“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.
As exciting events continue in Philadelphia, learn how you can get around to major summer 2026 events without a car, or being stuck in traffic with GoPhillyGo: Car-Free Routes Map!
Register now to join Transit for All PA! for a statewide call on Wednesday, August 19th from 6-7 PM. Join to discuss how transit riders and transit advocates can win funding for transit in 2027. Register here!
Transit 4 All PA is hiring fellows, with two paid positions in Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties: to support transit advocates in building local demand for transit. If you live in Luzerne or Lackawanna County, and you ride transit, apply TODAY. Application closes on September 2, 2026. Learn more here.
Metro Philadelphia: SEPTA’s 11th Street Station closing for major accessibility upgrades – Beginning early September, the Market-Frankford Line will be skipping 11th Street for around a year. The station will be closed though the end of August of 2027, according to SEPTA. Plans include building two elevators, improving lighting, and structural repairs, making the station fully ADA compliant as part of a $44 million project. Other than 11th Street, the 34th Street and Spring Garden stations are the only remaining inaccessible, with future plans to construct elevators at both.
WHYY: SEPTA celebrates new Navy Yard bus service in the rapidly changing Philadelphia neighborhood – The Route 45 bus travels from Center City to the Navy Yard, simplifying a route that many commuters and riders previously relied on a shuttle bus transfer for. This change is part of the New Bus Network, which began in phase 1 this month. The planned goal is to consolidate routes and adjust service for riders.
Northeast Times: Self-driving SEPTA buses unlikely soon, but a state bill aims to prepare – State Representative Ben Waxman, representing House District 182, which includes parts of Center City and South Philadelphia, has introduced a bill that bares completely autonomous transit vehicles. The bill would require transit vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds and using an automated driving system to have a licensed driver on board. SEPTA has announced no plans to introduce autonomous buses, but Representative Waxman said he discussed the proposal with SEPTA officials.
Other Stories
The Inquirer: Self-policing loading zones have worked in Center City, the PPA says, so they’re adding more
Northeast Times: Bridge Street ramp to I-95 closing permanently this month
PhillyVoice: Walnut Street will go car-free for seven Sundays this fall
Philadelphia Today: PennDOT Launching $2 Million Repair Project on Historic University Avenue Bridge
CBS Pittsburgh: Tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike will increase in 2027. Here’s how much more drivers will pay.
“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.
As exciting events continue in Philadelphia, learn how you can get around to major summer 2026 events without a car, or being stuck in traffic with GoPhillyGo: Car-Free Routes Map!
WHYY: After SEPTA’s summer success, riders fear momentum could stall – This year’s state budget once again failed to provide dedicated transit funding, and advocates worry support and momentum could decline. Over 155,000 riders were moved by SEPTA to and from FIFA World Cup matches, and the agency rose to the occasion. Previous emergency funding diverted by SEPTA will expire in July 2027, which will result in a fiscal cliff without state intervention.
Billy Penn: Philly’s smart loading zones are a boon or a plague, depending on who you ask – Automatic camera systems on 23 blocks of Chestnut, Walnut, and Sansom streets in Center City have issues an average of 8,000 tickets per month, for unregistered drivers parking in smart loading zones. The zones are meant for commercials vehicles, and by registering and enforcing these vehicles, surrounding areas have seen a decrease in illegal parking and idling. Bike and fire lanes are more open, and pedestrians have clearer walkways. This represents an ongoing shift for the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) towards automated enforcement, with officers going through the images, verifying license plate scans, and if necessary, issuing tickets.
PhillyVoice: SEPTA to close 2 trolley lines this weekend to replace rails – Two trolley lines in Delaware County will temporarily close this weekend, and service will be replaced with shuttle buses through Sunday. Starting on Friday, sections of Landsdowne Avenue will be closed through Monday evening to vehicles. The D1 and D2 trolleys will be paused through Sunday, and bus Route 115 will also be detoured around the construction.
Other Stories
Mainline Times: Ardmore Rock N’ Ride celebrates 10 years, will also host state criterium finals
Metro Philadelphia: Pine Road bridge in Fox Chase to close through summer 2027
CBS Pittsburgh: New legislation in Pittsburgh removes loophole to prevent vehicles from parking on sidewalks
Mass Transit Mag: NJ Transit offers discounts, but not to these riders. That needs to change, groups say
Philadelphia Today: Century-Old Philadelphia Bridge Left to Decay as Preservationists Demand Action
PhillyVoice: Camden County bridge closes for 3 months to undergo repairs
Inside Climate News: In Philadelphia’s Chinatown, a Fight to Restore Funding for a Critical Highway Cap
“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.
