SEPTA Buses and Trolleys Shall Now Give You Parking Tickets
Plus, how you — yes, you! — can contribute to a citywide photo exhibit.
A SEPTA bus that will soon be able to issue PPA parking tickets in Philadelphia (photo by Perry Quan / Creative Commons / Flickr)
Check phillymag.com each morning Monday through Thursday for the latest edition of Philly Today. And if you have a news tip for our hardworking Philly Mag reporters, please direct it here. You can also use that form to send us reader mail. We love reader mail!
SEPTA Buses and Trolleys Shall Now Give You Parking Tickets
Philadelphia is the Wild, Wild West when it comes to driving and parking in the city. Pardon my French, but people are absolute assholes. But now SEPTA and the Philadelphia Parking Authority have come up with a plan that will alleviate at least some of the problem: SEPTA will now have the ability to automatically generate parking tickets for certain offenses.
In what SEPTA and the PPA are calling the Automated Bus Camera Enforcement Initiative, AI-enabled cameras will be added to 152 buses and 38 trolleys. If you park at a bus stop in the “No Stopping: Bus Zone” area, if you double park, or if you are parked in a bus lane, the buses and trolleys will now be able to scan your license plate. And you’ll be getting a ticket in the mail. Your infraction will cost you $76 along Center City routes and $51 in other areas of the city. OK, but why not just make them $76 all over the city? Are less wealthy areas less important?
For People Who Like Stories About Animals
New Galapagos tortoise babies at the zoo!
The Mayor Wants to Cut Taxes
That might seem like a good idea. But not everybody thinks so.
Trouble at Villanova
I hear that Villanova University is being absolutely bombarded with emails, phone calls and nasty comments thanks to this. It will be interesting to see what happens. That’s for sure.
The Cheesesteak, Reimagined
We publish lots of controversial stories here at Philly Mag. And then sometimes we publish a story that we don’t really expect to be very controversial. And then it becomes an absolute shitstorm of controversy. Such is the case with our April cover feature: “The Cheesesteak 2.0”. I lost count of the number of comments I’ve seen that use terms like “vomit-inducing” and “disgusting.” Change is just so hard for Philadelphians. You can see what all the fuss is about here. If you don’t think papaya or cilantro have any business anywhere near a cheesesteak, you’re not going to be happy.
By the Numbers
3: Big federal grants that Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health just lost thanks to you know who. We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in funding. And this could mean hundreds of job cuts. These grants helped the city deal with the COVID pandemic but also nasty things like Mpox, measles (it’s back!), TB, and HIV. So what could possibly go wrong?!
$26,500,000: What the most expensive house ever in Avalon will cost you. Hopefully your stocks haven’t been tumbling!
0: Days this week forecasted to climb out of the 50s. Ugh. But next week is looking downright spring-y.
1st: Ranking of the Phillies in the National League East. Now, I can hear some of you naysayers out there telling me, “Oh, but it’s so early in the season.” Sure, that’s true. But if they were in last place, you sure would be complaining.
Local Talent
Normally, I use this space to tell you about local folks doing cool things with their talents. But what if you wanted to get in on this game? What if your creation might be showcased in an exhibition? That is precisely the concept behind Philly Photo Day, which is a bit of a misnomer because this day lasts a week. The idea is that anybody who wants to take a photo can take a photo and submit it to TILT, the organization behind Philly Photo Day. And then your photo becomes part of a photo exhibit.
Here’s a blurb from TILT:
Philly Photo Day is a city-wide open call, inviting Philadelphia photographers, enthusiasts, inhabitants, commuters, travelers, and visionaries to help us shine a light on the city we all love through photography. Anyone with a phone or camera can share a piece of the city from their unique perspective. Just take a picture of anything in Philadelphia between April 7 – 13, 2025, then submit it here. TILT will then print every single picture received for a massive exhibition from May 8 – May 31. Join us for the Opening Reception on Thursday, May 8 from 6 – 9 pm! For Philadelphia, this serves as a diverse record of the city through the eyes of those who inhabit, visit, work, or have fun in the city we love at this moment in history!
So get snapping!
Meanwhile, local author and Penn prof Beth Kephart just came out with her first novel. It’s called Tomorrow Will Bring Sunday’s News. And it takes place in Philadelphia, way back in 1918. She’ll tell you all about it on Tuesday night at Head House Books. You can register for the free event here.
