Philly trails expansion; I-95 access ramp to close; AI in Pa. government

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

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(Photo by @neptunosvws)

Expansion of Philly bike and walking trails gets over $300 million in funding

A regional transportation planning board has approved at least $300 million in federal, state and local funding to expand pedestrian and bike trails in the Philadelphia region.

The projects aim to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety in traffic-heavy areas of the city and the surrounding counties, reduce vehicle emissions, and improve access to natural resources. Continue reading…

The Schuylkill River Trail in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

Philly occupational therapist is making disability inclusion her mission

As an occupational therapist and professor at Thomas Jefferson University, Parezo had long been aware of the challenges her patients face on a daily basis, and how they can often be excluded from activities based on assumptions that they couldn’t do it physically.

But then she came to experience them on a far more personal level. She suffered a spinal cord injury from a stray bullet in 2021, which left her paralyzed. Continue reading…

Amanda Parezo, of Philadelphia, who is paralyzed from the waist down, surfs during the Life Rolls On “They Will Surf Again” event in Wildwood, N.J. on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (Nicole Leonard/WHYY)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• How Pennsylvanians are responding to wildfire smoke. [Inside Climate News]

• How more than 3,000 Pennsylvania state government employees are using AI at work. [Inq$]

• PennDOT will permanently close the Bridge Street access ramp to I-95 in Northeast Philly on Friday, Aug. 21, but crews are constructing a new connector at Tacony Street. [PhillyVoice]

• Where will the Philly Portal go next? The public installation faces an October deadline as organizers search for a new home. It currently sits inside the City Hall courtyard. [6abc]

• Philly’s ‘Kind Strangers’: These Saint Joe’s grads will help you move, clean or do your chores — even if you can’t pay. [WHYY]

• A trio of BlackStar documentaries connects communities from Southwest Philly to Northwest London. [WHYY]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker has no public events scheduled for Tuesday.

Campaign finance records show that the mayor’s campaign is spending far more on lawyers than it did when she was running for office, according to an Inquirer report.

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

Where to find vegan ice cream in Philadelphia
There’s no sorbet on this list — just rich, plant-based scoops so creamy you’ll wonder how dairy stayed out of the mix.

South Philly’s Italian bakeries offer sweet treats and century-old heritage
Hoagie rolls, tomato pie, ricotta-filled cannolis and pignoli cookies are among the many offerings at Isgro, Termini, and several other shops.