Source: PA WalkWorks
Transit Fiscal Cliff and Parking-Protected Bike Lanes May Lie Ahead
It’s the end of the legislative session and there are things afoot, as it were. On the one hand, it looks like there might possibly be potential progress on legislation permitting Parking-Protected Bike Lanes in PA. This has been defeated in the legislature repeatedly over the past several years. This year, a clean version of HB 1283 passed through the Senate Transportation Committee and similar language was added to SB 1147 by the full House before returning that motorcycle safety bill to the Senate. Call your state representatives and legislative leaders (Pittman, Kearney, Brown, Bartolotta, Bradford, Daley, and Cephas) and ask for this to be voted into law!
At the same time, progress on addressing the transit funding shortfall has stalled, as the legislative session winds to a close tomorrow. It’s time to ask Governor Shapiro and the PA Senate to avert a crisis. While SEPTA will hit the fiscal cliff first the harms of inaction will affect all of us. Cuts will be visited on transit across the state plus reductions in service risk dumping huge numbers of people into other forms of travel like private vehicles — who is ready for 1M more vehicle trips on our roads each day? After I-95 collapsed, Governor Shapiro and officials across geography and politics rallied to restore it immediately – for 160,000 daily drivers traversing that stretch. SEPTA alone served over 791,000 riders per day in September 2024, and well over 1 million Pennsylvanians use transit every day. Public transportation plays a foundational role in our commonwealth and in our transportation system. The governor can act unilaterally to flex federal highway funding and other discretionary funds or the PA Senate can pass a deal that keeps transit secure in advance of a comprehensive transportation funding package in 2025.
Another EPA Assistance Program With Active Transportation Links
We talked about a couple of EPA opportunities with a somewhat longer time horizon and established vision in the last newsletter issue. This time we are pointing your attention to the Sustainable Communities Accelerator Program.
Teams of two from a given community identified on the EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act Disadvantaged Communities Map, one from municipal/tribal/MPO/RPO staff responsible for plan implementation and one from another community organization, apply to take part in a 7-month training and support program. There will be monthly virtual trainings on second Tuesdays from 2 to 5pm, from January to June and then a final in-person/hybrid convening. There is no cost to participate, and no funding provided. Travel costs, if any, would be borne by participants. The team must have demonstrated support from municipal leadership.
Apply to the Sustainable Communities Accelerator by November 13 for assistance in developing community sustainability programs such as improving pedestrian and bike infrastructure.
PHL Transit, Bike and PED Work Featured on The National Stage
Philadelphia is going to get a chance to shine with the upcoming semiquincentennial celebration in 2026, but there’s a lot of work going on right now and always to make the city one for the ages.
Some of that work is being showcased this week as the national transit gathering Mpact (formerly Railvolution) convenes in Center City and explores the amazing multi-modal network that criss-crosses the region. In the lead-up to that event, Transit, Bike, and Ped Work being done by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC, the Metropolitan Planning Organization for a two state, seven county region) was the focus of a recent episode on the national podcast, Talking Headways.
Biking For Fun is Also Serious in The AT Encouragement Business
There are more than just three “E’s” when it comes to Active Transportation. People often get stuck on Engineering, Education, and Enforcement. But there’s also Encouragement, Equity, and Evaluation. Maybe we should also add Eating!
Encouragement programs come in a range of flavors that pair physical activity with meaningful destinations. Not every trip includes a treat, but Piecycle in Minneapolis (with an awesome URL: https://pie.bike/) works to ensure that people see active transportation network connections and potential connections in their communities and looks for ways to nourish local businesses with people out for a community ride. Make any day Pie Day (your spelling may vary).
Workshop on AT For Rural Communities in Mansfield Oct 29
Last year PDC collaborated with a range of parterns on an in-person educational workshop on Active Transportation in Rural Communities in Kane, up in McKean County. This year, the Walk, Bike & Roll Program is being put on by the National Association of Development Organizations the National Center for Rural Road Safety, the Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission, the PA Route 6 Alliance, Develop Tioga, and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. It will take place Tuesday, October 29, from 9 to 4:30pm, in Mansfield. There will be presentations and interactive activities and a walking tour to close. It is free and open to anyone, provided they register in advance. Lunch is included.
The event is suitable for municipal leaders, community organizations, social service providers, economic development advisers, business owners, and the general public — anyone with an interest in increasing health and economic vitality by improving walking, biking and wheelchair access in their community.
If you are located in a rural area but not within a county or so of Tioga, let us know if you would like to see something similar in your region next year.