Clean Air Ohio

CHESTER, PA (August 22, 2025) –  Clean Air Council, City of Chester, and partners are proud to announce that Sun Village Park in Chester, PA, has officially reopened! The newly revitalized park includes a storybook walking trail, new benches and picnic tables, native plantings and mural arts installations. The project is the culmination of a three-year climate resilience communities project funded by the William Penn Foundation, and led by Clean Air Council, along with many Chester residents who contributed their feedback to the process. 

Clean Air Council worked with Olin Design to map and better understand the potential climate impacts to residents living in communities along the Delaware River. Residents provided extensive feedback on where they notice stormwater runoff, flooding, and heat islands, as well as where they would like to see a green infrastructure project installed to help mitigate potential flooding and heat impacts from climate change. Residents chose Sun Village Park and selected all of the new features that have now been installed. 

Additionally, as part of this community-led project, residents gathered at the Sun Village Park pavilion every week this summer for “Arts in the Park” workshops with Bonita Taylor from Bonnie’s Community and Development Corporation and Katarina Sindoni from Legacy Arts Chester. Children from the community gathered weekly to create sculptural mural arts from recycled materials, painting and building flowers and other three-dimensional pieces that have now been installed throughout the park. A vibrant mural was also installed on the pavilion pillars by Carrie Kingsbury of Promised Land murals. The murals reflect the colors and musical theme of the first book in the storybook walk.

“Sun Village Park is a shining example of what happens when community voices lead the way. This beautiful space reflects the creativity, resilience, and pride of Chester’s residents — especially our young people, whose artwork now lives in the heart of this neighborhood,” stated Mayor Stefan Roots. “I’m grateful for the collaboration with Clean Air Council, Legacy Arts Chester, and all our partners who helped make this vision a reality. Together, we’re building a greener, safer, and more vibrant Chester for generations to come.”

The incredible partnership that made this possible was honored Friday with a grand opening celebration. Dozens of community members and representatives from Clean Air Council, City of Chester, Legacy Arts Chester, and the Friends of Sun Village Park were in attendance. Local residents enjoyed a free water ice truck and the opportunity to explore the new storybook walking trail and see the new murals, including sculptural mural arts made by children in the community from recycled and upcycled materials.

“I am very excited about the revitalization of Sun Village Park,” said Bonita Taylor, long-time Sun Village resident and Friends of Sun Village Park leader. “This is a project we have been waiting for for many years; it is bringing happiness and a safe space to our community.’ 

For more information, visit the Friends of Sun Village Park’s Facebook page.

“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 Transit For All PA campaign for sustainable transit funding to keep our State moving forward.

Have a community project you want to fund and support? Check out the Public Space Enhancement Mini-Grant from Feet First Philly! Applications are due October 1st, full list of requirements and further information can be found here.

Plan Philly: Bus late during an emergency? This pilot program will help you get where you need without spending a dime – Philly residents who regularly walk, bike, carpool, or take public transit to work can enroll in the Emergency Ride Home service, a program that reimburses the cost of an alternative form of transportation in the event of an emergency or if the usual transit is unavailable. The Clean Air Council is now testing out a pilot voucher-based version of this service that will help bus riders get to where they need to go if their bus doesn’t show up. Participating residents of the Fair Acres region who regularly take SEPTA bus routes 110, 111, 114, or 117 can now activate a $50 voucher on the Uber app if their bus is seriously delayed, cancelled, or doesn’t go to where they need to get to in an emergency. For more details, see here. 

NBC10: Philly unveils plan for upcoming SEPTA service cuts, fare hikes – Philly is preparing for a world without usual SEPTA services. Cuts to bus services will roll out on August 24th, the day before schools in the Philadelphia School District start classes. On September 1st, fares will increase, followed by regional rail cuts going into effect on September 2nd. City officials have urged motorists to avoid driving through Center City at rush hours; the city is preparing for an influx of traffic by readying various groups. Throughout September, residents can pay $1 a month to use Indego Bike Share with promo code “indecycle25.”

NBC10: SEPTA cuts may ‘lead to deterioration’ of Amtrak services across the Northeast – SEPTA cuts are arriving fast, and they are likely to impact other transit services. Certain SEPTA-operated commuter trains use Amtrak rails, for an annual cost of $71.1 million. If SEPTA is no longer able to provide that funding, Amtrak’s financial ability to maintain those tracks will diminish, slowing its own trains. Most impacted will be Amtrak’s Keystone Service Line, which operates between Philly and Harrisburg, and New York City.

