“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.
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WHYY: SEPTA gives families and groups easier fare payment options by expanding multitap – The multitap feature on SEPTA is getting expanded on regional mass transit this season. Key card holders can opt-in to this feature, and users will be able to tap in up to five times. Now contactless payments will also work in a similar way, making it easier for one person to pay for up to 5 SEPTA tickets at once. This should streamline payment processes for tourists, during high-traffic days coming this summer. SEPTA also expects it to help with fare-evasion measures as well. These changes will be implemented and tested before the FIFA World Cup and America’s semiquincentennial this summer.
Philly Voice: Starting in June, Pa. drivers caught using cellphones will be fined $50 – The warning period of this law has been in effect since last year, and now fines of $50 will begin, but with typical court fees, the total could be closer to $200. State police issued over 1,200 warnings from June 2025 through March 2026. Distracted driving was a contributing factor to nearly 10,000 crashes in Pennsylvania, just in 2024. These crashes resulted in 49 deaths and over 6,000 injuries. This law coming into effect makes Pennsylvania one of 30 states that has banned drivers from using handheld electronic devices.
NBC Philadelphia: Inside PATCO’s new $19.4M control center in Lindenwold – Camden County is now home to the newly opened operations control center for PATCO. The new facility replaced the original control tower, which had been in service for more than 50 years. The control center is not seen by most commuters, but according to PATCO officials, the new facility will increase efficiency, safety, and problem solving response time. Dispatchers are able to track trains and respond to issues as they arrive, and oversee operations across the service area.
Other Stories
NBC Philadelphia: PATCO tests new tap-to-pay technology by installing 1 new fare gate per station
PhillyVoice: Cyclists may be banned from Route 55 in South Jersey under proposed regulation
SEPTA: SEPTA Launches Multi-Rider Feature for Contactless Payments
PhillyVoice: PPA to ban non-residents from parking near Lemon Hill to go to FIFA Fan Festival during World Cup
The Philadelphia Tribune: Asthma health disparities, pollution impact Black Philadelphians, leaders warn
Pittsburgh City Paper: Could private partnerships save Pennsylvania transit? Some state lawmakers think so
Fox 29: SEPTA adds extra Regional Rail trains for 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink
Franklin County Free Press: PennDOT Offers Free Motorcycle Safety Training for Pennsylvania Riders
“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.
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
Philly Voice: 5 SEPTA trolley lines to halt Center City service for a month due to tunnel work – From 10 p.m. on Friday, July 11, to 6 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 11, Center City trolley service will be suspended on lines T1 through T5. The hiatus will give crews the chance to clean and perform maintenance and repairs, which reduces service outages throughout the year and improves general safety. During the break, trolleys will begin and end at 40th and Market Streets in West Philly.
NBC: Schedule changes, station closures coming for PATCO riders – Starting July 14, the PATCO line will temporarily reduce late night service, between 12 a.m. and 4:30 a. m. on Monday through Friday, in an effort to improve cleanliness and safety. Trains will run every two hours instead of every hour until September 1, when they will be fully suspended during late night hours. Stations will also close on a rotating basis for cleaning and maintenance; for a schedule of station closures, see here.
Other Stories
The Inquirer: SEPTA’s fare evasion crackdown is no joke. Ask the more than 3,200 people criminally charged this year.
KYW Radio: SEPTA ramps up efforts to curb fare evasion, ahead of service cuts
NBC 10: SEPTA to offer extra express services, late night trains on Independence Day
“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.
PhillyVoice: New SEPTA Regional Rail schedules take effect to improve service reliability – As of Sunday, the schedules of 13 regional rail lines have been adjusted to improve efficiency. These schedule changes, in addition to strategic staffing and maintenance crew deployments, aim to reduce delays and bolster service reliability. Image Source: PhillyVoice
The Inquirer: PATCO will stop running overnight trains to clean its stations – For six months this spring, PATCO will stop running overnight trains, from midnight to 4 a.m., on weekdays as its 13 stations are deep cleaned. The agency is coordinating with the city, social service organizations, and South Jersey municipalities to make stations cleaner and safer. Image Source: The Inquirer
NBC10: PATCO finally has reopening date for long-shuttered Franklin Square Station – On April 3rd, the renovated Franklin Square Station at 7th and Race will reopen for the first time in decades, expanding the PATCO line to 14 stations. Train service to the station will begin in the afternoon following a ceremony at noon. Image Source: The Inquirer
Other Stories
PhillyVoice: Market Street Bridge to close for 14 months starting August 2026 during $149 million rebuild
The Inquirer: Philly council members tabled a bill over concerns about bringing speed cameras to school zones
PhillyVoice: Reopening of MLK Drive Bridge pushed back to September after cold weather slowed repairs
NBC10: Lights go out in part of 30th Street Station, traffic lights outside also go down
StreetsBlog USA: What Will ‘Safe Streets and Road For All’ Mean Under Sec. Duffy?
