| NEXT GREAT CITY RECYCLING VICTORY | | | VOLUME III,
ISSUE XXIV | | | | 
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| It's been a big year for recycling in Philadelphia. Single-stream, weekly recycling pick-up went into effect, bringing the recycling diversion rate to a record high in the city; and on street recycling made its debut with BigBelly units popping up throughout Center City. The last piece of the Next Great City recycling recommendation, the implementation of an incentive-based recycling program, was recently announced. Run through RecycleBank, the program will go into affect starting in North Philadelphia in February and spreading throughout the rest of the city over the following six month period.
You can learn more, and sign up at www.recyclingpaysphila.gov. | |
| BIG WIN FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDING ACTION | |
| Last week City Council voted unanimously to pass Bill No. 080025, green building legislation introduced by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown. The bill requires large city-controlled construction projects that are primarily funded by city capital dollars to meet LEED-silver requirements. To emphasize energy efficiency, the bill requires that projects be designed and constructed to use at least 20% less energy than basic structures. The bill applies to capital projects undertaken by all departments and agencies across the city, including the airport. This piece of legislation furthers the Next Great City recommendation that Philadelphia build energy-efficient, healthy city and school-district facilities. Next Great City testified before Council's Committee on the Environment in support of the bill because it exemplifies the long-term vision that Philadelphia needs to make us the next great city with a sustainable future. We applaud City Council for taking this important step. | |
| BIKE LANES HERE TO STAY? | |
| Back in July we told you that bike lanes would be coming to Spruce and Pine Street on a trial basis, and that you should use them if you wanted the lanes to become permanent. It looks like you were listening, because according to Next Great City Partner, the Bicycle Coalition, there has been a 95 percent increase in bicycling on Spruce and Pine Streets since the installation of the buffered bicycle lanes. More bicyclists and reported decreases in car and truck traffic during peak traffic hours may be enough to transition the Spruce/Pine bike lanes from pilot project status to a permanent piece of Philadelphia's infrastructure.
Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities Rina Cutler said that after testing the bike lanes for about two months, she will recommend to Mayor Nutter that they become permanent. If the Mayor concurs, the bicycle lanes will be maintained next spring when the two streets are scheduled to be resurfaced. | |
| SCHUYLKILL CENTER ENVIRONMENTAL HERO | |
| Do you know someone who has made an extraordinary difference to their community? The Schuylkill Center is accepting nominations for its Environmental Hero Award, which honors local people, businesses, or organizations that has make an outstanding contribution to our environment and/or wildlife.
The next Environmental Hero award will be given in January. To nominate a local person, business, or organization, please send the Schuylkill Center a brief description of your nominee describing what makes them an environmental hero. Please limit your description to 200 words, and don't forget to include your name and contact information. Please send your nomination on or before December 30th, 2009 to lsonneborn@schuylkillcenter.org and please put 'Environmental Hero' in the subject line. | |
| COMMUNITY DESIGN COLLABORATIVE GRANTS ANNOUNCED | |
| Community Design Collaborative, a volunteer-based community design center that provides pro bono preliminary design services to nonprofit organizations, has begun work on the final round of service grants for 2009. The grants were awarded to the Borough of Millbourne/Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Cedar Park Neighbors Association, Cramer Hill Community Development Corporation, Impact Services Corporation, Logan Community Development Corporation, Norris Square Civic Association and South Philadelphia H.O.M.E.S., Inc.. Community Design Collaborative's nonprofit clients are pursuing community development projects ranging from redeveloping a vacant church complex to renovating a golf course and clubhouse. | |
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