☁️ Clean Air for Grays Ferry / 🤝 January Meetup / 🚋 Trolley Update

☁️ CLEAN AIR FOR GRAYS FERRY

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is currently constructing a 7-story parking garage in Grays Ferry with over 1,000 parking spaces.

CHOP has applied for a "Complex Source" air pollution permit from the City of Philadelphia's Air Management Services (AMS). However, CHOP has not yet received the permit and AMS has not opened an official public comment period.

You can ask AMS to hold a public hearing about this proposal that would bring additional air pollution to South Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood.

🤝 JANUARY MEETUP

Join us in two weeks on Thursday, 1/15 for our next meetup, an urbanist PowerPoint party!

Hear from 5th Square Advocacy members and subject matter experts about a range of topics relevant to our built environment.

What's up with Transit Funding? What is Councilmanic Prerogative? How can we reform Bike Parking? How can we best navigate Harrisburg politics?

$10 suggested donation allows us to buy pizza, beer, and sodas! 

🚋 TROLLEY UPDATE

Last month, we launched a petition asking SEPTA to better support the 30,000 daily trolley riders stuck in University City traffic due to the trolley tunnel diversion.

Thanks to your voices, SEPTA committed to:

• Shuttle buses on Market St
• Police at 38th & Spruce to help trolleys turn
• Parking restrictions
• Closing part of 40th St to traffic
• Extended green lights on 40th St

If you haven't signed it already, please sign our petition!

🚲 SRT REOPENED

Following a months-long closure of a Center City portion of the Schuylkill River Trail due to a sinkhole, the trail is now fully reopened!

This past week, the sinkhole was repaired and the trail was reopened on Christmas Eve.

👋 BECOME A MEMBER

Thank you so much to those of you who have already joined 5th Square Advocacy as a member!

Our members support our grassroots work for a more accessible, sustainable, and equitable Philadelphia. Will you join us?

🚨  ACTION ITEMS

🏙️ Philly2050 Survey

The Philadelphia City Planning Commission is looking to hear from you about what you want for the future of the city. We encourage you to respond in support of key urbanist issues like transit-oriented housing, walkable neighborhoods, expansion of transit options, protected bike lanes, and more.

🚉 Support the Transit Access Fund

Transit Forward Philly is fighting for a Transit Access Fund to reduce financial barriers for low-income SEPTA riders. In addition to increasing ridership, the Transit Access Fund would help stabilize SEPTA's finances and protect riders from service cuts. Sign their petition here and share your story in support of it here.

EVENTS

Urbanist PowerPoint Party!
Thursday, January 15th, 6-8pm | Resurrection Church, 123 S 17th St, 2nd Fl
Join us for an evening of community-building + urbanist storytelling! Hear from 5th Square Advocacy members and subject matter experts about a range of topics relevant to our built environment. Pizza, beer, and sodas will be provided.

January Day of Action: Transit Leadership Training
January 22, 5:30pm - 7:30pm | Transit Forward Philly/BCGP Office, 1500 Walnut St, Ste 1107
Join Transit Forward Philadelphia for a transit leadership training. You'll learn how you can rally your community to make transit more affordable, safer, accessible, and fully funded.

WHAT WE'RE READING

🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE

• Inquirer.com / New building will bring 46 apartments to Germantown
• Inquirer.com / After decade of delay, Philadelphia Housing Authority will bring affordable housing to Center City
• Inquirer.com / City Council bill would ban housing from former Hahnemann University Hospital area
• Billy Penn at WHYY / Historic preservation bill is getting a rewrite after outcry
• The Boyd Institute /  Boyd Housing Anthology

🌳 PUBLIC SPACE

• The New York Times / In Philadelphia, Beautified Blocks Build Community and Safety
• WHYY / Construction on South Street Pedestrian Bridge begins in 2026, ready by 2027
• Inquirer.com /  The street of the future isn’t just for cars — it’s programmed for life
• WHYY /  Philadelphia has an abandoned vehicle problem. Here’s what you can do

🚌 TRANSIT

• City & State PA / SEPTA’s tumultuous 2025: Part I
• Inquirer.com / SEPTA opens new $50M Wissahickon Transit Center in Manayunk
• Inquirer.com / These street sign artists are helping Philadelphia commuters answer an age-old question: Where’s the bus?
• usa.streetsblog.org /  This Holiday Travel Season, It’s Time to End the Stigma Around Intercity Buses

🚲 MOBILITY

• Inquirer.com / Schuylkill Trail sinkhole repaired, area reopened for Christmas Eve ‘as a holiday present’
• Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia / June Rodriguez was Fatally Struck by a Hit-and-Run Driver in Overbrook
• The Atlantic /  ‘Commuting Is Bad’—Particularly for Women
• LevittownNow.com / Residents Mobilize Against PennDOT's $150 Million Route 1 Project

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Bicycle Coalition / Policy Director

Welcoming Neighbors Network /  Events Director

City of Philadelphia

• OTIS Communications Manager
• Director of Tax Policy and Planning
• Change Manager

Philly Office REtail /  Director of Leasing

DVRPC

• Digital Media Specialist
• Public Participation Task Force

Progress and Poverty Institute / Progress of Ideas Scholarship