The Hub 5/27/2022: 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.
BillyPenn: Philly Streets Is Creating A New Unit To Speed Fixing Potholes And Make Sidewalks More Accessible – The Philadelphia Streets Department recently announced that they are adding a new 13-person unit to focus on upgrading curb cuts and installing ramps that are ADA compliant. The city says this new crew will be dedicated to helping the city to speed up the process of making more sidewalks accessible.
City of Philadelphia: The Fairhill Neighborhood Slow Zone Is Complete! – The Neighborhood Slow Zone Program was launched in 2018 to support the city’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Philadelphia completed its first slow zone in the Fairhill neighborhood. Improvements include a reduced speed limit to 20mph, speed cushions, and new instructional street signs.
The Inquirer: Traffic Deaths In Pa. And N.J Continued To Rise In 2021. Nationally, Fatalities Hit A 16-year High – In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, traffic fatalities rose by 9.3% and 21% respectively, in 2021. There was also a 10.5% nationwide increase in traffic deaths. This nationwide crisis calls for improved infrastructure to protect cyclists and pedestrians and reduced speed limits.
StreetsBlog USA: More States – And The Feds – Are Getting Into Zoning Reform For Sustainable Transport – The Biden administration announced new initiatives aimed at increasing housing and transit-oriented development. But, such development will require zoning reforms. Sustainable transportation and affordable housing advocates cautioned the Federal government to thoroughly review required zoning reforms to identify which will have the biggest impact.
StreetsBlog USA: Four Reasons That Pedestrian Death Hit A 40-year High – In 2021, 7,485 pedestrians died, the highest number in 40-years. According to StreetsBlog USA, the four most prominent reasons for this high number of pedestrian deaths are:
- Not enough sidewalks
- Too many ultra-dangerous roads in neighborhoods
- The US transportation system is structurally racist
- Too many SUVs and Pick-ups on the road
Image Source: City of Philadelphia
