Authorizing the Committee on Legislative Oversight to hold public hearings to investigate how City departments coordinate with each other to prepare and conduct street closures for street resurfacing and reconstruction projects.

WHEREAS, While street resurfacing and reconstruction projects positively impact the City’s neighborhoods and commercial areas, these projects must be advertised, communicated to residents and completed efficiently to minimize the impact on traffic, parking and pedestrians; and

WHEREAS, Section 11-705 of The Philadelphia Code requires the Commissioner of Streets to establish a program for the coordination of construction activities within the public right-of-way (ROW); and

WHEREAS, Section 11-705 defines the following

purposes of the program

for the coordination of construction activities in the ROW

: (a) minimize multiple Street openings, the resulting disruption of the ROW, and inconvenience to the public, (b) ensure that construction in the ROW consistently meets a high industry standard of quality, (c) coordinate the exchange and review of construction plans among Licensees and between Licensees and City Agencies, including the early identification and coordination of large construction projects planned by Licensees and City Agencies, and the early review of economic development plans affecting construction in the ROW, (d) ensure the timely identification and resolution of conflicts between planned and existing Facilities in the ROW, (e) improve the efficiency of the process for issuing Construction Permits and minimize the time required, (f) identify opportunities for joint construction in the ROW by multiple Licensees, and by Licensees and City Agencies, (g) develop traffic safety guidelines for construction and maintenance activities in the ROW and (h) otherwise identify and implement measures to improve the efficiency and minimize the impact of construction in the ROW; and

WHEREAS, There have been recent instances where streets have been closed with no public notification and multiple closures have occurred within short time periods because Departments and/or utilities failed to communicate with one another. Further, “no parking” signs have been erected for specific dates but no work has been done during the advertised period; and

WHEREAS, Prior to street resurfacing or reconstruction, all utilities should be contacted to see if they have work scheduled for the area so that projects can be coordinated to avoid repeat closures of the same areas for various work; and

WHEREAS, A community liaison on street closures may be beneficial to the public to answer any questions about parking, the project or other related issues. In addition, local businesses should be contacted and plans made to lessen commercial disruption to the greatest degree possible; and

WHEREAS, When construction activities in the right-of-way occur in close proximity to schools, crossing guards should be required to ensure safety for school children on their way to and from school; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,

BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That City Council’s Committee on Legislative Oversight is hereby authorized to hold public hearings to investigate how City departments coordinate with each other to prepare and conduct street closures for street resurfacing and reconstruction projects.

End