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  • Lights, camera, action on the El. SEPTA police to star in a TV docuseries.

    Lights, camera, action on the El. SEPTA police to star in a TV docuseries.

    Film crews are hard to hide on the subway.

    SEPTA said a production company is making a TV docuseries for A&E on the work of the transit police, shadowing officers in Philadelphia as they patrol trains, buses, and streets.

    SEPTA riders posted a flurry of photographs, questions, and comments on social media platforms after sightings of TV crews.

    An email was sent to SEPTA employees last week explaining what’s behind filming they might see on the system.

    The documentary will ”offer viewers a unique perspective of SEPTA law enforcement, allowing the audience to get to know some of the men and women of SEPTA’s 200-plus strong police force,” the internal message said.

    Screenshot of a post on X of an internal email sent to SEPTA employees about the A&E documentary.X.com

    SEPTA says it looks forward to having the transit police being in the spotlight, noting their challenging job, a sharp drop in violent crime on the transit system, and a crackdown on fare evasion and anti-social behaviors like smoking in stations and on vehicles.

    The production company has editorial control but has SEPTA’s permission to embed with police units. The transportation authority says it is not receiving any compensation from the production.

    SEPTA senior press officer John Golden said the eventual series will not be so-called reality TV.

    “There is nothing scripted about this,” he said, and the action as crews follow officers is not staged. It also is not focused only on arrests or confrontations.

    The docuseries project was first reported Thursday by news site Philly Voice.

    Alastair Cook, cofounder and owner of Double Act Productions, emailed that he was traveling and not able to immediately discuss the show.

    The company, headquartered in the Brixton district of London, has produced dozens of documentaries and fact-based dramas for outlets like A&E, the BBC, National Geographic, and Discovery+.

    A representative for A&E Global Media did not respond to a request for comment.

  • Bucks man charged with homicide in wife’s strangling death

    Bucks man charged with homicide in wife’s strangling death

    A Bristol Borough man was charged with homicide and related crimes in the strangling death of his wife this week, authorities said.

    Michael Myers, 59, was arrested Thursday in the killing of his wife, Dawn, in their Lower Bucks County home, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.

    Around 6:30 a.m. that morning, police found Dawn Myers, 54, dead in a room on the second-floor of the Wood Street property. She appeared to have been be strangled, and had multiple men’s ties wrapped around her neck and her shirt was pulled up, the affidavit said.

    It was not the first time police responded to the property, the document said.

    Officers first arrived shortly after 6 a.m. after receiving a security alert from the Myers’ alarm company. But the door was locked and no one answered when they knocked, according to the document.

    They returned just before 6:30 a.m. after Dawn Myers’ son, Brendan Murray, arrived at the home to find his mother dead, the affidavit said. There, Murray also found Myers, his stepdad, who had been released from the hospital the previous day after being admitted for making suicidal threats, according to the document.

    Myers had been in and out of the hospital for those concerns, the affidavit said, and was released after medical professionals determined he was not a threat to himself, the affidavit said.

    Murray told investigators he arrived to find Myers sitting outside the home in a parked car with blood on his face. He said he asked where his mother was, and Myers led him to the front door and unlocked it.

    He soon found his mother upstairs and as he tried to descend the stairs, he said, Myers blocked his way with arms outstretched, the document said.

    Murray said he fought past him, ran out to the front lawn, and yelled for his wife to call 911.

    After police arrived, the document said, Murray pointed to Myers ― who was standing behind the front glass door ― and accused him of killing his mother.

    Police took Myers into custody as investigators began gathering evidence from the alarm system and security cameras that indicated Myers had been inside in the home.

    The cameras captured Dawn and Michael Myers returning home together on Wednesday afternoon. They also captured the last time Dawn Myers was seen alive, when she let their dogs out in the backyard around 6:40 p.m.

    The next time they recorded activity, Myers was leaving the home around 6 a.m. on the morning of the killing.

    He is being held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility and was denied bail.

    In addition to homicide, Myers was charged with strangulation, aggravated assault, intimidation of witnesses, possessing instruments of a crime, and false imprisonment.

    He is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 26.

  • Cheltenham made a deal with a developer to build a $4.5M pool complex. A lawsuit alleges they’re breaking bidding rules.

    Cheltenham made a deal with a developer to build a $4.5M pool complex. A lawsuit alleges they’re breaking bidding rules.

