The Hub 3/3/17: 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.

Daily News: Turns out, Uber is clogging the streets  – Uber’s promise to eliminate NYC’s congestion problem for good is just a pipe dream for now. With popularity of exclusive rides, Transportation Network Companies (like Uber) added 600 million miles of driving to NYC streets in 2016. Most of these miles are occurring in the already congested areas of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

PlanPhilly: City plans parking-protected bike lane for Chestnut Street in West Philly – Announced by the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) at the Vision Zero Conference, the bike lane would require City Council approval. OTIS expects to begin community outreach soon.

Co.Exist: Bike lanes may be the most cost-effective way to improve public health – A study found that, in NYC, the net societal benefit of spending $10 million on curbing traffic (which included the installation of bike lanes) was estimated to be $230 million. However, bike lanes cannot normalize exercise behavior unless there are enough of them to connect riders from their homes to their destinations.

Curbed: This tricked-out bus stop comes with free books and a swing – Check out these bus stop goals  from Singapore. While these amenities are nice, public transit users want reliable, affordable, and convenient service (which is why many are opting for Uber).

Image Source: CityLab