“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’s Budget Hearings: Register to attend the budget hearing on May 19th at 11:00 am in SEPTA’s Board Room or register here for the 5:00 pm time slot. You can also join the budget hearing scheduled for May 20th and the Capital Budget hearing on May 21st. Let’s show up for public transit!
The Inquirer: Amid financial crisis, SEPTA is pushing ahead with a money-saving efficiency effort – SEPTA’s Efficiency & Accountability program has reportedly generated $91.4 million since the program’s initiation in 2021. The program’s fresh focus includes initiatives to improve efficiency in safety, deter fare evasion, and gain income from development deals around SEPTA’s transit properties.
PhillyVoice: New Schuylkill River trail segment and bridge connecting Grays Ferry to Center City opens Saturday – The new Christian to Crescent addition of the Schuylkill River Trail, featuring 2,800 feet of pedestrian and cyclist pathways and a 650-foot bridge, will open on Saturday. The woven, cable-stayed design of the bridge is the first in the state, according to city officials.
Plan Philly: Philly hopes to slow down traffic on Lincoln Drive by adding speed slots – New speed slots are being installed on a residential stretch of Lincoln Drive, in West Mount Airy, with the intention of slowing down drivers and reducing crashes that endanger residents and pedestrians. The sets of speed spots are part of a pilot project with PennDOT that was catalyzed by a wave of neighborhood activism.
Other Stories
NBC 10: ‘Transit is vital’: SEPTA workers rally at Pa. capitol in fight for funding
Philly Voice: NJ Transit train engineers strike over wage dispute, halting rail service
The Inquirer: Pa. Supreme Court hears arguments over whether a special prosecutor for SEPTA crimes is unconstitutional
The Inquirer: NJ Transit rail engineer are on strike. Here is what you need to know.
NBC10: PPA delays start of fines for running red light at busy Center City intersection
“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.
PlanPhilly: Philly’s commuter foot traffic outpaced most peer cities’ downtowns in 2024 – Commuter foot traffic into Center City has rebounded to rates higher than downtowns in other cities, according to the annual State of Center City report released Thursday. About 73% of workers in Philadelphia — commuters and downtown residents — are back in person across Center City offices in 2024, up from 69% in 2023.
Metro Philadelphia: Fares up, service down: SEPTA riders sound the alarm – Montgomery County elected officials, university administrators and students, and transit advocates gathered at Bryn Mawr Station – slated for closure along with the entire Paoli-Thorndale Line – to call on Harrisburg lawmakers to provide additional funding to avert the proposed SEPTA “Doomsday Budget”. The news conference is part of a wave of pro-transit activism that has stretched from City Hall to the suburbs since SEPTA leaders last month unveiled a plan to implement a 45% service cut and 21.5% fare increase to address SEPTA’s $213 million budget deficit.
MyChesCo: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Push $292.5 Million Transit Funding Plan – On Monday, May 5, legislation to allocate $292.5 million for public transit infrastructure was approved by the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee. Authored by Majority Chair Rep. Ed Neilson, the proposal aligns with Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget, which prioritizes significant investment in the state’s transit system. The legislation addresses the looming fiscal challenges and underscores the importance of protecting transportation options for vulnerable groups, including seniors, people with disabilities, and those reliant on paratransit services, noting that public transit is used in all 67 counties of Pennsylvania. It now heads to the full House for a vote.
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The Inquirer: Bike lane opponents challenge city plan for loading zones on Pine and Spruce Streets
BillyPenn: As city looks to ‘cap’ Vine Street Expressway, it seeks Chinatown community feedback
CityLab: The Life of the Most-Used Citi Bike in New York City
Pittsburgh Union Progress: As traffic grows, Pennsylvania Turnpike adds to capital spending for road, office upgrades
“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.
CBS News: Schuylkill River Trail expansion in Philadelphia to open in mid-May – On Saturday, May 17th, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation and the city of Philadelphia will host an event to celebrate the opening of an extension to the Schuylkill River Trail. The extension connects Christian Street to the Grays Ferry Crescent and includes a footbridge over the Schuylkill River.
Tri-State Alert: Amid massive SEPTA budget cuts, Topper proposes privatizing buses in Philly’s public transit system – Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Jesse Topper plans to introduce legislation to privatize SEPTA’s bus operations. A co-sponsorship memo he filed suggests that a public-private partnership would offload busing operations expenses from SEPTA.
WHYY: Penrose Roundabout is South Philly’s newest traffic-calming effort – A recent installment in South Philly, the Penrose Roundabout simplified a large intersection at Moyamensing, Penrose, and Packer avenues into a roundabout. Roundabouts have been statistically shown to reduce crashes; this change aims to make the road safer for not only drivers but also cyclists and pedestrians.
Other Stories
Mass Transit: Amtrak advances critical improvements and repairs at two historic stations
The Inquirer: Details on SEPTA’s proposed bus cuts, how to voice your concern, and other takeaways from our transit AMA on Reddit
The Inquirer: How the restoration of Philly’s historic 30th St. Station became a corruption bonanza
Mass Transit: NJ: Trenton-Philadelphia train service faces elimination in SEPTA budget cuts
The Inquirer: No more excuses — Harrisburg Republicans must find a way to fully fund SEPTA
“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
“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.
WHYY: Pedestrian islands are coming to Chestnut Street in West Philly – Philadelphia’s Department of Streets is installing “islands” of pavement between bike lanes and car lanes, at over a dozen intersections along Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia. These mini-sidewalks aim to improve visibility for drivers and pedestrians, ultimately enhancing safety.
