๐Ÿšง Safer West Market Street / โ›” No Parking for ICE / ๐Ÿš‡ Help Fight for Transit Funding

January 28, 2026

Weekly Newsletter #10 // January 28, 2026

5th Square Advocacy is an urbanist organization of grassroots advocates building a coalition for better transportation, land use, and public space policies. Our work is made possible through the support of a growing network of sustaining members .

๐Ÿšง SAFER WEST MARKET STREET

Market Street is one of our most dangerous roads.

There have been 139 documented crashes just between 38th St and the Schuylkill River from 2020 to 2024.

 

Together with Philly Bike Action, we're calling on city and state leaders to make West Market Street safer with a series of immediate and long-term changes to reduce speeding and remove unnecessary conflict areas between road users.

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PBA is also looking for volunteers to help with flyer distribution and in-person petitioning.

โ›” NO PARKING FOR ICE

We strongly condemn the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s decision to contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide indoor parking garage space for their vehicles.

In Minneapolis and other cities, the deployment of federal immigration enforcement has led to violent confrontations, chaotic scenes, displacement of families, and even death.

We urge PPA to publicly promise not to sign additional contracts with ICE.  See our full statement here.

๐Ÿš‡ HELP FIGHT FOR TRANSIT FUNDING

This Friday, join us and Transit for All PA at Fox Chase Regional Rail Station for a morning of canvassing transit riders followed by a press conference calling on Governor Shapiro to prioritize transit funding in the state budget.

And next Tuesday at 11am, join the state budget watch party where we'll watch Governor Shapiro's 2025-26 Budget Address.

๐Ÿฆบ 2026 VISION ZERO CONFERENCE

Save the date for this year's Vision Zero Conference!

The 2026 Vision Zero PHL Conference will be held on March 12th on Temple's campus.

The day-long conference will feature local and nationally-recognized speakers & panelists, with the theme " Putting Community First: Revolutionizing Street Safety "

๐Ÿ‘‹ 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?

As a reminder, 5th Square Advocacy is a new, separate organization from 5th Square PAC which will focus on election-related activities while 5th Square Advocacy will be the new home for our issue advocacy and legislative efforts going forward. Should you have to choose which organization to support with your membership, we highly recommend choosing 5th Square Advocacy.

๐Ÿšจ  ACTION ITEMS

๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿ˜๏ธ No Hahnemann Home Ban

Philadelphia City Council is considering a bill to ban all homes on the site of the vacant Hahnemann Hospital ( Bill # 251101 ). Sign here to ask Councilmember Young to withdraw this bill and support mixed-use development for this site.

โ˜๏ธ Clean Air for Grays Ferry

CHOP is currently constructing a 7-story, 1,000 space parking garage in Grays Ferry which would bring considerable additional pollution to the neighborhood.  CHOP has applied for a "Complex Source" air pollution permit from the City of Philadelphia's Air Management Services (AMS)--y ou can ask AMS to hold a public hearing about the proposal.

๐Ÿš‰ 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

Transit for All PA State Budget Canvass / Press Conference
Friday, January 30, Canvass: 7am, Press conference: 9am | Fox Chase Regional Rail Station
As Governor Shapiro prepares to announce his state budget priorities, SEPTA riders are organizing to show we support long-term, dedicated, and expanded funding for transit.

Transit for All PA State Budget Watch Party
Tuesday, February 3, 11am – 1pm | Virtual or at 30 S 15th St
Join Transit for All PA as they call on Governor Shapiro to lead with a budget that moves Pennsylvanians - with new, dedicated investments in public transportation, housing, healthcare, education, and environmental protection.

How to Run for Committee Person in Philadelphia
Feb 3, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM | 400 W Chelten Ave
Join Committee of Seventy and Black Leadership Pennsylvania for clear, practical guide to how wards shape local politics and how residents can run for committee person.

Manayunk Canal Towpath Boardwalks Rehabilitation Open House
Wed., February 11th, 6:00 - 7:30 PM | Venice Island Performing Arts Center, 7 Lock St
The City will be hosting an open house on its plans to make the Manayunk Canal Towpath more flood-resistant and improve accessibility

Tiny WPA 10th Anniversary Celebration
Feb 12 from 6pm to 9pm | 3145 West Jefferson Street
Join Tiny WPA for a benefit celebrating their 10th anniversary featuring music, an open bar, delicious bites, and a live auction. Come support their work make Philadelphia's public spaces better.

Philadelphia Western Suburbs Trail Summit
February 7, 8:30am - 12:00pm | 9000 Parkview Drive, Haverford, PA
Head to Haverford for a summit to review progress, identify opportunities to improve walking and biking throughout the western suburbs of Philly, and prioritize and help plan continuing trail connections in our communities.

Wharton-Weitzman Future of Cities Conference
Fri, Feb 20, at 8:30 AM | The Study at University City, 20 S 33rd St
The Future of Cities Conference is a student-led, faculty-advised conference that aims to bring together urban innovators and experts from the public and private sectors to challenge and deepen the discourse around the trends, technologies, and policies transforming the future of our cities

2026 Vision Zero PHL Conference
Thursday, March 12th, 9:00am to 4:00pm | Temple Student Center South, 1755 N 13th St
This year's Vision Zero conference, with the theme "Putting Community First: Revolutionizing Street Safety", invites participants to explore how the physical, social, and economic city converge and what’s possible when community needs and lived experiences guide decisions

WHAT WE'RE READING

๐Ÿ™๏ธ HOUSING & LAND USE

๐ŸŒณ PUBLIC SPACE

๐ŸšŒ TRANSIT

๐Ÿšฒ MOBILITY

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Transit for All PA

Reinvestment Fund /  Nowak Fellowship

Indego / Community Ambassador

Transit Narrative Change Lab / Application

City of Philadelphia

Pew’s Philadelphia Program /  Project Director, Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative

Office of State Senator Nikil Saval /  Summer Interns

Center for Public Enterprise /  Housing Program Manager

East Falls Development Corporation /  Executive Director

Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority / Research and Policy Analyst

Vision Zero Philadelphia / Ambassador

Progress and Poverty Institute / Progress of Ideas Scholarship

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