🚇 TONIGHT: LAST ROOSEVELT BLVD OPEN HOUSE

Tonight is the last Roosevelt Blvd open house!

PennDOT, SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia have been hosting a series of open houses on the future of Roosevelt Blvd where they're asking YOU to choose a transit option for the future of Roosevelt Blvd.

We need you to show up tonight and tell PennDOT that Roosevelt Blvd needs a subway!

Roosevelt Blvd Open House 4
Tuesday, January 7, 6 - 8 PM
American Heritage Credit Union, 2068 Red Lion Road

Our organizers will be on site handing out "Build the Roosevelt Blvd Subway" Pins -- the only way you can get them is to SHOW UP!

📚🚲 BOOKS ON BIKES

Fans of cargo bikes and books will appreciate the Free Library's newest addition to their fleet.

Source: Gabe Donahue, Billy Penn

This new bike carries up to 100 books around the city to parks and events, bringing the library directly to Philadelphians.

Read more from Billy Penn: Philly Free Library’s Book Bike meets public in their neighborhoods

💔 PEDESTRIAN KILLED ON WASHINGTON AVE

This past week, a man was killed and a woman was injured as they attempted to walk across Washington Ave at Front St. Just six months before, another man was killed at this same intersection.

These tragic deaths might have been prevented by the Washington Avenue Connector project. Unfortunately, due to delays in awarding the contract, construction on the project has yet to begin.

We are calling on the process to be expedited before another person is killed on this small stretch of Washington Ave.

What this stretch of Washington Avenue will look like when the project is completed

See our full statement here.

🕯️ FIRST BICYCLIST KILLED OF 2025

Less than a week into the year, 2025 has sadly already seen the first death of a person riding a bike. 

Michael Buie was killed at Broad and Erie, a particularly unsafe intersection on Philadelphia's deadliest street.

Read more from the Bicycle Coalition: Michael Buie is the first person in Philadelphia riding a bicycle to be killed in 2025

🚨 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

Member Welcome & Volunteer Orientation
January 13, 12pm – 1pm  | Indy Hall, 709 N 3rd St
Want to get involved with 5th Square? Sign up to volunteer and RSVP for this meeting and we'll bring you up-to-speed and get you ready to contribute

WHAT WE'RE READING

🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE

🌳 PUBLIC SPACE

• inquirer.com / Despite efforts to fix the problem, 911 dispatchers still struggle to locate injured people on Philly trails

• Billy Penn at WHYY / Philly Free Library’s Book Bike meets public in their neighborhoods

• The New York Times / Could Better Security Have Stopped the New Orleans Terror Attack?

🚌 TRANSIT

• Billy Penn at WHYY / SEPTA installs new signs, is trying to fix cards that aren't working

• inquirer.com / Who pays when seniors ride SEPTA for free

• NBC10 Philadelphia / SEPTA working on fix as some passes being declined incorrectly

• The New York Times / Opinion | Congestion Pricing Shows the Future of the Democratic Party

🚴 MOBILITY

• Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia / Michael Buie is the first person in Philadelphia riding a bicycle to be killed in 2025

• inquirer.com / Man killed, wife injured by SEPTA bus in South Philly

• inquirer.com / Concrete barriers needed to protect cyclists in dangerous bike lanes | Opinion

• Grid Magazine / Philly parents and students are joining a global movement to reimagine the school commute

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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