Broad Street Brief: Plan to “Greenify” Avenue of the Arts Unveiled

July 11, 2024

City Hall

From Prosecutor to Chief Public Safety Director

Adam Geer — Mayor Cherelle Parker’s inaugural nominee for Chief Public Safety Director, a position created by City Council last year — spent the majority of his career as a prosecutor. In his new role, he intends to build community-based, anti-violence initiatives to lead the City in its fight against crime.

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Philadelphia Stands Alone in Requiring Five-Day In-Person Municipal Work Week

After the COVID-19 pandemic, New York and Philadelphia brought their municipal employees back into the office five days per week. However, New York has since returned to a hybrid schedule, making Philadelphia the only city in the Northeast to require five-day, in-person municipal work. Mayor Parker defended her decision to mandate full-time in-person work for all City employees — which she claims will boost the downtown economy and ensure equity among workers — during a press conference Wednesday.

Upcoming Committee Hearings

Philadelphia City Council holds several public hearings throughout the legislative calendar year. Watch here.

  • The Special Committee on Kensington will hold a public hearing on Thursday, July 18 at 10 a.m. to investigate and address the barriers to accessing treatment beds in the Kensington area.

Around Town

$100 Million Project to “Greenify” the Avenue of the Arts

A decade-long project to “greenify” the Avenue of the Arts will begin in 2026. Starting at City Hall on Broad Street and ending at Washington Avenue, the plan includes installments of lush plantings and creative buffers between vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Drug Deaths in Philadelphia Jails Prompt Concerns Amid Kensington Crack Down

Twenty-five prisoners have died from drugs in Philadelphia jails since 2018. As Mayor Parker plans to deploy her initiative to clean up Kensington’s open-air drug market, advocates express concern about implications of the inevitable mass arrests in Kensington and inmate well-being in Philly prisons.

PPA to Install Speed Cameras Along Broad Street

Broad Street saw 169 serious crashes, 165 speed-related crashes, and 456 crashes involving pedestrians occurring between 2018 and 2022. In response, the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) plans to install automated speed cameras up and down Broad to incentivize safer driving and public adherence to posted speed limits.

Philadelphia Residents Push for Lower Flood Insurance Costs

The cost of flood insurance in Philadelphia ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars per year. With only 3,400 properties in Philadelphia currently covered, residents are imploring Philadelphia to join a new FEMA flood zone city program that could cut insurance costs significantly.

Intracity Riders Request New Philly Bus Station During Heatwave

Philadelphia’s main intercity bus terminal sits on Spring Garden Street, near Front Street. During the recent heatwave, advocates renewed their calls for the city to erect a new proper station with air conditioning, restrooms, and an indoor shelter.

Election Update

VP Harris to Visit Philadelphia This Weekend

Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver the keynote speech at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall in Philadelphia, her sixth visit to Pennsylvania during a critical election year.

Suburban Spotlight

SEPTA Initiative to Transform Ambler’s Regional Rail Station

SEPTA rolls-out an initiative aimed at transforming Ambler’s Regional Rail station. The plan calls for proposals from local real estate developers that focus on transfiguring a parking lot into a state-of-the-art suburban transit hub.

Philadelphia Region to See EV Charging Fueled by Federal Funds

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program has allocated funds to open the region’s first charging hub in Aston. The Inflation Reduction Act paved the way for NEVI funding, with an ultimate goal of installing electric charging stations every fifty miles on all major U.S. highways.

Authors

About Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.

About Cozen O’Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.

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