“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.
NBC10: Jumping a turnstile at a SEPTA station could cost you $300 – Amidst its budget crisis, SEPTA is ramping up efforts to prevent fare evasion by adding warning signs, installing special “fare evasion” gates that have full-length glass doors, and issuing more citations to evaders. SEPTA riders who jump turnstiles face a $300 fine.
PhillyVoice: Proposed Transit Access Fund would protect Zero Fare program for low-income SEPTA riders – On Thursday, city councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke introduced a proposed bill package that would direct 0.5% of the city’s general fund to a Transit Access Fund, to permanently fund the Zero Fare Initiative. The pilot program provides free SEPTA access to low-income Philadelphians.
WHYY: Without SEPTA, Philly businesses worry about lack of parking, traffic gridlock – SEPTA services are a critical part of the commute for as many as 9,000 University of Pennsylvania Health System employees, in addition to patients visiting the hospital. Concerns about the lack of accessibility of the hospital and overflowing parking lots are among issues raised by SEPTA’s proposed service cuts.
Other Stories
The Inquirer: A Morse code-like system governs when and how train engineers sound their horns
PlanPhilly: Philly’s commuter foot traffic outpaced most peer cities’ downtowns in 2024
Pittsburgh Union Progress: Emotional testimony, Democratic funding proposal highlight hearing on transit cuts
NBC10: Expect a slow ride along stretch of City Avenue as crews pave pedestrian bridge
The Inquirer: More roundabouts could be coming to the Philadelphia area soon
“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.
SEPTA in Crisis: SEPTA’s doomsday scenario is here: if you didn’t catch it last week, SEPTA announced a proposed $2.6 billion budget that would see vastly reduced service and fare hikes. SEPTA’s financial crisis has been impending for years; this proposed budget includes the potential elimination of 55 bus routes, five Regional Rail lines, and 66 stations. To avoid cuts, our state legislators must pass a budget that properly funds public transit and prevents our transit agencies from reducing services and increasing fares. SEPTA riders who depend on public transportation to access school, doctor’s appointments, and other vital daily needs in the city gathered to decry essential service cuts in a rally last Friday. State Senators Nikil Saval, Vincent Hughes, Joe Hoehenstein, and other local politicians, union members, and advocacy group leaders were present.
If you care about SEPTA and public transit in our state, take action by contacting your legislators here.
WHYY: Program places cameras on Philly buses to record motorists who illegally pass – 20 buses from the Philadelphia School District have been equipped with cameras in a new pilot program aimed at deterring drivers from illegally passing stopped school buses as students board and exit. The cameras, donated by vendors BusPatrol and Gatekeeper Systems, Inc., for no cost for the current school year, will provide data that will be monitored via AI and sent to the school district.
WHYY: Philly PHLASH adds 2 new bus stops, helping locals and visitors ‘explore every single attraction’ – The seasonal PHLASH bus service has added 2 new bus stops, increasing accessibility to spots like the Mütter Museum and Rittenhouse Square. The first stop is on Arch Street, between 5th and 6th streets; the second stop is on the Ben Franklin Parkway, between 21st and 22nd streets.
Other Stories
Mass Transit: PA: Philly’s 250 plans challenged as SEPTA funding crisis looms
City & State Pennsylvania: From Philly to Pittsburgh, mass transit leaders sound the alarm on funding shortfalls
WHYY: Main Line business leaders say proposed SEPTA cuts would be ‘absolutely devastating’
Mass Transit: Amtrak, NJ Transit highlight infrastructure, equipment improvements in new report
PhillyVoice: NJ Transit engineers reject deal, setting stage for possible strike in May
PHILADELPHIA, PA (Thursday, April 10, 2025) SEPTA is bleeding, and we need to stop the damage. In the last decade, the funding formula for public transportation has remained stagnant, even as costs for transit agencies have continued to rise. Now we are fully at a crisis point: SEPTA has announced fixed route service cuts up to 45% and fare increases of 21.5%. The impacts on disabled riders would be even more profound, with 40,000 paratransit trips per year no longer served by SEPTA ACCESS, and fares increased by 35%. This would effectively kill public transit in our region, and the ensuing damage to our riders, our economy, our healthcare system, our road congestion, and air quality is incalculable.
