Clean Air Council » transportation

“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.

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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

Article tags: bus, schoolbuses, SEPTA, sustainability, the hub, transportation

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.”

Article tags: SEPTA, transit equity, transit funding, transportation

“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.

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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.

CBS News: City of Philadelphia begins 2025 Mechanical Street Cleaning program. See if your neighborhood made the list.

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

Article tags: the hub, transportation

[March 19, 2025 Philadelphia, PA] – Today, Clean Air Council and Feet First Philly, in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, announced the recipients of the fifth Public Space Enhancement Mini-Grant awards. These projects seek to improve walkability in 10 different neighborhoods in the Greater Philadelphia area.

More than 70 community-based organizations, businesses, and individuals submitted applications to this program, all with worthy project ideas to support walkability. A committee made up of past recipients, pedestrian advocates, professionals in public space improvements, and city officials, planners, and designers from multiple departments selected the 10 highest-scoring projects.

Our Public Space Enhancement Mini-grant program has grown over the past 5 years. During this round, the program received over 70 applications. “These projects help to bring communities together to create safer and healthier spaces,” said Titania Markland, Clean Air Council, Sustainable Transportation Program Manager. “Through the mini-grants, we can give Philadelphians the ability to build their communities in ways that benefit their neighbors.”

“It is a privilege to fund these community-identified projects to enhance our public space,” said Dr. Kinnari Chandriani, Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Director at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. “We are excited to see each of them come to life and make their sidewalks, gardens, lots, and parks healthier, safer, cleaner, greener, and more welcoming.”

The projects selected for funding are:

ACHIEVEability – This organization will implement a project called Impact Day 2025. It will mobilize volunteers to engage in revitalization efforts in West Philadelphia. These efforts include porch painting, litter removal, storefront improvements, tree planting, community gardening, and more.
Nicetown-Tioga Improvement Team RCO (NTIT) – This group will engage in phase three of the repair and revitalization process for their Healing and Unity Gardens. This project will include workshops on garden maintenance and stormwater management. It will also add raised planter beds to the gardens.
Norris Square Tabletop Project – This project will create a regular community gathering for tabletop games at Norris Square Park. This project aims to help residents gather and build community with each other.
LA21 – This project is called the Container Village Lighting Enhancement. It will add outdoor lighting to an outdoor retail, recreational, and community hub that was once a vacant and blighted lot in Parkside West Philadelphia.
Face to Face – This project is called the Price Street Improvement project. It will improve a portion of the sidewalk by replacing broken sidewalk blocks and removing weeds and other debris.
SEAMAAC – This project is called the Heat Reduction Project on S. 7^th St. Commercial Corridor. The group will install trees along the entry of the commercial corridor and planter boxes to continue the beautification efforts along the corridor.
Urban Creators – This project is called the UC Beautification and Safety Project. It aims to enhance the safety, accessibility, and overall experience of their urban farm. These improvements include signage, outdoor lighting, and additional irrigation equipment.
Empowered CDC – This group aims to maintain their Cecil Street Garden by adding new planters along the sidewalk and fixing broken sidewalks along the garden.
Mantua Civic Association – This is the third phase of their Pollinator and Tulip Planter Tribute Project. This project aims to add planters on Mantua Ave with the mantra “Bulbs Not Bullets” to add beauty to the area along with spreading an anti-violence message.
Little Memorial Temple Church – This is another sidewalk repair project that aims to replace broken sidewalks on West Norris Street to improve safety.

Quotes from funding recipients:

“With the assistance of the Clean Air Council and the Feet First Philly Program, SEAMAAC aims to tackle the issues of heat and violence on the S. 7^th St. Commercial Corridor. We plan to use the mini-grant funding to install 2 trees and 10 planters along the corridor” said Dominic Brennan, SEAMAAC’s Community Building Coordinator. “This, in addition to the 18 planters we have previously installed, will have both short- and long-term benefits for the neighborhood. This project will both beautify the corridor and help with stormwater management. It will also add much-needed shade to the corridor, which has been proven to reduce violence, and traffic injuries, and increase foot traffic to local businesses.”

“Face to Face is thrilled to be a recipient of a Feet First Philly grant through the Clean Air Council,” said Craig Heim, Face to Face. “As a community center providing daily meals and social services in Germantown for over forty years, we work to be a resource and respite for those in need. Support from Feet First Philly allows us to make much-needed sidewalk repairs at our Price Street building in East Germantown. This project will serve pedestrians and neighbors by providing safer walking surfaces and steps along with the installation of new public-facing planters, with brightly colored 3-season flower displays that send the message of beauty and hope. We are grateful to the Council for this partnership and invite members of the public to visit us at Face to Face.”

“I’m excited to bring tabletop games like chess and dominoes to the local park, creating a space for more connections and outdoor fun,” said Giovannie Vilomar, Norris Square Tabletop Project. “Thanks to the Norris Square Neighborhood Project, Kensington Library, and the local Senior Community Center for their support. Lastly, I’m grateful to the Citizens Planning Institute for empowering me to help shape the neighborhood and to the park’s friends for their dedication to its care and improvement.”

“The Healing Garden (est. 2007) and The Unity Garden (est. 2013) are the only public green spaces in our neighborhood,” said GVGK Tang, Nicetown-Tioga Improvement Team RCO (NTIT). “They help keep residents of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds safe. This grant supports the revitalization of these Gardens as the sites of walkability, wheelability, and respite they were always meant to be. Restoring these sacred places of rest and gathering allows us to reclaim and maintain communal space; care for the environment and promote sustainable practices; and foster spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. Our free, family-friendly programming allows neighbors to connect with one another and work towards a shared goal of neighborhood renewal.”

Article tags: Pedestrian Advocacy, public space, transportation, walkability

“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.

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