The Hub 9/8/2023: 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.
Feet First Philly launched the 4th round of their Public Space Enhancement Mini-grant Program. Applications open now through October 9th.
City of Philadelphia: Mayor Kenney and U.S Senator Bob Casey Announce $25 Million Grant for North Philly School Slow Zones – A $25 million investment from the U.S DOT RAISE Grant will install street safety improvements at six North Philadelphia school slow zones. These safety improvements aim to reduce speeds and improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and experience. Construction is expected to begin July 2026 and will be completed by June 2028. Safety enhancements such as raised crosswalks, curb extensions, and ADA ramps will be included at the slow zone sites.
PlanPhilly: Concept phase nearly complete for Philly’s plan to cap section of I-676 – City Officials unveiled three design concepts for the highway cap over sections of Vine Street Expressway. The designs are similar in scope and all include ‘ green space, room for public plazas and traffic calming measures’. But there are differences in the cost and construction timeline. The concept phase of this project aims to be completed by the end of this month and the public can comment on the designs by completing the online survey which is available in both English and Chinese. The goal is to start construction in 2028 and the City plans to apply for federal construction grants throughout the next several years.
WHYY: ‘Phoenixville is connected’: Borough set to embark on two major transportation projects – Officials at the Borough of Phoenixville aim to complete two major transportation projects. PennDOT awarded Phoenixville a grant of $849,775 to revitalize Mowere Road. This project will install a new crosswalk to allow for pedestrian access to the Schuylkill River Trail. The second project is the Bridge Street and Starr Street intersection which has heavy traffic congestion. This project was awarded a $727,278 Community Revitalization Program grant to help enhance the flow of traffic and boost pedestrian safety.
Other Stories
The Inquirer: SEPTA’s classic trolleys are about to hit the streets. Take a look inside
Earth.org: 8 Sustainable Transport Solutions to Improve urban Mobility in the US
The Inquirer: SEPTA may lose the $24 million it spent on electric battery buses
WHYY: New Jersey gets $425M in federal transit funds for train and bus projects
The Inquirer: Work is officially underway on ‘Park at Penn’s Landing’ over I95 in Philadelphia