BillyPenn: A week out, SEPTA cuts loom: Will they affect you?

WHYY: Ahead of SEPTA cuts, Philly tells residents to plan for extra commute times next week

6abc: Several bus routes to be eliminated, starting Sunday, in first phase of SEPTA cuts in Philadelphia

CBS News: What buses, trains is SEPTA cutting next week? What to know about cuts, new schedules, fare hikes

Pennsylvania Capital-Star: SEPTA funding crisis could affect central Pennsylvania’s Amtrak service, congressman warns

Philly Voice: Trump administration reluctantly resumes Biden-era funding to install EV chargers

​​Law Clerk Annie Fox started at the Council as a legal intern, before being hired as a law clerk. Fox brings a unique perspective to the Council from her time living in Florida and working to protect the Florida Everglades. 

Where are you from and what’s your background? 

I’m from Miami, Florida, so I grew up enjoying the sun, afternoon lightning storms, being surrounded by ducks, and with little lizards darting across my path. Even close to a big city, I spent time in large trees and in the water, so I always felt connected to nature. As a child, I felt a sense of wrongness as wildlife was replaced by urban sprawl, and I suppose that is where my environmentalism took root. My first major environmental actions were working to protect and restore the Florida Everglades, and I think the idea of becoming an environmental lawyer first arose when, after college, I served on the Executive Board of Friends of the Everglades. 

You waited to go to law school, though. Why?

I always loved science, particularly biology. So, I majored in biology at Swarthmore College, then traveled out west studying population ecology. I wanted to help figure out how to best restore ecosystems, but I soon realized that as much as doing so requires more scientific knowledge, there was a more immediate need for laws and policies to protect them. I was also surprised to learn how many of the beneficial laws we have simply aren’t enforced without the efforts of groups like the Council. So, I returned to law school as an older student with a family, and whenever that felt daunting, I thought about how Marjorie Stoneman Douglas began a new career as an environmental champion in her 70s when she founded Friends of the Everglades.

How long have you been with the Council?

I was an intern in the summer of 2018, and have been back for about 11 months.

What’s your expertise you bring to the Council? How do you use it to fight for a cleaner environment?

I think my science background is very helpful. One of the exciting features of environmental law is the need to continually become conversant in various technical matters, like understanding the engineering involved in power plant construction to evaluate permit conditions, or the biology of an area being impacted by a project. I am comfortable picking up scientific literature and diving into numbers, which is an asset in environmental advocacy.

Also, I grew up at the intersections of various cultures, which helps me understand the needs and motivations of various individuals and groups involved in environmental issues. I was raised below the poverty line, yet had the privilege of attending an elite private school. I was by far in the religious and ethnic minority in school, yet in many ways still benefited from white privilege in other areas of life. That background helps me appreciate where people are coming from when approaching environmental issues, has taught me both how easy it is to erroneously attribute motives to people, and the importance of active listening. I think it also makes me more sensitive to the environmental justice challenges that permeate environmental issues.

I also developed useful skills during the years I served on the Environmental Advisory Council for the Borough of Swarthmore, including time as Chair. That experience gives me valuable insight into the nuances of local politics, the sometimes unexpected ways in which communities are impacted by environmental issues, and the value of open space and a healthy environment to people’s daily lives.

Why did you want to return to working for the Council after being a legal intern? What’s your favorite aspect of working here?

I love that I get to do work that matters by helping both the environment and people. I also enjoy the variety of the work, getting to be involved in both regulatory matters and litigation. Most of all, though, I love the people at the Council. Everyone I have worked with is not only deeply committed to the issues, but is genuine, kind, and passionate, often with fascinating outside interests and hobbies. I am honored to be part of a community that cares deeply about the world.

What are you working on? 

Right now I am primarily working on challenges to permits for potential new power plants. In granting the permits, the agencies skipped important steps like evaluating the true costs of the proposed projects to Pennsylvanians, and in some cases would allow illegally high levels of harmful air emissions.

What legal battles or challenges are you following closely in Pennsylvania?

The legal challenges to Pennsylvania joining RGGI, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, may have far-reaching consequences to our ability to fight climate change. Also, I am watching the courts’ evolving stance on the environmental rights of Pennsylvania’s residents which are protected by the Environmental Rights Amendment of the Pennsylvania Constitution. Those rights were ignored for a long time, and I am proud of the Council’s advocacy to ensure that the people, including future generations of Pennsylvanians, receive the full protections guaranteed by our Constitution.

