The Hub 9/10/2021: 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.
Clean Air Council’s pedestrian advocacy group, Feet First Philly, launched the second round of their public space enhancement mini-grant program. Everyone is encouraged to apply and enhance a public space of their choice. Applications are due on 11/8 at 11:59 pm.
The Inquirer: Increasing cultural diversity in Cycling – A resident of Southwest Philly, Siddeeq Shabazz started cycling during the pandemic (April 2020) and has logged 6,500 miles since then. The sport of cycling lacks diversity and Shabazz hopes to raise awareness and provide resources for people of color interested in cycling.
Whyy: SEPTA riders choose sitting over leaning – Last year SEPTA installed leaning benches at 69th Street west terminal and removed the traditional sitting ones as part of a pilot program. Passengers were not happy which resulted in SEPTA removing some of these leaning benches. No more leaning benches are planned to be installed in the near future.
BillyPenn: SEPTA test out a new name – A part of SEPTA’s $40 million effort to make public transit easier to navigate, is the renaming of the rail network. “The Metro” is the new proposed name but this is not finalized, as SEPTA will engage in a two-month feedback period to get the public’s input.
Boston Globe: Bus drivers would benefit from free transit – Last week marked the start of Boston’s three-month pilot fare-free transit program for their most-used bus line, the 28. Bus drivers are given the responsibility to enforce fare payment which sometimes results in violent situations, but a fare-free transit system can improve the work environment and work conditions of bus drivers.
Transportation Today News: $2.2 Billion Competitive grant funding – The U.S DOT announced $2.2 billion in funding for transit agencies with additional pandemic-related needs such as cleaning and sanitation, reducing the spread of COVID-19, and maintaining daily operations.
Image Source: BillyPenn
