🥳 TRAFFIC SAFETY WIN

Good news, Philly's speed cameras have been saved!

Thanks to the hard work of advocates and legislators in Harrisburg, state law now allows our city to keep the highly successful speed cameras on Roosevelt Blvd (which have saved an estimated 36 lives) as well as to expand automated speed enforcement to school zones and additional pilot corridors.

Source: Bicycle Coalition

Read more about the legislation from the Bicycle Coalition or the Inquirer.

🛣️ GIVE PENNDOT FEEDBACK

We need your help to convince PennDOT that Roosevelt Blvd should have a subway.

As part of their Route for Change program for Roosevelt Blvd, PennDOT is choosing between six design alternatives for the Blvd. We want them to choose Alternative 4: Neighborhood Boulevard with a Subway. Alternative 4 would save lives by slowing down drivers on one of the country’s deadliest road and also provide Northeast Philly residents with the high quality transit they deserve.

Please respond to PennDOT’s survey and tell them that you want Alternative 4: Neighborhood Boulevard with a Subway for a safer and more transit friendly Roosevelt Blvd.

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

🎄 HOLIDAY PARTY RECAP

Thanks to all who came out to our holiday party and awards ceremony!

At our party, we celebrated the winners of our urbanist awards:

• 🎖️ Urbanist Lifetime Achievement Award - Sarah Clark Stuart, Executive Director, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
• 🚍 Urbanist Changemaker of the Year - Jay Arzu, Roosevelt Boulevard Subway Organizer and Ph.D. candidate in the Department of City & Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania
• 🏛️ Public Servant of the Year - Jacob Golden, Legislative Director for Councilmember Driscoll
• 🚲 Neighborhood RCO Champion - Anne Dicker, West Mount Airy Neighbors Association Traffic Calming Committee
• 🏙️ Best Development of the Year - 1604-1616 Page St., Habitat for Humanity
• 📰 Urbanist Media Champion - Asia Mieleszko, Strong Towns Staff Writer
• 🏆 5th Square Volunteer of the Year - Russell Richie

Congrats again to the winners! They each deserved their award for their hard work and dedication this past year. We look forward to seeing how they continue to advocate for urbanist causes in the upcoming year!

EVENTS

5th Square Volunteer Orientation
January 29, 2024 at 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Attend our virtual volunteer orientation meeting. At this meeting, we will:

1. Introduce our organization and recent campaigns.
2. Onboard folks with our tech.
3. Discuss and brainstorm upcoming 5th Square priorities and and volunteer opportunities.

WHAT WE'RE READING

🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE

• inquirer.com / Northwest Philly’s Wissahickon neighborhood fights for historic preservation to try to keep its character as it grows

• Philadelphia Business Journal / Philadelphia developers seek housing policy changes from Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker

• Washington Post / Homelessness soars by record 12 percent as covid support ends, HUD says

• inquirer.com / Residents rally against housing plan on 700-acre Pine Barrens forest

• Axios / America's housing shortage explained in one chart

🌳 PUBLIC SPACE

• inquirer.com / Mayor Kenney’s plan to rebuild rec centers and libraries was a legacy-making project beset by delays

• OCF Realty / Conceptual Design for Thomas Paine Plaza Receives Praise, Approval - OCF Realty

🚌 TRANSIT

🚴 MOBILITY

• inquirer.com / The legislature passed a bill keeping speed cameras on Roosevelt Boulevard and allowing expansion to other parts of the city

• The New York Times / How One City Tried to Solve Gridlock for Us All

• pennlive / Electric vehicle owners in Pa. could soon be zapped with an annual fee

• NBC10 Philadelphia / "An absolute no-brainer.” Atlantic City hoping to protect pedestrians as traffic fears increase

• inquirer.com / Slow down, Philly. Kelly Drive has a new speed limit.

🏛️ POLITICS

• inquirer.com / Pa. lawmakers strip some authority from DA Larry Krasner with bill assigning special prosecutor for SEPTA crimes

• cbsnews.com / Pennsylvania House back to 101-101 partisan divide after Democratic lawmaker resigns

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

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Councilman-Elect Jeffery Young's Office / Legislative Aide

Delaware Greenways / Trail Project Coordinator

SEPTA

• Deputy Chief Transformation Officer - Safety Culture
• Project Administrator-Capital Programs Support
• Manager Planning Programs
• Senior Capital Project Scheduler

DVRPC

• Transportation Planner
• Financial Reporting Senior Specialist
• Planning Data Specialist
• Planning Data Analyst

Queen Village Neighbors Association / Executive Director

City of Philadelphia

• Deputy Executive Director of Place-Based Initiatives
• Comprehensive Planning Research Intern
• Citizens Planning Institute Communications Intern
• Infrastructure Workforce Development Manager (OTIS)
• Fiscal Operations Manager (OTIS)

Philadelphia Housing Development Corp

• Housing Rehabilitation Inspector III
• Laborer

Mayor-Elect Cherelle Parker's Office / Open Application

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

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) / Director, LandCare

WHYY / Transportation Reporter

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 or more.