Title
Calling on the City of Philadelphia to explore the resumption of annual Philly Free Streets days.
Body
WHEREAS, On September 24th, 2015, the City of Philadelphia welcomed nearly 1 million worshipers to Benjamin Franklin Parkway for mass during Pope Francis’ 2015 state visit to North America, a record for public convention upon the streets of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, This de facto Open Streets event increased bicycle and pedestrian mobility while also allowing for a variety of spontaneous neighborhood events. These opportunities captured the imaginations of many of the City’s residents, sparking the desire for increased Open Streets initiatives; and
WHEREAS, Soon after the Papal visit, Open Streets PHL was launched to encourage the City to take more chances to close its streets and open up opportunities for recreation, commerce and car-free transportation; and
WHEREAS, The City’s first annual Philly Free Streets event was organized by the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) on September 24th, 2016 from 8:00 am to 1:00pm, the one year anniversary of the Pope’s visit to Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, According to analysis by PennPraxis, attendees of the first Philly Free Streets signaled a desire to enjoy monthly free streets events. South Street was the most popular destination during the event because of its many attractions, its proximity to the City’s population centers, and its ease of access through public transit, cycling, and walking. Participants also indicated that they wanted to see more free street events in their own neighborhoods outside of Center City; and
WHEREAS, The most successful Philly Free Streets events occurred on North Broad Street, with many local community organizations and entrepreneurs benefitting from the opportunities closing the streets presented, such as an on-street fashion show, the connecting of youth to summer employment opportunities through job fair popups, and the side street block parties hosted by many churches to compliment the closing of Broad street; and
WHEREAS, To date Philly Free Streets has not been hosted since 2019, despite the immense popularity of the event, though other street festivals remain popular and are hosted every year, such as the Odunde Festival. The COVID-19 pandemic allowed for more open streets concepts as traffic congestion and commuting contracted significantly, allowing for open pedestrian access of streets like Sansom street, the increased use of streeteries for dining to aid struggling restaurants, and the closing of MLK Drive off to cars; and
WHEREAS, The resumption of vehicular access to MLK Drive, and the illegalizing of temporarily permitted streeteries, has sparked public debate and petitions to restore public access to roadways for dining, recreation, and car-free transportation, and for Philadelphia to embrace the benefits that a walkable, bikeable, pedestrian-oriented streetscape and society can deliver; and
WHEREAS, In August 2024 Center City District announced an Open Streets initiative for West Walnut that will close off Rittenhouse Row to cars on Sundays beginning in September 2024, further highlighting the emphasis civic organizations in Philadelphia are continuing to place on free streets to promote commercial activity in Philadelphia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby calls on the City of Philadelphia to explore the resumption of annual Philly Free Streets days.
End