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Civic Grit

@civicgrit.bsky.social

Urbanist and Philadelphia fan.

672 Posts2344 Follower1236 Folgt
Civic Grit@civicgrit.bsky.social · 2w ago

On page 52 of this official study from over a decade ago it was recommended to close one of the redundant car roads connecting MLK to the Strawberry Mansion Bridge to create a proper pedestrian / bike connection: www.lowermerion.org/home/showpub... This has still not been started:

An screenshot of the report with the following text: It is suggested that the southern ramp could be converted to pedestrian and bike use only. All vehicles travelling from Greenland Drive/Strawberry Mansion Bridge to MLK Drive could be directed to the northern ramp. Vehicles destined to Center City ramp to travel south. A minor ramp alignment change could be constructed if needed to ease the right turn movement. Removing all vehicles from the southern ramp would eliminate the movement from northbound MLK Drive to Greenland Drive/Strawberry Mansion Bridge. This might not have a severe impact. Left turns from northbound MLK Drive are already prohibited during peak hours at the southern ramp and are prohibited at all times at the northern ramp. Therefore the ramps cannot be used by commuters travelling northbound from Center City to neighborhoods east or west of the river. Alternative routes exist for vehicle traffic. No volume information was obtained, but the traffic volumes on these ramps appear to be light. If it is determined that a vehicle connection from northbound MLK Jr. Drive up to the bridge needs to be maintained, the southern ramp could at least be restricted to one- way 'up' (north) vehicle traffic, and half of the ramp could be dedicated to pedestrian and bike use. At the southern ramp junction with MLK Drive, it would be possible to create a signalized pedestrian/bike crossing of MLK Drive, to complete the connection to the MLK trail.
Civic Grit@civicgrit.bsky.social · 2w ago

On the MLK side of the bridge there used to be a dedicated pedestrian / bike trail, in addition to a car road with a pedestrian staircase. Presumably around the time of I-76 they removed that trail and staircase to make for exclusively 2 car roads. Sidewalks & crossings were never re-added.

An aerial image showing a dedicated pedestrian / bike trail connected to the Strawberry Mansion Bridge on the MLK side.
Wednesday Night Rides@wednightrides.org · 2w ago

Aug 19 // P.C. Classic Preview The Philadelphia Cycling Classic is back in Philly after a 10-year hiatus; this week we're taking on part of the iconic 14.4-mile race circuit. The elite women's & men's fields will tackle Kelly Drive, the legendary Manayunk Wall + Lemon Hill

Philadelphia Inquirer@inquirer.com · 12mo ago

🚴 The Manayunk Wall will be climbed again next summer as the Philadelphia Cycling Classic is slated to return, bringing some of the world’s top riders back to the city for the first time in 10 years. (1/3)

Civic Grit@civicgrit.bsky.social · 4w ago

When Sansom was open to outside dining there was massive support from people & nearby restaurants to keep it that way. When the Inquirer reported on the city bringing cars back only one near business voiced support for cars. That business just left for the suburbs: www.inquirer.com/business/sma...

Philadelphia shoe retailer Sherman Brothers is moving to the Main Line after 73 years in Center City

The family business opened on Mole Street in 1953, becoming a destination for Philadelphia men in search of loafers, boots, and other high-end shoes.

inquirer.com

Civic Grit@civicgrit.bsky.social · last mo.

It gets me down how many beautiful large gardens there are in the Philly area that are near transit but place their main entrance far from the transit with no sidewalk connections. It feels intentionally classist and like a relic from the past. Morris Arboretum and Stoneleigh are two examples.

Morris Arboretum's main entrance that's clearly designed for cars.Stoneleigh Garden's main entrance also clearly designed for cars.
Civic Grit@civicgrit.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This is occurring just two blocks from where the abolitionist "Temple of Free Speech" Pennsylvania Hall was built in 1837 only to be burned down 4 days later by a pro-slavery mob. Nearly 200 years later the struggle to freely discuss and oppose slavery & racism continues.

An image of Pennsylvania Hall after it was constructed.An image of Pennsylvania Hall being destroyed in a fire.
Abraham Gutman@abgutman.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🚨BREAKING: President Trump’s administration installed overnight a new exhibit at the site of George Washington’s Philadelphia home instead of the memorial to the 9 people kept in bondage at the nation’s first White House. National Park Service dismantled the original slavery exhibit in January. 🎁 🔗

Civic Grit@civicgrit.bsky.social · 2mo ago

At midnight by Philly's City Hall a group of teenagers watched my wallet and phone so I could play pickup soccer. Great vibes in the city tonight! A mix of Croatians, Philadelphians, and others were rotating in and out. It wrapped up at ~12:30 when the ball owner had to go.

A photo of people playing pickup soccer by Philadelphia's City Hall.
Ben S@bensh3.bsky.social · 2mo ago

If Philadelphia adopted the 2027 IBC next year, single-stair would automatically be viable for thousands of small CMX-2/2.5 projects that can fit 4 stories in zoning already, a true game-changer for the Mayor's housing plan

Map of Philadelphia parcels with CMX-2/2.5 zoningBild
William Skudlarek@willskud.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New blog post on the CfB website from yours truly, discussing our four story single-stair proposal that will be in the 2027 IBC. Encourage anyone interested in single-stair to take a look, even if your city/state has already passed it!

