In an effort to make pedestrian crossings safer, the Streets Department has begun installing “pedestrian refuge islands” along Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia. The construction work began this week.

A pedestrian refuge island is a concrete raised median at crosswalks that serves as pedestrian refuge on wide roadways (see image). They often separate traffic lanes and are used on wide roadways. This safety feature reduces crossing distances and provides refuge for pedestrians to be able to cross the road in stages.

The project on Chestnut Street includes the removal of the existing plastic delineator posts and construction of concrete pedestrian refuge islands in the bicycle lane buffer areas.

The pedestrian islands will be installed at multiple intersections from 43rd Street to 62nd Street:

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SEPTA is planning to increase fares by 29 percent from the current rates and also shut down many routes in an effort to help fund its operating expenses.

The decision was made this week after it became clear that much needed state funding may not be coming any time soon. SEPTA faces a $240 million budget deficit. SEPTA is also currently negotiating a new contract with its workers’ union, Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 234, which is demanding wage increases and safety improvements for both passengers and transit workers.

A bill funding SEPTA $161 million per year has passed the Pennsylvania State House with bipartisan support, but is being stalled in the Senate.

Starting January 1, 2025, SEPTA fares may increase to $2.90 per ride, according to a proposal announced this week. This is the second fare increase proposed by SEPTA this year. The first increase, from $2.00 to $2.50 per ride for SEPTA Key and contactless card users, was proposed in September and will likely become effective on Dec. 1.

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SEPTA has erected metal fences around the 40th Street portal in preparation for the potential workers strike, according to the University City District (UCD). The exact purpose of the fences is not clear.

The strike was expected to begin as early as today (Nov. 8), right after the expiration of the contract between SEPTA and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 234, but since some progress was made during the negotiations of the new contract in the past couple of days it has been postponed.

“After months of bargaining we finally began to make some progress over the past couple days, but we simply ran out of time. We’re willing to go the extra mile and grant additional time to reach a fair agreement,” TWU Local 234 President Brian Pollitt said yesterday. “However, let me be clear if SEPTA’s managers fail to meet our demands, we will be on the picket line by the end of the month.”

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Over the years, University City District (UCD) has provided important services and organized many community events and activities in the neighborhood (Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, Movies in Clark Park, etc.). Many residents have used such services as walking escorts, vehicle jumpstarts and lock-out assistance. UCD has also organized neighborhood cleaning events and regularly removes trash from the district trash cans. It has also supported local businesses through various events and initiatives/fundraising and has been involved with public space maintenance/activation, workforce development training programs, and more.

To better understand where they are performing well and where they might improve, UCD has launched a public survey.

Those who complete this survey and provide contact information, will be eligible to win one of five $100 gift cards to a University City restaurant. Winners will be chosen after the survey closes in April of 2024 and alerted via email.

The survey can be accessed via this link.

Photo courtesy of UCD.

The popular community and business event, Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, is set to return for the second and final time this year. It will be held Thursday, Sept. 7, from 5-8 p.m., when visitors are invited to stroll up and down Baltimore Avenue between 40th and 51st Streets for $1, $3, and $5 deals on food, drinks, merchandise, and more from local businesses and neighborhood vendors.

Due to this week’s heatwave, University City District (UCD), the longtime event organizer, urges all attendees to wear cool clothes and make sure to bring water so they can hydrate before and during the event.

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Starting today, Philadelphia Parks and Rec will begin opening outdoor public pools on a rolling schedule. All of Parks & Rec’s 61 pools will open this summer. Pool schedules will vary based on available staffing. The first pool will open today in West Philly’s Mill Creek neighborhood – an official pool opening ceremony, coinciding with Tiffany Fletcher Recreation Center (former Mill Creek) renaming ceremony, will take place at noon at 4700 Brown Street.

Here’s the opening schedules for other West Philly pools:

Friday, June 16:

Kelly Pool — 4231 Lansdowne Dr., 19131

Wednesday, June 21:

Johnny Sample (Cobbs Creek) Pool — 280 Cobbs Creek Pkwy., 19139

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