Clean Air Ohio

“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.

Are you ready to vote on November 4th? Find Voting & Election information here.

Metro Philadelphia: New SEPTA Regional Rail schedules start Sunday – Current SEPTA Student – Sunday, October 18 will see the start of new Regional Rail schedules for SEPTA. Daily parking rates will also be reduced at all SEPTA parking garages, from $4 to $2 per day, through December 31, 2026. The new schedules can be viewed here.

Transit Forward Philadelphia: Week Without Driving 2026 – This year’s annual Week Without Driving challenged Pennsylvanians that normally drive to go car-free as much as possible from September 30 through October 6. More than one-third of people living in the United States are nondrivers. Advocacy groups with Transit Forward Philadelphia challenged Philly to go beyond one week. They advocated for affordable and reliable transit, expanded student fare cards, accessible transit stops, and building out the Transit Access Fund to expand SEPTA for all Philadelphians.

Philly Voice: City Council makes bike lane around City Hall permanent a year after it was installed by PennDOT – The existing bike lane surrounding City Hall was codified into a bill by City Council approval this week. The bike lane was installed by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation last year but was considered a pilot program. The bill, introduced by Councilmember Jeffrey Young Jr., keeps the lane in place. Cycling advocates submitted a 1,200-signature petition and sent over 400 emails in favor of the lane. The bill awaits the mayor’s signature, but was passed unanimously by City Council, meaning it can become law with or without the signature.

BillyPenn: Less honk, more handlebar: Philly Bike Ride rolls back into town

Philadelphia Today: Why Philadelphia Ranked as America’s Worst City to Drive in 2026

PennDOT: Seven Day, 24-Hour Work Begins October 19 on the Dolby Street Safety Improvement Project

CBS Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Regional Transit announces plans to permanently close the Wabash Tunnel

6ABC: AC Expressway widening project aims to improve safety and reduce congestion

Communities along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers face growing threats from flooding, extreme heat, and industrial pollution. A new report and website from Clean Air Council explores how these risks affect five communities in Philadelphia and Delaware County and outlines ways to help residents prepare for a changing climate.

Launched in 2022, Clean Air Council’s three-year Climate Resilient Communities Project brought together residents of Marcus Hook, Trainer, Chester, Eastwick, and Grays Ferry to better understand local climate risks and develop community-driven solutions.

Working with Olin Labs, the Council combined climate modeling, environmental research, and community input to look at how existing industrial pollution and increasingly severe weather could affect public health, infrastructure, and neighborhood safety.

One of the project’s key findings is that climate change can make existing industrial hazards more dangerous. Flooding and severe storms can damage industrial facilities, potentially releasing harmful pollution into nearby neighborhoods and waterways.

The study identified more than 556 industrial facilities and brownfield sites across the project area, including refineries, chemical facilities, hazardous waste sites, and other industrial operations.

The project also highlights how those risks vary by neighborhood. Eastwick faces extensive flooding, while Chester and Marcus Hook have industrial facilities located in areas prone to flooding. In Grays Ferry, limited tree canopy and extensive paved surfaces contribute to extreme heat, while redevelopment of the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery presents ongoing environmental concerns.

Throughout the project, residents participated in workshops and meetings, reviewed climate data, and helped identify neighborhood priorities. Their contributions resulted in a climate resilience report and website with recommendations tailored to each community.

The recommendations address immediate neighborhood needs as well as larger regional and policy changes, including improving emergency preparedness, expanding access to green spaces, strengthening community connections, and reducing risks associated with industrial development.

Clean Air Council also worked with community partners to implement local green infrastructure projects, including improvements to Sun Village Park in Chester; Wilcox Park in Trainer; and the Growing Together Community Garden in Grays Ferry. These efforts also included installing climate information stations in Eastwick and Grays Ferry. 

Clean Air Council has developed a comprehensive website featuring the project’s research, community profiles, climate risk maps, and recommendations for all five focus communities.

The resource includes information about industrial hazards, current and projected flooding, extreme heat, and strategies communities and decision-makers can pursue to build long-term resilience.

Explore the Climate Resilient Communities Project, including the full report, maps, and recommendations.

The Cobbs Creek Community Greening Plan Steering Committee is seeking proposals from qualified consultants and planning firms to help develop a community-led greening plan for Cobbs Creek Park, its trail system, and surrounding neighborhoods in West and Southwest Philadelphia.

The plan will focus on:

• Restoring and protecting the park and watershed
• Improving park access and maintenance
• Expanding environmental education and programming
• Strengthening community stewardship

The selected consultant will work with residents, community organizations, and City agencies to develop a plan that identifies priority projects, funding opportunities, and strategies for long-term implementation.

The project is supported by funding from the William Penn Foundation, with Clean Air Council and the Water Center at Penn serving as administrative partners.

