What We’re Reading: Rebranding SEPTA, Gentrification, and Liberating the City

Rebranding SEPTA: Philadelphia’s transit agency has developed a new package of signage, maps, and wayfinding.

Overselling, under delivering: WSDOT is trying to vastly oversell a highway expansion project in Spokane and local residents are setting the record straight.

Pandemic commutes: What happened to Seattle area commutes during the pandemic ($)?

Tragedy: During the pandemic, traffic fatalities in the United States have skyrocketed.

Snohomish County development: In Everett, 430 affordable apartments at a former Kmart site ($). Also, all but two Snohomish County zipcodes saw population gains in the 2020 census ($).

Lehigh service: An Amtrak official has said that new service could come to the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania within three years.

Bike the Water Taxi: The King County Water Taxi is now capable of carrying fatter tire bikes.

Head in sand: Washington and Oregon’s transportation departments have cast aside ideas for high-speed rail and sustainable bridge replacement ideas for the I-5 bridge replacement on the Columbia River.

No more: Los Angeles County is banning new oil drilling wells.

Revolting freeways: In Virginia, there was a protest against a new highway expansion in a Black community ($). Meanwhile, Black people are poised to be swept away in South Carolina for a freeway project ($).

Is it safer?: Are taller buildings safer when it floods?

Free fares: Next City shows how free fares would help transit operators.

Gentrification: Gentrification is a hot topic and there’s contention about what it is and isn’t, but is this building gentrification?

Solarizing: How can Seattle build climate resiliency into its schools?

Fare ambassadors: Sound Transit has started using fare ambassadors instead of fare enforcement officers.

Diverter defense: How did a Portlander get the Portland transportation department to upgrade from plastic to metal?

Police reform: The Port of Seattle suggests reviewing hiring practices and changing use of force policies for police.

Delayed: New York City is delaying a major bus network redesign until 2026.

Vax and test mandate: King County will be implementing a Covid vaccination or testing mandate for some aspects of public life.

Crisis calls: How will Seattle’s newest department help change the city’s response to crisis calls?

Poverty declining?: According to one measure, poverty declined during the pandemic in the United States ($).

Funding risk: How is Covid threatening funding for Seattle’s school district?

Fast holiday connection: A new bus company will operate between Seattle and Portland during holidays ($).

Future freeway lid: What will Capitol Hill’s northern freeway lid look like in 2030?

Liberating the city: Parisian officials are liberating the city from cars.

Pay up: Some municipalities want to make big waste producers pay more for the cost of recycling.

Hot nights: Why is America experiencing so many usually hot nights ($)?

The goods: The reconciliation bill may have $10 billion for high-speed rail. Progressives are also fighting for $30 billion to fund transit in the bill. Streetsblog has the latest on the status of sustainable transportation in the reconciliation bill negotiations.

Housing policy abroad: How are the United Kingdom and New Zealand tackling the issue of housing?

Quick fix: Portland’s transit agency acted quickly to address bus crowding after the start of the new school year.

Banning fireworks: Pierce County may give its fire marshal emergency authority to ban fireworks ($).

Racial bias: Chicago police stop Black drivers by many multiples more than white drivers.

Racism and transportation: Streetsblog confronts the issue of racism and transportation based upon a study.

I-35 road rage: Opposition to the Austin I-35 expansion grows.

Next stop: Charlotte’s LYNX Blue Line will get a new station stop.