September 29th, 2020
Camille Boggan and Krista Guerrieri
"Regional Rail is on life support. Essential workers can bring it back."
PlanPhilly
Ridership on Regional Rail is down 90%. SEPTA must change the system so it can serve essential workers — and draw people back to empty trains.
July 29th, 2020
Ben She
"4 ways SEPTA can reduce COVID-19 risks on transit"
PlanPhilly
COVID-19 has hurt SEPTA immensely. Now is the time to make changes to protect riders and employees while strenghtening the system for the future.
July 27th, 2020
Yasha Zarrinkelk and Dena Ferrara Driscoll
"SEPTA and other transit systems are in dire need of more coronavirus relief"
The Philadelphia Inquirer
As Congress negotiates the next big coronavirus relief package, it is clearer than ever that a sustained investment in Pennsylvania’s public transit systems, including SEPTA, is absolutely vital to our region’s recovery.
April 1st, 2020
Dena Ferrara Driscoll
"SEPTA’s fare restructuring can help replace flawed in-person hearings with fair public input"
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The coronavirus crisis presents SEPTA and other public agencies with the chance to reform how it performs engagement with the public for the better. By expanding engagement to electronic polling, phone, and mail surveys, SEPTA could provide a modern model that better captures public sentiment.
March 31st, 2020
Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman (Pro)
"Safe social distancing: Should Philly close more streets to cars during coronavirus? | Pro/Con"
The Philadelphia Inquirer
As the city reacts to the COVID-19 crisis, closing nonessential businesses and preparing hospitals for the inevitable wave, it has an opportunity to act aggressively on another crucial component: our streets.
March 5th, 2020
Dena Ferrara Driscoll and Daniel Trubman
"SEPTA transfer fees are an outdated, burdensome penalty on Philadelphians"
The Philadelphia Inquirer
There’s one policy change that would immediately improve the customer experience, enhance equity within the system, and lay the groundwork for an efficient, robust transit network: Eliminate the burdensome cost of transferring from one public transit vehicle to another.
February 10th, 2020
Daniel Trubman and Michael Noda
"Market-Frankford Line issues underscore need for more transparency from SEPTA"
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The transit agency needs to engage the public and its board over how it handles problems.
October 10th, 2019
Dave Brindley
"Philly needs to reboot street cleaning program"
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Be careful what you wish for — the City's long-awaited street cleaning pilot program has left much to be desired.
October 9th, 2019
James Gitto
“It’s time to test a car-free Chestnut Street”
PlanPhilly | WHYY
Across the world, cities are taking their streets back from cars. Philadelphia has an opportunity to test the pedestrian-first model on Chestnut Street.
February 8th, 2019
Aaron Bauman
“Philly can’t achieve Vision Zero without change at PennDot”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphians are six times more likely to be killed or severely injured on a PennDot street.
December 20th, 2018
John Ricco
“Should Philly end single-family zoning? Minneapolis is doing it.”
Response for The Philadelphia Inquirer
Is [single-family zoning] really the best use of our city’s space?
November 29th, 2018
Dena Ferrara Driscoll
“Philly doesn't need PPA's free holiday parking to entice suburban visitors”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Philly is a destination. We don't need to convince people to come here because of free parking.
November 21st, 2018
Leigh Goldenberg
“More corporate grocery stores won't help our food-insecure city”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Locally owned stores, not chains, can help Philly's food crisis.
October 19th, 2018
Dena Ferrara Driscoll, Jon Geeting
“Extend the Broad Street Line north, make parking permits more expensive, and more radical ideas to calm Philly's traffic woes and make us a better city”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
We've tapped some advocates and experts for radical ideas for what Philadelphia can do to address our transportation problems and make us a better city.
September 14th, 2018
Dena Ferrara Driscoll
“Your friendly neighborhood crossing guards could make your corners even safer - if only the city would let them”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Expand their job duties (and pay to align with these new duties) by allowing them to ticket low-level traffic and parking violations.
August 9th, 2018
Joe Celentano
“Floating a solution to Philadelphia’s parking-space quandary”
Plan Philly
July 19th, 2018
Joe Celentano
“Close Chestnut Street to cars (again) to make Center City more vibrant.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Let's try something new (again) that would make life better for everyone.
July 5th, 2018
Jon Geeting
“Philly Free Streets is so joyful. What if it happened every single week?”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Philly's have a renaissance of public spaces. So why not expand that to our city streets?
July 5th, 2018
Dena Ferrara Driscoll
“Want to build a better Philadelphia? Expert says to design for ages 8 and 80”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"If everything we do in our cities is great for an 8-year-old and an 80-year-old, then it will be great for all people."
July 2nd, 2018
Dena Ferrara Driscoll
“Our Morning Commute: Multimodal living with kids in Philadelphia”
PlanPhilly
June 12th, 2018
Jon Geeting
“To truly modernize Pa. streets, PennDOT should move to Center City, not King of Prussia”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Part of the problem is the institutional culture at PennDOT, which is dominated by conventionally-trained engineers who have been trained to value fast speeds for motorized vehicles as the most important measure of a successful street.
May 3rd, 2018
Dena Ferrara Driscoll
“Banning on-street parking isn't insane; but using the space for more traffic lanes is”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Five suggestions for what to do with the saved space on Philly streets.
March 1st, 2018
Dave Brindley
“Bring street sweeping back to Philly's neighborhoods”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Our dirty streets are not just due to litter, but all the road silt and half-decomposed leaves that are beyond what should be expected of our citizens to clean.
February 27th, 2018
Dena Ferrara Driscoll
“City Council's bike lane bill won't make Philadelphia's streets safer”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The new bill effectively requires a City Council ordinance whenever bike infrastructure is upgraded (including repainting) or modified, stating that council need to approve "any modification to an existing bicycle lane that would affect the flow of traffic."
January 16th, 2018
Dena Ferrara Driscoll
“Dockless bike share is the next transportation trend Philly should embrace”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The current bike share system needs more flexibility if cycling can continue to expand in the city. PlanPhilly recently reported that city officials are looking to boost bike share by considering dockless technology. This is a positive move.
November 29th, 2017
Dena Ferrara Driscoll
“Spruce Street bike lane: How Philly can prevent another tragedy”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Today we honored the memory of Emily C. Fredericks by using our own bodies to protect our neighbors, we need the city to step in and protect all of us, all the time.
November 16th, 2017
Jon Geeting
“Philly is only walkable if you're an able-bodied childless adult”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Why do Philly parents want big strollers? Just look at our streets.
September 27th, 2017
Jon Geeting
“5 ways to fix Philly's broken bus system”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Bus riders should push for these to ensure Philly gets the bus system we deserve.
September 5th, 2017
Dave Brindley
“Philly's newest bike lane isn't good enough”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Requiring bike riders to cross three lanes of traffic as cars are speeding by is dangerous for everyone.
July 26th, 2017
Jake Liefer
“Median parking on South Broad Street is dangerous and must end”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The allowance of illegal parking on the South Broad Street median is a microcosm of Philadelphia government's hands-off approach to street safety.
March 10, 2017
Leigh Goldenberg
“The system for reporting trash, trip hazards, and illegally parked cars is broken”
Spoke Magazine