Seattle commuters are putting their faith in transit even as residents in other parts of the state passed a ballot measure earlier this month that could cut billions of dollars in transportation funds. The number of people driving solo to work in Seattle fell from 53 percent in 2010 to only 44 percent in 2018 — the steepest decline in the nation among large metro areas over that period according to a Seattle Times analysis of Census records. Instead people took rail, buses, bikes, and ferries or simply walked to their jobs. Transit use in the Seattle area skyrocketed from 5 percent to 23 percent over the same period while the number of people who walked to work rose from about 3 percent to 1

A new affordable housing project for seniors in east Boulder has received preliminary approval from the city to move forward. A site review for the Academy Senior Living project at 1655 33rd St. was approved by Planning Board on Oct. 17 and was not called-up by City Council on Oct. 22, signaling council’s support of the project. The project, which will contain 106 permanently affordable rental units for seniors, may serve as a blueprint for future car-free living. The project proposal includes a robust transportation demand management plan to reduce dependence on personal vehicles. As part of their lease agreement, residents will not be allowed to keep a car on-site or store a vehicle in the

Thanksgiving isn’t just when Americans gather with family, eat excessive amounts of food and unabashedly watch football all day. It’s also the second-most traveled holiday in the country. If you’re one of the folks making a trip, do your planning well: all industry estimations point to record-breaking numbers on the roads, rails and airways this year. Close to 665,000 people from Philadelphia and the five surrounding counties are expected to drive or fly to new destinations for the holiday this year, according to AAA. That’s the highest in more than a decade, contributing to 55 million nationwide. For flying, the post-holiday Sunday is big, with Airlines for America also predicting the rush

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Leslie S. Richards will take over as SEPTA’s general manager in January, becoming the second woman to hold the position at the nation’s sixth-largest transit agency. The SEPTA board voted unanimously to appoint Richards during Thursday’s meeting, confirming a rumor that she would succeed Jeffrey Knueppel, whose departure was announced earlier this year. Knueppel has been general manager since 2015, though his career with SEPTA spans three decades. He will retire Dec. 31. Richards will take the helm with problems to solve. There’s declining bus ridership, and years left on a redesign for the bus network. SEPTA Key, the transportation authori

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is planning to expand its modernized payment method to Regional Rail riders by spring, writes Patricia Madej for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “That’s our plan,” said Rich Burnfield, SEPTA’s treasurer and deputy general manager. The Key cards have been adopted by transit riders for some time now, but the rollout among train commuters has not been as fast as the transportation agency had hoped. To achieve the spring deadline, SEPTA needs to work out a Travel Wallet and a parking feature, as well as finalizing employee training. Additionally, riders will have to learn how to use the new system that will ultimately become a “tap in/tap out” pa

All around the world, cities are contending with traffic, pollution, and pedestrian danger related to cars. While cities have taken various efforts to curb cars on the road, a new housing development in Tempe, Arizona, is trying a novel approach: banning residents from bringing their own cars altogether. As the Wall Street Journal reports, Culdesac Tempe, a 1,000-person rental development that just broke ground, won’t allow residents’ personal cars to be driven or parked on site. Instead, the property will fill the extra space with retail, a food hall, communal fire pits, plazas, green space, and other amenities. Imagine that. The housing stock is well positioned for this car-free experiment

Multiple industries have been waiting for years for commercial vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies to be deployed at any kind of scale. Now, it looks as if school buses could be the linchpin for the movement. A couple of months ago, southern U.S. energy giant Dominion Energy announced the largest electric school bus initiative in the nation, with plans to deploy up to 1,050 buses on the roads of Virginia over the next five years. These could be used for local grid services, as well as reduce air pollution and lower carbon emissions. In the coming weeks, Dominion plans to reveal more information about the program, such as which Virginian schools will get the e-buses and what vendor(s) will mak

Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, PA State Reps, SEPTA, PennDOT and more discuss PA Transportation and Infrastructure at Annual Advancing Mobility Summit GVF, a not-for-profit organization committed to reducing congestion, improving the environment and quality of life for all, hosted its last signature event of the year, its  Advancing Mobility Summit earlier this month. Through the Advancing Mobility Summit attendees heard about local, regional and state-wide initiatives and projects, as well as networking among executives. The 2019 summit featured two dynamic keynote speakers and three panel sessions. Morning keynote: Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan is an

California, the land of Tesla and home of half of all registered electric vehicles in the USA, has set another benchmark, with the Los Angeles department of transport (LADOT) committing to the largest order of electric buses to date nationally. Chinese EV maker BYD (which stands for Build Your Dreams) made the announcement at the California Transit Association’s Annual Fall Conference on Wednesday (US time), saying that LADOT will receive 130 electric K7M buses as part of its mission to electrify 100% of its LA Metro and LADOT bus fleet by 2030. The 130 BYD battery electric buses, which have a driving range of up to around 270km and can be recharged in 2.5-3 hours, will reduce the City of Lo

People visiting Independence Hall, Chinatown or Old City are one step closer to a transit option that’s been out commission for 40 years. PATCO has won a $12.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to repair, remodel and reopen its abandoned Franklin Square Station located at Race Street between 6th and 7th streets. The station closed in 1979. “This project will both support and spark growth in the area of the Franklin Square Station,” said said John T. Hanson, PATCO President and Delaware River Port Authority CEO. “There would be 1,500 hundred new riders as result of that station and we’re inclined to believe that the number would be higher, based on the idea that people