As exciting events continue in Philadelphia, learn how you can get around to major summer 2026 events without a car, or being stuck in traffic with GoPhillyGo: Car-Free Routes Map!
BillyPenn: Philadelphians are riding SEPTA 24 hours straight hoping to improve it – Transit Forward Philadelphia organized a 24 ride on SEPTA this week, to bring awareness and support to the Zero Fare Program, the Transit Access Fund, and other inclusive transportation programs. SEPTA access and student key cards are a lifeline for communities, as stated by Kensington organizer and advocate Gloria Cartagena Hart. SEPTA is a critical need for all Philadelphians, and people with disabilities are sometimes relying on the same service, at a higher price. The Transit Access Fund hopes to address those inequities, and keep SEPTA moving for all.
PhillyVoice: Philly PHLASH says it likely just had its busiest stretch in its 32-year history – Philadelphia’s PHLASH, the bus service that brings riders to popular tourist destinations around the city, drove over 60,000 riders during the 39-day stretch of the World Cup. PHLASH will continue operating daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. to its 19 stops through Labor Day. It will run Fridays through Sundays every week after Labor Day through the end of November.
Mass Transit Mag: SEPTA, CTA report drops in system crime as agencies fortify security efforts – SEPTA has recorded a double digit decrease in crime, including a 21% reduction in serious crimes in the second quarter of 2026. Summer events such as the World Cup saw over 155,000 fans riding the BSL and SEPTA responded with increased transit police officers. Serious crimes remain at their lowest levels since 2015, and fare evasion has also been reduced by 10% with measures taken so far.
Other Stories
NBC Philadelphia: Philadelphia leads major US cities in deadly crashes, latest data shows
PhillyVoice: Nearly completed Washington Avenue Connector is part of a broader vision for Delaware River waterfront
CBS Pittsburgh: PennDOT reaches major milestone for I-79 interchange reconstruction project
The Inquirer: Abingtonians can now request anti-speeding devices on certain streets. Will yours be one of them?
CBS Philadelphia: Speed cameras now in place along busy road in Newark, Delaware
“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.
Are you in the Lehigh Valley area or the Lancaster area? Please take a transit survey from Transit For All PA, to help us better understand transit needs for users in the area. Lehigh Valley survey link and Lancaster area survey link.
Keep Paratransit and Shared-Ride moving by signing onto this organizational letter!
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Advocates push for transit funding for rural, disabled communities as Pa. budget talks build – Transit for All PA! gathered transit advocates, riders, workers, and supporters from across Pennsylvania for a day of action in Harrisburg this week. Speakers called for a new funding model, one that’s more sustainable, secure, and supportive for transit options that cover rural and disabled communities. Shared-ride and paratransit services must be provided due to the Americans with Disabilities Act, but without dedicated funding, these services are slated to disappear in Pennsylvania. Sign on to support Transit For All PA!’s movement here
WHYY: SEPTA board approves budget and bus route changes – The New Bus Network won final approval late last week, with the agency launching new routes and more frequent service throughout Philadelphia. There will be a phased rollout of the new plan in August, with a massive education campaign underway during the summer as well. The agency plans to have staff at 3,000 locations to educate riders about upcoming changes and how it affects them.
WPXI Pittsburgh: Riders urge Pittsburgh Regional Transit to rethink bus line cuts – Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) is being urged by transit advocates to adjust their upcoming bus line cuts. PRT has announced plans to cut 14 routes and add 9 new ones. The plan has received more than 25,000 comments on the draft so far. Advocates say that certain areas are being cut off with this new plan, disproportionately affecting families, low-income residents, and people with disabilities.
Other Stories
Philly Voice: Philly Pride March: Here are the road closures and parking restrictions in place for Sunday
Metro Philadelphia: Philadelphia unveils major highway beautification project ahead of America’s 250th
Philly Voice: Plan to ‘fix’ gridlock at Sports Complex includes AI-powered traffic signals
Grid: Cyclist maps bike path from 30th Street to Atlantic City
CBS Philadelphia: SEPTA reopens long-shuttered South Broad Concourse in Center City Philadelphia
The Inquirer: Philly plans to install 800 electric vehicle chargers in the next 10 years
CBS Philadelphia: Attendees say Open Streets: Midtown Village in Philadelphia should become permanent after first night
