“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.
Save the SEPTA Zero Fare Program! Follow Transit Forward Philadelphia for events and actions to fight for this program.
The Inquirer: SEPTA trolleys will use AI cameras to catch drivers breaking no-parking rules in Philly – Starting this week, cars parked illegally in the SEPTA trolley lanes will be issued tickets from automated enforcement cameras. 30 trolleys across six lines will be getting AI-camera systems installed to issue those tickets. Violations will result in a mailed warning until April 1st, afterwards there will be a $51 ticket. This program is in addition to the 152 SEPTA buses with AI-powered cameras issuing tickets for parking in bus lanes which began last year. Trolleys cannot go off track to avoid illegally parked cars, they result in delays to service, and hours of delays total.
BillyPenn: 30th Street a popular option for Philly’s future intercity bus station – Three potential sites are being evaluated by the City of Philadelphia to build a permanent bus terminal for Greyhound and other intercity carriers. The old Filbert St. site near Chinatown will soon house intercity bus pick up and drop off, with plans to reopen in May. The lease on that site will end in 10 years, with extensions only available for 5 additional years. The sites being evaluated would be a permanent home, and owned by the City. The most popular option at a public meeting last week was the 30th St Station. Wednesday’s open house was a crucial first step for this plan, with plans for more public meetings later this year. An online survey is also available and seeking feedback.
PhillyVoice: SEPTA gets $5.5 million in federal funding to enhance World Cup service – The Federal Transit Administration is awarding the 11 host cities of the World Cup funds to run service and make improvements ahead of the six games scheduled for Lincoln Financial Field. SEPTA is getting around $5.5 million to assist with expenses for the World Cup and other 2026 events. The estimated cost to increase service this summer is expected to be around $21.5 million. SEPTA typically adds 10 extra trips to the Broad Street Line schedule before and after Eagles games, and will probably do the same for World Cup matches. FIFA FanFest is a five week festival at Lemon Hill taking place this summer, and along with the nation’s 250th anniversary, SEPTA will be operating at a much larger capacity. These funds support the operational budget, which has been underfunded for years due to lack of state support.
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Pittsburgh Regional Transit: Bus Line Refresh
The Inquirer: Mayor Parker backs legislation to boost housing development around SEPTA stations
PhillyVoice: Waymo is tweaking its self-driving car tech to navigate in heavy snowfall
Philadelphia Today: PA’s Anniversary License Plates Confuse Toll Readers, Sending Out Wrong Bills
The Inquirer: SEPTA chief gets a three-year contract at $395,000 a year
SEPTA: SEPTA Ended Key Tix Sales; Riders Must Use Tickets within 180 Days of Purchase
“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.
Save the SEPTA Zero Fare Program! Check out Transit Forward Philadelphia’s Week of Action to join the fight for this program.
The Inquirer: Chinatown Stitch, which would cap the Vine Street Expressway, is in limbo after Trump yanked funds. Can it be saved? – $159 million in federal grant money has been rescinded in an unprecedented situation. Federal legislation has taken back $3.2 billion that had been awarded but not yet fully spent, leaving 55 projects across the nation confused about how to proceed. In Philadelphia, Chinatown Stitch would reconnect the north and south sides of the neighborhood by physically capping Vine Street Expressway belowground. Now, despite the public popularity of the project, efforts have paused due to concerns about spending money from other revenue sources, without a guarantee of repayment for these community funds.
6ABC: Public weighs in on future location of Philadelphia bus terminal – The Philadelphia City Planning Commission held an open house for public discussion this week, to hear feedback on where the new Greyhound bus terminal should be located. Three options were presented: 29th and Arch Streets near 30th Street Station, the 1500 block of Vine Street, and the 700 block of Arch Street. The Greyhound station on Filbert Street is scheduled to temporarily reopen in May. This would be for a permanent installation. The public can give further feedback in a survey found here.
Fox29: Route 202 detour started Thursday, Feb. 26 in King of Prussia for sinkhole repairs – Route 202 southbound traffic was diverted, starting Thursday of this week. PennDOT addressed sinkholes and to prevent future road problems for the highway in King of Prussia. The section of southbound Route 202 being worked on is also known as Dekalb Pike, between Prince Frederick Boulevard and Henderson Road. PennDOT hasn’t provided a specific end date for the detour, but expects the repairs to fully resolve sinkhole issues in the area.
Other Stories
PhillyVoice: Philly still needs to clear many roads of snow, but SEPTA and NJ Transit have restored most service
State Smart Transportation Initiative: States DOTs can lead in cutting emissions
WHYY: Work resumes on the Hudson River rail tunnel project, but NJ Transit delays continue
MassLive: Boston extends fare-free bus program after ridership jumps on key routes
SafeStreets: 2026 Safe Streets and Roads for All: Project Brainstorming Workshop
The Inquirer: Philly has lots of trails. For the first time, it is hiring a full-time crew to maintain them.
SEPTA: Additional Regional Rail Service for the 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show
“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.
Action Alert: On January 26, LANTA will cut 5% of its service. This will cancel some trips on 13 bus lines. Send a letter to the Governor before his budget address and remind him about the transit crisis.
Philadelphia Tribune: SEPTA crimes at lowest levels in decade, with drop in cellphone thefts, pickpocketing – Recent quarterly data released from SEPTA shows that serious crimes are at the lowest levels since 2015. Notable decreases include a reduction in cellphone thefts, and pickpocketing is down as well. Post-pandemic crime numbers dramatically increased, and it seems these numbers are coming back down. SEPTA’s intricate camera system is making its clearance rates for crimes high as well. SEPTA notes that despite its funding struggles this year, riders should feel safer on transportation across the system.
WHYY: Philly bus terminal moving forward on Filbert Street – Plans to refurbish and reopen a Center City bus station are underway, with the official opening planned for May of this year. The former Greyhound bus terminal on Filbert Street will be reimagined by the Philadelphia Parking Authority, with internal demolition already completed, according to the agency. The terminal will impact traffic patterns along Spring Garden Street and hopefully create a safer traffic corridor for the Market East neighborhood. This is a 10-year deal, with plans to find a permanent solution eventually.
6ABC: Philadelphia urges residents to prepare for bitter temperatures – Philadelphia is preparing for the large winter storm coming this way this weekend, and SEPTA expects to feel the impacts. The city has warming centers open, and the water department is encouraging residents to prepare. SEPTA riders can expect some delays due to the storm, and possible watermain and pipe breaks. Further updates on the storm and weather coming this weekend can be found here.
Other Stories
WHYY: How Philly’s Avenue of the Arts will be transformed into a green space
The Inquirer: How N.J. ended up having some of the most restrictive e-bike regulations in the country
Fox29: New public park in the works in Old City near Elfreth’s Alley
PhillyVoice: Five-year, $338 million project begins to widen four-mile stretch of Pa. Turnpike in Chester County
Business Insider: TransCore and South Jersey Transportation Authority Complete All-Electronic Tolling Conversion on the Atlantic City Expressway