    Cheltenham Township is buying a pool complex from a private developer for up to $4.5 million, which a resident’s lawsuit alleges violates public bidding rules.

    The township commissioners approved a contract last month to lease 2.7 acres by Ashmead Road and Front Street to Melrose Pool LLC for $10 per year. Cheltenham agreed to pay up to $4.5 million for three public pools and a 5,000-square-foot building that Melrose Pool will build under the lease agreement.

    Matthew Areman, president of the seven-member Cheltenham commissioner board, vowed this week that the township would share additional details in the “coming weeks and months,” but a lawsuit filed July 22 in Montgomery County Court by Cheltenham resident Sam Thacker alleges the agreement is illegal. He claims it bypasses competitive public bidding laws that would normally apply to a town’s public pool, and wants a county judge to void the contract and issue an injunction to halt the project.

    A Montgomery County judge has given Cheltenham and Thacker until Aug. 21 to file their legal arguments, but time is short: Under the lease, the township has to decide on a final pool plan by the end of August.

    What the suit alleges

    Areman said last year the pool parcel is worth several million dollars, according to the commissioner board’s meeting minutes.

    If the township is leasing that land to the developer for just $10 per year, Thacker said, he believes the lease agreement also violates Cheltenham’s township code, which requires the use of “a system for obtaining independent appraisals … to assure that the township is obtaining adequate compensation” when skipping bidding on real estate leases. Thacker told The Inquirer he was unable to find a fiscal assessment for the pool project through Right-to-Know requests or a town spokesperson.

    Township officials declined to explain the legal reasoning behind the leaseback agreement with Melrose Pool.

    But in an FAQ posted this week, officials wrote Cheltenham had “received estimates from multiple pool consultants indicating that constructing a comparable standalone replacement pool would cost approximately $6-8 million.”

    Holly Fishel, the policy and research director for the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, who did not comment on Cheltenham specifically, said she had heard of leaseback agreements with townships before but was not sure of the legal mechanisms. In situations where a township is doing construction work on land it owns, “you would need to be doing the bid,” Fishel said.

    But in this case, a private company is doing the work on land it has leased.

    “That can’t be right that you can just evade public bidding requirements by saying something is a lease when it’s clearly a public construction project,” Thacker said.

    Cheltenham is paying up to $4.5 million for three pools

    A preliminary plan for the Melrose plot includes three pools of different sizes, but the July 15 lease notes that the developer is to provide a final plan by this week.

    The township will then have two weeks to approve or deny the final pool plan.

    Upon completion of the work, Cheltenham would pay up to $4.5 million for the new pools, or pay an additional rent up to $382,500 per year until the township comes up with the $4.5 million.

    The two-week timeline for the township to approval a final pool plan is what led Thacker to file his lawsuit.

    “The contract is structured essentially to rush this forward as quickly as possible,” Thacker said. “We have no idea if $4.5 million is a good price.”

    The figure is cheaper than the $6.1 million estimated in 2023 to redo the Conklin Pool, which the Melrose pools would replace in 2027. The township has one other public pool, in Glenside.

    But other residents have questioned whether it is even possible to build three public pools for $4.5 million, given the Conklin pool estimate.

    Private development planned beside pool

    The pool is part of a larger redevelopment of the former Melrose Country Club — at 116 acres, one of the largest properties in Cheltenham — that includes new townhouses and commercial space.

    The lower price tag for the new Melrose pool comes in part from construction efficiencies, Cheltenham wrote this week, since the property will already require site preparation, grading, and utilities for the new buildings.

    The property’s developer, an LLC associated with BG Capital, gave the township the 2.7 acres for free last December to advance public welfare and for an unspecified “advantage” to the developer.

    BG Capital and the LLC’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment, but court filings Tuesday for Melrose Pool LLC argued that the bidding process Thacker cited under the state’s procurement code does not apply “to the landlord/tenant relationship” between Cheltenham and the LLC because the code applies only to state agencies.

    Melrose Country Club project changed

    Some residents, including Carl Freedman, have raised concerns at public meetings about the larger project. An earlier plan included both a pool and a community center, Freedman said, and would have allowed more much-needed commercial space.

    Cheltenham’s recently approved long-term township plan calls for bringing in more business to bolster the struggling tax base.

