PHILADELPHIA – Thanks to interest from the North Philadelphia community, the City is extending the official route of next month’s Philly Free Streets to include the intersection of North Broad Street and Germantown Avenue, north to Butler Street.
This year’s Philly Free Streets will take place on Saturday, August 11, from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. It was originally slated to run on North Broad Street between City Hall and Erie Avenue. Due to the outpouring of interest from community partners along the car-free route, the program will now extend to Butler Street in North Philadelphia and include the intersection of Broad Street and Germantown Avenue.
“The extended Philly Free Streets route will directly engage more community organizations and businesses in the heart of North Philadelphia,” said Michael A. Carroll, Deputy Managing Director for Transportation & Infrastructure, and Karen Fegley, Deputy Commerce Director for Neighborhood Business Services, in a joint statement. “While at North Broad and Germantown Avenue, residents and visitors alike will have the chance to explore businesses and other organizations located at this active intersection and even stroll south of Erie Avenue on Germantown Avenue to explore the vibrant commercial corridor that extends past the 2018 route.”
There is no formal start or stop, and participants are welcome to join anywhere along the route. Participants are encouraged to take public transit, walk or bike to the car-free route.
“By opening up one of the city’s main thoroughfares to pedestrians and cyclists, Philly Free Streets will bring a new energy to North Broad Street,” said Shalimar Thomas, Executive Director of the North Broad Renaissance. “We are thrilled that this year’s route will allow participants to experience North Philadelphia as they never have before.”
At the intersection of North Broad and Germantown Avenue, Mural Arts Philadelphia will partner with the Free Library’s Nicetown-Tioga branch to paint a chalk-based, literacy-themed street mural. Additionally, the intersection will include a stage with family-friendly activities, as well as tables and chairs for participants to enjoy food from one of the many nearby restaurants, including Dwight’s Southern Barbeque on Germantown Avenue and Max’s Steaks on Erie Avenue.
“The extension of the 2018 route North to Butler Street is an excellent opportunity to show off one of North Philadelphia’s great commercial corridors,” said Amelia Price, Corridor Manager of Called To Serve CDC, the nonprofit that supports the Broad, Germantown & Erie Merchants Association (B A GEM). “We are excited to bring more activity to the businesses along the Broad Street, Germantown & Erie Avenue corridor this August, and hope that residents will then return to patronize these local businesses again in the future.”
Led by the Managing Director’s Office of Transportation & Infrastructure Systems (oTIS), Philly Free Streets highlights active transportation options, as well as neighborhood walkability and its positive impacts on public health, the environment, business, and the community. The August 2018 Philly Free Streets program is generously sponsored by Temple University and AARP Pennsylvania. Additional support has been provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
For more information regarding Philly Free Streets, including event details and volunteer opportunities, go to www.phillyfreestreets.com.