Deadline for Written Questions: October 16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Proposal Submission Deadline: October 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Review the full Request for Proposal for qualifications, scope of work, and submission requirements.

“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.

Week Without Driving ended this week but keep fighting for freedom of transportation for all! Sign up with Transit For All PA! for more information.

Metro Philadelphia: SEPTA universal student fare cards could carry hefty cost for Philadelphia – Current SEPTA Student Fare cards are only available for students in grades 7 through 12 who live at least a mile and a half away from their school. The cards can only be used between 5:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. during the school year, meaning cards are not valid on weekends, holidays, or over the summer. Expanding the cards to give students unrestricted transit access could cost up to $64 million a year. Philadelphia school board officials testified that they would support the expansion initiative if there was a dedicated funding source. Fare cost can be a significant barrier to accessing opportunities for students and families.

CBS Philadelphia: Here’s when the 2nd Pennsylvanian Amtrak route will start – The second daily round trip from Pittsburgh to New York City will be added next month, with stops including Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and a dozen others. Amtrak ridership has grown 20% since 2019, and the demand for more service was a driving factor in this route, which begins on November 18.

The Inquirer: Accelerate to the modern SEPTA the region deserves – The infrastructure in Philadelphia, specifically in Center City, offers millions of people commuting options to the largest employment hub in the region. However, relying on infrastructure from a century ago is limiting where SEPTA can grow. SEPTA’s recently- released Accelerate plan offers better connectivity with Regional Rail, more trips offered on subways and buses, but the piece missing from this improvement plan is dedicated and secure funding.

Philadelphia Today: Borski Park Reconnects Bridesburg With the Delaware River

WHYY: What should Philly’s streeteries look like? The city wants your input

Philly Voice: These Philly walking groups help people boost their fitness and mental health, and they welcome others to join

The Inquirer: Roxborough’s Shawmont Station, a 200-year-old railroad depot, is slated to become a train museum

CBS Pittsburgh: Southwest adding 3 nonstop destinations from Pittsburgh International Airport next summer

Billy Penn: ‘One-shot Mar’ crowned Philadelphia’s best parallel parker

A new Community Greening Plan is coming to the Cobbs Creek Watershed, and community members will play a central role in shaping it.

A greening plan is a community-driven process where residents help shape a park plan designed to expand, restore, and maintain green spaces within a neighborhood. 

Residents and local organizations will help define the vision, identify sites, and set priorities, rather than receiving a fully baked plan from outside experts. To ensure that the process of creating this plan is community-led and reflects neighbors’ visions, there will be stipends available for people to be Community Greening Liaisons.  

Other parks and watersheds across the city have greening plans that unlock funding for access, recreation, conservation, and stewardship. Cobbs Creek doesn’t have one. Neighbors deserve a clean, safe, well-maintained park. Pollution, water quality, illegal dumping, invasive species, and safety concerns all deserve real attention and real investment.

Community leaders and organizations have been caring for Cobbs Creek for years. Future visions of the land should be built around them. City projects are being planned in and around Cobbs Creek. Greening plans give the community a voice in those decisions.

• Park and creek restoration and stewardship
• Maintenance and illegal dumping
• Forming a resident-led park organization
• Programming and education
• Environmental justice and park resources advocacy

To make sure the planning process reflects the experiences and priorities of people who live in the surrounding communities, Community Greening Liaisons will serve as a connection between residents and the planning process.

Liaisons will:

• Gather input from neighbors
• Carry community recommendations forward
• Share updates as a trusted community voice
• Connect residents with opportunities to get involved

Residents of Overbrook Park, Carroll Park, Haddington, Cobbs Creek, Kingsessing, Paschall and Elmwood Park are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is Nov. 1.

Interested in becoming a Community Greening Liaison, or know someone who would be a good fit?

Apply to become a Community Greening Liaison

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin previewed the Agency’s imminent proposal to weaken critical protections from oil and gas pollution.  

The 2024 Methane Rule is a landmark EPA regulation designed to sharply curb methane and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from oil and fracked gas operations. Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, is a leading contributor to climate change.

The rule, which was developed with significant input from advocates, the oil and gas industry, investors, health experts, and elected officials, provided commonsense measures to protect public health and reduce methane waste. These measures include standards to monitor and repair leaks, the phase-out of routine flaring, and the replacement of process controllers with non-emitting alternatives.  

President Trump and Administrator Zeldin’s unlawful delay of the implementation and enforcement of the Methane Rule, and now their proposal to roll it back, is a continued attack on the well-being of all Americans. Pennsylvanians in particular will be harmed by the reconsideration of the Methane Rule.  

The Commonwealth is the second-largest producer of gas, and over 1.5 million Pennsylvanians live within just half a mile of active oil and gas infrastructure. It is more important now than ever that states act. Governor Shapiro’s recent announcement to develop state rules that reduce methane emissions is a key step to protecting residents. 

“EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment, yet it continues to stray further from that goal,” said Alice Lu, policy analyst with Clean Air Council. “The latest proposal to roll back methane standards is an affront to the health of Pennsylvanians. This rule was the result of years of advocacy and, for impacted residents and advocates, is more than just another regulatory action. It is a way of holding oil and gas operators accountable for their wasteful practices and ensuring residents are protected from the industry’s dangerous pollution.” 

HARRISBURG, PA (October 7, 2026) —Today, families and environmental and health organizations from across the state called on Governor Shapiro to establish greater protective distances between new fracking wells and nearby homes, schools, and water sources.

Groups made this push as Pennsylvania faces an influx of proposed data centers. These proposals raise concerns about increased reliance on fracked gas and the potential for additional drilling and fossil fuel infrastructure across the state, putting Pennsylvania families in danger.

Pennsylvania’s current rules allow fracking wells to be located as close as 500 feet from buildings (and even closer with exceptions) — a distance that was never set based on health studies and are woefully insufficient to protect public health and the environment from the numerous dangers of fracking.

To address harms from fracking, Clean Air Council and Environmental Integrity Project filed a rulemaking petition with the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) in October 2024, asking the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to increase minimum setback distances from fracking wells. This October marks two years since the petition was filed. Minimum setbacks, also referred to as protective buffers and no-drill zones in the context of fracking, are mandatory distances that fracking companies must abide by to keep fracking operations separated from homes, schools, hospitals, drinking water wells, and surface water.

“Pennsylvanians are frustrated with politics that seem to work against our cries for a better environment and better health,” said Lauren Otero, Staff Attorney at Clean Air Council. “This is a simple step forward, yet we wait years for our Commonwealth to help us.”

“Nothing has given me more hope than watching communities all across Pennsylvania come together, speaking out against the predatory and parasitic companies looking to pollute our homes and exploit our natural resources,” said Katie Weber, who helped form grassroots group, Protect Burgettstown. “We are united and our message is clear: We do not want data centers. And we do not want fracking anywhere near our homes, schools, or daycares.”

“Pennsylvania can do their part to protect Pennsylvania citizens with far more protective setbacks between fracking activities, people and water,” said Kurt Limbach, a member of Concerned Residents of Western PA and Mountain Watershed Association. “It could also do its part by conducting a thorough review of any air permits to potentially massive polluters like the Homer City fracked gas power plant. The Pennsylvania constitution guarantees the rights of Pennsylvania citizens to clean air and water. Our citizens should not be forced to live in a sacrifice zone to power AI. “

“Too many Pennsylvania families are being harmed by fracking and drilling right next to their homes, schools, and daycare centers,” said Lisa Graves Marcucci, Pennsylvania Coordinator of Community Outreach for the Environmental Integrity Project. “We need protective buffers now. The current 500-foot minimum setback distance was never based on any public health information. And Pennsylvania’s inaction has put more communities at risk each day. Since we filed our Petition for Rulemaking on October 22, 2024, at least 784 new fracking wells have been drilled with only a 500-foot setback required to protect nearby Pennsylvanians. We urge the Shapiro Administration and the Environmental Quality Board to act now to increase minimum setback distances.”

Clean Air Council is seeking proposals from qualified transportation engineering and planning consultants to conduct pedestrian, bicycle and public transportation studies at three colleges in the Greater Philadelphia region.

The selected consultant will assess transportation conditions at three institutions of higher education in Philadelphia, Delaware and Bucks Counties and identify opportunities to make it safer, easier and more convenient for students, faculty and staff to walk, bike and use public transportation on and around their campuses.

The work will include evaluating existing pedestrian, bicycle and public transit infrastructure; identifying safety hazards and barriers to getting around without a car; assessing accessibility; engaging campus stakeholders; and developing recommendations for infrastructure improvements, policies and programs.

Findings and recommendations from the studies will help inform a University Toolkit for each participating college, providing strategies for improving transportation safety, accessibility, sustainability and connectivity.

The project is supported by a Transportation Options Program (TOP) grant administered by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and made possible with Federal Highway Administration transportation funds.

Clean Air Council will work with DVRPC, TMA Bucks, Delaware County Transportation Management Association and three participating colleges on the project.

Optional Info Session: October 13, 2026 at 12 p.m. ET
Register

Deadline for Written Questions: October 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Submit to Titania Markland at tmarkland@cleanair.org.

Proposal Submission Deadline: November 2, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Submit to Titania Markland at tmarkland@cleanair.org.

Anticipated Contract Start Date: January 15, 2027

Review the full Request for Proposal for information about the scope of services, consultant qualifications, submission requirements and selection process.

