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Dear City Council & Mayor Street: I am against the closure of the Southern access to
the Schuylkill bike path. I live South of the path and I use the extreme Southern
entrance to enter the path-then ride to connect with the Art Museum path. This is
the area that CSX wants to close. If CSX feels so strongly about security then they
should install a fence along the ENTIRE track area that runs in Philadelphia. If you
close this access point it will require that ALL riders go North and DETOUR to the
ramp. This would make the Southern portion of the path a worthless section. Please
do everything that you can to continue to provide Southern access from the South to
this great new Park. Cheers, John

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

As a (nearly) life-long Philadelphia area resident, I want very
much to see the city blossom. That means skateboarding in Love
Park and easy access to all our parks, including the Schuylkill
River Park. Mayor Street - do the right thing. Make Philly
a "happening" place.

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

Please do whatever you can to keep the street-level crossing at
Locust Street open to the public. I run from Rittenhouse Square
to Kelly Drive every day along the new Schuylkill river park
path. It is such a nice addition to Philadelphia that I've been
running it since early construction, when it was just a dirt
path. It's hard to overstate the vibrancy and sense of
community that this new park has created. One of the main
reasons for that sense of community is the park's incredible
accessibility. Closing the street-level crossing would require
runners and bikers in the Fitler and Rittenhouse Square areas
to travel up Walnut or Chestnut Street before going down a
ramp. At prime running times in the afternoons, those streets
and sidewalks are like highways. They are noisy, busy,
congested, and frequently dangerous. Adding runners and bikers
to the mix would create a high potential for collisions and
accidents. A street-level crossing to the park with proper
safety gates in conjunction with the ramps would be the best
option. It would create a lot of happiness for the city and its
residents at a very low cost. Don't let this beautiful addition
to Philadelphia be marred by a bad decision.

Thanks you!

Sincerely,
Ravi Ubriani

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

Please keep access to Schuylkill River Park available from
Locust Street. The park should be accessible to the people of
Philadelphia, not CSX. It's not fair to people who live in the
area to have to walk all the way to the Walnut, Chestnut and
Market Street bridges to be able to access the paved and
lighted path that the city just spent so much money to build.
After all the point of having a nice park in the city is so
people can use it.

Sincerely,
Art Morath

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

As a Fitler Square resident and biker, I was
very excited to finally be able to bike to
Fairmount Park without having to bike along
the busy and congested streets (North on 22nd
and South on 23rd)

By not allowing access at the Spruce entrance, you
are forcing people to bike through the city streets to
the Market/Chestnut entrance, a several block detour.
(Think twice if you think people will carry a bike
up and down the Walnut steps easily)

I doubt it will take many bike accidents caused by that
detour before the Philadelphia voters look to what
shortsighted decisions were made by those in office.

The city has come so far and through so much to see
this project become a reality, and those responsible
are to be commended and recognized for that. But don't
end up having this success turn into a black mark on
your record by blocking this essential access point
and needlessly endangering Philadelphia voters.

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:
Please make it clear to CSX that street level access is vital to
the new Schuylkill River Park.

I agree that safety is important, so adding some automatic gates-
-which will cost a fraction of the park's total cost--will add
real value to the area and create something we all can share.

City planning guru Enrique Penalosa once said, "Greenspaces
create equality--a poor person enjoys a park as much as a rich
person."

Please help make this park safely accessible to rich and poor
alike.

thanks
--Michael McGettigan
president, Trophy Bikes Inc, old city

Dear Mayor Street and City Council members:
PLEASE MAKE SCHUYLKILL RIVER PARK HAPPEN!
We are a coalition of near neighbors and concerned Philadelphia
residents who want access to The Schuylkill River Park scheduled
to open in December.
Please take a moment to view our website:
http://freetheriverpark.typepad.com/freetheriverpark/

I would greatly appreciate it, if you could pause in your busy
schedule and sign the petition to Michael Ward, the CEO of CSX
Railroad. The Railroad needs to know our local politicians, as
well as, all Philadelphians want level access to the city’s
newest $14 million River Park!
Whether you just like to walk along the river, ride your bike,
jog, rollerblade, skateboard or need safe easy level disabled
access for your constituents, let CSX know!

