The Hub 11/15/19: 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.
PlanPhilly: PATCO gets $12.6M federal grant to reopen abandoned Franklin Square Station – A decommissioned PATCO station at 6th and Race Streets is set to receive a serious revival. The Delaware River Port Authority has been awarded a grant through the Federal Department of Transportation. Unused since 1979, Franklin Square Station is expected to reopen in 2023.
Billy Penn: While NYC cracks down on fare evasion, Philly’s decrim is working well – New York City transit police have increased efforts to prosecute fare evaders, even resorting to force at times. Meanwhile, in Philly, the penalty for a first offense of fare evasion has been reduced to a misdemeanor charge with a $25 fine.
Next City: How St. Louis Took a Proactive Approach to E-Scooter Regulation – The bikeshare working group of the St. Louis municipal government set forth a permitting process for dockless vehicles that prioritizes equity. A percentage of vehicles from their fleet must be in neighborhoods outside the city center at the beginning of each day, ensuring the whole city can access scooters and bikes.
CityLab: There’s No App for Getting People Out of Their Cars – Apps that allow users to compare times and prices of different transit modes are popping up in cities around the world. These apps can certainly make life without a car easier, but their effect on modeshift is only possible when they are supported by sustainable transportation infrastructure.
Smart Cities Dive: Vancouver tackles congestion with transportation hackathon – At Vancouver’s Decode Congestion Hackathon 150 students and professionals from the tech and transportation sectors came together to share ideas to make a safe and efficient transportation system. Vancouver is growing quickly, and moving more people means new and innovative solutions are required.
Image Source: Plan Philly
