On May 4th, the Bicycle Coalition joined together with 23 other Philadelphia non-profits as part of the Livable Communities Network to advocate for a better city budget — and now we need your help.
Budget season is upon us and we need you to add your voice and call for a Livable Community Budget that invests in transportation, housing and open space! Send in an email TODAY to your District City Councilmember and all At-Large Council members by clicking here.
The goal to advocate for better housing, safer parks and streets and sidewalks. We called upon City Council to restore funds to critical programs that Mayor Kenney left out of his FY22 proposed operating and capital budget. Read the sent to City Council letter here.
These groups had been brought together during 2019-2021 by AARP-PA to support Philadelphia: An Age Friendly Livable City for All – Philadelphia’s Livable Communities Action Plan, which Mayor Kenney and City Council endorsed in 2020. Unfortunately, the proposed FY22 Budget submitted by Mayor Kenney to City Council cut back certain key department line items that are critical to the success of this plan.
On May 4th, we released a letter to City Council at a rally detailing the specific line items that needed restoration.
In total, we asked that a little over $31 million be restored to the Fy22 Operating and Capital Budgets that Mayor Kenney had left out.
Add your voice and call for a Livable Community Budget!
Send in an email TODAY to your District City Councilmember and all At-Large Council members by clicking here.
The details of this joint ask are as follows:
Housing Trust Fund ● Add $14 Million to the Housing Trust Fund to match pre-pandemic level of $20Million Land Bank ● Restore $3 Million for acquisition ● Restore $3 Million to operations
Commerce Department ● Add $1 Million to the Commercial Corridor Cleaning Program (PHL TCB) to match the FY20 budget ● Add $675,000 to the Storefront Improvement Program, Business Security Camera Program
Parks and Recreation Operating Budget ● Add $5.2 Million to match the FY21 pre-pandemic budget proposal
Managing Director’s Operating Budget ● Add $500,000 for Vision Zero Planning & Design to its pre-pandemic FY20 level. It was zeroed out in the proposed FY22 budget ● Add $500,000 to hire a sidewalks coordinator, conduct a sidewalk masterplan, and create sidewalk repair funding strategy, as recommended by a 2018 Sidewalk Policy Transportation Community Development Initiative (TCDI) to the Office of Transportation & Infrastructure Systems.
Streets Department Capital Budget ● Increase by $1 Million the Vision Zero line item to the pre-pandemic FY21 budget proposal. Make line 73 Traffic Control in Traffic Engineering IMPS for Vision Zero $2.0 Million to match FY20 budget. ● Designate $2 Million in CN Funds from Line 66 Reconstruction/Resurfacing of Streets for Vision Zero Maintenance to pay for supplies such as flex posts, quick-curb, line stripping and traffic calming devices that are installed by the Vision Zero Maintenance Crew. ● Increase line item 73.5 Traffic Control – Signal Synchronization – Transit Improvements to $500,000 in order to implement transit improvements in the City’s five high priority corridors