Saturday was the inaugural day for the Borough’s newest event, Media Open Streets! After yet another rainy week at the end of an incredibly rainy summer, it was a gorgeous, clear morning, and families came out in numbers to ride and walk along the streets – which were closed to vehicle traffic – and to enjoy activities along the way! The route spanned from Jackson Street & Providence Road on one end to Glen Providence Park at the other. 

At the Glen Providence entrance, we were lucky to have as neighbors: plein air painters with Media Arts Council, light bike repairs with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, wool spinning with the Media Historical Society, and frisbee-throwing robots!

In the park were yoga with First United Methodist Church of Media, salsa and more yoga with Salsa in the Suburbs Dance Studio, and performances by the Media Theatre!

Thank you to Transition Town Media and other volunteers for all of their hard work organizing this event!

Here are a few photos from the event – click on any for a closer look!

Photos by author

Media Borough Council has recently been brought back into court by Broomall’s Lake Country Club, which has filed a petition for contempt asserting that Media Borough has not upheld its end of their three way legal agreement. Essentially, BLCC is taking Media Borough to court to get a two-lane road.

Media Borough Council needs to hear that you support their compromise!

We invite you to:

• learn more about the compromise solution for the Third Street Project

• attend the Borough Council Meeting on October 18th and support Council directly and publicly

• email Borough Council and share your opinions (or if you live in Upper Providence, you can also email your councilmembers)

• email Delaware County Council and share your opinions

• write a Letter to the Editor to Town Talk (cparkerATdelconewsnetwork.com) or Delaware County Daily Times (editorATdelcotimes.com)

After more than one year of researching, advocating, educating, and organizing for the removal of Broomall’s Lake dam and establishment of a pedestrian and bicycle only greenway (with access for emergency automotive vehicles), the Friends of Glen Providence Park is supporting the recent compromise decisions on the Third Street project made by Media Borough Council.

When the proposed design for the Third Street project was first made public in June, 2011, it became clear that the new, significantly larger dam would not replace what was there, but would cover with earthfill over 1/2 acre of valley in Glen Providence Park, destroying significant wetlands and requiring the removal of more than 70 trees in over one acre of the park.  Aiming to preserve the peaceful, recreational atmosphere that had developed on the closed segment of Third Street since its closure 16 years ago, and determined to protect the beautiful, natural habitat at the north end of the park, Friends of Glen Providence Park was founded and began its work to preserve and protect Delaware County’s oldest park- through citizen science, historical research, volunteer work days, nature walks, and advocating for better options for the Third Street project.

Despite our earnest efforts, on May 17, 2012, the Council voted 5-2 to reconstruct the dam and re-establish a roadway open to automotive vehicular traffic over the top of the dam.  Then, on September 20, 2012, Council voted 4-3 to instruct PennDOT and the project engineers to design a 28-foot-wide passageway on the crown of the dam that would include a one-way traffic lane for automobiles entering Media from Upper Providence and an equal area for non-automotive traffic that could accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

The thoroughfare will include a buffer between the automotive vehicular and non-automotive vehicular lanes, as well as required shoulders on each side.  Emergency automotive vehicles will be granted authority to cross the automotive roadway in both directions.  A landscape architect will be engaged.

We want to be clear that our organization continues to believe that removing the dam and establishing a pedestrian-bicycle only greenway, with access for emergency automotive vehicles, is the best solution for Glen Providence Park, park users, and for the community as a whole.  We also believe that the weight of community opinion leans in our direction, as demonstrated by the report on public opinion issued by the Council’s own Citizen Advisory Committee on the Third Street Project.

Even so, we recognize that Council’s votes reflect a compromise solution that complies with the legal stipulation entered into with Broomall’s Lake Country Club and Delaware County, reduces by roughly 3,600 square feet the impact on the park as compared to the original reconstruction design, addresses key safety concerns about emergency vehicle access and the hazard of entering Media from Ridley Creek Road/Baltimore Pike, and offers a reasoned resolution to the divisive issue of whether to prioritize automotive or pedestrian-bicycle traffic on the Third Street thoroughfare. Given that the project goes forward as outlined, and that implementation strictly complies with the laws protecting the environment and public safety, the Third Street project should be viewed as an asset to our community.

Our members look forward to working with Council, the project’s landscape architect, and other community stakeholders to create a unique, attractive, and welcoming gateway into Media for people cycling, driving, and walking.  Some of the additional amenities we hope to see incorporated include traffic calming surfaces and safety signage, low impact lighting, benches, stone planters and historic-looking fencing as an alternative to chain link fencing. The Friends of Glen Providence Park has also expressed a preference for using local labor and recycled materials, including stone and wood available on-site.

