Philadelphia Mayoral Candidates Respond to AARP Pennsylvania Questionnaire

AARP Pennsylvania is dedicated to providing all the information you need this election season, allowing you to cast your most informed vote possible.

That’s why we created a Philadelphia Mayoral Election Voter Guide providing key information on how, when, and where to vote.

It’s also why we invited both mayoral candidates to respond to a questionnaire so that in advance of the November 7 General Election each could address the issues that AARP members and voters 50-plus in Philadelphia said were most important to them – including community safety, more accessible parks, pedestrian safety, affordable housing, and other Livable Communities issues that you told us were important to you in our most recent poll.

As a local advocate in Philadelphia, our AARP Livable Communities Action Plan supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and rural areas to be great places for people of all ages. We believe that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; age-friendly housing and transportation options, access to needed services, and opportunities for residents of all ages, ability levels, incomes, races, ethnicities, and other backgrounds to participate in community life.

See what Philadelphia mayoral candidates David Oh (R) and Cherelle Parker (D) had to say.

AARP PA: Philadelphia is a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.  What are your plans for building on this foundation to make Philadelphia a safe, accessible, welcoming, and equitable community for people of all ages and abilities and where all of us have the conditions we need to thrive?

David Oh: As Mayor, I will implement a plan to sharply improve the safety and quality of life of older residents throughout our city. The AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities will be a key partner in this effort. The AARP Network provides valuable expertise, best practices, resources and innovative models regarding the design and implementation of policies and programs that will make our city more age-friendly.

I will quickly convene a task force to plan and oversee the first four years of an eight-year plan to make our city the safest big city in America with convenient, modern public transportation, walkable neighborhoods, well-maintained parks, activities for all ages, accessible public services for older residents and new age-friendly, affordable housing that is designed for independent living.

Cherelle Parker: A Parker Administration is going to be focused on a ground-up approach to addressing safety, accessibility, and equity issues in Philadelphia. That means engaging with the community and ensuring their voices are heard in the process of developing policies, programs, and initiatives.

Over the course of my campaign, I have heard from many the desire for more affordable housing, investments in transportation, and expanding Philadelphia’s green spaces. These issues will be central to a Parker Administration, as I have always campaigned on a safer, cleaner, and greener Philadelphia.

Additionally, I want to continue to champion issues around neighborhood stabilization and resiliency as Mayor. During my time on Council, I implemented Restore, Repair, Renew, which provides low-interest loans to residents to refurbish and modernize their aging homes and, ultimately, allows senior residents to stay in their homes. We need to put that program, and other programs focused on home repairs, into hyperdrive, and I am committed to doing that as Mayor.

AARP PA: A recent AARP Pennsylvania poll found that 78% of Philadelphia voters age 50 and older said a plan for providing “better housing options for Philadelphians of all income levels” would impact their vote. As Mayor, what is your plan to address housing affordability in the city?

Cherelle Parker: As Mayor, I will be an ardent supporter of developing affordable and mixed-income housing across our neighborhoods, and I am committed to creating 30,000 units of affordable housing. Doing so requires a holistic approach to development that lifts up communities rather than displacing them.

To encourage such development, a Parker Administration will streamline the City’s public/private partnerships to target potential opportunities, which will include properties currently sitting the City’s Land Bank.

We need to also make additional investments into home repair programs, such as the Basic Systems Home Repair and Restore, Repair, Renew, both of which I championed during my time on Council. Because in addition to new developments, we also need to do what we can to maintain the homes of people who want to stay where they live, but cannot afford to keep up with essential repairs or may need to modify their home to allow easier access and mobility.

David Oh: As a Councilmember, I tried to improve and increase the number of affordable housing units by introducing a bill to increase funding to the Housing Trust Fund from $14-$17 million to $63-$67 million a year. My bill was defeated in Council. I also wanted to build and rehabilitate affordable housing units in the neighborhoods that need them most using more neighborhood skilled labor.

The cost of these units would be far lower than the high-priced units which are currently being built or rehabilitated in gentrifying neighborhoods. As Mayor, I will significantly increase funding for affordable housing and continue the work I started as a Councilmember to increase the amount of affordable and age-friendly affordable housing. I will also implement a plan for “smart city-smart aging” technology.

