PHILADELPHIA – Today, the City announced a new engagement effort regarding three landscape designs for the Broad, Germantown and Erie (BGE) intersection. These include improvements to the triangles, streets and sidewalks.
“Making improvements to the intersection of Broad, Germantown, and Erie continues to be a priority of my administration,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “We encourage residents who live nearby to take our survey to inform the investments in restoration, beautification, and traffic safety being brought to this important corridor.”
In order to follow guidelines put in place by the Department of Public Health while having the most inclusive outreach possible, the BGE project outreach will include: digital materials and an online survey; postcards to 1,300 addresses; online meetings with organizations, businesses and residents; phone calls; and socially distanced in-person outreach in English and Spanish.
“This engagement work is an important milestone in delivering this transformation to North Philadelphia,” said Deputy Managing Director Mike Carroll. “This project will deliver safer streets and welcoming public space to one of the busiest crossroads in our city.”
The engagement effort will be available to the community through a variety of formats:
- People can learn more about each design option by reading through the concepts or watching this video.
- Once they have learned about the design options, they can complete this brief survey
- People can also send comments or questions to bge@phila.gov, or text or call us at (215) 436-9886.
- Lastly, City staff will be available to administer surveys in person on two Survey Drop-in Days. They will be held on Thursday, September 24 and Thursday, October 1 at the intersection of Broad & Erie from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. We ask everyone to make sure to wear a mask or face covering, and stay 6 feet away from others. (Update: the October 1 Survey Drop-in Day has been postponed and will be rescheduled)
“We are committed to meeting residents where they are,” said Eleanor Sharpe, executive director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, whose staff are co-project managers. “Connecting with the community via mail, phone, electronically and in person will help us better hear the residents’ visions for this important intersection.”
“The results from the engagement will inform the final landscape design of the larger project,” said Carroll. “Our goal here is to invest in the Broad, Germantown, and Erie community and make this a place all Philadelphians travel to – whether to catch the bus, go to school, or shop at the many local businesses at the intersection.”
For more information about this project, please visit www.phila.gov/bge.
About BGE: The Broad, Germantown, and Erie (BGE) Task Force was formed in 2016 as a joint effort between City departments and neighborhood organizations to make the intersection safer for pedestrians, create jobs and support businesses, improve and create new public spaces and honor local history and culture.