The Hub 7/26/19: 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: Study: SEPTA transfer fees hit low-wage commuters the hardest -According to a study from Pew Charitable Trusts, low income transit riders are the most affected by fare hikes and transfer fees. 44% of SEPTA’s daily commuters make below $25,000 a year. Lower income residents are also more likely to live farther from Center City, making them more likely to rely on multiple transit routes for their commute. SEPTA’s $1 transfer fee disproportionately impacts these commuters.
CurbedPhilly: Airport line, other Regional Rail lines to be disrupted during SEPTA repairs – Several of SEPTA’s Regional Rail lines will see disruptions through the second week of August. The Arsenal Interlocking, which is just after University City Station going away from Center City, is in need of an overhaul to maintain the safety of the lines. The Airport line will be temporarily replaced by bus, and the Media/Elwyn and the Newark/Wilmington lines will have modified schedules with shuttle busses detouring around the interlocking.
Billy Penn: We measured the temp at SEPTA stations around Philadelphia – During last weekend’s heatwave, a reporter from Billy Penn measured the temperature inside of transit stations throughout Philadelphia. The results were encouraging for transit riders, with station temperatures routinely 20 degrees or more cooler than the surface.
Next City: A Look at Seattle’s Light-Rail ‘Moon Shot’ – Sound Transit in Seattle is endeavouring to build a light rail line across a large stretch of the sound by 2023. Bridges that span bodies of water must move with wind and water, making them generally a non starter for rail, which must remain ridgid. Sound Transit is engineering a light rail system that will remain motionless even as the bridge beneath it moves.
City Lab: In Madrid, a Car Ban Proves Stronger Than Partisan Politics – Madrid is among a slew of European cities that have instituted at least a partial ban on private vehicles in the city center. Madrid’s newly elected far right government has vowed to end the car ban. Citizens across the political spectrum have come out in support of the ban, causing lawmakers to back pedal on their promise.
Image Source: Curbed Philly
