The Hub 1/25/19: 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.
Curbed Philly: SEPTA offering free rides to TSA workers affected by government shutdown – In the midst of the government shutdown, many federal employees, including TSA agents, are going without pay. SEPTA’s managing director, Andrew Bush, announced that TSA employees will ride free of charge for the remainder of the shutdown.
Smart Cities Dive: Uber calls for more European public transit investment – Uber has released an open letter as the European Union (EU) drafts a multi-year budget, in support of further transit investment. While many transit agencies consider ride hailing to cost them riders, TNCs such as Uber and Lyft maintain that they are seeking to compliment transit, not replace it.
International Railway Journal: An Englishman in New York – Mr. Andy Byford is the president of New York City Transit, the agency responsible for the subways, busses, para-transit and the Staten Island Rail line. When Mr. Byford took over, NYCT was in a state of emergency. With 5.5 million riders depending on the system every day, he is acting decisively. The $30-50 billion price tag caused lawmakers to question him, but Byford just plans to get to work.
Strong Towns: Is the Household Garage America’s Favorite Room or America’s Worst Mistake? – In this episode of Upzoned, the idea that we’d be better off if we left garages in the last century is explored. Autocentric design gives space, infrastructure and even buildings to cars that could be used in more fulfilling, efficient ways. The things that make us nostalgic for the garage, like garage bands, man caves, and tech start ups, would still happen in its absence.
City Lab: America’s Most Dangerous Roads for Pedestrians – The southern United States is home to spread out metro areas and sprawling highway networks. All of this makes it a dangerous place to walk. Pedestrian deaths are on the rise, and we need to seriously reconsider how we design streets. Complete streets policies, which prioritize protecting vulnerable road users, are being implemented in some cities with high crash rates like Orlando. Road design is not solely responsible for the increase in fatalities. More Americans drive full size trucks and SUVs than ever before, making crashes more deadly.
Image Source: City Lab
