Philadelphia has been living up to its derogatory nickname “Filthy-delphia” in at least one major way since last winter as the city’s once-reliable rubbish collection schedule has become the antithesis of clockwork.
But denizens should soon be seeing a return to timely trash pickup now that the city has reinforced its fleet of sanitation trucks, according to Streets Department Commissioner David Perri.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the East Torresdale Civic Association on July 20, Perri announced that his department will also get a new stream of funding in the coming year’s budget earmarked for keeping up the sanitation fleet.
“The good news is new vehicles have arrived and now we’re getting a $7 million budget for vehicles,” Perri said.
Historically, the Streets Department actually has a strong track record of expeditious rubbish collection, the commissioner explained. The department’s goal is to complete its scheduled sanitation routes by 3 p.m. each day, 97 percent of the time or better. But a dwindling fleet has been cramping progress for months.
Out of 326 trash trucks that comprise a full fleet, the department was down to 286 trucks with as many as 35 percent of those in the shop for repairs at any given time, Perri said. Last winter’s numerous storms were largely to blame for the attrition, according to the commissioner. During snow emergencies, the city employs trash trucks for plowing.
If the $7 million budget allocation becomes an annual expenditure, the Streets Department would be able to replace one-eighth of the fleet each year, Perri said.
The commissioner also updated residents on the city’s streets paving program.
In theory, the Streets Department must repave about 130 miles each year just to keep up with normal maintenance. But several years ago, the department began to dip into its repaving budget to fund other high-priority projects. Specifically, the city had to install wheelchair ramps on all of its street corners, as required by federal law. Eventually, the repaving rate declined to about 30 miles a year.
Perri met with leaders of the city’s special needs community and reached a compromise. Perri agreed to commit 20 percent of the repaving budget to ramp installations and to prioritize highly-traveled intersections recommended by the ADA advocates. In exchange, the advocates agreed not to press the city to install ramps at relatively quiet intersections.
The repaving program is “on the rebound,” Perri said, although it’s still not up to the 130 miles per year rate. The Streets Department is responsible for maintaining 2,500 miles of roadway.
One local man asked Perri if the new “no parking signs” outside Maggie’s Waterfront Cafe are legal. The placards hang on the front of a wooden railing facing the 9200 block of Delaware Ave. Perri noted that the signs clearly are not city-issued and appear to be on private property. He added that surveyors would have to visit the site to determine the property line precisely. Parking is legal along the public street.
Another resident asked the commissioner about the civic association’s prior request for the installation of left turn arrows on the traffic lights on northbound State Road at both Linden and Grant avenues. The Streets Department’s top traffic engineer, Richard Montanez replied that the “paperwork” for the light modifications was on his desk awaiting a final review.
A third resident pressed the city officials on installing speed cushions in the neighborhood. He wants them on Linden Avenue in front of the Torresdale Boys Club. Montanez explained that 75 percent of residents on the block endorse the speed cushions before the city will install then. Even in that case, Perri added, the city has a backlog of speed cushion requests and limited funds to perform the work.
In unrelated neighborhood business:
• Resident Sophia Pryszlak invited neighbors to join the effort to create a “friends” group for Pleasant Hill Park. The group will be concerned with cleaning litter, advocating for maintenance of the fishing ponds, trimming trees and shrubs, trail maintenance and other projects. If volunteers get organized, the Department of Parks and Recreation will be able to provide supplies and refreshments for service projects. Contact Pryszlak via sophhal@gmail.com.
• The ETCA approved a zoning application by People Acting To Help (PATH) to expand its daycare facility for the intellectually disabled at 9317 Keystone St. PATH now serves up to 55 clients daily. The agency wants permission to serve up to 108.
The owner of a neighboring business said he has concerns about bringing additional traffic on the narrow, dead-end street. To address the traffic problems, ETCA members voted to require two key conditions: that PATH employ someone to direct traffic during client drop-off and pick-up hours, and that the agency provide emergency contact information to its neighbors. ••
