New Indego bike-share station near 40th and Woodland.

Indego, Philadelphia’s bike share program, recently turned two years old and has just announced more docking stations around the city, including several in West Philly/University City.

Here are the new Indego station locations in the area:

• 40th and Woodland
• 38th and Spruce
• 38th and Market
• 30th Street Station East

One of the main criticisms of the Philadelphia bike-share program when it launched in 2015 was its availability in more socially and racially diverse neighborhoods and accessibility to lower-income riders. Last year, the program introduced a new equitable pricing plan and more ways for low-income residents to pay for the service, such as Pennsylvania ACCESS cards.

Over the past year, the program added new docking stations in such neighborhoods as Spruce Hill – at 43rd and Chester, Walnut Hill – at 48th and Spruce and 46th and Market – and West Parkside – at 1575 N. 52nd Street (see Indego station map here).

To read more about Indego and how it works, go here.

We have compiled a few important announcements released by SEPTA in the past week:

SEPTA Fares to Increase July 1, 2017

The SEPTA Board approved fare changes for Fiscal Year 2018, including modest increases across all modes of travel and methods of payment. SEPTA’s Fiscal Year 2018 begins July 1, 2017, and here is a summary of changes to some of the most widely used fare payment methods (full details can be found here):

• Cash Fare/Quick Trip: Increase from $2.25 to $2.50
• Discounted single ride with SEPTA Key Travel Wallet/Token: From $1.80 to $2
• Disabled Fare: From $1 to $1.25
• Paratransit/Shared Ride: $4 to $4.25
• Weekly TransPass: From $24 to $25.50 (up to 56 trips for one customer)  Continue Reading

Provident Mutual Life Insurance Co. building at 46th and Market (archived photo).

The City’s revised plans for new Police Headquarters have been revealed and they no longer include the former Provident Mutual Life Insurance Co. building at 46th and Market.

The Kenney Administration announced on Wednesday that it wants to relocate the Philadelphia Police Department headquarters to 400 N. Broad St., the former Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News building in Center City. The West Philadelphia site at 46th and Market had been selected by the Nutter Administration and has been undergoing renovations since 2014. The City has already spent about $50 million on purchasing and renovating the 90-year-old Provident building.  Continue Reading

The Saturn Club hair salon opened more than 30 years ago on the 3400 block of Sansom between what is now Federal Donuts and White Dog Cafe. The salon has been a staple of the block, until now. As of June 3, it will close its doors for good, according to the salon’s Facebook page.

“We’ve loved every minute of the last 30+ years and wanted to say thank you for taking this journey with us!” it reads on the salon’s Facebook page.

We are hearing that the neighboring White Dog Cafe may take over the space.

Employees of the salon, some of whom have been there since the business started, have been given notice. The salon staff has been working on getting the word out to clients via calls, texts and e-mail.  Continue Reading

A 51-year-old man was shot and killed by police early Friday morning in Kingsessing, according to reports. The shooting happened shortly after 2:45 a.m. on May 12 at a rooming house on the 1200 block of S. 51st St. The man reportedly lunged at two police officers with a large knife when they came to serve a warrant.

One of the officers used a Taser on the suspect, but he continued lunging at them with the knife, according to reports. Then the other officer discharged his weapon.

The man was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead at 3:30 a.m.

The investigation of the shooting is currently underway, and the officer who discharged his weapon, a 3-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, has been placed on administrative leave, 6ABC reports.

Two police officers who shot an unarmed pizza deliveryman in 2014 have been transferred out of West Philly after pressure from neighborhood groups.

Officers Mitchell Farrell and Kevin Hanvey had resumed street patrol after a suspension for shooting Philippe Holland, who was delivering food near 51st and Willows on the evening of April 22, 2014. Farrell and Hanvey were in plain clothes and investigating a robbery in the area when they approached Holland with their guns drawn. Fearing a robbery, Holland ran to his car and tried to drive away. The officers opened fire, hitting Holland in the head and leg. Police regulations prohibit shooting at a moving vehicle. A total of 14 shots were fired, according to investigators.

After a three-year investigation, Hanvey and Farrell were suspended for 25 days and were back on the streets. A joint letter from Cedar Park Neighbors, Cobbs Creek Neighbors, Garden Court Community Association and Walnut Hill Community Association dated April 28 asking the Philadelphia Police Department to fire the two officers prompted the transfer.  Continue Reading