Federal regulators told the agency to stop running its Silverliner IV fleet until it can identify and fix the cause of the fires, which forced hundreds of passengers to evacuate trains.
The National Transportation Safety Board has instructed the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to shelve its fleet of Silverliner IV rail cars after five fire incidents this year, reports Marc Levy for the Associated Press. In all five cases, passengers were forced to evacuate the trains, with some minor injuries reported. Two rail cars were completely destroyed by the fires.
The NTSB asked the agency to suspend the fleet until it can fix the cause and fast-track its replacement with cars that meet modern safety standards and warning systems. NTSB said the fleet “represents an immediate and unacceptable safety risk because of the incidence and severity of electrical fires that can spread to occupied compartments.”
SEPTA says replacing the fleet could cost roughly $1 billion and could take until 2036.
FULL STORY: Federal Safety Board Tells Philadelphia to Shelve Electric Railcars Linked to Fires
Judge Orders SEPTA to Stop Service Cuts, Fare Increases
The Philadelphia transit agency planned a ⅕ reduction in service and fare hikes to make up for its $213 million budget deficit.
Loss of SEPTA Funding Could Kill Amtrak’s Fifth Busiest Line
The Philadelphia transit agency’s funding challenges could eliminate its contributions to Amtrak’s Keystone Service linking Philly and NYC.
How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety
More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association