“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?
“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.
Losing our state’s public transit infrastructure is a scary future! Join the Transit For All PA campaign for sustainable transit funding to keep our state moving forward. Happy Halloween!
Election day is Tuesday, November 4th. Find your polling place here!
CBS Philadelphia: City Council passes bill that could put Philadelphia’s bike lane safety project back on track – Last week, Philadelphia City Council passed a bill that gave the Streets Department the authority to establish loading zones in parts of Center City, including Spruce and Pine streets. This was part of an earlier initiative to protect cyclists, as loading zones would keep stopped cars out of bike lanes. Neighborhood group Friends of Pine and Spruce won a lawsuit in June, stopping the city from enacting this plan and to reverse work that had been completed. This bill overrides that decision and the Mayor has 10 days to sign the bill, making it effective immediately.
WHYY: More time? SEPTA asks for extension of federal deadline to inspect aging Silverliner railcars – The deadline given to SEPTA for the inspection of the Silverliner rail cars is Friday, October 31st. Now SEPTA has requested an additional 2 weeks in order to inspect the over 220 cars included in the order. Over 100 have been inspected so far with around two-thirds failing and only 35 cars returning to service immediately. According to SEPTA, most that have failed inspection only need minor repairs and then can be returned to service. A decision on the two week extension is expected by the end of this week.
The Inquirer: Greyhound bus terminal likely to reopen on Filbert Street after two years of tumult – The Philadelphia Parking Authority reached an agreement with City officials this week, and the former intercity bus terminal on Filbert could be getting a major renovation. The PPA will begin renovations and run the Greyhound bus station on behalf of the City, according to the agreement. Legislation to assess feeds and other items was introduced this week to City Council and the PPA board must agree to the lease. Spring Guard traffic issues have been haunting Philadelphia for over two years. This solution would address the problem, but would require cooperation from other entities such as the Streets Department, to direct traffic pattern changes around the Filbert depot.
Other Stories
PhillyVoice: Your guide to Philadelphia’s $91 million streetlight replacement project
BillyPenn: “On a scale of 1 to 10, we’re a negative-2”: Airport workers struggle amid shutdown
6ABC: I-76 westbound ramp to City Avenue to close for repairs
“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: SEPTA riders say Regional Rail trains catching fire ‘is what decades of disinvestment looks like’ – Last week advocacy groups held a press conference at Love Park urging leaders to properly fund mass transit. They said avoiding doing so over the last several years has created the host of problems currently being faced by SEPTA, and the state of Pennsylvania. Advocates say that without a set budget, SEPTA is forced to use capital funds to keep service running, rather than spend that money on capital improvements, and we are seeing the first example of the arising problems with the Silverliner IV car fires.
Transit Talent (Originally posted to the Inquirer): SEPTA is postponing hybrid bus purchases, accessibility projects to keep the lights on – Several improvement projects by SEPTA have been placed on hold due to lack of funding from the state. New hybrid or electric bus purchases, accessibility improvements to the Bristol Regional Rail station, and expansion of the Frazer train facility in Malvern are some of the projects pushed back. Projects that already have broken ground will continue, including the Market-Frankford Line and trolley car replacements, as well as the modernization of trolley systems.
PhillyVoice: Nighttime work on I-95 will close lanes in Northeast Philly for most of November – Weeknights in November will see lane closures approaching the Cottman Avenue Interchanges. This will be in effect from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. from November 3rd until November 28th. Construction efforts are currently focused on the 8 miles between I-676 and Cottman Avenue. This is the final phase of the Cottman Avenue Interchange project. For more information on I-95 construction and closures, be sure to follow the Clean Air Council’s Facebook page.
Other Stories
6ABC: Sinkhole closes portion of Schuylkill River Trail in Center City Philadelphia
PhillyVoice: At 30th Street Station, deep cleaning is the ‘true artisan work’ of a $550 million renovation
6ABC: ‘South Jersey Girls Who Walk’ brings a social club to local women
WFMZ: SEPTA’s City Hall Station is getting a face lift ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebrations
Momentum Mag: Philly Bike Train is Upping the City of Brotherly Love’s Bicycle Commute Game
