Note: This petition text was updated after COVID-19.

Dear Mayor Jim Kenney and the City of Philadelphia,

This summer, we need a Chestnut Street free of car traffic. As we start to reopen Philadelphia, we need everyone to be able to stay safe on Philadelphia's streets.

Even after stay-at-home restrictions begin to ease up, we will need more public space to maintain proper social distancing. Vehicular traffic is down across the city, and we don’t anticipate traffic reaching previous peaks anytime soon. Opening Chestnut Street will give pedestrians more room to spread out. It will bring more eyes to the businesses able to reopen this summer.

We started this petition in late-February because car-free streets improve transit, safety, and quality of life. But removing cars from Chestnut is no longer just about reducing traffic-related injuries or improving transit speeds, it is about ensuring Philly can safely from a global pandemic.

Other cities have already taken a lead here. In response to COVID-19, New York is opening up to 100 miles of streets to pedestrians, Oakland is transforming 10% of streets to support social distancing, and Milan’s plan is being lauded by climate and transportation leaders alike.

We demand the right to remain safe outside as we begin to re-open Philadelphia.

In the interest of public health, let's #CancelCars on Chestnut Street this summer. ☀

Sincerely,

Citizens and Friends of The City of Philadelphia

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Note: This petition was started in late February and updated on Apr 27 to recognize that social distancing is the new primary reason for removing car traffic from Chestnut Street.

If you are interested in participating in this movement, please reach out at cancelcars@gmail.com. We appreciate your support!