This is not just a Philadelphia issue. In all 67 counties of the Commonwealth, public transportation provides critical access for our elders, youth, disabled community members, and households without access to a personal vehicle. Transit systems statewide are hitting a funding “cliff,” which would devastate communities already suffering under similar cuts enacted over the past several years due to funding austerity. For instance, without new funding from the state, Pittsburgh Regional Transit will cut fixed route service by up to 40% with an additional 9% increase in fares. This is on top of 20% service cuts over just the last 5 years in Allegheny County. The lack of dedicated, expanded transit funding affects people riding to work in Allentown on LANTA, elders moving around their community safely in Erie, and disabled community members using paratransit in Harrisburg. The funding for all our transit agencies is tied to the same source, so the solution must be statewide, with input and support from communities all across the Commonwealth.
Transit riders and workers are ready with a response that meets the scale of the crisis. Over the last several years, our statewide coalition Transit for All PA! has been organizing for a new, dedicated state funding source to fund the transit services riders across the Commonwealth need. We are a coalition of thousands, hailing from Philadelphia to Pottstown, Bellefonte to Bellevue. And together, we have a shared demand: for state legislators to pass a new, dedicated funding package for public transit, sufficient to restore transit service across the state to 2019 levels– and to expand transit service in communities outside Pittsburgh and Philadelphia by an additional 10%. In the last three weeks, more than 10,000 Transit for All PA! supporters have contacted their state legislators and leadership in the House and Senate with this demand. This Transit for All PA funding package would go beyond austerity, and ensure transit funding stability and service restoration for all 67 counties statewide.
Better transit- not worse- is possible, is necessary, and is transformative. We’re ready to bring this challenge to our state elected leaders: will you meet this moment with us?
“It’s not enough to say that Philadelphians depend on SEPTA. SEPTA is part of the fabric of this city, and these cuts will have disastrous impacts on the quality of life in the Southeast, not to mention the larger state’s economy. It’s time for Harrisburg to stand up and say no budget without transit funding.” – Transit Forward Philadelphia
“Dependable public transit is the backbone of our region, connecting all neighborhoods to each other. With these proposed cuts and fare increases, our residents, environment, and economy would be devastated,” said Titania Markland, Clean Air Council’s Sustainable Transportation Program Manager. “We need a reliable funding source for public transit so we can get to where we need to go in a sustainable and equitable way.”
“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?
PennDOT released its annual transportation survey for all Pennsylvanians to complete. The survey asks participants about their transportation habits, what type and how they use transportation, and what improvements they want and how they want PennDOT to invest in the future.
Your feedback will be an important part of PennDOT’s 12-year Transportation Program update process along with other state and regional transportation plans. Sustainable modes of transportation are the best for the environment. Clean Air Council supports active sustainable modes of transportation. For more information on how to complete the survey, please visit https://bicyclecoalition.org/penndot-transportation-feedback-survey/.
Earlier this May SEPTA held public comment about their proposed FY2024 capital and operations budgets. These budgets are a big deal because they direct the future of public transportation in the Philadelphia area, which is an important form of sustainable transportation, as well as a vital resource for many in the region. These budgets propose lots of important investments including funding for improving the accessibility of the transit system, and instituting a second free transfer for riders when they pay with SEPTA Key. You can view the budgets here, and read a summary of what is included from our partners at Transit Forward Philly here.
Maya Frydman, a Transportation Outreach Coordinator at the Council, attended the hearings and gave public comment on behalf of the Council. You can read their comments below. SEPTA is still accepting public comment until May 31st, if you would like to share your thoughts on what to prioritize when it comes to transportation spending you can email operatingbudget@septa.org and capbudget@septa.org respectively. You can also leave a comment in the form of a voicemail by calling 215-580-7772 for the operations budget and 215-580-7771 for the capital budget. Making public transit accessible, reliable, affordable, and frequent is one of the best ways to combat fossil fuel emissions and support the health of the region, so share your thoughts with SEPTA and stay engaged with our transportation work going forward.
Operational Budget Testimony:
Capital Budget Testimony:
SEPTA recently released their draft bus network redesign, which overhauls the entire bus system with the aim of making bus lines more convenient, reliable, and easier to understand for riders. This redesign includes big changes to the network as well as individual bus lines.
From now through December, SEPTA is hosting a series of in-person and virtual community meetings to hear what bus riders think about these changes. If you are a SEPTA bus rider, make sure to take a look at the network redesign and show up to your local meeting to give your feedback to SEPTA.
