JUST IN: Updates on Former Philadelphia Health Commissioner voicing opposition to the proposed 76ers arena project.

Former Health Commissioner Walter Tsou, along with a group of physicians, has opposed the proposed 76ers arena due to concerns about its potential traffic impact on emergency medical services. Meanwhile, Jefferson Hospital has not commented on the matter.

Walter Tsou, a former top health official in Philadelphia, recently swapped his white coat for a T-shirt as he recorded a message for Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania (PSR PA), a public health nonprofit. In a video released on Monday, PSR PA, which has 3,000 members, voiced its opposition to the proposed 76ers arena, citing concerns that game-day traffic could adversely affect emergency services at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, located just two blocks from the planned site.

“It will tie up traffic on 10th Street, the main route to Jefferson’s emergency room,” Tsou stated in the video. “It’s inevitable that someone stuck in traffic will die because of this, and that is simply unacceptable.”

Tsou, who served as Philadelphia’s health commissioner from 2000 to 2002, joins a growing coalition of medical professionals against the arena. Since at least March, a group of emergency medicine workers has been organizing under the name No Arena Jeff Med, now rebranded as No Arena Philly Med. In an open letter opposing the plans, they expressed deep concerns about their ability to provide optimal care due to “a massive influx of traffic in the hospital’s vicinity” and the proposed one-lane road closures on 10th and 11th streets following games.

Emergency medicine workers are concerned not only about ambulances being stuck in traffic, which could delay critical medical care, but also about the possibility that the arena plans might force the hospital to redirect emergency vehicles to more distant medical facilities. Since the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital in 2019, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has been the only Level 1 adult trauma center in the area, equipped to handle the most severe cases.

Walter Tsou also believes that regular medical appointments will be affected. “Routine visits to doctors’ offices downtown will be hindered because of the construction,” he stated. “For five or six years, there will be ongoing construction for this arena, so the impact will extend beyond just game days. It’s not just Jefferson; Market Street is a crucial route for everyone in eastern Philadelphia seeking any type of medical service.”

76 DevCo, the developer responsible for the arena project, has not commented on Walter Tsou’s video or the opposition from Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania (PSR PA). However, the company has previously suggested mitigation strategies, such as a preemption system that would change red traffic signals to green for approaching ambulances. An August traffic impact study recommended that the city consider implementing the necessary infrastructure for this system.

While Jefferson Hospital is only briefly mentioned in the report, the study does provide more detailed discussions about two blocks directly across the street from the hospital. The team has proposed using Chestnut Street between 10th and 11th streets as one of three designated “loading zones” for Uber and Lyft drivers transporting fans to and from games. The consultants who conducted the impact study recommended that 76 DevCo extend this loading zone along Chestnut Street to the corner of 9th, while advising that the team coordinate with the hospital to “minimize conflicts.”

It is challenging to determine the extent to which pre- and post-game traffic peaks will coincide with the busiest hours at the hospital. Jefferson Health did not provide data on its emergency room’s peak times and did not comment on Walter Tsou’s video. The health system has largely remained silent regarding the arena plans as they have developed, especially in recent months. In September, Mayor Cherelle Parker formally endorsed the proposal and sent the necessary legislation to City Council for approval, which is expected to be introduced during the legislative session on October 24.

The city has not clarified whether it plans to further study the traffic impacts on Jefferson Hospital beyond the brief references in the existing report. Additionally, there has been no response to requests for comments on the concerns raised by Tsou and other medical professionals opposing the arena.