(August 20, 2025) The fight to preserve Pennsylvanians’ right to clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment won another huge victory this week as Alterra Energy announced it had ended plans to open a facility in Sugarloaf Township.

Alterra was hoping to open a “chemical recycling” facility in this rural area of Luzerne County. Despite dubbing its work “recycling,” however, Alterra’s rebranding of outdated trash incineration is no solution for the climate crisis. The plant would have been conducting plastic pyrolysis, a way of cutting chemical bonds with heat powered by burning fossil fuels. The “recycled” plastic this method produces is actually mostly made of new fossil fuel-derived materials and is, at most, 10% recycled material. 

Its byproducts are even worse: toxic chemicals that are linked to health problems like cancers, liver and kidney damage, birth defects, nervous system issues, reproductive problems, and respiratory issues. This facility, which would have operated around the clock, would have produced chemical pollution in the air and water, and would have generated plastic waste that includes the worst of the worst pollutants: known carcinogen benzene, dioxins, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and volatile organic compounds or VOCs.

Not only would facility employees have been exposed to plastic dust and chemical vapors on the job, but they would also be at risk of dangerous fires. Toxic and very flammable synthetic oil would have been stored in two 185,000-gallon tanks on the property before being transported in trucks and rail cars. On top of these hazards, such a plant would have been a nuisance to the residents of Sugarloaf, bringing traffic, noise, light, and air pollution, and damaging rural roads. 

Members of the Luzerne County Community Coalition were vocal in their opposition to this proposed site and are celebrating this news. Local residents collaborated in their organizing with neighbors from nearby Northumberland County who just last year stood strong against a similar proposal for their area from Texas-based company Encina. Sugarloaf even had support from a resident of Akron, Ohio, where Alterra has been operating an incineration plant whose permit renewal was loudly opposed by the community this summer. 

Clean Air Council and its partners – including Beyond Plastics, Save Our Susquehanna, Moms Clean Air Force, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, and Environmental Health Project – were proud to support the Luzerne community as they sought to understand the potential harms of Alterra’s proposed facility and the influence they might wield. The Council commends this level of passion and commitment to a healthy environment and hopes to see this type of collaboration continue throughout the Commonwealth.

Trump and Zeldin’s Climate Chaos Plan will make climate denial official U.S. policy, claiming climate change and the pollution that causes it pose no threat to public health or the environment. Their plan would let polluters get richer while we pay the price – with our health, our wallets, and our lives.

Join Clean Air Council and partners in standing up to this disastrous plan that is a cornerstone of Trump’s Polluters First Agenda that will do nothing to bring down costs or improve health for American families.

Beat the Heat: Stand up to Trump’s Climate Chaos Plan

Press Event and Rally
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
12 noon
Love Park
Philadelphia, PA

RSVP HERE

Bring your best climate-related signs as we rally against climate denier policy and call for EPA policy that protects people from the pollution that causes climate change and its impacts, such as extreme weather and health harms that threaten the lives of everyone, particularly the most vulnerable. 

“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 Transit For All PA campaign for sustainable transit funding to keep our State moving forward.

NBC10: Recap: Lawmakers fail to reach deal to stop SEPTA’s ‘death spiral’ – Pennsylvania lawmakers have officially missed SEPTA’s deadline for assembling a budget that includes adequate funding to fuel SEPTA’s services. In the next ten days, SEPTA will post information about its drastic service cuts and fare increases that roll out August 24th. For more information, see https://wwww.septa.org/fundingcrisis/service-cuts/.  

WHYY: SEPTA funding still in limbo despite Pennsylvania Senate approval of budget amendment – Pennsylvania lawmakers reached an impasse this week, as a budget approved by the Republican-controlled state Senate made its way to the Democrat-controlled state House. The budget, presented by state Sen. Joe Picozzi, R-Philadelphia, provides funding for SEPTA, but draws the money from the Public Transportation Trust Fund. Opponents of the budget shared concerns that diverting this money, which was earmarked for necessary system and safety upgrades, could ultimately result in less safe, outdated service from transit agencies.

Mass Transit: SEPTA completes critical track work on trolley tunnel under Schuylkill River – SEPTA has completed extensive track upgrades, general maintenance, and cleaning during its 30 day closure of the trolley tunnel under the Schuylkill River. The upgrades set the transit agency up for its planned trolley modernization. Turnstiles at 19th Street Station and 22nd Street Station have also been removed, meaning customers now must tap to pay when they enter the trolley.

