Tom MacDonald
WHYY
Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Past articles by Tom:
Philly bike share program to expand in historically-marginalized communities
The city wants to nearly double the number of bike share stations and will concentrate on underserved areas in historically-marginalized communities. → Read More
Super Bowl-sized sickout leaves SEPTA riders dealing with delays
Dozens of bus and rail routes are seeing driver shortages because of operators calling in sick on this post-Super Bowl Monday. → Read More
After rider pushback, SEPTA delays ‘bus revolution’ until 2024
Some residents have voiced opposition to SEPTA's proposed changes, arguing they would negatively impact Black and brown transit riders the most. → Read More
Cobbs Creek Golf Course zoning exemption gets commission approval despite opposition
Residents fear the zoning overlay could worsen flooding downstream of the golf course, but a state official and a developer’s contractor say that’s not likely. → Read More
A tree falls in Tioga to signal the start of an effort to clean alleyways of vegetation
The goal is to restore access to city alleyways choked off by trees and other vegetation. → Read More
Philly’s eviction diversion effort closer to extension
The effort is designed to keep harmful evictions off the tenants’ records and prevent landlords from having to find another tenant. → Read More
Philly police launching campaign to enforce bus lane restrictions
The goal is to improve efficiency by keeping the lanes open on SEPTA bus routes that are seeing increases in ridership. → Read More
Philly City Council to fill 2 of 4 vacancies by special election in November
Four City Council members have resigned to run for mayor, but Council President Darrell Clarke is only scheduling special elections for two of the vacancies. → Read More
As mayoral bids mount, a dwindling Philly Council will soon meet in person
The move comes after three members resigned their seats this week to launch campaigns for mayor. → Read More
Philly and its suburbs are officially under a Drought Watch
The declaration means residents should work to conserve 5% to 10% of water usage per day. → Read More
SEPTA’s Wawa Station now taking passengers into Philly
The 3.5-mile expansion and new station construction cost just under $200 million. The Wawa station will be a Delaware County rail hub also serving two bus lines. → Read More
Destructive fire at Jim’s Steaks caused by electrical issue
Fire officials say faulty electrical wiring led to a smoky two-alarm blaze that shut down South Street. → Read More
First responders join military for ‘worst case scenario’ training in Philly this week
Area first responders and the military will join forces this week to run a disaster preparedness exercise in South Philadelphia. → Read More
Rite Aid opens a new style of company HQ in Philly
The facility is designed to deal with the new work-from-home economy while providing support to workers from IT services to videoconferencing. → Read More
Philly named as a host city for 2026 FIFA World Cup
Philadelphia is one of more than a dozen cities in North America that will host the FIFA World Cup games in 2026. → Read More
Community College of Philadelphia expands scholarship program
The expansion is designed to include students who have taken a break, and those who have graduated from a high school outside of Philadelphia, among others. → Read More
Philly increasing pay for lifeguards and offering free training to boost the ranks
Free lifeguard training is underway for 16 to 24-year-olds in Philly. Officials want to use the pools as safe havens this summer. → Read More
Philly school board names Tony Watlington as new superintendent
Watlington will take over for William Hite at the end of the academic year. → Read More
Philly police say social media a catalyst for gun violence among young people
The use of social media for bragging about violent acts is on the increase in Philadelphia. Police say young people aren’t realizing the true reality of their actions. → Read More
Philadelphia Parking Authority head forced out, ‘lost the confidence’ of PPA board
The board of the Philadelphia Parking Authority has decided to change the leadership of the agency that oversees parking and taxi services in the city. → Read More