Sustainable Action Committee

PennDOT has formed a Sustainable Action Committee (SAC) for the I-95/Girard Avenue Interchange project (I-95/GIR) to integrate ground-level improvements identified by the various Delaware River waterfront planning initiatives into the design of plans for the reconstruction of I-95 between Allegheny Avenue and Race Street. 

The SAC is made up of community and business groups, non-profit organizations and public agencies that are active in the I-95/GIR project area. In addition to PennDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the City of Philadelphia, SAC participants include:

• Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
• Delaware River City Corporation
• Central Delaware Advocacy Group
• Girard Coalition
• Friends of Penn Treaty Park
• New Kensington CDC
• Kensington South Neighborhood Advisory Council
• Fishtown Area Business Association
• Fishtown Action
• Fishtown Neighbors Association
• Northern Liberties Neighbors Association
• Olde Richmond Civic Association
• Port Richmond on Patrol and Civic
• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
• Pennsylvania Environmental Council
• SEPTA

The committee met for the first time in June 2010 to discuss planning for two design workshops, or charrettes, that were held that summer.  The workshops allowed committee members, planners and engineers to identify waterfront planning, recreation and environmental improvements that could be incorporated into the design of I-95/GIR.

The subsequent workshops focused on the reconstruction of Richmond Street from Beach to Ann Streets and improvements to the underside of I-95 from Frankford Avenue to Ann Street in the City’s Fishtown and Port Richmond neighborhoods. A number of the recommendations from those charrettes have been included in the next phase of the project I-95/GR1, scheduled for construction in 2011.