“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.

Week Without Driving started on Thursday! Join us in the nationwide movement to call for true mobility options for all Pennsylvanians. Take the Week Without Driving Pledge here.

Thank you to everyone who participated, the Pretzel Pedal Challenge is now complete! If you missed this year, you can still create a Share-a-Ride profile and earn points towards gift card drawings all year round. We’ll be back next with more prizes and experiences while cycling towards a cleaner and healthier Philadelphia! 

Transit Forward Philadelphia: Drexel Students Share Their Transit Research – Drexel student Sydney Wieczkowski assessed the first phase of SEPTA’s New Bus Network and how it balanced transit efficiency and health equity in the region. When formulating the New Bus Network, SEPTA categorized existing routes as minority or non-minority routes, and low income or non-low-income routes. Sydney then analyzed the effects the proposed changes would have on each route. The research found that several minority and low-income routes could be disproportionately burdened by the changes. While the plan could benefit public health by improving access to public transportation and reducing air pollution, some route changes could create new challenges for riders, including longer walks or additional transfers.

The Conversation: What Philly can – and can’t – do to reduce the number of people killed in car crashes – Research has found that Philadelphians are killed in traffic crashes at much higher rates than comparable cities such as Chicago, Boston, and New York. Speeding and hit-and-runs occur at higher rates, and crashes are more likely to occur in dark conditions than the average in four peer cities. Data shows a 27% drop in fatal crashes in Philadelphia in 2025, and 2026 so far has been mirroring this. Automated speed enforcement cameras, such as the ones installed on Roosevelt Boulevard in 2020, have been associated with an 11% decrease in serious crashes. Similar cameras have been installed in other parts of the city, such as on Broad Street, with results still a few years away. However, other traffic-calming measures, such as increased lighting and pedestrian-focused infrastructure, are also needed to improve safety.

Billy Penn: Indego e-bikes dominate Philadelphia bike-share fleet – In July, around 75% of Indego bikes on racks were e-bikes, and some users are skipping them altogether. However, research has shown that while traditional bikes are healthier, e-bikes still improve aerobic fitness. In the first half of 2026, 72% of Indego rides in Philly were on e-bikes. Indego plans to add more traditional bikes to the fleet over the next two years to respond to demand.

PhillyVoice: Fishtown man is biking from Indiana to Pittsburgh to raise money for cancer research

StreetsBlog USA: Transportation Reform Has an Imagination Problem

CBS Pittsburgh: Parkway East and Parkway North seeing heavier traffic patterns lately, PennDOT says

Transportation Today: Pennsylvania begins work on more than 400 miles of “Rapid Deployment Projects”

SEPTA: SEPTA Bus Roadeo Brings Back Competition and Camaraderie

“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.

It’s the last week of the Pretzel Pedal Challenge! Log your bike rides during September to automatically earn points that qualify you for gift card drawing and prizes! Create a Share-A-Ride profile to join!

Week Without Driving starts next week Thursday, October 1st. There are a few events that Philadelphians can take part in during this week. Click here for how to get involved!

WHYY: SEPTA unveils wishlist for improvements and upgrades, but no sign of funding to make it happen – SEPTA released a list of goals and ideas in their “Accelerate” plan this week. Accelerate highlights the ideal future for SEPTA if there was a more reliable funding source from the state. Accelerate focuses on a few main ideas: increasing the number Philadelphians served with frequent transit, increasing the number of accessible stations, and connect more jobs in the city with frequent transit. The lack of dedicated funding sources has stalled long-term improvements to the system.

WESA NPR: Pittsburgh transit advocates call for bolder plan, ask riders to weigh in on bus line update – Pittsburgh’s Bus Line Refresh, a cost-neutral plan, will rework service to improve and boost ridership. Routes with low ridership are in danger of being cut, but transit advocates warn against cutting people off from service. Pittsburgh Regional Transit faces a fiscal cliff at the end of this state budget year without a dedicated funding source from the PA Legislature. Comments are requested to improve the plan by September 30 and can be submitted here.

The Inquirer: SEPTA got 24 commuter trains from Montreal, but it could be months before you can ride one – SEPTA purchased surplus train cars from Montreal’s transit system, and they have arrived in PA. The cars are in Malvern for some modifications before joining the Regional Rail fleet late this year. SEPTA avoided paying the estimated $3.5 million extra in tariffs after research showed U.S. Customs and Border Protection that the cars were not subject to import duties.

WHYY: Philadelphia announces $2 billion investment to improve city airports as PHL ranks last in consumer satisfaction

Transit Forward Philadelphia: We Rode Transit for 24 Hours!

Philadelphia Today: Roosevelt Boulevard Gets $134M in Upgrades as Subway Debate Continues

Philly Tribune: SEPTA’s new bus network drives ridership growth across city