PennFuture and The Clean Air Council are bringing representatives from different city agencies to University City this Tuesday (Aug. 23) to discuss transportation pollution and are hoping to form a more streamlined policy that reduces traffic and pollution. A roundtable discussion will take place at International House Philadelphia (Asia Room, 3701 Chestnut St) from 6 – 8 p.m.

The latest American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report shows that Philadelphia has very poor air quality, which creates a critical public health issue.

“By bringing key stakeholders together, we’ll determine concrete policy and programmatic actions that each sector can implement to reduce transportation-related pollution in the Philadelphia region,” said Joseph Otis Minott, Clean Air Council Executive Director.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (2:50 p.m.): The man suspected in the shooting of 24-year-old police officer James McCullough has been arrested, according to police. 23-year-old Scott Griffin was in the possession of a gun when he was arrested around 1 p.m. on Monday.

A police officer was shot in the leg on Sunday while tackling a robbery suspect near 59th and Market, according to reports. Two suspects, including the gunman, remained at large as of Monday morning.

The shooting happened at around 8:50 p.m. when 18th District police responded to a call of a robbery and a car break-in on the 5900 block of Market Street. Police say three suspects robbed a man and took the keys to the victim’s car, a Ford Expedition. The robbery victim reportedly chased the suspects to a nearby SEPTA station at 60th and Market, beat up one of them and held him for the police. The other two suspects ran toward 59th and Salford and tried to get into a Dodge Durango, which they mistook for the robbed man’s car.

The wounded officer, identified by the authorities as , was flagged down by a woman, who owns the Dodge Durango, according to reports. He got out of the patrol car and tried to tackle one of the suspects when he was shot in the thigh. Both suspects, including the one who shot the officer, escaped. Police say McCullough fired his weapon three times at the suspect, but he still managed to flee.  Continue Reading

A draft plan has just been released summarizing the two-year joint planning process as part of a long-range re-development of the station and its surrounding area (30th Street Station District Plan). The plan will be presented today (Wednesday, March 16), from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at an open house, which will take place at the station (behind the Amtrak ticket office).

The draft plan pinpoints several key development areas, including remodeling and enhancements to the station and building a new urban neighborhood with “a healthy balance of residential buildings, station-anchored commercial office towers, and retail, recreational, and cultural amenities to sustain a 24/7 environment.”

The plan also proposes a new expansive park, two new pedestrian and bicycle bridges over the Schuylkill river and both vehicular and pedestrian bridges across Powelton Yard to the west, a new intercity bus terminal, and reopening the tunnel connecting 30th Street Station to SEPTA’s subway and trolley station.  Continue Reading