Title
Authorizing the Council Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold hearings to investigate rail operators’ responsibilities for cleanup, maintenance, and beautification of transit entry points into Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, Each year Philadelphia disposes of nearly 1.5 million tons of residential and commercial waste, one ton for every resident, while spending tens of millions of dollars each year cleaning up short dumping and litter; and
WHEREAS, The vast majority of entry points into the City are riddled with graffiti, trash, and debris along its railroad tracks, making for an unsightly view for those who live, work, or visit Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Ownership of the train tracks that make up the Philadelphia transit system include Conrail, SEPTA, Amtrak, CSX, and Norfolk-Southern. CONRAIL owns the Richmond Secondary freight rail right of way, Trenton Avenue Elevated, Frankford Street Industrial Track, and Delair Branch, all operated by Conrail, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and AMTRAK owns the Northeast Corridor; and
WHEREAS, Many neighborhood groups, City departments, and volunteers have worked diligently for years on strategies to clean up the tracks, including graffiti abatement programs, surveillance cameras for short dumping violations, and regular reporting of illegal activities to law enforcement; and
WHEREAS, In June 2017, the City of Philadelphia reached an agreement with Conrail to address a stretch of train tracks used for an open-air drug market in North Philadelphia and subsequently cleared 2,700 tons of debris, including an estimated 500,000 used syringes; and
WHEREAS, SEPTA, through their SCOPE outreach initiative established in 2021, has taken on some of the responsibility of cleaning up some of these railroad tracks. However, their fiscal constraints prevent them from upscaling this initiative, and they should not alone shoulder the responsibility of maintaining rail rights-of-way that multiple rail operators use; and
WHEREAS, AMTRAK and freight rail operators should make a similar commitment and devote the resources necessary to clean up other areas which are under their jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, On January 25, 2018, Philadelphia City Council adopted Resolution No. 180056 authorizing hearings into train operators’ responsibilities for cleanup, maintenance, and beautification of transit entry points. However, that hearing was not held. As the City continues Mayor Parker’s grand vision of making Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, greenest big City in the nation, with economic opportunity for all, it is imperative that all users of our rails take ownership of their cleaning and maintenance; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold hearings to investigate rail operators’ responsibilities for cleanup, maintenance, and beautification of transit entry points into Philadelphia
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