Protected bike lane on Chestnut Street (archived photo).

Some street improvement work is coming this year to Chestnut and Walnut streets in West Philadelphia. The Chestnut-Walnut Traffic Safety project is expected to kick off this spring and will include Chestnut Street from 34th to 63rd Street, and Walnut Street from 22nd Street to 63rd Street. More than six miles are expected to be repaved as part of this project.

The project will also include improvements of the existing bike lanes on both streets. A protected bike lane was built on a portion of Chestnut Street (between 45th and 34th) in 2017. It is expected that the lane will be extended to 63rd Street. One of the goals of the project is to increase safety for bicyclists by separating them from motor vehicle traffic.

Other goals include construction of shorter and safer pedestrian crossings, improvement of parking and loading operations, and calming traffic by decreasing speeding and aggressive driving on these streets.

The project is coordinated by the City’s Streets Department and is implemented by PennDOT.

The City has introduced a new, tiered approach to COVID-19 safety requirements, as the number of new cases and hospitalizations continue to fall in Philadelphia. As of today (Wednesday, Feb. 16), the City has lifted the proof of vaccination requirement for indoor dining and drinking at bars, restaurants and other places that serve food or drink. The mask requirement for all indoor public settings still remains in place until further notice.

The City’s Department of Public Health has presented four COVID-19 response levels, from Extreme Caution to All Clear, which will be implemented based on the number of new cases, hospitalizations and other criteria. As of today, Philadelphia is in Level 2: Mask Precautions. The response level will be updated as needed every Monday. Continue Reading

West Philly residents who live in the 18th Police District boundaries are again invited to attend community meetings with local police officers. Monthly meetings at the Calvary Center (48th and Baltimore) have recently resumed after a nearly two-year long COVID-related hiatus.

Meetings are held every third Thursday of the month. The next meeting will take place this Thursday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. Lt. Kevin Livewell of the University City Division of the 18th Police District and representatives of University City District (UCD) will participate in the meeting. Continue Reading

Philadelphia’s first Narcan Near Me tower/kiosk has been installed outside of the Blackwell Regional Library at 52nd and Sansom, as part of the City’s new initiative to provide free access to life-saving naloxone and other opioid overdose reversal supplies.

The newly installed kiosk, supplied by Canadian firm Dispension, Inc., gives a 24-hour seven days a week access to Narcan. People can anonymously receive Narcan and other supplies, such as gloves, face shields and instructions on how to administer the medication. The kiosk contains 22 overdose prevention kits – each of them contains two doses of Narcan. To get access to an overdose prevention kit, all you need to do is tap the touch screen on the front of the machine. The kiosk can also connect to 911 in the case of an emergency. Continue Reading

One For All, a non-profit arts organization based in West Philadelphia, has recently expanded and opened a private studio space for emerging artists at 4111 Lancaster Ave.

The new studio features “a kitchenette, bathrooms and community areas on [two] floors,” writes One For All founder and director Parker Jackson. “There is also a functioning elevator, heat, air conditioning, wifi and multiple security systems in place.”

One For All’s new art studio spaces are mostly medium-sized, many of them have windows, and are moderately priced, starting at $75 a month. One studio has a recording studio within a medium-sized studio space and can be used by a musician. Continue Reading

In an effort to assess fair housing options in Philadelphia neighborhoods, the City’s Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has released a housing and neighborhood survey – Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH).

The AFH survey, which is in partnership with the Urban Institute and Reinvestment Fund, will assess how Philadelphians feel about their current housing, community and housing options. The results of the survey will be used to help shape Philadelphia’s housing and neighborhood investment plans.

The results of the survey will be used to “create meaningful actions to address housing challenges and improve communities,” according to Mayor Jim Kenney. Continue Reading