Next to Fishtown, neighbors are in the process of improving a disjointed and neglected block. Moyer Street runs through Fishtown and then dead-ends at Aramingo Avenue. And then it reappears, running for about a block until it disappears again when it hits E. Cumberland Street. The Moyer Street Project will rehab the currently rough stretch between Aramingo Avenue and E. Hagert Street.
Aside from general beautification, improvements will include repaving, new street lines, a bike lane, a dog run, and public art by a local artist celebrating the neighborhood's history, according to community association board member Mike McCullough, who has spearheaded the project. This fall there will be a larger community meeting to discuss the project further. Most recently, the Olde Richmond Civic Association put out a survey to collect community input about how to beautify this block, according to McCullough. About a year and a half ago he took a walk down this block with another ORCA board member to assess the situation. “It's a gateway to the neighborhood,” McCullough said. “It's an eyesore but it's definitely correctable.”
McCullough took to contacting local elected officials and city organizations like the MOTU—the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utility. The next step is for planning professionals to analyze the study and develop cost analyses for different improvement scenarios.
ORCA is one of a five groups citywide earmarked to receive $25K for similar projects as part of a TCDI (Transportation and Community Development Initiative) grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Council. The grant provides money to hire planning professionals for the purposes of doing community planning studies. ORCA will also appeal to larger groups like the William Penn Foundation for funding to carry out the project. So while improvements to this neglected block of Moyer Street are in the works, it will still be at least another year before any physical work takes place on site. When it's finally finished, it will be exciting indeed to see the results.