Table of Contents |
|
ANDORRA AND MANAYUNK ROUTE CHANGES
ROUTE 9, 35 AND 61 EXPRESS Effective September 1, 2002, the following changes will take place on Routes 9, 35 and 61 Express affecting Andorra and Manayunk riders. These changes, approved as part of SEPTA's Fiscal Year 2002 Annual Service Plan, are aimed at improving the performance of Route 35 and addressing community and passenger concerns in Andorra. ANDORRA PASSENGERS All Route 9 buses will terminate at Summit Loop. Route 35 will be extended and will replace Route 9 service in Andorra. Route 35, which services Roxborough and Manayunk enroute to Wissahickon Transfer Center, will operate with 30' buses at a 30 minute frequency (during most times). If you now ride between Andorra and Roxborough, Manayunk or Wissahickon Transfer Center, you will now ride Route 35. There will no longer be a need to change buses at Summit Loop. If you now ride between Andorra and Center City, you will have several choices. - During weekday peak hours, Route 61 Express trips will now circulate through Andorra. There will be five trips in each peak period. Route 61 Express buses operate local service to the Wissahickon Transfer Center, then express to 9th and Walnut Streets in Center City via 30th Street Station. - You may choose to ride Route 35 to Summit Loop and transfer to Route 9. There is no additional charge for this if you are a SEPTA Pass holder or a Senior Citizen (except for one weekday peak hour). - You may board Route 27 at Ridge & Cathedral Road for direct service to Center City. Route 27 operates via 15th and Broad Streets through Center City and does NOT serve 30th Street Station. ROUTE 35 RIDERS Several changes are being implemented on Route 35 which will expand travel opportunities and improve service for most passengers. - Service frequency will be increased from every 45 to every 30 minutes during most weekday time periods. - Route 35 will be extended northward to Andorra providing an additional direct link between Manayunk, Roxborough and the many commercial destinations along Ridge Avenue. - The route will be changed through Manayunk from a one-way loop service to two-way service on all streets. This will allow local trips to be made within Manayunk and Roxborough without requiring passengers to ride "out of their way" through Andorra to reach certain areas in Manayunk. (In order to do this, the portion of existing routing along Silverwood Street, south of Leverington Avenue and long Rector and Cresson Streets will be discontinued. Ridership along this portion of the route is low and all riders are within a quarter-mile walking distance of the new routing.) This routing change in Manayunk is Experimental, and a public hearing will be held if a decision is made to make it permanent. Please refer to the Routes 9, 35 and 61 public timetables dated September 1, 2002 for more detailed routing and schedule information. Thank you for your patronage. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
|
|
PHILLY CAR SHARE Fed up with the hassles of car ownership in the city? With parking troubles, the high costs of insurance and maintenance and the ever-present risk of vandalism and theft, car-sharing may be the mobility service for you. PhillyCarShare is now organizing as a member based nonprofit to bring the neighborhood car-sharing concept to Philadelphia. Car-sharing is similar to a rental agency where you are a preapproved customer and the cars are close to where you live or work in a secure reserved parking place, a short walk from your location. Cars are booked with a simple phone call or over the Internet, by the hour and as long as you need. Insurance, fuel, licensing and maintenance will be handled by PhillyCarShare. At the end of each month, members will receive a bill for the hours and miles they have driven. Is Car-Sharing for you? If you drive less than 10,000 miles a year, car-sharing will save you money. If you don't need to drive every day to get to work, your're a good candidate If you've been considering buying a car, car-sharing is a cheaper, more convenient alternative. Benefits of Car-Sharing for the Business Community One deposit fee covers all employees More on-lot and street parking freed up for short term parking i.e. shoppers, tourists and deliveries. Increased mobility for CCPA members and their employees. Less congested streets, improved air quality improved livability in the city's neighborhoods - For more on PhillyCarShare and contact information visit: www.phillycarshare.org 215-386-0988
|
|
ANOTHER MAIN STREET EVENT (Antique Festival)? An alliance of local civic groups (Wissahickon Neighbors Civic Association, Manayunk Neighborhood Council and Wissahickon Interested Citizens Association) is concerned about the potential negative impact on the residential community of an event scheduled for October 2002. They would like a comprehensive plan that will provide adequate protection for the community. A meeting with Gloria Jackson, Assistant Managing Director of the City, has been scheduled for September 10. Manayunk Development Corporation scheduled a two-day event on October 5 & 6. This event will close nearly the whole length of Main Street between Ridge Ave. and Green Lane for an entire weekend. We support events that do not worsen community problems and provide something positive for the residents. Without adequate preparation, this event will cause traffic disruption in our community. During similar past events, parishioners were unable to get to their churches, residents were unable to get to their homes, and the perception of 'Manayunk gridlock' hurt local businesses. Several months ago, representatives of our three groups participated in a preliminary 'Event Planning' meeting organized by the Development Corp. We have had no subsequent meetings, although two Main Street events have already taken place (Bike Race and Arts Festival). Unless a comprehensive plan for this event is drafted, we will urge the City not to issue the requisite permits for this event.