6abc: SEPTA moving forward with first round of cuts as deadline passes without a deal

WHYY: ‘It’s extremely frustrating’: Pennsylvania leaders discuss budget hang-ups at Northeast Philly open house as SEPTA deadline expires

NBC10: SEPTA service cuts coming. What this means for riders

The Inquirer: Is there actually $1 billion sitting in a fund for SEPTA? Explaining the Public Transportation Trust Fund.

Chalkbeat Philadelphia: Looming SEPTA cuts could mean many Philly kids miss class as lawmakers bicker over funding

The Inquirer: Republican public transit proposal is too little, too late | Editorial

Philly Voice: American Airlines to resume flights from Philly to Budapest and Prague in 2026

Philly Voice: Amtrak to debut faster Acela trains with more seats and amenities along the Northeast Corridor

The Inquirer: How SEPTA service cuts impact real Philadelphians, in their own words

The Inquirer: Not funding SEPTA could constitute a violation of the Pa. Constitution

The Inquirer: SEPTA cuts are moving forward, GM Scott Sauer says

dvrpc: Regional Air Quality and Why Transit Matters

BillyPenn: Chinatown Stitch design advances despite funding cancellation

August 15, 2025 – On July 29, 2025, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a proposal to rescind the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. This finding specifically states that greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, that are produced by vehicles and polluters are critically dangerous to human health. These and other greenhouse gases are considered air pollutants under the Clean Air Act (CAA) by the Supreme Court in Massachusetts v. EPA (2007). 

Simply put, the Supreme Court considered empirical scientific data on climate change when forming the Massachusetts opinion, not solely legal reasoning. This is a critical nuance as it considers the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases to be much more than a political ploy. As such, in 2007, the Court determined that the EPA has a legal duty to act because the emissions of greenhouse gases harm human health and fuel climate change. Today, Administrator Zeldin actively denies that climate change is an imminent danger to the American public. But, from disastrous floods to devastating wildfires, the immediate impacts of climate change pose a public health crisis right in front of our faces. 

The “Climate Chaos Plan” to repeal the endangerment finding would not only give polluters a free pass, but would subject the general population to a significantly decreased quality of life. The proposed rescission is technically legal, but without the ability to formally recognize threatening pollutants for what they are, the EPA won’t have authority to regulate them under the CAA. This is an outright denial of critical scientific data compiled by esteemed scientists around the globe. Trump and Zeldin’s plan ignores basic pillars of human health and the ongoing climate crisis, all to ensure polluting facilities stay in business. If passed, this “Climate Chaos Plan” will ultimately allow the fossil fuel industry to emit greenhouse gases at mass rates, putting the general population at further risk. These risks include more respiratory illness (both chronic and acute), catastrophic wildfires, and disease-carrying insects, as well as less safe drinking water.

Trump and Zeldin’s plan drastically contradicts the EPA’s core purpose. Where the goal once was to protect the public from climate change, the current administration has manipulated the narrative. Stripping away cornerstone protections on public health and climate change to allegedly save a quick buck is not in the best interest of the population nor the environment. The plan will not provide the economic opportunity it alleges. Instead, it will drive up the costs of everyday goods, healthcare, and energy. 

Your health should not be up for debate. Take action today to protect your family’s future from the “Climate Chaos Plan.” The EPA is holding mandatory public comment hearings on the proposed rule on August 19 and 20, 2025, and a potential additional session on August 21, 2025. To register, email EPA-MobileSource-Hearings@epa.gov. The public comment period for written comments ends on September 15, 2025. 

So-Called ‘Chemical Recycling’ Facility No Longer Planned for Pennsylvania Town Following Opposition From Local Leaders

SUGARLOAF, Pennsylvania (August 12, 2025) — Alterra Energy has withdrawn its proposal for a plastic pyrolysis facility in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, sparking relief from community members. Obtained from a public records request, a letter from Alterra Energy to the Sugarloaf Township Board of Supervisors officially withdrew the company’s proposal for a so-called “chemical recycling” facility. 

The project, which would have trucked in substantial amounts of plastic trash for high-heat processing, faced strong opposition from local residents, environmental advocates, and township leaders concerned about air emissions, hazardous waste, traffic impacts, and potential harms to public health. The proposal for Sugarloaf claimed to recycle plastic; however, pyrolysis historically produces dirty fuels and is known to generate toxic byproducts.