    Freedman, an architect who sits on the Cheltenham Planning Commission, said the panel no longer supports the project and is sending the township a letter to that effect.

    “The loss of the community center is what is making the retail unmanageable,” Freedman said, because the center would have drawn potential shoppers to the site. “This project has taken a left turn.”

    Chloe Mohr of the Montgomery County Planning Commission, which reviews local development projects and offers recommendations, said the county commission plans to release a new review of the revised plans late next week.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • King of Prussia data center complex is rejected by Upper Merion Township officials

    King of Prussia data center complex is rejected by Upper Merion Township officials

    The Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected a proposed 5-million-square-foot AI data-center campus that had sparked pushback from residents, a lawsuit from the developer, and accusations of mistreatment and intimidation.

    After the decision was made at a Thursday night meeting, some in the crowd applauded, danced, and high-fived one another. The rejection came after three hours of fiery exchanges between the developer, Brian O’Neill, and township officials.

    O’Neill and his team said they were prepared to go over each of the township’s comments about his five proposed sites in the King of Prussia area. But officials said it was too little, too late, and asked if O’Neill’s team was “filibustering.”

    “Are you asking us to not present those facts in defense of those plans when it’s clear all you want to do is deny our plan and go home tonight?” said O’Neill. He later said township officials were violating state and local planning codes, an allegation they denied.

    “Your attempt here to lecture us is considered an intimidation. And I don’t want to see our professional staff bullied or coerced,” said William Jenaway, vice chair of the Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors. “Intimidation, coercion and bullying are not good qualities in a professional leader.”

    O’Neill, a longtime real-estate developer, has recently turned his sights to data centers. He first proposed building one of the controversial cloud-storage facilities in nearby Plymouth Township. In Upper Merion, he wants to build a data center complex on five properties in the township’s Swedeland section, a small residential and industrial area between West Conshohocken and Bridgeport.

    A map of the proposed data centers in Upper Merion and Plymouth TownshipsJohn Duchneskie

    Those projects aren’t dead: O’Neill can appeal the board’s denial, as chair Tina Garzillo told him Thursday.

    “Don’t you worry about that,” said O’Neill, before walking out of the Upper Merion Area Middle School auditorium to a chorus of boos.

    The board’s decision came after months of contention and a whirlwind two days of legal back-and-forth.

    O’Neill on Wednesday sued the township, its planning commission, and its board of supervisors, saying they violated his legal right to an extension and treated him unfairly during the development review process. Soon after, Montgomery County Court Judge Garrett D. Page ordered the township to halt proceedings and decisions related to the data centers until a hearing next week.

    Citing the ruling, Edmund J. Campbell, an attorney for O’Neill, declined to make a presentation on two of the five proposed data-center sites at an Upper Merion Township Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday night.

    Human reporters explain why AI data centers are so controversial in the Philly suburbs and beyond

    Late Thursday afternoon, however, Page vacated his previous order, allowing the township board of supervisors to proceed with its meeting as planned. On the agenda: A vote on O’Neill’s request for an extension until Sept. 30, and votes on the five proposed data centers.

    After an hour of public comment, all but one of which was from residents opposing the data centers, the township’s board of supervisors voted to deny O’Neill’s extension requests. The board then moved on to vote on the land development plans for each of the five sites.

    One by one, the plans were denied unanimously by the five-person board.

    Each vote was met with loud cheers from attendees.

    For months, residents have rallied against O’Neill’s plans, packing township meetings and putting up bright orange lawn signs opposing the projects. About 18,000 people had signed a Change.org petition against the Upper Merion data centers as of Thursday. Some neighbors have expressed concerns about pollution, light, noise, electricity prices, property values, and quality of life.

    Upper Merion residents opposed to the data centers have put up these lawn signs.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    “I’m really proud to stand here tonight with each and every other concerned resident,” Courtney Smith said Thursday. “We all have something important here to fight for.”

    “The people here are here because they care deeply about the long-term interest of our communities,” Montgomery County Commissioner Neil K. Makhija said during his comments in opposition of the plan. The commissioner said the supervisors’ decision would have ramifications beyond the county, as communities across the region and the country weigh data-center development.

    O’Neil has said his data centers would benefit Upper Merion and “change the world for the better.” While the developer has declined to specify who exactly would operate the centers, he has indicated the facilities would use AI-powered biotech in conjunction with his existing life-sciences complex, Discovery Labs.

