Starting this month, Philadelphia residents will receive a unique opportunity to shape the future of one of the city's bustling corridors, Roosevelt Boulevard. An initiative presented by PennDOT, the City of Philadelphia, and SEPTA aims to collect public input on transforming the roadway, featuring a series of open houses and an online survey.

With the Boulevard Reimagined Study, officials are seeking community feedback on design concepts for roadway and transit service upgrades. Safety, accessibility, and reliability for pedestrians top the list of enhancements, alongside bolstering local travel and promoting economic opportunities. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, critical improvements on the table include roadway configuration changes and the implementation of high-quality transit services.

The open houses offer citizens a chance to review various design alternatives and directly engage with the project's representatives. "Citizens will have the opportunity to circulate among the subject displays to gather information and discuss the different facets of the alternatives with PennDOT’s design team and representatives from the City and SEPTA," states PennDOT. The initiative falls under the larger Route for Change program, which considers evolving land use patterns and the need to enhance connectivity to local communities.

Interested parties can choose from four open house sessions, the first being on December 14 at the Mayfair Community Center and the last on January 7 at the American Heritage Credit Union. The complete list of dates and venues can be found on PennDOT’s website. For those unable to attend in person, an online survey will launch on December 9, providing an alternative platform for input.