A new bill from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration would allow more apartment construction around SEPTA stations to help boost ridership, writes Jake Blumgart for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The proposal expands an existing law that allows developers to build more housing with less parking on many properties that are within 500 feet of SEPTA stations designated as “transit-oriented development” districts by City Council. Under the legislation sent to City Council, the radius would increase to 1,320 feet, the equivalent of a quarter-mile.
The bill is one element of a larger set of zoning legislation that is intended to advance Parker’s plan to build or repair 30,000 homes throughout the city over the coming years.
“Zoning is how we turn housing ambition into housing reality,” said Angela D. Brooks, chief housing and urban development officer.
She added that bills such as these “help us put more homes where our infrastructure can support them, near transit, near jobs, and near opportunity, while respecting the character of the neighborhoods Philadelphians already love.”
The hope is that building more housing near transit will boost SEPTA ridership, while making it easier for more people to live close to public transportation.
Read more about the bill to expand housing near SEPTA stations in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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