“The people of Sugarloaf and surrounding areas are elated that Alterra energy has officially decided to withdraw their state DEP permit for their proposed plastic facility from 42 Tomhicken Road. This is a big win for our area,” said Annie Vinatieri, a local community leader and member of Luzerne County Community Action Coalition. “The people have spoken and our voices have been heard. We will continue to fight for clean air, water and a safer, healthier future for Luzerne County.”

“”I am thankful to all who helped in and supported us with this effort to protect our precious environment,” said Lisa Logan, a local community leader and member of Luzerne County Community Action Coalition. “We are so blessed in many ways!” 

“I was concerned about the dangers for environmental and public health seemingly inherent to this type of chemical recycling technology,” said Jan E. Long, lifelong and multigenerational resident of Luzerne County. “I am all for fair, non-subsidized and clean economic development in the area, but will not support a business that has the potential to create a system for the continued production of more plastic waste.” 

“This local effort in Sugarloaf is proof that communities can reject false solutions and fight for the sustainable, waste-free future we deserve. These companies sometimes look for new locations after abandoning site proposals, so it’s important that other Pennsylvania towns are prepared to fight these proposals when they show up in other places,” said Jess Conard, Beyond Plastics’ Appalachia director. “So-called ‘chemical recycling’ is nothing more than greenwashing for the plastics industry. It doesn’t solve the plastic waste problem; it just turns plastic trash into toxic emissions and fuels we don’t need.”

“This was community led from start to finish. We welcome the swift withdrawal of this dangerous project. Plastic is toxic at every stage of its life cycle, from fossil fuel extraction to disposal,” said Josephine Gingerich, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania’s health advocacy outreach coordinator. “Plastic pyrolysis unleashes a cocktail of harmful chemicals linked to cancer, respiratory disease, and other severe health problems. Our communities deserve strategies that truly protect health, safeguard the environment, and put people — not polluters — first.”

“We are thrilled to hear that Alterra will not build their proposed toxic plastics-to-fuel plant in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania,” said Sandy Field, chair of Save Our Susquehanna. “This is a huge win for this small community! The Save Our Susquehanna group advocates for development that does not pollute communities and provides good paying jobs that do not harm workers. Chemical recycling of plastics is not the answer to the plastics crisis.”

“The withdrawal of Alterra’s chemical recycling proposal represents a significant win for the health and well-being of the Sugarloaf community,” said Talor Musil, Environmental Health Project’s field manager. “This decision will prevent the release of toxic air pollutants and the health harms associated with exposure to those pollutants. EHP applauds community members living near this proposed site for successfully raising awareness of the risks posed by petrochemical development.”

“Moms Clean Air Force celebrates with the people of Sugarloaf who will not be subjected to health-harming pollution. Chemical recycling, also known as advanced recycling, is neither advanced nor recycling,” said Rachel Meyer, Mom’s Clean Air Force’s Ohio River Valley field organizer. “It transforms plastics chemicals such as PFAS, heavy metals, and phthalates into toxic air pollutants that our families breathe, putting us at increased risk for cancer and respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Congratulations to all the community members who spoke up for their children’s health to end this deception.”

“The withdrawal of Alterra’s toxic plant is a great victory for the Sugarloaf community,” said Alex Bomstein, Clean Air Council’s executive director. “This dangerous technology, deceptively branded as chemical recycling, emits toxic pollution that poisons our bodies. It has no place in Pennsylvania communities. Alterra’s departure is a welcome relief.”

“The cancellation of the planned Sugarloaf Township pyrolysis plant is good news for the people throughout the region,” said Sean Hoffmann, Clean Air Action’s legislative director. “Pyrolysis is bad for our health and perpetuates the plastics crisis by creating more demand for harmful plastics when we should be doing the opposite. We all want good jobs and economic growth in our communities, but that shouldn’t come at the cost of our health and our land. Let’s work together to bring good jobs to our towns while also keeping them safe from pollution.” 

The Alterra Energy proposal was first discovered in a neighboring community’s council notes in September 2024 and opted to relocate to Sugarloaf. The community’s concerns have prevailed months later. 

“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 Transit For All PA campaign for sustainable transit funding to keep our State moving forward.

CBS News: Major SEPTA cuts to hit Philadelphia in less than 3 weeks as lawmakers debate funding. Where do talks stand? – With the state budget over a month overdue and looming SEPTA cuts drifting closer, Philadelphians are still unsure what their transportation options will look like in the near future. SEPTA officials and Philly residents, including students preparing for school commutes, are waiting for a decision from Harrisburg. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman indicated that while there has been some progress, there is still negotiating to be done. 