    One of the sites where Brian O’Neill wanted to build a data center in Upper Merion.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    O’Neill has said his data centers would comply with the highest environmental standards, emitting little light and noise. They would operate on a closed-loop system, requiring no outside water, he said, and provide their own power.

    The developer has also said they’d be an economic boon to the area. Last week, he released an economic impact study that said the Upper Merion centers would result in more than 10,000 jobs during its construction and then generate more than $55 million a year in local tax revenue.

    At Thursday’s board of supervisors meeting, however, Upper Merion Township Tax Collector Evelyn Ankers disputed those figures, and said O’Neill has failed to pay taxes on his properties in the past.

    Across the Schuylkill, a data-center fight rages on between O’Neill and some residents of Plymouth Township, where the developer wants to build a 2-million-square-foot facility on a shuttered steel mill outside Conshohocken.

    The developer recently filed a legal challenge to the Plymouth Township zoning ordinance, and has exchanged accusations of mistreatment with township leaders. News of O’Neill’s actions in Plymouth Township prompted a rebuke from Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had previously encouraged data center development in the commonwealth.

    A date has not been set for the next Plymouth Township meeting, though officials indicated it would be sometime in September.

  • Upper Darby residents rally to save the ‘Mozino Forest’ from mixed-use development plans

    Upper Darby residents rally to save the ‘Mozino Forest’ from mixed-use development plans

    Upper Darby will consider buying a 15-acre forested property at the heart of a conservation fight after dozens of residents packed a public meeting and demanded the township look into purchasing options before rezoning the parcel for mixed-use development.

    The Upper Darby Township Council on Wednesday considered moving forward an ordinance to create a mixed-use zoning district on a tract of land between State and Township Line Roads. The tract, known by residents as the Mozino Forest, contains unmaintained forest. Though the land is private property — owned by Peter Mozino and under contract to be sold to the Rockwell Development Group — residents have long utilized it as a place to walk, hike, and commune with nature.

    Rockwell Development Group has proposed developing the property with a blend of single-family homes, townhouses, apartments, and ground-floor commercial spaces, as well as dedicated community and recreation spots and pedestrian walkways.

    Rita LaRue, Upper Darby’s director of community and economic development, said Rockwell originally came to the township with a plan to build 56 single-family homes on the site, a proposal that would be allowed under the site’s existing zoning and would not require special zoning approvals. The township then asked Rockwell to consider an alternative, higher-density plan that would combine diverse housing types, retail, and community amenities, LaRue said. Over several months, Rockwell worked with the township’s solicitor, engineer, and planning staff to bring the mixed-use zoning ordinance.

    Upper Darby officials have said putting a denser, mixed-use development on the tract, rather than the 56 single-family homes, would help fulfill core township goals by bringing in more tax revenue and adding diverse housing options.

    “We are very committed to having a mixed-use space that is not simply, you know, brick and mortar. We want it to be a place that adds to community life for everybody in Upper Darby,” LaRue said.

    At the meeting, Rockwell president Greg Lingo touted his Upper Darby bona fides, telling the crowd he was not the ill-intentioned, outside developer he had been portrayed as. The developer said he graduated from Upper Darby High School, is a taxpayer in the township, and has invested significantly in the Drexel Hill neighborhood over the years.

    Lingo said that while he understands residents’ concerns about preserving green space, the land is private property and could be developed into a residential neighborhood regardless of whether the zoning amendment is passed.

    “This isn’t necessarily a decision between open space and a future mixed-use development,” Lingo said. “This property is not open space. I’m pleased to hear that people have just been using it as open space over the years. It’s private property. It’s property that’s been neglected for as long as I can remember.”

    Lingo said he would be willing to sell the property if the township wanted to purchase it, but added that as a taxpayer, he does not “think that that’s a great use.” Lingo approximated the cost of the land at $8 million.

    There were 15 proposals to purchase the property, none of which involved maintaining it as open, green space, planning commission member Debbie Nifong said at a June 8 meeting.

    The planning commission voted 3-2 to recommend approval of the zoning change in June.

    At the Wednesday night council meeting, residents packed the council chambers, donning green shirts and spilling out into the hallway in protest of the proposed zoning change. They described tranquil walks through the Mozino Forest and warned of environmental consequences if the land were to be developed.

