Philadelphia

SEPTA To Install Arrival Clocks
The digital displays will finally let riders know when the next train is coming.

Digging Into SEPTA’s Problems
Philadelphia’s transit agency faces some structural challenges as it struggles to reorganize its services and bring back ridership.

New Philadelphia Outdoor Dining Laws Exclude Most Restaurants
Restaurant owners argue that new requirements for the city’s permanent outdoor dining program are practically impossible for most of them to meet.

Philadelphia to Add 10,000 Residents to Housing Voucher Wait List
After a decade-long delay, the city is taking new voucher applications. But for recipients, a voucher doesn’t guarantee they’ll find housing.

New Short-Term Rental Rules to Take Effect in Philadelphia
The new rules are an attempt to get a handle on the short-term rental industry, which, due in part to little enforcement of existing regulations, has yielded ‘bad actors.’

How Philadelphia Prevented Mass Evictions
By requiring landlords to enter mediation before filing eviction cases, the city’s eviction diversion program has successfully kept thousands of people at risk for displacement in their homes.

Philadelphia Adds 10 Miles of Bike Lanes in 2022
The city is nearing its 2015 goal of building 30 miles of protected bikeways.

Where Have All the Third Spaces Gone?
As businesses shortened their hours during the pandemic, Philadelphia residents found themselves with fewer options for places to spend their evenings.

Philadelphia Plans Bus System Overhaul
Regional transit agency SEPTA plans to streamline its service by replacing some suburban bus routes with on-demand transit.

Study: Bikeshare Boosts Riding in Philadelphia
Public health researchers outline the benefits of Philadelphia’s Indego bikeshare network, which has encouraged more residents to choose biking over other transit modes.

Following Lawsuit, Philadelphia to Add or Fix 10,000 Curb Cuts
Disability rights advocates won a settlement that directs the city to improve accessibility on its public roads over the next 15 years.

Is it a Rowhouse, or a Rowhome?
Philadelphia has long been acknowledged as the capital of rowhouses in the United States. It’s becoming more common for those rowhouses to be referred to as rowhomes.

New Film, Set on a Philly Bus, Celebrates the Magic of the Latino Community
The Latino community gathers on a bus, and joy ensues, in the new short film "La Guagua 47."

Philadelphia Plans for a Transit Revolution
Three coordinated, ambitious, simultaneous planning initiatives are underway at SEPTA, the regional transportation authority for Greater Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Deems Speed Camera Project a Success
City officials say an automated traffic enforcement pilot program has reduced speeding and crashes along the corridor where cameras were installed.

Philadelphia Wants To Address Racial Bias in Home Appraisals
The city convened a task force to assess the state of appraisal bias and recommend ways to improve equity in real estate appraisal.

Philadelphia Launches Plan To Redesign Ben Franklin Parkway
The city wants to make the car-centric parkway more accessible and people-friendly.

The Return of Rooming Houses
Popular in the early 20th century, the single-room occupancy rooming house fell out of favor, with the type now banned in many cities. With no end to the housing crisis in sight, cities are rethinking their regulation of this affordable housing optio

Philadelphia Seeks Federal Funding to Improve One of its Deadliest Streets
Local officials hope to use federal infrastructure funding to make safety improvements on Roosevelt Boulevard, where more than a tenth of the city’s traffic deaths happen.

Washington Avenue Road Diet Less Likely
After one city councilmember refused to advocate for changing parking rules in his district, Philadelphia’s Washington Avenue could end up with two different safety configurations.
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