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⏲️ 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

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⚖️ 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!

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