Here are the upcoming in-person community meetings:
- 11/3 Thu, 4–6 pm: Chester City Hall Community Room, 1 E 4th St, Chester, PA 19013
- 11/5 Sat, 1–3:30 pm: East Passyunk Community Center, 1025 Mifflin St, Philadelphia, PA 19148
- 11/9 Wed, 3–5 pm: Lucien Blackwell Community Center, 761 N 47th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19139
- 11/10 Thu, 5–7:30 pm: Kingsessing Recreation Center, 4901 Kingsessing Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19143
- 11/12 Sat, 2:30–4:30 pm: Upper Darby Free Library Municipal Branch, 501 Bywood Ave, Upper Darby, PA 19082
- 11/15 Tue, 5:30 – 7:30 pm: Lower Merion Administration Building, 75 E Lancaster Ave, Ardmore, PA 19003
- 11/16 Wed, 6–8 pm: The Liacouras Center, Fox-Gittis Room, 1776 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19121
- 12/8 Thu, 5:30–7:30 pm: SEPTA, 1234 Market St, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107
In addition to these in person meetings, SEPTA is also hosting virtual conversations on Monday nights where community members can share their thoughts about the draft network. These, like the in-person meetings, will each focus on a specific neighborhood.
Here is the schedule for virtual community meetings:
- 11/7 Mon, 6:30-7:30 pm: Northwest Philly – Register
- 11/14 Mon, 6:30-7:30 pm: South Philly – Register
- 11/21 Mon, 6:30-7:30 pm: Bucks & Montgomery Counties – Register
- 11/28 Mon, 6:30-7:30 pm: West Philly – Register
- 12/5 Mon, 6:30-7:30 pm: North Philly – Register
- 12/12 Mon, 6:30-7:30 pm: Center City – Register
Attendees at both the in-person and virtual meetings will be entered into a prize raffle, but more importantly this is an opportunity for bus riders to let SEPTA know their thoughts before these changes are finalized.
The King of Prussia Mall is the largest suburban mall in the Philadelphia region with 400 stores, and a total of 31,500 people employed at the mall and nearby office parks. The mall is visited by about 68,000 people daily with 5,600 bus riders using six routes to and from the KOP area. Unfortunately, there is currently no rapid transit to get commuters and shoppers to the mall. That is why SEPTA and the King of Prussia business community are planning to extend the Norristown High Speed Line, which skirts the edge of the KOP currently, the rest of the way to King of Prussia.
Currently, it can take commuters from Philadelphia as much as two hours to get to work in King of Prussia on the bus, and drivers take an average of 70 minutes – both while navigating the unpredictable beast known as the Schuylkill Expressway. A light rail connection would ease the burden on our transit system and reduce traffic on the already congested expressways near the mall.According to the proposal, the new rail line would take around 40 minutes for the same trip, and offer an appealing option for people who have the choice between driving or public transit.
Clean Air Council was there to express its support for the project. Not only does the Council believe it will ease the commutes of transit riders and mall employees, this project will have a ripple effect on the region’s traffic problem. The more reliable transit lines the Delaware Valley has, the more likely commuters will choose to leave the car behind. This will ultimately reduce emissions, and let us all breathe a little easier.
The Council wrote a letter voicing its support, and sent Kamali Alloway, Sustainable Transportation and Special Events Outreach Coordinator, to read the letter aloud at the public hearing. You can read the letter here, and watch a video of Alloway reading the letter below. This project is still in the first stage, and its projected completion date is a few years away. Clean Air Council will keep you updated on developments as they occur.
The point where the Wissahickon Creek meets the Schuylkill River has been an important link to travel in the area for thousands of years. Today, it’s highly congested with transit and vehicle traffic entering and exiting the Roosevelt and Schuylkill Expressways.
It’s a hub for SEPTA with 11 bus routes stopping at the Wissahickon Transportation Center, and the Wissahickon Regional Rail Station just a few hundred feet away, Two of the region’s most popular trails, the Schuylkill and Wissahickon, converge here as well. “We have all these modes of transportation butting heads here,” said Matt Wysong, Senior Planner at the Philadelphia Planning Commission. “That was an obvious issue we identified in this plan.”
Thousands of commuters pass through the Wissahickon Transportation Center (WTC) and along Ridge Avenue every day heading into Center City, and also west to the suburbs. The city’s Planning Commission has identified this part of the city as a focus area for improving service and accessibility to riders, and recently conducted a boots on the ground survey to find out what people think about their commute through this area.