Thank you
Nic Simon

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:
I was so excited to see work being done at the Sckuylkill River Park!
How nice to strap on my Rollerblades, and skate all of the way to West
River Drive (which very nicely continues to close Sat and Sun during the
warmer weather months). What a great opportunity the park and path
would create! One could skate or ride without the worry or danger of
cars!! Yeah. Now imagine my pain, sadness, and utter dissappointment
when I learned there wouold be no access from my neighborhood. That
though there was this great park, and super great path, there was no
easy way for me to access it, and take all the imagined pleasures from it.
What a waste! Please grant access at Locust, or Spruce. Please.
So sad,
Leigh Sheffield

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

I would like to encourage the City to arrange easy access to
the Schuylkill River Park. I expect that the new Park will be
most successful if it achieves a level of usage that is
sufficient to convince other potential users that it is a safe
place.

If a fence is erected, dedicated users will still be able to
access the park from the elevated roadways, but the number of
such users may not be sufficient. I expect that enabling more
passive users to access the park from the neighborhoods to the
east, by providing access across the tracks, will be necessary
if the Park is to be safe and successful.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, erecting a fence along the CSX
tracks will doom the park.

Sincerely,

Aran Ryan

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:
I Like to jog along the east bank of the schuylkill.
Unfortunately, because of long stretches of gated street access
I find myself Jogging from Walnut Street north or south and then
back to Walnut Street. I'd rather come off around race or some
other location instead of jogging in a u turn pattern. Thanks
for developing the park and making as many acces points as
possible to center city streets. Wouldn't it be great if you
could connect to the river drives with a bike path. Maybe such
a connection already exists but I haven't foud it due to
uncertainty as to my ability to get back to the safety of a busy
street.
Grace O'Donnell,
Phila. Resident and Phila. Realtor

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

Center City Philadelphians have been waiting for years for a
green space that allows them access to the Schuylkill River for
walking, biking, jogging and the like. To have a finger of
Fairmount Park's green space reach further into the city has
been an admirable and worthwhile dream shared by many. The new
riverside space that is under construction will vastly improve
the life and health of the city and its inhabitants. Even in its
raw and unfinished state, many of us have already been taking
advantage of the area's new trail.

Please negotiate with CSX to maintain access to this new
greenway at multiple points along its length. CSX's desire to
eliminate all at-grade crossings, leaving only the art museum
and the Walnut and Market Street ramps as access points, make
the area difficult to enter and exit for so many people who live
near it. In addition, such limited access will pose significant
hazards: for visitors in need of a quick exit from the area for
health or safety reasons, none will necessarily be available.

I urge you to pursue the vision of a safe, accessible and
welcoming green space along this section of the lower
Schuylkill. Philadelphia's residents deserve it.

Sincerely,

Anna Forrester

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:
The Schuylkill River Park bike/pedestrian path project, is
exciting and refreshing. Just over the weekend I witnessed
numerous users (myself included) carefully making our way
through the ramp construction area between Market & Chestnut
Streets. The path is not even complete, nor has there been an
official opening, yet so many are already enthusiastically
using it. It’s used simply because the path is enormously
convenient and since it offers access to one of the most
picturesque parts of our City.

Unfortunately, I understand CSX is planning on literally
fencing off access to the riverside park, due to rr-crossing
safety issues, allowing access only from overhead bridge
structures on the western edge of the Center City Business
District and from the Art Museum. If the CSX plan becomes
reality, it would truly be a tragedy for tens of thousands of
residents who live in the western part of Center City, the
southern part of University City, Grays Ferry Neighborhood, and
even south of Grays Ferry. On a map, the detour may not appear
to be that difficult; however a pedestrian who lives close the
Schuylkill River would not only have to backtrack several
blocks to gain access, but they will also have to go about 30’
uphill or up stairs (and down) to get in / out of the park
since access for anyone south of the Art Museum would be from
the bridges only.

As a registered professional engineer, I could recommend a
number of solutions to this problem, but I feel that the
following three steps cover the most cost effective and logical
solution:
1. Please negotiate with CSX, requesting that they NOT
install fencing along their entire right-of-way through Center
City. “At-grade” points of access and egress to/from the park
must be permitted for users. (Reasons: safety, encourage path’s
usage, encourage commerce along riverfront, etc.)
2. Please install railroad crossing gates and lights at
these points of access and egress (at Locust and Race Streets).
Crossing gates specifically designed for pedestrians are
available. When activated, this type of gate prohibits
pedestrians from crossing, even prohibiting crawling under it.
3. Please negotiate with CSX, requesting that they not
stop trains for any period of time in areas which would block
said access points. This should be fairly simple, possibly
requiring some operation signal changes on their part.

Other measures could be taken, such as constructing tunnels or
bridges; however I feel good communication and negotiation can
easily accomplish the same result with relatively very little
cost.

