The City of Philadelphia is pleased to announce its Pedestrian Plaza Program

Dear Friend, 

The City of Philadelphia is pleased to announce its Pedestrian Plaza Program. Pedestrian Plazas provide the public the chance to sit and enjoy the city’s vibrant street life. This program will make our streets safer for pedestrians and drivers alike by converting underutilized street segments into public space. Working with community organizations, the City will paint over underutilized street segments and allow the community to install benches, tables, chairs, bike parking and some limited landscaping, turning excess roadway into Pedestrian Plazas. Such spaces will be designed both to meet the City’s safety guidelines and to provide a pleasing addition to the urban environment. Applicants who wish to propose a pedestrian plaza should be prepared to identify a space, produce a concept for the space, including potential furnishing elements and likely uses, collect written support from local stakeholders, and be prepared to provide maintenance of the space after construction according to the requirements stated in this application.

Interested parties should:

1. Submit all documentation through eContract Philly, the City’s online interface for RFP (non-bid contract) opportunities (instructions below). 

2. Review and Complete all program documents (listed and described below)

eCONTRACT PHILLY

All application materials must be submitted through eContract Philly for the application to be considered complete. The RFP was posted last night and may take some time to fully upload, if you do not find the RFP, please check back later. Below are some useful tips for navigating the system. Detailed instructions are available online at www.phila.gov/contracts. 

• The site requires that you use Internet Explorer as your web browser when navigating the site. 

• Registration is required to use the site. To register, you must provide your organization’s Employer Identification number (EIN), or a social security number if your organization does not have an EIN. 

• A valid email address is also required for registration, as your password for eContracts will be provided via email during the registration process. 

• Application documents must be submitted in one of the following formats: Word (.doc), Excel (.xml), PDF, or ZIP. 

• The application period ends at 5pm on the stated day of closing. This deadline is non-negotiable and the system will automatically prevent you from submitting materials later than 5pm on that date. 

• If you do not sign and submit your application through the online system, it will not be considered by the City of Philadelphia. 

If you are experiencing difficulties using the system, email Ariel Ben-Amos (ariel.ben-amos@phila.gov) for assistance. 

PROGRAM DOCUMENTS

Successful submissions require the review and completion of the following documents. All documents are available through eContract Philly (and are attached to this email, including the RFP). 

• Ped Plaza Guidelines: This document explains the steps of the process and details the roles and responsibilities of participating City agencies as well as applicants. Read it thoroughly to understand what additional information you may need to submit, above and beyond the Application Form.

• Ped Plaza Application Form: this form asks you for information about your organization, as well as general information about the proposed location, programming, and maintenance of the plaza. 

• Ped Plaza Agreement Form: this form is a licensing and operating agreement between the applicant organization and the City of Philadelphia Streets Department which covers ownership, maintenance, user restrictions, and other legal issues pertaining to the establishment and operation of the Plaza. All program applicants will be asked to sign this form if they are selected. 

The application process will be discussed in detail at a series of pre-bid meetings, taking place on August 10th (10 AM), 24th (6 PM) and 31st (10 AM). Interested parties MUST attend ONE of the three meetings. For assistance during the process, please contact Ariel Ben-Amos at ariel.ben-amos@phila.gov or 215-686-9001. 

Thank you again for your interest in the Pedestrian Plaza Program. 

(See attached files)

Ariel Ben-Amos

Planner / Analyst

Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities

1401 JFK Blvd, Suite 1430

Philadelphia, PA 19102

ariel.ben-amos@phila.gov

tel. – 215.686.9001

fax. – 215.686.3494

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