The Hub 8/16/19: 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: NYC moped startup Revel is eyeing Philly. My test ride proved how thrilling/scary that would be. – On-demand moped start up, Revel, is looking to expand from New York City and Washington D.C. into Philadelphia. The scooters are street legal and cannot be used in a bike lane or on the sidewalk. Riders must have a clean driving record and be over the age of 21.
Mobility Lab: Software firm aims to make commuter transit benefits more streamlined and accessible – Luum, a transportation focused tech firm, has announced a new virtual commuter benefits card. The card can be used on public transit, ride-hailing, and bike share. Luum’s software can also allow companies to analyze commuting trends. Companies could use the data to tailor their benefits packages to best support sustainable commuting.
Strong Towns: The Cult of the Fantasy Pedestrian – Municipal officials often design street and trail infrastructure assuming pedestrians are going to behave predictably. Data, however, shows that pedestrians often cross midblock, create desire paths in unpaved areas, and generally use the route they deem most efficient, as is their right. We should engineer streets for the safety of the way pedestrians actually use them, instead of putting inconvenient expectations on pedestrians when we design roads that prioritize cars first.
Next City: Congress Moves to Ban Chinese-Made Railcars – A bipartisan coalition of U.S. representatives are working on a bill that would prohibit transit agencies from purchasing new rail cars made in China. Several transit agencies have major purchases of rolling stock already under contract with Chinese companies. There are no longer any US based railcar manufacturers, so transit agencies must source from foreign companies with U.S. manufacturing plants to meet existing “Buy America” requirements.
City Lab: How NYC Cut Some New Yorkers’ Commute Time in Half – Most transit rider subsidies are focused on people’s income. New York City is planning to extend a pilot program that subsidizes rides based on location instead. The goal of the program is to alleviate congestion on subway lines and freeways in the area. MTA now offers a reduced fare on underutilized heavy commuter rail for riders originating at certain stations. The commuter rail is much faster than the subway or driving from far flung neighborhoods.
Image Source: Plan Philly
