Hard at work

If you’ve been to 30th Street Station lately, you may have noticed the serious construction activity taking place in the parking area on the southern side of the station. It’s been going on for months, and we didn’t have a clue what was going on there… until now. Turns out that a host of people and organizations are behind an effort to reclaim the southern parking lane for a new forty foot wide public space, with an eye toward improving walkability at this meeting of West Philadelphia and Center City. Stakeholders include City Council, the Planning Commission, the Streets Department, Amtrak, Brandywine Realty Trust, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, University City District, and several other organizations. Yes, everyone and their mother…

After learning about the Schuylkill River Parks Connector Bridge and the At-Grade Crossing at Race and Locust Streets, we were left to wonder why these related projects were not kick-started sooner for convenience and pedestrian safety.

The pedestrian bridge connecting Schuylkill River Park to Schuylkill Banks will span across the CSX tracks about 500 feet south of Locust Street and have ADA-compatible ramps leading up to it on both sides. “The bridge is being built to provide a safe crossing for the railroad tracks even if the nearby Locust Street grade crossing is closed,” explains Danielle Gray of the Schuylkill River Development Corporation. Designed by HNTB, the bridge is under contract to SRDC and the Philadelphia Streets Department is overseeing construction on this project, which will begin in July and last about 18…

The 2011 Philly Spring Cleanup is set for April 2 this year. The last three Spring Cleanups have been newsworthy, specifically the 2008 effort, which was the largest one-day cleanup in American history. The Fourth Annual event will be held 9am – 2pm and the Philadelphia Streets Department program and Mayor Nutter plan to “put an end to littering and illegal dumping — permanently,” thanks to popular litter-free campaigns in Philly like UnLitter Us. With sponsors like LG, Nestle and Pepsi, this is going to be a solid effort to top last years’ 1.4 million pounds of picked-up trash and hopefully a visible dent in the messier parts of our neighborhoods that have lay neglected. Locations like the seven-mile stretch of Cobbs Creek Park in Fairmount Park will have activities like tree planting, trail restoration and creekside cleanups.

Sign up for your neighborhood here.