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:

Continue Reading

Community members are invited to take part in a free CPR training session, which will be held this Saturday, March 1, at the Walnut Street West Free Library of Philadelphia branch, located at 40th and Walnut. This is a hands-on, non-certification training provided by The Mobile CPR Project Philadelphia, a partnership between Independence Blue Cross and the University of Pennsylvania.

To register for the workshop, please fill out a form at this link or use the QR code in the flyer below:

Local chef and writer Ari Miller during a live cooking demonstration with the new cooktops at the West Philly Tool Library on Friday, Feb. 7.

The West Philly Tool Library has just received a generous donation from PennEnvironment, a non-profit organization that advocates for clean air, water and energy in the state of Pennsylvania. PennEnvironment donated two induction cooktops that will be offered for community use through the tool library’s membership program.

Induction stoves are a more sustainable alternative to traditional gas ranges because they don’t rely on methane, a greenhouse gas that’s considered much more potent than carbon dioxide and contributes to global warming. At the same time, induction appliances can be up to three times as efficient as their gas counterparts, and 10 percent more efficient than electric appliances. This efficiency can lead to potential long-term energy savings on utility bills and faster cooking times.

Continue Reading

Here’s a great opportunity to set out on an adventure without leaving the city borders, to learn more about Philadelphia history and culture and connect with neighbors/fellow city residents.

Walk Around Philadelphia is a facilitated, segmented 100+ mile walk around the entire city border that takes place twice a year, in February and September, with other programs, like meet-ups, exhibitions and concerts, being held throughout the year. Participants can join in for a scheduled group walk for as long as they are able to, or can do it on their own anytime. The program founder, West Philly-based artist and community organizer JJ Tiziou, personally leads many walks.

Over 2,000 people have participated in the project since 2020.

Continue Reading

During each tax season, The Campaign for Working Families (CWF), a non-profit organization, operates free tax preparation sites around the city. On Jan. 30, CWF opened more such sites in West and Southwest Philadelphia for the 2024 tax season. Free services are available for low-to-moderate income individuals and families at the following locations:

CWFI Dornsife at Drexel University
3509 Spring Garden St.

Hours:
Mon-Fri 9am-3pm

CWFI Ebenezer Temple
5649 Christian St.

Hours:
Mon, Tues 12pm-6pm,
Wed, Thurs 10am-2pm,
Sat 9am-3pm

Continue Reading

This Monday, Jan. 20, we are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Day. To honor his legacy, special events and volunteer opportunities have been scheduled in West Philadelphia by local groups and organizations.

A street renaming and awards ceremony in honor of Dr. King will take place on Monday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 40th and Lancaster, the exact place where he delivered a historic speech on August 3, 1965. More than 10,000 people came to listen to Dr. King speak on that day. To commemorate this event, a historical marker and a mural were unveiled at the intersection of 40th Street and Lancaster and Haverford Avenues in 2010, but this Monday, community members are invited to celebrate the renaming of the triangle to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Triangle. The ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m. and feature the following speakers:

• Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District)
• Jim Brown, community leader who led the effort to rename the street
• Joe Walker, community leader who has been leading the effort to memorialize this site since 2009
• Community leaders, faith leaders, neighbors

Continue Reading