The Hub 5/9/2025: 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.
PlanPhilly: Philly’s commuter foot traffic outpaced most peer cities’ downtowns in 2024 – Commuter foot traffic into Center City has rebounded to rates higher than downtowns in other cities, according to the annual State of Center City report released Thursday. About 73% of workers in Philadelphia — commuters and downtown residents — are back in person across Center City offices in 2024, up from 69% in 2023.
Metro Philadelphia: Fares up, service down: SEPTA riders sound the alarm – Montgomery County elected officials, university administrators and students, and transit advocates gathered at Bryn Mawr Station – slated for closure along with the entire Paoli-Thorndale Line – to call on Harrisburg lawmakers to provide additional funding to avert the proposed SEPTA “Doomsday Budget”. The news conference is part of a wave of pro-transit activism that has stretched from City Hall to the suburbs since SEPTA leaders last month unveiled a plan to implement a 45% service cut and 21.5% fare increase to address SEPTA’s $213 million budget deficit.
MyChesCo: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Push $292.5 Million Transit Funding Plan – On Monday, May 5, legislation to allocate $292.5 million for public transit infrastructure was approved by the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee. Authored by Majority Chair Rep. Ed Neilson, the proposal aligns with Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget, which prioritizes significant investment in the state’s transit system. The legislation addresses the looming fiscal challenges and underscores the importance of protecting transportation options for vulnerable groups, including seniors, people with disabilities, and those reliant on paratransit services, noting that public transit is used in all 67 counties of Pennsylvania. It now heads to the full House for a vote.
Other Stories
The Inquirer: Bike lane opponents challenge city plan for loading zones on Pine and Spruce Streets
BillyPenn: As city looks to ‘cap’ Vine Street Expressway, it seeks Chinatown community feedback
CityLab: The Life of the Most-Used Citi Bike in New York City
Pittsburgh Union Progress: As traffic grows, Pennsylvania Turnpike adds to capital spending for road, office upgrades
