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.

Join the Clean Air Council in participating in the Pretzel Pedal Challenge! Log your bike rides from September 1-30 to automatically earn points that qualify you for discounts and prizes! Create a Share-A-Ride profile to join!

NBC Philadelphia: Speeding, double parking fuel safety concerns on East Girard Avenue – East Girard Avenue in Fishtown is an extremely busy corridor, and advocates held a walkthrough this week to push for safety improvements for pedestrians, drivers, cyclists, and transit riders. Issues facing this corridor include speeding drivers, double-parked cars, illegal turns, and pedestrians crossing outside of crosswalks. Improvements could include dedicated turning zones, pedestrian infrastructure, curb extensions, and more traffic signs.

Mass Transit: Off the Beaten Path: Pittsburgh’s streetcar past keeps rolling at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum – Children can enter the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum for free throughout September. The museum, located in Washington County, has more than 50 trolleys and streetcars on display. Visitors can ride working trolleys along 4 miles of track. Pittsburgh’s trolley system dates back to the late 1800s, and visitors can learn all about that history and more.

Metro Philadelphia: Gusset Plate Project brings art under the El in Kensington – Murals painted by residents over the past few years were installed onto triangular gusset plates that connect columns and beams holding up the Market-Frankford Line along Kensington Avenue. The Kensington and Harrowgate neighborhoods have received a little more color due to the mural plates, which can be found between Huntington and Tioga stations.

PARK(ing) DAY PHL: PARK(ing) Day is September 18, 2026

Pennsylvania Capital-Star: The Pennsylvania Turnpike is added to Oklahoma’s PikePass system

New Jersey State Democrats: SINGLETON, CCSNJ, SJTA TO ANNOUNCE NEW MICROTRANSIT SHUTTLE IN BURLCO

Virgina Mercury: Amtrak to suspend Virginia-to-D.C. service for critical track upgrades Oct. 16–26

“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.

As exciting events continue in Philadelphia, learn how you can get around to major summer 2026 events without a car, or being stuck in traffic with GoPhillyGo: Car-Free Routes Map!

The Inquirer: SEPTA gets $13.3 million from D.C. for new Silverliner Regional Rail train cars – A $13.3 million federal grant is going to SEPTA to help replace the 223 Silverliner IV train cars that were pulled from service last year. After being in service for half a century and several fires, the train cars were pulled for safety inspections and repairs. The grant is part of the Rail Vehicle Replacement Program, and work will begin in the Fall. 234 new cars will be built, at an estimated cost of $2 billion.

ABC 6: More than 330K drivers ticketed along Broad Street since speed camera enforcement began: PPA report – Speed cameras have been capturing driver data along Broad Street since November 2025 at 15 locations. Drivers exceeding 11 miles over the speed limit are fined starting at $100, and the Philadelphia Parking Authority released a report on violations through March 2026. In total, more than 330,000 drivers were ticketed along the Broad Street corridor.

CBS Pittsburgh: $82M in federal grant money will help Pittsburgh Regional Transit purchase new light-rail vehicles – Pittsburgh Regional Transit is receiving over $82 million in grant funding. The funding will be used to purchase new vehicles for the light-rail system, the “T.”. 45 new vehicles will be replacing old cars on the T, and will feature a more modern interior and on-vehicle wheelchair lifts.

Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Lawmakers wrestle with the proliferation of e-scooters on Pa. roadways

WHYY: Philadelphia Cycling Classic returns, reconnecting fans and cyclists with longtime traditions

The Inquirer: New speed cameras in West and North Philadelphia will start warning drivers on Monday

WPXI: Bicyclists flock Pittsburgh’s streets for 33rd annual Pedal PGH fundraiser

Pittsburgh City Paper: Lawrenceville’s guerrilla crosswalks are a white-striped call for change

Philadelphia Today: IBX Partners with Philly Bike Ride for One of the City’s Signature Fall Traditions

“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.

As exciting events continue in Philadelphia, learn how you can get around to major summer 2026 events without a car, or being stuck in traffic with GoPhillyGo: Car-Free Routes Map!

Transit 4 All PA is hiring fellows, with two paid positions in Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties: to support transit advocates in building local demand for transit. If you live in Luzerne or Lackawanna County, and you ride transit, apply TODAY. Application closes on September 2, 2026. Learn more here. 

Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Additional Amtrak passenger train service to and from Pittsburgh to begin in mid-November – A second daily passenger train will be running between Pittsburgh and New York, via Harrisburg and Philadelphia. The train will begin running in mid-November. Ridership on Pittsburgh to Philadelphia trains exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time in 2024, with nearly 234,000 passengers.

The Inquirer: The return of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic will close roads – This weekend the Philadelphia Cycling Classic is back, utilizing the original route of the Ben Franklin Parkway to Kelly Drive. Road closures will start on Saturday and continue into Sunday. SEPTA routes that travel through Manayunk and Roxborough or on Kelly Drive will be detoured.

Metro Philadelphia: Open Streets returns to Center City for 7 Sundays of car-free fun this fall – Center City is bringing back Open Streets: West Walnut, for 7 weekends this fall. Starting September 13 through October 25, along Walnut Street between Broad and 19th Street, and 18th Street between Chestnut and Locust, will close to vehicles from 7 AM until 6 PM. Open Streets will run from 10 AM until 5 PM on Sundays.  Businesses along the closure routes reported an average 59% increase in foot traffic, and 37% increase in sales.

