Community visioning

In February 2023, PennDOT and the City are awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program.

Public engagement, phase 1: Co-learning

• The study team holds several public engagement opportunities to understand the Chinatown community's priorities and needs.
• This includes a large vision and goals survey, pop-up events in the neighborhood, and a public community visioning workshop.

Public engagement, phase 2: Developing the concepts

• The study team develops potential cap designs based on community feedback from phase 1.

Public engagement, phase 3: Sharing the community vision

• The study team uses the community feedback and technical analysis to determine the final concept design.
• Participants want a cap with a modern design that feels like it’s part of a typical Philadelphia neighborhood. They also want green space, park amenities, and bike and pedestrian safety improvements.

Preliminary engineering and data collection

In March 2024, the City is awarded a grant for planning and engineering from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program.

Throughout the year, the project team conducts the following:

• Preliminary data collection and analysis
• Preliminary engineering studies

Concept development and design

Public involvement, phase 1: Pre-launch

• The project team gathers information from key stakeholders and the community. Topics include facilities, programming, and maintenance.

Public involvement, phase 2: Discovery

• The project team presents design options. They seek to understand the needs, challenges, and desires of the community.

Public involvement, phase 3: Discussion

• The project team gathers input for either a shortlist or one locally preferred option through in-depth conversations with community members.

Public involvement, phase 4: Share-back

• The project team listens to reactions around the final design and share-back from the engagement process.

Final design

The final design plan is solidified and planning for construction begins. This includes collaboration with engineers to ensure the cap meets safety requirements as well as desired functionality and load-bearing needs. Quality assurance measures are determined through precise calculations and detailed drawings.

Construction

Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2027 and conclude in the fall of 2029.