The Hub 4/23/2021: 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.

Rice Kinder Institute: Public transit was greatly affected by the pandemic, with ridership 80% lower in 2020 versus 2019, and tragically it also saw the infection and deaths of many employees due to COVID-19. But transit services remained, and will continue to remain, essential for frontline workers. 

BillyPenn: With the increased number of cyclists on the road and warming weather, Philadelphia is doing construction on new bike lanes in different areas of the city. These include American Street bike lanes, which have been completed since January, Delaware River Trail, and other areas. Mayor Kenney plans to create 40 miles of protected bike lanes by 2026.

Transportation Today: Governor Wolf announced that 43 projects in 21 different counties were selected for Multimodal Transportation Fund allocation. $45.9 million will fund projects including bike, bridge, pedestrian, highways, and even rail projects.

Tioga Publishing: Zipcar, the world’s leading car-sharing network, extends partnership with the City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Parking Authority. There will be an increase of nearly 50 more zipcar vehicles to help support the goals of the new Philadelphia Transit Plan. 

Streetsblog: Public transit needs a federal program that will help to boost its services. Recent analysis showed that annual federal funding can help improve public transit for cities, and even have an impact on riders with lower fares. 

Image Source: BillyPenn