The Hub 7/8/16: Clean Air Council’s Weekly Round-up of Transportation News

“The Hub” is a weekly round-up of transportation related news in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Check back weekly to keep up to date on the issues Clean Air Council’s transportation staff finds important.

Philly.com: SEPTA: Serious cracks found in 95 percent of cars inspected so far – The structural defect, a crack in a weight-bearing beam on a train car’s undercarriage, caused 120 cars to be taken out of commission. With few back-up cars, SEPTA Regional Rail is now operating on a modified Saturday schedule indefinitely.

The Morning Call: Uber gets ok to operate in Philly during convention – In light of the SEPTA Regional Rail defects, Philadelphia Parking Authority announced that Uber will be able to operate legally through September 30 without the required approvals.

New York Times: New Jersey to shut down hundreds of transportation projects – On Wednesday Governor Chris Christie released a 50 page list of transportation projects that will be postponed for at least seven days after New Jersey State lawmakers failed to reach a deal on increasing the state gas tax.

Slate: Is autopilot a bad idea? – A fatal collision between a Tesla on autopilot and a semitrailer truck leaves many automakers wondering which level of automation is best.

Independent: Norway to ‘completely ban petrol vehicles by 2025’ – While Norway is Europe’s largest petroleum producer, almost 20% of the country’s cars are already fully electric.

Image Source: Philly.com