July 14: Ride-hailing temporarily legal in Philly | Where people move after Philly | New Ben Franklin Bridge ramp

A bill legalizing ride-hailing in Philadelphia until at least September 30 passed as part of the Fiscal Code yesterday, reports Colt Shaw. Companies like Uber X and Lyft will pay a 1% gross receipts tax, two-thirds of which will go to the School District, and one-third will go to the Philadelphia Parking Authority.  

Angie Schmitt has a good primer on the Federal Rail Administration safety rules that force U.S. transit agencies to purchase much heavier and more expensive commuter train sets than are used in most European and Asian cities, and how this relates to Philly’s regional rail debacle. Rule changes supported by the American Public Transportation Association, NHTSA, Amtrak and other industry groups are very slowly wending their way through the federal rule-making process.

Where do people move when they move out of the Philadelphia region? New York City, mostly, followed by Austin, Texas. Esther Yoon at Philly Mag summarized Pew Research Initiative’s new report on migration in Philadelphia, which found more families with children are moving out of the city than moving in, and the largest group of in-migrants is settling in or around Center City, which is still a relatively new phenomenon. 

The Delaware River Port Authority is preparing to bid out construction for a new ramp for the Camden side of the Ben Franklin Bridge, reports Carol Comegno. The project recently received grants totaling $1.2 million from the U.S. Highway Administration and the William Penn Foundation. 

Renowned architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, who designed the flagship Apple store in New York, will open an office in the new East Market tower at 11th and Market, Natalie Kostelni reports. Melissa Romero at Curbed got a first look at the inside of the building, and shares some updates on the construction.

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