[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6578957,"mediaKeyId","3115066-4e2ec5cd5d1adaed484ddf006cde6093","parentId",3115066,"title","Council backs permanent transit funding idea and honors SEPTA workers; resolution urges lawmakers to fund system","audioSeconds",5491,"startMs",2672000,"endMs",8163000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3115066-4e2ec5cd5d1adaed484ddf006cde6093&start=2672&end=8163","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3115066-4e2ec5cd5d1adaed484ddf006cde6093/thumbnail_2672000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6578957/Philadelphia-City/Philadelphia-County/Pennsylvania/Council-backs-permanent-transit-funding-idea-and-honors-SEPTA-workers-resolution-urges-lawmakers-to-fund-system","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578957-a14ce23e7d25f11e7a2692108b2f7117/orig.mp4?Expires=1771047919&Signature=XS5u9P2L5fIMdJxYOfY0HWcJIYWcDNWw5~8it6z4APf~nJO5szXEvT3Dv2Q1LgLCbmy5-CCc~1ko3DC9~Gfub--Thg7slZW5sFA~ccYD4LSaldg6-b2BxENC2F7zrVGUjbh5zB3VqemFk3cAF6Nb4cRYKtviWK7Ce8VKEx7~R1YnsCcWD-MLdB3o0XGhjrbEezl58WXXntZAKmEmDIhPZkJ4mcED0tVS6Wktq1qt2v8AhimnklJ6yW3ckjSi5jpoQnT~sis9syGAtijXHiNc60rZ-L41wodY~46EnKoVbuJ5tkReMcEi7i7vsiybHvXRZMmF1RLtzJHYQh98MC6CBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Philadelphia City Council","date","2025-04-24T21:05:54.827Z","article","Philadelphia City Council on April 24 adopted multiple resolutions supporting transit funding and honoring SEPTA workers.

Council member Nick O'Rourke introduced an ordinance that would place a charter amendment question before voters to mandate an annual appropriation to a Transit Access Fund for public transit subsidies. He also introduced a companion ordinance to create the Transit Access Fund in the city code and a non-privileged resolution proposing submission of the charter amendment. Council adopted a resolution urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass bipartisan funding to prevent service cuts and fare hikes for SEPTA; the resolution passed by voice vote.

Public testimony included SEPTA riders, union representatives and labor groups. Jeremy Blatstein and Ashley Miskiewicz of the Chamber of Commerce urged action to prevent dramatic service cuts and fare increases. Union and civic witnesses described the 0-fare pilot program and the SEPTA Key employee subsidy as important tools for riders and employees; speakers called for a stable, long-term funding source. “Public transportation is the only way to get to work, school, medical appointments, or to engage in civic life,” said Jordan Ford of the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition.

Council also adopted a privileged resolution honoring SEPTA transit workers as “unsung heroes.” The counsel recorded several related votes and placed the charter/ordinance measures on committee referral for further action.

Why it matters: Speakers and council members framed transit funding as essential to economic opportunity, climate goals and equitable access to jobs and services. Several speakers noted that cuts and fare increases would disproportionately harm low-income and immigrant riders.

Next steps: The council’s local ordinances and charter amendment proposal will proceed through committee and, if ordered, a future ballot process. The resolution urging state legislators to pass funding is nonbinding but aims to shape the state response to SEPTA’s fiscal needs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Stated Meeting of Philadelphia City Council 04-24-2025","oneSentenceSummary","City Council adopted resolutions urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to secure funding for SEPTA and backing a proposal to create a Transit Access Fund to sustain fare subsidies including zero-fare pilots; council also honored SEPTA workers.","taxTitle","Philadelphia City, Philadelphia County , Pennsylvania","taxId",80615,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6578961,"Council adopts amendment to mobile service provider ordinance after months of meetings; advocates warn restrictions still risk lives",795,9185000,9980000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3115066-4e2ec5cd5d1adaed484ddf006cde6093&start=9185&end=9980","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3115066-4e2ec5cd5d1adaed484ddf006cde6093/thumbnail_9185000.jpg","/articles/6578961/Philadelphia-City/Philadelphia-County/Pennsylvania/Council-adopts-amendment-to-mobile-service-provider-ordinance-after-months-of-meetings-advocates-warn-restrictions-still-risk-lives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578961-799cd12e61a821bbb82643cc3400468d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771047919&Signature=ZidBy-VXLqLlUWkje14IoELiTw4lTQR1AJbr2oP~w11~aXIOPN9VL2ySXN1pdGgxJVa948ViTnDh4uVuJDScZKbiEI1p2Fvcw68ve~y3UTMMXdoE8PaxzJZpD~Nl0ugOMdG2AIIOePg7pbzqjKYERNqS2igodqZVdZWVytrpMCRUyZJR15mEfE-~wEzKomJ5dcK-ucULRhq5yNbZHmxf1YtaoiOCELv0mYjCmqOh8uYU9wqDy-xrWIdqKGMXBWVEkGifNQSQsCMj1nLnBJcImxZS6HF9bl9kkGDQxeWoB3kfHGfFeUVJtG1tSfA246jURfUAC3VtaMPpBqQ4h1TZ3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Philadelphia City Council on April 24 adopted an amendment to bill 240665, an ordinance that would regulate vehicular mobile service providers (often used for harm-reduction outreach and mobile clinics). Council member Kati Lazada offered the amendment; the council adopted it in a roll-call vote (ayes 12, nays 3). The clerk said the bill as amended will be placed on the final-passage calendar at the next council session.

