SEPTA website upgrades; Philly schools swing space; new 7th Ward exhibit | Morning roundup

SEPTA continues wayfinding upgrades with new Metro website

SEPTA’s redesigned Metro website debuted this week as part of its larger branding overhaul to make wayfinding more user-friendly, both on mobile phones and in-person. The move also follows changes to the payment system and station upgrades like those at 30th Street.

In addition to rolling out the new color-coded bus, trolley, and Regional Rail visuals, the website also includes station pages with info about ADA accessibility, parking, sales offices and connecting services. [SEPTA/BPx2/@StreetsDept]

7th Ward tribute’s gaming-inspired exhibit at Rex at the Royal

The second installation debuted in the “Legacy Reclaimed” series focused on the deep rooted history of the 7th Ward debuted, and invokes artist Li Sumpter’s childhood memory of playing slot machines at a bar on South Street with her father.

Titled “Time Bandit of the 7th Ward,” the story-based gaming and immersive art experience takes the form of a fully functioning 1910 Bell Mills vintage slot machine running on 5-cent nickels. It includes six new symbols on the dials. Continue reading… 

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Track safety improvements between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are getting an infusion of federal funds — $143 million for upgrades and $500,000 to study expanded passenger service. [Capital-Star]

• Gov. Shapiro decried antisemitism during a visit to Jewish-owned Center City restaurant Goldie’s, citing an earlier pro-Palestinian protest at the eatery and Penn president Liz Magill’s testimony to Congress about antisemitism on campus. [NBC10/AP] 

• Philly schools now have a “swing space master plan” of 24 locations where students and teachers could be temporarily moved if asbestos and other environmental hazards force schools to close. [Chalkbeat]

• With 25 days left in office, Mayor Kenney reflected on the highs and lows of his two terms, from expanding access to pre-K, enacting a sugary drink tax to fund libraries, and not calling in the National Guard during citywide protests. [WHYY]

• Taylor Swift was named TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year and residents of her native Berks County were thrilled. [TIME/CBS3] 

Weekly brief on gun violence prevention (with PCGVR)

We publish this report each week in partnership with the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting.

• Philly has devoted an unprecedented level of resources to reducing gun violence, but there remains much more to do, according to a progress report from the mayor’s office. [City of Philadelphia]

• Temple Health trauma surgeon Dr. Jessica Beard received a federal grant to study media coverage of gun violence. Her earlier research found that reporting — particularly TV news — that focuses on single events often causes further harm to shooting victims. [WHYY]

• A newly proposed bill in the Senate would regulate the reloading mechanism of firearms instead of the weapons themselves, in an effort to reduce casualties. [Huffington Post]

By the numbers in Philadelphia

• 33: Shooting victims recorded last week, vs. 19 the week prior. [PCGVR]
• 1,569: Shooting victims as of last week were down 28% vs. the previous year. [PCGVR]
• 390: Year-to-date homicides, down 19% vs. last year’s pace; up 20% vs. five years ago [Philly Police]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Kenney joins Mural Arts and the Phillies at the unveiling of the new Dick Allen Mural design honoring the late Phillies legend (11 a.m.).

ON THE CALENDAR

🎄The second annual uCity Square Holiday Fest returns to West Philly with a two-day event that includes a tree lighting, pop-up ice rink, trackless train, and more. (6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8 and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9)

🧶 All things yarn, crafts, and textiles are on hand at the first ever Fiber Craft Holiday Market comes to the Bok. (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9) 

🕎 Mark the third night of Hanukkah at the Philly Chanukah Parade, walking from the Ben Franklin Parkway to Independence Historical Park, where face painting, food, and a menorah lighting await. (7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9)