|
|
MURAL FOR CRESSON STREET Manayunk Development Corporation wrote a proposal to the City's Mural Arts Program for a mural which has been approved. The mural will be painted on Cresson Street on the red wall just below the ramp from the outbound train station. A presentation was made to Jane Glenn (MNC), Forest Aegiano (WNCA), Kay Smith (MDC), Bobby Morganstein (owner of the station restaurant), and a Septa representative by Ariel Bierbaum, director of the Community Mural Program. Local artist Ken Millerington of the Mural Arts Program was selected to design and head the painting of the mural. A train theme was the favored subject for the mural. Mr. Morganstein, owner of the wall, has already painted the second floor interior of his building with a train theme. He is very excited about the mural and will add lights and pay for the electricity to brighten it. The community groups will meet with the artist in the next month to discuss the design. He will then present sketches for approval. He will be invited to the October 2 meeting although we may not be very far along in the design.
|
|
MANAYUNK GARDEN CLUB & TREE TENDERS PRETZEL PARK - Construction of the new play area is scheduled to begin September 10. A new modern, type of play equipment will be installed in October. The play area will have a new design. There will be a walkway at the top of the Cresson Street hillside. A fence will run along the pavement. The play equipment will be in the center of the circle, adding another loop to the pretzel layout of the park. Trees will be planted along the Cresson Street hillside and at the ends of the play area. Stone posts topped with orbs, similar to those at each end of the park house, will be installed at the Rector Street entrance. Money to fund the improvements and modern play equipment, $175,000, was awarded from the City. Councilman Nutter added $60,000 to the original $175,000 to cover the construction bid. A kiosk has been installed in Pretzel Park to display information on park and community events. The kiosk was built by local carpenter, John Martin, with a grant from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The kiosk is at the top of the steps on the corner of Cresson and Cotton Streets. Please check it out for information and upcoming events Two lights have been installed along Cotton Street to light up the dog run. The Manayunk Development Corporation arranged for PECO to install the lights on existing poles. The lights will cost $50 a month which will be paid for by the Development Corporation. (Karen - please verify.) Irene Biernacki, Pretzel Park's Seasonal Maintenance Attendant, has been working extra hard this summer. It has been a challenge keeping the plants alive in the heat and drought. Irene has managed to keep the park clean, the plants watered, and has added new plants. It's been a lot of work. Irene cannot keep up the park on her own. We need volunteers to come out once a month to help water, weed, and prune the garden. The next event is scheduled for Saturday, September 21 at 10:00 AM. MANAYUNK TREE TENDERS - The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education (SCEE) awarded us another $500 grant to plant street trees this fall. The grant will pay for three pavement cuts and up to five trees. Five Hedge Maples were planted in the spring with a grant from SCEE. We have also ordered 10 barefoot trees from PHS for delivery in March 2003. These trees cost $15 each. They are available to residents for use as street trees or other public areas. Free street trees are also available from the City's Fairmount Park Commission. They will make the pavement cuts and plant trees in the fall of 2003. Applications must be sent to the Fairmount Park Commission by September 22 through an existing Tree Tender group. If you are interested in receiving a free tree, please e-mail mail@manayunkcouncil.org or call Jane at 482-5528. |
|
FALL TREE TENDER SESSION BE A TREE-TENDER - LEARN TREE CARE and keep your trees and city healthy! The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Green is offering classes and hands-on training to individuals and groups interested in caring for trees in their neighborhood. * Training is free to individuals that commit to organizing tree care days. * Groups of 4 or more who attend the entire training will receive Tree Care Tools! * Individuals can be matched up with an organized group, or receive assistance in forming a group of their own. The 12 hour training will take place over three evenings and a Saturday morning. The three Wednesday eveinings are October 9, 16, and 23 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM and Saturday is October 19 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The Wednesday sessions will be held at PHS, 100 N 20th Street and pizza and soda will be served. The Saturday session will be a tree planting in West Philadelphia and is usually a pot luck.