The item produced extensive public comment. Harm-reduction workers, people in recovery and public-health advocates warned that limits in the ordinance — including earlier versions that would have effectively restricted or banned certain outreach activities — can cost lives. Sam Pfeiffer of Positive Women's Network said the proposed rules “prioritize aesthetics, control, and punishment over public health safety and dignity.” Multiple speakers described the bill’s 45-minute limit on nonmedical providers and a one-block-per-day rule (as drafted earlier) as operationally impossible for outreach that provides consistent routes and harm-reduction services.

Council member Lazada told the chamber she had hosted multiple community meetings over seven months and that the bill reflects community and expert input. She said medical-certified providers would not be subject to a time limit in the amended version and emphasized the bill’s goal of coordinating services in a way that prioritizes residents and businesses. Council member Bass cautioned that disagreement is not personal and urged civility in debate.

Roll-call result on the amendment: the clerk recorded ayes 12 and nays 3. The three recorded nays on the amendment were Council members Rue Landau, Kendra Brooks, and Nick O'Rourke. The clerk said the bill “has been amended and will be placed on the final passage calendar at our next session of council.”

Why it matters: Opponents said the ordinance still erects barriers to harm-reduction outreach that provides naloxone and other life-saving services to people who use drugs and people experiencing homelessness. Supporters argued the measure coordinates services and aims to reduce neighborhood disruptions.

Next steps: The amended bill will return for final passage at a subsequent council meeting; stakeholders and city agencies will watch language and implementation details closely.","Councilmember Kati Lazada's ordinance restricting vehicular mobile service providers was amended and the amendment passed (ayes 12, nays 3). Advocates and harm-reduction providers testified that remaining restrictions could limit life-saving outreach.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6578966,"Council holds 40th/47th Street bike-lane changes after safety concerns from school and neighbors",353,3694000,4047000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3115066-4e2ec5cd5d1adaed484ddf006cde6093&start=3694&end=4047","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3115066-4e2ec5cd5d1adaed484ddf006cde6093/thumbnail_3694000.jpg","/articles/6578966/Philadelphia-City/Philadelphia-County/Pennsylvania/Council-holds-40th47th-Street-bike-lane-changes-after-safety-concerns-from-school-and-neighbors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578966-ac69a0db41cbd1f3c9c17146c3ea2abd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771047919&Signature=WO7A-HFBn9wnjbzYFpLQ8B8tUIbZXl4U14ayxytK2ygQYm9mMjpUmbCSg6k0tJnic0yD6t8F73LxYVnP51Rdh9p2yljy7PaFB8PH1sWycv-YNBsxf3wEm3fivyIbkLDN3iB1s63tIep35e6isjw5gJMH95bmOpMBWLAE23Q85j8QnRH1AOHOY~p19UybbSe9HjyQ2IKGZi4oJWt3oPsOUiYWzuB~-2Zx27r38moo7nCaalI6q7MKZTDg8Zt4dO8PSJHv8e0q6iCWlHj4vGGLjeFPcrWyZwXhcQf0Zkj8X50pG~8BPvqlwkV4TgHNBsLkMphPn~vkMDvEmWT5bEVU5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Philadelphia residents, Saint Francis DeSales School officials and neighborhood advocates urged City Council on April 24 to pause proposed traffic changes on 40th and 47th Streets that would narrow vehicle lanes and add parking-protected bike lanes.

Multiple speakers — including Theresa Feo and Lynn Hogben (residents), Sister Mary McNulty and Sister Beth Bartholomew (Saint Francis DeSales School leaders), and Father Ryan (parish priest) — told council that the plan could create drop-off bottlenecks, impede emergency vehicles, and put elderly and schoolchildren at risk during student arrival and dismissal. “We have restricted emergency access. The EMT responses for strokes, heart attacks, or child injuries will be impeded on 40 Seventh And Springfield during peak times,” Feo said.