The river trail has vast potential for benefiting our City in
multiple ways. Let’s maximize the results! To do that, I
respectfully request that you constructively communicate with
CSX, and do everything within your power to really make the
river park work. Doing this now, will ultimately make
Philadelphia more attractive and inviting than it already is.
Thanks in advance!
Sincerely,
Gustave Scheerbaum, P.E.

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

Please keep the Cherry and Locust St entrances open to
Schuylkill River Park. A park with good access is a safer and
well used park. Limiting access will will isolate the park and
increase opportunities for criminals.

Bicycle commuters will find it easier to use the Locust St
entrance to get to jobs in Queen Village and Old City since
Locust and Spruce St are easier to negotiate n Bicycle than
Market.

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

Philadelphia has the opportunity to be a great and beautiful city - one of
the truly most beautiful in the country. Too often we see this possibility
squandered by small minded plans. PLEASE take advantage of the
historic opportunity to develop the Schuylkill River Park into the
flourishing community space it CAN BE by insuring that acces to the
park is easy from all of it's bordering neighborhoods, and that a variety
of activities and constituencies are supported. We need to INCREASE
the activity, not decrease it as the CMX plan will do!

Thank You Sincerely,

Elen Reynolds

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

I live on Grays Ferry Ave and go to Lloyd Hall (near The
Waterworks) twice a week. The path through Schuylkill River Park
allows me to go from Locust Street all the way to Lloyd Hall
without having to fight car traffic.

Since the path has been paved, even without much annoncement,
it is being used by hundreds of people. Each time I ride it I see
more people enjoying it. If the access points at Race and Locust
are closed, The southern two blocks of the path become a dead end
rather than a travel route for people to get from one part of the
city to another.

I realize there are potential safety issues, but if that were
the main problem, CSX would be demanding fences on both sides of
the track, not just the side adjacent to the park. Other cities
and towns facing such problems have installed European-style
crossing gatess. A good safety education program could also help.

Thank you for your attention.

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

I care about Schuylkill River Park being accessible. Don't let
Philadelphia be pressured into building another half project:
the right thing with a fatal flaw. City parks aren't an amenity
that one should have to travel to. We deserve direct pedestrian
access at regular intervals along the park!

Don't let CSX block access to the park from my neighborhood.

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

If this stretch of riverfront were made into a partk that people
could easily access, it would be a large asset to the city.
Please don't let CSX decide how we use our city.

Sincerely,
Margie Politzer

Dear City Council & Mayor Street,

I am so very excited about the potential of the city park being
constructed along the east bank of the Schyulkill River. It
concerns me, however, to hear news of CSX's wish to raise a fence
between the city and the park. I can think of no better way to
discourage local residents from enjoying their river. I am truly
optimistic that our city can clear this hurdle, and will offer
its citizens uninhibited access to our beautiful Schyulkill River.

Sincerely,
Casey Liscum
University City

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

I have been delighted to see the City's efforts to make the
Center City side of the Schuykill River into a park coming to
fruition this fall. I am looking forward to being able to
easily and safely access the Schuylkill River Trail from the
Rittenhouse Square area, and am looking forward to the
restuarants, apartments and other economic development which
the new portion of the Park and Trail will encourage.

Now, even though the Park is unfinished and difficult to
access, people are strolling the park and enjoying the green
space and the space along the river.

But now CSX, the owner of the train tracks, has made clear that
they want a security fence between the tracks and the park.
although they have never installed a fence between the tracks
and the rest of the city. The only access will be at the Art
Museum and from the ramps on Market and Walnut. The "emergency"
gates at Locust and Race will be kept locked.

This park runs through the heart of Center City West, but it
won't be accessible to me and otherneighbors without a long
detour. Residents of Fitler and Logan Squares won't be able to
go for a stroll through the park after work without going the
long way around on busy streets to the bridge ramps.

Other cities and towns facing such problems have installed
European-style crossing gates in locations where there are many
more high-speed trains. A good safety education program will
help as well to avoid accidents.

Please do all you can to see that we have full access to
Schuylkill River Park as soon as the Park opens this fall.

Many thanks,

Bob Thomas

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:
As a resident on the 23rd block of Locust Street I have often
enjoyed using the land that is now under renovation to become
Schuylkill Park for walks along the river as well as pedestrian
access to West Philadelphia via the stairs up to Walnut Street.
I have been looking forward to the new park improvements but now
I hear that my access to the park is going to be cut off by a
security fence at the end of Locust Street. How can you allow
this to happen? It is ridiculous and outrageous to build a park
and close it off from neighborhood use. Please, do not lock me
out of my park.

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