The Hub 7/2/2021: 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.
TheCityFix: The transport sector needs big changes as it is currently the largest contributor to climate change, with “14% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 24% of carbon emissions”. Ways to shape a greener, more equitable recovery through transport includes stabilizing and reimagining public transportation and investing more in active transportation.
PlanPhilly: SEPTA is planning to launch a new key card (SEPTA 2.0), but seeking expert input to improve the current card. This is a part of SEPTA’s Five Year Strategic Plan but no budget has been set as of yet.
The Inquirer: The President has prioritized making high-speed rails and announced a bipartisan agreement on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure framework. They have allocated $66 billion to passenger and freight rails. Plans for high speed rails will create faster trains that can take a person from Philly to New York in only 37 minutes, provide jobs, and reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.
NextCity: Transportation Equity is a big topic lately. A recent study shows that for the past 50 years transit services have not been allocated properly. Regions that have good transit systems always get more while regions that don’t usually get less.
The Inquirer: On Thursday the US House passed a massive transportation bill, where Southeast Pennsylvania would get $115 million for critical projects. Cobbs Creek Parkway in Southwest Philadelphia will get safety improvements. Based on city figures, between 2014-2018, 5 people were killed and 14 seriously injured in traffic crashes on the Parkway.
Image Source: The Inquirer
