Walk, Ride, and Thrive: Navigating Philly's Streets Together!
The WTS Philadelphia Chapter kicked off 2025 in style, hosting our first event of the year at the prestigious Union Hall of Philadelphia in Center City. Participants gathered on the chilly morning of January 15th, 2025, at 11:30 am for a luncheon and panel discussion titled Walk Ride and Thrive: Navigating Philly’s Streets Together! The panel focused on initiatives and innovations driving bicycle and pedestrian safety, how these initiatives are changing the city's landscape, and the obstacles faced in achieving the shared vision of all communities being able to move safely through our city.
As moderator, Amy Bernknopf, DVRPC, led the discussion. The esteemed panelists consisted of Jennifer Dougherty, AICP, Manager of Long Range Planning, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority; Nathan Hommel, ASLA, Director of Planning and Design, University City District; Waffiyyah Murray, Indego Program Manager, City of Philadelphia, Office of Transportation & Infrastructure, and Kelley Yemen, AICP, Director, Office of Multimodal Planning, City of Philadelphia, Office of Transportation & Infrastructure.
The panel did not disappoint as they shared their insight, concerns, and hopes for Philadelphia’s multimodal transportation future. The discussion inevitably returned to the importance of community outreach and empowerment time and time again. A throughline and key takeaway was the importance of educating the community and its stakeholders regarding all facets of public transportation; equipping the community with the knowledge needed to be thoughtful and confident transit riders will greatly impact the safety of our city’s streets for years to come.
A brief Q&A followed, and the program concluded shortly after 2 pm. Click here to check out photos from the event!