Editorial | Moving on up

Penn's getting greener.

Officials from the Sustainable Endowments Institute recently gave Penn an A- for its sustainability efforts, in its 2009 report rating the environmental-friendliness of 300 colleges.

Much of the credit goes to the administration. By creating a new sustainability coordinator position, implementing a carbon footprint survey and outlining goals for LEED certification on new buildings, Penn improved its grade from a B on last year's report card.

The report also highlights important areas for improvement - namely, transportation and student participation. In transportation, Penn's partnership with PhillyCarShare is impressive. But there are other initiatives - from a more affordable student mass-transit pass to a campus bike-share program - that would have a much bigger impact on students' transportation choices.

As for student involvement, that's something administrators can't fix. As the University increases the number of recycle bins, encourages energy conservation and offers sustainable transit options, it's ultimately up to students to ensure the success of these efforts.

Follow-Up

It's (finally) time to start construction.

Last week, the City's Streets Department agreed to incorporate some of the design revisions proposed by the community into its plan for the new South Street Bridge. The new plan will make the bridge more pedestrian-friendly by lowering the speed limit and widening bike lanes.

We've long argued that the City needs to listen to the concerns of neighborhood groups when rebuilding the Bridge. The original design proposed by the Streets Department ignored the needs of pedestrians and cyclists. We commend the city for finally coming around and accepting many of the community's requests.

Now that many of the design issues have been ironed out, there can't be any more delays. For safety's sake, officials must tear down the old bridge as soon as possible.

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