The Hub 11/21/18: 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: Cherry Hill’s little-known train stop seen as a potentially big link to Philly – New Jersey Transit’s Atlantic City Line has a centrally located, but seldom used station in Cherry Hill, with a direct, one seat connection to 30th Street Station. The Atlantic City Line is currently closed for safety repairs, but when it runs, its infrequent service makes it a hard choice for commuters. Cherry Hill Township officials support increasing the frequency of the Atlantic City Line in an aim to get more of the 5,700 commuters from Cherry Hill to Philly off the road.
Strong Towns: How Many Deaths Does It Take to Question “Standard Practice”? – Most states have continuing education in ethics requirements for licenced traffic engineers, yet moving cars quickly is often prioritized above safety. In places where Vision Zero is being implemented, the “standard practice“ of road design is moving towards prioritizing the safety of all road users above the speed of travel.
Streets Blog: Car Culture Cements Suburban Unsustainability – Suburban sprawl and autocentric design have happened concurrently in North America. Even as the suburbs become more economically and racially diverse, car dependency isn’t going anywhere. Political opposition has halted progress on suburban transit expansions, despite the clear economic and environmental benefits.
Next City: The Amazonians Are Coming. How Will They Get to Work? – New York City and Washington D.C. metros are preparing for their piece of Amazons HQ2. Long Island City, Queens, will be one of the sites. Local officials warn of the stress on the transit system that already struggles to adequately serve the existing population. In Crystal City, VA Amazon will be paying to upgrade the two closest metro stations. Commutes in the D.C. metro are already among some of the worst in the nation and the line that would serve HQ2 already operates at capacity.
Mobility Lab: How the lack of public benches makes traffic worse – For people who can’t stand for long periods of time, a bench at a bus stop (or lack thereof) can be a big part of deciding to take transit or to drive or use ride hailing. For many, it means very limited mobility and access to opportunity.
Image Source: Streets Blog
