“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.
Join the Transit For All PA! campaign for sustainable transit funding to keep our state moving forward.
CBS Philadelphia: SEPTA strike averted after workers’ union, transit agency reach new contract – SEPTA and Transport Workers Union Local 234 have reached a tentative agreement, as of Monday this week. This agreement avoids a strike with the largest union working in SEPTA currently, and would’ve impacted thousands of riders. TWU Local 234 members have been working without a contract for a month, and the agreement includes a two-year contract with a 3.5% wage increase each year, and other benefits. The union plans to ratify the new agreement later this month, with plans to present the contract to the SEPTA board on December 18.
Philly Voice: SEPTA receives MARC cars to ease Regional Rail disruptions, but a supply shortage is delaying Silverliner repairs – SEPTA is receiving 10 train cars from the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Rail this week, to try and alleviate delays in the system. Regional Rail riders have been experiencing delays and crowded trains due to the ongoing inspection and improvements to the Silverliner cars. The MARC cars are being transported by Amtrak from Washington to 30th Street Station at the end of this week. SEPTA then will need to inspect the cars and train crews, which could take up to two weeks. The cars will be leased for one year, and will add capacity for riders across the rail system.
The Inquirer: Penn’s Landing cap over I-95 is 30% complete, with completion hoped in 2029 – Penn’s Landing Park, a 12-acre park over I-95, is about 30% completed. 2029 is the estimated completion year by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, with the park itself being installed the following year by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. Plans for the park include a net zero carbon building, skating rink, playground, water feature, and green space. The estimated cost of the project has increased from the 2017 estimate of $229 million to now $329 million due to rising costs of inflation. Construction efforts will continue by PennDOT, and motorists should check PennDOT’s website for closure updates.
Other Stories
6ABC: Construction project impacting Schuylkill Expressway set to begin
WMMR: Explore the Lesser-Known Bike Paths of Philadelphia
PhillyVoice: Tolls to drive over eight Delaware River bridges will increase next year
The Inquirer: SEPTA decks out buses in holiday decorating contest
Bicycle Coalition: ICYMI: Spring Garden Street Connector Open House
PhillyVoice: SEPTA to fully restore Regional Rail service by late December with $220 million boost from PennDOT
“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.
Join the Transit For All PA! campaign for sustainable transit funding to keep our state moving forward.
The Inquirer: Gov. Shapiro allocated $220 million to SEPTA to get Regional Rail back on track – Governor Josh Shapiro announced last week that $220 million is being sent to SEPTA to retain current service and safety that have been measures federally mandated. The funds are sourced from the Department of Transportation, this is not a new source of funding for the agency, which is desperately needed. The $220 million will assist with the repairs of both the Silverliner IV Regional Rail Cars, and the trolley tunnel power system, both experiencing issues that have left commuters with delays, cancellations, and chaos. These funds are critical to mass transit’s continued service due to a lack of support in the state budget, which was passed 6 months late in November. The safety and multitude of other problems have been exacerbated by the complete lack of funding, and years of political stalemates negatively impacting commuters and residents.
BillyPenn: Philly shares its roadmap to reducing traffic-related deaths and injuries – Philadelphia has made great strides in reducing traffic-related injuries, but still has more traffic deaths than other comparable cities across the US. The city’s 2024 Vision Zero Review was released this week, and it reported an 18% decrease in traffic-related injuries, primarily focusing on improving safety in Philadelphia’s High Injury Network (HIN). The HIN is the 12% of Philly streets where 80% of traffic deaths and serious injuries occur. In the past nine years, 154 miles of HIN projects were completed or remain in progress, and the Vision Zero Action Plan includes a 5-year plan to reduce traffic deaths and injuries to none, but advocates say more work lies ahead in order to meet the Action Plan’s goals.
NBC Philadelphia: Logan Square sidewalk project to impact traffic on Ben Franklin Parkway – Construction has begun along the Ben Franklin Parkway at Logan Square between 18th and 20th Streets and will result in weekday lane closures. Construction plans include sidewalk installations, accessibility upgrades, and inlet and stormwater pipe installations. Both directions of the Parkway in that area will have a lane closure every weekday from 7 am to 3:30 pm until May 19, 2026. The Logan Circle sidewalk and access to Swann Fountain will be closed to the public during this time as well.
