building on the ideas of 2013's More Park, Less Way plan, the current planning process for the Parkway seeks to unlock the Parkway's potential as a great urban park for all by removing excess pavement, connecting fragmented green spaces, and layering on new landscaping and amenities.

Roosevelt Blvd Route For Change Open House #2 - Lenfest Center
December 14, 2023 at 6:00pm – 8pm, 3890 N 10th St
PennDOT, in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia and SEPTA, is hosting an Open House on Roosevelt Boulevard. PennDOT representatives will be discussing interim improvements and selecting transportation alternatives for Roosevelt Boulevard. Join us to convince PennDOT to move forward with the Blvd Subway.

SURVEYS AND ACTION ITEMS

Delaware River Trail Extension Prioritization
After completing a new segment of the Delaware River Trail (DRT) from Fishtown to South Philly, the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) is working on an extension of the trail north. This new segment will stretch between Penn Treaty Park and Lehigh Avenue, including a connection to the future Graffiti Pier Park. DRWC has developed a community-inspired vision for this newest trail segment which can be viewed here. See our recommendations below before providing your input on the vision by completing this very quick survey here.

Bicycle Coalition: Legislation Needed Now to Save Lives of Pedestrians and Bicyclists!
2023 is a terrible year to be a bicyclist in Philadelphia. So far, 10 persons have been killed while riding their bicycle on city streets, the greatest number ever recorded. There are two pieces of legislation in Harrisburg that would allow automated speed enforcement and parking protected bike lanes. Please send a message to your state senator to ask that they prioritize passing two bills in 2023 to protect the lives of vulnerable road users 

Center City District Customer Satisfaction Survey
This survey seeks to measure how well the CCD staff is performing and to gauge the public's experience and perceptions of the recovery in Center City. CCD on-street staff consists of daytime sidewalk cleaners, Community Service Representatives, bike safety patrols, and park staff.

DVRPC 2050 VISION SURVEY
The DVRPC is asking for feedback on its vision for Greater Philadelphia in 2050. Tell the DVRPC what they should prioritize over the next 30 years. Let them know if you think Philadelphia should have a new subway line by then. Bicycle Coalition's recommended responses here. Survey closes December 15th.

WHAT WE'RE READING

🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE

🌳 PUBLIC SPACE

• inquirer.com / Where can you park? PPA has a map of Philly’s residential permit parking zones

🚌 TRANSIT

🚴 MOBILITY

• inquirer.com / How to prevent traffic deaths in Philadelphia

• Bloomberg.com / The New Jersey Mayor With a Plan to End Traffic Deaths

• PennDOT / (PDF) Vulnerable Road Users Safety Assessment Report

• NBC10 Philadelphia / A man was hit by a car and killed while crossing the street in North Philly, police said.

POLITICS

• inquirer.com / Behind the scenes of how Kenyatta Johnson won the race to become Philly’s next City Council president

• Washington Post / Analysis | Where we build homes helps explain America’s political divide

GRANTS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Community Spark Grants
In 2024, the League’s Bicycle Friendly America program will award Community Spark Grants, of $1,500 each, to 15 organizations for projects and programs that spark change and catalyze a community’s ability to create places where bicycling is a safe, easy, and more accessible option. Deadline February 1, 2024 at 5pm ET

Indego Winter 2024 Better Bike Share Partnership Mini-Grant
Indego Bike Share and the Better Bike Share Partnership are once again awarding a limited number of mini-grants to support community-based nonprofit organizations this winter, from December 2023 through February 2024. Eligible organizations can request up to $1,000 in funding for this grant cycle. Deadline Thursday, November 30th.

DVRPC Public Participation Task Force Application
The Public Participation Task Force membership provides ongoing opportunities for interested residents of DVRPC’s nine-county region to learn more about the regional planning and decision-making process from DVRPC staff and to share their thoughts on how DVRPC can improve its engagement process. Applications are accepted year-round and reviewed annually in December/January. 

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

City of Philadelphia

• Transportation Planning Manager (Streets) 
• Comprehensive Planning Research Intern
• Citizens Planning Institute Communications Intern
• Infrastructure Workforce Development Manager (OTIS)
• Fiscal Operations Manager (OTIS)

Mayor-Elect Cherelle Parker's Office / Open Application

Councilmember-Elect Nicolas O'Rourke's Office / Open Application

Councilmember Gauthier's Office / Director of Legislation and Policy

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) / Director, LandCare

Mt. Vernon Manor CDC

• Program Assistant
• Deputy Director

Community Design Collaborative / Program Manager

City Avenue Special Services District / Streetscape Associate

Impact Loan Fund / Lending and Program Manager

Princeton University Eviction Lab / Data Engineer

PHMC PHLpreK Program / Data & Performance Coordinator

WHYY / Transportation Reporter

DVRPC / Planning Data Analyst

The Philadelphia Citizen / Staff Writer

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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