👀🗓️ LOOKING BACK ON 2024
As 2024 comes to a close, let's take a moment to reflect on some of our victories and accomplishments from the past year.
🚲🚶♀️ VISION ZERO IN 2024
After speed cameras proved a resounding success on Roosevelt Blvd, City Council and Mayor Parker are expanding approved automated speed enforcement to Broad Street, and Frankford, Hunting Park and Baltimore avenues!
It's been a long time coming, but bike lane parking has been outlawed citywide! Our advocates have been fighting for this for years, so we can't wait until this law takes effect and makes all bike lanes no-stopping zones for cars.
In the wake of the heartbreaking death of a Dr. Friedes on Spruce Street, the bike lanes on Spruce and Pine are likely to get concrete protection. Unfortunately, a small number of residents are trying to stop this, and we are actively working on organizing support for true bike lane protection with our online petition for this protection. We are hopeful that implementation will happen in 2025.
🏙️ PUBLIC SPACE AND HOUSING IN 2024
The Free Library of Philadelphia reopened their doors on weekends at a number of their branches -- an issue we'd fought for in our 2023 citywide platform.
In 2024, we saw the return of open streets in Philadelphia with Center City District's Open Streets: West Walnut, temporarily pedestrianizing Rittenhouse Row. This has proven to be enormously successful with more days in December, and replication in Old City! Resurrecting Open Streets is an issue that's near-and-dear to our heart with many of our organizers involved in the original Open Streets PHL movement.
Though we were unsuccessful in stopping the designation of the Washington Square West historic district, our advocacy was responsible for the Commission reclassifying several parking lots as "non-contributing" properties which will more easily facilitate the development of these lots into true assets.
We also hosted abundant housing advocates from across the Northeast Region of Welcoming Neighbors Network in a conference about policy, organizational capacity, and messaging.
🚇 TRANSIT IN 2024
Thanks to a $317 million federal grant, SEPTA announced it will be getting new L cars which will start to arrive in 2029.
Our advocates helped move Bus Revolution forward, as the SEPTA board voted to approve the plan. Despite this program being temporarily paused due to the fiscal cliff, we are hopeful that this long-overdue bus network update that will see buses become more reliable and frequent.
We turned out advocates to get the word out about how transformative a subway would be on Roosevelt Boulevard and made sure PennDOT is taking the proposal seriously. If you want to join Blvd Subway advocates, there's one more meeting next Tuesday.
We fought to get SEPTA the funding it needs to serve Philadelphians. From taking the train to Harrisburg, to emailing and calling Governor Shapiro's office, our advocates pushed an eleventh-hour funding measure by flexing federal highway funds across the finish line. While the fight continues for a long-term transit funding solution, our advocates helped stop a large fare hike and drastic service cuts in 2024.
🤝 BUILDING AN URBANIST COALITION IN 2024
With the help of our members, we endorsed candidates who best represented our mission to make Philadelphia a more accessible, transit-friendly city for everyone.
With your support, we raised over $5000 to support Philly Phreeze to help Philly's public pools reopen for the summer.
We hosted many events from candidate meet-and-greets, to casual social get-togethers, to author book talks.
And online, we started a Bluesky account where we've already connected with almost two thousand of you. Join the fun! Want to follow some like-minded folks? Check out our Philly Urbanists starter pack!
🎆 LOOKING AHEAD TO 2025
Thank you to all of our members and volunteers, and all those working with us to make Philadelphia a better city. We're looking forward to another year of fighting for a better Philadelphia, and we'd love to do it with you at our side as a member.
Membership comes with discounts on merch and event admission, ability to vote on our endorsements, and most importantly it supports our work to make Philadelphia a more walkable, bike-friendly, and livable city with abundant housing and reliable transit.
🚨 ACTION ITEMS
🌉 New Delaware River Bike/Pedestrian Bridge Path
There is currently no bike/pedestrian access across the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Trenton. As plans advance to rehabilitate or replace the I-95 Delaware River Bridge, we are calling for a multi-use path to be included to better connect Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Take the survey here (by January 3rd) and read more about the proposal from the Bicycle Coalition. Questions 4 and 5 are open-ended and are the best place to ask for a bike and pedestrian path.
🚌 Lehigh Ave Bus Lane
OTIS is studying a bus lane on Lehigh Ave from Kensington Ave to American St. Respond to their survey.
🚲 Support the Spruce and Pine Streets Redesign
Opponents in Society Hill have been circulating flyers with a petition opposing life-saving measures which would add concrete protection to the bike lanes on Spruce and Pine Streets. To help us push back and show our elected officials that we support safer Spruce and Pine Streets, sign and share our petition supporting the redesign.
🛣️ Stop I-95 Expansion
PennDOT is planning to expand I-95 in Center City and South Philly by adding lanes and new ramps. This will threaten the well-being of our neighborhoods by worsening air quality, increasing noise pollution, harming our access to the waterfront, and destroying sports facilities. To make matters worse, PennDOT has been deceitful about its engagement efforts.
Join us in telling PennDOT that highway expansion has no place in the core of Philadelphia by signing our petition.
EVENTS
Roosevelt Blvd Open House 4
Tuesday, January 7, 6 - 8 PM | American Heritage Credit Union, 2068 Red Lion Road
Support the subway option at this Public Open House for Roosevelt Boulevard! Hosted by PennDOT, SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia
WHAT WE'RE READING
🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE
🌳 PUBLIC SPACE
🚌 TRANSIT
🚴 MOBILITY
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
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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