|
|
THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF URBAN FORESTS Absorbs air pollutants. Sequesters carbon - countering the greenhouse effect Reduces noise pollution - for example tree buffers along highways reduce automobile noise. Cools the city by absorbing sunlight and releasing water through evapotranspiration. Reduces the surface water runoff, which helps keep pollution out of the rivers and ponds. Reduces soil erosion - which decreases sedimentation of water bodies. Provides habitat for urban wildlife. ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF URBAN FORESTS Increases property values from 3 to 20 percent. Serve as wind barriers thereby decreasing heat bills in the winter months. Studies have shown that trees decrease energy consumption in winter months by 25%. Shade from tree canopies can decrease electrical bills in the summer by up to $73 annually. NEED FOR STREET TREES LIFE, trees are living things which add some missing "nature" to our urban environment. AESTHETICS, trees are attractive at every season and make a neighborhood more appealing. Even without leaves, trees are sculptural forms in the landscape. And they can screen or filter undesirable views. AIR QUALITY, trees release oxygen as an end product of photosynthesis. In our polluted cities we can use all the oxygen we can get. SHADE, trees cool the air and pavement around your home by blocking the sun. They are natural insulators and can reduce cooling costs during the summer months. They are a necessity for pedestrians during the summer heat! SOUND BARRIER, trees can buffer noise. In a dense city environment, noise reduction is always needed. |
|
FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS) ABOUT STREET TREES IN PHILADELPHIA Who is responsible for my street tree? All street trees in the city are the responsibility of the city that is assigned to the Fairmount Park commission. The commission discharges this responsibility through a group of District Arborists who operate on a less than adequate budget given the dimensions of the job. May I plant any kind of tree I wish as my curb line street tree? The Fairmount Park Commission has a list of approved species, based on what is acceptable in an urban situation and past experience. You will need a permit from the district arborist who must approve the choice of species and the site. Consideration also must be given to the existence of overhead wires. Planting a large species under these will result in some drastic and, at present, unregulated "pruning" by the utilities companies. It is important both for yours and the tree's health that an appropriate "under wire" species be chosen. Won't any tree I plant undermine my building's foundation, invade my sewer and water lines and buckle my sidewalk? If the choice of tree, site and planting conditions are correct, most of these "urban myths" are just that - myths. Most tree roots grow in the top 12 inches of soil and spread well beyond the dimensions of the tree canopy in search of water and nutrients. They do not "attack" underground mains, unless these are already damaged and provide entrances for developing roots. An adequate and generous tree pit, or long narrow continuous "tree lawn" will provide the best conditions for establishing and maintaining a "well behaved" street tree with the environment needed to survive in the city. Once I agree to planting a new street tree, where do I get help? Contact Manayunk Tree Tenders, a project of Manayunk Neighborhood Council, at 215/482-5528 or e-mail mail@manayunkcouncil.org. Tree Tenders are people who have gone through the Tree Tender Training given by the Philadelphia Green Program of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. They can help you with the basics: Suggesting a site, range of species, preliminaries (obtaining a permit, preparing the planting area, calling PA One Call (800 242-1776) to check on underground utilities, locating a source and/or contractor, planting and caring for the tree). What options to I have if I want to plant it myself or with help from Tree Tenders? Balled and burlapped trees or container grown trees may be planted at any time the ground is not frozen, but ideally in the spring or fall. They must be delivered to the site and require more than one person to handle correctly. Bare-root trees are cheaper, lighter (one person can move them), require special handling and planting arrangements and even more solicitous care than b&b or container trees. What basic care is required from me? Adequate site preparation and maintenance (free of weeds), mulched and watered (5-8 gallons each week for the first two years), stakes (to prevent damage from automobile doors and the like) and pruning (best left to Tree Tenders or professionals) What about fertilizing newly planted trees? Not recommended. A properly prepared tree pit or lawn will provide all the nutrients needed. Can I plant flowers or other things in the pit? Annuals are preferred in the early years (so as not to compete for the available water and serve as a "signal" when watering is needed). A number of perennial ground covers can be planted at a later date; avoid ivy however which offers too much competition to the tree. What about pruning a mature tree or removing a dead one? Unless these are small, both of these joys should be left to professionals. Contacting the district arborist and reporting a dead tree will put the tree on a list for eventual removal based on budget allocations. Tree pruning by the city, except for the utilities companies (hardly what you would want) is rarer still. Tree Tenders can provide you with a list of professional tree services for privately contracting for such services. Ultimately, these are your responsibilities, but well worth it for the benefits trees provide. What is the Tree Tenders program and how do I get involved? Call PHS, (215) 988-8844, to sign up for one of the regularly scheduled "courses" (three evenings, plus one weekend session). These are free, informative and fun and groups of four or more attending together receive special tools (everyone gets pizza!). They also provide information and authorization for receiving grants for tree planting and
|
