“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
“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: Zero Fare has been a success, but some vulnerable Philly residents aren’t feeling the benefits of the free transit program – The City of Philadelphia launched a pilot Zero Fare program in August of 2023, lasting two years and providing free public transit access to low-income residents. The program so far has seen 34,000 enrollments of low-income riders and subsidized over 6 million trips. Participants are eligible if their income is below 150% of the federal poverty line, but in 2023 the poverty rate in Philadelphia was 20.3%. At the pilot’s launch, 300,000 residents were eligible, but due to extremely limited funding, only 25,000 free-ride cards were given out. This left residents with an 8% chance of enrollment. The success of this program highlights the need for further funding, and currently Mayor Parker’s initial 2026 fiscal budget does not include funding to continue the program.
NBC Philadelphia: Nature walks are good for you, but can a city stroll be just as good? – Trees and green spaces in urban environments can bring the benefits of nature into more densely developed areas. A study by a university in Wales showed that people can gain mental health benefits, lowering stress and restoring attention by walking in greenspaces even within urban settings. Additional elements like painted walls, interesting architecture and well-developed urban infrastructure can also heighten the positive effects on residents’ well-being.
6ABC: SEPTA granted extension to finish inspecting Silverliner IV railcars after series of fires – Last week SEPTA was granted an extension to finish their inspections of the Silverliner railcars. Their original deadline of October 31 has been pushed to November 14. The agency has said they plan to complete the inspections before the new deadline. The Federal Railroad Administration has also extended another deadline allowing SEPTA until December 5 to install thermal protection circuits. Riders can continue to expect shortened trains and delays while inspections and improvements continue.
Other Stories
PhillyVoice: Here’s a recap of Tuesday’s election results in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
CBS Philadelphia: 2 TSA checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport to temporarily close amid government shutdown
The Inquirer: What the PPA has planned for a revived Greyhound bus station
AxiosPhiladelphia: The Philadelphia region’s traffic is worse than ever
The Inquirer: Hoboken has gone 8 years without a traffic death. Can Philly replicate its success?
CHESTER, PA (August 22, 2025) – Clean Air Council, City of Chester, and partners are proud to announce that Sun Village Park in Chester, PA, has officially reopened! The newly revitalized park includes a storybook walking trail, new benches and picnic tables, native plantings and mural arts installations. The project is the culmination of a three-year climate resilience communities project funded by the William Penn Foundation, and led by Clean Air Council, along with many Chester residents who contributed their feedback to the process.
Clean Air Council worked with Olin Design to map and better understand the potential climate impacts to residents living in communities along the Delaware River. Residents provided extensive feedback on where they notice stormwater runoff, flooding, and heat islands, as well as where they would like to see a green infrastructure project installed to help mitigate potential flooding and heat impacts from climate change. Residents chose Sun Village Park and selected all of the new features that have now been installed.
Additionally, as part of this community-led project, residents gathered at the Sun Village Park pavilion every week this summer for “Arts in the Park” workshops with Bonita Taylor from Bonnie’s Community and Development Corporation and Katarina Sindoni from Legacy Arts Chester. Children from the community gathered weekly to create sculptural mural arts from recycled materials, painting and building flowers and other three-dimensional pieces that have now been installed throughout the park. A vibrant mural was also installed on the pavilion pillars by Carrie Kingsbury of Promised Land murals. The murals reflect the colors and musical theme of the first book in the storybook walk.
“Sun Village Park is a shining example of what happens when community voices lead the way. This beautiful space reflects the creativity, resilience, and pride of Chester’s residents — especially our young people, whose artwork now lives in the heart of this neighborhood,” stated Mayor Stefan Roots. “I’m grateful for the collaboration with Clean Air Council, Legacy Arts Chester, and all our partners who helped make this vision a reality. Together, we’re building a greener, safer, and more vibrant Chester for generations to come.”
The incredible partnership that made this possible was honored Friday with a grand opening celebration. Dozens of community members and representatives from Clean Air Council, City of Chester, Legacy Arts Chester, and the Friends of Sun Village Park were in attendance. Local residents enjoyed a free water ice truck and the opportunity to explore the new storybook walking trail and see the new murals, including sculptural mural arts made by children in the community from recycled and upcycled materials.
“I am very excited about the revitalization of Sun Village Park,” said Bonita Taylor, long-time Sun Village resident and Friends of Sun Village Park leader. “This is a project we have been waiting for for many years; it is bringing happiness and a safe space to our community.’
For more information, visit the Friends of Sun Village Park’s Facebook page.
TRAINER, PA (July 28, 2025) – Clean Air Council and partners are proud to announce that Wilcox Park in Trainer, PA has officially reopened! The newly revitalized community park at Wilcox and 3rd Streets is the culmination of a three-year climate resilience communities project with the Clean Air Council, Marcus Hook Area Neighbors for Public Health, and many residents who contributed feedback to the process.
Wilcox Park is located just one block from the Monroe Refinery in Trainer Borough. As part of this project, Clean Air Council and Marcus Hook Area Neighbors worked with Olin Design to map and better understand the potential climate impacts to residents living in and around industrial facilities along the Delaware River. Residents provided extensive feedback on where they notice stormwater runoff, flooding, and heat islands, as well as where they would like to see a green infrastructure project installed to help mitigate potential flooding and heat impacts from climate change. Wilcox Park was chosen, and residents selected all of the features that have now been installed. The new park includes a storybook trail, native plantings, a new picnic table and bench, a Free Little Library, and a park mural installation.
“As a long time resident of Trainer it’s nice to finally see something nice and vibrant at the park!” said Holly Brooks, a founding member of the Friends of Wilcox Park. “So many families love to visit when there are things to do and see. For the kids it will help boost their confidence in reading and be able to be outdoors more instead of sitting inside the house. I am so excited to see it all unfold in the months and years to come.”
The incredible partnership that made this possible was honored Sunday with a grand opening celebration. Dozens of community members and representatives from Clean Air Council, Marcus Hook Area Neighbors for Public Health, and the Friends of Wilcox Park were in attendance. Local residents enjoyed a free water ice truck as well as an “Arts in the Park” workshop, where children created sculptural mural arts from recycled and upcycled materials.
“This new addition to a small underused park will undoubtedly add value to both homeowners and especially all of the children that will be using the park,” said Rafael Hernandez, founding member of the Friends of Wilcox Park and a member of the Trainer Borough Environmental Advisory Council. “It was a privilege to work with the Clean Air Council, Trainer borough, the maintenance crew and the residents. This is what a community looks like!”
For more information visit the Friends of Wilcox Park’s Facebook page.