The “422 My Way” initiative is promoting alternative travel methods in the hopes of addressing the worsening traffic conditions on the 422 corridor, writes Justin Heinze for the Phoenixville Patch. The Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association wants to improve this situation through outreach and education on vanpooling, carpooling, public transit, and biking. Currently, the 422 sees over 100,000 vehicles a day. This is only going to worsen as places like King of Prussia, Malvern, and Phoenixville continue to rapidly develop and alternatives such as passenger rail are still years away even in the best-case scenario. To help alleviate the issue, the nonprofit is offering prize

With early morning commuters driving east on Route 422 to get to work as a backdrop, more than 40 officials gathered recently in a parking lot to launch a campaign to promote carpooling, biking and using public transportation. The goal of the “422 My Way” campaign is to reduce congestion along the Route 422 corridor from King of Prussia to Reading. Bicycles, a bus and a commuter van were displayed at the gathering Friday as Queen's song, “Bicycle Race,” played in the background. Yassmin Gramian, state deputy executive director of transportation, said biking and carpooling will help maintain Route 422 as well as all the state's 400,000 miles of road and 26,000 bridges. “We are spending less o

If you see a SEPTA bus jumping the red light at 15th and Market streets in Center City, the driver isn't breaking the law, they're just following orders. The transit agency and the City of Philadelphia are testing a new measure that gives buses at this congested intersection a head start. Buses get a three-second jump on the rest of the traffic. This allows the large vehicles the chance to cross lanes and merge without fighting other cars. Market Street is five lanes wide when it hits 15th Street at Philadelphia City Hall. Traffic is forced to turn south and either continue on 15th or curve around Penn Square to hit Broad Street or continue east on Market. A special LED signal — called a que

GVF, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for improving mobility, held a press event on Friday, November 8th to launch its new initiative 422 My Way. 422 My Way is an educational/marketing campaign that will target the U.S. 422 Corridor and provide incentives for people to not drive alone. Everyone is frustrated with sitting in congestion, especially on 422, which sees over 100,000 vehicles traveling it per day. GVF wants to give people back their time, show them ways to save money through an engaging public information campaign and have some fun along the way through fun giveaway prizes. According to a recent NY Times article, the Philadelphia region’s auto-emissions have increased

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA — A new initiative, "422 My Way," hopes to address the worsening traffic situation on the 422 corridor by promoting alternative travel methods. The nonprofit GVF hopes to improve things through outreach and education on vanpooling, carpooling, public transit, and biking. Driving alone, they note, is a part of the reason there are so many vehicles on the road. More than 100,000 vehicles travel on 422 per day, GVF notes, and they also cite studies that reflect a 22 percent increase in auto-emissions in the Philadelphia area since 1990. With places like King of Prussia, Malvern, and Phoenixville experiencing rapid development, and other alternatives like passenger rail still

Dive Brief: Cincinnati launched a program last week, Paint the Streets, which allows citizen groups to paint neighborhood street murals intended to calm traffic. It's one of the city's tools to improve pedestrian safety as part of its Vision Zero initiative. Community councils can apply for permits to paint the murals on lower-volume residential streets in the middle of intersections, mid-block or at curb bump-outs. The city will help to connect neighborhoods that can't fund a street art project on their own with potential sponsors. The street murals will not be in crosswalks and are not intended to serve as formal traffic control devices. They are intended to slow traffic by "establishing a

Dozens of cyclists cruised down winding trails Sunday in southeast Baton Rouge following the official opening of a bridge over Ward Creek connecting what is to eventually become a 13-mile bike and pedestrian path linking major shopping areas and medical complexes. The ride on a crisp, sunny morning was meant to celebrate BREC's completion of a key part of the $6.8 million planned “health loop,” a network of bike and walking trails that's been extended with the opening of the bridge. The bridge links two trail segments that were separated by the creek and now gives riders and pedestrians the ability to travel safely between the Mall of Louisiana and Siegen Market Place. This was a missing lin

Cities across the country, including New York, Washington, Boston and San Francisco have launched bike-share programs as sustainable transportation alternatives that ease traffic congestion, improve public health, and cut carbon emissions. Cyclists in those cities, meanwhile, have embraced bike-sharing to make their commutes faster, cheaper, and more fun. Last year, U.S. bike-share riders completed nearly 46 million trips—more than twice as many trips from the previous year. Yet despite these programs’ advantages and popularity, significant operational challenges remain. Take, for instance, the distribution of bikes. Because of commuting patterns, residential neighborhoods face shortages of

NORRISTOWN, PA — A vital stretch of Lafayette Street was reopened in Norristown on Friday, marking the completion of the third phase of the Lafayette Street Extension Project. The massive $19 million effort is considered by county officials to be the largest infrastructure project in Pennsylvania. The ceremony Friday morning means that Lafayette Street is now open between Ford Street and Conshohocken Road. Officials are hopeful the project will spur economic development in Norristown and Plymouth Township while connecting downtown Norristown, county government, and the Transportation Center to I-476. It's also aimed at improving local trail and pedestrian connections. "Who's excited to drive

Transportation is being transformed by everything from artificial intelligence and advanced propulsion technologies to evolving travel patterns and innovative business models. As a result, some may be tempted to perceive buses as the large, lumbering, soon-to-be-extinct dinosaurs of the public transit world. By contrast, most of the industry’s global thought leaders predict the opposite: buses, which account for half of all public transit trips, will remain the backbone of a multimodal, interconnected lifestyle. In cities across the US and around the world, the future of transit bus service isn’t just viable; along with rail, it is the essential connective tissue that will ensure communities