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Post initially published here.
⏲️ in brief
🌳 Reducing carbon emissions from single-car commutes is part of what makes transit benefits valuable, so we quantified Jawnt’s carbon impact. Learn more in our latest blog post.
- The transportation sector produces 27% of U.S. emissions and more than half of those emissions come from private vehicles.
- Three in four Americans drive alone to work, which is the most carbon-intensive way to commute.
- One Philadelphia employer currently saves 7,076 metric tons of carbon annually by working with Jawnt to make transit a more attractive commuting option. That’s the equivalent of 94 tanker trucks full of gas saved every year.
🚇 In April, Jawnt sponsored the 2023 virtual TransitCon. Read about our takeaways from the conference in our blog post.
- Improving safety is key to getting more people riding bikes.
- The current moment could be an inflection point for the long-proposed Roosevelt Avenue subway in Philadelphia.
- Institutional pass programs for employers and universities are catching on.
💵 Pre-tax transit benefits can be complex. We cover everything you should know about the ecosystem in our blog post.
- They allow employees to have their monthly commuting costs deducted from their pay before taxes are applied.
- The employer deducts the amount from the employee’s paycheck pre-tax and the third-party provider handles the delivery of the transit benefit.
- Employees can allocate up to $300 per month of their pre-tax earnings towards commuter benefits.
⚖️ Balancing fare-free transit with increased service
- In recent years, many advocates have called for fare-free transit.
- While this approach has benefits, the tradeoff is lost fare revenue.
- In D.C., a decision between free bus service and a new transitway has sparked a nationwide conversation about that tradeoff.
- Keep reading to learn more ⤵️
🚎 mobility news
⚖️ Deeper Dive: Balancing fare free transit with increased service
- Fare free transit has several clear benefits. Removing fares…
- ensures equitable access to transit;
- reduces boarding time, allowing buses to run faster;
- and eliminates transit agency spending on ticketing systems and fare enforcement.
- But after city council members in D.C. suggested canceling a downtown transitway to fund fare free bus service, critics are questioning the push for eliminating fares.
- They say that transit agencies’ top priority should be improving service, and losses in fare revenue prevent improvements.
- They also point to alternative equity plans, such as targeting free fares to low-income residents.
- Meanwhile, D.C. transit advocates say the national debate has distorted the realities of this local decision.
- They have reservations about the downtown transitway and believe council members are pitching a false choice.
- Regardless, the debate has people thinking more critically about the tradeoffs associated with fare free transit.
- Do you have strong feelings about fare-free transit? Reply here to start a conversation with our team!
🚝 How SEPTA supports unhoused individuals
- The killing of Jordan Neely has prompted a lot of discussion about homelessness in transit systems.
- While transit has become the “last safety net” for many, SEPTA offers several services to support this community…
- The Hub of Hope aims to meet unhoused individuals where they are.
- This resource center is located in SEPTA’s rail system below City Hall.
- Hub of Hope offers meals, laundry, showers, medical care, and social services.
- The center is made possible by a collaboration between Project HOME, SEPTA, and the city.
- Color Me Back offers same day work for unhoused individuals.
- In collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia, SEPTA pays $50 for three hours of work on murals in and around SEPTA stations.
- This year, the program was showcased at South by Southwest in the hopes that other cities might follow suit.
🧡 Jawnt news
🗓 We’ll be at ACT's Annual International Conference in Seattle later this summer. Let us know if you’ll be there - we’d love to catch up!
🚲 We had a great time supporting the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) throughout Bike to Work month! Did you happen to catch us around Philly?
🗺 We’re also working with BCGP to put together an enhanced map for biking in Philly. We’re looking for beta testers - let us know if you’re interested!
🚌 Interested in joining the Jawnt team or know someone who might be? We’re hiring! Take a look at our current job postings.
💐 potpourri
🎤 Transit ridership is spiking along the stops of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. Experts say special events like this can help show first-time riders the value of transit.
🚗 Uber is expanding its shared ride option, UberX Share, to five new U.S. cities (including Philadelphia) as a part of the company’s “zero-emissions” goal.
😬 Spotted by SEPTA during this year’s [rainy] Broad Street Run!