WHYY: Market Street Bridge closed to cars for a year as part of a nearly $150 million upgrade

The Inquirer: Lower Merion has issued more than 600 violations from red-light cameras since mid-July

StreetsBlog USA: Philadelphia Figured Out to Stop Double Parking — Will Other Cities Follow Suit?

The Inquirer: New trail connector lets bikers ride 70 miles from Philly to Reading. It’s ‘a really, really big deal.’

CBS Pittsburgh: Signs for upcoming PennDOT projects causing concerns for drivers, but impacts won’t be long-lasting

Philadelphia Today: Philadelphia Named Finalist to Host 2028 Democratic National Convention

PHILADELPHIA, PA (August 22, 2026) – Today, local leaders and advocates rallied at Philadelphia City Hall to confront a new reality: climate change is making summers hotter and longer. As students head back to school this year, families should be focused on buying notebooks, meeting teachers, and preparing for a successful school year—not worrying whether classrooms are too hot for learning.  

“Today, students are experiencing longer stretches of extreme heat, unpredictable weather, heavy rainfall, and changing seasonal patterns. And while we might assume that modern schools are equipped with reliable heating and air-conditioning systems, the reality is that many school buildings struggle to maintain comfortable learning environments. And here’s the reality that educators face: the students who are usually engaged, motivated, and eager to learn can become disengaged when their basic environmental needs aren’t being met,” said Austin Minor, Founder/Executive Program Director of the Jacob’s Puzzle Foundation and Secondary Special Education Math Interventionist with Mastery Charter Schools.

Climate change is exacerbating extreme heat. Summer temperatures now extend well into the fall months, putting children in classrooms without air conditioning at risk. Students and teachers are having to learn and teach in sweltering classrooms and, at times, schools are forced to dismiss early because of extreme heat. Furthermore, federal attacks on clean energy and climate protections are moving us in the wrong direction. 

“Our current climate is NOT ‘the new normal.’ It’s the normal – for now. Unless we reduce greenhouse gases, extreme heat will keep coming earlier in the spring and last into fall. There will be more and more school days cancelled because it’s too hot,” said Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz, meteorologist for 50+ years.

Students deserve safe schools. Teachers and school staff deserve safe workplaces. Parents deserve the confidence that their children can learn without interruption. Speakers at the press conference called on our leaders in Washington to stand up for students and make classrooms better for learning. It’s time to defend environmental protections that tackle climate change and clean energy investments that reduce climate pollution and, in turn, the extreme heat conditions it fuels.  

“As a teacher at my state-funded summer program in a district building, we went virtual three times this summer. Part of the reason was due to the sweltering heat, but the other reason was due to the air being too dangerous to breathe. These conditions can extend into the school year, so it is far past due to invest in sustainable, clean energy,” said Emmie Ledesma, Educator, George Washington High School.

“As my children head back to school, climate change is turning their classrooms into health hazards. Research has shown that without adequate air conditioning, children can’t concentrate, retain information, or perform well on tests. In the most extreme cases, heat can cause illness or even death. As an environmental attorney, we must take meaningful action on climate change with strong environmental policies that invest in clean energy and cut climate pollution before it’s too late,” said Lauren Otero, Clean Air Council Staff Attorney.

 At the event, Philly-area residents gathered for a rally to send the message to their elected officials to act on climate now. The gathering was part of a national movement of communities coming together and demanding strong climate action of their elected officials while they’re back in their home states during the August recess. At the press conference, volunteers also handed out “back to school kits” that highlighted what tools are needed to keep a child safe on hot school days. 

Join the Clean Air Council and Feet First Philly to learn more about the Public Space Enhancement Mini-Grant Program on Tuesday, August 25th, at 12 pm E.T.

Hear from members of the selection committee, from previous awardees, and others all about the application and awarding process!

Register for the free webinar at bit.ly/MiniGrantWebinar

The webinar will also be recorded and posted online afterwards, so follow along to see it if you can’t make it on 8/25!

Today, Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order that creates new rules for companies that want to build data centers in Pennsylvania. 
 
The Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards require data center developers to bring their own energy capacity, ensure transparency with local communities, and contribute to local workforce development. 

This executive order will enact these standards to set legally binding requirements for all data center developers seeking permits in Pennsylvania. 

In addition to complying with GRID standards, data center developers would be required to obtain local or municipal approvals before a state permit can be issued. It would also prohibit non-disclosure agreements related to data center projects and prevent the fast-tracking of such projects. Notably, the executive order did not propose a moratorium on data center development.  

Alex Bomstein, Executive Director of Clean Air Council, issued the following statement: 

“Pennsylvania needs a statewide moratorium on AI data centers to give communities the time needed to protect themselves from this rush of polluting proposals. The Pennsylvania public has been clear on this. Today’s executive order is not a moratorium, but it is a welcome step in the right direction. Requiring local voices with a greater stake in the outcome to weigh in before the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection reviews the permit applications is a sensible change that will conserve resources and weed out some of the worst proposals. And while the GRID principles fall short of the protections that Pennsylvanians deserve, they are better than today’s wild west landscape.  

“Energy usage and air pollution are still major concerns, and it’s disappointing that stronger protections have not been put in place.  The biggest danger from AI data centers is the fossil fuels burned to power them. GRID’s emission reduction efforts are weak. The technology and industrial infrastructure exists today to power data centers with renewables and batteries alone.  

“Clean Air Council continues to urge the Governor, the General Assembly, and every official grappling with dirty AI data center proposals to focus on protecting the public from the dangerous pollution they so often promise to bring to our neighborhoods.”