Two hundred library Friends and staff rallied for Full Library Funding at City Hall in December (Photo courtesy of Friends of Walnut St. West Library).

“Robbing Peter to pay Paul” has become the norm as Free Library branches loan staff to each other so they can keep their doors open. Philadelphia’s public libraries are now operating with skeleton crews, short 150 staff positions system-wide, due to unremedied attrition.

Last weekend, Walnut St. West Librarian Bruce Siebers worked Saturday at the Cecil B. Moore branch, along with three others borrowed from other branches. According to Siebers, Cecil B. Moore Library only has four full-time employees.

Libraries are required to have at least four staff present to open, including a guard. If four are scheduled and one calls in sick… you get the picture. It happened 375 times last year. When neighborhood libraries open late, or not at all, people stop using them.  Continue Reading

SEPTA has announced a trolley track replacement project at 40th and Spruce, which will affect traffic in the area for eight days at the beginning of next month. From Saturday, March 2 to Sunday, March 10, Spruce Street will be closed between 38th and 41st Streets, and 40th Street will be closed between Locust and Spruce Streets for the duration of this work, with the exception of emergency vehicles, deliveries, and trash pick-up.

Local traffic will be permitted up to the construction site, and walking access will not be restricted during the project. Penn Dental Medicine and Ryan Veterinary Hospital will be accessible during this closure.  Continue Reading

The Juneteenth parade and music festival is coming to 52nd Street, and community members are invited to a public meeting this Wednesday, Feb. 27 to learn more about this event, how it will affect the street and how you can get involved.

Wednesday’s community meeting, which is organized by the Enterprise Center, is also an opportunity to learn more about neighborhood beatification projects. Participants will be able to sign up for free planters and trees!

The meeting will take place at the Urban Art Gallery (262 S. 52nd St.), from 6 to 7 p.m. (see the flyer below).  Continue Reading

After a few years of planning, which included community meetings and open houses, SEPTA is finally ready to launch a new bus route that will connect the University City section with Brewerytown, Fairmount, Grays Ferry and Strawberry Mansion. The new Bus Route 49 service (33rd/Dauphin – 29th/Snyder) will begin on Sunday, Feb. 24.

The new bus service will address a north-south gap that exists in the current transit network. It will also serve the 30th Street Station and the Ben Franklin Parkway attractions. Here are other key destinations along Bus 49 Route:  Continue Reading

University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, the program that connects unemployed West Philly residents with local employers, is teaming up with SEPTA for Bus Operator training. The program includes no-cost Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training and testing.

This is the Initiative’s first recruitment open to Philadelphians of all zip codes, not just West Philadelphia residents. Applicants must possess a high school diploma or GED and be currently unemployed and must have a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record for at least the last three years. Successful program graduates will have the opportunity to apply for Operator positions with SEPTA. The program also offers a performance-based stipend during the training.  Continue Reading

All Philadelphia public schools will be closed on Wednesday, Feb. 20 due to the forecasted inclement weather, which includes snow and sleet throughout the day, according to an announcement by the School District of Philadelphia.

All after-school activities, including all athletic programs and professional development sessions scheduled for Wednesday, are canceled as well. All District early childhood centers will also be closed.

The decision regarding administrative offices is expected to be announced by 5 a.m. on Wednesday. Visit the School District website for more information and updates.