Johnny Brenda's and Kung Fu Necktie Need Community Support To Get Bike Corrals

As we mentioned a while ago, the success of our bike corral has spurred the City of Philadelphia to offer in-street bike parking to interested businesses. Johnny Brenda's and Kung Fu Necktie are two businesses who have applied to obtain bike corrals,which would replace one vehicle parking spot with bike parking for 12 bicycles.

These forward-thinking businesses want bike corrals, but they need community support to get them

An important part of this process is to obtain letters of support from one's local civic association. The meetings to vote on that support are Wednesday, August 15th and Tuesday, August 21st. If you live in the Fishtown Neighborhood Association boundaries or within 1/4 mile of Kung Fu Necktie, and want to see a bike corral in front of Johnny Brenda's or KFN, please attend these meetings to voice your support!

This is a big deal. Bike corrals are important tools for economic development - replacing parking for one customer in a car with parking for 12 customers on bikes is a significant net gain. They are hugely popular in other cities. Getting these corrals installed will demonstrate to Philadelphia's wider business community that it is good for business to accommodate customers arrive by bike.

See details below about each meeting, where you need to live in order to vote, and what to bring to the meetings.

Community Meeting for Cobbs Creek Connector Trail

The Clean Air Council is holding a final community meeting to share the results of its design study recently completed by Urban Engineers for the Cobbs Creek Connector. The proposed multi-use trail will run from 70th and Cobbs Creek Parkway, where the existing trail ends, to the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge. Community members have the chance to see what preliminary plans have been made, ask questions, and give their input on route options and trail design.

Please forward this blog post to anyone who might be interested in coming to the meeting. Urban Engineers will give a presentation on the trail design and answer any questions that come up, as well as take on input from stakeholders.

Where: Cibotti Recreation Center, 7700 Elmwood Avenue, Phila PA
When: Monday, July 16 - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Who: Clean Air Council; 215-567-4004 x 110, or nrogers@cleanair.org

South Philly Safe Street Design Meeting Recap (with new SimCity reference)

We had an excellent turnout on Wednesday for the Safe Streets for Healthy Neighborhoods meeting. Thank you to everyone who showed up to see what the Community Design Collaborative design team has come up with to transform South Philly streets. They will now head back to their floating cities (or converted lofts, or wherever urban planners work their magic) to work on the final conceptual plans.

Artist's rendering of where artist's renderings are made

Missed the meeting? We've got a summary for you below, along with minutes from the meeting and slides showing the two designs presented.

Stay tuned to this space for future updates on this project, and the date and time of April's meeting to reveal the final plans.

A Redesigned South Philly Street To Be Presented Feb 1st

Do you live in South Philly? Are you interested in ways Philadelphia can make its existing streets better for walking, biking, and transit?

The Safe Streets for Healthy Neighborhoods initiative is a collaboration between the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and a Community Design Collaborative design team. The goal? To prioritize specific neighborhood corridors in Philadelphia and offer design solutions to make them better places for walking, biking, and transit.

A first meeting was held in November to solicit input from community members. Now the design team is ready to present preliminary designs and solicit one last round of community feedback.

When: Wednesday, February 1st
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Location:  Guerin Recreation Center
1600 Jackson Street, Phila PA 19145

The meeting is open to everyone! Come hear what the team has designed for a prototypical South Philly residential block, and provide your feedback! The City is paying close attention to this project, and this meeting is your chance to make a suggestion that might find its way onto a street near you.

Minutes from Wednesday's Passyunk Safe Streets Meeting

For those who were unable to make Wednesday's meeting on the nascent design project to make South Philly corridors safer for bicycling and walking, here are minutes from the meeting. And some action-packed Flickr photos.

Minutes after the jump.

Passyunk Community Meeting Wednesday About Safer, Sweeter Streets

You don't need to recognize this to attend the meeting, but
if you do, this is so up your alley it might as well BE your alley.

So this is a big project we're letting out of the bag slowly. As if the proverbial bag is stretched tightly around the project and we have to wiggle one side of the bag down at a time to get the project out without tearing the bag.

AN-E-how, you will be hearing more about this from us in the upcoming months. For now, know that we are working with the Community Design Collaborative to investigate creating innovative bicycle and pedestrian friendly corridors, beginning with South Philadelphia.

Last week PlanPhilly ran an article about this exciting collaboration, and this Wednesday you can join in!

Public Meeting

Wednesday, November 30th

6:00 - 8:00 PM

East Passyunk Crossing Offices (1729 S. 11th Street)

Join the Bicycle Coalition and the Community Design Collaborative for a lively discussion about making South Philadelphia streets safer for walking and biking. The best input for such plans comes from the residents, commuters, and business owners who use these streets daily. Join us and help shape this exciting innovative design project!

Below is a flyer for your perusal. Questions? Contact susan@bicyclecoalition.org for more information.

Tuesday Community Meeting On North-South Bike Lanes

This is a big one. The Mayor's Office of Transportation & Utilities is following up on Friday's press conference with a Public Community Meeting. They will elaborate upon their plan for 10th and 13th Street bike lanes and solicit feedback. They will also undoubtedly notice whether the turnout is predominately bike lane fans or bike-lane-skeptics.

What: Community meeting concerning pilot program for North-South bike lanes
When: Tuesday, May 10th
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Where: Jefferson University's Alumni Hall (1000 Locust St, Phila). map
Questions: Charles Carmalt, Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator

For those of you who live or work on or near 10th and 13th, Deputy Mayor Rina Cutler would appreciate hearing from you about why you support this project.  Let her know by sending an email in your own words to rina.cutler@phila.gov and cc: bike@bicyclecoalition.org

It feels good to cheer a City decision, and they need to know that this pilot program has widespread support. Take the Spruce and Pine Street bike lanes to the meeting (obeying traffic laws as you go) and encourage this prudent and important project.