The Hub 5/10/2024: Clean Air Council’s Weekly Round-up of Transportation News
“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: How SEPTA and Amtrak improvements could help turn 30th Street into a neighborhood – Amtrak aims to modernize the historic 30th Street station which was recently renamed in honor of the late U.S Representative William H. Gray III. This improvement will expand the station’s amenities and include restaurants, produce markets, bookstores, and bars. SEPTA recently renovated its 30th Street station, making it brighter, cleaner, and easier to navigate. These improvements could help to make 30th Street a vibrant destination and can drive economic growth for the city.
90.5 WESA: Pittsburgh Regional Transit climate plan aims to increase ridership, reduce emissions – According to Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) Climate Plan, by 2045 the buses in the city will produce net zero carbon emissions as they change from diesel to electric. Increasing ridership is very important and PRT aims to grow ridership by 5% by 2028. Similar to SEPTA, as the Federal Pandemic Relief money dries up this year, PRT faces a fiscal cliff if ridership doesn’t rebound to pre-pandemic levels or new sources of funding are identified. This climate plan will allow PRT to be competitive for transit funding.
The Inquirer: Philly police to crack down on traffic violations in the northeast and northwest – The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) will ramp up traffic enforcement in the 2nd District, 5th District, and 14th District to help combat traffic violations and reckless driving. These districts were selected in response to the increase in aggressive driving behaviors in these areas. In other sections of the city, such as North Broad Street, where the police have ramped up staffing there has been a change in driving behavior. This aims to make roads safer, but automated enforcement mechanisms like speed and red light cameras have proven more effective.
Other Stories
Politico: Suburban backlash threatens country’s biggest transit systems
WHYY: A new $16 billion rail tunnel will connect New Jersey and New York City
Plan Philly: Federal money will help prepare 2 Philly bridges for climate-driven floods
People For Bikes: Meet the Better Bike Share Partnership’s New Living Lab Grantees
Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia: Why aren’t there more parking-protected bike lanes in Philadelphia?
