May 16: Roy Gothie’s change agenda for PennDOT | No end for Councilmanic prerogative | BNY Mellon roof deck

Bike/Pedestrian Coordinator Roy Gothie is working for policy change and culture change at PennDOT, reports Ryan Deto at Pittsburgh City Paper. Gothie says bike and pedestrian infrastructure is too often an afterthought in road redesigns, so he is planning a rewrite of the state’s 2007 bike/ped master plan to incorporate more bike-friendly design choices.  “We need to change our antiquated document into something a little more progressive,” he says. 

The jury’s decision in the Feibush v. Johnson trial probably won’t end Councilmanic prerogative, says Jared Brey. “Council members aren’t going to start regularly introducing zoning bills in each other’s districts now that a jury has determined that one member crossed the line. But maybe, just maybe, they’ll keep a closer eye on where the line is.”

Equity Commonwealth, owner of the BNY Mellon Center tower on Market West, is looking at adding a roofdeck, reports Jacob Adelman. It’s part of a tenant attraction strategy aimed at filling almost a half-million square feet of office space in the building following FMC’s eventual relocation to the new FMC Tower in University City.

Danya Henninger says rooftop bars have been a rarity in Philly, but that’s starting to change as several new spaces are set to open. Not on trend: Philadelphia’s zoning code. While L+I previously could issue a simple permit for a rooftop space, recent code amendments passed in response to the growing popularity of residential roof decks now require a special exception.

OCF Realty released new renderings for the corner building they’re renovating at Point Breeze Ave and Latona, depicting a four-story story structure with large glass windows on the top two floors. 

Penn is hosting a one-day conference tomorrow on the global ‘New Urban Agenda,’ preparing U.S. national leadership for the United Nations’ Habitat III convening, held once every 20 years.

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