WHYY: SEPTA sets Aug. 14 deadline to ‘begin dismantling’ the transit system without new state funding – In a news release, SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer has announced August 14th as the absolute latest lawmakers have to supply funding before the agency begins its process of dismantling SEPTA services. Officials need 10 days to finalize schedules and update signage and information leading up to the August 24th “doomsday,” when many bus and rail routes will be reduced or eliminated. 

BillyPenn: Hundreds rally at City Hall as SEPTA service cuts draw nearer – In the face of impending SEPTA cuts, now only 16 days away, hundreds of local activists and Philadelphians gathered at City Hall to express urgency in the call for state funding. Sen. Nikil Saval, D-Philadelphia, acted as event host, urging attendees to contact representatives along with 10 other speakers. Concerned rally-goers spoke of a reality in which they’d have to pay for Ubers for work every day, and where the number of cars in Center City would drastically increase, causing major congestion.

Streetsblog USA: Zivarts: How ‘Week Without Driving’ Is Having An Impact

NBC10: ‘Time’s up’: Pa. Dems call for GOP lawmakers to approve mass transit funding

6abc: ‘We are left with no other choice’: SEPTA announces new service schedules if funding is not passed

NBC10: Amid ‘death spiral,’ SEPTA releases new schedules reflecting 20% service cuts

Philly Voice: Watch Pa. lawmakers debate SEPTA budget crisis in House Transportation Committee meeting

PHILADELPHIA (August 7, 2025), Clean Air Council launched its first-ever Emergency Ride Home Pilot program in partnership with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) on Tuesday, August 5th. This initiative is a pilot enhancement to DVRPC’s current Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program, which uses cost reimbursement to support transit riders when emergencies disrupt their commute plans: ERH serves those who live and/or work in southeastern Pennsylvania. The pilot is funded through a Travel Options Program (TOP) grant from DVRPC.

Clean Air Council’s Emergency Ride Home Pilot Program allows transit riders on four routes that access Fair Acres (SEPTA bus routes 110, 111, 114, & 117) to receive an Uber voucher of up to $50 during a qualifying emergency. Qualifying commuters—individuals dedicated to taking these Delaware and Philadelphia county bus lines at least twice a week to work or who live within the Fair Acres region— can redeem a voucher up to two times for the duration of the program. Transit is a sustainable way of getting around the area, and helps to lower carbon emissions. This Emergency Ride Home program seeks to help transit riders feel safer in the case of a qualifying emergency when transit is seriously delayed, canceled, or doesn’t reach the site of the emergency.

“Clean Air Council is excited to be launching this program as it helps to advance our sustainable transportation goals and will benefit residents living and working in the area”, said Titania Markland, Sustainable Transportation Program Manager at Clean Air Council. “Having a safety net during emergencies helps to remove a barrier that can prevent residents from taking public transit, which is a more sustainable way to commute and better for the environment.”

“The Travel Options Program (TOP) funds new, innovative programs and projects that help reduce drive-alone travel in the region, and improve access to a host of safe travel options. DVRPC is excited to support the Clean Air Council, who has been a long-time partner in promoting Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs”, said Stacy Bartels, Manager, Office of TDM Strategy and Marketing at DVRPC. “This trial project will assess the ability of the region’s Emergency Ride Home (ERH) to be more widely available to anyone who signs up without incurring a cost to use it, minimizing a financial hurdle some riders may encounter and ensuring everyone has a way to get home safe.”

Clean Air Council’s Emergency Ride Home Pilot Program

The Emergency Ride Home Pilot Program provides a “safety net” for those who utilize SEPTA bus routes 110, 111, 114, or 117 to work at least two times per week.

In the event of an unexpected personal or family emergency or illness, unscheduled overtime, or if a rider cannot reach the site of the emergency via transit in a timely fashion, registered commuters can request a code for a free Uber ride home, to their car, or to the place of the emergency. Also if a rider’s regular bus route is delayed for over 30 minutes or cancelled, and this will cause an unsafe situation or undue expense for the rider (e.g. late fees for daycare or missed medical appointment), ERH can be considered.

• Commuters can check their eligibility and register with Share-A-Ride here.
• When their Share-A-Ride profile is completed, commuters are eligible to request a free ride (up to $50) due to a qualifying emergency situation.
• When an ERH ride is requested through the Share-A-Ride website, the commuter will receive a unique code to use when paying through the Uber app and be on their way.
• Eligible and approved commuters must have or create an account with Uber to redeem the voucher code.