WHEREAS, City Council’s Committee’s on Finance and Transportation are authorized by the City Charter to examine and address any issues that have a fiscal impact on the residents of this City, and to make suggestions on fiscal policy, as well as recommendations to the General Fund; and
WHEREAS, City Council is concerned about the long term fiscal impact on local businesses that the reconstruction time line creates (project completion date in 2007), the access to services provided by businesses to community residents; and
WHEREAS, The SEPTA Market Street Elevated Reconstruction Project is projected to cost nearly one billion dollars; and
WHEREAS, The reconstruction will replace 11,000 feet of supportive structure, renovate six stations, construct two new train control buildings, supply new trains, and other related improvements; and
WHEREAS, SEPTA, as part of it’s Market Street Elevated Reconstruction Project effort, made plans to keep community residents and community business owners informed of the program activities; and
WHEREAS, Such activities have been viewed by local business owners as negatively impacting sale revenues due to blocked sidewalks, fenced-in streets, and signs diverting not only vehicular traffic but pedestrian traffic as well; and
WHEREAS, Community watch-dog groups have been created solely for the purposes of examining the day-to-day activities of the SEPTA project and have found that the authority have not been responsive to the community concerns; and
WHEREAS, It is in the interest of this Council to promote initiatives that create dialogue between government agencies and the community; and
WHEREAS, It is the responsibility of City Council to stimulate community investment and protect business; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Council Committee’s on Finance and Transportation to hold hearings to examine SEPTA’s Market Street Elevated Reconstruction Project in West Philadelphia, it’s fiscal impact on local businesses, and it’s overall effect on the community and the city at large.
End