Neighbors said 40th Street is the only vehicular access for some residential blocks and that conversions to a single travel lane would push queuing into adjacent narrow streets, endangering children and complicating deliveries and parking. “If this is a 1 lane street, lines of traffic will build up all the way down blocking access to these streets,” Lynn Hogben told council.

Council staff earlier noted on the calendar that bills 250266 and 250267 would be held; during the public-comment period, speakers asked the full council to suspend the plan until additional engineering studies, community engagement and emergency-access evaluations were completed.

Outcome: The transcript records that bills 250266 and 250267 were being held on the calendar (no final vote). No formal amendment or approval occurred during the session.

Why it matters: The bills would change traffic directionality and lane widths in a neighborhood adjacent to a school serving roughly 450 children, according to testimony, and neighbors and school staff said the proposals require further study on queuing, emergency response and electric-bike interactions with children.

Speakers who testified included residents and school leaders from Saint Francis DeSales and community members directly affected by the proposed changes. The council did not adopt the proposed lane changes during the April 24 session and signaled they remained under consideration.","Bills to convert 40th/47th Street traffic patterns and add protected bike lanes (bills 250266 and 250267) were the subject of multiple public comments raising school safety, emergency access and parking concerns; council placed the bills on hold.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":91,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":94,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6578971,"City Council urges state to seal most old eviction records with ‘Ready to Rent’ resolution",147,3841000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3115066-4e2ec5cd5d1adaed484ddf006cde6093&start=3694&end=3841","/articles/6578971/Philadelphia-City/Philadelphia-County/Pennsylvania/City-Council-urges-state-to-seal-most-old-eviction-records-with-Ready-to-Rent-resolution","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578971-5f5296970cf4a5fc6403333a6aefcdca/orig.mp4?Expires=1771047919&Signature=WgXBxf2QwxZZQN3Xfbmw4zjkch0yFzfzKgledDR5~5QiRFlc71Q~InmWN64R3eCkh6ftj0khg-L1WUHxpqc1Ev5nbGFMEWYpXeBfawHjKsUrZRj1SccfI-WB5HKWmjJcHj~pVq8WeRk4TPp21WMWxjPtzsuH5N-o0NEu8D-SAkBxDI9Exlqm0senPNBtB8l2mLn-105TFmboXTmwIdyZLRu0rLLu6s6Qc930SHkC~GubCyBvrvLy777g6g9b4SrROpPjKcs7nUJUFXINYuWkDBxlZEAljVWdZo9a1C~Q9pXJ98RBeh-hekgL5OuUc~5u9w29-pWuBVhtRSeAbLuVYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Philadelphia City Council on April 24 adopted a resolution urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass the Ready to Rent Act, a measure that would automatically seal most eviction records and remove a longstanding barrier to housing for many renters.

The resolution calls attention to data cited by witnesses and advocates who said thousands of Pennsylvanians are denied housing because eviction filings — including cases where tenants prevailed — remain visible to landlords and background-check firms. Representative Ismael Smith Wade L, who testified during the public-comment period, said the bill would treat eviction records like other adverse financial records that fall off reports after seven years.

Community Legal Services attorney Holly Beck told council that Philadelphia has been a national leader on eviction prevention through city programs such as the Eviction Diversion Program and Right to Counsel, but that about 14,000 eviction cases still are filed each year in Philadelphia. “There are still 14,000 eviction cases every year in Philadelphia and more than 357,000 eviction cases across the state since 2020,” Beck said during public comment.

Council member Roulaandau (Rue Landau) sponsored the resolution; the chair of council, on Landau’s behalf, moved adoption. The motion was seconded and the chamber adopted the resolution by voice vote.

Why it matters: Advocates said sealing older eviction records would expand access to housing and reduce homelessness by preventing landlords and screening companies from automatically rejecting applicants for past filings. Supporters urged the General Assembly to pass the bill so that sealed records stop functioning as a near-permanent barrier to stable housing for people who have experienced eviction filings years earlier.

The resolution asks the state legislature to adopt the Ready to Rent Act; it does not itself change local law.

Votes at the meeting: the resolution was adopted by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Next steps: The resolution is a formal request to state lawmakers in Harrisburg. Passage of the policy would require the General Assembly to approve the Ready to Rent Act and the governor to sign it into law.

Speakers who addressed council on this item included Representative Ismael Smith Wade L and attorneys from Community Legal Services; council moved the resolution on behalf of Council member Rue Landau.","Philadelphia City Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass the Ready to Rent Act, which would automatically seal most eviction records and increase housing access for renters.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council backs permanent transit funding idea and honors SEPTA workers; resolution urges lawmakers to fund system

Council adopts amendment to mobile service provider ordinance after months of meetings; advocates warn restrictions still risk lives

Council holds 40th/47th Street bike-lane changes after safety concerns from school and neighbors

City Council urges state to seal most old eviction records with ‘Ready to Rent’ resolution