BillyPenn: Traffic safety advocates cheer progress, mourn losses – Bike and traffic safety advocates, city planning staffers, and traffic engineers came together for Philadelphia’s Vision Zero conference hosted at Temple University on March 28th. The conference was organized by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. It covered wins like speed cameras, new AI systems, and successful traffic safety projects in various neighborhoods.
The Morning Call: From roundabouts to narrower streets, here’s Allentown’s plan to achieve zero pedestrian deaths by 2030 – The city of Allentown, in partnership with consultants, has devised a road safety action plan to achieve zero road deaths by 2030. The overhaul involves infrastructure investments like roundabouts, high visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, and flashing signals at pedestrian crossings.
Other Stories
The Inquirer: A block in Fishtown didn’t qualify for a speed bump so neighbors tried installing their own
The Inquirer: Indego bike theft posed an ‘existential’ crisis. The solution: Repo men.
Philly Voice: SEPTA approves plan for 300-unit apartment building near Conshohocken Station
The Inquirer: Many Philly roads have faded or missing lane markings and crosswalks due to a ‘combination’ of factors
“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.
The Inquirer: Mayor Parker wants to defund a program that provides free transit passes for low-income people – Mayor Parker’s proposed budget does not include funding to continue the Zero Fare pilot program, an initiative from 2023 that provides free SEPTA access to about 25,000 Philadelphians living in poverty. Unless the budget is adjusted, the program is slated to run out of funds by June 30th.
The Inquirer: Philadelphia Love Run 2025: Race route, road closures, parking restrictions, SEPTA, and more – The annual half marathon and 7k race will both start at 7:30 am and conclude between 9 am and noon, causing temporary road closures. For a list of road closures and detours, see this webpage from the city.
Billy Penn: Cyclists have doubts about Market Street bridge design – The overhaul of the Market Street bridge, a project with initial work beginning this month, will include a two-way bike lane separated from car traffic by concrete blocks called “pills” with flex posts on top. Although this design aims to enhance cyclist safety, some cyclists worry that the disconnect of this new lane from existing bike lanes on either side of the bridge will result in chaos.
Other Stories
The Inquirer: Mayor Parker wants to cut free SEPTA fare benefit for city workers
NBC10: PPA takes aim at Center City congestion with camera-monitored loading zones
The Inquirer: 5 Philly-area bridges should be evaluated for collapse risk, says NTSB
PhillyVoice: Lombard Circle ramp to I-95 to close for 2 years due to highway capping project
CBS News: SEPTA bus riders frustrated with persistent “operator unavailability” delays, cancellations
“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?
“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: Mayor Parker proposes boost to Vision Zero funding after cuts to traffic safety program drew backlash last year – On Thursday, in her budget proposal, Mayor Parker revisited her commitment to Vision Zero and traffic safety, by proposing $5 million for fiscal year 2026 and $30 million in capital investments through 2031. The mayor also proposed funding for concrete barriers to bike lanes on Spruce and Pine Streets. There will be public hearings and comment sessions as the budget must be approved by City Council by July 1st.
PhillyVoice: Car-free streets return to Center City on Sundays in April – Rittenhouse Square will be transformed into a car-free zone on Sundays in April. Seven blocks along 18th Street from Locust to Chestnut Streets will be closed to vehicular traffic from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., allowing people to gather in the streets, shop, and enjoy live entertainment.
PhillyVoice: SEPTA adds designated areas to park strollers on six bus routes – SEPTA aims to make traveling easier for families, and has taken steps to add designated stroller areas on six bus routes. 120 buses that service routes 23,25,32,49,58, and 84 will get stroller spots. This change is a result of feedback from customers and operators. A video on the agency’s website demonstrates how to use the stroller space.
Other Stories
WHYY: School zone speed cameras bill stalls in Philadelphia council committee
BillyPenn: Planning director discusses Roundhouse, Greyhound station, housing push
PhillyVoice: Despite Trump rollbacks, experts say electric vehicles are ‘here to stay’ in America’s automotive future
PhillyVoice: New bike lanes approved on Temple University campus, in Spring Garden area and near Logan Square
PhillyVoice: Sewer project will close Market Street ramp to I-95 South for two weeks
NextCity: Transit Stations Aren’t Designed for Women and Caregivers. Here’s How To Change That.
PlanPhilly: Spring Garden bike lanes still on track to connect Delaware to Schuylkill River trails, for now
“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.
PlanPhilly: Spring Garden Ave. bike lanes still on track to connect Delaware to Schuylkill River trails, for now – The 2.1-mile Spring Garden Connector project is expected to be completed by 2029 and officials say it is on track. This is a $53 million project that aims to transform Spring Garden Ave. into a safer and greener connector street for vulnerable road users – pedestrians, transit riders, and bicyclists.
The Inquirer: SEPTA survived the Eagles parade. Now planners say bring on the World Cup, 250th anniversary of the U.S. – During the Eagles victor parade, SEPTA moved more than 400,000 people in and out of the city. There was no transit-related disaster so SEPTA officials are preparing for 2026 when Philadelphia will host the FIFA World Cup matches along with events for the nation’s 250th birthday celebration and Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game.
West Philly Local: 42nd Street Trolley Track Renewal project to begin March 17 – The trolley tracks along 42nd Street between Spruce Street and Woodland Avenue will be replaced. This section is used mainly during the trolley diversion for the summer trolley maintenance. The renewal project will begin on March 17th and is expected to be completed by the end of May.
Other Stories
The Inquirer: City Council may extend bike lanes to three Philly streets
WHYY: Pennsylvania residents will need REAL ID to board planes beginning May 7. Here’s what to know
Transportation For America: Long Distance Rail Study fails to address the needs of passengers
The Telegraph: Norway to ban petrol cars from ‘zero emission zones’
Mass Transit: New York City Transit launches two new open-gangway trains on its G Line
