Council-led program has served more than 12,700 Philadelphia households and completed nearly 350 shared driveway projects citywide
Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson (Second District) and Councilwoman Cindy Bass (8th District) today announced the reopening of City Council’s Neighborhood Preservation Initiative (NPI) Driveway Repair Program, making additional funding available to repair deteriorating shared residential driveways throughout Philadelphia.
Johnson and Bass were recently joined by PHDC President and CEO David Thomas and City of Philadelphia Director of Planning and Development Jessie Lawrence for the announcement on the 300 block of Wadsworth Avenue in the 8th Council District, where residents received a newly paved shared driveway through the program.
Launched in 2023 through NPI, the Driveway Repair Program was created in direct response to residents who had struggled for years with the cost and complexity of repairing shared residential driveways. These driveways have historically been considered private infrastructure and therefore have not been eligible for repair through traditional City infrastructure funding.
To date, the program has served more than 12,700 Philadelphia households through nearly 350 completed construction projects, representing approximately $14 million invested in neighborhood infrastructure.
“The Driveway Repair Program reflects what City Council envisioned when creating the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative: investing directly in our neighborhoods and addressing residents’ everyday needs,” said Council President Kenyatta Johnson. “A safe, well-maintained driveway may seem like a simple improvement, but for the families who use it every day, it protects their homes, improves accessibility, and strengthens the entire block.”
The reopening marks the start of the program’s third application cycle. Intake pauses between cycles to allow PHDC to process existing applications and complete construction of the approximately 40 driveway projects already in the pipeline throughout Philadelphia.
The program has been particularly important in neighborhoods where multiple homeowners share responsibility for a single driveway. Coordinating repairs among numerous households can be difficult, and the cost of major resurfacing or reconstruction can put the work beyond residents’ financial reach.
“Families were dealing with crumbling, unsafe driveways and facing repairs that were difficult to coordinate and too costly for many to take on alone,” said Councilwoman Cindy Bass. “My office and I heard directly from residents who needed help, and I worked with my Council colleagues to turn those concerns into a real solution. Today, we’re seeing that investment deliver results for families and neighborhoods across the 8th Council District.”
In 2025, City Council dedicated the final $50 million allocation of NPI funding to Neighborhood Infrastructure Improvement Programs. Of that investment, $15 million remains dedicated to continuing the Driveway Repair Program and is projected to support about two-and-a-half more years of work.
The funding supports infrastructure needs that have traditionally fallen to individual property owners, including shared residential driveways and other common neighborhood infrastructure.
PHDC administers the NPI Driveway Repair Program and manages contractors and construction.
Philadelphia residents interested in the Driveway Repair Program can get started by contacting their District Councilmember’s office or visiting https://phdcphila.org/driveways/