“We are here today to talk to the people that use the area,” Wysong said. “To get a better understanding of what they see as the conditions on the ground, the issues and the greater opportunities.”
Wysong and a small group of surveyors from Clean Air Council and the city’s Planning Commission were out during peak hours, speaking to people getting off buses and riding bikes along the Wissahickon trail. Wysong told us that many people riding SEPTA often took more than one bus to get to their destination, and some even had commutes that were two hours long.
Wysong says he noticed the area is particularly hard for cyclists to navigate. “What I am observing here is that there is a lot of conflicts for bicyclists,” Wysong said. “They’re just trying to use every inch of space to kind of get through it somehow.” He pointed out that with no clear path through the area, cyclists run the risk of colliding with cars and pedestrians.
SEPTA recently received federal funding to update WTC, and Wysong tells us that SEPTA is looking to expand to the lot next door. He says this would allow for double the capacity of the current WTC. He also tells us that once SEPTA completes this project, Parks and Recreation wants to connect the Schuylkill River trail along the water.
Currently, trail users are forced to travel through this congested area before getting back on the Schuylkill River Trail. Once finished, the trail will eventually connect to the Pencoyd bridge over the Schuylkill River and allow riders to enjoy trails on either side of the river. This is one of the last remaining undeveloped segments of the Schuylkill River Trail, and once it’s linked up here, riders will be able to enjoy a safe ride all the way up to Pottsville.
For more info on the project and public hearings regarding the study click here.
GoPhillyGo.org, the free online mapping site for the greater Philadelphia area from Clean Air Council, has now released a mobile version for use on all mobile devices. Designed to make getting around without a car both easy and fun, the power of GoPhillyGo’s mapping technology will now be available on the go. You’ll be able to take the ultimate trip-planning tool for biking, walking and public transit with you—anywhere you go, any time you need it.
Developed with state-of-the-art open-source mapping technology from Philadelphia-based geospatial technology firm Azavea, GoPhillyGo makes it easy to plan a route through multimodal methods — combining biking, walking, and public transportation within one trip — to go anywhere within the greater Philadelphia area, its surrounding counties, and even into New Jersey without the use of a car. It provides details on pedestrian and bike routes and, on the bike segment of your trip, you can prioritize routes that are faster, flatter, or safer.
“Using GoPhillyGo on your mobile phone is a very exciting advancement for the website,” says Joe Minott, Executive Director of the Clean Air Council. “Obviously that is how so many people are accessing transportation information today, and I’m excited that planning non-car trips just became easier for people in Southeastern Pennsylvania. GoPhillyGo users can now explore some of the region’s most interesting nature-oriented destinations and quickly plan how they’ll get there on bike, foot, public transportation, or any combination.”
The new version of the website comes equipped with mobile functionality, a new look and sleek features, including drag-and-drop locations. Different modes of transport in your route now show up in different colors.
“Incorporating Indego bike share is the other big advancement we are excited about,” explains Nick Rogers, Transportation Program Director for the Clean Air Council. “This really makes planning trips with bike share much easier, and encourages people to use Indego as a transportation mode and not just a recreation activity.” Point-to-point Indego directions, dock locations, and bike availability are now included in the map, helping you get around by bike, even if you don’t own one.
“As a Philadelphia company dedicated to a positive civic and social impact, Azavea is thrilled to partner with the Clean Air Council to promote walking, biking, and riding public transit to our local institutions, parks, and other natural resources,” says Robert Cheetham of Azavea. “Now that GoPhillyGo has gone mobile, anyone in Philadelphia can easily explore the variety of destinations accessible to them. As a company full of bike enthusiasts, we are especially excited about the inclusion of Indego bike share locations into GoPhillyGo biking directions.”
Now, with GoPhillyGo mobile, you can get out of your house and just go. Covering five counties—including Philadelphia—and parts of New Jersey, the new mobile site allows you to plan ahead and take your route with you, change your plans on the fly, or figure it out as you go for a truly spontaneous adventure. Confidently explore Philadelphia; no car needed.
GoPhillyGo.org. Your destination ahead. Your map to getting there.
Clean Air Council is a member-supported, nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to protecting everyone’s right to breathe clean air. The Council has over 8,000 members and works in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey on public education, community advocacy, and legal oversight and enforcement of environmental laws.