Compromises never completely please everyone and – at times – they please no one.  While the compromises crafted by our Council fall considerably short of our vision, we understand that they do address other legal, financial, and social concerns and they do represent a reduction in environmental impact over the original design. In the spirit of moving forward on this long-debated matter, uniting with the widest possible majority of residents, and fulfilling our mission of protecting and enhancing the entire park, the Friends of Glen Providence is announcing its support for the decisions of Media Borough Council regarding the Third Street Project.

Steering Committee, Friends of Glen Providence Park

It was the fruit of the Advocacy Committee of Friends of Glen Providence Park’s work with a 5th year Landscape Architecture Student, Melissa Boffa. See below how the principles of public safety, control of environmental damage and prioritizing pedestrians was turned into a visual rendering.

The rendering as presented to Media Borough Council.

Most importantly, Friends of Glen Providence Park is urging Borough Council to construct a one-way, one-lane automobile road with a separate  path to maximize pedestrian safety and access while minimizing damage to Glen Providence Park. The dam reconstruction is expected to destroy 1.1 acres of park, including mature trees, native plants, wetlands, historic springs and trails. This area will be filled in with “earthfill” to create a large earthen dam. Each foot that is conserved on the roadway atop the dam conserves one foot of Glen Providence Park, so for a 500 foot wide dam, that adds up quickly!

Borough Council is expected to make a decision on the width of the roadway at its September legislative meeting this Thursday, September 20th at 8pm.

Background

Since Borough Council’s decision to proceed with the $4 million reconstruction of Broomall’s Dam, their deliberations have turned to usage issues of the roadway, which Media Borough will maintain after construction is complete. Usage is important as it affects design. Debate has centered around the width of the roadway, how many lanes of vehicular traffic and pedestrian access. No decision has yet been made, but most recently a majority seemed to favor a one-lane road with a pedestrian lane.

A Shared Vision for Third Street

Members of Friends of Glen Providence Park presented their vision for the Third Street Roadway to Borough Council Thursday night. Linda Healy, Terry Rumsey and Robin Lasersohn made the case for a community vision for the park, with the principles of:

• Ensuring public safety,

• Minimizing environmental damage, and

• Enhancing community enjoyment.

To back up these principles, FrOG has determined group support for:

1. A one-way automobile road
2. A west to east roadway with emergency vehicle access
3. Borough-managed traffic control with electric gates or bollards
4. Prioritizing pedestrian access with amenities such as benches
5. Utilizing historically appropriate materials to match the historic park structures

Read the handout presented to Borough Council – A Shared Vision for Third Street. Council members had no specific comment. Media Patch has reported on the presentation and is asking whether its readers support FrOG’s vision. Go there to weigh in!

FrOG is working with a Landscape Architecture student to create a design that visually represents these principles. Check back here soon to see the results, or come to a FrOG Advocacy meeting! Email us at friendsoftheglenATgmail.com to learn more.

If you are interested in dam safety issues as well, come to the Dam Safety Tour and Workshop on August 20th from 4:30-6pm at Broomall’s Dam on Third Street.

We’ve published a few posts about great greenways, both in Pennsylvania and nationally. Overall, governments and citizens are realizing the benefits of open space, greenways and alternative forms of transportation.

Benefits of Greenways:

• safe, family-friendly transportation
• improved air and water quality
• floodplain protection
• healthy transportation
• better habitats for plants and animals
• protection for historic and natural resources
• improved recreational opportunities

Greenways have been shown to have positive economic impacts as well, from improving home values to increasing local economic activity. Delaware County is working on a master plan for the western part of the county, and just held its first public forum on the subject. It is already implementing its Greenway and Open Space Plan for Eastern Delaware County. Philadelphia and partners along the Brandywine River are also creating major greenways.

Glen Providence Park Greenway

We’d like to see Glen Providence Park included into a larger county-wide greenway plan, with the 3rd Street Bridge becoming a pedestrian and bicycle “green bridge.” We think a greenway would be an extension of the park and the natural area of Broomall’s Lake Country Club. Right now, with the bridge currently closed to automotive traffic, it is easy to envision the serenity and beauty of a real greenway, and how it would become a part of the park while connecting Upper Providence and Media.

Regardless of the decision on the dam, a greenway would improve the park and create a beautiful, family-friendly gateway to Media.

Some people worry about the restricted access to Media from Upper Providence. The truth is, for most locations in Upper Providence, taking a state-maintained road such as Orange Street or Baltimore Pike to and from Media is the most efficient choice. According to online maps, going across a 3rd Street bridge by car would reduce the trip for only about 150 households. And for those houses in Upper Providence that are closest to 3rd Street, the most efficient trip is actually a walk into Media. Some Upper Providence residents have expressed a preference for a pedestrian greenway, because it makes their walk into Media safer.

Smart Transportation

Pennsylvania’s Smart Transportation Guide articulates many themes that support the construction of a greenway in Media:

• Accomodate all modes of travel
• Enhance local network
• Build towns not sprawl
• Understand the context; plan and design within the context.

A greenway would be a smart, family-friendly choice for Media and Upper Providence, as well as Glen Providence Park.

