Transportation
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Pa. House Halts PennDOT Toll Idea Proposed to Fund Nine Area Bridges in Need of Repairs
A PennDOT plan to add tolls on nine bridges to finance their repairs was halted last Tuesday by the state House, which passed a bill to void the proposal, writes Mark Scolforo for WHYY. The legislation, however, currently requires one more vote in the state Senate. And it faces opposition from Gov. Tom Wolf. Tolling…
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Biden’s Infrastructure Bill Will Inject Billions Into Pennsylvania
President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which recently passed the House with the support of most Democrats and 13 Republicans, will inject billions of dollars into Pennsylvania, write Taylor Allen and Mike D’Onofrio for AXIOS. The Keystone State is slated to receive $11.3 billion for highway projects along with $1.6 billion for bridge replacement…
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No Strike for Suburban SEPTA Drivers; Tentative Contract Deal Reached
A strike has been averted for SEPTA’s suburban operators with a tentative SEPTA contract agreement reached, writes Thomas Fitzgerald for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The new SEPTA contract for 365 members of SMART Local 1594 expires 12:01 a.m. Friday. The union had considered a strike over mandatory overtime rules. The union members operate SEPTA’s buses, trolleys,…
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Amtrak Continues to Mull Rail Service Expansion; Local Commuters On Board With the Idea
Amtrak continues to sift survey data in consideration looking additional rail service connections to/from Pennsylvania. Proposed passenger lines include Allentown/New York City and Philadelphia/Reading, writes Cody Butler for PA Homepage. The plans are the result of the railroad’s summer study with Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority. Now local residents are welcoming the news of the…
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$1.6 Billion in Funding Connects 3,000 Pa. Bridges with Upkeep and Safety Resources
Pa. will receive $1.6 billion in funding to repair 3,000 bridges across the state, writes Priyanka Singh for Contractor News. The once-in-a-generation boost is being facilitated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The major initiative was first unveiled earlier in the year by Gov. Tom Wolf and U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This is…
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Fares Turned Unfair: Software Bug Overcharges SEPTA Regional Rail Riders
A number of SEPTA Regional Rail riders have been double-charged on their Key cards for trips to Center City due to a bug in the transportation agency’s software, writes Lizzy McLellan Ravitch for Billy Penn. The riders noticed the duplicate charges only after logging into their online accounts and reviewing trip histories. Those who submitted…
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SEPTA Adopts Operational Cost-Cutting Ideas Suggested Employees, Could Save $117M Annually
SEPTA is following through on operational cost-cutting ideas generated by its employees. The measures could end up saving the transit agency $117 million a year, writes Thomas Fitzgerald for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The year-long brainstorming effort was conducted by SEPTA and McKinsey & Co. consultancy. These cost cuts are of crucial importance to SEPTA at…
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Pandion, E-Commerce Shipping Startup, to Open Local Sorting Center, Bringing 80 Jobs to Quakertown
Scott Ruffin, formerly with Amazon Air, is bringing to Bucks County the business savvy he learned as head of Walmart’s e-commerce transportation arm. Rufin’s new enterprise, Pandion, will open in Quakertown and bring jobs, report Rick Morgan and Ryan Sharrow for the Philadelphia Business Journal. The venture now has $30 million in startup funding, usable…
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Devault Group, Inc., Holland Trucking Company, Files Suit Over Status as a Disadvantaged Business Entity
The Devault Group, Inc., of Holland, is suing the City of Philadelphia and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) over its designation as a protected business. Nicholas Malfitano reported the action’s particulars for the Pennsylvania Record. The trucking firm alleges that the city and the DOT threatened its status as a “disadvantaged business enterprise” (DBE),…
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How the Main Line Suburbs Made a Permanent Mark on Philadelphia Commuters
While some might find it confusing that a structure in the heart of Philadelphia carries the name Suburban Station, there is a good reason for it that can be found nearby, writes Katherine Nails for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Broad Street Suburban Station opened at 16th Street and Pennsylvania Boulevard on September 28, 1930. It was…
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SEPTA Wayfinding: Philadelphia’s $40 Million Public Transit Reorg Includes Simplifying Its Maze of a Map
SEPTA wayfinding — the Philadelphia transit authority’s concept guiding its regional rail, subway, streetcar, and bus system reorg — will also address its present map, reports Laura Bliss for Bloomberg. The goal of the $40 million, multiyear initiative is to ease users’ passage among destinations, even when trips involve various modes of transportation. The revised…
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SEPTA Navigates a New Normal, Considers Regional Rail Fares and Transfer Changes to Boost Ridership
To adapt to a ridership drastically changed by the pandemic, SEPTA wants to be more commuter-friendly. Toward that end, it plans to lower its Regional Rail fares and make travel across different modes of transportation — buses, subways, rail, trolleys — more convenient. Thomas Fitzgerald navigated the details for The Philadelphia Inquirer. This move is…
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Amtrak Wants to Expand PA Service by Adding New Routes, Increasing Frequency of Existing Ones
Amtrak is planning to expand its service in Pennsylvania in the near future by adding new routes and increasing the frequency of the existing ones, writes David Tristan for abc27 News. Rail officials shared their proposal during a virtual meeting with Governor Tom Wolf and several state and local leaders. The passenger railroad service plans…
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From Playwright to Bus Driver, This Darby Man Did a Pandemic Pivot
Muhammad Bilal “Bi” Islam of Darby used to see stories everywhere, a possible occupational hazard as a playwright. Now the pandemic has ended that career, and he’s driving a SEPTA bus, writes Jane M. Von Bergen for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “If I put my mind to it, I could find the stories,” he said. “But my…
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The Switch to All-Electronic Tolling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Took a Toll on the Agency’s Finances
The Pennsylvania Turnpike has lost more than $104 million in uncollected tolls in the past year. The deficit can be traced directly to the agency’s conversion to all-electronic tolling. Mark Scolforo tallied the impact for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Toll payments transitioned from cash to E-ZPass in the late 1980s. From there, the technology advanced to…
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Holy Cow! Escapee Bull Runs with the Traffic on Route 113 in Hilltown Township
Although bulls run the streets in Pamplona, Spain, each July, nobody expects one in the middle of a Bucks County highway in September. But an escapee bull is exactly what trotted along with afternoon commuters on Wednesday. Michael Tanenbaum corralled the details for PhillyVoice. A malfunctioning door and perhaps the bull’s sense of doom contributed…
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SEPTA Proposes Renaming Its Most Popular Transit Lines to ‘Metro’
Paris’ infamous transit system is known as the Metro. Philadelphia’s may follow suit. A SEPTA rebrand is part of an effort to make it easier for riders to identify its network of trains and trolleys. David Chang navigated the details for the Philadelphia Business Journal. The transportation authority wants to implement new signage and rename…
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Amtrak’s Proposed Reading-to-New York Line Would Run Through Nearby Montgomery County
As part of its Amtrak Connects US initiative, Amtrak has announced additional details about a planned line that would run from Reading to New York. The route would take it through nearby Montgomery and Chester counties, according to a report from WFMZ-TV 69 News. The proposed line, which now has a dedicated webpage, would see…
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