The Hub 7/29/2022: 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.
WHYY: SEPTA Monitoring Effects On Rail Systems As Heat Wave Continues – During extreme heat the overhead wires that powers SEPTA’s rail system can potentially tangle and disrupt service. When temperatures are above 90 degrees, SEPTA reduces train and trolley speeds between 5 and 10 miles per hour to avoid damage. The heat can also cause the metal tracks to expand, so SEPTA will continue to monitor the rail system during the heatwave.
WHYY: West Chester Borough Council Supports Effort To Restore SEPTA Passenger Rail Service – Since 1986 SEPTA’s commuter trains have not operated in Chester County. But the West Chester Borough Council is supporting the proposal to restore passenger rail to connect the borough to Philadelphia. The borough council has been working to solve this issue since 2014.
Community Impact: Vision Zero’s Traffic Safety Efforts Are Saving Austin Lives – Austin’s Transportation Department has seen a 31% reduction in traffic collisions at intersections since they began improving the intersections in 2016. This is one of the city’s vision zero efforts and data shows that serious injuries and fatalities have declined.
Streetsblog Mass: Public Bathroom Access An Undervalued But Necessary Element Of Walking, Transit Infrastructure – Public bathrooms are vital elements of public health and transportation infrastructure, especially for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. Access to public bathrooms varies across neighborhoods and cities.
CityLab: A New Tool In The Battle To Keep The Bike Lane Clear – Parking in bike lanes is breaking the law and pushing cyclists in the general traffic lane, which increases the risk of getting hit. The idea behind a New York State bill is to enable the city to deploy bike lane cameras to photograph vehicles blocking bike lanes and mailing tickets to the owner. This aims to keep bike lanes clear and protect cyclists.
Image Source: WHYY