    “I believe that having some open space, it’s future gold in terms of urban planning,” said Dolores Lombardi, a resident and former chair of the township’s shade tree commission. “Many cities are preserving open space, and creating more. An overdeveloped heat zone is not an attractive place to live in.”

    “The whole forest is a natural sponge for our area. There will be severe downstream flooding,” said resident Gail Grant, who warned of increased stormwater runoff should the green parcel be paved.

    Residents questioned why the forested tract should be developed when the township has numerous vacant storefronts and existing corridors in need of redevelopment.

    Members of the township’s environmental advisory committee urged the council to strike down or table the zoning ordinance and said that, if given more time, they could put together a proposal for the township to purchase the land with supporting funds from local conservancies or state or federal bodies.

    They cited the $13 million purchase of the Oakwell estate in Villanova by the conservation nonprofit Natural Lands and the Wyncote Foundation. The lush estate was once slated to become athletic fields for the Lower Merion School District but was sold to the nonprofits after significant community pushback.

    The council voted unanimously to table the ordinance, citing a need for more information from both Lingo and the environmental advocates.

    “I know the administration wants to look into seeing what sources we have available to see if we can come to some type of agreement,” council member Kyle McIntyre said.

    McIntyre said he did not want to “get everyone’s hopes up” and described “two trains running parallel to each other.” While the township will “do everything in our power to possibly strike a deal” to buy the land, McIntyre said, he expressed a desire to work with Lingo to “make sure that what we’re building for this community actually does benefit it” if a sale does not happen.

    “We did learn a lot of things tonight, and I’m eager to have those conversations with the township and see where we fit in and what we can do, so that we can make a decision that’s good for everybody,” Upper Darby Mayor Ed Brown said.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • A Philly man who said he killed his wife for disrespecting him is sentenced to state prison

    A Philly man who said he killed his wife for disrespecting him is sentenced to state prison

    A Holmesburg man who killed his wife after he said she disrespected him was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in state prison by a Montgomery County judge.

    Jose Luna, 59, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder late Wednesday before Judge Wendy Rothstein. The plea, negotiated with prosecutors, spared him from a trial scheduled to begin next month on first-degree murder and related charges.

    Luna shot Alisett Schubert, his wife of seven years, five times on Feb. 21 as she drove them home from a family party in Rockledge, according to prosecutors. The murder weapon was Schubert’s .38-caliber revolver, which Luna had grabbed from his wife’s purse as they began to argue.

    Luna’s attorneys, Scott Frame and Joe Schultz, said he pleaded guilty to spare his wife’s family the pain of sitting through a trial.

    “This was his wife, he loved his wife, and he has to live with this rest of his life,” Schultz said. “He feels the weight of what he’s done.”

    The sentence handed down by Rothstein effectively puts Luna behind bars for the rest of his life, something Frame said Luna has acknowledged and accepted, remorseful for his actions on the day of the shooting.

    Jose Luna shot Alisett Schubert, his wife of seven years, five times in February, according to prosecutors.Vinny Vella / Staff

    In Schubert’s obituary, her family described her as “a spirited soul whose love for life was unparalleled.”

    “The circumstances surrounding her passing are a heartbreaking reminder of the fragility of life,” her family said. “Suddenly and tragically taken from us, Alisett’s absence leaves an unfillable void in the lives of those who knew her.”

    In a statement read in court, Brinda Millican, one of Schubert’s best friends, said her death “has left an emptiness that cannot be repaired.”

    “She should have been able to continue living her life and making new memories with the people who loved her,” Millican said. “Instead, her life was violently taken from her by the person who should never have been the one to cause her harm.”

    From the outset of the case, Luna admitted he killed Schubert, 48, prosecutors said.

    During an interview with detectives hours after the shooting, Luna said he slapped Schubert during a family party after she disrespected him, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. He told her, after hitting her, that he didn’t care if her family saw the dispute.

    The couple continued to argue on the drive home from Rockledge. During the dispute, Schubert stopped the car and told Luna to get out and walk home.

    Luna saw that his wife was holding her purse, and he knew her gun was inside it. The two began to fight over the bag, the affidavit said. Luna grabbed it, pulled out the gun, and shot his wife once.

    As Schubert turned to get out of the car, Luna shot her four more times, according to prosecutors. He then fled, pausing to throw away his hat and jewelry to avoid being recognized.

