Letters to the Editor | June 13, 2023

Strategic business planners look for the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that a challenging situation presents. Will SEPTA treat the I-95 collapse, and likely ridership spike, as a weakness to be managed because of the threat that an increased ridership spike could pose to its already challenged equipment and staff? Or will it see an opportunity to increase ridership, not only with those who never returned after COVID-19 but also for those who would never have considered leaving their car for public transit until forced to do so? As a SEPTA commuter since 1974, I hope management musters its A game to give its new riders such a great commuting experience that its new guests keep riding even after road repairs are complete.

Stanley Jaskiewicz, Lansdale

I was the executive director of a special commission created by Mayor Michael Nutter to determine the cause of the collapse of the building on Market Street a decade ago. Most of the commission members were professional builders. After a year of meetings, we issued a report recommending the dissolution of the Department of Licenses and Inspections, to be replaced with a building department headed by a professional engineer. Nutter left office shortly thereafter, and the report was forgotten. City Council took no action. The many issues raised in the recent article on the dangers of “construction destruction” are addressed in that report.

Peter Vaira, former United States attorney, Philadelphia

City Council should not be wasting $800 million in “unspent federal pandemic aid” on meeting the desires of the Chamber of Commerce while ignoring the needs of the public. Pandemic money was meant to, among other things, help pay for needed capital projects, high-quality infrastructure, and homeowner assistance in low-income areas. This included helping schools. The city is in control of school infrastructure. Why not direct the School District to improve the electric systems in schools and add solar where possible, so that all schools have the electric infrastructure needed to at least run window AC units and be habitable during high heat and high pollution days? The city could improve low-income housing by using pandemic money for home renovation programs, including installing solar and high-efficiency heat pumps. This would help meet goals for affordable housing and climate change. Tax cuts don’t improve people’s lives.

Lisa K. Hastings, Philadelphia

Let’s look at the effect that the proposed 76ers arena will have, not only on Chinatown, but also on other residential neighborhoods that are contiguous to the proposed site, including Midtown Village, Old City, and Society Hill. Traffic is already bad in Center City. This proposed arena will exacerbate the traffic. If the arena is built at the proposed location, additional vehicles would come into Center City. Streets and parking garages will become more congested. The quality of life in Center City has been questionable for some time. Let’s focus instead on how we can make the area more pedestrian- and tourist-friendly. Let’s look at alternate sites for this arena.

Bill Pelle, Haverford, bill.to.write@gmail.com

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