Other Stories
WHYY: U.S. air travelers without REAL IDs will be charged a $45 fee
The Inquirer: Joint city-Parking Authority proposal to reopen Filbert Street bus station advances in Council
NBC Philadelphia: Construction begins on new PhilaPort Cruise Terminal near PHL airport
WHYY: PATCO makes minor changes to its weekday night schedule
CBS Philadelphia: Drivers speeding on Broad Street in Philadelphia will now be fined as warning period expires
6ABC: Bidirectional charging lets EVs power more than just the roadThe Inquirer: Waymo starts self-driving tests in Philadelphia for its robotaxi service
“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.
Join the Transit For All PA! campaign for sustainable transit funding to keep our state moving forward.
6ABC: SEPTA set to resume negotiations with its largest workers’ union – Transport Workers Union voted on Sunday to authorize a strike, but leaders note that a walkout is not expected. Around 5,000 bus, trolley, and subway workers have been working without a contract for two weeks, with negotiations beginning in October. Further discussions took place on Tuesday, with both sides calling the conversation productive.
NBC Philadelphia: SEPTA completes inspections of entire Silverliner IV fleet – As of this past weekend, SEPTA announced they completed the inspection of the Silverliner IV rail cars. All 223 cars have been examined, after a two week deadline extension was granted, and the agency is still working to meet a December 5 deadline to install heat sensors on trains. It will be another month before the entire fleet returns to service, with plans to return five rail cars per day to service.
The Inquirer: SEPTA trolley tunnel will stay closed until next week – The SEPTA trolley tunnel has been closed for the past two weeks, and will remain that way for a little while longer, according to SEPTA. While the tunnel is closed for repairs, trolleys are running out of West Philadelphia. The repairs are a result of two incidents in October, when over 400 passengers had to evacuate.
Other Stories
BillyPenn: Here are all the details for the 2025 Marathon Weekend in Philly
The Inquirer: SEPTA workers authorized a strike for the fourth year in a row. Here’s when they walked off the job in the past.
BillyPenn: Design advocates call for transformation of Filbert Street bus terminal
Fox29 Philadelphia: Lower Merion Township considers first parking meter rate hike in 26 years
NBC Philadelphia: City Councilmember proposes new E-Bike and E-Scooter safety law for Wilmington
“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.
Join the Transit For All PA campaign for sustainable transit funding to keep our state moving forward.
WHYY: SEPTA CEO calls Pennsylvania state budget ‘disappointing’ after transit funding left out – Pennsylvania lawmakers set a budget on Wednesday of this week, and mass transit was left out completely. State representatives seemed to sideline transit after SEPTA and Pittsburgh Regional Transit were forced to cover operating costs with reserve funds meant for capital projects and improvements. SEPTA is open to working with lawmakers for further funding, as without anything in the budget, they are left with a $213 million deficit.
NBC Philadelphia: SEPTA to lease trains from Maryland in effort to improve Regional Rail service – SEPTA’s delays continued this week, as railcars continue to be limited in capacity due to inspections, and signal issues exacerbated delays on Thursday. SEPTA announced they are leasing 10 rail cars from Maryland, for $2.6 million, to help alleviate delays. Funding for the lease comes from capital funds and has been approved by PennDOT. Future plans include the redesigning of the entire Silverliner IV fleet, but no funding sources have been named yet.
BillyPenn: Packed cars, cancellations, and delay headaches: Regional Rail riders should brace for a rough week – This week delays and cancellations continued for riders across SEPTA regional rail lines. On Monday, the Airport, Fox Chase, and Chestnut Hill West lines were announced to be canceled as advised by SEPTA. The Paoli/Thorndale, Lansdale/Doylestown, Trenton, and Warrington had cancellations as well. SEPTA is working to meet next week’s inspection deadline, an extension from the original deadline of October 31.
Other Stories
BillyPenn: Parker vows that, this time, Market East planning will succeed
The Inquirer: SEPTA Regional Rail service delayed, trains canceled due to ‘signal issues’
PhillyVoice: SEPTA nears deadline to finish Silverliner IV inspections
BillyPenn: Liberty Bell will reopen Thursday, flight disruptions may continue: Philly shutdown updates
