You are viewing 4 posts for March 2015
Recent Study Reveals Philadelphia Among Top Cities for Biking
Philadelphia was recently ranked the 10th most bike-friendly city based on the percentage of commuters who bike to work, the number of on-bike fatalities and ongoing infrastructure improvements to support bikers, according to survey results from BetterDoctor.
Some interesting statistics revealed the following: approximately 2.14 percent of Philadelphia’s commuters bike to work; there are 2.3 fatalities per 10,000 commuters; the city’s federal transportation funds obligated to bike and pedestrian projects are $6.91 per capita; and Philadelphia has an overall biking score of 57.21 out of 100.
The top five cities for biking included Portland, Ore.; Washington D.C.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Oakland, Calif.; and Sacramento, Calif.
Find more data results at the Philadelphia Business Journal
Lardner’s Point Park Wins Green Park Award
The Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society (PRPS) recently awarded Lardner’s Point Park the 2015 Green Park Award. Tom Branigan, Executive Director of the Delaware River City Corp., attended the luncheon earlier this week to accept the award. Other DRCC members in attendance were Jim Donaghy, Jim Fries, Mariann Dempsey and Patrick Starr. The luncheon was part of the PRPS 68th Annual State Conference.
The Green Park Award recognizes excellence in the public park community for those that demonstrate the integration of green and sustainable park practices based upon the following criteria: Site Location and Site Design, Water, Natural Landscaping, Materials Selection and Construction, Connect People to Nature, Operations and Maintenance, and Environmental Stewardship Messaging.
Lardner’s Point – recipient of the 2015 Green Park Award – is a major trailhead for the North Delaware Riverfront Greenway Trail, part of the Circuit. The park provides space to walk, bicycle, and relax along a very scenic stretch of the Delaware just below the iconic Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. Visitors fish from the pier, picnic at handicap-accessible tables, observe wildlife, and traverse a multi-use path through native meadows.
Congratulations Lardner’s Point Park!
A TRAIL TO MOBILITY
Last week 250 involved citizens, many of them arriving on bikes or on foot, joined together for the Better Mobility 2015 Mayoral Forum, organized by the Better Mobility Work Group. Mayor Nutter has long been a proponent for bike lanes and multi-use trails, support which has helped catalyze efforts to develop the Circuit in the region, yet the arrival of a new Mayor raises questions.
Will the new Mayor support cycling infrastructure, pedestrian accommodations, traffic enforcement and the other agenda items that make this city safe for cyclists and walkers alike? Will the new Mayor support "Vision Zero," the idea that traffic fatalities can be eliminated through better planning and design? Will the Circuit find support from the next Mayor?
The forum indicated that, perhaps, the new mayor will be forced by public demand to continue the trend of support for forward-thinking mobility efforts. While specific thoughts and opinions varied widely among candidates, overall every candidate pointed to mobility issues as important for the city (including the neighborhoods) and pointed to the bikability and walkability of the city as a key amenity.
Check out the Bicycle Coalition’s website to learn more about the forum and read the region’s press coverage of the event.
The Circuit is Center Stage in New Civic Commons Initiative Funded by the Willliam Penn & Knight Foundations
It may be snowing in Philadelphia today, but this week the city got a huge dose of sunshine from the William Penn Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The two came together in Fairmount Park’s beautiful Horticultural Center to announce an $11 million grant to the Fairmount Park Conservancy that’s all about “Reimagining the Civic Commons.” The grant will leverage public and other private dollars to develop five public space projects in the city, including the Bartram’s Mile trail project. Part of the Circuit, Bartram’s Mile is a trail and greenway project, by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Schuylkill River Development Corporation, along the lower Schuylkill River that will transform industrial brownfields into an urban park.
The Circuit plays a critical role in this new Civic Commons work, as the region’s trail network will be a primary conduit for connecting these five public spaces and opening access to them for residents from all parts of the city. Here’s what William Penn’s Shawn McCaney (Creative Communities Program Director) had to say: “Philadelphia’s momentum is palpable. Because of its beautiful public spaces and civic assets, the city is increasingly recognized as a world-class destination for visitors and tourists. The Civic Commons initiative is designed to bring high-quality amenities, like the ones placing Philadelphia on a world stage, to all of our residents, especially those in our most underserved communities. And by connecting many of these destinations through the Circuit, we promote social and community inclusion within and between neighborhoods across the city, unite neighborhoods that presently may stand alone, and work to ensure that Philadelphia is, indeed, a place for all Philadelphians.”
Read more about Reimagining the Civic Commons in some of the week’s news coverage: Plan Philly, Philadelphia Tribune
