Interstate 95 between Ann St in Port Richmond, and Shackamaxon St in Fishtown is going to be torn down and completely rebuilt along with Phase 2 of the Girard/95 interchange. Richmond Street is also going to be relocated (re-aligned) which calls for a complete redesign of Richmond Street which should become a lot less inviting to homeless and junkies who right-now prefer to go into the wooded areas in the Conrail yards and along the Conrail right of way between Lehigh Ave and Somerset St.

The site surveys are finalized now and the heavy-earth moving will begin spring of 2012. I-95 and Richmond St as you have known it now will be a huge work zone in the coming years.

If you're seeing junkies shooting up in the Conrail lands between Richmond and the Delaware, or wondering around the Richmond Triangle, please call 9-1-1 immediately. Call 911 EACH and EVERY TIME you witness it occurring. Believe it or not, every 911 call is documented by operators including time/date, location and descriptions you provide and the complaints are forwarded to the PPD district covering those areas.

I know people get exasperated calling 911 and they feel like the PPD doesn't do anything. Believe it or not every time you call 911 to report this issue, it makes it more and more visible to PPD and to the community.