    Officers in Rockledge found Schubert on the ground, unresponsive. She was later pronounced dead at Jefferson Abington Hospital.

    Luna was arrested about a mile away from the crime scene, still holding the gun. He raised the revolver to his head, telling responding officers that he had lost everything, and pulled the trigger.

    The gun was empty.

  • Bristol Borough woman killed in early-morning domestic dispute, sources say

    Bristol Borough woman killed in early-morning domestic dispute, sources say

    Bristol Borough police and Bucks County detectives are investigating a homicide that took place early Thursday.

    Officers were called to a residence on Wood Street around 6:30 a.m. for what law enforcement sources described as a domestic incident.

    A woman inside was reported dead at the scene, and one person was in custody, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

    Police said there was no danger to the public.

  • Self-policing loading zones have worked in Center City, the PPA says, so they’re adding more

    Self-policing loading zones have worked in Center City, the PPA says, so they’re adding more

    The Philadelphia Parking Authority is expanding tech-enforced smart loading zones in Center City beginning Monday, citing reduced curb congestion and faster travel on two corridors over the last 15 months.

    Average traffic speeds are up 32% compared to historical averages on Chestnut Street and 28% on Walnut Street since the PPA installed the loading zones in May last year, according to a study by INRIX, the transportation analytics firm.

    During the middle of the day, that means vehicles are moving at around 10 mph, on average, vs. 7 mph before.

    High-res cameras track how long a delivery truck or a car stays in the zone, and software calculates a 10-cent-per-minute fee. That is then charged to the driver’s wallet on the CurbPass app. If needed, license plate pictures are used as evidence to issue $51 tickets for staying longer than the one-hour limit.

    “Really, the goal is ensuring curb space is available for the folks who need it most … and improving traffic flow through some of the most congested parts of the city,” said Gabe Roberts, interim executive director of the PPA.

    Turnover of vehicles is the key. It is a kind of EZ-Pass for curbs.

    The Philadelphia Parking Authority is adding 30 new smart loading zones in Center City, for a total of 52. Officials say the first set improved traffic flow.Philadelphia Parking Authority

    The system was developed by Los Angeles-based Automotus, a pioneer in curb management used in cities across the country, including Pittsburgh. PPA and the company installed smart loading zones on 22 blocks in May 2025.

    On Monday, the loading zones will begin operating on 30 blocks across Center City, PPA says. No tickets will be issued in the new spaces during a monthlong warning period.

    Darting delivery vehicles from DoorDash, Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and the like — along with Uber, Lyft, and regular drivers — have proliferated beyond the supply of curb space in Philadelphia and other cities in recent years, slowing through traffic to a crawl.

    Philadelphia has had business and passenger loading zones for years, but they had been overflowing, forcing some delivery trucks to double park in the traffic lane.

    Why is Philly stuck in traffic?

    Existing smart loading zones have effectively added curb space for 730 additional vehicles a day because vehicles are moving in and out instead of sitting for a long time, PPA says.

    PPA says it has seen a 97% increase in commercial freight and delivery trucks using the loading zones, cutting down on double parking that blocks traffic.

    The technology also captures plenty of vehicles double-parking in the zones, which are marked by purple, red, and white signs. That results in a $76 e-ticket.

    “Enforcement is much more exact and consistent,” Roberts said. “It develops an expectation” that can change behavior, he said.

    Indeed, PPA says about 78% of violators have received only one citation.

    CurbPass accounts are not limited to commercial vehicles. Anybody can sign up, including rideshare drivers. The first three minutes are free, so a driver can pull in and create an account on the spot from a QR code before the toll starts.

    In addition to loading zones, PPA is enforcing parking violations that block transit lanes and stops with AI-powered cameras mounted on bus and trolley windshields in Center City and West Philly.

    Roberts stressed cameras only capture data necessary for enforcement and, in the case of loading zones, billing: license plate, time in, time out, and location.

    “Our goal is to monitor the vehicle, not the person,” he said.

  • Extreme weather tests the township | Inquirer Lower Merion

    Extreme weather tests the township | Inquirer Lower Merion

    Hi, Lower Merion! 👋

    If summer storms seem to be getting worse, you’re not wrong. We look at why, as well as the challenges they pose to local residents and infrastructure. Also this week, a former Main Line Health surgeon is suing the system, a Gladwyne company is looking to add senior housing nearby, plus, a township native’s Eagles fandom is making waves on the Vanderpump Rules spin-off.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    How climate change and aging infrastructure are impacting Lower Merion residents

    A July 13 microburst brought down part of a tree in Narberth. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    As summers grow hotter and more humid, residents throughout the region face increased climate threats that can lead to flooding, downed trees, and damaged property.