Ben S@bensh3.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Reminder that the City of Philadelphia is entirely free to replicate and install the slavery exhibit panels at Independence Hall itself in time for July 4

Bild
Abraham Gutman@abgutman.bsky.social · 3mo ago

🚨 BREAKING: 3rd Circuit allows Trump to replace slavery exhibits it removed from George Washington's Philadelphia mansion ahead of July 4. The new panels say Washington's slaves had more "autonomy" and "even attend the theater, with Washington buying the tickets." w/ @fallonroth.bsky.social 🎁🔗

Civic Grit@civicgrit.bsky.social · 3mo ago

This will not move the needle on traffic congestion. Shapiro's big leadership "wins" in Philadelphia have focused squarely on interstates and parts of the city connected to interstates. Philadelphia's main strength is not that I-95 runs through it, and I'm not sure Shapiro understands that.

Governor Josh Shapiro@governor.pa.gov · 3mo ago

BREAKING: I just announced a $30 million plan to fix traffic congestion and keep people safe around the Sports Complex in South Philly. This area is a major economic and entertainment hub — and too many of us know what it’s like to sit in that traffic.

Ben S@bensh3.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Aside from this being a huge middle finger to SEPTA, this new on-ramp at 7th will also bring tons more traffic right next to SEYAA's baseball fields, endangering kids every day. The first step in the I-95 widening disaster

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Governor Josh Shapiro@governor.pa.gov · 3mo ago

BREAKING: I just announced a $30 million plan to fix traffic congestion and keep people safe around the Sports Complex in South Philly. This area is a major economic and entertainment hub — and too many of us know what it’s like to sit in that traffic.

Civic Grit@civicgrit.bsky.social · 3mo ago

This is an 110+ year full circle moment for NYC. Over a century ago Lawrence Veiller was so disgusted by the density, living conditions, and "evils" in his native NYC that he became a fierce national advocate for laws to artificially discourage multi-family housing across the country.

A screenshot with the following text: In no other city is the mass of the working population housed as it is in New York, in tall tenement houses, extending up into the air fifty or sixty feet, and stretching for miles in every direction as far as the eye can reach. In no other city are there the same appalling conditions with regard to lack of light and air in the homes of the poor. In no other city is there so great congestion and overcrowding. In no other city do the poor so suffer from excessive rents; in no city are the conditions of city life so complex. Nowhere are the evils of modern life so varied, nowhere are the problems so difficult of solution. If New York is so abnormal it may well be asked of what benefit to other communities are its problems; what lessons can others learn from New York's experience? New York, cosmopolitan in its population, is equally cosmopolitan in its social problems. Here will be found the problems of all other American cities, sometimes only in the germ, often, however, developed to an extent not dreamt of elsewhere. New York is the "horrible example." It is the startling crystallization in brick and mortar of the potential housing evils of every other American city. It typifies the kind of city that other American cities may develop into under the influence of similar forces, unless timely effort is put forth to prevent such development.The following text: The question is, " How are we going to stop it? " I think there is a way; at least, I have tried it and I think it is going to work. In framing our laws to regulate the construction of dwellings of all kinds, do everything possible in our laws to encourage the construction of private dwellings and even two-family dwellings, because the two-family house is the next least objectionable type, and penalize so far as we can in our statute, the multiple dwelling of any kind, whether it is flat, apartment house or tenement house. It was upon that theory that our new housing law in New York State was drafted. And the easiest and quickest way to penalize the apartment house is not through requiring larger open spaces, because I think that would be un-constitutional, but through the fireproofing requirements. If we require multiple dwellings to be fireproof, and thus increase the cost of construction; if we require stairs to be fireproofed, even where there are only three families; if we require fire-escapes and a host of other things, all dealing with fire protection, we are on safe grounds, because that can be justified as a legitimate exercise of the police power. We can show the necessity of these extra precautions where many families live in a dwelling, and at the same time we have made it difficult to build apartment houses. I recommend that method to the conference. In our laws let most of our fire provisions relate solely to multiple dwellings, and allow our private houses and two-family houses to be built with almost no fire protection whatever.
Stephen Jacob Smith@stephenjacobsmith.com · 3mo ago

Mayor Mamdani has announced the Affordable & Efficient Code Reform task force, to convene later this year. The housing plan says that among other things, elevator and plumbing reform will be considered. www.nyc.gov/content/dam/... (pgs. 98-99)

Civic Grit@civicgrit.bsky.social · 3mo ago

People go to parks to get away from cars. Unfortunately to go between Philly's West Fairmount Park and Center City requires traversing the narrow & busy Lansdowne Drive underneath highway ramps. This bottlenecks park access. A few thoughts on low-impact ways to improve this situation:

A photo of cyclists needing to navigate traffic on Lansdowne because multiple cars are parked in the bike lane, perhaps after a minor crash. People walk on the narrow sidewalk on the left.A Google Maps route showing the relevant stretch of Lansdowne.A group of runners and cyclists are squeezed onto the narrow sidewalk adjacent to Lansdowne Drive.