More resources: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/conservation/greenways/index.htm http://www.americantrails.org/resources/economics/GreenwaySumEcon.html http://www.americantrails.org/resources/benefits/BenefitsGrnwy.html http://www.enhancements.org/misc/TEGuide2002.pdf http://www.maine.gov/mdot/opt/pdf/biketourismexecsumm.pdf http://www.smart-transportation.com/themes.html

This greenway is newly-approved, connecting Montgomery County and Manayunk by rehabilitating the stately-but-abandoned Manayunk Bridge. The intention is to create an “aerial park” for pedestrians, cyclists and folks who just want to relax and enjoy the fantastic views from the historic bridge, and connect MontCo’s Cynwyd Heritage Trail with Manayunk’s Ivy Ridge Trail. The result will create a new destination for locals, and an important link in the Philadelphia campaign to create 120 miles of continuous greenway for commuters and recreational pursuits.

PennDOT has awarded the project $1.3 million through the Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative and has insisted on a fast-track completion by 2014. This aerial park will be the first of its kind in the Delaware Valley, and has numerous collaborators, from the City of Philadelphia to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. It’s a truly cross-community effort that looks to be creating a spectacular new way to enjoy the outdoors.

We imagine that the 3rd Street Greenway would not be as ambitious nor as expensive, but also could be a positive project for many in our community. We can see how a greenway enhances Delaware County, Upper Providence and Media with a pedestrian and bike-friendly transport route, but also increases the appeal of Glen Providence Park and Broomall’s Lake as outdoor “destinations” right near a vibrant arts and cultural community.

For more info about the “aerial park”, check out the stories here, here and here.

Congratulations on a spectacular organizing effort that culminated in FrOG’s powerful showing at Media Borough’s Special Hearing on the Third Street Bridge and Dam Project last night.

An estimated 100 citizens packed Council Chambers and sent a clear message to our elected officials that there is solid popular support for FrOG’s positions on the Third Street Project.  It began with Stephanie delivering a positive vision of FrOG’s holistic commitment to improving Glen Providence park, gathered energy with Holly’s dramatic delivery of 836 petition signatures to the Council (526 from Media Borough and 310 from surrounding communities), went deep with Shannon’s presentation on the the need to examine alternatives to the current dam design, sparkled green with Robin’s eloquent explanation of and vision for a pedestrian/bicycle greenway, and changed the political paradigm when approximately two dozen residents came up to microphone and spoke in favor of FrOG’s principles and positions.  Only a handful of citizens spoke in favor of the option for a two-lane automobile road.

A packed house at the Third Street Special Meeting.

On a practical level, we should be encouraged that Borough Council members 

1. expressed unanimous support for our request to establish a Citizen Advisory Committee on the Third Street Project – with representation from FrOG;  
2. agreed to research and consider conducting an independent, professional peer review of the current engineering design; and
3. agreed to consider the option of creating a pedestrian/bicycle greenway on the Third Street Bridge, in consultation with their legal counsel (naturally).

Of course, we understand that we’re still in the first inning of a nine inning game. FrOG’s Third Street Committee will be following up on all of these matters – and others – over the coming months.  Shannon Davidson and Terry Rumsey are Co-Chairing FrOG’s Third Street Committe, with Robin Lasersohn participating as a key strategist, and we invite all of you to participate in this advocacy committee.

The next meeting of FrOG’s Third Street Committee will be held on Monday, November 7, 2011 at the Media Fellowship House @ 7:00 pm.  SAVE THE DATE AND TIME!

Enjoy this coming fall weekend, you all deserve it!

One great way to have fun and frolic with FrOGs is to participate in our second clean-up tomorrow (Saturday, 10-15-11) We will meet at the entrance at 3rd & West Streets at 9:00 AM and play until 11:00 AM. Help us clean up trails, work on two projects, and learn a little about the park’s history and nature!

Greenways in PA? You betcha.

One of the most obvious local greenways is the Radnor Trail.

While it seems so established now, not too long ago, folks in Radnor were worried that the trail would attract crime and be unsafe. In fact, the opposite has happened. It has become a well-used family-oriented path, and has actually increased home values in the area. Now locals want to expand the trail!

The Radnor Trail has access for emergency vehicles only, much like we are proposing in Media.

As you might have heard, Friends of Glen Providence Park is supporting the development of a greenway across the Third Street Bridge. A greenway is a pedestrian and bicycle path, usually closed to motor vehicles, that maintains or enhances a parklike setting with vegetation and open space.

What’s so great about a greenway? Check out this video that explores Minneapolis’ greenway and see how it makes commuting easier, increases property values, adds revenue to businesses and increases access to healthy outdoor pursuits. While the Glen Providence Greenway would be much smaller in scale, we might expect some similar benefits.

Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway: Good for Biz, Good for Bikes. from Streetfilms on Vimeo.