    That was the case for Tori Bauver, whose Wynnewood apartment was badly damaged in last months’ microburst.

    Once infrequent, intense weather events have ramped up due to climate change. “We get a 100-year storm every year,” said Ray Courtney, a Lower Merion commissioner and chair of the township’s sustainability committee.

    Many areas, including Lower Merion, also contend with aging stormwater infrastructure, which can exacerbate problems.

    The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner delves into how storm intensity has increased, what municipalities are doing to combat it, and why the issues are so complex to solve.

    💡 Community News

    • Gianluca Torregrossa, a former cardiac thoracic surgeon specializing in robotics at Main Line Health, is suing the system for allegedly firing him after he reported a series of bad patient outcomes at the hands of another doctor. The Inquirer’s Abraham Gutman has the details.
    • The Narberth Community Food Bank has abruptly shuttered its doors. In a note on the website, founder Gigi Tevlin-Moffat said the nonprofit didn’t make “this change lightly or quickly,” but also didn’t expand on why it was closing, only noting that “the past year has been overwhelming with challenges.”
    • The Ardmore Avenue Pool won’t open at all this summer, the township’s Parks and Recreation Department said this week. The pool, which the department hoped would open for part of the season, has been closed since last summer to make way for work on the nearby Ardmore Avenue Community Center and area park, which are expected to open early next year.
    • Lower Merion commissioners recently approved an expansion of the Indego bike share program, which will bring three docking stations to Bala Cynwyd. It will be the first expansion of the program outside of Philadelphia.
    • Bala Cynwyd native Rob Evors is currently starring in new Freeform and Hulu unscripted show House of Stassi, where his Eagles fandom has become an unexpected storyline. The Inquirer’s Maggie Prosser explains why.
    • Gladwyne-based Waverly Senior Services is looking to build an independent living community on the historic Glencoe estate property in Radnor Township, which is currently owned by the Haverford School.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy was in town last week and paid a visit to beloved Bryn Mawr joint Johnny’s Pizza for his “One Bite Pizza Reviews,” giving it an 8.3 on the spot (the official video has yet to be released). Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan noted the Lancaster Avenue eatery is a rare double threat, thanks to its excellent pies and cheesesteaks.

    🎳 Things to Do

    😂 Andrew’s Big Show: This drop-in event will feature juggling and comedy. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 14, 11 a.m.-noon 💵 Free 📍 Ludington Library

    🥽 Pool Party Family Shabbat: Cool down at the pool, where there will also be music, games, and crafts. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 14, 5-8 p.m. 💵 $15 📍 Kaiserman JCC

    🎭 Trial by Jury: The Savoy Company will perform the Gilbert and Sullivan comedic, one-act opera, along with some of the duo’s other works. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 15, 6-7:30 p.m. 💵 $17-$42 📍 Stoneleigh

    🍿 9 to 5: Catch a screening of the 1980 film starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin. ⏰ Monday, Aug. 17, 7:15 p.m. 💵 $11.75-$16.25 📍 Bryn Mawr Film Institute

    🎵 Music in the Park: Bluegrass-forward Mark Schultz and the Wayne Rangers will take the stage. ⏰ Wednesday, Aug. 19, 7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Narberth Park gazebo

    🏡 On the Market

    A chic, reimagined Ardmore home

    The interior of the home has been reimagined, while maintaining some of its original elements.Courtesy of Robin Halpern/Compass RE

    This four-bedroom Ardmore home is 20th-century on the outside and 21st-century on the inside. Built in 1910, the stone estate has been overhauled to give it a modern interior while paying homage to its roots. Among its features is a chef’s kitchen, a wine room, a sun room, and a living room with its original carved wood mantel. It also has a primary suite with dual walk-in closets, a soaking tub, a steam shower, and a fireplace. Outside, there’s a patio with a fireplace, plus a detached two-car garage. There are open houses tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 2 p.m.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $3.195M | Size: 5,626 SF | Acreage: 0.45

    🗞️ What other Lower Merion residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • K-1 center puts residents, school district at odds | Inquirer Greater Media

    K-1 center puts residents, school district at odds | Inquirer Greater Media

    Hi, Greater Media! 👋

    Rose Tree Media School District’s proposed early education center is getting pushback from some residents. Here’s why. Also this week, the developer seeking to reverse a Middletown Township decision preventing it from building a warehouse at the former Franklin Mint site has withdrawn its appeal, plus, Swiss Farms is looking to expand in the region.