I plan to build a model of age-friendly, affordable housing development using advanced technology for maximum comfort, quality of life and independent living. This model will serve as the basis for duplication in other parts of our city.

AARP PA: Ninety percent of Philadelphia voters age 50 and older believe “Safe, well-maintained, and accessible parks” are very or somewhat important. As Mayor, what is your plan to create vibrant, inclusive, accessible parks that promote social connections and healthy lifestyles for Philadelphians of all ages and abilities?

David Oh: As Mayor, I will separate parks from the Department of Parks and Recreation. Parks are often neglected and underfunded. I will restore the Fairmount Park Commission and create a separate funding stream dedicated to park maintenance and beautification. I will increase the presence of Mounted Police and use drones to ensure public safety.

I will also divide parks into two groups: large public parks and smaller neighborhood parks. Smaller neighborhood parks will have far greater community input regarding management and use. The Recreation Department will inventory the recreation facilities and playsets that are in our parks and work with the Fairmount Park Commission and smaller neighborhood parks to install, upgrade, repair or replace those fields, courts and playsets. Finally, I’d like to include well-designed, age-friendly areas within the parks.

Cherelle Parker: I am a proud supporter of our city’s parks, and our city has some of the best in the world. As Mayor, I will continue my support to maintain our parks and ensure they are accessible for Philadelphians of all ages and mobility.

I have consistently been a huge supporter of the City's green spaces, whether it's advocating for more street trees to reduce heat islands, standing up citywide cleaning programs to ensure that trash doesn't end up in our parks and tributaries (PHL TCB), and supporting our parks.

When I was the Councilperson for the 9th Council District, I was proud to have the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed (TTF) in my District, which I considered a shining gem of green space. Over the years, my office partnered with TTF on various projects and initiatives. And one of my staffers served on the Advisory Committee to develop the Tacony Creek Park Master Site Development Plan, which was released this summer.

If the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed is the shining gem of the 9th Council District, then the Wissahickon Valley/Fairmount Park is a shining gem of the city. I can ensure that I will support the park, whether it's via direct funding or programmatic supports. Additionally, I will ensure that our Departments - Parks & Rec, Streets, Sanitation, Public Property, Water, etc. - will work together to ensure the park is receiving the best, and most well-coordinated, city administrative services.

AARP PA: A pedestrian is struck by a car every four minutes in the United States. Last year, 57 pedestrians and three bicyclists were killed in crashes in Philadelphia. How would your administration make our roads and sidewalks safe, comfortable, and appealing to people of all ages?

Cherelle Parker: During my time on Council, I was proud to introduce legislation that authorized the installation of speed cameras along Roosevelt Boulevard. According to a state report, after the installation of the cameras, crashes on Roosevelt Boulevard dropped 36% from 2019 to 2021, compared to a decline of 6% in Philadelphia overall. Collisions with fatalities or serious injuries declined 11% on the Boulevard in the period studied, while at the same time, such crashes were increasing by 16% in the city as a whole. (Note: Parker provided the following article to show where her data came from: https://www.inquirer.com/transportation/speed-cameras-roosevelt-boulevard-pennsylvania-expansion-20230107.html).

We need to expand the usage of speed cameras across all our neighborhoods to protect residents from reckless drivers. In eighty percent of cases, once a driver gets a ticket, they do not repeat as an offender. This is a proven deterrent to dangerous driving and we need to make additional investments to see progress across the city, which is what I plan to do as Mayor. Additionally, there are other traffic calming measures that can be implemented throughout the city, such as speed cushions and strategic roadway narrowing.

David Oh: As Mayor, the first and most immediate way to reduce traffic accidents is by enforcing the law and ensuring everyone is abiding by the rules. Since the pandemic, motor vehicle laws are being disregarded more than ever before.

Strict enforcement of all traffic laws will a priority of my administration to ensure compliance and increased safety. The next way that I will make roads and sidewalks safe, is by making travel routes and times much more predictable by removing choke points. Streets and sidewalks will be better maintained. Enforcing speed limits through drones, speed cameras, PPA, and car stops by police is effective.

Dangerous roads will be identified and modified to be safer. I will explore dedicated bicycle streets. I will also work with SEPTA to replace old-fashioned turnstiles with modern turnstiles that allow bicycles, wheelchairs and baby strollers to pass through and prevent fare jumping.