Clean Air Council

“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!

Attention Lehigh Valley and Lancaster Transit Workers! Transit For All PA needs your help to improve public transit by taking these surveys. Link to the Lehigh Valley Survey and link to the Lancaster Survey.

WHYY: Pa. Gov. Shapiro signs ‘compromise’ state budget shortly after passage on Sunday – The 2026-2027 PA State Budget passed on Sunday, with Republicans and Democrats calling it a compromise. The budget comes two weeks after the state constitution-mandated deadline, late for the fifth year in a row. The $50.8 billion budget was signed by the Governor, with approval from 211 of the General Assembly’s 252 lawmakers. The budget leaves out several critical issues, such as transit, raising minimum wage, and affordable housing. Shapiro stated that there is still work to do, including addressing the lack of funding for mass transit that millions of Pennsylvanians rely on every day.

NBC Philadelphia: SEPTA is spending millions to stop fare evasion. Is it paying off? – Current fare evasion programs cost around $30 million a year, according to SEPTA. Some of the fare evasion measures include full-length gates at 10 stations, that cost around $400,000 each. The gates are intended to stop riders from jumping the turnstile. At the 10 stations with full-length gates, fare evasion has been cut in half, reducing it from one in two riders not paying to one in four. SEPTA expects the machines to pay for themselves over the next few years, and has plans to expand the fare-evasion programs at more stations over the next several years.

Philly Voice: Uber is offering free rides to older adults in West and Southwest Philly – ACHIEVEability, a Philadelphia social services organization, is running a program for older adults living in West and Southwest Philly. Codes are available for people aged 60+ for a one-time $50 voucher to access healthcare, buy groceries, or meet other critical needs. The program will run until the $10,000 budget is spent. For more information about the program, text ACHIEVEability at (215) 748-8817 or call (215) 879-6625. Clean Air Council also runs an Uber voucher program servicing the 110, 111, 114, & 117 SEPTA lines. Find more information or to register visit here.

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The Inquirer: Here’s what’s in — and not in — Pennsylvania’s $50.8 billion state budget

NBC Philadelphia: Falls Bridge to close to cars on weekday overnights for inspection: Officials

BillyPenn: Westbound I-76 in West Philly to close at night for bridge construction

Philly Voice: Amtrak trains to run at reduced speeds due to heat wave

Mass Transit Magazine: SEPTA launches bike parking lockers at Fox Chase station

Philadelphia Today: Inside the Bitter Political Fight That Nearly Made the Ben Franklin Bridge Free

City of Philadelphia: The Streets Department of Transportation Announces Construction of New Pedestrian Refuge Islands Along Chestnut Street

Article tags: emergency ride home, fare evasion, pa state budget, pennsylvania state budget, public transportation, SEPTA, the hub, transportation, uber

Follow Transit Forward Philadelphia for events and actions to fight for transit funding.

City & State Pennsylvania: Philadelphia’s Open Streets report reveals massive benefits carless events have for Center City businesses – Center City District closed streets to vehicular traffic, in favor of family-friendly foot traffic, and saw wild success last year. An overview of the Open Streets program was published last week by Center City District. Affected streets had a 27% increase in pedestrian activity, and participating businesses had a 38% increase in sales. The success of the 2024-2025 season has shifted the discussion from introducing the program to expanding it, and possibly making it a permanent fixture of Philadelphia.

The Inquirer via MSN: Uber says rides in Philly would cost you more under Mayor Parker’s budget plan – Philadelphia’s $7 billion city budget plan was released last week, and a 20-cent fee per ride was introduced for services such as Uber and Lyft. Another fee was proposed for online retailers. Both proposed fees need approval from the city council before implementation. The fees would bring in an estimated $9 million a year, which would be designated for school districts. Uber has stated that this fee will be passed directly to riders. Other fees proposed in the budget include another 2% in sales tax for online purchases, and all must be approved by either City Council or state lawmakers. The budget will have several public hearings with negotiations, and a final version is expected to be approved in June.

NBC Philadelphia: Frankford Avenue Bridge to shutter until 2027 for a $10M rehab project – The Frankford Avenue Bridge is now closed, and PennDOT will begin construction through next year. The $10 million rehab project will repair the 123-year-old bridge over the Frankford Creek. Frankford Avenue will be closed and detoured between Torresdale Avenue and Hunting Park Avenue at all times until Monday, March 22nd, 2027. PennDOT told drivers to expect extra time for their drive as traffic would occur. The bridge was found in poor condition, and over 12,000 vehicles pass over the creek daily, making repairs a priority. The inactive trolley lines currently on the structure are not planned to be brought back.

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