The Philadelphia City Commissioners is holding mobile staffed ballot drop-off events at various Philadelphia Free Library branches ahead of the November 8th General Election. Personnel from the Board of Elections will be on hand to collect voted Absentee and Mail-in ballots.

Here’s the schedule of such events in West and Southwest Philadelphia:

• Tuesday, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. & 1 p.m.-4 p.m.:

Overbrook Park Library, 7422 Haverford Ave

• Wednesday, Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. & 1 p.m.-4 p.m.: Continue Reading

UPDATE (10/13/2022): Due to rain in the forecast for Thursday, the Kingsessing Library giveaway will take place Friday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

10/12/2022: The Kingsessing Library is hosting a big giveaway this Thursday, Oct. 13 ahead of its closure for major renovations. The century-old building will close after October 14 to prepare for the construction, which is expected to begin this winter.

The giveaway, which will be held outdoors starting at 10 a.m., will feature books, magazines, DVDs, and some board games and toys. All items are absolutely free. If it rains on Thursday, the event will be held this Friday, Oct. 14. Here’s the event Facebook page. Continue Reading

The Cobbs Creek Parkway Guide Rail Improvement Project has begun, according to an announcement by the Streets Department, and motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling along and through the work area. Temporary “No Parking” signs will also be posted in advance of each scheduled activity.

Day work hours will consist of temporary roadway shoulder and parking lane closures during off-peak between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., within the work area, from the north side of Woodland Avenue to the south side of Springfield Avenue. Night work from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. will also involve the use of temporary roadway shoulder and parking lane closures. Through travel lanes will remain fully open to traffic throughout the project. Continue Reading

Complaining about SEPTA has been a Philly pastime for generations (they may never live down “We’re Getting There“). Buses that never show; ones that blow by you at a stop because they’re full; that long wait on a cold winter morning only for three buses to show up at once. Most of us have been there.

Well, transit planners at last night’s public unveiling of a proposed overhaul of SEPTA’s bus system say they are making changes – from shorter wait times to more consistent schedules and “straighter” routes.

“If we were building it from scratch, what would it look like?” SEPTA transit planner Dan Nemiroff asked during the online meeting to release the proposed route changes as part of SEPTA’s Bus Revolution project. Continue Reading

Open houses for a planned independent community school in West Philly begin this Saturday, Oct. 1.

Set to open in Fall 2023, the Roots and Branches School is recruiting kindergartners and first graders, according to experienced West Philly educator and the school’s director Rowan Machalow.

“Our vision is providing a broad and balanced elementary education to children from a range of cultural and financial backgrounds in the West Philadelphia community,” Machalow wrote in an email. “Our educational model supports educating the whole child through investigation and exploration in our academic curriculum and daily arts, music, and foreign languages, and movement.” Continue Reading

SEPTA is redesigning the entire Philadelphia region bus network as part of its Bus Revolution project and will present a draft network on Monday, Oct. 3. The redesign project aims to make buses more reliable, efficient, and easier to use. The redesigned network will combine SEPTA customers’ feedback with the Bus Revolution team’s ideas.

The new draft network will be presented online during SEPTA’s Transit Talk event on Monday, Oct. 3rd, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m..

During this Transit Talk, SEPTA will:

• Provide an update on the project timeline and next steps
• Share the Draft Network with a focus on what’s proposed and why
• Share the calendar of Fall 2022 events
• Highlight the project website and where information is available
• Let you know what is coming next. Continue Reading