Did you know? The PHL Taking Care of Business (TCB) Clean Corridors Program, championed by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has grown to serve 49 to 129 commercial corridors citywide.  PHL TCB invests in small businesses, creates employment opportunities for local residents and keeps Philadelphia’s neighborhood commercial corridors clean. PHL TCB Cleaning Ambassadors are champions of litter reduction and environmental care citywide. The program is part of a larger effort by the Department of Commerce to enhance and promote vibrant commercial corridors.

TCB currently funds 39 community-serving nonprofits and 4 minority-owned cleaning companies that have hired 255 local Philadelphians for meaningful employment opportunities as cleaning ambassadors. Great news! Through Mayor Parker’s One Philly Budget, the PHL Taking Care of Business Program is expanding thanks to the total funding of 23.9M.

Expansion Highlights:

    • Employment Growth: The program will hire an additional 200 Philadelphia residents, focusing on advancing our Clean and Green agenda.
    • Increased Coverage: The number of commercial corridors served will rise from 129 to 160, broadening the impact across the city by working closely with cleaning companies and neighborhood-based nonprofits.
    • Enhanced Environmental Efforts: In partnership with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the program will clean an additional 500 vacant lots. In partnership with Philadelphia Parks and Creation, TCB will also increase tree planting and maintenance efforts on commercial corridors.

Cleaner streets, healthier lives! Cleaner streets, more economic opportunities!

Highlighting milestones and achievements

The PHL TCB 2023 Impact Report highlights the following:

Cleaner commercial areas

In 2023, 75 percent of TCB corridors have a Litter Index Score between 1 and 2. This is up from 66 percent in 2022, meaning that more corridors are consistently cleaner. 168,599 bags of trash were removed from TCB corridors by TCB crews. This equals 14,049 dumpsters collected citywide. 15,839 more bags of trash collected than in 2022. TCB has added several new cleaning areas. This increase in cleaning areas amounted to more trash collected.

Workforce Impacts

TCB cleaning ambassadors attain credentials that are highly valued by employers across many industries, which can benefit them when searching for future employment opportunities, such as enrolling in workplace safety, mental health and career readiness programs. 191 Cleaning Ambassadors to date have completed an online CareerSafe OSHA-10 certification with 23 earning their certificate in 2023.

Impact on Cleaning Companies

TCB enabled four Philadelphia-based, for-profit, minority-owned cleaning companies to grow their businesses, with City contracts among the four companies increasing from $221,000 in 2020 to $2.16 million in 2023. This is a 900% increase since 2020.

Tree maintenance

242 newly planted trees being maintained by PHL TCB Ambassadors working with the following community-based organizations, serving commercial corridors:

  • ACHIEVEability and Global Thinking Initiatives, Inc.
  • African Cultural Alliance of North America
  • HACE Community Development Corporation
  • Centennial Parkside Community Development Corporation
  • Nueva Esperanza Housing and Economic Development Corporation

The newly planted trees are located on the following commercial corridor blocks:

  • 1-199 S 60th Street, 1-100 N 60th Street and 200-699 S 60th Street
  • 5400-5599 Chester Avenue and 5500-6199 Woodland Avenue
  • 2600-2999 N 5th Street and 3000-3299 N Front Street
  • 4000-4099 W Girard Avenue and 1100-1199 N 40th Street
  • 100- 499 W Wyoming Avenue

These newly planted trees and maintenance efforts are funded by the William Penn Foundation, Deeply Rooted, Urban Health Lab at Penn Medicine Center for Health Justice, Department of Commerce, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation USA. The Overbrook Environmental Education Center provides the environmental training to support the stewardship and tree maintenance efforts of PHL Taking Care of Business Ambassadors.

Moving forward

TCB represents a critical investment by the City for Philadelphia to support the quality of life within neighborhood business districts. We are grateful for the partnerships with community organizations and small businesses that make this work possible, and look forward to continued collaboration in building a city where businesses and communities flourish.

Under Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s leadership, the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives is developing a comprehensive strategy that combines the strengths of our city to confront the challenges of litter, illegal dumping, and graffiti head-on for a cleaner, sustainable future. The Department of Commerce’s PHL Taking Care of Business Program is integral to these efforts.

Learn more about the PHL Taking Care of Business Clean Corridors Program