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    Rose Tree Media faces residents’ ire over proposed K-1 center

    A rendering of the Rose Tree Media School District’s proposed K-1 center, which the district hopes to build behind Penncrest High School.ICS with Schradergroup

    Middletown Township residents continue to push back against a Rose Tree Media School District proposal to build a center dedicated to kindergarten and first grade students.

    At a planning commission meeting on Tuesday, residents held signs and wore buttons decrying the early education center that, if approved, would be built on open land behind Penncrest High School. Some neighbors who oppose the plan say it will worsen traffic and burden taxpayers.

    The district contends that it would alleviate overcrowding, which is expected to get worse as enrollment swells, and allow it to offer full-day kindergarten.

    The commission postponed its vote on making a recommendation to council and is expected to take the issue up again in the fall.

    The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner explores the disconnect and why residents are opposed to the center’s proposed location.

    💡 Community News

    • A year after Middletown Township’s council voted to deny Outrigger Industrial’s proposed 330,000-square-foot warehouse at the old Franklin Mint site, the company this week formally withdrew its appeal challenging the decision. It brings an end to a saga that drew considerable community pushback to keep the site from being developed into a warehouse.
    • The state has approved a $10 million fund known as the Freeze Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant to help farmers impacted by the unexpected spring cold snap that devastated certain fruit crops, including peaches and apples at Linvilla Orchards.
    • Delaware County council has appointed the first members of its human relations commission, which it voted to establish last year. The 12-person commission will adjudicate claims of discrimination in cases like housing, employment, healthcare, education, and public housing.
    • Delaware County residents and real estate leaders are at odds over the forthcoming $120 million open space bond referendum that will be on November’s ballot, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. Some residents are in favor of enhancing green space in the county, while others worry about the cost to taxpayers. Some in the real estate industry say it could hinder housing development in an area already short on inventory.
    • Arasapha Farms owner Randy Bates died recently at the age of 68 after battling cancer, reports CBS News Philadelphia. The Glen Mills farm is home to beloved Halloween experience the Bates Motel, as well as a Christmas tree farm.
    • Elwyn Road will be closed tomorrow through Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Route 352 and Baltimore Pike for base repairs.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    • Springton Lake Middle School in the Rose Tree Media School District has a new assistant principal as of this week. Christine Fleming was confirmed by the board to succeed Melissa McGuire. She has spent three decades in education, including most recently as coordinator of gifted education in the Lower Merion School District, according to her LinkedIn profile.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • Fast-casual stir-fry chain Honeygrow is opening its newest location at the Promenade at Granite Run tomorrow. It’s located in the same area where wellness concepts HiLo House and Sweathouz, and food hall Wonder opened in the last year.
    • Could more Swiss Farms locations be on the way? New owner Arsh Pola is hoping to expand the local brand — which has locations in Swarthmore and Springfield — including eventually adding gas.

    🎳 Things to Do

    🎶 Rose Tree Summer Concert Festival: The final shows for the season include performances by the U.S. Army Field band and Soldiers’ Chorus tonight, California country rock group Cimarron 615 and fellow country artist Craig Bickhardt tomorrow, nine-piece outfit The Discoteks on Saturday, and Sensational Soul Cruisers on Sunday. ⏰ Thursday, Aug. 13-Sunday, Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Rose Tree Park, Media

    👚 Mean Girls: See the cult classic performed live. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 14-Sunday, Aug. 23, days and times vary 💵 $21-$27 📍 The Media Theatre

    😂 Huge Soup: Improv performers will take the stage. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 14, 8 p.m. 💵 $13.50 📍 Players Club of Swarthmore

    🎨 Couples Craft Night: Couples can create a piece of art that represents their relationship. ⏰ Wednesday, Aug. 19, 7-8:30 p.m. 💵 Pay what you wish 📍 Nimble Craft, Media

    🗞️ What other Greater Media residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.